There are roughly three top-level "types" of places (not counting Services) that have not really been documented consistently or properly - Dungeons, Overworld POIs, and Buildings
ESOHead Zone Types: Dungeon, Group Dungeon, Neutral Zone, Outdoor, Raid Dungeon, Story Instance, Leveling Zone
ESOHead POI Types: Quest Hub, Dungeon, Explorable, Wayshrine, Group Dungeon, Dark Anchor
There are multiple sub-types of Locations which are gameplay-based - these are the POI "class" types from before
There are multiple architectural styles of places which are not restricted to any of the above types - these are the POI "style" types from before
Having a sharp divide between style types and building types is trying to force a divide where one only exists in gameplay terms, not in visual/architectural terms; "building types" should be a subset of "style types", where the divide is at the gameplay level (POI or Building), not the style level
Places by Gameplay
Zone Gameplay types ("Levels", i.e. has its own loading screen; use generic "Area" or "Dungeon" only if another Gameplay type doesn't already cover it)
Zones (Actual Zones, i.e. Levelling Zones / Overworld Zones)
Dungeons (Specifically defined by IsUnitInDungeon() or GetMapContentType()==MAP_CONTENT_DUNGEON, referring to Dungeon Achievements; needs its own flag anyway)
Worlds/Worldspaces (could be interior or exterior, anything that has a loading screen and is not an Overworld Zone, may or may not be a Dungeon)
Many Unmarked Locations in zones are overworld interiors, but many more are the entrances to zoned interiors; to distinguish these from other Worldspaces, define Worldspaces as specifically those with no zoned entrance
"Worldspace" for the class, "Connected Worlds" for the in-zone list?
Instances (i.e. not public; are these all Dungeons?)
POI Gameplay types (locations within an Overworld Zone, i.e. has a pop-up name)
Quest Hubs (has an Objective completed by Quests; can have interior Zones)
Dungeons (completion is triggered by Clearing - check whether all of these count towards Dungeon achievements - likely to become a redundant division at this level)
Delves (have interior Zones)
Public Dungeons (I think these are actually Objective completion, not Clearing; have interior Zones)
Group Bosses (these probably don't count towards Dungeon achievements as they do not have interior Zones)
Group Delves (have interior Zones)
Group Dungeons (have interior Zones)
Veteran Dungeons (variant of Group Dungeons, have interior Zones)
Trials (have interior Zones)
Arenas (check this one too - these don't have a Completion; have interior Zones)
Wayshrines
Abyssal Geysers
Battlegrounds (not "within a zone", except when they are...; have "interior" Zones)
Crafting Sites
Dolmens
Player Houses (have interior Zones)
Quest-Specific Locations (likely to become redundant; all are Zones, primarily forming the Connected Realms lists on Zone pages, or Unzoned)
Mundus Stones
Striking Locales
Trophy Vaults
Explorable (have icons, but no specific gameplay purpose)
Unmarked (are named but have no icon; some are interiors, but not Zones, eg Storm Lair; some have interior Zones, eg The Middens - that needs splitting into POI/Zone)
Alliance War types
AvA Towns
Artifact Gates
Border Keeps
Keeps
Outposts
Scroll Temples
Imperial Districts
Milegates
Minor Location types
Buildings
Services
Infobox summary should show Style types in the first instance, with Gameplay types as a second entry, eg:
City:
Daggerfall
Quest Hub
Redundant Thoughts - Splitting POI types and Building types
Regarding keeping Building types separate from POI types, in the case of lighthouses (mentioned above), I was thinking we could perhaps change the Style type from Lighthouse to Beacon (which may better represent Greenheart, Riverwatch and Crown Point), and then have Lighthouse as a Building type. In the exact case of a POI being a Building, we could move such buildings into the Landmark style. --Enodoc (talk) 11:26, 29 January 2016 (UTC)
Should we include building types as possible style types, or not?? ie, if the POI is exactly a building, is a building type more useful? eg, Anvil Lighthouse
With a bit of faffing, I managed to get {{showhide}} to do pretty much what I wanted:
*Place X Objective: Do the thing.
