<s>
The	B-Application
Elder	I-Application
Scrolls	I-Application
:	I-Application
Arena	I-Application
is	O
an	O
open-world	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Bethesda	O
Softworks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
game	O
in	O
the	B-Application
Elder	I-Application
Scrolls	I-Application
series	I-Application
,	O
it	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
MS-DOS	B-Application
on	O
March	O
25	O
,	O
1994	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
follows	O
the	O
player	O
trying	O
to	O
uncover	O
a	O
conspiracy	O
against	O
Emperor	O
Uriel	B-Application
Septim	I-Application
VII	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Arena	B-Application
takes	O
place	O
on	O
the	O
entire	O
continent	O
of	O
Tamriel	O
,	O
complete	O
with	O
wilderness	O
,	O
towns	O
and	O
dungeons	O
which	O
are	O
procedurally-generated	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
for	O
Arena	B-Application
was	O
initially	O
planned	O
to	O
have	O
the	O
player	O
travel	O
in	O
towns	O
across	O
Tamriel	O
,	O
fighting	O
other	O
teams	O
in	O
their	O
arenas	B-Application
until	O
the	O
player	O
became	O
"	O
grand	O
champion	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Role-playing	O
elements	O
were	O
added	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
and	O
the	O
game	O
expanded	O
to	O
include	O
towns	O
outside	O
the	O
arenas	B-Application
and	O
dungeons	O
beyond	O
the	O
cities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Arena	B-Application
would	O
spawn	O
later	O
sequels	O
that	O
created	O
a	O
series	O
which	O
has	O
gone	O
on	O
to	O
become	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
biggest	O
western	O
RPGs	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
not	O
as	O
popular	O
as	O
the	O
later	O
games	O
,	O
Arena	B-Application
generated	O
a	O
cult	O
following	O
and	O
was	O
successful	O
enough	O
to	O
spawn	O
a	O
popular	O
sequel	O
,	O
Daggerfall	B-Application
in	O
1996	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Melee	B-Application
combat	O
is	O
performed	O
by	O
right-clicking	O
the	O
mouse	O
and	O
dragging	O
the	O
cursor	O
across	O
the	O
screen	O
to	O
attack	O
as	O
if	O
swinging	O
a	O
weapon	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Arena	B-Application
is	O
notable	O
for	O
being	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
games	O
to	O
feature	O
a	O
realistic	O
day/night	O
cycle	O
,	O
where	O
at	O
sunset	O
shops	O
close	O
and	O
people	O
clear	O
the	O
streets	O
before	O
the	O
monsters	O
arrive	O
and	O
roam	O
around	O
until	O
morning	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Arena	B-Application
has	O
been	O
noted	O
for	O
its	O
tendency	O
to	O
be	O
unforgiving	O
towards	O
new	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
setting	O
begins	O
in	O
Tamriel	O
on	O
the	O
389th	O
year	O
of	O
the	O
Third	O
Era	O
,	O
when	O
Emperor	O
Uriel	B-Application
Septim	I-Application
VII	O
summons	O
his	O
advisor	O
and	O
Imperial	O
Battlemage	O
Jagar	O
Tharn	O
over	O
concerns	O
of	O
betrayal	O
from	O
within	O
the	O
court	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
Tharn	O
proceeds	O
to	O
magically	O
disguise	O
himself	O
as	O
Emperor	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
usurp	O
the	O
throne	O
,	O
his	O
conspiracy	O
is	O
witnessed	O
by	O
mage	O
apprentice	O
Ria	B-Application
Silmane	I-Application
,	O
whom	O
he	O
murders	O
before	O
she	O
can	O
warn	O
the	O
Elder	O
Council	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
token	O
of	O
respect	O
and	O
gratitude	O
,	O
Uriel	B-Application
Septim	I-Application
grants	O
the	O
player	O
the	O
title	O
of	O
Eternal	O
Champion	O
,	O
and	O
Ria	B-Application
Silmane	I-Application
finally	O
enters	O
the	O
afterlife	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Designer	O
Ted	O
Peterson	O
recalls	O
the	O
experience	O
:	O
"	O
I	O
remember	O
talking	O
to	O
the	O
guys	O
at	O
SirTech	O
who	O
were	O
doing	O
Wizardry	B-Application
:	I-Application
Crusaders	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Dark	I-Application
Savant	I-Application
at	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
and	O
them	O
