Skyrim Trailer

[Wusel]

I just saw the trailer to Bethesda's new game "Skyrim" ("The Elder Scrolls V")
and wanted to ask if you are as excited about the game as I am.
The music is epic and there are actual dragons in it. Be prepared to fetch my money, guys at Bethesda!

So, how do you like the trailer and The Elder Scrolls in general?

[DAISHI]

As long as it endlessly lets me dungeon dive into dungeon after dungeon like the first one, I'll pick it up. I spent countless hours freaking myself out by sneaking around in ogre and troll infested dungeons

[waroftheworlds01]

I'm not over excited about it as I am for Jurassic Park but I am looking forward to it. I played Oblivion for hours and hours. I did bascily all the guilds, side missions, and main story. I also payed a lot of Morrowind. I can't wait to fight dragons. That should be cool.

[corruptbiggins]

I was looking forward to it when it was announced and now after seeing the trailer, I'm really really looking forward to it now!

[Wusel]

Originally Posted by DAISHI

As long as it endlessly lets me dungeon dive into dungeon after dungeon like the first one, I'll pick it up. I spent countless hours freaking myself out by sneaking around in ogre and troll infested dungeons

Many players were annoyed when they had to go into dungeons in oblivion, because those looked basically like each others clones. I read that they are now planning to build more unique dungeons and landscapes (since parts of the landscape in oblivion was computer-generated as well), so I GUESS that the quantity of dungeons will decrease. But that could be a good thing, because it could lead to a better atmosphere. Like you said, the first Elder Scrolls had a great ambiance. I hope Skyrim does that better than Oblivion...

[GuybrushWilco]

This trailer changed my life. Now let's see a King's Quest trailer .

[Megaboz]

Ugh - my productivity is going to be completely shot come November. I was a huge Oblivion addict, and this looks amazing. Seriously can't wait.

[Irishmile]

I really loved oblivion.. it was great but yeah the identical dungeons got really boring.... if they say they sorted that out.. this could be one of the best games ever.

[Banned User]

Originally Posted by Irishmile

I really loved oblivion.. it was great but yeah the identical dungeons got really boring.... if they say they sorted that out.. this could be one of the best games ever.

There was some variety in a few of the dungeons. All of their dungeons even Morrowinds are basically made up of pieces like huge lego pieces. A hallway here , a corner here etc and put together. But there are unique parts in a lot of them. The more you explore the more you find things. Skyrim looks good though.

[Rather Dashing]

Don't get me started on how dumbed-down this is going to be. We're dropping magical schools, we're dropping classes, and they can't even make a 30-second teaser without taking a gigantic shit over the lore they built with Daggerfall and Morrowind.

Dragons are not supposed to be typical fantasy beasts. They are supposed to be like Akatosh in the King Edward books.

Originally Posted by Excerpt from King Edward, Parts XI and XII

A bit later, Edward asked Akatosh: "Do you think that we could play a game or two of Battle? I brought the board and playing pieces with me."

Moraelyn interrupted "I'm afraid that Akatosh and I must discuss some matters this evening - and you'd only lose again anyway" he added with a fond smile.

Edward replied "But I can beat everyone else. Akatosh, will I ever win a game with you?"

"No, Edward, you won't", and Akatosh was slightly bemused by Edward's startled expression, and then the hearty laugh that quickly followed it.

"That wasn't very diplomatic of you, Akatosh. But why won't I ever win?"

"Because I have been playing for much longer than you have Edward, and so long as I continue to play, you will not be able to catch up to me. Besides, this game is what I am starting to think of as a 'bounded problem', and that sort is most easily dealt with."

"What do you mean by 'a bounded problem', Akatosh?" asked Mats.

"That is a problem that has a countable number of possible actions and results, Mats. There are only 81 squares on the board, and each side has exactly 27 playing pieces, each piece moves in a specific way, and so on."

"But the game is like a real battle, isn't it?" asked Ssa'ass.

