I'll never capture that "Morrowind" moment again... : V - Skyrim

» Mon May 28, 2012 3:35 am

Does anyone know off of the top of their heads what the opposite of nostalgia is? No? It's probably the same reason why nobody calls you unreasonable for enjoying something now, which you remember as being unenjoyable in the past. Just a thought.

I think that's a rather subjective opinion; I've put hundreds of hours into Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim (yes, already, I have no life.) Morrowind doesn't stand head and shoulders above the others, as much as I love it; it was just one step along the way. That's not to say it has no advantages compared to the others, but for every plus there was at least one minus. One can accept each game for what it is or be perpetually dissatisfied; I know which I'd rather be.

Don't take this as me picking on you but could you please clarify what you mean? Are you saying that we're all completely responsible for how much we do or don't enjoy something?

» Mon May 28, 2012 3:39 am

I'm younger, and I feel the same sort of attachment to Oblivion. Skyrim is a monumental gaming achievement, and once the bugs have been smoothed out, it will be recognised as one of the greatest RPG's of the PS3/360 generation. As far as mechanics are concerned, I'm pushed to think of a way that Oblivion can touch it. But the feelings that Oblivion evoked - and Morrowind did, for the majority of people on this forum got hooked to the TES series by playing Morrowind - aren't something that it can emulate, despite it being awesome.

I just don't see what causes it to be a monmental gaming achievement.I see people talking about this game like its the best thing since sliced bread. Sure its a good game, has alot of holes in it though.

» Mon May 28, 2012 1:19 am

A different game but still related. I've never felt the same about any other MMO's I've played since Everquest, no matter how great they still were.

I do remember playing Morrowind on the Xbox, but I don't think I was old enough at the time to totally appreciate how complex people claim it was. I was only in high school at the time and my attention span was not the greatest.

» Mon May 28, 2012 2:46 am

Morrowind sure as hell is more alien, it doesn't feel like this world.

That's why it's so damn awesome.

» Sun May 27, 2012 9:48 pm

Skyrim invokes the same feelings I got playing Morrowind the first time.

Mostly because the background music, and many ambient sounds, are from Morrowind. I hear Cliff Racer cries and Stilt Strider moans all the time when just walking around in the wilderness.

» Mon May 28, 2012 12:51 am

I think part of the problem here is that long time RPG gamers look at RPG game developers as godlike DND Dungeon Masters that develop the game for the sake of creating an amazing work of art and while that is partially true (the work of art part), they are also a group of employees that are being paid to make a product that will make their company and publisher MONEY.

The fact is, the gaming industry is driven by profits that are driven by sales #s and a game with a Morrowind complexity enchangement system is NOT going to sell well on a console (the huge money train that needs to be ridden to keep your company afloat these days). The time for highly complex RPG games are gone (and have been for nearly a decade). In some ways I miss them, and in some ways I'm glad I don't have to fumble around with some of those mechanics to play a game. I think Skyrim is a pretty darn good mix of old school and new breed RPG, but that's just my opinon.

» Mon May 28, 2012 11:50 am

Main reason why a new player will prefer Skyrim over Morrowind is because of better graphics and that's that.
I do agree with most of the OP though.

» Mon May 28, 2012 9:04 am

Oblivion was my first rpg in 2006 and back then I loved it. Mostly because I had no standards and couldnt tell what was good and what wasnt. Now I see the many flaws of the game and wouldve been really disappointed at it if I had had expectations or knew something about rpgs. Still I get a nostalgia feeling when playing it and theres just a certain charm to it. I only played Morrowind a bit over a year ago but for some reason that game developed more charm and nostalgia than oblivion did. The music, the atmosphere, the environment create something quite unique despite the many flaws of the game.

On a sidenote, nostalgia aside Morrowind is much better than Oblivion and better than Skyrim except for game mechanics and graphics.

» Mon May 28, 2012 12:54 pm

As good as morrowind might of once been, people tend to play it untill its boring again. Re-releasing morrowind would be boring. They need to give us something new each time or it will get boring again very quickly.

» Mon May 28, 2012 2:57 am

I simply "IMO" would have changed your post from "unnecessary to the thread" to "just your opinion"

And then people asks why Morrowind Lovers are considered elitists. I love Morrowind and don't go into threads just to say "Morrowind, as a fact, is better than Skyrim! LoL!"; firstly because that is just my opinion (not a fact) and second because that doesn't add nothing to the discussion it just makes me seems arrogant.

