Accessible Morrowind, Cyrodiil part of Skyrim DLC?

By Robert Purchese Published 22 November, 2011

One player crosses the line.

Skyrim downloadable content may take us back to Morrowind and Cyrodiil.

One Skyrim explorer found, near Riften (bottom right of the world map), a path that led to a stone archway and an invisible wall. With some creativity, the explorer passed through this geographical boundary and into the neighbouring region of Morrowind.

There the explorer found a scaled down, low-resolution landscape, and models of Solstheim and Vvardfell.

The explorer also caught sight of central region Cyrodiil, and the Imperial City. Cyrodiil borders Skyrim to the south.

There are pictures, via OXM.

Vvardfell was the island province that The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind story took place on. Solstheim was a large, cold, northern island added in expansion Bloodmoon.

Cyrodiil and the Imperial City were part of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion.

DLC foundations? Maybe. Another explanation, however, is that Bethesda included these regions to fill out the 3D Skyrim world map - offering players a zoomed out, top-down glimpse at what lies yonder.

Bethesda hasn't announced any Skyrim downloadable content. When it does arrive, however, it'll be exclusive to Xbox 360 for 30 days.

The beautiful land of Skyrim.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or getting whupped at FIFA.

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Comments (69) Latest comment 1d ago

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  • SaintDaveUK #1 2d ago

    Most likely an LOD placeholder just in case you end up seeing further than you are supposed to by accident. I believe Oblivion had the same.

  • TruSmiles #2 2d ago

    Solstheim was part of Bloodmoon, not Tribunal :D

    I would actually love to explore Morrowind properly, so I would be all over this. Although I wouldn't mind going back to Solstheim either.

    Not that excited about a return to Cyrodiil though, been there and done that.

  • Bearintraining #3 2d ago

    From the quoted blog post:
    "These parts aren’t accessible on the map though. The only way you can even see these parts is by no-clipping. Your map won’t scroll down or rotate enough to even get near Cyrodiil, let alone the White Gold tower."

    I bet they just continued to work on the same giant world map when developing Skyrim. It's a good idea, future proof in case they want to one day make a GIANT TES game, but proof that the engine is the same for all the recent games in the series.

  • hiddenranbir #4 2d ago

    Well we are in the days of 64-bit computers with shit loads of RAM

    Having several regions in one should be natural for us now!

  • Bertie Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #5 2d ago

    Solstheim was part of Bloodmoon, not Tribunal :D


    Arrgh sorry I got confuzzled!

    Verified

  • Shakey_Jake33 #6 2d ago

    "When it does arrive, however, it'll be exclusive to Xbox 360 for 30 days"

    Not funny, Bethesda.

  • Daeltaja #7 2d ago

    Had a feeling they'd be exploring these regions again, which would be great with all the updates.

    Anyway, I've put in 60 hours and have done frankly nothing. Insane.

  • Makeem95 #8 2d ago

    Another explanation, however, is that Bethesda included these regions to fill out the 3D Skyrim world map
    If that was true, shouldn't they also include High Rock and Hammerfell?

  • hiddenranbir #9 2d ago

    Probably won't be in expansions cause like...consoles can barely handle the size of Skyrim.

  • the_dudefather #10 2d ago

    If you go further past the tower you can find Megaton

  • arcam #11 2d ago

    The map is just an extremely zoomed out view (next time you kill a dragon, while it's soul is burning, switch to the map - you'll actually be able to see the burning dragon from top down), so I really think these are just there to make the map look accurate. Unfortunately.

  • AaronTurner #12 2d ago

    Yes please to Morrowind!

  • RedSparrows #13 2d ago

    Morrowind in new engine as DLC please.

    What, that's unreasonable?

    WHY?

    I WANT IT NOOOWWWW

  • PearOfAnguish #14 2d ago

    I think it's just there to flesh out the background, though if they do go down this route Morrowind seems more likely since vast areas of it got fucked up by a volcano so wouldn't be as much work to fit it in an expansion.

  • KanePaws #15 2d ago

    Probably just part of the world map. Vvardfell and Cyrodiil would be some huge DLC otherwise, and all too familiar, at that.

  • Yeoung #16 2d ago

    I could go for some Morrowind questing, sure. If you add this to the earlier statements concerning the size of the DLC packs, it becomes quite reasonable to assume there will be DLC centered around Morrowind.

    Before all that I'd like to be able to continue playing the regular game though.

