A Discussion With Ted Peterson
1,125I am joined by veteran writer and designer of The Elder Scrolls, Ted Peterson. We discuss a vast array of topics including Ted's contributions to Elder Scrolls lore, his process and influences as a writer, some correlations between TES and real-world history / mythology, a close look at the Psijic Order, and much more.
The last half of our conversation is dedicated to Ted's current project, The Wayward Realms. We talk about their design philosophy and certain details of the game's planned mechanics. We also look over some incredible concept art including a few new pieces being debuted here exclusively!
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Discussion Topics:
0:00 Introduction
The Elder Scrolls:
0:43 Genesis of TES
4:15 Writing & designing Daggerfall
7:57 Morrowind & Oblivion consulting
11:22 What is lore, and why is it important?
15:03 Balancing lore versus direct storytelling
17:15 Lore creation
22:05 Influence of real-world elements on lore
27:33 Collaborative lore creation
31:20 The context of lore; fantasy within fantasy
34:58 Contradictions in lore
39:15 Dragon Breaks
48:13 Reliability of sources in lore; blending history and fiction
57:41 Real-world parallel: creation myths
1:03:28 The line between inspiration and ripping off
1:08:29 Real-world parallel: cultural divides in spiritual philosophy
1:12:45 Real-world parallel: divine right of kings
1:14:15 Archetypes in lore and game storytelling
1:17:47 Creating the initial races; racial bonuses
1:22:12 The Psijic Order
The Wayward Realms:
1:30:05 Introducing The Wayward Realms
1:35:30 OnceLost Games & The Council of Wisdom
1:37:37 Overall design philosophy
1:44:18 Open world scale
1:45:48 Procedural systems
1:51:47 Worldbuilding & exploration
1:55:15 Character classes
1:57:13 Combat
2:01:00 Dynamic factions & world changes
2:06:58 Game difficulty
2:10:45 The world of Archipelago
2:13:08 Races & cultures; familiar with a twist
2:19:15 ART REVEAL: Cambion
2:20:29 Crabmen
2:21:58 Specter
2:22:24 Wereboar
2:25:01 ART REVEAL: Death Knight
2:26:18 The Loremasters & The Library of Logos
2:32:06 ART REVEAL: The Bookworm
2:33:40 The Inquisition
2:36:42 Narrative structure of an open world story
2:42:09 Getting involved with Wayward Realms
2:43:34 Final thoughts & acknowledgements
Credits:
The Wayward Realms / Once Lost Games
https://waywardrealms.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OnceLostGames
The Council of Wisdom: https://discord.com/channels/553246083556573185/553246084315611138
If you're interested in contributing to The Wayward Realms, send resumes and work samples to:
info@waywardrealms.com
Indigo Gaming | Julian LeFey Interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGLGi5RK8V8
Adventure Art | "Mad Genius" Daggerfall Unity Let's Play:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPL9xKpvet0
Contributing Artists:
Alex Siddy -------------------------- https://alexsiddy.artstation.com
Alexey Rudikov ------------------- https://alexeyrudikov.deviantart.com
Daniel Ran -------------------------- https://soundcloud.com/danielran
David Simons (Arcvein) ----- https://arcvein.deviantart.com/
Fkcogus333 ----------------------- https://fkcogus333.deviantart.com
Gwendolyn Allsop -------------- https://www.flickr.com/photos/gwennyma/
------------ Storefront -------------- https://onegirlsplussizedadventure.picfair.com
Hieronymus7Z ------------------- https://hieronymus7z.deviantart.com
Horatiu Mlendea ---------------- https://hmlendea.go.ro
inSOLense ------------------------- https://insolense.deviantart.com
Lady-Nerevar --------------------- https://lady-nerevar.deviantart.com
Lukkar -------------------------------- https://lukkar.deviantart.com
Minttu Hynninen ---------------- https://theminttu.deviantart.com
Nikulina-Helena ----------------- https://nikulina-helena.deviantart.com
Selann ------------------------------- https://selann.deviantart.com
Creative Commons Attribution links:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1b0BxjpuwublIuYHJjMCicwXh-LV3x3AwDN_l3nf6siM/edit?usp=sharing
All material used in the production of this video which constitutes an Elder Scrolls game asset is used in accordance with Bethesda's Fan Video policy.
https://bethesda.net/en/article/3XrnHrB0iAesac8844yeuo/bethesda-video-policy
#elderscrolls
#waywardrealms