Ok, so I've been playing Skyrim a lot more recently, and it's a sweet game, but I just thought I'll share my thought on some of the things and see if people feel the same way, maybe get some sort of reaction out of developers too hehe, anyways, let start so.

1. I don't feel like people don't really know who I am past the fact that I'm the Dragonborn, which is very annoying because some of the side quest lines are far more impressive then the main one in my opinion, but that's not even the point, I'm an arch mage, shouldn't people think I'm wise and powerful caster acknowledge who I am past the simple fact that I'm the Dragonborn. This may not be the case for other guilds I'm yet to find out so don't spoil it for me. I'm pretty sure someone said something about me being the main guy from companions.

2. Why is everything a quest in Skyrim, I remember needing to read books in Morrowind to find artifacts, and damn it was exhilarating to look for them and go through dungeons and stuff, and when you found them, they were godly, I mean with enchanting and alchemy being the way they are, I'm questioning why are some of the artifacts described to be so amazing in some of the books in Skyrim when I can make items that are 10 times better, frankly it surprises me why isn't everyone in Skyrim super powerful, I think that Bethesda is slaughtering their own lore with this system, I mean you'd think someone would capitalize on this in the real world and start selling godly items to the point where they are cheap as hell, if you know what I mean.

3. Ok so I'm the leader of the companions now, what now? Nothing... Why can't I order people to do stuff? Why is everyone ordering me to go there and do this, but in the end I have no authority over anyone in the guild, I'm still a pawn, I'm still doing all the work damn it, I'd like very much for once send someone else on a quest.

I guess all I'm trying to say is, I wish I became a part of this world instead of running it from shadows, I wish NPC made their own opinions about me on my feats, not all of them of course, not everyone can know I'm the Listener, or the master of thief guild, those are meant to be secrets, that perhaps only select few NPCs know. Why are NPC so oblivious to the fact that im holding the Staff of Magnus in my hands, this amazing artifact that it's supposed to be, or that I'm wearing this weird mask...
Maybe the games aren't there yet, maybe it's my fault hmm..

Sorry about this train of thoughts, I had it for days now you'd think I'd put it together better, although I haven't slept all night, so that could be the cause of this, anyways, off to Skyrim some more.

I agree with your 3rd point

I think it's a common complaint about these games that no-one acknowledges what you, the player, have done. Whatshisname in Whiterun still keeps telling me to join the College of Winterhold if I want to learn about magic. I'm the damned arch-mage!

You don't hear much difference in dialogue when playing as different races either. You'd think with how racist the people of Skyrim are, you would hear a big difference between playing as a Nord and playing as an Argonian, Khajiit, Imperial, etc.

I think the player's actions needs to have a bigger impact on the game world. Especially the way people talk to you.

-Considering that both the Theives guild, and Dark Brotherhood, are highly secretive organizations, it isn't likely for anyone to know you are in them.
-They make it pretty clear in the game that the Nords hate the College of Winterhold, and mages, so there is really no reason for them to care that you are the arch-mage, I personally doubt 99% of the people in Skyrim have a reason to know the Arch-Mage changed.
-The Companions are essentially a group of private cops, and while being a cop from a famous district is speical, when talking to people no one is gonna be like "OMG UR THAT ONE COP FROM THAT COOL DISTRICT"

It's only possible to make weapons 10X better then artifacts if you load up on +smithing, and +enchanting gear, and chug down potions as well.

People seem to think that they can use exploits to justify why the base game items are not powerful enough, when they can't. what you make when you cheat cannot be used in comparison for anything in the base game, and exploiting to make weapons that power is something the user has to CHOSE to do, you chose to make weapons that powerful, and Bethesda is all about freedom, but not claim that artifacts aren't good enough because you decided to exploit.

Furthermore, with the use of smithing, all artifact level items can be made just as good as anything else in terms of damage.

If you had payed attention to the companions questline, they mention like 4 times that The Harbinger is NOt the leader of the companions, there is no real leader. The Harbinger is just the most respected member of the guild, and really, how does one send someone on a quest in a game like Skyrim?

and you do have authority over everyone in the guild, you can make them follow you and essentially be your pack mule/sidekick at anytime.
Because 99% of the populace doesn't know what the staff of Magnus is?

