Forums » Elder Scrolls

TES VI: Roleplaying

    • 8 posts
    April 2, 2016 3:52 PM EDT

    Discussion time! pffffffft. What to write about today? I dunno I didn't really have a topic in mind but I felt like writing and I have run dry of ideas for stories to write (I do enjoy writing quite a bit). I'm rambling now. Focus Callum; back on topic. ROLEPLAYING! We all enjoy roleplaying, don't we? I hope so.

    So, my main gripe with Fallout 4 other than it NOT 'just working' was that it was a lot of shooting and not a lot of roleplaying for being a roleplaying game. I mean sure you could make your own character and decide what they done but there felt like a lack of choice.

    "But Callum, you can choose what faction you want to work for and even spy on some factions for the others!" No! Stop. That was an illusion of choice as you probably know if you have played through the game at least twice, which I'm sure you all have, all the endings were the exact same except for one. But I'm talking about Fallout now, back to Elder Scrolls. So even in Skyrim which wasn't quite as 'dumbed down' (god I hate that phrase) as fallout was, there wasn't very much choice. Sure there was more than in Fallout but that's because it is much easier to make a character who feels unique to play in a setting with magic, swords and bows and all that good stuff but after a few characters, it was all the same. You would kill the dragons, join one or two guilds and either help or destroy the dark brotherhood with no option to have quest lines completely change. Oh let's not forget whether you joined the rebels or the uniform, organised military outfit both of which played the exact same. So to sum up this paragraph: don't be Fallout 4.

    So hopefully this paragraph will be more on topic and less rambly. ES6 needs choice, the type of choice that defines characters and play-throughs, the kind that encourages you to play through the game multiple times to experience all it has to offer. The type of choice that makes you feel as if you shaped the world and the type of choice that allows for good, evil and morally grey characters. 

    Choice isn't the only part of roleplay we need, we need better dialogue that can cover a wide variety of choices and while we're on the topic of dialogue. NO VOICED PROTAGONISTS! As much as I think Brian Delaney and  Courtenay Taylor did a great job, it doesn't suit. Especially if you're trying to play a character with a, well less straight moral compass when the actors provided quite happy responses. And there aren't even many dialogue options that make it easy to be rude/evil/whatever. A voiced protagonist isn't even viable in and game with so many races anyway.

    If any of you are at all involved in the modding of Skyrim, you likely know what Frostfall and RNaD are. We need something like that added in by default, like in New Vegas or the New Survival mode in Fo4. Make me need to spend down time in towns, talking to NPC's, buying and selling, crafting and getting a feel for the world. Those were my favourite parts of Skyrim: the down time where you got to take a break from killing dragons and got to know the people of the world you were saving with their slightly racist ways and all.

    In summary, I don't want a fantasy action game that wears the mask of an RPG but rather a game that makes me feel immersed in the world and gives me choice of how my character would deal with a situation and consequences to go along with those choices. A world that reacts to my actions and adapts accordingly and allows for different outcomes depending on what I do.

    • 47 posts
    April 2, 2016 4:54 PM EDT

    We need something new. The old horse called RPG is to tired to keep me interested anymore. This days enemies are damage sponges or came in big numbers with the AI of a sleeping beetle. Sidequests and crafting are boring to the point of rage quitting  the game. Story have no logic and evolve to a deus ex machina ending that let you puzzled or tired. I miss the excitment of finding truly new worlds, alien in their experiences and emotions. There are no more heroes in a world of neverending gray choices because the companies behind games forgot that stories need a hero or, at least, a good anti-hero. 

    • 27 posts
    April 11, 2016 12:31 PM EDT

    I'll leave the whole FO:4 on the side as I won't play it till a few more DLCs are out and the modders are in full swing.

    On the possibility of TES:VI....First, we have no idea where it will take place. We don't even have a release date. To be honest, Skyrim was ok vanilla, but I didn't have the real fun until I started modding the hell out of the game to make it more of a personalized experience. I like immersion. No, I LOVE immersion. I've now logged close to 800 hours and still have a billion things to do in Skyrim.

    What would a TES:VI need? To learn all the lessons that the modders fixed for starters. Size and scope is important as well. Knowing that I have a really huge area to walk around questing or just sand boxing is needed. NPC's with a bit more umpff to them, giving flavor to the regions and having more than just one or two lines. Maximum character creation versatility. Can't stress this enough. I like to become attached to my characters and part of that is giving them a certain look or feel.
    Multiple starting areas, well at least 3 or 4 that have opposing story endings for main quest. Secondary stories that have actual consequences based upon decision matrices. These effects have to have both major and minor effects across the world or at least localized areas.

    Player housing should be introduced immediately, sure small scale but quickly and efficiently and houses should allow players to customized by positioning and creation. This lends to a state of permanency and personalization. Even wanderers should have some sort of traveling camp sets to allow players to immerse immediately while in the wilds. NPC followers develop actual relationships with player characters, not just be mules and extra swords. Make the character care for the companions. Side quests need to be less fetch and more cause/effect. IE: failure to obtain XYZ or fix XYZ gets a secondary lasting effect locally, it should also drive the character to explore areas, not just run around, get to objective then bail back fast.

    Ok, these are some of my thoughts....assuming they actually get to TES:VI which I really hope they do. I never played Oblivion but got hooked on Skyrim last year when it was on sale. I used to be a huge MMO player, even tried to get into ESO....but Skyrim seems to hold my interest the most once I modded the hell out of it to make it my flavor of gaming style.

    TL;DR:

    Bethesda, take lessons learned from your greatest resources: the modders.......