The Elder Scrolls franchise has a lot of good ideas to lend to the MMO genre.
The Elder Scrolls Online, which is currently in closed beta (and launches in full April 4), incorporates the series' elements in a truly clever way. The freeform character development that the franchise is known for makes every multiplayer experience a dynamic, surprising thing. The world looks and feels Elder Scrolls-huge, and exploration is incentivized through skill progression.
But it's an MMO first and foremost, meaning a lot of series elements had to get lost in translation. Case in point: You can't steal every single thing from every NPC's house. You also can't, you know, murder an entire city.
In this Overview, Justin and Griffin give a very, very brief look at the early adventures you can expect from The Elder Scrolls Online Beta. Marvel at Griffin's ineffective Mage-Warrior hybrid character, which throws Justin into a blind rage from which he never quite recovers.
