What is Skyrim missing?

[LittleWolf14-10]

I'm agreeing with pretty much everything on this list - heck, even brothels. Would be a nice unique way for my Breton Mage to make some extra cash

Though what I really, really would love to see is more variety of face models for the children. Don't get me wrong, I love some of their personalities (and want to punch some of the others in their smug little faces), but they all look like clones... C'mon Bethesda, I know you can create unique adults. It's a little jarring to see my two adopted children look as if they really are related.
I've not even found any mods relating to this either, and I have no idea why not.
On that note, please make the Redguard kids look like Redguards? While Khajiit, Orc and Argonian children would also be lovely, I get it if its against lore. (Would Orc kids be against lore? I've not checked...) That's fine. But by the Nine, kids look vastly different IRL - why not in Skyrim?

 

[Mannulus]

I'm agreeing with pretty much everything on this list - heck, even brothels. Would be a nice unique way for my Breton Mage to make some extra cash

Though what I really, really would love to see is more variety of face models for the children. Don't get me wrong, I love some of their personalities (and want to punch some of the others in their smug little faces), but they all look like clones... C'mon Bethesda, I know you can create unique adults. It's a little jarring to see my two adopted children look as if they really are related.
I've not even found any mods relating to this either, and I have no idea why not.
On that note, please make the Redguard kids look like Redguards? While Khajiit, Orc and Argonian children would also be lovely, I get it if its against lore. (Would Orc kids be against lore? I've not checked...) That's fine. But by the Nine, kids look vastly different IRL - why not in Skyrim?

Didn't you hear? This is Sparta. Any child who does not look like those two will be dropped kicked off a cliff for being imperfect for the great army of Skythens. (I made plops up).

 

[Judas]

Not sure if they were listed yet, but I don't understand why they took away the ability to wear two rings, and I miss the d-pad hot key Oblivion had. It was much easier to switch between spells during battle.

 

[LittleWolf14-10]

Not sure if they were listed yet, but I don't understand why they took away the ability to wear two rings, and I miss the d-pad hot key Oblivion had. It was much easier to switch between spells during battle.

If you're playing on PC, there's a mod on Steam that lets you use as many rings as you'd want. Pretty useful, and makes sense.

 

[feliciano182]

We play RPGs for entirely different reasons, then. I want it to feel like MY story, not the developers'. Bioware achieved this brilliantly as Black Isle, continued with the great KOTOR games, did a good job with Dragon Age and put Mass Effect off to the right start, but they sacrificed it for those pretty scenes. This linearity is, or was, the antithesis of TES series. It's admittedly become less complex over the years (to its detriment), and I certainly don't want to see it homogenized with other blockbuster RPGs you see.

I understand, even if I personally believe it was rather clear that Mass Effect was never really supposed to be an RPG of the scale of TES, Fallout or Arcanum, regardless, I can see where you're coming from.

I guess I didn't notice how life pans out to an epic third person view when something important happens. How weird.

You must not like movies very much.

Again we have polar opinions. After I get involved in a game, it is much more jarring to have a sudden shift in perspective, usually rendered better than the game I'm playing. Again, it makes it obvious to me that it is something that was a story created for me instead of something organically growing. I can't see how it doesn't break immersion for you, and those cut scenes are my least favorite part of newer RPGs. In older ones that maintain your standard view, it's not so bad, but when the way a game is presented drastically changes, it turns me off.

I assume you only play RPG's ?

Regardless, as long as they're well made, cutscenes have always worked for me, they make the game much more presentable and they give proper depth, scale and beauty to the images and the characters, they are techniques that have worked excellently in both TV and film, so why not in videogames ?

I know this isn't your case, but this is reminding me from when people started bitching about voice-acting, which was a clear improvement to the way a story can be experienced by the player, but no, hundreds of silent NPC's was obviously never meant to be touched at all

Yes, you can tell you're in a TES game because you're always in control. That is the appeal, what makes it different. The whole selling point of TES is a massive world where you always decide what to do, and always has been. Why would you destroy what makes Bethesda unique, what they built their reputation and success on?

I can hardly see how being in control all the damn time is the only thing TES has got going on for it; now, I've only played Skyrim so far, but what has appealed to me about the game has been everything but the unceremonious way in which the story is managed, epic scenes are reduced to the same canned animations see countless time before in other moments, from the same AI-controlled characters, it really makes the game look unimpressive.

Why would we ever want them to be just like everyone else?

Since when is it bad to learn from the best ?

I can understand the argument about budget though, making cutscenes and polishing them costs time and money, but the issue about how the story is told in TES is noticeably affected by how the game is lacking in the visual-storytelling department.

 

[OckhamsFolly]

I keep trying to respond and I'm getting an internal error. Going to try posting this and editing in my response...