Quest Link
Quest Link
Place X Complete: You did the thing.
Quests
I also have a version where {{showhide}} is not used, and the collapsible formatting is applied directly (this puts the "[show]" box in an easier-to-see place):
Place X Objective: Do the thing.
Quest Link
Place X Complete: You did the thing.
Quests
In either case, it would probably be worth creating a wrapper template if we want to go down this show/hide route for ease of use. --Enodoc (talk) 21:10, 26 December 2015 (UTC)
Update to Quest Header (XP Gain → change to type for all quests)
DLC Story Quests and Side Quests for the {{ESO Story Chart}}
Place Summary tidy-up
Look through Striking Locales, Crafting Sites and Group Bosses for non-conforming Styles and change those to Landmarks
Check for Ships and Buildings - those are the only cross-purpose Style/Building types that I want to use
Consider changing the "Lighthouse" style to "Beacon"; secondarily, consider adding a Lighthouse building type
Need to Find: Pages with categories defined at the bottom (move to addtrail)
Need to Find: Pages (not Buildings, not Services, not Dolmens) which do not use addtrail
Need to Fix: addabove entries using the non-breaking space nbsp;
Need to Fix: Discovery/Completion XP values are useless again
(To categorize buildings in a settlement with its own map, use "city")
"Stores" redirects → "Stalls" category to separate them from Store buildings (most of which have icons) ???
Dye Stations (now Outfit Stations: If connected to a store, redirect to store (eg, Belkarth, Wayrest); if separate, separate page (eg Evermore, Shornhelm)
Maps (all new maps since Wrothgar need to be checked)
Just thought I'd throw together a couple of lore inconsistencies I noticed with ESO (if anyone wants to comment, feel free to leave a message).
ESO takes place 1000 years before Skyrim. This puts it at around 2E530.
Faliensti has stopped moving. But Falinesti doesn't root until during the 3rd Era (around 3E420), and this is for the first time. Scrap that one. That was just the article writer's addition, not an official lore concept.
The Aldmeri Dominion isn't formed until 2E830, so why does it exist in 2E530? I've been thinking about this one. See below for a reasonable reinterpretation of PG 1st Ed.
ESO's start date confirmed as four years after 2E579 and ten years after 2E572 (well done, ZeniMax, you can't count) so this puts it at 2E583 or 2E582. [1]
Regarding Aldmeri Dominion, above; Pocket Guide, 1st Edition, states The Aldmeri Dominion is a relatively recent creation. Formerly divided into the two realms of the Summerset Isles and Valenwood, the Aldmeri Dominion has its origins in CE830, when the heirs of the Camoran Dynasty began to fight over the Valenwood throne.
¥R's annotation, regarding The Aldmeri Dominion is a relatively recent creation says of this pamphlet, this regime, this lunacy. Instead of it's initial interpretation of eg. "The Empire created the concept of the Aldmeri Dominion as a means to belittle the Aldmer", consider instead "The Dominion was around already. The Empire only noticed it recently because of the Camoran Dynasty civil wars". Thereby the Dominion could have existed in the shadows since ca. 2E579.
There is now an official stance on this:[2] (it's reasonable)
Over time, there have been several federations in southwestern Tamriel known as the Aldmeri Dominion. None lasted very long, and due to the insular nature of the High Elves, their histories are poorly understood in Cyrodiil and the other provinces. The Aldmeri Dominion founded by Queen Ayrenn in 2E 582 is the First Dominion; the federation founded in 2E 830 is the Second Dominion; while the Elven empire of the Fourth Era (as seen in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim) is the Third Dominion – or possibly the Fourth. (It’s a matter of some debate among historians of Elven affairs.)
Prior to 2E896, the climate of Cyrodiil was tropical. Following Tiber Septim's conquering of Tamriel, he changes the climate of Cyrodiil to temperate. Hence before 2E896, and therefore during ESO, Cyrodiil's climate should be tropical.
I queried this on some forum or other somewhere, and was presented by another fan an acceptable retcon for how this could explain Cyrodiil being temperate before it was made so (if they are indeed taking the basic Cyrodiil from Oblivion).
