I'm surprised at the amount of people who don't want to see combat change at all. I don't think a complete overhaul is necessary - we don't need to be micro-managing our swing direction and velocity, etc - but I'd like to see different fighting styles wit...  moreI'm surprised at the amount of people who don't want to see combat change at all. I don't think a complete overhaul is necessary - we don't need to be micro-managing our swing direction and velocity, etc - but I'd like to see different fighting styles within each weapon type/skill (heavy handed saber user vs reflexive duelist, etc). The ability to slash, thrust, and parry would be great. 
In response to Ilanisilver, you're correct, unfortunately. That being said, the devs have been pretty good with implementing fan feedback, so something may yet be done. In any case, I haven't had any trouble just fast travelling to a bed and sleeping to save whenever I want to quit abruptly. It can still be a bit convoluted, though. That and floaty horse riding are my only real gripes.   less

I can attest to the complexity of combat, and the diversity in questing options. I've been abusing a combat trainer for the past little while, and won my first non-tutorial duel a couple of hours ago. It actually felt like an accomplishment; beating one p...  moreI can attest to the complexity of combat, and the diversity in questing options. I've been abusing a combat trainer for the past little while, and won my first non-tutorial duel a couple of hours ago. It actually felt like an accomplishment; beating one person. Hacking and slashing is a surefire way to die quick, so it actually takes time and practice to get the rythym down. I usually go for the non-violent option simply because it's less risky. I've leveled speech more than anything, and have been creative so far in talking to the right people to leverage my best interests. It's amazing to be so taken with the other mechanics that you actually don't mind having not drawn a sword in the past hour-or-whatever.
In regard to bugs/polish, there are some, but I haven't encountered anything game-breaking. I've had a few cutscenes replay themselves, my horse get stuck (which resulted in my being pulled to the ground and clubbed to death by an angry Cuman), and stuff like that. Nothing that has made me quit in frustrati...    less

What can TES VI learn from Kingdom Come: Deliverance?

I debated posting this in general gaming, but figured that this forum gets more traffic. Also, the post DOES concern TES... 
Anyways, I've been surprised at the lack of conversation surrounding KC:D on this site. I figured it would be up everyone's c...  moreI debated posting this in general gaming, but figured that this forum gets more traffic. Also, the post DOES concern TES... 
Anyways, I've been surprised at the lack of conversation surrounding KC:D on this site. I figured it would be up everyone's collective alley. I've only been playing for around 3 hours, but I'm alrerady pretty engrossed in the game. The story is refreshingly small-scale, and the main character is likeable and relatable. The depth is amazing, and very much noted after Skyrim's streamlined experience.
Of course, this thread isn't meant to just talk of KC:D. While I've been enjoying my time in Bohemia, I can't help but think of what TES might learn from it. With Bethesda showing a greater tendency to cut corners, streamline at the cost of depth, and rely heavily on modders (and attempt to profit from them), I imagine they're squirming right now. KC:D has attracted a devoted group of players who appreciate the deep RPG experience it offers, and in turn it risks to steal away TES' older fan...    less

The whole 'Project Greenheart' thing might suggest otherwise, but I'm still pretty well convinced we're going to be seeing Hammerfell as TES VI's setting. If I had it my way, that's what we'd get. 
Bethesda, especially after FO4, faces a bit of a div...  moreThe whole 'Project Greenheart' thing might suggest otherwise, but I'm still pretty well convinced we're going to be seeing Hammerfell as TES VI's setting. If I had it my way, that's what we'd get. 
Bethesda, especially after FO4, faces a bit of a divide in their fanbase. They have a (significantly larger) casual fanbase that enjoys streamlined features and simple mechanics, and then they have a less sizeable (but much more vocal) demographic that favours deeper roleplaying elements. I, along with most of my friends, fall into the second category. At this point, they don't want to piss anyone off. Especially when games like Kingdom Come: Deliverance (get hyped) threaten to steal away the more loyal, 'hardcore' demographic. 
Hammerfell allows for the best of both worlds.
First things first, it's a human province. Bethesda, in my mind, wouldn't risk an 'alien' province like Morrowind right after Skyrim. They risk casual fans being off put, and hardcore fans being upset at the (inevitably) lacklustre execu...    less

Let me know how this guy fares in survival. I don't have Ordinator (PS4 peasant), but I'm pretty taken with the concept here. I created a khajiit character, saved in Helgen, with the perfect look for this type of build a while back. It just took me foreve...

