Bethesda anounces official fiction (novels) Options

[jack cloudy]

First off, I don't know if this is the right forum. On the one hand, it's TES, which means it doesn't belong here. On the other hand, it's not any of the games either. So I just dumped it here for now.

Anyway, I came across this bit of news while scanning the UESP for stuff on Wayrest.
the article on the Bethesda site

So yes, it looks like Bethesda is moving into the realm of paid fiction. On the one hand, they haven't mentioned much about the story. Some flying deathcity threatening Tamriel which sounds kinda awesome and kinda weird at the same time. And um...this was a bad day to remove levitation. How is the Imperial legion ever supposed to get up there and kick some behind?

One interesting bit the article notes...apart from the underage heroine and potentially equally underage prince. Ah, good old japanese rpg universes where everyone over twenty is too old to fight or do anything useful other than telling the teenage heroes where to go. Wait, I thought TES was a western rpg? Hmm...I wonder if miss heroine will start out in prison. Come on, its tradition, just steal a sweetroll and surrender to the guards! I demand it!

But I'm moving off-topic. Anyway, one interesting bit the article notes is that apparantly, the Empire will not turn into a republic as a lot of people thought. At least not yet. Someone managed to get chosen to be emperor again. Though I hope it's not a Septim. Maybe a far relative but not a second unknown son please. Anyway, mr Keyes emperor will end up being canon I guess. Here's to hoping he'll be an Argonian. (probably not I bet it's another Imperial.)

Oh, and the article called the Empire a kingdom. Funny mistake there.

This post has been edited by jack cloudy: May 1 2009, 09:47 AM

[Kiln]

Odd that they would go through all the trouble of killing the emperor, his sons, and his super secret son...all so a new emperor could appear out of nowhere to save everyone. Sounds a little out there to me. Oh well.

This post has been edited by Kiln: May 1 2009, 10:38 AM

[Olen]

Hmm, 'kingdom'. Might be more there than you'd first think - maybe the Empire has lost all the provinces and thus is just the kingdom of Cyrodiil. I do hope the new Emperor isn't a Septim. And a flying city?! Cool but they'd better handle this right...

Though they didn't say when this is set so maybe its pre-oblivion?

[stargelman]

Next up:

TES: The animated series

Oblivion - the Movie, directed by Uwe Boll


From there on, it'll kinda go downhill.

[milanius]

Considering I don't care much anymore for BGS or anything related to them I can only find the parallel between Death Star and Tamriel amusing. This is a nice, refreshing way of selling bottled pee to hordes of loyal fanbois/gurls.

Next up:

TES: The animated series

Oblivion - the Movie, directed by Uwe Boll


Since OB, it kinda all went downhill.

kinda fixed it forya

This post has been edited by milanius: May 18 2009, 11:59 AM

[jack cloudy]

Personally, I'm less interested in the story than in what they're going to do with the setting. So I probably won't buy the book and instead get all the information I need off of wikipedia or UESP.

And if I'm correct, it said somewhere in that article that it takes place post-oblivion. I guess that's the only debate point for me. Am I willing to shell out lots of cash for a glimpse into the 4th era, yes or no? I'm leaning towards no.

As for the quality of the book. Tes is a very magic-heavy universe. It's going to be real hard to make the threat good enough that it can't be solved by some random mages guild member, yet still weak enough that a pair of potentially underage kids saving everyone doesn't sound too farfetched.

Alright, so I think it will end up as being crap. All because the female is too young in my opinion.

[Alexander]

Oblivion - the Movie, directed by Uwe Boll

That would be something wouldn't it

In all fairness though, I must admit I've read the Age of Unreason from mr Keyes and loved it. But that's Steampunk like, quite different from Fantasy. I wonder if he'll be able to manage a fantasy story as well as he managed the AOU.


But the more important question might be, would TES even really be able to be fun as fiction. The whole strength of the universe is in allowing you to become the hero in a giant and freeroaming world. Could such a thing even translate itself to a book, and if not, would a standard fantasy book about this world be as much fun as what we're used to?

I guess I'll keep an open, though somewhat hesitant, mind

[Kiln]

Oblivion - the Movie, directed by Uwe Boll

Lol God lets hope not...that man is one of the worst directors in history.

[Bolzmania]

Oblivion - the Movie, directed by Uwe Boll

Lol God lets hope not...that man is one of the worst directors in history.

Oh I was just about to say that.

[Colonel Mustard]

But the more important question might be, would TES even really be able to be fun as fiction. The whole strength of the universe is in allowing you to become the hero in a giant and freeroaming world. Could such a thing even translate itself to a book, and if not, would a standard fantasy book about this world be as much fun as what we're used to?

I guess I'll keep an open, though somewhat hesitant, mind

We've managed it plenty of times. Then again, we are all awesome, so...

Anyway, I'd be interested in perhaps borrowing this from a library. But then again, it disagrees with what I had in mind for Cyrodiil after the Emperor died, so I might not. I'm egotistical like that.

[bbqplatypus]

I don't know if I like the idea of there being another Emperor so soon after the events of Oblivion. I suppose it kind of makes sense, but I was kind of hoping for a huge struggle for the throne, with the Blades becoming a bit like the Praetorian Guard (assassinating rulers and officials as they see fit). Y'know, throw a bit of chaos and fragmentation in there.

[Illydoor]

Does this also mean there maybe more Oblivion fiction in the future? It would be cool to have its own publishing firm like that of Black Library for Warhammer. Although obviously, not as big, it could still provide a lot of authors the chance to write some TES fiction.

This post has been edited by Illydoor: May 4 2009, 02:40 PM

[Colonel Mustard]

I wander if they'd want a crossover specialist...