In order to change Cyrodiil, Tiber Septim attained/received/achieved/activated/lesrned/(etc) CHIM, and used the Thu'um. CHIM I believe means 'change', and is directly related to the concept of the Tower. (I'm not going into what CHIM is, or how it works, because I don't understand it. Someone else can if they want to.)
From Mythic Dawn Commentaries 3, CHIM. Those who know it can reshape the land. Witness the home of the Red King Once Jungled.
From The Many-Headed Talos (Imperial Library), You have suffered for me to win this throne, and I see how you hate jungle. Let me show you the power of Talos Stormcrown, born of the North, where my breath is long winter. I breathe now, in royalty, and reshape this land which is mine. I do this for you, Red Legions, for I love you.
The reton is thus: because CHIM is involved, the climate of Cyrodiil is changed for all time; changed in the past as well as in the future. Therefore Cyrodiil can be temperate even before the time when it was made so. (Such things can no doubt occur when the Dragon breaks.)
There is now an official stance on this:[3] (I don't like it)
Based on current Tamriel lore, Cyrodiil is not a jungle in The Elder Scrolls Online. To quote the scholar Phrastus of Elinhir: "The use of the phrase 'endless jungle' to describe Cyrodiil appears to be an error in transcription. Close study of the original, badly faded manuscript reveals that the phrase was miscopied, and should be more accurately rendered as 'extensive uplands.' The adjectives 'an equatorial rain' as applied to the Nibenay forest do not appear in the original manuscript at all, and I would posit were added by the scribe in support of his previous erroneous use of 'jungle.' Lady Cinnabar of Taneth, of course, takes issue with this exegesis, but the flaws in her methods of scholarship have been well-documented elsewhere."
For them to make this retcon work with established lore, Cyrodiil needs to have more forested regions in ESO than it did in Oblivion. Then there is some sort of jungle for Tiber Septim to get rid of later. Foresting, say, the Colovian Highlands (their "extensive highlands") and Nibenay Basin (where you get more rainfall) regions could get around that.
If they say jungle was better translated as highlands, maybe there could be more highlands that Tiber Septim will remove later. That means though that the two counts mentioning jungle (MDC3 and MHT) are also not accurate.
There is an update to the official stance:[4] (it's better than the last one)
Cyrodiil, at the time of TESO, was supposed to be a large jungle zone, Talos having later changed the climate. Instead, Cyrodiil will look like it does in Oblivion, and there’s a book in the game explaining why. You’ll have to explore Cyrodiil to find the answer!
I hope The Heartland of Cyrodiil isn't the book they're referring to (although it probably is). It's exactly the same as the "transcription" retcon above. This then doesn't explain what climate there is for Talos to change.
There's a new one [did this one come with Craglorn?]; they're messing with us now
Subtropical Cyrodiil: A Speculation. Notably this book is in direct opposition to The Heartland of Cyrodiil (as their authors seem to have a long-standing feud with each other).
This is an interesting one, and closest to what I believe is the reasonable truth. It still doesn't directly explain why Cyrodiil is not tropical now (ESO time), which it should be for Talos to change it later. But it may explain why it is not tropical later and may not have been temperate earlier. I have my own speculation on that (below).
White-Gold Tower (an echo of Adamant-ur-Tower, the causal nexus of linear time) responded to Man's new dominance of said Tower (and reception of its Stone) following the overthrowing of the Ayleids, and altered the local flow of time, thereby setting in motion the changing of the climate (SCAS suggests it was gradual, not immediate). Talos achieving Chim and becoming the new owner of the Tower and Stone finalised the temporal flux which began with the Alessian rebellion, fixing that which was and would be into a temperate climate. The temporal flux means it may have been perceived to be either temperate or tropical between Alessia and Talos, due to it being both at once, while it was definitely one before, and definitely the other after.
They have said in AuA Variety Pack 4 that We have new lore books (by the scad) and old favorites from previous TES games – including both volumes of “The Lusty Argonian Maid.”. This is not possible, as it wasn't written for another 600 years.
They've retconned it into being a story which "has its origins in a long line of tales told by traveling bards, each with a slightly different title and premise".