"No, it is very good practice for learning, and for thinking about how to execute a battle - but my Elven Archers never become tired or demoralized, and my Master Mage always does what I want. Such things seldom happen in a real battle."

Moraelyn nodded in agreement, and asked with mock slyness "Then what is an example of an unbounded problem?"

"Certainly a real battle...but also, to me a poem is an unbounded problem"

"But any poem can be analyzed, Akatosh" Aliera said chidingly.

"Of course - but only after it is written. I am unable to define, or bound, the act of writing it, though...that is, the act of creating it. If I start to write a poem...there are so many possibilities" and then wryly "I never get beyond the first line, because I start imagining all the things that I could put into the beginning and...."
---------------------------
The dragon had paused, so Edward interjected, "Mother and I have been discussing the nature of the gods recently, Akatosh, and she thinks that poetry would be a godly activity. What do you think about that notion?"

"I am not so certain that one can attribute anything to the gods, Edward. They are another example of an unbounded problem, of course, but also, their characteristics are just not very well known to us."

"But surely one can determine things about any being that is a god?"

Akatosh replied, "I do not think that we can, at present; they are not like the Daedra, who have a nature that is with them at their birth. That is, the Daedra capabilities are inherent in them, and not are the result of any changes that have occurred to them."

Willow interrupted: "Akatosh, we can determine that the gods have a few basic characteristics, can't we?"

Edward added "Of course, Akatosh - they are powerful beings who can perform acts that are incomprehensible to us. That in itself must signify their difference."

Akatosh nodded and replied "I understand your point of view, but to a farming community on Tamriel in our southern lands, that could also describe how they would perceive me. Perhaps this is attributable to the fact that they seldom see a dragon nowadays, but it also does not mean that I am a god ... neither does it mean that I am not a god."

Willow giggled, and said "Of course you're not a god, Akatosh" and Edward, smiling, nodded agreement.

Akatosh replied "How do you know, Willow? I can understand that you would guess that I am not a god, particularly since I am a dragon." He grinned, and then continued "But how can you know that I am not a god?"

Edward scoffingly replied "Well, I know that I'm not a god anyway. And I've certainly never seen you perform any godly acts, Akatosh - you also don't seem to have any worshippers about either."

The Companions were smiling and generally agreeing with this, but Akatosh responded "But that does not mean that I have no worshippers, nor does it mean that I cannot perform any godly acts - it just means that you have not seen either of these. I am not yet certain that gods and goddesses require worshippers to maintain their existence. And as I said, I can perform magic that would look like 'godly acts' to many Tamrielians."

"But the gods must have worshippers, Akatosh" said Aliera, "That's how they get their ... sustenance, or whatever it is that allows them to continue ... to be godly. Husband, you must know more about this subject. After all, you made a god of your brother S'ephen."

"I did no such thing!" Moraelyn responded, with a touch of indignation. "His godhood is between him and his worshippers, among whom I am numbered. I did establish a temple cult in his memory. Anyone with the worldly means could do as much for anyone, living or dead. That alone is not enough. Maybe it helps -- facilitate matters, but I think it's not really necessary. I know no more of it, but if you want my opinion--" he paused politely for confirmation that it was indeed still solicited, as elven etiquette demanded if one were giving opinion at length.

He continued. "There must be something, well, godly, in the person's soul or essence or whatever part it is that does not die with the body. I know not whether that capacity is innate in the person, from birth or conception, or quickening ... whene'er it is that soul and body are wedded for a life span, or whether great deeds and great generosity might breed it, enlarging the soul and transmuting it, so to speak. We all change and grow with each passing day, with every breath, some more than others. What else is life about?"

He went on without pausing for an answer to his rhetorical question, probably for fear that he might get one. "In other cases, gods seem to arise from a locality, a mountain, or a spring, or wood, or a collection of localities, such as Tamriel itself. Places, like persons have souls, some greater than others. This place might produce a god or a daedra -- or maybe it already has one or more. As it changes, so do its gods and daedra, I think. Maybe they can choose to resist the change or aid it, if propitiated."

