No, not really.  Elder Scrolls fans, and when I say “Elder Scrolls fans” I don’t mean everyone who’s liked what they’ve played, are a special sort of people.  In my experience most people who pick up the series don’t put it down and play the sequels as well.  Arena, Daggerfall, and Redguard were cult classics, but the series received a lot of acclaim when Morrowind was released back in 2002, 8 years after the series debut.  This was due in part to the large modding community that cropped up and the user accessibility of modifying the content of the game.  At the time there was nothing like it, and honestly, apart from other games Bethesda has fathered, there hasn’t been anything since.  The trend continued with Oblivion, and the series gained more notoriety.  People who played Morrowind moved on to Oblivion, but they series gained many new fans as well.  Sometimes I really feel like Skyrim was TES’s “public” release because that is the point where the series really blew up.  Skyrim was on the lips of everyone who ever played an RPG or even a console game.  Those players would never be able to go back and enjoy the humble beginnings of Morrowind or Oblivion, just as I cannot bring myself to get through TES:I or TES:II.

It’s not really a terrible shame, but with the advent of TES: Online I’m not confident in the integrity of the series any longer.   Allow me to make a parallel with the situation of another popular game which had its beginnings in 1994. Warcraft I, II, and III were real-time strategy (RTS) games released by Blizzard Entertainment.  They were RTS with rich story lines and that was all.  They had their own following until 2004 when World Of Warcraft (WoW) was released.  Since, there have been 4 expansions over the past 8 years, and Blizzard has never looked back.  Warcraft was completely removed from the RTS genre and has become a permanent fixture in the realm of MMORPG.  It’s a HUGE cash cow.

Now, what really scares me is the revealed footage of TES:O “gameplay.”  I say “gameplay” because there’s not a whole lot of action going on, just sweeping landscapes and idle animations.  The environments are beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but the things I’ve been hearing, and the NPCs/PCs I see say “hi-rez WoW.”  To go on, this article on Sandboxer reveals that some (read probably as “most”) dungeons will be “instanced” as they are in WoW.  We’ll also have PvP, and PC characters will be faction-ized upon creation in much the same spirit as PCs are divided up as Horde an Alliance in WoW. The final nail in the coffin is the report that TES:O will not be a sandbox game.

Oh, but that’s okay, right?  It’s only what repeat customers to the series have enjoyed and come to expect for the past 10 years.  It’s only what originally brought the series acclaim.

Yes, ZeniMax Online, the online division of Bethesda’s parent company, will be heading the project, and for that reason we can still hope to have our sandboxes for years to come from Bethesda Game Studios.  However, let’s think a moment about Fallout 3.  How many people were upset when Bethesda took on the project?  Some of those who loved the original flavors of Fallout 1 and 2 were heartbroken and couldn’t bring themselves to play Fallout 3.  In fact, it was nicknamed by many players “Oblivion with guns.”  I’m sure there was an equal amount of mixed feelings about ZeniMax acquiring id Software (Doom series) among long time Doom…ers.  Here we may have the same case, but it is not due to some acquisition or selling of rights– passionate sandboxers and lovers of the old TES spirit are potentially being sold out by their own company.

And at the same time, well, we don’t know that yet.  TES:O still has the time and potential to wow and astound even hard-core TES and RPG fans.  From here on out, though, revenue will make all the decisions for the future of the TES franchise. So, let’s cross our fingers and see what’s next.

One thing that always busts my watermelons is the lack of authenticity and role-playing in MMORPGs.  You might say, “gee, but how can an MMORPG lack the role-playing element?”  This comic from Sandboxer explains it so much better than words alone ever will…

It’s simply what happens when companies try to make game worlds “accessible” to the general public.

With as little as two hours left in the voting, Skyrim is inching ahead by several percents ahead of Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword in G4′s Best Game of 2011 Semi-Finals.  The winner of this round will proceed to the finals and go head to head with either Assassin’s Creed: Revelations or Gears of War 3.  It appears that Skyrim will go against Assassin’s Creed, if the polls continue as they have.  What’s my purpose of writing then?  Well, I didn’t vote, so I gleaned the poll information from comments and other sources, and if Skyrim doesn’t win from pure votes, it should win because of the etiquette of its fan base.

Yup– Zelda fans are behaving like little more than children as they berate their fellow commenters, and even G4 for being “biased” towards Skyrim.  They complain that Bethesda is promoting the voting for their game, and therefore they are reaping an unfair benefit.  Not only that, but the content of their posts ought to be censored in some cases!  Really?  From players of a children’s game?  You know these people are either older men in interesting situations or 12 year old boys.  Well, you can’t get votes without the fan base, and if you have a large enough fan base, you’re going to win.  The Wii-exclusive Skyward Sword is killing itself there– graphically and because of its novelty interface.  Not to mention that the Wii is usually found in households with small children and more casual gamers.  All of these other games that have made the semi-finals are serious games, played by adults or older children on serious (and sometimes not so serious) platforms.  Yes, it’s a popularity contest, do you think most gamers think beyond that?

