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Weekly Discord Discussion 4: Favourite Locations

    • 1467 posts
    June 29, 2019 10:06 PM EDT

    Weekly Discord Discussion - Test Four

    As you may have seen, the Tamriel Vault has recently started our own Discord Server, which can be found by following that link. One of the new types of content that we've started over there were 'Weekly Discussions' which were basically just channels dedicated to a single topic that could be incredibly broad, or really specific. We've given them a week to generate discussion, then copied the comments into a sort of Log so that anyone who missed it can see what was discussed, maybe join in with their own thoughts on the topic or respond to what people said. 

    It's obviously more interactive if you join in on the next one (which has just recently started) but it's something that we hope works really well. 

    The third topic was simply "Favourite Locations in Games" though I guess technically I did say it could be least favourite but we didn't end up talking about them. 

    Dragonborn2121

    @everyone

    For those that are new to them, Weekly Discussions are the first type of Discord related content that we wanted to make, and are just designed to be fun, focused discussions. Each week I'll be running one with a specific question or theme to it, and all the discussion in this thread will focus around it. It might be really broad, or ultra-specific but should be fun each time :D

    A core of idea of the Weekly Discussions is that the entire discussion will happen here, but be logged and then posted on the Vault so that other members can see what was discussed, and join in on the conversation. After it's been logged,  the Weekly Discussion will be deleted so we don't have temporary text channels clogging up the server.

    This week, our topic is going to be a broader one just so people can get used to the idea. It can be any Video Game, not just TES or Fallout and obviously there's no such thing as a wrong answer.

    What are some of your favourite (or least favourite) locations in Video Games?

    Dragonborn2121 pinned a message to this channel.

    Vezrabuto der Nekromant

    Majula from Dark Souls 2. It just feels like a warm and welcoming home. Just the thing you need in Drangleic.

    Blackreach from Skyrim. I just walked around in it for like 3 hours the first time i got there. The most beautiful place in Skyrim in my opinion

    Apocrypha also from Skyrim. I love the design of it and the lore around it. It's the perfect place for a reclusive mage.

    Paws

    Good picks there Vez.! I haven't played DS 2 but agree with your other two choices.

    Vezrabuto der Nekromant

    Majula is a little village next to the ocean with some relaxing music and a constant sunset. It's the homebase where all the NPC's go that you meet.

    Paws

    Sounds quite nice. very Un-Dark Souls from what I remember of the first game.

    Vezrabuto der Nekromant

    Exactly

    It just feels like a safe haven

    Even more so than Firelink Shrine

    Golden Fool

    Firelink Shrine was more of a pit stop then a town

    Vezrabuto der Nekromant

    Yeah

    Golden Fool

    although it really lives up to its name by linking to almost every location in the game

    Vezrabuto der Nekromant

    And having the kiln beneath it where you link the fire

    Golden Fool

    shhh

    it mean multiple things

    Amornar

    I’ll do a different game. I really love both the Skellige islands and Toussaint in the Witcher 3. The rugged beauty of the world setting and in Toussaint in particular the snow capped peaks mixed with the lush verdant lands and vineyards is breaktaking. Really amazing work by the designers.

    Paws

    Great picks there too! Good call Amo, Skellige is stunning.

    Amornar

    Two further thoughts. I think the urban building in Blood and Wine for Witcher 3 also deserves special acknowledgment and is really well done in both form and function. Also the newest God of War has really wonderful world crafting for the whole game.

    Vezrabuto der Nekromant

    That reminds me, i forgot to add a location.

    Bitterblack isle from Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen.

    The whole place is just ominous. The open courtyard where Death himself will greet you, the small area with Baroch where deers and rabbits live that seems peacefull which becomes the battlefield for the fight with a wyvern later on. The large dark hall where you encounter two gigantic cyclopses. Or the last area which is an abandoned underground city where you hear ghostly voices while you make your way to Daimon's chamber. Man i love that game

    Ilani

    Skyrim: Yngol Barrow. I’ve said this before, I know, but I love it so much I keep a save game right in the middle so I can go back whenever I like, when it’s still “alive,” I mean. And outside Castle Dour in Solitude. And Oblivion: anywhere in the Shivering Isles. Of course. And Cloud Ruler Temple, for a less cheaty answer. I love the sense of history and the view from the courtyard. For that matter, the view off the top of the Wizard’s Tower is lovely too.

    Dragonborn2121

    I know I started this one, but I'm finding it incredibly hard to think of locations :P

    I kind of want to say all of God of War (2018), because I really do enjoy the entire world for that game. In ESO I have a lot of love for Vivec (the city) and Stonefalls in general, just think there's something about those two areas that works for me. With Skyrim, I think for me the Throat of the World is actually my favourite location, I know that it's not quite as amazing most of the time because you have clouds covering everything.

    Oblivion and Morrowind...tough ones that I'll need to think about.

    @Amornar

    I could name just about every location and probably give most at least an 11/10 because holy shit does that game look amazing.

