Today, November 1st, marks the release of the Deadlands DLC for The Elder Scrolls Online on PC, Mac, and Stadia. The game's lead writer also recently shared how the team approached creating characters, settings, and stories for Deadlands in a new behind the scenes look.
Given that the DLC takes place in Oblivion, as well as in new areas of Oblivion that the team was allowed to explore and add to, like the treacherous the Sever, creating characters provided a new challenge. Setting the new content here included the Dremora and the Daedra in their home environment. This, of course, created an opportunity to show the Dremora as mostly followers of Dagon, and the constant war and competition for glory. Though it may surprise some in their encounters.
In The Wretched Spire settlement, Bill Slavicsek, ESO’s lead writer, says that it's “a place where mortals and Daedra who wish to live their lives outside the influence of the Prince of Destruction can survive more or less in peace”. From a storytelling perspective this shows how these very different peoples are trying to find some common ground and coexist.
Another addition in this DLC is the city of Fargrave. Because players needed a hub to allow for necessary operations like bank and storage access in the middle of these very dangerous lands, Fargrave was the result. It also provided storytelling opportunities and even at its base level, a very different environment. The realm is a more neutral place so when you walk in you'll find Daedra living and working there as well as challenges to be sure. There are also other mortals there as well as NPCs with their own stories.
To read all about the process of creating and writing the characters and their stories along with new settings and returning ones, see the full behind the scenes feature on the Elder Scrolls Online site.