Many of the comments in G4′s voting thread is littered with Zelda series fans who have little control over their fine motor skills, meaning their mouths.  Skyrim voter-commenters have kept their noses clean for the most part.  It’s a sad state when people can’t even vote on a game in peace.  We know that there is absolutely no hope of a sensible discussion of politics, but this lowers even further my expectations for humanity…

I won’t get into the nitty gritty details about how Skyrim outshines SS and many other games, as you can all infer that for yourselves, not to mention I’m sure you are well aware.

That being said, I hope Skyrim wins, though I withhold my vote.  It deserves it for its accomplishments as a standalone game, and also for remaining true to the excellence typical of the Elder Scrolls Series.

GET OUT THERE AND VOTE!

EDIT: WAIT…. What the hell happened here?! Skyward Sword against Assassin’s Creed in the finals?!  Wow… Skyrim lost by 2%?!  For a bunch of gamers who know how to cheat using the in-game console, I’m surprised to see that the SS fans were the ones “allegedly” using multiple accounts to vote. 2%?!

Says one user:

“Well when all the zelda fans said over and over again they were making multiple accounts, that pretty much ruined this competition for me. “

In the end, the honor of the competition was ruined on both sides from flaming, multiple account voting, and other shenanigans.  And the Zelda fans were upset because Bethesda encouraged their fans to vote?  That’s like saying an election is unfair because the Republicans encouraged their registered voters.  It’s not bullying at the booth, people.  Not like they got any special edition stuff for doing it.

I think this user sums up the case for Skyrim, in a short, sweet way that everyone can understand:

“I really think Skyrim should win this. In Zelda, you have to keep visiting the same locations during the main quest. The world is small. Can’t play the game for hours. It’s not multiplatform. While Skyrim you don’t visit the same locations you have already cleared in the main quest. World not small, play for hours. And it’s multiplatform.”

Not to mention that Skyrim is graphically superior and a demonstration of all the current technology in gaming has to offer, sans gimmicky motion detection.

“SS combat is intuitive,” say some.  Well, of course it is.  On Wii, you always have to resort to waving your arms around.  It’s a feature of the system, not the game.

Well… Skyrim won in my heart.  And that’s what counts.  There will still be a GOTY edition anyway.

Being a lore-oriented blogger, I usually leave the fourth-wall, the invisible wall between the player and the game, untouched.  We exist in our world, and they in theirs, and my only goal is to speculate and make sense of it.  Recently, while perusing the UESP forums, I stumbled upon a stub thread that praised a series of articles on a fellow wordpress blogger’s account with regard to the fourth wall and the metaphysics of TES III: Morrowind.  How might one go about analyzing the Elder Scrolls in such a way?  Well, Kate, the author of Falling Awkwardly, does this magical thing in no less than 10,000 words.  The star of the show is her interpretation of of the 36 Lessons of Vivec, and her analysis depicts Vivec as a god modding, console-using, self-aware god, and claims that you are, too.  In fact, the Lessons seem like a conversation literally directed AT the player, and show strange parallels to things we very well might do in-game (all you alternate-route Nerevarines know what I’m talking about)  We all know that these sermons are no less than cryptic, however when the message clearly destroys the concept of the fourth wall and grabs us by the shirt collar, it better damn well be wrapped so tightly in lore that we don’t notice it.  Otherwise, it’d be both immersion and game-breaking!

I will say however, although this series is wonderful, refreshing, and absolutely eye-opening, I am disappointed that M’aiq the Liar did not make an appearance.  He is the most brazen of all the wall-breaking devices in the TES world and he makes repeat appearances.  He does not converse with the PC, but with you, the player, poking fun and having casual conversation.  Maybe it’s so obvious that it is often overlooked?

You can read The Metaphysics of Morrowind in its entirety through these links:

The Metaphysics of Morrowind: Part 1

The Metaphysics of Morrowind: Part 2

The Metaphysics of Morrowind: Part 3

The Metaphysics of Morrowind: Part 4

It’s  a wonderful read if you have the time.  Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither in a day were these entries written, so you might very well have to digest this over a period of a few days, too!

Thank you, Kate.

Let us begin with a brief summary of the events that transpired since the Dragonfires were last lit:

When we last left our heroes (heh)… When the Oblivion Crisis came to a close, the Dragonfires were lit and the Elder Council ruled the Empire under Chancellor Ocato in the absence of an Emperor.  Although there has been a long run of relative peace between the Tamrielic nations, certain nations begin to take advantage of the lack of a heir to the throne, and the Empire’s weakened ability to govern.  The civil unrest begins in Black Marsh, and if we remember correctly, most people of Argonian lineage were recalled during the Oblivion crisis.  Black Marsh therefore had strength and numbers and used this opportunity to secede from the Empire.  Emperor Titus Mede I, a conqueror and father to Attrebus Mede, is crowned and soon after, Red Mountain in Vvardenfell, Morrowind erupts due to the instability and crashing of the Ministry of Truth, due to Vivec’s absence.  This destroys the island, and also makes much of mainland Morrowind uninhabitable.  As if their desertion by the Nerevarine, the disappearance of Vivec, and fall of the Tribunal weren’t enough.  As you can imagine Morrowind isn’t fit for fighting when Black Marsh decides to invade what’s left of it.  At this point, and over the years, many Dunmer fled for Skyrim, specifically Windhelm hold.

