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Which was the first Elder Scrolls game you played?

Friday 25 November 2011

The cons of Skyrim

I've been extremely excited about this title, as you no doubt have gathered from my innate posting since June - Although it seems as if not all are aware of this, since I still get small "corrections" and "confirmations" on posts that are months old - I've learned to ignore it, but I still like to complain.

But I digress and would like to steer the heavily-armored vehicle, that is my mind, back on the road of childabu... On the road of Skyrim. It is no lie that most of us have had extreme expectations to Skyrim and on that note, I am no different - Yet, and I don't like to admit this, there are some things that disappoint! I talk not of the minor glitches and bugs (I walked through a rock on the side of a mountain yesterday,) no, I speak mostly of content-related stuff!

Graphics
I have to admit that I am a little disappointed with the level of graphics. I have Skyrim set on ultra and I could easily take it further, yet, I am not allowed. Not to say that Skyrim is not pretty, but there was plenty of opportunity to enhance it even further (which modders have indeed done, thankfully - although, not perfectly.)

Random encounters
Oh, there are plenty, indeed! Might be some I haven't encountered yet! I make sure to always travel by road and never use retarded fast travel. Yet, I consider the random encounters way too few, and way too rare. Often I find myself moving a very long distance, wondering when something will fricken happen! I just don't feel like radiant story is used to its full potential overall, and random encounters are no different.

Too short a story (Spoiler ahead)
Nay, I speaketh not of the main story, which is absolutely fine. I speaketh of the companions, which is the only other I've played through. The lack of story engagement and time spent before it is complete is horrible. There should pass more time before we get to be a werewolf, we should be able to spent more time with each companion and especially Kodlak (unofficial leader,) so we actually get pissed when he is killed.

I know not how long the others are, but so far I am quite happy with The Dark Brotherhood, although I am not that far in.

Relationships
Deep relationships in Skyrim... They're shallow. They just don't exist. You've no way to improve your relationship, beyond doing stuff for people. Also, I find it really weird that when I, as a Dunmer, beat up a drunk Dunmer-hating Nord and then he is my best friend thereafter (I killed him because of that.) I wasn't a fan of courting in Fable III, but the intense lack of it in Skyrim is a little disappointing.

Speech
Like with relationships, there's nothing there. There should be more aspects and advantages to speech, as well as a better way to improve it, preferably connected to improving relationships.

Stupid companions
Companions keep running into traps. 'Nuff said.

Epic Battles
This is one thing that I consider inexcusable. This is one of the most important things in such a game and it just almost doesn't exist in Skyrim. Occasionally, you'll have one with a dragon. I had a Gandalf/Balrock-like battle with one. But that is not what I talk about!

When fighting, say, Alduin - It doesn't feel special. There ain't nothing special! The scenery, adversary, setting, music is supposed to add together to create a powerful mixture of intense epicness (said as Jack Black,) yet disappointment is all this potion gave me.

-------
I do realize that there is subjective and that you may think of all of this very differently and I hope that I n no way implied that Skyrim is a disappointment - 'Cause that is not what I meant. Skyrim is the embodiment of pure awesomeness and by far the best game that I have ever played.

I already look forward to The Elder Scrolls VI

22 comments:

  1. A pretty good read, though sometimes it is hard to read about the negative stuff in such an epic game lol! Honestly I agree with some of those things. I can't comment much on graphics seeing as I play on PS3, thus can't fine tune them.

    I definitely agree about the final battle with Alduin. It could have been much more epic. It sort of felt like fighting just another dragon. Well, minus the fact he could call flaming meteor type things.

    I did have one heck of an epic battle when I invaded Solitude with the Stormcloaks! At the very beginning I summoned Odahviing(sp?) It was awesome storming that city with fellow Nords while my dragon ally made sure the Imperials stayed toasty warm!

    Then, to top it all off, I got a decapitation on the Legate woman, I forgot her name! Now that was an epic battle for me :D

    --Seth Bloodmoon

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  2. Hi! I allmost gave up on you Braas! x)

    Kept tuning in, I guess we all lost our social lives after all..!

    I will read this post and the other one tomorrow night I guess. Just finished playing Skyrim for today.
    Got to get up early for school - untill 15:30
    And then get my ass to my job who begins at 16:00 and that lasts about 7,5 hours - 8 hours! >.<

    And this is repeating itself on friday... exact same routine... FML!
    Oh well, see you around mate!

