There's nothing linear about Skyrim whatsoever... are you sure you're playing Skyrim?

Isn't it funny how if someone has a legitimate criticism of Skyrim people just say "No, just no." as if this game is perfect and Todd Howard is the God of the gaming industry.

You have a different understanding of the word linear on that case. FYI linear/non-linear and sandbox/non-sandbox are different things. A sandbox game allows you to wander about the game world. For Skurim this means that you can take on the quests that you want in whatever order you want to start them. This is probably what you think linear means - it doesn't. Being able to start quests in a different order and wander around the world is sandbox.

Within the quest lines themselves is where the linearity/non-linearity comes into play. If a quest line follows a single path where you complete the quest objectives in a structured ordered path with no options but the one the designer has chosen for you (often referred to as railroading) then it is linear. Similarly if the quest line follows a singular path that is the same for you and me no matter how many times we play it then it is linear. If a quest line offers you a choice or choices about whether to accept a quest or a different quest, or a choice in a quest leads to a different quest to what the other choice would lead you to then it is non-linear. Oblivion is an example of a perfectly linear sandbox game. Daggerfall is a non-linear sandbox game. Morrowind and Skyrim are largely linear sandbox games with some non-linearity. Fallout 3 is similar. Fallout New Vegas is non-linear.

Hope this aids you understanding.

Those are words you added on. "No, just no" was because they don't think that it's linear. Sorry but it's an opinion.

I should add that horses can climb steep inclines that bipeds cannot. I think it's a nice feature that makes rough-roading it with a horse worth more than just the speed boost.

I agree with you on the lack of ability to negotiate with Bandits: When I listen to their conversations, I can hear that they are people too! I wish I could converse and strike deals with them instead of just run them through. Particularly bad are the wandering marauders of random races...

I was worried about this before launch too, but after playing the game for 50 hours I can assure you that it is far from linear.

The world is open, it's just very rocky, and it isn't that hard to jump over things, I jumped up on The Throat Of The World's path with ease.
If it was flat then it'd be boring and it'd be way too easy to get around.

Compared to New Vegas, this guy is spot on. I'm a big TES fan, but FNV has x10 more ways to complete quests and much more choices and consequences. Sorry guys, but he's honestly right.

Buy a horse and then run over the mountains. Just watch the fall on the other side killed mine that way.

Again, Skyrim's world is open and there are (literally) unlimited quests - but there are no ways to use skills outside of combat and there is only one way to do most the quests.
As a general rule in New Vegas you play your character by choosing how you complete a quests, whereas in Skyrim you play your character by choosing which quests you complete. You might prefer one style to the other, but both are equally valid ways to allow players the chance to explore their characters.

Read again:

Thank you. Honestly thank you for understanding this. This man speaks the truth.

Too bad they didn't add branching outcomes to all those limitless quests. Hell, we may have even got to play it sometime before 2047! I'd trade 25+ years for that option any day! Some people are never satisfied. When given a car, they are pissed off that it is only a viper and not a ferrari. If I had a gripe with the game, I can assure you, it would be the CTD's and shadow problems and not the fact that I can't end a quest in 5,000 different ways.

I'm afraid not. New Vegas is the best example of non-linearity in a "Bethesda games studios" style game since the release of Daggerfall (which was the last true non-linear BGS RPGS). Within the quests there were multiple ways to complete things either through a choice or through using a different skill (I.e speech or science). Within the storyline itself it contained 4 separate endings based upon which of the four factions you chose to side with. Morrowind, Oblivion, Fallout 3 and I suspect Skyrim (haven't finished yet) have one single ending. Technically Fallout 3 had a choice or two popped on the end - they kind of ruined that by turning it into a free play after mainquest by a mod.

Unless of course you are also talking about simply being able to choose where to go, which as I explained before means sandbox and is not related to linearity.