Black Marsh isn’t the only nation with their hands in the cookie jar.  A long-running Altmeri political group in the Summerset Isles, called the Thalmor, eventually enact a hostile takeover of the nation, with the intent of re-constructing the ancient and long fallen Aldmeri Dominion of the second era.   Valenwood was next on the Thalmor’s to-conquer list, and a successful coup and overthrow of the government was achieved.  With the successful annexation and take over of Valenwood, the Aldmeri Dominion is officially declared, and named Alinor to pay respect to the long-fallen kingdom.  This can only mean outright war between the Tamrielic Empire and the newly re-founded Aldmeri Dominion.

During the Void Nights, a time when Masser and Secunda disappeared, the Khajiit of Elseweyr were deeply disturbed.  When the moons finally did return, the Thalmor claimed responsibility for their return and won the hearts of the Khajiiti nation.  Elseweyr officially secedes from the Empire and is divided into two states called Anequina and Pelletine, and basically get in bed with Alinor.  Civil war begins in Hammerfell, between ancient Crowns and the Forbear sects.  It seems that civil war is cropping up on all sides.

At this time, Emperor Titus Mede II, son of  Emperor Attrebus Mede (allegedly– we’re not sure how many emperor’s were crowned between Mede I and Mede II, or if Attrebus was was emperor at all [NOTE: The Infernal City mentions Attrebus as "crown prince."]) inherits a broken Empire that is only a shell of its former glory.  There is little he can do to repair the damage that has been done in Tamriel’s outlying nations.  As if things weren’t bad enough, the Thalmor threaten an invasion of Cyrodiil (simply to cripple the hub of the Empire) and Hammerfell.  For the moment, Emperor Titus II refuses to make concessions to the invading forces to stop the war; one of the chief demands included the relinquishment of southern Hammerfell, which seems to speak to the true intention of the war.  Camps of enemy forces are holed up in Elsewyer and execute a sneak attack on Cyrodiil, causing Leyawiin and Bravil to fall almost immediately.  Similar troops are hidden in Valenwood and launch a successful attack on Imperial troops in Hammerfell.

The true shock comes when the Aldmeri forces invade the Imperial City in Cyrodiil and take the palace and the adjoining tower (once the White-Gold Tower).  The Emperor was able to escape to Skyrim before the city was sacked, but many of its civilians were left defenseless.

The culmination of the Imperial war effort comes a year later in the form of a battle called the Battle of the Red Ring, which references the circular road of the same name that encircles the Imperial City.  With this brilliant strategy, which included surrounding the captured city on all sides with Imperial troops, Tamriel was able to take back its capitol.  Afterward, it became apparent to Emperor Titus II that the fighting could no longer continue if he was hoping to still have a nation and people to rule when it was finished.  He begins to seek a treaty with Alinor to end the bloody fighting.  Surprisingly many if not all of the demands of the Alinor were identical to the demands that were presented before the invasion of Cyrodiil.  The two chief conditions of the White-Gold Concordat were that southern Hammerfell be given to the Aldmeri Dominion and the worship of Talos (Tiber Septim) of the Nine Divines be outlawed.  Emperor Titus II had no choice but to accept these terms by this time.

Hammerfell refused to accept the Concordat and cede much of their land to the Dominion, despite already being heavily occupied by their forces.  The Emperor was forced to relinquish Hammerfell as an Imperial province in order to maintain the parameters of the peace treaty.  The Redguards’ war with Alinor ends in a stalemate after five years, and the signing of the Second Treaty of Stros M’kai.  The Aldmeri Dominion withdraw their troops as per the treaty and Hammerfell is left to govern itself, orphaned by the Empire and decidedly angry about it.  This hints that perhaps the war could have been won for all of remaining Tamriel if Titus II hadn’t given in to the demands, which leaves a sense of bitterness all around.  By the end of it, the Blades, the Imperial bodyguards to the Emperor, are all but extinct.

Twenty years after the signing of the Second Treaty of Stros M’kai, Skyrim breaks out into civil war between those loyal to the Empire and the nationalistic Stormcloaks, led by the Jarl of Windhelm, Ulfric Stormcloak. Civil war officially begins when Ulfric allegedly “shouts” the high king of Skyrim, Torygg, in Solitude to death.  Some say it was a fair duel; others say an assassination.  The truth has yet to come to light.  Either way, the stationed Imperial forces will not stand for it.

One may ask where High Rock stood in all of this.  The Bretons are a hybrid of both men and mer which originated from the union between the ruling Aldmer and Nedic slaves during the first era.  We can assume present day Bretons have a high distaste for elven rule, and are firm supporters of the Empire.   The Bretons were responsible for supplying supporting troops to help fight for the Imperial City during the Great War as well as providing support to the Redguards during the March of Thirst in which Hammerfell fought to maintain control of their land.  It is rumored that the Aldmeri Dominion has gained control of the island Balferia in High Rock, but other than that High Rock is thought to still be relatively prosperous, or at least as prosperous as a nation in decline can be.

The Thalmor’s Game Plan

The Aldmeri Strategy:

The main goal of the Thalmor was to re-establish the glory of the Aldmeri Dominion of the second era and expand their territory further if possible.  Alinor once consisted of both the Summerset Isles and Valenwood during its 70-year reign, and its influence stretched out across most of the would-be nations of Tamriel.  The Aldmeri Dominion took hold of Valenwood when they discovered that the Bosmeri people were planning to cede some of their land to their Colovian enemies.  The Dominion then stepped in and using a thousand year old treaty’s clause, claimed stewardship of the nation and added it to their territory.  The political transition was also made easier due to that the Bosmer were fighting over which son of the Camoran Dynasty should be appointed as king.  Amongst the chaos the Aldmer were able to slip in and “dissolve” the problem.