They'll probably retcon it into being two different people.
There's a bunch more books that turn up in ESO that by common understanding were considered to be written later than 2E583. This has led to a fan theory that basically states books from the future have started randomly falling out of the sky due to the Planemeld mucking up the linearity of time.
A really bad example is ON:When the Dragon Broke, which specifically mentions Numidium in Rimmen (end of the Second Era) and the Warp in the West.
Maybe it's all because of this: Gandranen Ruins - Tales say that Gandranen was built by an Ayleid sorcerer, a worshiper of Hermaeus Mora who so loved books that she created a series of magical halls that would attract books from across Tamriel, no matter where—or when—hey were published.
The interactive map shows a number of regions crossing provincial borders. That's fair enough; they can put their regions wherever they want. As long as it works. Adding here so that I remember to check that it works.
Eastmarch and The Rift extend all the way to the eastern coast, therefore out of Skyrim and into Morrowind. They need to make sure they haven't completely forgotten about the Velothi Mountains, and that east of the mountains there should be Morrowind landscapes. Blacklight should be present within the northeast area of the Eastmarch region.
These regions don't go all the way to the coast, so there is a bit of scope for the Morrowind strip to be there. But the amalgamation of all the maps for the regions means that it still doesn't fit. (See Tamriel Foundry map.)
This map shows that the regions do work within their own context, but there is still a discrepancy between the position of Windhelm and the relative positions of where Winterhold (north-north-west, which would be in the sea on this map) and Blacklight (east, also in the sea) are supposed to be. Windhelm should be one bay further to the left. Solstheim is also too far to the west on this map.
Where did Bleakrock Isle come from? There's never been an island in the mouth of the Inner Sea before.
A poorly-thought-out retcon for the Windhelm/Blacklight/Bleakrock map discrepancy: Blacklight is actually further southeast than we thought it was. Instead of being directly east of Windhelm, it's actually directly west of Gnisis, on the headland south of Bleakrock.
Fun fact: the most recent version of the map has removed the part of Morrowind that The Rift and Eastmarch were covering.
What the in-game map should be for Eastmarch/The Rift/Velothi/Vvardenfell:
Phrastus of Elinhir says,
“Our latter-day Nords are not well known for the scholarly attainments, and cartography is not one of their strongpoints. On their maps, sites of great importance—to Nords, that is—are often distorted and exaggerated. So it is with the eerie aerie of Skuldafn, which holds great significance for our superstitious northern brethren. They have never been comfortable with the fact that the Dark Elves hold the west coast of the Inner Sea all the way up to Blacklight; in some cases their maps elide that fact entirely. But it is there nonetheless.”
Why are there so many Ayleid ruins in High Rock when it was supposed to be the Direnni stronghold? Where are the Direnni ruins? Why did the Direnni allow the Ayleids to build Erokii?
Objectives that logically should be part of the story (because the story directs you right past it, or it is otherwise very story-relevant), but technically are not because the pointer quests don't end there.
It's Cadwell-critical, but is not pointed to. Lieutenant Koruni seems like she would start this quest after Morvunskar, considering how much dialogue she has about it, but instead only gives you Victory at Morvunskar. She should either give two quests, or only a Cradlecrush one, with Victory at Morvunskar used only if Cradlecrush is already completed, and a pointer to Fort Amol coming after Cradlecrush otherwise.
Against
The quests are not story-relevant, and should not even be Cadwell-critical.
Here is a map of the known regions in ESO, and some areas that could potentially become new zones and adventure zones. This is based on an earlier version of the official Tamriel map, which had region borders.