No, there's something in there the system doesn't like and I can't figure it out. Going to try it piece meal, no quotes. Forgive me.

"I understand, even if I personally believe it was rather clear that Mass Effect was never really supposed to be an RPG of the scale of TES, Fallout or Arcanum, regardless, I can see where you're coming from.

You must not like movies very much."

You are correct, I'm not a big movie guy, no. I prefer books, and find how they evoke the image in my mind more compelling. And while ME certainly isn't the scale of TES or Arcanum, I think, as originally created, it was similar in scale to the Baldur's Gate series or Planescape, two phenomenal entries in the genre.

"I assume you only play RPG's ?

Regardless, as long as they're well made, cutscenes have always worked for me, they make the game much more presentable and they give proper depth, scale and beauty to the images and the characters, they are techniques that have worked excellently in both TV and film, so why not in videogames ?

I know this isn't your case, but this is reminding me from when people started bitching about voice-acting, which was a clear improvement to the way a story can be experienced by the player, but no, hundreds of silent NPC's was obviously never meant to be touched at all"

I don't play only RPGs. I'm a huge platform gamer too, and have some FPS games that I like (but mostly for playing with friends, like L4D), and do a lot of old school adventure games and roguelikes. But when I want a really good story, I mostly go to an RPG (there are a few games outside that genre with truly stellar story and presentation, but I'm not as focused on immersion in those games), and RPGs dominate my game selection.

Re: voice acting, while a voice acted line is superior to the same line in text only, it is again a technical and monetary limitation. You say below this is your first TES game, so you didn't see how dialogue worked in Morrowind. It was undeniably clunkier, but NPCs had more lines about more topics with more variation. Due to both data size limitations, time, and the cost of hiring voice actors for it all, this depth is lost in the modern voice acted TES games, and it is something that I hold as superior in Morrowind. Substance over style, you know?

(it will not let me put this quote in, even as plain text. I don't know why)

It's not the only thing that goes into it, but it's part of the larger motif. TES is a massive freeform roleplaying experience, where you can go anywhere and do anything that you want. Having total control of your character plays into that. In my opinion, given how much time you spend doing this, the switch to a cutscene is jarring to me. I would much rather prefer they spend the time creating more varied and specific actions for the NPCs to make in a non-cutscene, in-engine perspective than go for big cutscenes, and think that it would be even more powerful if done properly.

And Bethesda is, or at least was, the best in their field. But bear in mind I'd say something similar for Bioware. I very much feel that increasing graphical potential has led to a weakening of substance throughout the video game industry, and imo Bioware is a prime example of that.

 

[Ross Blake]

I would love to see you be able to use your powers to dominate. become a Jarl or lord, maybe plan an invasion of the land were if u conquer a hold they have to swear fealty to you and supply you with gold and trade goods. also you create your own guild/military you are the leader of several groups why not have your own settlement e.g rorikstead and build a hold there. then recruit from your current groups. so you could have your own battle mages/ warriors from the companions/ assasins from the brotherhood/ thieves from the guild and so on.

part of the game could be the invasion of lands but also the defending of your own so you may have holds or groups such as the silver hand try to take your hold in which u have to defend. as a jarl or high king your people will come to you with requests whether it be rid a bandit menace or conquer more land for their crop. this situation you could take on the quest yourself and take an army with you or delegate it to your generals and watch it unfold. I just would love to be able to put all my power to use. For god sake i defeated the world eater! I should rule the damn world! :-)

 

[sticky runes]

Since when is it bad to learn from the best ?

I can understand the argument about budget though, making cutscenes and polishing them costs time and money, but the issue about how the story is told in TES is noticeably affected by how the game is lacking in the visual-storytelling department.

Agreed. As much as I love playing Skyrim, I have never found it as emotionally engaging as video games that do have cinematics. It's got this beautiful world which is a lot of fun to interact with, but having it 100% gameplay makes a lot of the dramatic events seem... Well... undramatic.

 

[Snoball]

Overall, I wouldn't say Skyrim was completely lacking of cinematics. There were a bunch of cutscenes I feel Bethesda did intend to be somewhat cinematic, but as stated, weren't emotionally gripping or different from average gameplay visually. The peace treaty scene in Seasons Unending for example looked like it could have been cinematic-worthy, along with Kodlak's funeral and scenes involving Alduin, just to name a few. Had Bethesda not try to push the whole "11-11-11" release date mumbo-jumbo, the game could have held its own against the likes of movies and other visually gripping games at the time in the cinematic department.

 

[Judas]

If you're playing on PC, there's a mod on Steam that lets you use as many rings as you'd want. Pretty useful, and makes sense.