The territories of the Aldmeri Dominion were robbed from them when Tiber Septim conquered and united the lands of High Rock, Skyrim, Cyrodiil, Elseweyr, Black Marsh, Hammerfell, Morrowind, Valenwood, and the Summerset Isles under the Empire.

The present-day Aldmeri Dominion holds a large grudge against the the races of men who established the Empire, since the land of Tamriel was once largely populated by elves and the men arriving from Atmora in the late Merethic era were subjugated and terrorized by the elves.  To have men essentially turn on them and succeed is a fatal wound to their pride.  Because of this, in addition to reclaiming their lost territory, the Thalmor make their mission to make the races which were the descendants of Atmora (which may or may not include the Redguards, as they’re from Yokuda, but still considered a race of men, not mer) suffer defeat and anguish at any cost.  Therefore, the Aldmeri strategy is half reclamation and half spite work.  The revival of the Aldmeri Dominion is as much a political movement as it is a cultural revival for these elves.  Elven supremacy is declared openly, and the treatment of men recalls a darker time since Aldmeri agents are determined to force the races of men to submit once again.

Why the Dominion is after southern Hammerfell is ambiguous at best.  It is clear that they want it, as it was listed in the initial ultimatum demands as well as a stipulation of the Concordat.  Southern Hammerfell was named Hegathe by the ancient Aldmer and Ayleid elves that lived in the area.  Its close vicinity to the nations of the Aldmeri Dominion suggests that it would be of interest to the Aldmer, as well as the nature of the population, but it does not seem that the Hegathe region of Hammerfell was ever officially a part of the Aldmeri Dominion.  Perhaps the Dominion was trying to obtain land that it felt it had almost attained before Tiber Septim crushed the Crown sect (and the civil war) in southern Hammerfell at the end of the second era.  Needless to say the current Yokudan inhabitants of the area want nothing to do with that.

Key Terms:

Thalmor: A political group which originated in the Summerset Isles and now controls the Isles, Valenwood, and Elseweyr’s states by subjugation.  There influence can be felt throughout the remaining occupied Tamrielic nations in accordance with the White-Gold Concordat’s demands.

Aldmeri Dominion: A term for the Aldmer’s ancient kingdom of the second era which ruled Summerset Isle and Valenwood.  The recapture of these two nations by the Thalmor signal the reappearance of the Aldmeri Dominion.

Aldmer: The Aldmer were considered to be the first elves and the forefathers of all resulting elven races.  They allegedly hailed from the lost city of Aldmeris and settled first in the Summerset Isles and eventually inhabited and settled most of mainland Tamriel.  They are considered to be long extinct and instead evolved to be the present day elven races of Nirn.  The Altmer are considered to be the most similar to the original Aldmer, as they first settled the Summerset Isles and remained largely unchanged.  Modern-day Altmer revere the wisdom and power of their elven forefathers, and strive to become more like them.  An example of this is the Thalmor political group and their agenda.

Alinor: The name of the Aldmeri nation of the second era that consisted of what was Summerset Isle and Valenwood.  Alinor is also the capitol of the Summerset Isles.

Camoran Dynasty: One of the most ancient dynasties in Tamriel.  The Camoran family rules Valenwood, and is both the home of the Camoran Usurper and the lovely Mankar Camoran, his alleged son.  It is unclear how Mankar is an Altmer if both his parents were Bosmer, though, suggesting that they are either not the same person, or that he was truly born to an Altmer woman.

Void Nights: A time during the first century of the fourth era in which the two moons Masser and Secunda disappear for two years.  The disappearance of the moons was particularly stressful for the Khajiit of the Empire because they link them to their gods, and even their consumption of moon sugar is linked to communing with them.  The Khajiit are also subject to the lunar cycle as it determines the breed of Khajiit at the time of birth.

Emperor Titus Mede II: The Imperial descendant of Emperor Titus Mede I, he is the current Emperor of Tamriel.  Titus Mede I was a warlord and king of Cyrodiil before he became Emperor.  It is likely if not certain that there is no Dragonblood in this bloodline.

The Battle of the Red Ring: This was the battle that lead to the treaty that ended the Great War.  Titus Mede II had fled the Imperial City as it was sacked by the Aldmeri Dominion and traveled to Skyrim.  There the war plan was formulated that would constitute this battle.  It included surrounding the city on all sides, unbeknownst to the Dominion, and all out attacking the enemy troops holding the city.  This battle ended with the suspending of the Aldmeri general from the White-Gold Tower for 33 days.

Talos and the ban of Talos worship: Talos is a favorite deity of the people of Tamriel who is part of the pantheon of the Nine Divines.  He is also known by the names Ysmir, Tiber Septim, and Wulfharth.  He was a great Nord general during the second era and is responsible for uniting the lands which became the Tamrielic Empire and the ejection of the elves from their seat of power.  Following his installment as Emperor, prosperity abounded and it was truly a great time to be a part of the Empire.  Upon his death he is said to have been honored by the Eight Divines for his great deeds and transformed into a god, the god Talos.  The names listed above may also be individual people who were assimilated as aspects of the god Talos upon their death.  Nonetheless, Talos is viewed chiefly as a son of Skyrim and a great general.

