Rant of the casual gamer! : V - Skyrim

» Thu Jun 07, 2012 4:48 pm

who cares if you're "casual" you play the game you wan't Kudos for you. doesn't mean you need a game changed and tailored to you. have fun be merry but I don't see the point you're trying to make. you're not making the game lol

» Fri Jun 08, 2012 1:09 am

Well said OP

» Thu Jun 07, 2012 10:11 pm

You should absolutely play the game however you want and I hope you have a lot of fun doing it.

But...

-No, I don′t read the books in Skyrim, neither did I read the books in Oblivion or Morrowind, because I am PLAYING a game. If I wanted to read I would pick up something by Stephanie Meyer and read it...

...that made my soul sad.

» Fri Jun 08, 2012 4:01 am

Just play however you wish whatever is fun for you. You would do yourself some justice in learning the world if you read the books, they are a fun and engaging read.

» Fri Jun 08, 2012 3:19 am

who cares if you're "casual" you play the game you wan't Kudos for you. doesn't mean you need a game changed and tailored to you. have fun be merry but I don't see the point you're trying to make. you're not making the game lol

» Fri Jun 08, 2012 4:16 am

Entirely up to you. If, however you do fancy a bit of not recognised by game role playing/make believe/tell your own story/Barbie dress up, my humble opinion is no one else comes close to the framework for that which Beth's (not forgetting Obsidian and New Vegas of course) games, or worlds, provide.

This. People play all sorts of ways, but people who get mad because you don't play 100% seriously are just ignorant. Bethesda tried to design a game that pleases everyone. Sure maybe they started as a more hardcoe RPG series, but I think people need to realize that nowadays only like 10% of gamers truely enjoy a solid RPG. Take me, for example. I LOVE a great story, and I love talking to people. But if 99% of the game was talking to people, then that would be stupid. If I wanted to spend all of my time talking, I would go outside or hang out with friends or something. There's a little something in game design called the golden rule of dialogue. While I forget what it is exactly (as it's been a while, but i'll have to look it up), it's something like "For every 5 minutes spent playing the game, no more than 1 minute should be spent in dialogue." So pretty much, dialog can't be more than 20% of gameplay. (It may have been 25%) Of course, this is unless that is the entire focus of the game. But it isn't. TES is about building your skills, exploring a world, and fighting things. If you spent 75% of your time talking to people, that would minimize the gameplay that I think so many people enjoy.

Even if you don't enjoy the game a bunch and wish it was more of a hardcoe-RPG. At least see that what BGS is absolutely incredible, and their type of game is made by NO other company on the entire planet. They have more characters, more depth, more world, and are more open than any other series of games. At least respect that.

» Thu Jun 07, 2012 9:16 pm

99% huh?
That's why bethesda is making TES mainstream.

» Thu Jun 07, 2012 12:18 pm

If brushing my teeth would give me a +15% frost resistance I would brush them all the time.

A better mechanic would be increase Frost Breath and Ice Form's effectiveness by 15-25%. Feel the minty freshness!

» Thu Jun 07, 2012 5:16 pm

If I wanted to read I would pick up something by Stephanie Meyer and read it...

Not going to flame. Stopped reading at that point. Even if it's a joke, its a bad one.
Stephanie Meyer books are designed to electrocute 10.000 brain cells per sentence read.

» Thu Jun 07, 2012 7:12 pm

Okay, I'll bite

Ok here goes...

I am a passionate gamer, especially when it comes to RPG games which I have played ever since the breakthrough of tabletop roleplaying games. I also work, and I have a family and other commitments, I don′t have endless of time to spend on making a game the ultimate experience of immersion.

Don't play games you don't have time to play.

In response to how a lot of people I read express themselves in regards to HOW the game should be played I would like to state the following:

-I FAST TRAVEL, all the time, everywhere...I don′t believe that my experience and enjoyment of the game is lost because I don′t spend 20 minutes hiking from Riften to Whiterun every time the thieves guild wants me to pickpocket someone. If I could fast travel in real life between my home and workplace I sure as hell would, so why would I not in a game? Maybe I will miss some fantastic conversation between a farmer and his wife by not taking the time to wander from place to place...I don′t care, I am having fun playing the game without discovering everything, and at the pace I progress I won′t be done with the game before something equally interesting and enjoying is released that I can enjoy. So it′s not like I am going to sit and have nothing to do when I am finished.