Your second point refers to Larping. Yes a person can choose to do nothing more than chop wood in the game. However within the design of the game it is assumed a person will be exploring and completing quests. To say that this indicates 'non-linearity' is therefore incorrect, because it exists outside the boundaries of the intended game design. It is part of the sandbox gameplay, but choosing to complete or not complete quests does not in itself indicate non-linearity.

As you say non-linearity does not include being able to travel over mountains, but neither does it include non-quest/storyline related activities.

OP has obviously mistaken RAGE for Skyrim. I know they're both published by Bethesda...... but still. That's bad.

FNV placed you under similar illusions that by completing quests in a certain way, you were impacting the world in a tangible way. So many quests in FNV come down to the decision between +money and +karma or +money and -karma. Great game, but the nonlinearity in there was overglorified too. With regard to the main quest, you can choose one of four major paths which really are pretty similar. Whichever you take, you will not get to see the fruits of your actions.

I think we all understand that by nonlinear, no one is referring to whether or not you can climb over every mountain. No, there are not momentous decisions to be made in every quest - in a lot of cases (major questlines, in particular), that would not work/make sense. But the sheer amount of quests does allow you to play the character you want to play, and radiant quests give you a ton of flexibility.

Sandbox games are by definition non-linear in the fact that you can go where you want when you want, the quests you undertake may have set outcomes, but that is unavoidable. While the branching quests of the fallout series give the illusion of choice, they are just as linear as any other quest in any other game, the simple fact is that you end up in 1 of X amount of pre-determined places. Limiting the branches was a good choice in my opinion as I would much rather they do 5 more unique quests then add 10 more branches to a single quest. It may limit the replay value of the game somewhat, but unless you spend the estimated 200+ hours it would take to complete all of the quests, you could easily do a completely separate set of quests on a second play though.

As for the world of Skyrim, it is as non-linear as it gets, any amount of mountains will not change that. There are no invisible walls preventing you from going anywhere in the game, and as others have said, there are ways around your characters limited ability to climb slopes about certain grades.

In short the game is as non linear as it can really get.

I'm level 49 and rarely touched the main quest line. And in theory, you're saying the real world is linear too... Mountains are obstacles where one can choose to go over or around. Sure we can go over but that would entail more complex code for the game and it's honestly not needed. If you want to play a game where you climb, get Assassin's Creed or something. Otherwise, play WoW.

Not every opinion is legitimate. Thats just a lie dumb people tell themselves to feel comfortable in their mediocrity, just like fat people saying that "true beauty is on the inside".

Im sorry but saying Skyrim is linear, and then proceeding to blame that on mountains of all thing...

Plus the damn mountains can EASILLY be climbed. God knows ive done it plenty of times. Hell, even my damn horse is an olympic rock climber (altho he really svcks at the 10,000 meters dive >.>).

On a note, for those truly wanting a full 'non-linear' experience, may I suggest LIFE! Let's keep in mind this is a game here. I want to play a game to escape life and it's unending amount of choices and favorable/unfavorable outcomes. I am in Skyrim for one thing and one thing only, and that is to slay dragons. Anything that gets in my way of that (i.e. choices and branching quests) are just annoyances on my road to glory.

Maybe you bethesda defense force should read all his post. He is spot on with his second post. Every quests comes down to go here kill this come back... Where aree the speach options? TES svcks at this.

Maybe read his second paragraph, he is right there, dont cherry pick.. Linear is a lot more then just the game world, the quests are all very linear with little or no choice......

You wear your sarcasm like a tarnished diadem.

Yes, its true that TES has never been good at speach options, however that is as far from the definition of "linear" as a vanilla cake.

TES are meant as open sandbox, while speach option questing is in and of itself of a narrative nature. Aka: speach option creates linearity and an illusion of freedom brought by the introduction of an element of choice.
Choosing from 3 narrative structures =/= being free to chose the outcome.

Im not saying I would not like to see more of them, I am simply explaining the (possible) rationale behind the developpement choices that were made.