literally	O
laughing	O
at	O
us	O
for	O
thinking	O
we	O
could	O
do	O
it.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Peterson	O
worked	O
alongside	O
Vijay	O
Lakshman	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
two	O
designers	O
of	O
what	O
was	O
then	O
simply	O
Arena	B-Application
,	O
a	O
"	O
medieval-style	O
gladiator	O
game	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	O
journalist	O
Joe	O
Blancato	O
credits	O
company	O
co-founder	O
Chris	O
Weaver	O
with	O
the	O
development	O
:	O
"	O
If	O
Weaver	O
had	O
a	O
baby	O
,	O
Arena	B-Application
was	O
it	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
showed.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
Arena	B-Application
,	O
Todd	O
Howard	O
,	O
later	O
executive	O
producer	O
of	O
Oblivion	O
and	O
lead	O
designer	O
on	O
Skyrim	O
and	O
Fallout	B-Application
3	I-Application
and	O
4	B-Application
,	O
joined	O
Bethesda	O
Softworks	O
,	O
testing	O
the	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
version	O
of	O
Arena	B-Application
as	O
his	O
first	O
assignment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Peterson	O
had	O
joined	O
the	O
company	O
in	O
1992	O
,	O
working	O
assignments	O
on	O
Terminator	B-Application
2029	I-Application
,	O
Terminator	B-Application
:	I-Application
Rampage	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Terminator	B-Application
:	I-Application
Future	I-Application
Shock	I-Application
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
other	O
"	O
fairly	O
forgettable	O
titles	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
were	O
also	O
fans	O
of	O
Looking	O
Glass	O
Studios	O
 '	O
Ultima	B-Application
Underworld	I-Application
series	O
,	O
which	O
became	O
their	O
main	O
inspiration	O
for	O
Arena	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
influence	O
of	O
Legends	B-Application
of	I-Application
Valour	I-Application
,	O
a	O
game	O
Peterson	O
describes	O
as	O
a	O
"	O
free-form	O
first-person	O
perspective	O
game	O
that	O
took	O
place	O
in	O
a	O
single	O
city	O
"	O
,	O
has	O
also	O
been	O
noted	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Aside	O
from	O
the	O
fact	O
that	O
Bethesda	O
had	O
made	O
Arena	B-Application
"	O
Much	O
,	O
much	O
bigger	O
"	O
than	O
other	O
titles	O
on	O
the	O
market	O
,	O
Peterson	O
held	O
that	O
the	O
team	O
"[wasn't]	O
doing	O
anything	O
too	O
new	O
"	O
in	O
Arena	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Initially	O
,	O
Arena	B-Application
was	O
not	O
to	O
be	O
an	O
RPG	O
at	O
all	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
and	O
a	O
team	O
of	O
his	O
fighters	O
would	O
travel	O
about	O
a	O
world	O
fighting	O
other	O
teams	O
in	O
their	O
arenas	B-Application
until	O
the	O
player	O
became	O
"	O
grand	O
champion	O
"	O
in	O
the	O
world	O
's	O
capital	O
,	O
the	O
Imperial	O
City	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Role-playing	O
elements	O
were	O
added	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
as	O
the	O
game	O
expanded	O
to	O
include	O
the	O
cities	O
outside	O
the	O
arenas	B-Application
,	O
and	O
dungeons	O
beyond	O
the	O
cities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
original	O
concept	O
of	O
arena	B-Application
combat	O
never	O
made	O
it	O
to	O
the	O
coding	O
stage	O
,	O
so	O
few	O
artifacts	O
from	O
that	O
era	O
of	O
development	O
remain	O
:	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
title	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
text	O
file	O
with	O
the	O
names	O
of	O
fighting	O
teams	O
from	O
every	O
large	O
city	O
in	O
Tamriel	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
brief	O
introduction	O
for	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
the	O
team	O
had	O
dropped	O
all	O
arena	B-Application
combat	O
from	O
the	O
end	O
game	O
,	O
because	O
all	O
the	O
material	O
had	O
already	O
been	O
printed	O
up	O
with	O
the	O
title	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
went	O
to	O
market	O
as	O
The	B-Application
Elder	I-Application
Scrolls	I-Application
:	I-Application
Arena	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
came	O
up	O
with	O
a	O
lore-friendly	O
explanation	O
for	O
this	O
