Opinions on the Elder Scrolls

[Dr Fallout]

The idea of races being predisposed to a certain profession only makes sense in some regards (it's a cultural upbringing, not physical characteristics. Bosmer aren't all good at stealth archery but their culture makes them more common) so I don't see this as a problem. The real problem is getting rid of the classes, which acted as professions. In Skyrim you basically all start as fairly good fighters, fairly good mages, fairly good thieves and etc.

The races give you small bonuses but these are ridiculous because they're so small. If your culture teaches you to be a mage, they're damn not gonna sit down and give you one lesson. Remember, you have like 18 years (12, 13, whatever) before you get a true profession, time enough for your race/culture to teach you skills that's important to them. Yet in Skyrim, you get tiny bonuses which should be bigger, or not exist at all.
a) Their existence means that the race's culture taught you something (let's not pretend ALL Nords are predisposed to two handed combat because... magic?) but didn't even try go the whole hog and barely taught you anything which is stupid.
b) Yet having nothing of it makes the races pointless apart from their abilities (in which case Morrowind rules because it has more and they're more varied).

Basically, what I'm saying is that Skyirm should have made the races MORE predisposed towards something because of cultural upbringing. Hell, you could even do an option to choose a race (and they're ability) and maybe for the skill bonuses, choose either your own race or another's (different cultural upbringing perhaps? Maybe a Dunmer born in the Imperial City, from a long line of Dunmeri Imperials).

 

[CerberusGate]

Basically, what I'm saying is that Skyirm should have made the races MORE predisposed towards something because of cultural upbringing. Hell, you could even do an option to choose a race (and they're ability) and maybe for the skill bonuses, choose either your own race or another's (different cultural upbringing perhaps? Maybe a Dunmer born in the Imperial City, from a long line of Dunmeri Imperials).

So essentially, the character creation from Pillars of Eternity/Tyranny that changes up skills and stats based chosen race, backgrounds and history?

 

[Dr Fallout]

So essentially, the character creation from Pillars of Eternity/Tyranny that changes up skills and stats based chosen race, backgrounds and history?

Yeah, pretty much. Where race changes your backgrounds... though you should be able to choose different upbringings (Dunmer with Imperial like backgrounds).

Bout time it happens.

 

[CerberusGate]

Yeah, pretty much. Where race changes your backgrounds... though you should be able to choose different upbringings (Dunmer with Imperial like backgrounds).

Bout time it happens.

Agreed. There should be more to character creation than simply appearances and adjusting stats (though IIRC Skyrim only handled appearances and ditched classes). Backgrounds should be free to customize and have effect on the created player character.

 

[Dr Fallout]

Agreed. There should be more to character creation than simply appearances and adjusting stats (though IIRC Skyrim only handled appearances and ditched classes). Backgrounds should be free to customize and have effect on the created player character.

Here's how I figure it would work.
Race->Appearance->Background->Profession->Cloth Appearance->Major Event (you know, for roleplaying. Imagine being captured and bravely escaping a prison, etc)->Play

 

[CerberusGate]

Major Event (you know, for roleplaying. Imagine being captured and bravely escaping a prison, etc)

I think a common mod for Elder Scrolls games tends to be the alternate beginnings mod that changes up the intro (one I recall only starts the Main Quest only after you get arrested the first time and get sent to jail).

On that point, I agree. Said event should then add bonuses (or penalties if need be) to certain stats like being a blacksmith apprentice (until being arrested) ought to make you more better at forging weapons, armor and other metalworks or a war veteran recovering from injuries (that reduce a stat like Agility or Endurance but raises skill with weapons).

 

[Dr Fallout]

I think a common mod for Elder Scrolls games tends to be the alternate beginnings mod that changes up the intro (one I recall only starts the Main Quest only after you get arrested the first time and get sent to jail).

On that point, I agree. Said event should then add bonuses (or penalties if need be) to certain stats like being a blacksmith apprentice ought to make you more better at forging weapons, armor and other metalworks or a war veteran recovering from injuries (that reduce a stat like Agility or Endurance but raises skill with weapons).

Yeah something like that, though the backgrounds should be race-orientated. Your race gives you an ability but that's it. At the sacrifice of some roleplaying, you could make all the choices later on being race orientated. So your backgrounds, profession and major event are all centered on the race and it's culture. Not too hard to find a lot of options. Maybe have an additional background for each race, Imperial citizen seeing as they're quite a diverse nation. If you choose that you get the Imperial professions.