As per the White-Gold Concordat, Talos worship was outlawed.  This created discontent all across the remainder of the Empire, and severely stressed and angered the Nords, who regarded him as their personal champion.  At first it was doubted that worship was actually outlawed, until the Thalmor began to enforce the ban by persecuting worshipers.  The Thalmor regard the worship of Talos a mistake on the part of the people, rather than cultural warfare meant to extinguish the pride of men for their conqueror of the elven peoples.  The Thalmor “ideology” is that it is erroneous to worship a man who is not a god, but simply a great man in Tamriel’s history.  To worship him is actually an act of heresy in regard to the other Eight Divines.

(Ulfric) Stormcloak: Ulfric Stormcloak is the leader of the Stormcloak nationalist movement and the Jarl of Windhelm hold in Skyrim.  He possesses the knowledge of the Thu’um, or The Voice, and therefore can use shouts.  He uses his power to kill the king of Skyrim, presumably because he feels that he is weak in submitting to the Empire’s puppet government which is being controlled by the Thalmor.  The Stormcloaks consist of nationalist and often racist Nords who are determined to seize control of Skyrim, break away from or otherwise destroy the Empire, and establish their own sovereign nation.

White-Gold Concordat: The treaty that ended the Great War which is named for the tower at the center of the Imperial City which was once the Ayleid elves’ palace long ago.  The main stipulations of the treaty which was a great cause for alarm was the relinquishment of southern Hammerfell to Alinor and the ban on the worship of the Divine, Talos, or Tiber Septim.

Balferia: An island in the Iliac Bay which is home to the Adamantine Tower, which has been present for time immemorial.  When the Aldmer arrived to Tamriel the tower was already standing, and it has long been an inspiration to civilized nations to replicate such a structure (ie: the Ayleid’s White-Gold Tower).  The tower also has religious significance as it is the famed location at which the Aedra met to discuss the creation of the mortal realm.  For the Dominion to hold this island it not only grants them a sense of religious legitimization, but also links them to the nature of this ancient structure: ever present, grand, and to be emulated.

What it means for contemporary Skyrim:

Even the blind can see that the once prosperous Empire is on the verge of ceasing to exist.  Whether the citizens of Skyrim are pro-Empire or pro-Stormcloak, neither of them want to lose their nation to the Aldmeri Dominion, which burned down the first Nord city in Skyrim eras ago.  Many of the citizens are distraught over the ban on Talos worship, but some resign themselves to it being necessary for the time being, while others are in outrage and wish to proclaim an outright revolution.  The people at the same time fear capture by Aldmeri forces if they are discovered as Talos worshipers or otherwise plotting war.  With the return of the dragons to Skyrim, tensions have risen even higher.  Men were once slaves to dragon overlords, particularly Alduin, many eras ago, and their resurfacing calls back ancient and frightening times.  They are essentially facing the same kind of dominating enemy on both sides.  However, with the rumors of the legendary Dragonborn which could potentially reintroduce the Dragonblood back into the Empire, the weary Imperial forces and sons of Skyrim are hopeful that order will be restored, the Thalmor will be crushed, and the dragons banished from whence they came.

Original Article: Bethesda Blog

Cue Alduin.

No, really.  It’s cool.  Dovahkiin Tom Kellermeyer was born to Megan and Eric Kellermeyer on 11.11.11!

Lucky parents– free games for life.  I can see it now though:

Courtesy duchessa of stockxchng

Mom…? Dad…?  You named me for WHAT?!

 

It will be tender and lovely family moment fifteen years from now.

Anyway, congratulations and good on ya!

Other matters that cause me to become disturbed are:

• Summerset Isle, the sunny Altmer island with such a benevolent-sounding name, has been renamed Alinor under Thalmor rule.
• Elseweyr has seceded and Black Marsh turned on the Empire.
• Hammerfell has been renounced as an Imperial Province.
• Vvardenfell is all ashland now.
• Anyone of any importance in Cyrodiil is dead, whether it be the 200 years in-between or the sacking of Cyrodiil to be the cause.

Tamriel ~4 E 201

It seems as though knowledge of all this is enough to force most Nords to the nationalist Stormcloak movement.

Truly, these Altmer—Mankar Camoran, and now the Thalmor—seem to be much more trouble than they’re worth.  I always knew they were too stuck up for their own good.

 MORE IMPORTANTLY:

… Are these events, occurring in relatively rapid succession– the reincarnation of St. Nerevar, the fall of the Tribunal, the coming of the Bloodmoon, the Oblivion crisis and return of Mehrunes Dagon, the end of the Septim line, the resurfacing of the King of Worms, Sheogorath’s dissappearance, the interim turmoil wrought by the Thalmor, and finally the return of both Dovahkiin and Alduin— signaling the end of Nirn?

It’s like everything’s been leading up to this moment.  All other crises seem like child’s play, unimportant in the grand scheme of things.  But this is it.

