So I've been reading a lot about people complaining about how Skyrim lacks depths, how they get bored, etc etc. And generally speaking, in many cases (not all) people treat Skyrim like a restaurant.

They have their appetizer:

Escaping Helgen, getting to Riverwood, Embershard Mine, getting to Whiterun, and doing Bleak Falls Barrow


They have the main course:

Main Quest, Civil War, and whatever main factions they want to do (DB, TG, College, Companions)


And then they have their desert:

Usually a handful of sidequests or daedric quests they want to do.

Just doing these things, a person can easily get their characters into the 40s or 50s and then they hit that brick wall of boredom and maybe repeat the process once or twice, declare Skyrim as lacking depth, and want more DLC, and complain about the lack of depth in quests.

But lets say instead of a restaurant (like I posted in another thread), Skyrim was a buffet table. Sure certain items at the buffet would be features (Main Quests, DB, etc) but you can feel free to take your plate and mix and match as you want, without any obligation to things according to a particular formula. I think the choices then open up.

- Main Quest
- Dark Brotherhood
- Thieves Guild
- Companions
- College of Winterhold
- Civil War
- Daedric Quests
- Bards College
- Gauldur Legend
- Forsworn Conspiracy
- Man Who Cried Wolf
- Unfathomable Depths
- Finding various "Sources of Power"

I could list all of the side quests (but won't, I tried to list the ones that have multiple dungeons/things to do or are large) but its not necessary, and then there's just the choice to run around and do various radiant quests.

The point is, if each playthrough you pick 4 or 5 different things from the list, and then doing a number of Radiant Quests (by just take time to wander around a bit), you can get yourself to level 50 (the point at which many people retire their characters) and not be bored out of your mind. Combine that with making characters with vastly different builds and races (playing an Argonian Nightblade is a lot different then an Imperial Paladin) the depth that Skyrim offers is actually much more then people realize.

People just get used to a certain routine and repeat that routine and wonder why they end up feeling disappointed. Just because they tell you to go to Whiterun, doesn't mean you need to. Play the game, don't let the game play you.

Why would you..........? You know what, nevermind.

Guest: "Ummm excuse me, sir!"

Waiter: "Let me guess, someone stole your sweetroll?"

Guest: "No, actually. My beef is a little too over cooked. I asked for medium rare."

Waiter: "Hmmm.......well let me see........FUS RO DAH!"

Guest: "WTF?, Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Definition of anology:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/anology?s=t

Totally agree and I guess that's basically the way that I play to begin with. I choose the things that I want the character to do based on the type of character and their moral's. I have really gotten attached to a couple characters and found other things for them to do that suited their personality.

What's the point of this?

To show you that I talked about Skyrim being a restaurant as part of an anology, not so you can make a lame "sweetroll" post.

Skyrim may have tons of content, but some of it is rather lacking.

Most side-quests are still your basic fetch and/or kill quests, the MQ arguably isn't the most compelling story arch Bethesda's ever made -especially when put alongside the Dawnguard story- and the guilds, mainly the Mages' College, feels shallow and rushed.

Essentially, the joint is gorgeous with plenty of food options, but some are rather bland and might get dull after the first or second bite.

Well, the main quest and faction quests ARE rushed but the point the guy was making is that there is still enough detail in the world to still make it special like the other TES games.

Ah, the 300 course tasting menu. Highly recommended. I will have to eat a proper meal and finish the main quest one day, but I keep getting distracted by the momentary flavours. Try a frozen starter for a change, and that walk to Winterhold might be worth it whether or nay you eat the mystic pizza most would go for after that.

I guess I'd be the one who finished the dinner and said, "That tasted good." Then proceeds to thank the waiter and half the people working there. I can't go to a store or any kind of business without saying thanks to whoever helps, is at the cash register, or just is being polite. You could be the person who forgets to give me the sauce I wanted at a Burger King and I will still say, "Thank you!"

I guess I'd be the strangely appreciative person if Skyrim was a restaurant.

Oh you were actually trying to be clever and not actually suggesting to have a Skyrim themed restaurant? Oh, okay cuz that would be just stupid.

My guess is that some folks don't quite grasp the "Explorer" mindset. They play a game to have fun mostly and then move on. Never finding the possibilities that really exist. Game or not to Game. I like your "Restaurant" idea but I probably came in from the back as a buss boy. I don't follow any "rules" or even use logic in some cases. I just "Explore" the possibilties and let my mind get immersed in the game.

did you actually read the post, or just the title.

Just the title. I'm not one for paying attention to great Wall-O-Texts.

Just like in real life, I always seem to be done after the main course!

Probably the former, not the latter.

@Y'ffre - While I'll be the first to admit that Speech is one of the most underutilized things about Skyrim, I mean they could have made quests that were mostly travel, then you convince or intimidate your way through things, and success or failure can make things easier or more difficult, what do you expect out of an action-RPG? A dancing mini-game?

If Skyrim was a restaurant, I'd just be eating the main course and be extremely picky. I hate veggies because of their texture most of the time. I seriously have to have the veggies in a separate bowl so I can easily not feel like my food has been tainted by them. I just give them to whoever wants them if anyone wants them. I think Skyrim the restaurant would have trouble understanding extremely specific requests. Much like the game's journal can't tell me if I got a quest from Whiterun.

A wall of text implies one huge paragraph without any space between sentences. There are a dozen spaces between the text, some double-spaced. Are you just trying bump your postcount or something?

I've gotten a character to level 50 without doing a single "main" quest. Its not difficult.

Right now i have a lvl 38 hunter/explorer that has never done a quest. She would be alot higher IF I played her more. DG put a little crimp on her "style" and I have to rethink somethings about her.

Calm down, pal. I'm just trying to get your goat. Looks like I succeeded. Bahahaha! Seriously though, I'm kidding.

The PS3 Gutslit is level 50 and almost level 51. It really isn't that hard to get a character to level 50. It's way too easy to do so if you hardly fast travel.

Yup, I agree. I'm saving the end of the main quest for last. I want to savor the experience.

Exactly! My first character made it to 64 without doing it also. Now I'm still having fun with my 59 and the MQ is done. Found 3 new locations last night. As the OP says, it could be fun without following any major lines of thought or process. Just a S'morgasborg of items to play with.

Yeah the OP is a genius.

I kept thinking when I first started playing that these main quests would be so enthralling that I should wait until the end. I was in for a surprise when I actually did them.