Improvements on the Dark Brotherhood

[Naginata]

Okay, so, I've been thinking lately about Oblivion and began thinking about the pros and cons of different guilds. One of my favorites in Oblivion was the Dark Brotherhood, but in Skyrim, the DB is really lacking.

For all of you who HAVE played the DB in Oblivion, what would you like to see brought back?

For all of you, what improvements would you make to the story/function/characters/etc of the Dark Brotherhood? What would make it more enjoyable, you think?

Be a little crazy! Feel free to throw some awesome theories and ideas out there. I'm curious how creative you guys can be.

 

[Two Bears]

In terms of function, Skyrim is better for the end game. You still get to kill targets, where as Oblivion relegates you to a weekly fetch quest. Outside of Oblivion's DB story being better than Skyrim's, I don't think that there is much to change that would be practical.

 

[Nocte Aeterna]

First things first. The armor. -gags conspicuously-

I don't think Bethesda has ever designed a worse-looking armor set (though they redeem themselves in a sense, via the Nightingale attire with the Guild). The shrouded gear isn't very befitting of an assassin aesthetically (though I could have just been playing too much AC), in my opinion.

Spoiler

Secondly, the questline, specifically the latter half. I'm sorry, but killing the Emperor? Titus Mede II is a little too prominent of a target (understatement). Such a figure would have an entire ocean of Penitus Oculatus agents rather than a select few accompanying him to Skyrim. And the motives behind this are unexplained, too. To me, it's merely because some simpering little Breton wants the Emperor dead. Well, cry me a river, Amaund. I killed him at the end. Most satisfying kill I've ever made.

Thirdly and fourthly, inconsistencies and thinly imagined characters. Except Festus. He cracks me up.

 

[Anouck]

I'd like it if my actions had a little more influence on the gameplay. Like assassinating the emperor. In my opinion that should have a major impact on Skyrim (and maybe even the Civil War questline). Sadly only a guard mentioned it. Because of that I never felt important.

I'd also like different armor. After becoming the master of the Thieves Guild I got Thieves Guild master armor. Why isn't there master armor for the Dark Brotherhood? And DB armor looks awful in my opinion .

And it would be fun if you could make one of your followers a DB member. That's also an option in the Blades questline and I actually liked it.

 

[Nocte Aeterna]

I'd like it if my actions had a little more influence on the gameplay. Like assassinating the emperor. In my opinion that should have a major impact on Skyrim (and maybe even the Civil War questline). Sadly only a guard mentioned it. Because of that I never felt important.

I'd also like different armor. After becoming the master of the Thieves Guild I got Thieves Guild master armor. Why isn't there master armor for the Dark Brotherhood? And DB armor looks awful in my opinion .

And it would be fun if you could make one of your followers a DB member. That's also an option in the Blades questline and I actually liked it.

There's no "master" of the Brotherhood. You're simply the Listener. All you really get is the Ancient Shrouded gear, which is just a recoloring of the original Shrouded gear. Very original, Bethesda.

 

[Two Bears]

First things first. The armor. -gags conspicuously-

I don't think Bethesda has ever designed a worse-looking armor set (though they redeem themselves in a sense, via the Nightingale attire with the Guild). The shrouded gear isn't very befitting of an assassin aesthetically (though I could have just been playing too much AC), in my opinion.

Spoiler

Secondly, the questline, specifically the latter half. I'm sorry, but killing the Emperor? Titus Mede II is a little too prominent of a target (understatement). Such a figure would have an entire ocean of Penitus Oculatus agents rather than a select few accompanying him to Skyrim. And the motives behind this are unexplained, too. To me, it's merely because some simpering little Breton wants the Emperor dead. Well, cry me a river, Amaund. I killed him at the end. Most satisfying kill I've ever made.

Thirdly and fourthly, inconsistencies and thinly imagined characters. Except Festus. He cracks me up.

The Dark Brotherhood was responsible for the assassination of Pelagius I, Tiber Septim's own heir, right in the Temple of the One in 3E 41. So, I disagree that such a target would be out of their reach.

 

[Anouck]

There's no "master" of the Brotherhood. You're simply the Listener. All you really get is the Ancient Shrouded gear, which is just a recoloring of the original Shrouded gear. Very original, Bethesda.

I know that there is no master of the Dark Brotherhood. But you are a person of great importance. I think you should get different armor (no Ancient Shrouded gear since that looks plopsty as well ).