Even counting the crises in Arena and Daggerfall—they still occur frighteningly close together along with the rest of the major events in the timeline.  That is a lot of heavy stuff to happen in 250 years.

We shall see.

Tales of the Dragonborn

So in my addiction to the internet I happened upon this wonderful little article on Kotaku: “Tales of the Dragonborn”  On the night of release, the article was posted as a call to all fan fiction writer or players with a story to tell to post the story of their character for Skyrim and how he/she fits into Skyrim’s lore.  If you’re familiar with my fanfiction, particularly ATCL, you’ll know that I’m a stickler for details and wouldn’t even dream of undertaking another long-term fiction with ATCL still hanging in the balance.  Not to mention there is so little information on Skyrim lore and NPCs for my liking for me to even consider writing.  However, there is the sticky situation of time constraints.  Thankfully, I own Skyrim.

Also, thankfully I’ve been cultivating a Nord girl since long before Skyrim was up for pre-order, so I had something in my literary arsenal.  What I’ve come up with is Bryndyl, usually referred to as Brynn, the daughter of a huntsman, and resident of a small town I created myself, nestled in Whiterun hold.  I hunkered down today after doing my coursework all afternoon and wrote the beginnings of my new work (totaling 5,000 words) which is known as little more than “Project Bryndyl” until I can find a more suitable name. (ATCL came to me after 5 chapters in to writing.)  These things take time.

Here’s a short summary of plot for you:

Brynn’s family founded Ingorstead, near Riverwood, 4 generations ago. Incorrigible in all her 25 years and now unmarriageable, in her shame her father forces her to concede the title Dovahkiin to her brother. How long can this elaborate charade continue and at what cost?

So, readers of my fanfiction, what can you expect for Bryndyl’s character?  Well, I’ll tell you she’s not Hetalia.  In fact, expect perhaps a character who is antithetical to Hetalia.  Brynn’s a Nord, through and through.  Her family is loyal to the Empire (her father accepts the ban on Talos worship as a necessary evil to maintain the solidarity of the Empire for the moment), spurns the Stormcloaks and magic using, but her character is not without turmoil.  As you might surmise from the summary above, Brynn is Dovahkiin, somehow, by some trick of fate.  However, she has proven time and time again that she’s got the curiosity of a Khajiit, which has destroyed her marriage prospects.  Her father feels she’s unfit to be the savior of the Nord people in these troubling times, both for her lack of reliability and for being a woman.  Jolgar believes this is the time for his other child, the golden child Loronr, to shine.  Jolgar believes the sons of Skyrim need only Dovahkiin in name to unify their country and bring prosperity.  Brynn still needs to be present at all times to keep up the charade though, but it is only a matter of time before the truth comes to light.  She begins her sacrifice selflessly, but will it remain that way?  How long can they keep the identity of the true Dovahkiin a secret?  What will happen to her relations with her family?

I seem to have an unintentional thing going with themes of light, birds, and other creatures drawn to light.  I’m also really liking the image of the one-winged warbler.  That could become the title, perhaps!

It’s been submitted to Kotaku already in email and comment form.  I only hope I’m not too late.  It is only Tuesday, though, right?

For those of you interested it can be read here and here.

Please comment if you do read.  I do so love comments.  And suggest a title, please!

Monday’s has been selected and hosted.  I’ll even be a good sport and show it to you.

Click for the original post!

Skyrim Map

So, playing through for two hours definitely does not give you a sound perception of our lovely new release, Skyrim.  At an additional four hours in, though, the big picture is beginning to come together and I’m starting to see more and more of things I like.  First impressions are important, but they are also usually flawed.  Let’s see what I have as far as new developments…

Map:

I still hate the map, but I guess the compass compensates for it.  Maybe once more of that damned fog is out of the way, I’ll be able to see some roads.

“Journal”:

Still confused about its correlation to the compass sometimes, and really miss my faithful journal.  But, it’s alright.

Character Aesthetics:

A large tv makes all the difference. A 27″ square screen tv definitely does not allow you to make the most of your game. The sliders (read: presets) need to be fiddled around with before you can get a pretty face, but it can be done with much less effort than in Oblivion.
I would however kill for a set of real bangs on a hairstyle, though!

Children:

It totally didn’t dawn on me during the opening sequence that there was a child on a porch in Helgen!  As I explored Riverwood and Whiterun, it eventually dawned on me– there’s children!  I use Children of Morrowind and briefly played Fallout 3, and I guess it desensitized me to the idea.  This is however, monumental.  We haven’t seen children since Daggerfall!  They’re what we might call “essential.”  Unkillable.  A good ethical move, but guess how I found out they were unkillable?  It just… slipped.

Spellcasting:

You learn spells by reading edible spell tomes.  I say they’re “edible” because they disappear after you read them and gain the spell.  Spell casting is easy, as long as you can manage to keep a hand free.  The longer you hold the trigger (in my case) the longer the affect of the spell, but the more magicka it spends.  If I remember correctly, you had to cast a spell a series of times to achieve the same in Oblivion.  In any case, it comes in handy.

Shouting:

RAWR!  Shouting is pure fun.  My first word wall was a bit of a nerdgasm moment for me.  I went through the dungeon once before and cleared out all of the chests in the room with the world wall, but I completely missed it!  There is a cool down on shouting; for the one you get initially its about 12 seconds.  Not sure if it varies with others.  Anyone ever see that movie Push?  It’s kinda like that.

