» Mon Nov 19, 2012 5:12 am And I'm finding the same divide here. You have the people who their first Elder Scrolls game is Skyrim and they love Skyrim, you have all the original fans who are also divided some [like myself] feel the game is lackluster and we can see that it is appealing to a different fan and audience; you have some of the original fans who like the game, but feel it could have been polished more. And then you have other people who hated all the other Elder Scroll games except Skyrim and swear Skyrim is the better game.
I personally liked Morrowind, and I know the criticism that comes with Oblivion, but I also really loved Oblivion. And that isn't nostalgia talking. That was me legimately playing Oblivion up to Skyrim's release. I personally felt, Oblivion was the game that merged both a different audience and still catered to the original fans, imo. I am probably the only person who really likes Oblivion and doesn't think it was Bethseda decent into madness. I think Skyrim is where Bethseda is slowly decending into madness. I honestely feel like it caters to quantity over quality.
In Oblivion the choices were minor, but they still gave you free will. They still gave you the ability to roleplay as you like. In Shivering Isle you got to choose to help the Seducers or Saints, minor changes and an illusion of choice, but it still felt better than Skyrim's "One Path" logic. I have been on the fence about Skyrim. Anything to do with story or quest leaves me bored and unsasitified. Anything that has something to do with exploring actually gets exciting and I just like spending my time exploring. In Oblivion and in Morrowind I had equal time exploring and questing, there are always quest in Oblivion and Morrowind I will play over and over again because they left a lasting impression on me.
I want to try and think of a Skyrim quest that has left me an impression. That has lasted on me. But I can't think of any. They are so boring and so bland that it's like they just gave up on quest all together. I rarely find anything cooky, people you can't talk to. I feel the world is a lonely world, with no connection to the people around it.
And I wanted to believe that Dawnguard could have reawakened a sense of life into my gameplay. But I also found that contrived, following a one path logic. It's upsetting that all the quest of the Dawnguard are the same quest as the Vampire Lord. And worse is that people who give an argument to say Dawnguard is awesome, give out an argument of "Stuff" not "Quality". Bethseda just adds these ideas into the game, but never do anything with them. They don't do anything. And they add in such crap.
Gargoyles, made sense. I found them a nice addition. Snow Elves in the last part of the story, didn't make much sense, and I found it such a contrived plot device that I wanted to hurdle my controller through the television. But I'm a gentle soul, so I wouldn't be able to really do that. The Snow Elves could have been their own DLC. It feels like nothing was thought through. We have the quantity of stuff, without the quality of this stuff.
I feel like this was the conversation Bethseda had about Dawnguard
"Vampire Lords are cool and epic,"
"Ah hell yeah hey are, let's write about the vampire lords wanting to take out the sun,"
"Oh that sounds cool,"
"And we'll have vampire hunters,"
"That's awesome,"
"And they are fighting, against each other,"
"Yeah yeah keep going,"
"And so the Dawnguard are sneaking on the vampires, find out about their plans, and have to stop the Vampires from reaching the Elder Scrolls. And you could have epic battle of Vampire Lord bosses,"
"Ehhhh,"
"Eh?"
"I know, Snow Elves,"
"That's more like it,"
"Wtf, Snow Elves, ya gotta be kidding,"
"Vampire Snow Elves,"
"Even better,"
"And dragons,"
"Yeah,"
"Wait, what no guys, wtf...guys..wait"
"Oh and the underworld,"
I'm starting to believe Bethseda is taking a lesson from Bioware and that won't do them good in the long run. I stopped buying from Bioware after Dragon Age 2 and from what I hear from the Mass Effect fans about ME3, I was glad to not buy it. I have supported Bethseda for a long while with The Elder Scroll series, but if the series continues going downhill like this I'll take my business elsewhere. And their really isn't an elsewhere. The market no longer appeals for the people seeking elsewhere.
I was lead to believe Skyrim would be good and was let down. I wanted to believe Dawnguard could revive the series to yet again be let down. Where is the qualiy in the gaming experience? Dawnguard gave you more stuff, but it didn't give you quality. And I touch across this briefl, there should have been more player freedom and choice.
Again they did the Companions thing with the Vampire Lord, you have to be a vampire lord to finish the vampire story line. And really there should have been three major options:
-You refuse Harkon's gift, but convince him to let you aid him. He accepts becuase you saved Serana
-You accept Harkon's gift and begin your questing of the Vampire Lord
-You refuse his gift, threaten Harkon, try to harm him, he banishes you and claims you prey
And the quest line should have been different. I beat the Vampire side of the Dawnguard and it's like the Dawnguard problem just floated away. I was like, wtf. No the Dawnguard are the threat still, just cause Harkon is dead doesn't mean the Dawnguard are. Shouldn't we be attacking the Dawnguard? Shouldn't we...I mean wtf. And as a Dawnguard you shouldn't be stuck with Serana or doing what I thought was the Vampire quest line. Maybe if she comes, threaten her life, and she goes off and does the adventuring by herself. Leaving again three possible decisions in the end.
Quality. It's all I ask.
