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In which TES games do you roleplay?

PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2016 10:40 am
by Flutterby

This topic is slightly related to another one I have but I wanted to ask more specifically about this and expand on it. I want to try out roleplaying, but I am a bit unsure which game in the TES series would be the best fit for me to really try it on. I have heard that many people have some TES games they are able to roleplay in, and others that just does not work for them at all. But I wanted to know more specific the actual reasons behind it. Like if it is the dialogue, or the game mechanic or something else etc that is the reason. This way I might be able to spot what I can relate to the most and what could be the best fit for me.



So yes, which games in the TES series are you roleplaying in (if any) and which ones does not work for you and why?


In which TES games do you roleplay?

PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2016 7:06 am
by Roberto Gaeta
I roleplay easiest in Morrowind. There are a lot of reasons for this. Foremost among them, I think, is the Topics and hyperlink dialogue system. It is a very conceptual approach to dialogue, and it allows me to use my imagination to its utmost. A game has to allow me space to use my imagination or I cannot roleplay. If a game attempts to hold my hand and do everything for me, I cannot roleplay.


When my character's dialogue is written out explicitly, I rarely feel that the developer has written what my character would say. But this is to be expected. The developer doesn't know my character. How could the developer possibly write dialogue for my character? They can't.


Each time I click on a hyperlink with a different character I imagine my character speaking a different line of dialogue, one that is unique to that character. If I click on that hyperlink fifty time with fifty characters I can imagine fifty different lines of dialogue.


The fact that is is almost entirely text dialogue also helps me. I "hear" Sellus Gravius' dialogue in different tones of voice each time I play a different character. One time I might imagine him speaking the lines in a serious tone of voice, another time I hear him speaking the same lines in a sarcastic tone of voice, another time I hear him speaking the lines in a kind of bored, bureaucratic tone of voice.


Even the fact that the NPCs have no schedule helps, oddly enough. It allows me to imagine lives for them. When I leave Seyda Neen I imagine Eldafire and Fargoth and Arrille and all the others getting into all sorts of adventures while I'm away. I imagine lives for them. That is harder to do in the later games.


I guess what it all boils down to is that the bare bones nature of so much of the game allows me to use my imagination. When a game supplies voice acting, schedules, and other technical bells and whistles in an attempt to simulate "life" it inadvertently removes some of my ability to use my imagination.


I'm a little like a kid who plays with the box rather than the toy. The box allows me to use my imagination to its fullest. Morrowind, to me, is a great box to play with. :)

In which TES games do you roleplay?

PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2016 1:12 pm
by Stephy Beck

In all of them except Arena!



Daggerfall is one of the easiest to start roleplaying in, it's very atmospheric even after all these years.



Morrowind I have issues due to the combat and the stationary NPCs, two mods, one to make attacks always hit and another to give NPCs schedule and I'm set on RPing! This is one of the few games where I just forget that I have keyboard and mouse in front of me.



Oblivion, as soon as I start, it's charm, cities and NPCs make it really easy for me to start Rping. There's just something about Oblivion where I can play it without mods no problem, of course mods really help!



Skyrim, I have such a hard time with it and that's due to the NPCs and how very... Movie Set-ish the cities are. The NPCs and their schedules feel very... JRPGish and the cities feel very barebones. I need so many mods so I can start roleplaying due to how very video game-y it is. But once it's modded I can start roleplaying with almost no issues, barring the NPCs repeating the same lines over and over again.


In which TES games do you roleplay?

PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2016 10:42 pm
by casey macmillan

MW, Oblivion and Skyrim.


Easiest in MW as between the character generation system and the factions different characters had radically different playthroughs.


In which TES games do you roleplay?

PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2016 10:21 pm
by Stat Wrecker

I RP in Morrowind and a bit in Oblivion


In which TES games do you roleplay?

PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2016 3:40 pm
by daniel royle

Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim. My character ages and looks older through out the series.