    - Mike

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  3. @ Seth
    He didn't do the meteor thing with me :(
    I may have killed him too fast.

    I did that thing with Odahviing too, in Solitude. Just to see if we could! And we can!

    @Mike
    Always good to be hearing from you, Mike. Know that I am like Batman, always lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike (post.)

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  4. @McBraas You may have, it took me a few minutes to drop him. I'm not sure if meteors is the right way to describe it though. Maybe more of a firestorm?

    Yes and it is epic! Gods I love this game so much despite its flaws! lol

    --Seth Bloodmoon

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  5. Hahah, Nice Braas! ;)
    btw there is a little "spoiler" if I can even call it that about the stormcloak battles ...
    But I guess we all have done this x)

    But I've been reading this post, and I have to say I agree with you on some of the things you said.

    But "epicness of a battle" is not fully up to the game, even though I think it could be a little more "epic".
    I did the stormcloak rebellion quest-line and in the beginning it was EPIC. Everything.
    The people, the battles the story. But then suddenly it wassn't I just went through the whole story like this: Bam! Bam! Bam!.. well kind of...
    And (SPOILER) in the end battle at Solitude (yep that's the last place you attack! :o Suprise x) )
    But srsly... I didn't "feel anything". It was actually dull...

    I've thought about it one day and I found the answer when I made my Kahjiit mage (yes.. I have a kahjiit mage.. problem? -.-)
    Now, I played the game at a much slower rate.

    It might sound cheesy, but really become this character! I am in this cold and rugged land.
    A kahjiit, that never made it in to the tradning caravans nor became a theif/assasin.
    But I'm one of the odd ones out... Who really liked magic, and my travels have led my to Skyrim, to join the collage of winterhold.
    Along the way I got captured (and you know about this)
    Then I found out that I am something called dragonborn, but I am not sure if I want to follow this "call". At least not yet.

    blah blah blah...
    If any of that give any meaning at all o___O
    But I try to "be that character, and see this world thorugh his eyes.
    And stick to my story.

    My first character was a Nord, ofc... with sheild and sword. Bows once in a while. And he is an excellent smith.
    But things went to fast. And I don't think I really enjoy playing with him, over the kahjiit.
    I do not know why.. x)

    I prefer blades of steel rather than magic. But not right now I guess... and this post/reply is getting long er and longer...


    The point is:

    Try to NOT ONLY expect the game to be epic. MAKE IT epic, with your story.
    Dramatice a little, bring out your inner nerd and roleplay, shout out to those bandits who tel lyou that "you'll be much easier to rob when you're dead" that you will brun them in righous fire! You will pierce their hearths with arrows!

    And here we go agaiN! xD

    But I think it's a good advice, don't play "too fast" and try to "make things epic".
    If there isn't enough drama and action. Make it up, instead of standing still and slashing that sword that you now have a skill in 78 and your armor skills is over 80 and your sheild skill is about the same... *kill dragon - get soul - unlock word - "yey..."*

    Put those "numbers away" forget them, this is a DRAGON - a mytical beast that can slaugther you!
    OMG! it's about to bread fire, bash your sheild in his head!
    Run a little more around, move those feet!
    And the dragon is about to bread fire again!
    Hide behind the huge rock, run back and shout in his face "FUS RO DAH!" sprint towards it and slay him!

    ... Now ... I think I have made my point.
    If the game isn't epic enough, make a dramatic scene! >:D

    (yep I know. the game COULD HAVE been better with boss fights and the like. some are good, some are bad etc. I agree on that fact)

    But I MAKE IT EPIC! >:D
    Becuase I can!

    - Mike

    ps. tierd - want to sleep - talked to much.

    I think I had an inner duscussion on here.
    I think I won! >:D

    the good side won! woho!

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  6. good lord .....

    - Mike

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  7. Although its still an awesome game, it kind of just feels like a $60 expansion to oblivion.

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  8. I understand what you're saying, but I gotta say that Oblivion can't even compare to this game. The feel of it is the same, yes, but that is intentional.

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  9. ya, I know it cant compare to oblivion, but what I mean is, its just like it, but with new items, enemies, story, followers, graphics (etc.) like shivering isles minus the graphics part. I'm in no way at all saying skyrim isnt a great game, I'm just saying there is much room for improvement.