I must have started a domino effect; everyone's posting up their argonian profiles! I won't complain.
I like your conception of a spellsword here. Often I find (and maybe this is thanks to Oblivion), people tend to look at them as stealthy spellswords. E...

Wulfhedinn said:
Gollum..... you're kidding. I have no problems with your list, except.....The Revenge of the Sith was abhorrent. The entire purpose of the Prequels was to establish the lore. They did that well, but everything else was terrible. The most ...  moreWulfhedinn said:
Gollum..... you're kidding. I have no problems with your list, except.....The Revenge of the Sith was abhorrent. The entire purpose of the Prequels was to establish the lore. They did that well, but everything else was terrible. The most therapeutic experience of my life was slaughtering Gungans on Naboo in SWBF2. 
In my opinion, it goes as follows. 
1. Empire Strikes Back
2. A New Hope
3. Rogue One
4. Return of the Jedi
5. The Force Awakens
6. Revenge of the Sith
7. Attack of the Clones 
8. The Phantom Menace
Yeah, Mark Hamill is soemtimes a little off, but this saga was so revolutionary, it was the Sci-Fi movie that brought them into the light, like Skyrim was the RPG that brought them to a mainstream western audience. It's just such a revolutionary movie series. Even Disney is handling it alright. In my opinion, I think Hayden Christensen should burn in a special corner of hell, occupied solely by Jar Jar Binks.

This right here. Except for maybe wishing eternal damna...    less

I appreciate the kind words; it's always nice to hear some positive feedback! Thanks for pointing me towards Dragon of the East, Zonnonn. If I find some free time I'll have to catch myself up!
I've written up a few other profiles, just notes prior to sta...

Vara-Sei
The Nomad
 Some may remember a forum topic I initiated awhile back, regarding the status of the Pilgrim class in lore. I'm pretty sure the topic is dead and buried, but I recently started up Skyrim again with the character that inspired it...

http://www.nodiatis.com/pub/11.jpg
Accurate enough, I guess. I mean, I'm not really one for material possessions, but I do tend to use the system in place to get where I want to go. 

I'm glad you brought up stealth, because pilgrims have been classified (as far as I'm aware) as a stealth class in both Morrowind and Oblivion. I, too, spend a good amount of time rocking a Bethesda squat when rolling a pilgrim, but generally don't list i...  moreI'm glad you brought up stealth, because pilgrims have been classified (as far as I'm aware) as a stealth class in both Morrowind and Oblivion. I, too, spend a good amount of time rocking a Bethesda squat when rolling a pilgrim, but generally don't list it as a skill because I leave it unperked; I usually let my skill in illusion aid my sneaking, and then rely on slow, deliberate movements and low visibility from that point. The thing with pilgrims is that sneak is utilized, but not as a means of setting up an attack (most of the time). Oftentimes, it serves as a way to avoid conflict, like you said. 
I also like the comparison you've drawn with the ranger archetype - another favourite of mine. Pilgrims and rangers both have a weatherbeaten, nomadic flair to them, and I tend to agree with your assessment of the pilgrim being more pacifistic when juxtaposed to the ranger or scout. It's also funny, as Oblivion removed archery as a skill, but most people here seem to conceive of pilgrims as at least adept arch...    less

@Zonnon - I'm good with a little contention, hah! I definitely see your point, but in my mind a lawful character intrinsically values law as an institution and procedure, and I don't think an average citizen really does. Consider a story breaking about a ...

If I had 1) money and 2) any discernable talent, I'd be inclined to make a miniseries of some sort with this as a setting. 

I tend to agree. The prospect of travelling with a purpose of some sort forces you to think of motivation for your character, and this in turn influences gameplay by dictating where you travel, and to what end. The skills are also broad enough to facilita...  moreI tend to agree. The prospect of travelling with a purpose of some sort forces you to think of motivation for your character, and this in turn influences gameplay by dictating where you travel, and to what end. The skills are also broad enough to facilitate numerous playstyles, and so can be utilized in so many different ways that a plethora of different characters can fall under this archetype. After playing TES for so many years, I'd have to say that this class - either this or the rogue, ironically the other 'merchant' class - remains my favourite to continuously reroll.    less

I always saw true neutral as being best characterized by an average citizen; this person knows of concepts like good and evil, and tries to abide by them, but doesn't do so for their inherent virtue as much as they do it because it best suits their own ne...