Map
Legend
Extra boundary lines have been added where they were missing. (eg, between RS and WG, and down the side of EM and RI)
AL Alik'r
AN Anequina (including the Rimmen city area, shouldn't be called this as Reaper's March also includes part of Anequina, but this name is in the text files)
AU Auridon
BE Betnikh
BF Bal Foyen
BI Bleakrock Isle
BK Bangkorai
BW Blackwood (as seen in Oblivion)
CL Craglorn
CH Colovian Highlands (also could be West Weald)
CY Cyrodiil
DE Deshaan
EM Eastmarch
FA Falkreath (as seen in Skyrim)
GC Gold Coast (as seen in Oblivion)
GL Glenumbra
GS Greenshade
GW Grahtwood
HJ Hjaalmarch (as seen in Skyrim)
KR Khenarthi's Roost
MM Murkmire
MT Malabal Tor
NB Nibenay Basin (as seen in Oblivion, although the text files calls this Nibenay, which is inaccurate)
NV Nibenay Valley (as seen in Oblivion)
PA The Pale (also includes the Winterhold area)
RE The Reach (also includes the Haafingar area)
RI The Rift
RM Reaper's March
RS Rivenspire
QR Quin'rawl (from the text files, although that says Quin-rawl, which is incorrect)
SF Shadowfen
SH Stormhaven
SM Stros M'Kai
SO Solstheim (as seen in Bloodmoon, Dragonborn)
SS South Summerset (unused content suggests a name of Varyllis)
ST Stonefalls
SU Sunforge (from the text files)
TE Tenmar (from the text files, this area includes the Corinthe city area)
TI Topal Island (from the text files)
TM Thornmarsh (as stated in the Loremaster's Archive)
ZOS_GinaBruno: Datamining information isn't illegal or against the TOS, but please understand that anything datamined isn't final and is subject to change.
Not that this is an endorsement to actually do it, but since we do it anyway for our information, I thought I'd add here some things I found while digging in the data files that aren't used yet, but may reasonably appear in the future. Only things that look "finished" are here, no partially-created stuff.
The robust Green Narsis is the standard mount and dray-beast of central Morrowind.
Nipper
Skeletal Bear
A re-animated Skeletal Bear makes a fearsome mount, and is a favorite of northern Tamriel's necromancers.
Barebones
Skeletal Guar
The naked, grisly smile on the broad skull of the Skeletal Guar mount may be enough to send lesser opponents fleeting in terror when you ride into battle on its creaking, bony frame. The Worm Cult, of course, will just be jealous.
Grinly
Skeletal Horse
Behold the Skeletal Horse! Mortal races are not the only creatures that can be re-animated by necromancers. The best part: no need to muck out the stable.
Calamity
Skeletal Senche
The Skeletal Senche may be the most fearsome of all feline mounts. Expertly re-animated, even in undead form it retains all the lithe strength it possessed in life.
This busy little buddy is sometimes mistaken for an imgakin monkey.
Flinger
Frisky Scrib
This lambent little larva loves crawling alongside valorous adventurers!
Larvie
(Unnamed grey hound-dog)
Freckled Guar
Known in Deshaan as loyal pals, the Freckled is the most intelligent breed of guar.
S'wit
Purple Daggerback
The glowing purple daggerback boar is found only in Craglorn in the vicinity of the Spellscar, from which it seems to have absorbed some sort of magical aura.
Pricklypear
Senchal Striped Cat
The Senchal Striped is a cat that is as cunning as it is elegant. It's both cursed at and admired for its ability to get into places it doesn't belong.
Sangiin
Necrom Ghostgazer Cat
The Necrom Ghostgazer is the favored feline companion of Telvanni wizards. They not only keep the skeevers down, but they can "see" intruding demons and spirits.
Phantom
Bal Foyen Nix-Hound
Who says a giant, aggressive, blood-sucking insect can't make a loveable pet? Not the Dark Elves of Bal Foyen, who breed them as trackers, watch-hounds, and netch-deflaters.
Skeeter
Ninendava Sacred Goat
The goats that come from the ruin of Ninendava in Cyrodiil are no mere domestic livestock. They have long been used in certain forbidden Daedric rituals—and have even been known to lead mortals through those arcane rites.
Hircine
Pale Velothi Guar
Should probably be a mount This stalwart mount comes from the ashlands downwind of the volcanoes of the Velothi Mountains, and is well adapted to surviving under the harshest of conditions.
This one has been removed from the Alik'r Desert map in 2.1
There are related notes, diaries and journals referring to the "Twilight Lodge" and the "Violet Lodge", as well as "The Whispered Ball"
This particular group of Nocturnal cultists we're looking for call themselves the Violet Lodge.
