I just started playing Skyrim about a month ago - suffice to say, I'm new to the game. I am utterly blown away - its size and scope alone is awe-inspiring. Skyrim has a lot going for it. But there is one aspect of the game that makes it less-than-enjoyable for me. So much so, I feel the need to "vent":

The issue: The NPCs (on most occasions, the townspeople who wander the streets) saying the same thing over and over and over and over again each time they pass my character on the street. I'm not sure if this forum allows spoilers, so a few examples without giving anything away:

***The dude who works at a certain general store telling me where he works each and every time I pass him (and on some occasions when my character is actually IN the store bartering).

***The little girl telling me she's not afraid of me even if I am her elder.

***The shopkeeper in Riverwood thanking me profusely for retrieving a certain artifact - an item I acquired for him at the very beginning of the game. He just keeps going on and on about it - as does his sister, though it's been ages since I completed that quest.

***The child sitting in the entranceway of a certain shop in Solitude making a snide remark as your character passes by "I thought adventurers are supposed to look tough" (paraphrasing).

***A guy asking me time and time again if I get to the cloud district very often. And then answering the question himself in a condescending manner.

As if saying things over and over again isn't bad enough, what most folks have to say seems rather petty and out of step with the times - a war is on, dragons are coming back and these folks have nothing better to do than to wander the streets spewing their utter nonsense? What's more, a lot of what is said by the NPCs is inherently negative, some rather patronizing in nature.

As such, I find it VERY hard to like anyone in this game. The dialog is so annoying that when I arrive in any town, I turn down the voice volume in-game and rely on subtitles. I can't wait to get out into the field - to get away from the cities and towns - just so I don't have to deal with this particular aspect of the game. So I can have some peace, for goodness sakes!!!

How I wish Skyrim was similar to Oblivion. It's been a looooong time since I've played Oblivion, but if memory serves, the townsfolk do not speak to you unless you initiate a conversation with them. They might say "hi" as you walk by, but that's it. The townsfolk in Oblivion might have the same thing to say, but they don't come out with it automatically each and every time you pass them.

I cannot fathom why the developers included this exasperating "feature."

I welcome a fresh perspective regarding this. Perhaps I'm missing something - maybe there is a method behind the madness? Did the developers design it this way as a means of introducing the player to new quests or to encourage you to visit a certain establishment in town. If this is the case, why have the NPCs say these things over and over again? In my view, isn't once enough? And if I have questions, couldn't I just go to that character later on? The "looping" dialog, as it is, gets old real quick!

In closing, I want to be clear. Skyrim is lot of fun! Kudos to Bethesda! But since I began playing this game about a month ago, it's this particular aspect of the game that has stood out - the more I play the game, the more it wears on me, so much so that I felt the need to discuss this with my fellow gamers here in this forum.

Thank you for taking the time to listen.