Concerned about lack of villains with real personality : V - Skyrim

» Sun May 13, 2012 10:49 pm

By the Nine, if Bethesda's storytelling was ever as atrocious as a Final Fantasy game, or any other horrendous JRPG, I'd boycott the series immediately.

Thankfully that will never be the case and we wont get stuck with horrible linear narratives with overused, emotionally unstable, cliché angsty-teen characters.

Did you play FF7? I agree with your critique on most JRPGs and FF games after 7, but i found FF7 to have - without overestimating it - a story, characters and character development worthy of the word "Legendary"

» Sun May 13, 2012 7:48 pm

Their are plenty of stories within the game niverse, not just background info. How many of you have read the Seven Fights?

But you don't get to play them - to live them. They are just there, in the background, like scenery. Sure, reading the lore (including in-game short stories) can give you a better understanding of the story, and possibly make you slightly more involved in it, but it won't really add anything to YOUR story.
It's not really the storywriting that's weak, though. It's the storytelling. The MQs in Beth games tend to be very linear and won't even give you the illusion of being able to affect how the story will develop.
Don't get me wrong, I still find them enjoyable, and TES games have so many other strengths...

» Mon May 14, 2012 7:55 am

Did you play FF7? I agree with your critique on most JRPGs and FF games after 7, but i found FF7 to have - without overestimating it - a story, characters and character development worthy of the word "Legendary"

It was no Final Fantasy 6.

Now THERE was a good JRPG.

» Mon May 14, 2012 1:55 am

Did you play FF7? I agree with your critique on most JRPGs and FF games after 7, but i found FF7 to have - without overestimating it - a story, characters and character development worthy of the word "Legendary"

http://i39.tinypic.com/359adxu.gif

Sorry, nothing "legendary" about FF7. FFT, however, has a good story, unlike most JRPGs.

Anyways, we can hope Skyrim will be different.

» Mon May 14, 2012 7:47 am

I thought Mankar Camoran an interesting person. His views were... facinating.
I really liked him speaking to me on my way up to Carac Agailator.

I felt bad killing him.

this except iloved killing him

» Mon May 14, 2012 3:34 am

It was no Final Fantasy 6.

Now THERE was a good JRPG.

QFT
And Chrono Trigger. The 2 only JRPGs I've ever really liked.

» Sun May 13, 2012 10:25 pm

Did you play FF7? I agree with your critique on most JRPGs and FF games after 7, but i found FF7 to have - without overestimating it - a story, characters and character development worthy of the word "Legendary"

I played it, and its spin off-games and saw its little movie, and I thought they were all terribad. That's what I get for having a wife who loves anime and Japan.

» Sun May 13, 2012 6:11 pm

I really liked Ulfric from the little I've seen. He seems to be a striking character. I hope they'll make him and other characters memorable.

» Sun May 13, 2012 7:12 pm

But you don't get to play them - to live them. They are just there, in the background, like scenery. Sure, reading the lore (including in-game short stories) can give you a better understanding of the story, and possibly make you slightly more involved in it, but it won't really add anything to YOUR story.
It's not really the storywriting that's weak, though. It's the storytelling. The MQs in Beth games tend to be very linear and won't even give you the illusion of being able to affect how the story will develop.
Don't get me wrong, I still find them enjoyable, and TES games have so many other strengths...

The games are just a minor piece of the overall story, their much more behind the games that evolve the story. it may not evolve your story, which beth leaves up YOU. Beth gives you the framework and let's you build upon them, and including you in their stories (Redguard and Battlespire) didn't work well for them.

» Sun May 13, 2012 6:55 pm

The games are just a minor piece of the overall story, their much more behind the games that evolve the story. it may not evolve your story, which beth leaves up YOU. Beth gives you the framework and let's you build upon them, and including you in their stories (Redguard and Battlespire) didn't work well for them.

The problem here is that we seem to be using the term "story" in very different ways... but nvm. I'm too tired to have a discussion like this in English right now.

» Sun May 13, 2012 5:32 pm

That put me at ease to a large degree. Hope Beth will make the best out of it!

Im puzzled if Im in a small crowd here though. Seemingly people are content with average when it comes to this matter. Just curious how much this means to people as for me personally it is very important.

Depends on the gamer. It's pretty clear that the TES devs aren't really the most emotionally deep people ever to live.

They make games that are astounding technically and jaw droppingly amazing logistically, but lacking in the emotional areas.

TBH, it's not all the fault of the writers (If you think back to each of the major Oblivion quest-lines, you can remember quests that were excellently crafted for emotional depth. Such as discovering the ruined Bruma Mage's guild, purging the Brotherhood shrine, and killing Maria Antionette. It's also the fault of the lack of the personalized score (No sad themes or other emotive themes) as well as the somewhat fake-looking emotional expressions on the characters.

» Mon May 14, 2012 7:16 am

Big boss is the best Villian....

» Mon May 14, 2012 4:14 am

Seemingly the endboss will be "Big ass dragon" with the mission "Punch him untill dead to save world".

Would you like to be able to speak to him before the battle like with Dagoth Ur in Morrowind?

Will there be some dragon/endcult leaders? Will there be long and deep sidequests with villains worthy of remembering like the red dragon in Baldurs Gate?

Will there be some kind of recurring villains or betrayals for interesting plot twists? Final fantasy 7 were really good at this, and proved that good antagonists are just as important as good protagonists.

I hate it when villains in a game have underwhelming, shallow and impersonal dialogue/character.

Do you share this fear for Skyrim?

I have a terrible fear that there is always something to be concerned about!

» Mon May 14, 2012 12:27 am

Dagoth Ur was one of the best game villains i've ever encountered. Beth CAN write good characters when they try.