If you had held the spear of destiny, and walked around a busy town today, no one would stop and go "OMG HE HAS THE SPEAR OF DESTINY" because no one knows that the spear you are holding is the spear of destiny.

I find it so frustrating, I'm literally a walking artifact of the past with all the rings and necklaces, sword, staffs, arch-mage robes, and "I used to be an adventurer like..." I think I'm a bit more then a damn adventurer at this point, but thanks for a notice I guess...

it's more than a bit nonsensical, the only factions who acknowledge your leadership (I haven't done the Dark Brotherhood) are the College of Winterhold and the Thieves guild. Being Harbinger of the Companions is a joke. The mages at the college talk to you reverentially "Hello Archmage" even if you're only barely serviceable as a mage and voice their complaints to you. The thieves in the guild call you boss and give you respect. And joining the Bards college is a joke in itself, you get stuck with legendary musical instruments you can't drop and can't play. Even being a Thane is a joke, you don't get to sit in on court functions and bend the Jarl's ear. Elisef has two thanes who I've never seen lift a sword and are never around when something is happening in the city, they're either sitting on their butts in the palace or in their homes. Being Thane does have its upside of course but it's like you're the only REAL warrior of the bunch. Notwithstanding I love Skyrim but stuff like that does grate on my nerves at times.

The Harbringer is a figurehead and diplomat, not a commander. Kodlak didn't give orders, nor did those before him.

Yes, but lower ranking Companions didn't give him radiant quests to go clear a sabre cat out of a farm house either.


I agree with how once you complete a guild, like the Companions, nothing happens except having those lame radiant quests.

I would like to elaborate on this and go over all you other points but I'll have to later since I got class soon.

1. -Considering that both the Theives guild, and Dark Brotherhood, are highly secretive organizations, it isn't likely for anyone to know you are in them.

I mentioned that.

2. -They make it pretty clear in the game that the Nords hate the College of Winterhold, and mages, so there is really no reason for them to care that you are the arch-mage, I personally doubt 99% of the people in Skyrim have a reason to know the Arch-Mage changed.

They can hate it all they want, you can't tell me that the fact that the whole story line of the College of Winterhold comes down to almost destroying half the Skyrim, and you mean to tell me no one cares? No word spread about what happened?

3. -The Companions are essentially a group of private cops, and while being a cop from a famous district is speical, when talking to people no one is gonna be like "OMG UR THAT ONE COP FROM THAT COOL DISTRICT"

They did it in Oblivion "OMG you're the hero of Kavach"

4. It's only possible to make weapons 10X better then artifacts if you load up on +smithing, and +enchanting gear, and chug down potions as well.

I used 10x as an exaggeration you can make better items then artifacts you find in game just by drinking a pot and enchanting which isn't exploiting, I didn't exploit anything in Skyrim unless downloading the mod that made artifacts that I found better to make them feel like they are worthy of a legend.

5. Because 99% of the populace doesn't know what the staff of Magnus is?

Really? You mean to tell me that no one reads, some of these items I have appear in some books? I'm not asking for everyone to know, frankly I think that be even more unrealistic, but no one? However, I'll give you this one, there aren't descriptions regarding the appearance.

They did give me orders, yeah they didn't word it like that, but what else was it? I didn't have a choice not to do it to progress, and even then all the stuff is happening until I'm the head of the guild, and after that it's good old boring life again, no one gets kidnaped no one get's in some other trouble, and even if someone does, I have to go an do it because I do everything regardless of my status in the corp.

I agree with some of what your saying, but Skyrim can only do so much. For what Skyrim currently is, it's pretty damn impressive. Especially considering that there's no other game like it.

The game can only program all the NPCs to know so much.

Yeah I sad that too, perhaps I do want more than it's currently possible, although I'm sure it's possible it's just not cost efficient when it comes to development time and money spent which is fine, at the end of the day, it's a business for them.