Well, good for you. Notice that the fast travel complainers have stopped complaining? That's because we got at least something to replace it with. Sure there are "fetch quests" all over the place that requires you to travel a lot, but I don't feel the game is forcing how I go about - I use carriages all the time and even if I'm not ecstatic, at least I'm content.

-No, I don′t read the books in Skyrim, neither did I read the books in Oblivion or Morrowind, because I am PLAYING a game. If I wanted to read I would pick up something by Stephanie Meyer and read it...

I read when I feel like it. I think we should continue with what we do.

-I don′t look at the in-game time and think to myself "Oh, it′s almost 5 p.m. I must go and make myself a grilled leek sandwich now...". At the most I notice that the sky has shifted from bright to dark to bright again and figure it must have been night at some point.

Neither do I. I need a mechanic to support this, something I guess you would object to. Which is why I'd like it as an optional hardcoe mode.

-I am not bothered by the fact that most citizens repeat the same generic conversations over and over again, I appreciate that the developers put the time and effort to add some voiceacting in the background when I visit an inn and don′t worry much more about it.

Actually, neither am I. So we agree here.

-When I enter my home in Skyrim I go to the first container available and I dump EVERYTHING that I am not going to use right now or sell in the FIRST available container. It doesn′t bother me the least that my wardrobe is full of mushrooms, it makes it easier for me when I am looking for my mushrooms that I know that they are in the first container to the left when I come into my house.

Well, your loss then, considering containers are kinda horrible. I prefer to separate what goes into what container so I can more easily find it. But each to his own I guess, I won't object to your playstyle here.
-I don′t think that Morrowind is the greatest thing since sliced bread...in fact I didn′t enjoy it much at all. I don′t need to be told over and over again that EVERYTHING that is different than Morrowind makes the game worse...guess what, there is a game that is exactly like Morrowind, it′s called MORROWIND!

I didn't like Morrowind much either, but because of its alien and high fantasy like feel. But, if you don't like being told, don't read? Forums are for people to express their opinions, not to please you!

-If it′s in the game it′s a mechanic, NOT an exploit. Personally I don′t have the patience to stand at an Arcane Enchanter table and click and press R to get my enchanting skill to 100 so I can make nuclear bows, but if someone feels that′s what they want to do, then it′s a legitimate way to solve the game.

Eh, what? Do you even know what an exploit is? From wiki: "An exploit, in video games, is the use of a bug or design flaw by a player to their advantage in a manner not intended by the game's designers". So a feature/mechanic is put in with good intent, only to be exploited, which are then removed by the devs either in the next game or even in a patch. Daggerfall - absorb magicka exploit, weakness traits exploits. You think these were removed because they were overpowered by design? No, if used as intended they probably worked fine. Same with crafting skills with additive effects - they will be revised somehow, trust me on that - it's not intended and its bad game design, and they bloody well know it now that they are aware of it.

-I use the quest arrow, again in real life, if I was trying to find a location in town I would prefer to use a GPS than not using one. Though in Skyrim it′s not really needed most of the time since most dungeons only have one path anyway, what I wouldn′t have given for a quest arrow in Daggerfall though.

Would you also play a football game with a machinegun if it was put in there? I guess you would. It doesn't make for good design though. I don't object to quest arrows and POI markers added to aid the casual players. I object to the game being design with these in mind, allowing the quest designers to become lazy in their design work. There are many approaches that would have been better than a direct pinpoint, even if Morrowind's descriptions could be a bit hard on some. I want both of these, so that I can turn off the bloody helpers when I don't want them, but they didn't even give us the ability to selectively turn on and off various helpers.

-I don′t eat, sleep, socialize, brush my teeth or get cleaned in game. If I wanted to play a game about everyday chores, I would play the Sims. If it has no effect in the game that I desire, I don′t do it. If brushing my teeth would give me a +15% frost resistance I would brush them all the time. It′s not like I am reading an adventure book or watching an actionmovie and think to myself, this would be so much more realistic and better if it portrayed Gandalf eating pancakes and trimming his toenails, why would I expect these things from a game in order for it to be entertaining?

hardcoe modes to enable such features, tend to be optional. Some of us actually want deeper gameplay than combat. If I wanted combat only, I'd play International Karate +.

We are the 99% of gamers...we like playing our games casually!
(Putting on my +75 Fire Resistance boots in preparation for the flames)

Source on that percentage?

» Thu Jun 07, 2012 8:36 pm

A better mechanic would be increase Frost Breath and Ice Form's effectiveness by 15-25%. Feel the minty freshness!

what are you going to brush your teeth with...mammoth Fur? what about spriggan twigs for the deep cleaning....