And finally, you'll be inducted into the Violet Lodge at the great altar of Nocturnal herself.
Yes, it's the big recruitment party for the Violet Lodge. It's held at Headman Cosh's manor in Abah's Landing. We'll need each one of our members to contribute their talents on that mission. But first, I have a special mission just for you.
Implications: Molemir's Estate is connected to the "Lodge", an organization of Nocturnal worshippers. Nocturnal is also patron of the Thieves Guild. Lodge recruitment takes place at Abah's Landing. Therefore Abah's Landing is part of the Thieves Guild questline, and the Lodge is the primary antagonist of that line.
Update: Keeping solely for posterity. Thieves Guild on PTS makes no mention of the Violet Lodge; seems that it was scrapped, much like the original Imperial City design. A casualty of B2P?
So he's the chamberlain of Jyggalag. But what/where is Mytheria? My opinion - Mytheria is the name of Jyggalag's realm of Oblivion (or at least it was, before it became the Shivering Isles).
Time
Does time pass linearly and concurrently in Oblivion, since Akatosh exists within Mundus? I would like to say that it is linear but not concurrent, as I would expect the Daedra to somehow regulate their own 'time'. Then the only instances when time is concurrent are when Oblivion and Mundus are connected [by Oblivion Gates, the Mouth, Dark Anchors] (otherwise logic doesn't work). Without concurrent time, a day in Tamriel could correspond to a century in the Shivering Isles, or a minute. Or indeed both or either, depending on the whim of Sheogorath.
The Tower
Is there a more mystical connection between The Tower and The Tower? It is said that the Tower is embodied by the fourth constellation; is that just representative, or is there more there?
How/Why are the constellations numbered? So far, I have
Warrior
Mage
Thief
Tower
The Wheel
If Mundus is the hub, Aetherius is the spokes, and Oblivion is the spaces, what is the rim? Vehk doesn't answer that question, he just goes into crazy stuff about giving birth to souls. Or is it that the rim is Aetherius, and the spokes are the Divines, acting as the bridge between Mundus and Aetherius?
How can there be eight spokes, but sixteen spaces?
Districts [Political] (there's six during the time of the Imperial Province governance)
Regions [Geographical] (may be contained within Political Districts, may not be; Vvardenfell has nine)
Skyrim
Holds [Skyrim, Political and Geographical] (there's nine)
Cyrodiil
Duchies [Political] (Colovia and Nibenay; Special because they are a collection of Counties and not a separate level of their ownBelieved now to be Duchies above the Counties, but barely used in that context officially)
Counties [Political] (there's eight, no idea if they cover the whole province together, but they are subdivisions of the above regions, but still themselves at "regional" level, ie above Settlements)
Regions [Geographical] (there's ten, they have reasonably 'soft' edges, and do not fit neatly into the Colovia/Nibenay regions like the Counties do)
Elsweyr
States [Special/Political] (Anequina and Pellitine; Special because between the creation and dissolution of the Confederacy, they did not exist, meaning other political and geographical subdivisions of Elsweyr are likely)
Unknown [Geographical]
Hammerfell and High Rock
Regions [Political] (Pre-Warp, numerous city-states called variously kingdoms, counties, baronies, duchies, marches, fiefdoms and territories; Post-Warp, considerably fewer counties; political status beyond the Iliac Bay area is not known aside from High Rock having 8 Kingdoms)
Unknown [Geographical] (Wrothgarian, Dragontail and Alik'r are potential candidates)
Summerset
Islands [Special] (Summerset Isle, Auridon, Artaeum; It's unknown whether the islands are further subdivided into political or geographic regions)
Unknown [Political]
Unknown [Geographical]
Valenwood and Argonia
Unknown [Political]
Unknown [Geographical]
Territories (For anything that's not part of a Province as we know it; at times includes Solstheim, Orsinium, Balfiera, and others)
Regions
Settlements
Districts (of a city)
Notes:
The Imperial Reserve [Cyrodiil] is printed on the map in the same font style as the counties
Moridunon [Summerset] is mentioned in the descriptions of Artaeum; it may be a region name (or something else entirely)