 

[Nocte Aeterna]

The Dark Brotherhood was responsible for the assassination of Pelagius I, Tiber Septim's own heir, right in the Temple of the One in 3E 41. So, I disagree that such a target would be out of their reach.

That was their heyday. In the Fourth Era, especially during the third century (4E 201, Skyrim's events), the Brotherhood was only a shadow of its former self. Ergo, they look more like a merry band of psychotics to me. Not nearly as structured internally as, say, the Morag Tong, which actually has Morrowind governmental power.

 

[Two Bears]

That was their heyday. In the Fourth Era, especially during the third century (4E 201, Skyrim's events), the Brotherhood was only a shadow of its former self. Ergo, they look more like a merry band of psychotics to me. Not nearly as structured internally as, say, the Morag Tong, which actually has Morrowind governmental power.

Well, the Morag Tong is a real mess right now, but that is beside the point. Organizations like the Dark Brotherhood and the Morag Tong don't need large amounts of administrative structure to operate. Typically, a handful of agents working together accomplish the preparation phase, and one guy with a dagger handles the infiltration and assassination. That's what happens in Skyrim.

 

[Joker]

I think that the Thieves Guild Armor is better suited for the DB quest line. In fact, I went that route this time, and I am far happier to be able to disappear, walk in the shadows, and be more successful in the DB quest line because I completed the TG first.

Seriously, why would the DB wear red armor? Why wouldn't they have dark, shadowy armor like thieves?

Also, some quests, in general as well as assassinating an Emperor, should have a greater impact on game play. Same for wearing certain armor sets. If a guard can say to me that I am smart for wearing light armor because I am lighter on my feet, why cannot the guard tell that I am wearing Thieves Guild Armor, except in Riften? Why don't they follow me, making my quest harder? If I am clad in red armor, why aren't the guards on alert that someone might get killed in thier city because I am there? While I love this game, and it is my first TES game, some of these things do not make sense.

Another thing, I am the Thane of Whiterun, why don't the NPCs show me some respect? Why cannot I get a discount when buying things? I am the Leader of the TG, not the newbie, or someone's lackey, why don't the other members show me respect? I could go on & on, but you all know what I am talking about.

 

[Ivory]

I disliked how...dull and generic the DB quest line ended up being. I admit meeting the Emperor himself was kinda badass. However after killing him I didn't feel like this badass assassin, I felt like a dick.

As for the thieves guild, I hated it simply because it's a daedric worshipping quest. what if I don't want to be a daedric lord's puppet for guard some useless place nobody even knows about?

 

[Joker]

I disliked how...dull and generic the DB quest line ended up being. I admit meeting the Emperor himself was kinda badass. However after killing him I didn't feel like this badass assassin, I felt like a dick.

As for the thieves guild, I hated it simply because it's a daedric worshipping quest. what if I don't want to be a daedric lord's puppet for guard some useless place nobody even knows about?

The free Light Armor & the gold, what else?

 

[Iveri Sarothil]

What I don't like about the DB in Skyrim is the fact that everybody dies, no matter which route you take. It's simplistic of me, but I found myself enjoying the company of the DB better than any of the other factions. Everyone just seemed really well-written, relatable, and generally just fun to hang around between quests.

Once the faction's reduced to just two of them, with one random lackey, the magic is gone. That, and I killed the freaking Emperor. Solitude should be panicking, and I never hear any mention of it unless a guard happens to speak up. I would've liked it if the original members could all be followers, and if there was more of a story than dealing with the results of Astrid's power-hungry insecurity stunt. Things are cool up until you kill/spare Cicero, and then it seems to just fizzle out.

I would've also liked the assassinations to all be as brilliantly set up as the wedding, where you have to actually think about how you're going to assassinate them instead of simply waiting in the shadows to stab. I remember thinking about how best I'd be able to take out the bride and still look like an innocent - I put on civilian clothing, put all my weapons into my bag of holding, and slipped some poisons into her pocket during the speech. Then I ran tearing out with the rest of the wedding party. Half of that is, of course, me RPing, but what if all of the targets had that much potential?

They say there's a hidden disposition thing hidden in the game, but I never feel like there is. What if there was, and you cultivated a friendship or two with the members of the DB? How Astrid feels towards you might enable her to change her mind. How other members feel towards you might result in how many of them get saved besides Babette and Nazir after the Sanctuary is destroyed. Wishful thinking, but sometimes I wish they mixed Fallout's realistic personality/friendship factors with Skyrim.

