Nice sources.
Also, it's not the very popular reddit TESLore community(regularly has Bethsoft writers posting there,) which again generally considers ESO to be a great addition:
Here's Lady N, largely considered to be one of the more authoritative voices on TES lore(also the wife of Michael Kirkbride,) speaking about ESO 4 years ago when it was in a much worse state: https://www.reddit.com/r/teslore/comments/2rkdfs/about_eso_can_it_fit_in_canon_do_you_accept_it_as/
..and right below it:
Nothing gives you the actual authority to decide what is or isn't canon in The Elder Scrolls series. If the IP owners and designers making future sequels to a franchise retcon shit and make it the new canon, then it is canon, whether you like it or not. It might suck dick, it might be stupid, but Word of God makes it canon and what fans say was better in the earlier canon doesn't change the fact that the newest approved script is what dictates current canon of a series.
Well, he's German and he wrote a book. So there's that.
If people here weren't so afraid of having opinions then they could just honestly talk about their preference for the lore and setting, but if instead people are willing to make bold claims such as "this official material is not actually canon", then I am also willing to disparage that claim.
And Shelob described Mordor as a place that humans and elves would frequently travel through until Sauron decided to set up camp. I CAN'T BELIEVE THE LORE CHANGED! TOLKIEN RUINED EVERYTHING, LORD OF THE RINGS IS NON-CANON
Except in your analogy, tolkien would be responsible for it.
"Sauron changed the area to fit his needs" -- yes, brilliant!
Yes, until Sauron decided to set up camp.
Until Sauron decided to set up camp.
Which is an actual in-world event that happened and led to the status quo of the LotR books, which are one of the most important entries in the Middle Earth world.
There's no retcon here. That's just things changing because of events happening.
Meanwhile Cyrodiil in the first Pocket Guide which was supposed to be accurate during the Morrowind era of ES lore = jungle with plenty of different local cultures etc.
Cyrodiil in Oblivion which plays only a few years after Morrowind, chronologically: generic medieval fantasyland, no jungles, Imperial City is much smaller than it was in previous lore, none of the intricate cultures that were previously mentioned are there.
There's a clear difference between events changing the status quo, and retarded hacks deciding they don't like the established worldbuilding anymore, throwing it all away, and making up some hacky excuse as a retcon.
"Sauron changed the area to fit his needs" -- yes, brilliant!
Yes, until Sauron decided to set up camp.
Until Sauron decided to set up camp.
Which is an actual in-world event that happened and led to the status quo of the LotR books, which are one of the most important entries in the Middle Earth world.
There's no retcon here. That's just things changing because of events happening.
Meanwhile Cyrodiil in the first Pocket Guide which was supposed to be accurate during the Morrowind era of ES lore = jungle with plenty of different local cultures etc.
Cyrodiil in Oblivion which plays only a few years after Morrowind, chronologically: generic medieval fantasyland, no jungles, Imperial City is much smaller than it was in previous lore, none of the intricate cultures that were previously mentioned are there.
There's a clear difference between events changing the status quo, and retarded hacks deciding they don't like the established worldbuilding anymore, throwing it all away, and making up some hacky excuse as a retcon.
"Tiber Septim, a living god, changed the area to fit his needs" -- oh my god I can't believe it this upsets my german autism
