During today’s High Isle Chapter Preview event, the development team behind The Elder Scrolls Online’s next great adventure had the opportunity to share more about Tales of Tribute, the new card game that takes storming the taverns of Tamriel. To get the inside scoop, we reached out to some of Tales of Tribute’s designers for a breakdown of this new system.
Why a card game?
“The team is always exploring potential new features and quality of life improvements for ESO, and historically we’ve added a major new gameplay element with each annual chapter release,” says Rob Garrett, ESO Gameplay Lead. . “We’ve been interested in the idea of a tavern game for some time. Something the people of Tamriel play for entertainment and, much like Antiquities, could serve as a fun activity for adventurers looking to take a break from their usual jaunts.
The result was the creation of an all-new card game system, fully integrated into ESO, that anyone with High Isle can pick up and play.
Tactical deck building with a twist
Tales of Tribute is a two-player card game that can be played against NPCs and other adventurers you meet within ESO. Secure victory by collecting enough victory points or gaining the favor of all four patrons at once.
Bosses are a unique type of mechanic in that there are four of them in play at any given time, and each boss is associated with a specific type of card (like suits in a normal deck of cards). And each of the patrons, you earn their favor by completing various tasks – some require gold while others require certain actions or combos to be played. This is a big part of the game’s strategy where players have to decide if they want to focus on trying to gain favor with just one type of patron or focus on multiple patrons. If players don’t want to pay attention to patrons at all, they should always be aware that their opponents can curry favor with patrons to win.
“Tales of Tribute is played as casual yet tactical turns, alternating with your opponent,” says Irenio Calmon-Huang, one of the system designers behind the new game. “Each deck is inspired by a Tamriel’s story that helps form the backbone of its theme and mechanics.Gameplay is all about getting the right cards to form a deck that synergizes with itself and patrons, so you can achieve victory before your opponent.
Over the course of a match, you’ll acquire Tavern Cards that grant you perks such as Coins, Power, and other special abilities, allowing you to cont inually upgrade your deck to outperform and ultimately outperform your opponent. . How you improve your deck will depend entirely on the choices you make on your turn and the cards available in the Common Tavern.
“There are two paths to victory in Tales of Tribute,” Irenio explains. “The most common path is to earn 40 prestige points before your opponent and then stay ahead for one lap. If they pass you, then whoever can stay above 40 and ahead of prestige after their opponent’s turn will win. The other way to win is to have the favor of all four patrons at the same time – do that and you’ll immediately claim victory!”
Choice has always been a central pillar for ESO, and in Tales of Tribute, how you play and how you win is entirely up to you.
Casual or competitive, it’s up to you
Make no mistake, High Isle has no shortage of opponents to challenge you and your strategic deck-building skills. However, to get started, you just need to go to the High Isle chapter and complete the tutorial quest.
“You can play against anyone with the High Isle Chapter who has completed the Tales of Tribute tutorial with at least one character on their account,” Irenio explains. “You will be able to challenge them to a match from your friends list, guild list, or in person through a new option on the interaction wheel. There are also many NPCs around the world who can be challenged… although some won’t just be waiting for a friendly match at the local tavern.
Like Tamriel itself, your Tales of Tribute collection will grow as you adventure through the High Isle and new content is added to the game.
“Additional decks are earned by participating in a variety of activities, including quests, public dungeons, world bosses, and zone events,” explains Garrett. “It’s also possible to upgrade specific cards in each deck by advancing your Tribute Rank, completing specific achievements, and acquiring clues that help you locate hidden Tribute hideouts in the world.”
In addition to earning new decks and upgrading your cards, you can get exclusive rewards for winning games, completing decks, increasing your Tribute Rank, and doing quests through the storyline – including crafting materials. crafts, gold, transmutation crystals, furniture, pets, guests, emotes, and more!
Coming soon to a tavern near you
In a first for The Elder Scrolls Online, the upcoming High Isle chapter will introduce you to an all-new in-game card game. With its astonishing variety of decks, cards, and playstyles, Tales of Tamriel promises to be a Tactical yet accessible experience for card game veterans and casual gamers.
The Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle will launch on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on June 21. PT / 3:00 p.m. BST. With access to the base game, you can play the High Isle Prologue questline and begin your year-long adventure in Legacy of the Bretons. We can’t wait to see how the community picks up and plays this new in-game game.
Check out a gallery of concept art for the upcoming Tales of Tribute card game below:
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