Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

[Token-not-found]

Though I have the feeling Todd is someone who enjoys a very particular kind of game. And those might not be "deep" RPGs or "hardcore" RPGs (how they are sadly called today ... I HATE this words ... what is so "hardcore" about the old RPGs anyway ? That they have been a niche product ? Some people today enjoy down hill bikes even though the mountain bike is more common does that mean the downhill bike should be replaced by the mountain bikes ?). I mean Todd even explained it by himself that there have been many things he didn't liked in Fallout 1 where you could literally block your self "out" from quests (what a surprize, insult the quest giver and he will kick your ass ... thats kinda role playing in some way).

Make no mistake about it - the old games had "soul" because it appealed to the audience.

Outcast neckbears had soul , it was financially viable to appeal to their tastes , games were real rpg's because the audience had those sorts of inclinations.

Even if the funding entity demanded that it should appeal to wider audiences , the game makers had the freedom to make games deep (alongside with elements that attracted other audiences) because a large part of the audience wanted that.

Gaming going mainstream was the worst thing ever (for old audience).

 

[Guiltyofbeingtrite]

Has anyone noticed how it seems totally random if it's a crime to steal an NPC's items? Some shop owners have everything tagged as theft, and some none at all. To balance it I have to pretend they are all marked as theft, annoying to say the least.

 

[Crni Vuk]

I played a Nord the first time because the main quest is rather heroic, but goddamn i can't get over how awesome they made Argonians look this time around, they look like evolved Velociraptors :

The beast races indeed look finally "great" ... took them some time after all those years.

And yet ... they still didn't managed to give them ... beast legs (or digit grade legs).

 

[Lexx]

I liked the Khajit legs in Morrowind. Just sad that they couldn't put on pants back then.

I think the leg stuff / amount of furry-value of Khajit is even anchored in TES lore and depends on in which month one is born. Something like that I remember, at least.

 

[Black Feather]

I think the leg stuff / amount of furry-value of Khajit is even anchored in TES lore and depends on in which month one is born. Something like that I remember, at least.

Strictly speaking of lore, there are various sub-species of both Khajit and Argonians

And Argonians can change their gender

 

[Surf Solar]

Seeing as now Argonians have breasts just like humans in Skyrim, I'd really like to know how they change their sex from woman to man. Wait, I actually don't want to know that.

 

[Brother None]

 

[PainlessDocM]

The majestic evolution of the mainstream RPG UI.

Not sure if this has been posted here already, but Sea wrote another article about Skyrim's UI.

http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/EricSchwarz/20111114/8890/User_Interface_Analysis_Skyrim.php

 

[Alphadrop]

The beast races indeed look finally "great" ... took them some time after all those years.

Just out of interest but do you know how to use inverted commas properly or are you just being sarcastic? Sometimes it's hard to tell.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqaFGemOxW0
[/youtube]

So EPIC!

 

[PainlessDocM]

Majestic is what that is

 

[OakTable]

I played a Nord the first time because the main quest is rather heroic, but goddamn i can't get over how awesome they made Argonians look this time around, they look like evolved Velociraptors :

The beast races indeed look finally "great" ... took them some time after all those years.

And yet ... they still didn't managed to give them ... beast legs (or digit grade legs).

Reptiles don't have digitigrade legs, though.

 

[Crni Vuk]

they don't have tits either

 

[PainlessDocM]

Reptiles don't have digitigrade legs, though.

Allosaurus would like to have a word with you.

they don't have tits either

 

[UncannyGarlic]

@UI complaints about not being purely image based: Maybe I'm remembering wrong but I thought that the Infinity engine games had the issue so common with icon-based inventories which was that you often times ended up with an item you wanted (say a +4 axe) looking like an item you didn't want (a +2 axe) so you had to hover your cursor and read the tool tip. I prefer a combination of mini-icons color-coded text in order to minimize the use of tool tips or the like.

 

[Ilosar]

@UI complaints about not being purely image based: Maybe I'm remembering wrong but I thought that the Infinity engine games had the issue so common with icon-based inventories which was that you often times ended up with an item you wanted (say a +4 axe) looking like an item you didn't want (a +2 axe) so you had to hover your cursor and read the tool tip. I prefer a combination of mini-icons color-coded text in order to minimize the use of tool tips or the like.