Dragons:

Until they sit still, they’re kind of impossible to shoot at, at least with the thumbstick to aim.  They are massive, but decidedly killable.  It’s hard not to be awestruck.  The last time I saw something anywhere near that size that I could kill with my own two hands, it was an Ogrim. (Merhunes Dagon doesn’t count.  Wasn’t he scripted?)

Forging:

Forging is awesome.  It’s a multi-step process to tan leather, use the forge, and then improve the item, but it’s very realistic and reminiscent of Morrowind Complete.  You can learn how to do it for free in Whiterun.  They’re finally listening to the modding community!  You need only ask to use someone’s forge.

FISHING:

I was so excited to catch me some salmon in the river the other night.  It’s kind of funny, literally like you’re a bear just swiping a them.  You “pick” them up and they completely destroy themselves in your awesome prescence and become salmon steaks, ready for cooking.  Speaking of which…

Cooking:

I’m too poor to have anything to cook at the moment, but food does replenish your health (unlike past games where it replenished fatigue).  The food is all highly detailed in texture, which is a godsend for people like me who love to look at pretty food.  In your inventory (or shop keepers inventory) you can rotate and zoom the objects in the menu, which makes for even more food ogling.  There are buyable and usable pots, food spits, etc. etc.

Fatigue:

Fatigue has become stamina.  Stamina is unaffected  by running, and I’m glad someone finally took care of this.  After all, we all know that no one walks anywhere in a game.  Stamina is used for power attacks, and maybe other things.  Good news: if you use a power attack and your stamina is depleted, you can still swing, you just sound tired and do less damage, I believe.

Alchemy:

Like forging, it seems the only way to have access to alchemy apparatus is to ask to use someone’s at the moment.  Perhaps they come with houses?  I haven’t had the opportunity to make potions (cause I’m poor).

HOUSES:

Buyable houses make a reappearance in Skyrim.  You need permission from the Jarl or whoever is head of town in order to buy real estate, but I think it’s just a matter of schmoozing them or doing them a favor.

The UESP Wiki:

The wonderful UESP Wiki

The great people at the Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages are hard at work making a guide for Skyrim as they have done since 1995.  Contribute if you can to this great resource!

I was interviewed by a happy Viking-esque Nord while I waited. Unfortunately, all the YouTube commenters, after watching the video and hearing all my highly intellectual talk, can only talk about MY BOOBS!

DISCLAIMER: I am quite saddened that I could not purchase the collector’s edition, nor the PC version, both because of low funds and a sub-par PC.  My lack of experience with the 360 might account for some of my impressions of the game itself.  Console gaming puts me totally out of my element.

First Things First:

When you get your copy, take 4 mins to listen to the theme.  It’s AMAZING.  I’d say it even tops “Nerevar Rising” as the best TES theme.  And I LOVE “Nerevar Rising.”  For the first time we also have lyrics in our TES music.  I don’t think it would have worked anywhere else but here.  It was a smart, smart decision, and they’ve produced a solid and sexy theme.

Aesthetics:

There really is only one thing I can say about Skyrim graphically, and that is that it is sex on a stick.  This is, despite that it is running on a console with fixed hardware (and we know that 360 is the weaker of the two main console builds).  The physics engine seems to have been slightly improved from Oblivion.  Objects and bodies seem heavier and behave more realistically, however when I bumped a cart full of cabbages (in my infinite clumsiness in trying to get used to using a joystick to move the crosshair) the cart threw itself against the wall like it was made of paper.

Character Creation:

Character creation is integrated into the story just as well as it always had been.  Literally, the only thing that you get to choose is your name, race, sex, and appearance, and that’s all you really need for the moment.  I will say that the female Nord faces, if not all the others seemed to be quite gaunt, no matter how you adjusted the sliders.  Also, the customization has been toned down extremely from that of Oblivion, and seems more like Fallout 3′s character creation (kind of a hybrid of Morrowind and Oblivion)  Essentially you choose from a variety of presets (about 10 per characteristic) and there is heavy emphasis on customizing skin tone, war paint, scars, and bodily dirt (and I was concerned about neither).  As you might have heard, makeup is making an appearance in this game for our female characters!  That’s great and all, but I guess the Nords haven’t come up with a makeup remover because even with all the tone sliders to the left, my character was still stuck with heavily painted eyes.  I will say that they are all very realistic looking, though.  It really helps get away from the campyness that was present in Oblivion.

Leveling Up:

I didn’t even know it was time to level up when it was time to level up.  Each loading screen showed a bar in the corner that indicated my progress to the next level, and a bar also appears on the screen when you level up a skill.  When you access the level screen, you gaze skyward, towards the constellations of the birthsigns and choose if you would like to “level up” your health, magicka, or stamina (fatigue) and choose some perks for each of your skills.  So far it seems like 1 perk per level, but maybe I’m doing something wrong, or it increases with level.  Very stylized from what we’re used to.

Menus and Interface:

The HUD is minimal, we already knew that was coming.  Sometimes, I don’t see anything but the compass (which confused the hell out of me) on the screen.  The compass shows quest markers so that you can find out where you’re going (because the map is totally unhelpful) but you have to make sure that you periodically check and uncheck quests as “active” or you’ll end up like me and pursuing three or four different quest objectives at the same time and not knowing which is which or where you’re going.  Health and stamina pop up when they’re being affected, such as using a power attack or taking damage (I haven’t cast any spells yet, but I guess it’s just the same).