    Tene-bro

    ESO has quite a few areas I love, but I'll start with Cyrodiil. When you can actually stop and look at it, its hauntingly beautiful. Ruined houses and towns are everywhere, many without backstory and context. Even places like Cropsford (one of my fav towns) have that spectre of war looming over everyone. And, of course, the land itself is beautiful, espcially in the areas that homage TESIV.

    Dragonborn2121

    I really wish there was some way to visit Cyrodiil without needing to join PVP. I'm just, really not into it at all.

    Tene-bro

    P l e a s e

    Dragonborn2121

    @Ilani Yeah, I did Yngol Barrow on my new PC the other day, and it was stunning. Because I've got a lighting mod, everything was darker than normal so the little balls of glowiness (real word, take my word for it) really punched through. Also then Yngol was an utter beast so he managed to one-shot me.

    But anyway, just even more stunning when it was modded :smiley:

    Ilani

    I would love to see that modded.

    Teineeva

    While not any specific place I really quite enjoyed getting lost in the more remote areas of Kingdom come deliverance. The natural areas in that game are so pretty.

    I also have a particular affection for bars and taverns, while none in the TES universe have jumped out at me so far, I'm in love with the Third Rail from FO4 and would love to see that place replicated in real life. Then there's a small tavern in an MMO I used to play and which I'll still boot up from time to time. The entire game is different from when I played it, except for the interior layout of that tavern so it's mostly just about nostalgia at this point.

    Paws

    Bars and taverns is a good thought, they can be very atmospheric. Not so much in Skyrim where they are all identical, but other games are better at nailing the micro cultures of the places. I used to beeline for them in Witcher 3, but to be fair that was less about the atmosphere or drink than it was for the Gwent.

    Chris Diokno-SCP of Weebs

    Kingdom Come Deliverance was a wonderful game

    Dragonborn2121

    GWENT! Yeah, honestly really love the taverns in Witcher 3, but I think that first one is the best. I mean, nothing is better than beating up a couple of peasants as a fully trained, fully armed Witcher.

    Teineeva

    While Gwent and other such activities are of course amazing, to me nothing beats a tavern with a good bard... especially when those bards aren't Dandelion, I mean, I love the guy, but still...

    Dragonborn2121

    That's incredibly fair.

    Chris Diokno-SCP of Weebs

    Yeah, though you gotta admit, the best bard is obviously Ezio

    Teineeva

    I just had to google if Ezio ever sang at all... I do regret not having played revelations now, that sounds like a lot of fun XD

    Chris Diokno-SCP of Weebs

    Yeah, the game is pretty dang good, and that was one of my favorite parts

    Dragonborn2121

    I definitely think Revelations was highly underrated. It's not quite as good as Brotherhood but it might be better than 1 or 2.

    Chris Diokno-SCP of Weebs

    Yeah, as it capped off both Altair and, to an extent, Ezio's story, Embers asode

    And the newer games aren't half bad either

    You know, I'd honestly enjoy a game that focused on the historical Asasiyun/Hasashin

    AC1 aside

    Teineeva

    While I still adore the trailer of revelations for introducing me to Woodkid, Revelations kinda dropped at a bad moment for me for some reason. I played 1 till unity but somehow skipped revelation in the process.

    Chris Diokno-SCP of Weebs

    Something like Kingdom Come Deliverance, a historical focused game

    Dragonborn2121

    Eh, I only really liked Black Flag. They were bad immediately after and while I kind of enjoyed Origins and Odyssey there's something about how they're designed that just doesn't work at all. I think it's just the (terrible) way that they've built the open world mechanic in that game.

    Teineeva

    With the amount of crap KCD got for its historical focus, I doubt it looks like a very appealing move for most studios to make something as historically focused

    Black flag was fun... So much fun

    Chris Diokno-SCP of Weebs

    Eh, true. Though the game has a fan base. They wanted to prove there was an audience for historical (non strategy) games

    https://youtu.be/JtuRwOi6S_Q

    Dragonborn2121

    Yeah, KCD really did struggle with that historical focus, and I'd argue in some ways it doesn't always work. Doesn't Mount and Blade try and have as realistic a combat system as possible? It's got a dedicated fanbase, but not quite mainstream. I can't think of many other games other than KCD and M&B but, I guess that sorta proves a point.

    It'd still be bloody awesome though, gotta agree with that.

    Chris Diokno-SCP of Weebs

    Yeah, true, true.

    Dragonborn2121L

    My favourite place in Dark Souls is simply the Asylum. There's something just perfect about it that I can't really describe or make sense of. Bloodborne it would absolutely have to be  everything ...I think it'd just be the Hunter's Dream, especially  towards the end of the game when you enter the field of flowers.

    It seems almost strange that my favourite places in both games are also really early locations, but they absolutely nail them.

    Dragonborn2121

    Since it's been nearly a week I think we'll end this today. If @everyone else (really anyone but this lets me bump you) wants to respond you've got a bit of time but otherwise we'll be starting a new one tomorrow. Probably something Khajiit related because Elsweyr is released for consoles over the next few days.