» Thu Jun 07, 2012 12:46 pm

LOL Love your post! Very entertaining and ohhhhhhh so deliciously sarcastic! :wink:

GAME ON!

I am a role player though and my toon needs her beauty sleep and some road rations. She also needs to find shelter when it gets too dark or too cold! =p That's the beauty of these games though, we can play them however we want!

» Thu Jun 07, 2012 2:53 pm

99% huh?
That's why bethesda is making TES mainstream.

I disagree.

But to the OP - well said. I myself am more of an immersive player and do all the stupid stuff like eat, sleep, bathe etc in-game. TES games are an escape from the real world for me (in a good way - they help me turn my brain off for a while, which as a grad student can be difficult). Enjoy the game any way you want.

» Thu Jun 07, 2012 5:15 pm

Bethesda tried to design a game that pleases everyone.

I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure--which is: Try to please everybody.
Herbert Bayard Swope

Uldred

» Thu Jun 07, 2012 3:27 pm

I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure--which is: Try to please everybody.
Herbert Bayard Swope

Uldred

Don't let Beth see you say that, or they will make the next TES for casuals only! Jokes aside, I feel they didn't try to make Skyrim that equal for casual and hardcoe gamers to enjoy.

» Fri Jun 08, 2012 1:51 am

I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure--which is: Try to please everybody.
Herbert Bayard Swope

Uldred

you know, people enjoyed using that phrase when folks were asking for possible options before Skyrims release, How quaint. I think you should make a thread, that'll get the blood pumping, who is Beth making it for, and is that why some really don't like Oblivion? tonight at 11. <3

» Thu Jun 07, 2012 3:16 pm

Nothing worse than when individuals post a subjective opinion saying 'we' instead of 'i' like the're some self appointed spokesman for the masses.

» Thu Jun 07, 2012 3:31 pm

you'll need more than +75......

personally everyone should play any game they pick up/buy the way they want to, not the way someone else 'thinks' it should be played. period.

see? i just said in one sentence what you said in a wall of text. :tongue:

I agree with you.

» Thu Jun 07, 2012 11:53 pm

I am such a svcker for mechanics, I′d play the game in any way, including brushing teeth, picking up groceries, and sorting my pots and pans in my home if I was rewarded for it. It′s all about dangling something in front of me and I′ll do it.

You have successfully washed and ironed your robes - you receive a +5% to your magic skill development rate (better concentration on your studies without the fleas and lice in there).

I played Fallout NV in hardcoe mode and enjoyed it. But for whatever reason I always stick to the mechanics of the design I am given.

Thank you to all polite responses who simply said that I can enjoy the game any way I want. That′s the whole point right?

And of course the Stephanie Meyer remark was sarcastic...in fact I′d much rather read the entire series of the real barenziah than the twilight series :touched:

If you need imagination to get a sense of roleplaying and authenticity into the game than I have no problem imagining that while I was fast traveling to Solitude my character stopped in at the Burger Jarl and had a sandwich on the way. :cool:

» Thu Jun 07, 2012 10:48 pm

I've found that the quests are very weak in Skyrim and Oblivion quests were better.

» Thu Jun 07, 2012 3:57 pm

-No, I don′t read the books in Skyrim, neither did I read the books in Oblivion or Morrowind, because I am PLAYING a game. If I wanted to read I would pick up something by Stephanie Meyer and read it...

I made an account just to say, "I stopped reading at this point. Too bad, I probably missed out on a good discussion."

» Fri Jun 08, 2012 12:59 am

-No, I don′t read the books in Skyrim, neither did I read the books in Oblivion or Morrowind, because I am PLAYING a game. If I wanted to read I would pick up something by Stephanie Meyer and read it...

Ah! Troll detected! Too obvious!

» Thu Jun 07, 2012 1:39 pm

A better mechanic would be increase Frost Breath and Ice Form's effectiveness by 15-25%. Feel the minty freshness!

Any other thoughts on the way he should play his game? We aim to please--in fact you might want to post a list of, "Scow's Rules To Playing Skyrim". :deal:

» Thu Jun 07, 2012 5:14 pm

Okay, I'll bite :smile:

I agree with pretty much everything you said in your redtext.

» Thu Jun 07, 2012 8:18 pm

You do realize the majority of the people on the forums are not casual gamers so I don't understand what you're going for here other than to incite a flamewar. What was your point anyway?

Link or it's not true.