A Discussion With Ted Peterson

src: I 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! If you’d like to support the channel, then please consider becoming a Patron. 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 Twitter: The Council of Wisdom: If you’re interested in contributing to The Wayward Realms, send resumes and work samples to: info@ Indigo Gaming | Julian LeFey Interview: Adventure Art | “Mad Genius“ Daggerfall Unity Let’s Play: Contributing Artists: Alex Siddy -------------------------- Alexey Rudikov ------------------- Daniel Ran -------------------------- David Simons (Arcvein) ----- Fkcogus333 ----------------------- Gwendolyn Allsop -------------- ------------ Storefront -------------- Hieronymus7Z ------------------- Horatiu Mlendea ---------------- inSOLense ------------------------- Lady-Nerevar --------------------- Lukkar -------------------------------- Minttu Hynninen ---------------- Nikulina-Helena ----------------- Selann ------------------------------- Creative Commons Attribution links: 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. #elderscrolls #waywardrealms