Borrowed from an entry on ManaTank

The inventory menu is accessed in the same way that you access the level screen, map, and magic, which on the 360 is a cross hair type menu brought up by pressing “y”.  It kind of reminds me of windows explorer.  You choose a “folder” on the left (apparel, food, etc.), it brings you the list of the items inside that “folder” and when scrolling through to an item, a 3d visual of that item is shown with a little bit of info, such as weight, value, magical properties… “A” equips, activates, or consumes the item.

Borrowed from The Elder Scrolls Skyrim-- interesting article on maps! Click!

I have to say, regrettably that I find the map to be incredibly unhelpful.  It’s a neat concept, having the area zoom out until you’re looking at the entire continent.  Fast travel is capable from place to place from the map if you’ve already discovered a location, which is a large improvement since Oblivion.  There are no roads shown on the map (as far as I can tell at this point), though.  Also, I think it is not such a wonderful idea to “fog” undiscovered areas of the map.  It just makes the unfamiliar world all the more confusing. Especially since the game comes with a pretty canvas-looking map in box, they obviously want you to be able to orient yourself, so why remove that ability in game?

I am full of complaints, and so I am also kind of disappointed in the quest/journal screen.  The quests are listed by importance in “folders” and with each there is a little description of what you have to do along with the ability to mark it as active so you can see markers on your compass.  In past games we clung to our journal for all of our questing needs (unless you relied on map markers in Oblivion because they made it so easy) and it seems that it has been entirely done away with!  Maybe I’m just a sucker for nostalgia, but it was something I had come to expect, and saddened to see it missing.

Combat:

Melee combat is very intuitive as far as I’ve experienced.  Power strikes use up a large chunk of stamina, and when you run out, you can still swing, but its effects aren’t as powerful. NPC combatants seem to be quite smart when it comes to combat choices, but still, I’ve only died twice in two hours play, and it was to draugr while doing a side quest.  With a couple more healing potions I would have been fine, though.  When blocking you still take some damage, but I suppose that reduces as you level up your block skill.  The animations are very fluid, and I have to say I’m quite pleased with this area that in times past has come up short of expectations.

Questing:

Sometimes, unless I look at the top of the screen, I have no idea that I’ve received or completed a quest.  Quests seem to literally come as hearsay (at least misc. quests), which makes the experience very realistic.  I’ve only done two or three quests, so there is little more for me to say at this time, but the new system makes the game play like a movie.  This is potentially a good thing.

NPCs:

The AI is greatly improved since Oblivion.  There are still incidental conversations that take place between NPCs and NPCs that speak to you as you pass, but something seems more natural about their way of conversing.  Maybe it is this way being that it is the beginning of the game, but I feel like whenever I walk into a building someone just happens to be initiating a conversation.  It’s almost like I’m being set up for a quest at every turn.  It’s a little bothersome, but perhaps I’m just not used to the way AI functions yet.  I’m expecting dialogue to exist for utilitarian reasons, and maybe that’s a flaw in my own hard coding. (lol)  The AI however is a work of art as far as I can see.  I’ve had wives tell me I’m pretty and to stay away from their husbands!  One of the highlights of my night was being chased by a Giant because I got too close to him, curious if he was hostile or not.  Well, he wasn’t, until I practically touched his toes!

Dialogue with an NPC has definitely had an overhaul.  There is no more zooming in at the face and freezing all other motion around them.  Life continues as normal in the background, and you are free to move your view as they speak to you.  I do long for subtitles though, and something on screen really announcing the NPCs name as I talk to them, but maybe these are options I have yet to find.  Playing on a console when you’re not used to it is a very confusing experience!

The voices of the NPCs really remind me of standard American English.  I was expecting something like Morrowind and Oblivion’s Nord voices, but they really just sound like you and me. (If you’re an American on the East Coast)   I used to be able to tell races apart by their speech, but even the Bretons and Imperials I’ve encountered all have a similar accent.  I don’t remember hearing too much of a difference when speaking to an Altmer, either. I have yet to speak to beast races, Dunmer, or Bosmer.  This will either make VAing for mods VERY hard, or VERY easy.

The culture to me says “Poland.”  I guess what we’ve learned though is that the “human” races have a very “human” culture in TES lore.  It takes the Dunmer to give us the feeling of “OMG WE HAS TEH MUSHROOM TREES!”  For more of this we probably have to wait for Black Marsh or Valenwood.

Final Note:

LOL You can “speak” to dogs.

In all seriousness, this is a great game to play.  The shortcomings are largely a matters of taste rather than dire bugs or a total raping of the TES lore/system.  This game will be thoroughly enjoyable whether you are a TES fan or an RPG fan.

There is nothing else I can say.  I need to play now.  Goodbye.

Planet Elder Scroll's new theme in honor of Skyrim

Planet Elder Scrolls

Even back when PES was Morrowind Summit, it was my place to go for mods.  Sure, there’s the Nexus, too, but I’ve always preferred PES.  Here’s to modding and the new version of the TES CS!!