Sometimes people know who you are too much.

Guards in Winterhold shouldn't be able to identify me as the newest member of the companions. Hell, guards outside of Whiterun shouldn't know.

This gave me a good laugh.
Especially the mental image of your character all pimped out in ancient gear.


Anyway. You can argue all you want about NPCs potentially not knowing about your title, but you have to wonder how they know you are proficient at sneaking, pickpocketing, lockpicking, great at bartering, etc etc, without ever seeing you do commit such acts.

I didn't even thought of that! Indeed how do they know all that? My potion brewing must be something of a legend within itself...

So, then how come that some guards say "Psst, I know who you are... "Hail Sithis" EVERY time I hear that, I want to kill that guard for knowing my secret! How stupid is that? They can say that, but on the other hand, they can't acknowledge that I'm the Harbinger or Arch Mage etc?

Now, I don't know if the unofficial Skyrim patch fixed that, but the guards in the towns now address me as "Thane" and ask me how things are. I also hear other acknowledgements, like OMG you wield the Star of Azura, how is this possible? They also address me as Harbinger etc. So, my actions did finally make an impact.

That was my BIGGEST gripe with Skyrim. The world felt like I was living in a vacuum, that no matter what I did, it really didn't matter and nobody cared...

Morrowind this this so much better when I think about it, some people liked you more for being in a curtain guild, some people didn't want to deal with you at all if you were to deep with a guild they didn't stand for, sure that limited you, in what you can do, but it made you feel like, "Damn, people know me, I am making an impact on this world"

At any rate the Last Dragonborn has a very subdued image among the citizens of Skyrim compared to the great service he or she has done for the land. True you do get a song made of your defeat of Alduin (Tale of the Tongues) and it's in the Dragonborn's honor but then again the song is so vague (No doubt because of naming, six etc) and watered down it hardly does justice. So essentially you have a hero who is barely more than a non-entity. I got more than a bit PO'ed about that at one time but que sera sera, it is what it is. Unless they DRASTICALLY change things in the next DLC the character will eventually be lost to the mists of time with only a vague song and even vaguer book about him/her. So sad.

Bear in mind, folks, that Skyrim doesn't have television or internet gossip columns. Word of mouth doesn't spread much of your image, so if people don't recognize you, that's because they don't know what you look like.

Just saw your signature and another thing popped up, make a new character and go on till the first dragon encounter, see how much damage you do to him, because as a new fresh character I'll be willing to be youll do 10 to 20% max and the rest will be done by the guards, making you feel not so special because town guards apparently kick so much dragon ass.
I was promised to be scared of dragons when I see them, perhaps run, pfffft I shout at them to kill them... I take them on like it's nothing, be giving away dragon suits next Christmas in the store near you.

(Not sure if I can post links here)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pdk3DL5p7rk

That's more like it.

But they know my awesome sneaking and alchemy skills... but there is some truth in that too I guess.

Well obviously at low level my pitiful arrows and chopping sword didn't do all of the work though THAT dragon had more than half his health when I rushed him and until level 10 (When I had that fight) I tried to avoid dragons unless necessary. However my character is now level 62 and eats dragons for lunch, dinner and a midnight snack and that includes Revered dragons BTW. And the town guards were not involved in the battle with Alduin at the top of the Throat of the World, nor were they in Sovngarde when the Dragonborn rallied the troops and sent Alduin to his demise. They were nursing sore knees. *Smirk* If they could pull that one off then my hat is off to them.

And yet guards / other NPCs seem to know things the instant they happen. Like, for example, after defeating the first dragon. By the time you get back to town the guards there already know the dragon was defeated, and you haven't even told the Jarl yet. YOU as the player are supposed to be the first person to bring that news to Whirerun, yet people already know.

This happens way too often in the game that they must have cans on string or something. Either way, the whole of Skyrim knows about everything the instant it happens.

What I meant to say was, easy dragons were easy to kill even for guards, if you want that damn armor go kill a dragon I saw you do it before.
I kinda missed that point myself completely in my post, sorry.