,	O
being	O
because	O
the	O
Empire	O
of	O
Tamriel	O
was	O
so	O
violent	O
,	O
it	O
had	O
been	O
nicknamed	O
the	O
Arena	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
Lakshman	O
who	O
came	O
up	O
with	O
the	O
idea	O
of	O
"	O
The	B-Application
Elder	I-Application
Scrolls	I-Application
"	O
,	O
and	O
though	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
words	O
of	O
Peterson	O
,	O
"	O
I	O
do	O
n't	O
think	O
he	O
knew	O
what	O
the	O
hell	O
it	O
meant	O
any	O
more	O
than	O
we	O
did	O
"	O
,	O
the	O
words	O
eventually	O
came	O
to	O
mean	O
"	O
Tamriel	O
's	O
mystical	O
tomes	O
of	O
knowledge	O
that	O
told	O
of	O
its	O
past	O
,	O
present	O
,	O
and	O
future.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
initial	O
voice-over	O
was	O
changed	O
in	O
response	O
,	O
beginning	O
:	O
"	O
It	O
has	O
been	O
foretold	O
in	O
the	B-Application
Elder	I-Application
Scrolls	I-Application
...	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
misleading	O
packaging	O
further	O
contributed	O
to	O
distributor	O
distaste	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
leading	O
to	O
an	O
initial	O
distribution	O
of	O
only	O
3,000	O
units	O
—	O
a	O
smaller	O
number	O
even	O
,	O
recalls	O
Peterson	O
,	O
than	O
the	O
sales	O
for	O
his	O
Terminator	B-Application
2029	I-Application
add-on	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Arena	B-Application
was	O
originally	O
released	O
on	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
and	O
3.5	O
"	O
floppy	O
disk	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
edition	O
is	O
the	O
more	O
advanced	O
,	O
featuring	O
enhanced	O
speech	O
for	O
some	O
characters	O
and	O
CGI	O
video	O
sequences	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
late	O
1994	O
,	O
Arena	B-Application
was	O
re-released	O
in	O
a	O
special	O
"	O
Deluxe	O
Edition	O
"	O
package	O
,	O
containing	O
the	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
patched	O
to	O
the	O
latest	O
version	O
,	O
a	O
mousepad	O
with	O
the	O
map	O
of	O
Tamriel	O
printed	O
on	O
it	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Codex	O
Scientia	O
,	O
an	O
in-depth	O
hint	O
book	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
version	O
that	O
was	O
released	O
as	O
freeware	B-License
by	O
Bethesda	O
Softworks	O
in	O
2004	O
is	O
the	O
3.5	O
"	O
floppy	O
disk	O
version	O
,	O
not	O
the	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
edition	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Newer	O
systems	O
may	O
require	O
an	O
emulator	O
such	O
as	O
DOSBox	B-Application
to	O
run	O
it	O
,	O
as	O
Arena	B-Application
is	O
a	O
DOS-based	O
program	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
previewing	O
the	O
game	O
in	O
December	O
1993	O
,	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
noted	O
Arenas	B-Application
"	O
huge	O
world	O
split	O
into	O
nine	O
provinces	O
"	O
,	O
many	O
races	O
and	O
terrains	O
,	O
NPC	O
interactions	O
,	O
and	O
absence	O
of	O
level	O
limits	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
magazine	O
stated	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
had	O
sophisticated	O
graphics	O
"	O
without	O
forgetting	O
the	O
lessons	O
of	O
the	O
past	O
in	O
terms	O
of	O
game	O
design	O
"	O
or	O
being	O
"	O
more	O
like	O
 [ console ] 	O
action	O
games	O
"	O
,	O
citing	O
similarities	O
with	O
Ultima	B-Application
IV	I-Application
,	O
Wasteland	B-Application
,	O
Dragon	B-Device
Wars	I-Device
,	O
and	O
Darklands	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
magazine	O
in	O
April	O
1994	O
said	O
that	O
Arena	B-Application
"	O
looks	O
like	O
a	O
cross	O
between	O
Ultima	B-Application
Underworld	I-Application
and	O
Might	O
and	O
Magic	O
:	O
World	O
of	O
Xeen	O
"	O
,	O
with	O
both	O
depth	O
and	O
sophisticated	O
3D	O
graphics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
She	O
liked	O
the	O
combat	O
(	O
"	O
the	O
most	O
natural	O
way	O
of	O
fighting	O
that	O
I	O
've	O
seen	O
in	O
a	O
first-person	O
game	O
"	O
)	O
,	O
magic	O
system	O
,	O
world	O
detail	O
,	O
and	O
character	O
creation	O
,	O
but	O
disliked	O
Arenas	B-Application
instability	O
"	O
even	O
with	O
three	O
patches	O
so	O