It's interesting that you mention a series; I hadn't thought of it, but now that I think of it I might just end going that route. I have pretty distinct ideas associated with the traditional TES classes, and find that they don't always match up with what ...  moreIt's interesting that you mention a series; I hadn't thought of it, but now that I think of it I might just end going that route. I have pretty distinct ideas associated with the traditional TES classes, and find that they don't always match up with what other people think (probably thanks to TES itself changing definitions over time). I can only imagine the dicussion that would arise out of differentiating a spellsword, battlemage, etc...
It's interesting that you both (in addition to me) list magic as being part and parcel with a pilgrim build/class. I see it as being useful via utility, of course, but whether you view it as an indication of divinity or not is beside the point. I mean, Oblivion's pilgrim had no magic skills to speak of, but so far (I know, sample size three), it looks like the enduring conception of the pilgrim is that of a magically-inclined (if only in a mundane sense) traveller. I find it a very engaging playstyle; it just seems to jive with what I generally do in a TES game; explore, barte...    less

Traditional TES Classes: Pilgrim

I'm not sure about anyone else, but I'm something of a purist when it comes to making characters, and settling on their skillsets. While classes aren't a staple mechanic any longer, I still feel as though they exist by way of lore, and so pay attention to...  moreI'm not sure about anyone else, but I'm something of a purist when it comes to making characters, and settling on their skillsets. While classes aren't a staple mechanic any longer, I still feel as though they exist by way of lore, and so pay attention to them when crafting my own characters. Obviously this something of a personal idiosynchronicity, but I imagine others may hold similar views. 
This being said, it seems that classes in TES lore are susceptible to change every time a new game comes out (ultimately being removed in Skyrim, but they are still mentioned as sort of job titles, or descriptors from time to time). The pilgrim is a great example of this, with some major skills in Morrowind (marksman, restoration) not even making it into the build in Oblivion. There also seems to be a bit of a disagreement as to what the very term connotes in Tamriel; are pilgrims always religious, or just  simple travelers? There was a topic on the site a few years back about playing pilgrims in Skyrim, and I d...    less

I'm always skeptical in regard to what Bethesda says about their release cycles; they avidly denied the existence of FO4 up until like 6 months prior to its release. I'd like to think they're pulling our legs again in regard to ESVI, but I'm really not su...  moreI'm always skeptical in regard to what Bethesda says about their release cycles; they avidly denied the existence of FO4 up until like 6 months prior to its release. I'd like to think they're pulling our legs again in regard to ESVI, but I'm really not sure. I hope it comes out sooner rather than later; I'm fine with waiting for a game to ensure that it's done well, but eventually you start getting diminishing returns the longer you wait - 10 years of work means that some parts of the game will inevitably be 10 years old at launch (be they concepts or mechanics). I really don't want to see TES go down that route.     less

Skyrim: Survival

Well, with the recent news that Skyrim will be receiving a seemingly Fallout-inspired survival mode, I figured I best make a forum for discussion as it pertains to such. I'm pretty excited; as a console player I never got to enjoy Frostfall, and I loved m...  moreWell, with the recent news that Skyrim will be receiving a seemingly Fallout-inspired survival mode, I figured I best make a forum for discussion as it pertains to such. I'm pretty excited; as a console player I never got to enjoy Frostfall, and I loved my time with survival on FO4. I'm really looking forward to jumping back into Skyrim, this time necessarily paying attention to weather and hunger; my roleplaying can only stand to improve! 
All this being said, I can't help but feel that my willingness to continually go back to Skyrim only serves to mitigate the perceived want for TES6 in Bethesda's eyes; if people keep buying Skyrim repackaged, they'll keep selling it. Which of course leads into the controversy here - apparently the survival update won't be free, as it's a part of the controversial creation club, or whatever (I play on ps4, so mods are still mostly foreign to me). 
Something was mentioned about the first week being free to download, after which a price would be affixed to the update. ...    less