Battlespire:Official FAQ

This is version 1.2 of the Official FAQ from the Bethesda Website

What is Battlespire all about anyway?

Battlespire marks the introduction of the 'Legends' series in much the same way 'Redguard' is with highly anticipated 'Adventures' series. It is not, however, the sequel to Daggerfall. Morrowind is currently beginning production and will continue the Elder Scrolls series.

Battlespire 

The Story

You are sent to the extra-planar pocket of Battlespire to prove yourself worthy of joining the ranks of the Imperial Guards. The Battlespire is maintained by a group of very powerful mages from which the Imperial Battlemage is selected. If you can beat the Battlespire you will join the ranks of the Tamrilean elite.

While in the Battlespire you will never be fatigued and you will not need sleep. The Battlespire consists of seven challenges which you will encounter during your journey to the summit. Since you are not physically there you will be unable to be slain, you will simply lose the challenge and return to Tamriel, supposedly.

When you arrive you find the Wizard of the Gate dead. You realize that something has gone terribly wrong. You also realize that you have no way of getting back home except to reach the summit and return through the exit located within Dagon's palace. Seeing the dead wizard it is clear to you that death is suddenly a very real possibility and a fun challenge has turned into a matter of survival.

Most of the mages of the Battlespire are still alive but have been possessed and will fight you every step of the way. As you explore you find that a Daedra Prince has taken over the Battlespire as his lair and his minions will add their strength to the opposition.

You will have to fight your way through a nightmare where the rules are non-existent and all bets are off. Only through dangerous conflicts and discoveries will you make it to the summit to confront Mehrunes Dagon the Destructor, the new lord of the Battlespire.

When can I buy Battlespire?

Battlespire is slated for release in the third Quarter of 1997. As soon as we have an exact release date we will put that information on the website. You will be able to place orders on-line or via phone in the following ways:

• On-line : http://www.bethsoft.com/
• Telephone : 1-800-677-0700

Check out all the cool screenshots and specs at www.bethsoft.com

Will Battlespire support my 3d accelerator card?

(the game has no support for 3D acceleration as was originally stated by Bethesda)

Is it going to have as many bugs as Daggerfall?

Ha. Not this time. Battlespire is just entering preliminary beta testing and will not ship until it is bug-free.

Does Battlespire support multiplayer? If so, how many people at one time?

Yes. 8 players maximum at this point. You'll be able to play multiplayer Battlespire over a LAN, or internet connection (using TCP/IP). You can play multiplayer in the following ways:

• Deathmatch : You vs. a friend over a LAN or via the internet (using something similar to Kali). The story and single player elements are removed for this one on one bout.
• Teamplay : You can team up and play the single player aspects of the game as a group.
• Team vs. Team : Team up with friends and take on another group.

What about the role playing elements?

It's all there. The character generation is back and better than ever. A lot of people have expressed concern that Battlespire looks essentially like a shooter clone. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are mixing some of the elements that make shooters popular and fun into the recipe but Battlespire is still an RPG.

Is Battlespire the sequel to Daggerfall or not?

No. Battlespire is a stand-alone product in the Elder Scrolls universe, and first in the 'Legends' series. Chapter 3 of The Elder Scrolls, Morrowind, is currently in development.

Why does Battlespire use sprites?

A lot of concern has been expressed over the usage of sprites in Battlespire. While there are mixed views on doing this, the one advantage we have in doing so is matching the detail quality of the creatures and NPC's you'll encounter with their surroundings. The sheer amount of detail a sprite allows visually is the primary factor in our decision to use sprites. Sure, they may not move and behave as realisticly as their polygonal counterparts but it was a decision also made to allow us more time to devote attention to things such as multiplayer capabilities and 3dfx support. Rest assured that this will be the last title Bethesda produces to utilize sprites however.

How fast is Battlespire going to run on my machine?

There really is no easy answer for that now considering the array of machines out there. Also considering that we are currently making a transition from the old fixed point engine to a faster new and improved floating point engine makes it hard to guess at an individual's performance. Suffice it to say that the frame rate is strong.

What about an online gathering place for deathmatching? Will there be one?

There is currently something in the works that we can't discuss just yet.

Will the character generation still be available in Battlespire?

Of course.

Can I beta test Battlespire? When?

Maybe. You must be a Compuserve member. Contact tech@bethsoft.com. Battlespire is scheduled to begin beta testing in late July.

Is there outdoor play? Is it cool?

Of course there is. We have windmills, temples, castles, huts, inns, taverns, homes, and even ships you can enter. You can sail rowboats around...be it on river or ocean and you can even combat from the boat. You can fly about in a hot air balloon. It rocks.

Is there null modem support?

No.

Does Battlespire use the "paper-doll" equiping system that Daggerfall used?

No.

Is Battlespire 1st or 3rd person?

Battlespire is 1st person.

What format will the music be?

The music is Redbook and played directly off of the CD.

Is Battlespire as big as or bigger than Daggerfall?

No. Battlespire is a tighter story with specific locales. Average play time is projected at 40+ hours.

Are the graphics really that good?

Yes, they really are that good. Battlespire runs in high resolution (640x480) and high color (32K colors) and that really shows off what we can do now. A lot of people have asked if we selected only the best shots. Of course. But every shot we have is worthy. Shots will continue to make their way out and about over the next month or two. A goal of the artists involved was to make the environments so spectacular that every possible viewing perspective would make a great screenshot.

Is the Item maker still around in Battlespire? What about the Spell maker?

The Item maker is not available in Battlespire. The Spell maker is and is configurable on the fly. It is somewhat different now...you can't mix spell effects and you can't adjust numbers (damage, spell duration, etc.) You can assign hot-keys for individual spells however.