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  10. Agreed. But we'll probably have to wait for the new generation before that'll happen. I believe that it'll emerge late 2012 or early 2013 - My own estimate.

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  11. Wow, you reply fast. Faster than the guards in oblivion.

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  12. Heh ^^
    I get an e-mail every time someone comments.

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  13. I agree with you on the graphics for a few points: I have it on ultra as well, but when I'm looking out across the land and I see a waterfall and it is completely still, I get super bummed out. I love the waterfalls in this game! They are super-duper. but that just sucks. I think the graphics look real nice for most things but I also notice sometimes that bookshelves and other furniture type stuff (wooden objects) look terrible up close. Seems like it would be an easy texture mod though, so I don't worry.

    I disagree with the random encounters though. I think if they were more frequent it would create a cliff racer type phenomenon which would only encourage fast travel and less scenery enjoyment. I like that it can happen and it is not too often. I would like to see some variation on the bounty hunters. Seems dumb they would add them to the game and talk about it in the hype-up, yet only make one dude. Why not name them, give them some different armor, fighting styles, etc? Maybe there are more, and I haven't been doing enough crime!

    It's been almost a month now and I have only done about three of the main story quests. OOps. I did the whole dark brotherhood. It was awesome, but I do feel that it was a little shorter than it should have been. I'm also very annoyed that random guards will be like, "Oh, blah blah blah the dark brotherhood secret sanctuary is located here blah blah everybody knows everything about your secret group of assassins blah blah." Like it's some Skyrim pop culture or some shit. That just sucks. Makes me mad and feel completely un-ninja like. I think I could mod that out myself.

    Relationships? I don't really have any desire to start one in the game. I know it can be only as good as it is programmed.

    Well anyhow, this game is totally rad and I'm not really surprised by these small annoyances and any others that might pop up. I knew the game was being super hyped, but it is amazing. I've come to love the little weird fuckups bethesda has created in their elder scrolls games and know deep down in my heart that there will be a mod for it someday.

    great job!

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  14. The water in the game, if youve noticed, is actually just no-clipped into the ground, rocks (etc.) so waterfalls (and most other water flows) dont look very good up close. And I disagree that random encounters are rare. in the begining of the game I encountered 4 of them within like 10 seconds of each other. Ive also heard that the talking mudcrab is in skyrim, can anyone verify?

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  15. I agree with you on that last part, If there's anywhere Bethesda comes short in their games it is depth.
    They tend to "explain" everything, which makes the big events in the game feeling kinda flat.
    I wish they could leave some things for the imagination, even have cutscenes to make things "feel" bigger than they are.
    When playing skyrim atm i just get an urge to play through the baldurs gate series again, where everything is so...mysterious, grand, deep with dialouge and with so much space for your own imagination.
    Either way, i was totally spellbound by skyrim for 80+ hours and that is more than you can demand from any game, i just hope that there will be mods not just for the visual things but also for the game- depth/general ambiance.

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  16. Maybe not the right place to request this, but I plan to get Skyrim at the end of December - either as a present or immediately after Christmas. I'm hoping you put together a list of the best early mods before that time.

    Brad

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  17. To the guy that said the game is kinda flat. I agree, somewhat, with that. There are still some things in the game where you can use your imagination, like: In the beginning of the TES series games where you are a prisoner. You're supposed to make up how your character got there. And there is plenty more that I can't think of atm, but I remember someone else talking about the whole "Creating your story" and imagination thing.

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  18. You know what's great about getting the PC version. I know that any short comings in storyline out of the box will soon be amended.

    The only problem is that my computer skillz (ahem, lack thereof) require me to periodically re-install. At least that's how it was with Oblivion. Maybe I can do things right this time around. I love mods...

    You know, I might have actually played thousands of hours of Oblivion. God I hope not but it's possible. I don't think I ever once did even half of the main quest line. I recall collecting a daedric artifact for Martin, that's definitely the furthest I got. I had a lot of fun just running around doing the billion and a half side quests (and setting up GOBLIN WARS).

    Brad

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  19. Whoa Brad, you never beat the game... go do that!

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  20. I have to say that although i enjoyed this game immensely i enjoyed playing oblivion more and that's mainly because of how impressed i was with oblivion's main and guild quest lines, and how disappointing (compared to oblivion and even morrowind) they were in skyrim. Don't get me wrong though I still love this game and can't wait for the next one .
    sigh that's gonna be a long ass wait.

    Ameer

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