He looked at Akatosh inquiringly. The dragon had stopped fighting the new gods, he said, but would he go so far as to worship them? "That speaks to the question of whence gods arise, but source is not nature: of that I know as little as the rest of you, maybe less, since the question does not truly interest me. The gods are; my worship of them benefits me and mine. It is sufficient."

Akatosh did not respond immediately and Aliera refused to be distracted, "But suppose such a cult were established and worshippers provided for one of small and mean spirit. Would that spirit not become a god?"

"I suppose it might be done, if one were determined enough and had a sufficiency of means to pay worshippers to perform rituals without -- spirit -- behind them. Maybe that's where small, mean gods come from, wife. Or maybe daedra? Maybe I'll raise a cult to thee and see what happens."

"Are you calling my spirit small and mean?" Ali glared at him.

"Only by comparison -- you don't fancy yourself a goddess, do you? You might make a daedra,

though. The experiment might be a bit too chancy. Could I just mourn you for a century or two instead?"

"Mm. I'll think on it. What about you? You've deeds enough already to qualify for godhood, surely ... although if you plan on many more such you may not outlive me."

"I'm doomed to be R'Aathim, living and dead. It's godhood of a sort, but what a sort! Don't begrudge me my long life span. Think of me doomed to eternity in the gloomy Ebonheart council chamber listening to the eternal wrangles ... small wonder the dead R'Aathim pulled the place down on the live ones twenty years ago, thus causing my brother and my mother to join their number. The dead R'Aathim must have welcomed the century and a half of respite while the Nords held Ebonheart."

"But your brother S'ephen was killed too, as well as your brother King Cruethys, and S'ephen wasn't R'Aathim, being your mother's son and not your father's, if I have the story straight -- that's why he got his own temple," Edward said. "So why did they kill him, too? The story sounds very daedric to me."

"You'd have me justify the ways of the gods to you, would you? I think they act for ends we cannot see, and slay the just and the unjust together -- not that I'd label any of my Kin as either -- not altogether. We see only the means -- how can we judge? Gods too face choices; I do not think their power supreme. They can overrule nature on occasion, as can any Mage, yet they, like Mages, are in the end bound by it -- and their overrule must answer other rules still -- and in those rules, whate'er they be, I think lies the answer to your questions. I think it's not something men and women may know while living."

Akatosh smiled and replied "It is not so easy to describe the gods, is it? This is true even though, myself included, each of us thinks that we have a mental picture of what godliness means. On the other hand, the gods and goddesses certainly do exist - and I also believe that there is a connection of some sort between them and the Daedra, and another connection between these entities and the power associated with performing magic."

Source: Imperial Library - Daggerfall Books

[corruptbiggins]

Originally Posted by Rather Dashing

Don't get me started on how dumbed-down this is going to be. We're dropping magical schools, we're dropping classes, and they can't even make a 30-second teaser without taking a gigantic shit over the lore they built with Daggerfall and Morrowind.

Like you need the help to get started!

Besides, it's their lore - surely they can do whatever the hell they like with it.

[GuybrushWilco]

Originally Posted by Rather Dashing

Don't get me started on how dumbed-down this is going to be. We're dropping magical schools, we're dropping classes, and they can't even make a 30-second teaser without taking a gigantic shit over the lore they built with Daggerfall and Morrowind.

Source: Imperial Library - Daggerfall Books

Lol, you never quit do you?

[StarEye]

To be honest, I like the idea of no classes. I mean, if you want to be good at using a bow, start using a bow, if you want to carry heavy armor, start wearing heavy armor, etc etc. Isn't that that it's supposed to be? I'm looking forward to this. There's a good chance they've learnt from the mistakes they did with Oblivion (which I still enjoyed regardless). It's not the dumbing down that was the problem with Oblivion, but the biggest problem stems from the levelling system, and that the world levelled with you in an unrealistic manner (simple thieves wearing high-level armor, while robbing you for 100 gold pieces) and you never really felt more powerful because of this. Levelling was more or less pointless for most of the game.

But despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed spendnig hours upon hours in the game. The Dark Brotherhood and the Thieve's Guild questline were both particularly good. The latter could just as well have been the main quest. Which I never finished by the way (the main quest that is).

Funny (sad?) fact, I've played an insane amount of hours on both the PS3 version and the X360 version, but never spent much time on the PC version.

If you want to see a dumbed down disaster of a sequel, look at Dragon Age 2. The Elder Scrolls at least does it gradually-

[GuybrushWilco]

Originally Posted by StarEye

To be honest, I like the idea of no classes. I mean, if you want to be good at using a bow, start using a bow, if you want to carry heavy armor, start wearing heavy armor, etc etc. Isn't that that it's supposed to be? I'm looking forward to this. There's a good chance they've learnt from the mistakes they did with Oblivion (which I still enjoyed regardless). It's not the dumbing down that was the problem with Oblivion, but the biggest problem stems from the levelling system, and that the world levelled with you in an unrealistic manner (simple thieves wearing high-level armor, while robbing you for 100 gold pieces) and you never really felt more powerful because of this. Levelling was more or less pointless for most of the game.
-

The leveling in Oblivion was pretty bad. Bethesda said they are not going to level up the enemies like in Oblivion, and it will be similar to what they did for Fallout 3.

[JedExodus]

Originally Posted by corruptbiggins

Like you need the help to get started!

Besides, it's their lore - surely they can do whatever the hell they like with it.

Well it's stupid to come up with a background for your world and then just ignoring it.

Originally Posted by Rather Dashing

Don't get me started on how dumbed-down this is going to be.

Source: Imperial Library - Daggerfall Books

I think there's gonna be 'good' dragons in it as well. I remember reading it somewhere. I'm not an expert or owt, jus' sayin

[GuybrushWilco]

We didn't really get a sense of what the dragons would be like in the trailer. They showed the player fighting dragons and dragons attacking, but you can't really tell much from it.

[Rather Dashing]

Originally Posted by GuybrushWilco

We didn't really get a sense of what the dragons would be like in the trailer. They showed the player fighting dragons and dragons attacking, but you can't really tell much from it.

The problem is that dragons don't really usually look like that. And they have no reason to attack other territory, because they are mostly fine living on their mountaintops without being bothered. And they tend to not even like working together. And basically everything about their nature would require a huge retroactive plot device to force them into something that even sort of makes sense, but hey that's only people who played the second game and read the books. Who cares about those idiots? The people who even played that game, let alone someone that actually read the books and found them to be a beautiful and excellent way to expand the fantasy world into something real and believable, something that gave the game depth and value.

I'd love to be proven wrong on this count. There is very little in the computer RPG world lately that is great. I don't know if I should blame the console audience or just the general thrust of the industry toward two monotonous genres with slightly different side elements(third and first person action genres, mostly the same with slight differences). Todd Howard is doing a lot in interviews and podcasts to make me feel wary, though. He describes game and story elements in more detail. He has called the dragons "beasts" and "something you should be scared of when you see them", and he seems to care more about a certain temple having exactly 7,000 steps than any sort of discrepancy that makes the universe's game world not seem horrifically inconsistent and fluid.

[GuybrushWilco]

The storyline could very well provide a logical reason as to why the dragons would leave the comfort of their mountain caves to attack. Perhaps someone declared war on the dragons? Maybe some are being controlled some some magical force.

[Rather Dashing]

Both of those sound extremely weak. Even if there is something even remotely resembling a "logical reason", the logical reason is robbing the dragons of their depth and intelligence, which is part of why they're so engaging even when you're only reading about them in text form. Todd Howard has outlined the game as, essentially, one in which you hunt and kill Dragons for powerful spells. Seeing them reduced to that feels, at the very least, disappointing.

[GuybrushWilco]

I did hear that the dragons would speak in the game, and that they would come in different types.