Forums » Elder Scrolls

• Mr.

  

  • 763 posts
   

  September 25, 2015 7:13 PM EDT

   Hey all

   The Elder Scrolls is certainly the most beloved franchise covered here in the Vault.  It couldn't be different, given the astounding success of Skyrim and the very roots of our community.

   But why do we love TES so much? What is it that draws you to this franchise, what is it that makes you spend countless hours in each new entry? What is it that makes you to take time from your life to write builds, lore articles, make mods, stories and retellings, forum RPGs, making, maintaining and frequenting hubs like The Tamriel Vault? What I want to know is...

          What is The Elder Scrolls for you?

                                                                                                              And why do you love it

  

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• Mirric

  

  • 411 posts
   

  September 25, 2015 7:20 PM EDT

  I love Tes because i have been playing since i was 3

• Mr.

  

  • 763 posts
   

  September 25, 2015 7:24 PM EDT

   Three years old? Well that's a long journey.

    So is it solely due to nostalgia?

• Accursed

  

  • 95 posts
   

  September 25, 2015 7:25 PM EDT

  I love it because I love fantasy. The extensive lore is amazing, the game worlds are always stunning, and the character creation is near endless.
  I allows me to be immersed in a world where I don't stress over grades, I can plan my attack on a dragon. Or maybe buy some lumber for that Manor I'm building. Or go enchant my sword.
  It allows me to lose myself and become anyone I want to become. Quite frankly, I don't like me, so being anyone other than me is a nice change, and TES is perfect for that.
  And most of all, it provides an excellent world to write stories about.
• Mirric

  

  • 411 posts
   

  September 25, 2015 7:29 PM EDT

  i also am a fan of fantasy in general but there is some nostalgia involved.

• Borommakot

  

  • 1217 posts
   

  September 25, 2015 7:31 PM EDT

  I'd say because of the Lore. It's the same thing with Skyrim and Fallout. They have worlds that are fun to be in and tell stories in. Having good gameplay is pretty important, too, but not worth the effort if there isn't a compelling setting.

• Mr.

  

  • 763 posts
   

  September 25, 2015 7:33 PM EDT

   All great points. For a lot of people, like gaming in general, it works as an escape valve, but it is somehow different to other games. Like you said, it allows you to be anyone you want to be, and Bethesda does an awesome job by providing us with such a detailed and engaging world to work with.

• Mr.

  

  • 763 posts
   

  September 25, 2015 7:40 PM EDT

   Indeed, one of the selling points in a game for me is always the backstory/story it has. And to know that there is a developer concerned with all the little details that do matter out there is reassuring.
  
   There are a lot of parallels to be drawn between Fallout and TES, they both excel in what they aim for. There are no other franchises that can both give us a great setting and freedom the level FO/TES do (and that is actually true to most of the games Bethesda backs), it is usually one or the other outside of their "spectrum".

• Legion

  

  • 700 posts
   

  September 25, 2015 9:09 PM EDT

  The Elder Scrolls was just another game that fell under my hobby of gaming, before I found the Blog two years ago.  Now it is its own hobby, still a part of gaming naturally, but far more than that.  It is a creative outlet and social activity.  Skyrim (I've played Oblivion, but meh) gives me pieces, and I make art with them. How good it is usually doesn't matter beyond how much I enjoy creating it, and how much I enjoy sharing it with those close to me.  The Blog gave me the chance to do both.  So the ES is something I can do with others, discuss on a deep level, and a a way to express my creativity in a way no other medium has quite allowed me to do.  

• Eorcan Wulfharth

  

  • 3 posts
   

  September 25, 2015 10:24 PM EDT

  I love TES I think mainly is because of the lore, I really liked the way that the characters that we played from Morrowing and Oblivion is a known hero in the next Elder Scroll. Also the open world is always nice and random encounters makes me immerse myself whether something tragic happens like a good companion dies or a pet and the character creation is endless you can create any playstyle you want which is my favourite thing, and I always get nostalgia to play TES III and IV again whenever I hear the soundtracks it's just beautiful

• Mr.

  

  • 763 posts
   

  September 25, 2015 10:26 PM EDT

   That's great, it's interesting to see how incisive the Vault is in our lives, and how it contributes to our overall enjoyment and influences us. It must be quite rewarding too to Paul, Emer and everyone who helped build this.

   And I think you bring a good point there. There are always discussions to be made about games, but ES brings those discussions to a whole other level, partially because the genre attracts creative people, and that obviously makes it easier to have diverging opinions and unique inputs.

• Mr.

  

  • 763 posts
   

  September 25, 2015 10:34 PM EDT

   Aye, the games' soundtrack is beautiful. Jeremy Soule is an amazing composer.

   And I agree, the unpredictability of the game and your companions' lives does bring "something else" to the table. And that remembers me, it's something I'm quite upset about Fallout 4, since our companions can't die in that game...

• Eorcan Wulfharth

  

  • 3 posts
   

  September 25, 2015 10:43 PM EDT

  I agree, I do hope that companions can die in Fallout 4, some people might think it's a heartless thing to do but not all gamers care about gameplay, the sadness of losing someone you care about really just hits you hard, I don't know how to explain another way though except just that it hits you hard and makes you be more careful when you meet another companion

• Edana

  

  • 694 posts
   

  September 25, 2015 11:11 PM EDT

  Wow. This is such a good question, Edd. I guess for me TES is more than just a way to unwind at that the end of the day. It gives me time and space to create, test limits, and experience a beautiful and unique world at the same time. It challenges me, surprises me, and pays for itself time and time again in entertainment value. I really feel like I couldn't reasonably ask for much more. Additionally, the site has given me a really wonderful space to embrace it and discuss various aspects of the world with others who feel the same. 