True, icons only aren't much better. Dragon Age was a good example of a game that used both text and icons, so even if icons repeated themselves it was still intuitive and easy to use, hell the interface of that game in general seemed like one of the best in RPGs if you ask me. The waste of space in Skyrim's is frankly bizzare, like if some intern whipped up a last second project. But it was planned for a while, and that game was in production for 3 years. I get that the skill constellation looks good, so that's one filmsy excuse. But not using half of the screen for the UI and having to scroll down is bad design any way you look at it.

Also, apparently level-scaling being gone is another lie; critters such as trolls, giants and dragons (I can somewhat understand the last case, however, they are simply too easy early game) ceaselessly get stronger as you level. Still absolutely no motivation to level past the point you get all the gear/skills/perk you want maxed (and no, 10 more HP when high level attacks do upwards of 100 won't help, nor will 10 more magicka when your spells barely tickle anything dangerous).

Still, I am with Sea. Despite the obvious flaws, it's still an enjoyable game, and (lo and behold) it has choice and consequence beyond the usual Beth games (hint; the civil war plot is not just for show). And Lord is it pretty at times, the scenery is unmatched in any game I have ever played (from far away, of course).

 

[Walpknut]

I made a drinking game in a town in the bottom right corner of the map. It ended with me being totally drunk and after the black screen, I was in a town in the top left corner of the map. The hell man... can you pass through whole Skyrim when you get drunk once? It just makes no fucking sense. Fuck, Bethesda, think about it. Just think about it. Does this make any sense? It makes none, just none.

Bleh.

I have an aquitance that 3 years ago during December he got obsenely drunk one night and woke up in his car on a town in the middle of Nowheresvile 5 hours away from the place he was drinkign the night after, he had been disappeared for half a day. So, that scenario isn't that far fetched or rage worthy, it's not even unrealistic, drunken people tend to do stupid shit, and with magic wine and some horse carts they could get anywhere.

 

[brfritos]

I'm dying to ask this for some time, because I only lurk the thread until now.
Allright, the talk about weapons, monsters, armors and bugs are very entertaining, but what about the quests, choices and consequences the game provide?

They are good? There's challenge in doing them?

 

[.Pixote.]

So what's the verdict on Skyrim - better than Oblivion, or Morrowind?

 

[Ilosar]

I'm dying to ask this for some time, because I only lurk the thread until now.
Allright, the talk about weapons, monsters, armors and bugs are very entertaining, but what about the quests, choices and consequences the game provide?

They are good? There's challenge in doing them?

For the most part, they are quite decent. Usually some surprise in them (such as being asked to investigate a haunted barrow, only to find it's just some random mage doing it). I am far into the Fighter's Guild equivalent line, most quests are linear and dungeon-crawlish but they have tangible rewards beyond slightly better gear. And as I said above, participating in the civil war questline (Empire vs Stormcloak rebels) changes the game world in a fairly significant fashion, unlike anything in a Beth game so far methinks. Of course I am barely level 20 so I can't comment on much, I must have seen 1/5 of the game at most.

So what's the verdict on Skyrim - better than Oblivion, or Morrowind?

Most definitely better than Oblivion in every single respect except for the fact Oblivion had actually useful Destruction magic and spellmaking. Jury is still out on Morrowind, with some design decisions (UI, level scaling mainly) holding Skyrim despite it being superior in other fields (atmosphere, combat, vistas&animations...).

 

[Walpknut]

Today I was making my way to the Magic College in Winterhold, everything was normal then for a split second right before opening the big doors to the central building I hear the music change and my Companion withdrawing her weapon, I get into the hall and notcie she is NOT with me, at first I think "Oh shit a bug, she must be fighting with some npc outside" so I go outside to confirm, but no, a Dragon was flying above the college landing on the stone Barriers from tiem to time to get a better attack spot, my Companion shooting arrows at it and the Mages attacking the beast, let's say poor dumb dragon should have know better than to land there, got a Dragon Soul with minimal effort, but that was pretty cool.