far	O
"	O
and	O
insufficient	O
travel	O
time	O
to	O
finish	O
quests	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Scorpia	O
complained	O
that	O
"	O
in	O
a	O
game	O
of	O
this	O
size	O
,	O
everything	O
eventually	O
becomes	O
mechanical	O
and	O
repetitious	O
"	O
,	O
including	O
towns	O
,	O
conversation	B-Application
trees	I-Application
,	O
quests	O
,	O
and	O
enemies	O
,	O
reporting	O
that	O
"	O
Everything	O
is	O
isolated	O
,	O
and	O
there	O
is	O
no	O
sense	O
of	O
a	O
coherent	O
whole	O
here	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
She	O
said	O
that	O
"	O
Arena	B-Application
...	O
is	O
too	O
big	O
to	O
offer	O
real	O
variety	O
,	O
and	O
thus	O
becomes	O
no	O
more	O
than	O
a	O
very	O
sophisticated	O
dungeon	O
crawl	O
with	O
minimal	O
plot	O
"	O
,	O
but	O
hoped	O
that	O
Bethesda	O
would	O
apply	O
to	O
Elder	B-Application
Scrolls	I-Application
"	O
a	O
tightening	O
of	O
the	O
code	O
,	O
a	O
little	O
polishing	O
up	O
of	O
the	O
basic	O
engine	O
,	O
a	O
little	O
scaling	O
back	O
of	O
the	O
size	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
inclusion	O
of	O
some	O
real	O
role-playing	O
elements	O
...	O
with	O
a	O
solid	O
storyline	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
She	O
advised	O
players	O
to	O
store	O
their	O
save	O
games	O
after	O
finishing	O
Arena	B-Application
,	O
as	O
"	O
I	O
expect	O
that	O
the	O
next	O
game	O
will	O
show	O
quite	O
a	O
few	O
improvements	O
over	O
the	O
initial	O
entry	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
US	O
,	O
Bernie	O
Yee	O
summarized	O
Arena	B-Application
as	O
a	O
"	O
stunning	O
technological	O
achievement	O
;	O
give	O
this	O
game	O
a	O
better	O
storyline	O
,	O
and	O
you	O
might	O
have	O
the	O
best	O
FRP	O
ever	O
designed.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
that	O
year	O
,	O
the	O
magazine	O
named	O
Arena	B-Application
the	O
18th	O
greatest	O
game	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
a	O
runner-up	O
for	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
USs	O
1994	O
"	O
Best	O
Role-playing	O
Game	O
"	O
award	O
,	O
losing	O
to	O
Realms	B-Application
of	I-Application
Arkania	I-Application
:	I-Application
Star	I-Application
Trail	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Barry	O
Brenesal	O
of	O
Electronic	O
Entertainment	O
wrote	O
,	O
"	O
While	O
The	B-Application
Elder	I-Application
Scrolls	I-Application
,	O
Chapter	O
One	O
:	O
Arena	B-Application
has	O
nothing	O
revolutionary	O
to	O
offer	O
in	O
role-playing	O
fantasy	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
nevertheless	O
a	O
worthwhile	O
game	O
for	O
the	O
sheer	O
depth	O
of	O
its	O
quest	O
capabilities	O
that	O
far	O
outnumber	O
the	O
competition.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Arena	B-Application
won	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
Worlds	O
1994	O
"	O
Role-Playing	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
award	O
,	O
beating	O
Wolf	B-Application
,	O
Realms	B-Application
of	I-Application
Arkania	I-Application
:	I-Application
Star	I-Application
Trail	I-Application
,	O
Ravenloft	B-Application
:	I-Application
Strahd	I-Application
's	I-Application
Possession	I-Application
and	O
Superhero	B-Application
League	I-Application
of	I-Application
Hoboken	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
editors	O
hailed	O
Arena	B-Application
as	O
"	O
a	O
breakthrough	O
game	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
OpenTESArena	O
is	O
an	O
open-source	B-Application
,	O
free-software	B-Application
replacement	O
game	O
engine	O
for	O
Arena	B-Application
,	O
similarly	O
to	O
Daggerfall	B-Application
Unity	O
and	O
OpenMW	O
for	O
Daggerfall	B-Application
and	O
Morrowind	O
respectively	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
brings	O
many	O
modern	O
improvements	O
to	O
Arena	B-Application
such	O
as	O
WASD	O
movement	O
,	O
higher	O
resolutions	O
and	O
mouselook	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
OpenTESArena	O
also	O
supports	O
Linux	O
,	O
macOS	O
and	O
Windows	O
natively	O
instead	O
of	O
requiring	O
an	O
MS-DOS	B-Application
emulator	O
to	O
run	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