  • spekkeh Game design researcher, Utrecht University #17 2d ago

    To me a low resolution miniature version would point to one of two possibilities. The map, which was already mentioned, or a 3D skybox. It would be useless as actual world geometry, but as long as we can't see the citadel from anywhere right now, the second option could point to DLC where you at least get a bit closer to Cyrodiil (though not in there obv.). It could also just be some legacy stuff where they intended to use it as a skybox but curtailed the game area later on.

    Verified

  • GamesConnoisseur #18 2d ago

    Next gen consoles, semi MMO TES world with additional areas purchased via DLC and world wide story/epoch events, cataclysmic wars/invasions by daedric princes etc

    Watch this space

  • Raptaur #19 2d ago

    Dark grey font onto black background... yeah well done

  • hiddenranbir #20 2d ago

    Why neg me, how much RAM do these things have to hold a persistent world the size of Skyrim+Cyrodill+Morrowind together?

    Then throw in all the radiant AI that needs to be done for such a large population...

    Edited by 1 at 22/11/11 @ 15:18

  • Xardan #21 2d ago

    I would totally buy that. Also a Nightingale questline and some secret special fortress for the player where all your companions live and eat and party all day long. With a hundered bookshelves and mannequins and chests and wardrobes and personal bodyguards.

  • Hell_Toupee #22 2d ago

    @Makeem95 High Rock and Hammerfell are also attached to Skyrim as this video shows.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlbA2qiXsf0&feature;=youtu.be

    It's also worth pointing out that most of the lands connected to Skyrim aren't represented in their full form, huge chunks of land have been cut out. Only half of Morrowind can actually be seen for instance.

  • Cjail #23 2d ago

    Bethesda has already done something for this exploit: players that want to get to Morrowind will have to pass trough Check Point Charlie, that is now guarded by 3 dragons with Russian accent!

  • miketheiron #24 2d ago

    Being a total wimp, I'm really hoping they remake Morrowind using the Skyrim engine with all its associated niceties, like a proper quest log, and not being able to kill plot critical characters... I'm such a wimp :-)

  • jonfon #25 2d ago

    @hiddenranbir
    Why would you assume that it all has to fit into RAM at the same time? Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim all stream as you go (or load on demand if you quick-travel). The only limit would be a media and/or HD limit for consoles.

  • Batfink #26 2d ago

    The Map screen is not a separate representation of the game world, btw. It's exactly the same model that you can see from the top of any mountain, just zoomed right out. There's a mod for PC that lets you zoom the map right back down to eye level, where it loads the full geometric detail (though not NPCs).

    The extent of the low-detail model was almost certainly made to make sure that no matter where you stand on any mountain in Skyrim, the landscape doesn't abruptly end before the horizon.

    The gate on the path out of Skyrim, however - has to be future DLC access. Can't see any other reason.

  • Madder-Max #27 2d ago

    Arena DLC. mark My words and the arena will be the one in Cyrodil

  • Stratix #28 2d ago

    I doubt we will get to adventure there, but one can only dream.

    When the disk sizes get big enough, I hope that one day we get a game where we can travel the whole landmass. That would be incredible. Oh wait, that'll be Elder Scrolls Online, right?

  • arcam #29 2d ago

    @Stratix Or Elder Scrolls: Arena ;)

  • iamtheoneneo #30 2d ago

    @hiddenranbir love the way you got negged for quoting the truth, console elites must be angry

  • zubnut #31 2d ago

    @generosales Fuckoff
    How are these spamcrap things not blocked - can't be difficult to block anything with links in can it?
    Www.fuckoff.com
    Guess not then.

  • basiclee #32 2d ago

    @hiddenranbir Perhaps, but even if hardware can handle it you'd still have to wait a decade for them to make enough content to fill a gameworld that big.

  • hypoBla5t #33 2d ago

    Surely it's Vvardenfell? It's not just me that thinks that is it?

  • M83J01P97 #34 2d ago

    Going off an exploring the now ruined Morrowind does sound very tempting, but there doesn't seem to be any reason we should go back to Cyrodiil. Nothing has changed over there in 200 years from the sound of it.

  • Mr.DNA #35 2d ago

    @hypoBla5t Yes! I mean Jesus Christ- even some commenters have managed to repeat the mistake in the article!

  • redbarony #36 2d ago

    Wow, screw Columbus and Magellan, THIS is an 'explorer'!

  • WJF #37 2d ago

    "Then throw in all the radiant AI that needs to be done for such a large population..."

    A (very well-respected) AI programmer once told me "Games. They're all smoke and mirrors".

    Despite marketing claims, the populace of a town doesn't actually keep walking around the daily routines when you're beyond a certain distance, so the 'radiant AI' won't have to be loaded into memory.