Playing on Xbox =/

 

[TheDovahkiin]

Spears. And puppies. And bringing children to be members of guilds, or on Adventures, where they slowly gain experiance. Not to mention more bonuses for worshipping certain gods, like Arkay givew you a bonus against Draugr! And Sheogerath makes chees giv an extra 1,00000000000000 health!

 

[TheDovahkiin]

Got another one.


More diverse voice actors. And unique voice actors for major quest NPCs. Karliah, Esbern, Brynyolf all have unique voices, why not Vilkas, or the Jarls?

I was doing the TG where SPOILRER ALERT!!!!!!! I was hunting Mercer, I found an NPC with Mercer's voice, freaked out, and stabbed him up the nose....

 

[The Iron Raven xvx]

I still haven't gotten the other DLCs as I am still trying to complete the plain Vanilla version of the game. Correct me if some of what I state below is already in the other DLCs.

You get to join the Imperial Navy and engage in naval warfare.
You get to fight while in horseback.
Others also get to fight while in horseback.
You get more than one follower like having your own Fellowship of the Ring.
A branch in the Imperial Legion that prefers Ebony as their standard weapons and armor.
Chopping trees.
A much more destructible environment.
Blocking while dual-wielding.

 

[sticky runes]

I also agree about Skyrim needing more diverse voice actors. Three of my characters have marriage partners with exactly the same voice. OK, I tend to go for somebody with a certain type of physical build, but do they all have to sound exactly the same??

 

[Twiffle]

Id like to see Bethesda ban MODS, sick of the PC brigade talking mod this, mod that, we need a mod to make it better , a mod for anti god mode, blah blah blah, , id even go as far as to say just a console edition next time, so we can be smug for a change, IMHO

 

[Shadow King]

Id like to see Bethesda ban MODS, sick of the PC brigade talking mod this, mod that, we need a mod to make it better , a mod for anti god mode, blah blah blah, , id even go as far as to say just a console edition next time, so we can be smug for a change, IMHO

I agree they jammy bastards have it all, they should ban it or give console mods lmao, we should be treated as equals where is our construction set bethesda, use are treating one child better than the other

I played morrowind on p.c it was amazing with the tes construction set
Suppose we do get dlc quicker but only because big bill bribes evryone haha

 

[JayW]

I would like it if alchemy had some unique effects. I obsessively collect most ingredients but I find it disappointing how little there is to make with them. There are a lot of useful potions but there aren't many fun ones that don't copy some other effect from one of the schools of magic. For the most part I think the system is great but I wish they had some unique effects and missions for alchemists and poisoners.

Some suggestions:

Black death - an infectious poison that could spread from one victim to another on contact. I would really like to see something that could spread like wildfire causing a zombie apocalypse like you see in 28 days later or the walking dead. NPC's could transform the same way they do under the effects of a mind control spider or could spew on each other they way they do in Bthardamz.

Choking kill cams - rather than just have NPC's fall to the ground why not have some over the top death scenes while victims collapse. Characters could even attempt to cure themselves by rushing to find a cure - koncking all those items off tables on their way to get to that cure poison vial.

The Armstrong poison - Yes I would even like to see a mission that makes fun of performance enhancing potions that can over power your character. Potions could overpower you temporarily but at a cost long term.

Disorientating drugs - Sometimes i would prefer not to kill targets but to get them drunk or woozy to get past them. If you could sneak something into their food or drug them without them knowing about it I think it could become a more viable character build. Guards could be rendered dizzy while you sneak past or be forced to leave their posts by a sudden urge to throw up over a railing.

Breaking a siege - Poison and disease are some of the more dishonourable but effective ways of winning wars but they never show up in games. It's all very well bashing down the front door to win a city but in real life the best way to break a siege has been to cut off food supplies, poison water sources and/or spread diseases. It's one of those rare things where real life is more terrible than video games.

Breaking bad - I love this TV series and I think the elderscrolls would be one of the most fun ways of turning the drama into a video game. Becoming the boss of a skooma dealing network would be a fun and interesting side quest. To start off it could be a way of getting septims fast but if you were too successful then it would be interesting to see the negative effects on a city with Khajit and Argonians developing addictions in certain quarters.

 

[XFluffy]

Would been cool if you could gathered up a small group of bandits and raid cities, rob houses and mug people.

 

[EleanorUnicorn]

this is the very reason why i love mods.. for every crazy idea you think of, someone somewhere will have created a mod for it and you can add literally ANYTHING to your game (if you play on pc)

 

[XFluffy]

this is the very reason why i love mods.. for every crazy idea you think of, someone somewhere will have created a mod for it and you can add literally ANYTHING to your game (if you play on pc)

Thats the reason I hate playing on consoles, no modifications as far as I know.