  ...Can we all get a group hug now? 

• Edana

  

  • 694 posts
   

  September 25, 2015 11:15 PM EDT

  Skyrim gives me pieces, and I make art with them.

  This sounds a lot like our girl, Jenassa. Also...

  How good it is usually doesn't matter beyond how much I enjoy creating it, and how much I enjoy sharing it with those close to me.  The Blog gave me the chance to do both.  

  Sucker punched right in the feels. Not even fair.   You'll pay big. 

• Tim

  

  • 92 posts
   

  September 25, 2015 11:24 PM EDT

  I think I really love TES because I can completely relax while playing it. I don't really crank the difficulty unless I want a real challenge, and it's a great way to unwind for me. The soundtracks, environment, and the whole fantasy feel to it are probably my favorite parts. Of course the gameplay is fun too :P.

  I just can't relax as much in Fallout, for example, because I know something is quite likely 200 feet away from me waiting to kill me lol.

• Lazy

  

  • 122 posts
   

  September 26, 2015 12:24 AM EDT

  Wow....this question. I don't know if I can answer it with words. But as a writer, I'll try my best.

  When I was first introduced to the Elder Scrolls series, I felt something in my heart of hearts. It was as if I was reunited with a long lost family. It feels like it should've been a part of me from the beginning, even though I only heard about it just 3 years ago. It sounds sappy, indeed, but the series made me what I am today. When I step into the world of Tamriel, my imagination runs wild like never before. I've never played any other game or series that made me feel like that.

  As for why I love it, I can't tell you why. I just do. If you ask me why I love my mother, I'd say the same thing. It's unconditional love.

  I love TES solely because it is TES.
  

• Overhate

  

  • 288 posts
   

  September 26, 2015 11:58 AM EDT

  Um....a series of role-playing games

• Paws

  

  • 1595 posts
   

  September 26, 2015 5:07 PM EDT

  Elder Scrolls games are odd. There are far better rpg games in terms of story and emotional depth such as the Mass Effect series, Dragon Age games and The Witcher series, the last game of which has come the closest to beating Skyrim as an open world adventure in my book. Yet TES consistently appeals and keeps dragging me back due to its ability to provide the illusion of a new experience with every character. In terms of player choices effecting the world TES games are behind the curve, but in terms of overall player choice I don't think any game can beat the series.

  As for the setting The Elder Scrolls is pretty unique. The way it delivers it's lore, how each race isn't as clearly cookie cutter as they are in other settings and how the pantheons and religions of the various races work, I don't think any other setting does these things as well or as interestingly.

• Medieval

  

  • 224 posts
   

  September 26, 2015 6:15 PM EDT

  Here I go...:
  Elder Scrolls for me is one of the most rich and well made universe, is so deep and have races, towns, cities, countries, lands and continents, worlds, even have his own universe system, also have philosophy and If you look it carefully about the books and stories you can find in the Elder scrolls universe, its really similar in someway to our world but in other era (I will say medieval times) with other cultures but the "people" of Elder Scrolls the most cool of all is based on ethnic groups in someway, I meant in my opinion the land and cultures are like: Morrowind looks like Asians, Cyrodiil like Roman Empire, Skyrim like Nordic lands, Hammerfell like Middle East of Europe (some like), Balckmarsh like Southamerica (in someway), Elsweyr like the dessert of Arabia, Summerset isles (some kind elves with Japanese features), Valenwood (maybe like Australia), well its just an opinion, but how you can not motivate having all that things, playing, making art, or writing when you have a Cosmos universe, and is well made not is just a bunch of things
  
  Other thing I like about Elder Scrolls is you have to take decisions and you have too much to think about, that is maybe people still playing Elder scrolls (even Morrowind, with/without mods), well the other part is the mods, Elder Scrolls have a ton of contents about mods in the same way is rich about lore
  
  Other thing I like about Elder Scrolls saga, and games is you are the protagonist and you choose whatever you want for your role, the first person and the immersion, features, you can even create your own stories, you are not forced by manage a character or to follow an story, for me makes the saga of Elder Scrolls, the best role playing games (well also like Fallout)
  
  

• Mr.

  

  • 763 posts
   

  September 26, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

   Hah, nice way of outlining the differences between both games. While you can somewhat relax in TES, in Fallout you don't have that same peace, security, and that's how it should be. I mean, we're comparing a fantastical setting, that even though it has  its fair share of problems, it sits in relative peace/stability in contrast to a rather dreadful world ravaged by war.

• Mr.

  

  • 763 posts
   

  September 26, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

   One can't be more precise:

  I love TES solely because it is TES.

   Nailed it.

• Mr.

  

  • 763 posts
   

  September 26, 2015 10:11 PM EDT

   So there's nothing special about it? You wouldn't care if they stopped making ES games?

• Mr.

  

  • 763 posts
   

  September 26, 2015 10:15 PM EDT

   Good aspects you touch there. The games can always surprise us due to its diversity, which is "made real" by the different provinces in Tamriel that not only sets them apart, but also sets the series apart from other fantasy thanks to the unique world.

• Mr.

  

  • 763 posts
   

  September 26, 2015 10:23 PM EDT

   I think the reason people still play ES games after years of their release is thanks to Bethesda being the only ones doing what they do in the market. Other fantasy games, while eventually surpassing ES in certain ways like Phil said, can't reach the standards set by Bethesda when it comes to freedom and the player somehow dictating how their game will work.

    And how can you do all of it, besides using your imagination? Mods. They are somehow the key to the longevity and success of ES games. (And FO!). That is about to become even more prominent now that mods will be making their way to consoles.

   And the comparison between the races and real world cultures are inevitable, though I'm not sure I agree with all of yours.