    Being a PC gamer at heart, though, I agree with the sentiment *suddenly loses the goodwill from previous paragraphs ;-)*

  • rgf34 #38 2d ago

    @hiddenranbir but why waist all that space and just add more detail in the actual playing field. Some here are claiming that they are just placeholders, but this seems way too extensive and why would they go through all the trouble.

  • rgf34 #39 2d ago

    It really makes sense that they would lay down they ground work for Morrowind. I mean, if you think about it, Morrowind is where the Thalmore come from. Alduin is slain and Ulfric is high king (or not depending on how you played) but it's almost as if they purposely leave out any battles with the Thalmor although they are portray as one of the reoccurring evils in the game.

  • TheDarkFurie #40 2d ago

    There are four of those invisible walled gates, one on each side of the map. To me that says four DLCs, one for each country.

  • ThePolishDude #41 2d ago

    It be great to go back to either Morrowind or Cyrodiil, but I don't think it would happen.

    Most of Morrowind was destroyed when Red Mountain erupted in the 4th Era, and Cyrodiil is just to large to make for DLC. (By that I mean it just take too long, and it could very well be larger than Skyrim itself, which would be unpractical)

    I'd like something in High Rock (probably because I play as a Breton,) and I do think the province is small enough for DLC. But most likely any DLC will have something to do with the Thalmor. (which isn't bad, I'd just like something in High Rock better)

  • ZizouFC #42 2d ago

    /Jizz

  • UncleLou #43 2d ago

    That should confuse the "I won't pay for DLC if it's already on the disc" faction. ;)

  • menage #44 2d ago

    It's on the disc!

  • bobfish09 #45 2d ago

    From what I've seen of it, the Morrowind map looks like it is pre-explosion, so it was probably just a single height-map they have as a base template for the series that they just ported in and then worked on the area they actually needed.

  • Marshall2008 #46 2d ago

    The current game is only 3.8gb. Using the same tech and compression they could get vast areas in the dlc at around 1 to 2 gb

    Edited by 1 at 23/11/11 @ 08:32

  • RoOhDaMite #47 2d ago

    I haven't played Morrowind yet, and let's be honest, TES games don't age well.
    It would make perfect sense for Bethesda to rerelease those titles with updated grafics and mechanics, instead of letting these assets catch dust.

  • tiny_Eggy #48 2d ago

    Bethesda hasn't announced any Skyrim downloadable content. When it does arrive, however, it'll be exclusive to Xbox 360 for 30 days.
    Worst thing that happened to gaming.

  • FortysixterUK #49 2d ago

    I found said archway last night just before I logged off...I'll see if I can squeeze past today !

  • Kew1Melon #50 2d ago

    @tiny_Eggy your kidding right?

  • Ranalome #51 2d ago

    Placeholders if you ask me. The scalling is off, so if this was actually to be future DLCs, Vvardenfell would be way smaller than it originally was.

  • rottingyoda #52 2d ago

    @RedSparrows Some of the mod packs are very impressive. I just started playing withthem but Skyrim came out the next day

  • menage #53 2d ago

    @tiny_Eggy

    Horse Armor was worse imo

  • dominalien #54 2d ago

    It's Vvardenfell, not Vvardfell. Not a fan of the Elder Srolls, I see :)

  • Andeus #55 2d ago

    No idea why sites picked up on this as news. As someone demonstrated on youtube 5 years ago, you can access Morrowind in Oblivion:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd5KcFi5hnw

    So Bethesda adds in each TES the previous ones. On Oblivion the land was mostly randomly generated probably there for modding purposes. Skyrim's versions of Morrowind, Cyrodiil are fairly accurate on land size/features most probably, again, for modding purposes.

    After all they said they would promote modding and Morroblivion remains one of the most popular Oblivion mods. So they gave to the community extra land to work with, to create towns etc.

  • beedyG #56 2d ago

    @rgf34 The Thalmor are from Valenwood (that's to the West)

  • kangarootoo #57 2d ago

    @arcam's "its how the map works" post isn't being given enough credit here. It entirely explains the situation, in the simplest way.

    Occham's razor applies.

  • LEONOFDEATH #58 2d ago

    @SaintDaveUK Exactly what ive been saying for the last few days.

    Common sense. Just keeps the world feeling a little more real. Thinking that this is gonna be DLC is f-ing insanity!

  • hiddenranbir #59 1d ago

    @jonfon For one reason it means less pop up. ES games have never been good at LOD or something as distant things just appear. Also it means each region could have a greater visible population. Cities actually feeling like...cities. Battles feeling like battles!

  • Kaminari #60 1d ago

    @hiddenranbir "Why neg me?"

    Because a game is not just a sum of figures.