The Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon Q&A

By Staff, GameSpotPosted Apr 30, 2003 11:36 am PT

We talk to Bethesda's Ashley Cheng about the upcoming wintry add-on for Morrowind, in which you might just turn into a werewolf.

Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind featured a huge number of side quests that could keep players busy with the role-playing game for quite some time. But since Morrowind's release last May, the studio has been steadily producing more new content for Morrowind fans, first with last year's Tribunal expansion and now with the Bloodmoon expansion that's due out next month. We recently spoke with Ashley Cheng, Bethesda's project lead for Bloodmoon, to find out more about the new wintry island setting, the intriguing possibility of playing as a werewolf, and the major quests introduced in the add-on.

GameSpot: Generally speaking, what kinds of content and features did you feel you could add in Bloodmoon to best expand the world of Morrowind?

Ashley Cheng: Ever since we finished Morrowind, it has been our intention to revisit werewolves in one of our expansion packs. It is easily the most requested feature from our fans. Throughout development, we kept telling ourselves over and over again--you are a savage beast, you are a savage beast. I think we succeeded pretty well in conveying that feeling. Hopefully our fans will feel the same.

Bloodmoon takes place on the icy island of Solstheim.

We knew we wanted to add new types of landscapes and weather to give Bloodmoon a very different look. You can easily look at the screen and quickly tell the difference between Bloodmoon and Morrowind. You'll see tundra, natural forests, snow, and blizzards. We created new architecture and buildings that are very distinct as well. They almost feel like two different games.

One of the best features of Morrowind is the sheer size, the freedom to explore the world. Bloodmoon allows for much more of that kind of exploration. You want to keep going to see what's over the next hill, or to pop into each dungeon along the way to see what's lurking within.

GS: Bethesda released the first expansion for Morrowind in November. How long have you been working on the second expansion?

AC: We've been working on Bloodmoon since November, so about six months. We immediately started work on it right after we finished Tribunal.

GS: Tell us a little about Bloodmoon's story. How does Bloodmoon tie into Morrowind and Tribunal?

AC: Bloodmoon's storyline is independent of Morrowind and Tribunal. We want to allow any player of any faction and level to play Bloodmoon at any time. That's always been our philosophy with our expansion packs. We want to give you total freedom to do whatever you want, anytime you want.

That doesn't mean you'll necessarily survive the experience, but you are certainly welcome to try.

Bloodmoon is a prophecy that revolves around werewolves and a daedra trying to escape from his plane of existence. Anyone who has played Daggerfall will instantly know who this daedra is, but we're keeping him under wraps for now.

We also expand on our stronghold concept and allow you to direct the construction of an entire town. At certain points, you'll get the make decisions about what building is put up next--an armorer, a trader, and so on. It is one of the best parts of Bloodmoon, second to being a werewolf.

GS: What character levels will Bloodmoon be designed for? How much progress can characters make over the course of the expansion?

There's a real chance that you can turn into a werewolf, which will add a new role-playing challenge.

AC: The open-ended wilderness and non-quest-related dungeons in Bloodmoon are open to anyone of any level. We went out of our way to level all the creature lists for players ranging from level one to level 60 and beyond.

The quest lines will require characters of level 20 or higher. There is a lot to do on Solstheim, the island where Bloodmoon takes place, and you'll find yourself leveling up fairly quickly. Not just in combat, either--you'll find many opportunities for sneaking and unlocking chests and treasure in dungeons. There are new ingredients for alchemists, too.

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2 Comments

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buffyguy27
Posted Apr 7, 2007 4:41 pm PT

Looks good, cant wait to get it.
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jakeboudville
Posted Sep 6, 2006 1:04 am PT

kinda impressive
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