 

[DrunkenMage]

I miss the Black Hand, and Sithis being more involved. I pissed off Sithis quite a bit in Oblivion, he would send ghosts or shades to attack me at night, I had to defeat them to prove myself to him once more for breaking one of the Tenants. I think that is what it was, may have to replay the DB in Oblivion to remember correctly.

 

[Riften Guard]

Honestly, I don't think Bethesda could have done better with the DB storyline. It's the best and most immersive in the game. One thing I would like a change is the way you can kill targets. Like in the one quest where you kill the bride. I really liked at one because I didn't just have to stick a sword through someone or shoot them with an arrow. I got choices.

 

[Delusional]

I hate the armor.

With a burning passion.

As for the DB itself, I jumped into it hoping for so much more. But as I started progressing through it, I became more and more disappointed. The wedding kill was cool, that one actually required you to think about how you were going to approach it, but every other kill was shallow and unimaginative.

And the end of the questline was really awful. Really? Sell a member out to the Penitus Oculatus just to have them come and burn down your sanctuary, and kill all of the really cool characters? I loved Veezara and Festus. WHY DID THEY HAVE TO DIE?!?!?!

The killing of the Emperor sucked too. I killed maybe 3 agents on the ship before I got to his quarters.

You're joking me. The decoy was just poisoned, and you have 3 guards on a ship that is still afloat in harbor? Could we be a little less realistic?

The Dawnstar Sanctuary is awesome, but not with 3 occupants, one of which is a little girl, and the other an insane clown who can't tear himself from the Night Mother. Nazir is cool, but that's as far as that goes.

I'm the Listener, for gods sake. Could I get a decent set of assassin armor?

Overall, I thought the DB could've been so much better. I would have had much more creative assassinations similar to the wedding job, some actually good looking armor, and not killing off all of the good DB members.

Except Arbjorn. He is a disgrace is lycans everywhere. How did he manage to become incapacitated by a clown?! He's a WEREWOLF!

 

[Lady Redpool the Unlifer]

I gotta say, that while I enjoyed the DB questline, didn't mind the armor though it doesn't compare with robes that make you fricken invisible and loved that you got Lucien as the spectral assassin. I was more than a little pissed off when the entire brotherhood was wiped out. I mean, my favorite character was spared but what about Veezara who aided me as I fled solitude, or Festus who was lobviously one creative mage dedicated to death? Seriously, while the others were crafted to die and died in a way that made sense, those two should have easily escaped! Meanwhile the little vampire girl survives? What the HELL!!!!???? Honestly there should have been a way to sway the DB members to rise against Astrid's power hungry agenda based on the missions you did for everyone or something. Easily would have not only spared those Brotherhood members we love, but given us a reason to go to the Dawnstar sanctuary.

 

[Uther Pundragon]

Has anyone mentioned poisoned apples? Anyone? Poisoned apples.

 

[Lady Redpool the Unlifer]

Has anyone mentioned poisoned apples? Anyone? Poisoned apples.

NO! I personally hate those things, I got killed eating them just like that damned Jarrin root!!!

 

[Pretty Vampires]

The armor only looks good on female Nords when their weight is scaled to 8-10. That is an EXTREMELY small percentage of possible created characters. Although, I do love the Shrouded Robes.

Just like every other quest in Skyrim, you're forced down one path. Me? I liked Astrid (up until she betrayed my character), and didn't care much for that ugly night mother. My character just wanted to be an assassin. You weren't even given the option to side with her.

In fact, how come those sh1tty writers at Bethesda thought it to be a good idea to force the Dragonborn to not only have JUST ONE option, but that ONE option is something only a moron would do?

Examples:

Pulling the lever in the dungeon with Farkas. Any POS moron knew what was going to happen when they pulled it, but it was the only option they gave you.

Being forced to immediately trust Karliah.

Selling your soul to Nocturnal even though you have no fxn idea what you get in return or what the hell she'll do with your soul. Stupid stupid stupid stupid

Not being able to kill Ancano until the end even though any half assed piece of shat moron too stupid to read would have done it before.

And let's not forget that Bethesda writers are too stupid to realize that if you're going to make NPC's talk trash, you should give the Dragonborn dialogue to call them out on their bullshat. And why is everyone talking trash in the first place?

You're the Dragonborn and these POS jarls sitting on their POS asses all day don't show respect to your character.

The writing in Skyrim is on the level of stuff I found in episodes of Barney, and I'm not exaggerating.