This has nothing to do with arrogance or elitism. I love all of the TES games.

Morrowind is just the best, that's all. :shrug:

» Mon May 28, 2012 9:00 am

I was too young to get the nostalgia from Morrowind because quite frankly, I found it boring. I would get [censored] by cliff racers constantly and the game just never held my interest. I know you die-hards are going to bash me for this but I found Morrowind nearly impossible to navigate. I tried doing mages guild quests and after the third one I was like, wtf do I go? I read the journal and followed the instructions word for word. But in the end I got lost and gave up on the game. Now when I tried Oblivion, I was [censored] amazed. I gave hundreds of hours of my life to that game. I may not have liked Morrowind, probably because I was too young to really get into it, but I LOVED Oblivion; despite it's many pitfalls it was a great game.

» Mon May 28, 2012 2:08 pm

Honestly its hard to match that first experience into the Bethesda open-world RPG...for a lot of players it was Morrowind, for me it was Oblivion. When I first saw Oblivion there were no other games like it out--it was amazing, beautiful, and unique. I had the desire to explore and just see the sights, visit and talk to people, and sometimes fight an epic battle with bandits. It got me into RPGs and open-world games.

Now I've played Fallout 3, New Vegas, GTA IV, and Red Dead Redemption--I'm kinda spoiled. Some of the magic is lost and its hard to get that feeling again from that first game.

Anyways, Skyrim has exceeded my expectations so Im still happy.

» Mon May 28, 2012 10:55 am

After playing many hours of Skyrim, I'll admit it is a quality game. Plenty of features to make it fun and interesting. We may be able to complain about certain gameplay mechanics or design decisions, but in reality the game is quite playable and likely represents an appropriate amount of development effort for a flagship title.

I think the biggest issue for many players in my age range (28) is that we remember the feeling and emotion Morrowind evoked, which came at this magical time in our gaming history. I distinctly remember how profoundly immersed I was the first time I discovered I could "play" a game by wandering through some swamps and picking mushroom academical ingredients at my leisure. When I hear the Morrowind main theme I get a kind of pseudo-narcotic high. I remember rushing home and starting up the game, hearing the music, and anticipating the amazing experience I felt awaited me. The same phenomenon applies to FF7.

Through no fault of Bethesda, I have aged some. I have gained quite a bit of experience in playing video games. I'm much more keenly aware of what makes a game good and what doesn't. I can spot a line that isn't anti-aliased properly a mile away. I actively participate in forums which give users a false sense in having some input in game development. I have become my own worst enemy when it comes to allowing myself to enjoy games. I have developed absolutely zero tolerance for any perceived imperfection. The DRM wars that software companies have waged on PC users has strongly reinforced my "us" vs "them" mentality.

So I don't necessarily blame Skyrim for not being Morrowind. If you sat a kid who was new to the series down infront of both I'm quite sure he would choose Skyrim as the better game. Unfortunately I believe many of us desire that nostalgic "Morrowind" experience but we have all grown older and life has taken it's toll. It's sad.

I agree, very well said. I think if more people sat back and thought about it, we'd have far fewer fruitless discussions around here.
Personally i feel the same way, not least coz i'm considerably older than you even.
But as with so many other things you simply can't "recreate the first time". Because everthing that comes after that never makes quite the same impression on you.
That said, not everything that has changed has changed for the better....and i'll stand by that even AFTER taking the nostalgia glasses off. :wink_smile:

» Mon May 28, 2012 2:08 pm

I have had the experience with other games. I don't think it is so much a function of Morrowind being my first game that gave me this feeling, but just the experience I had as a computer gamer and my age. I've had similar experiences with FF7, FF8, FF Tactics, KotOR, Neverwinter Nights, and Earthbound to name a few.

» Sun May 27, 2012 10:31 pm

After playing many hours of Skyrim, I'll admit it is a quality game. Plenty of features to make it fun and interesting. We may be able to complain about certain gameplay mechanics or design decisions, but in reality the game is quite playable and likely represents an appropriate amount of development effort for a flagship title.

I think the biggest issue for many players in my age range (28) is that we remember the feeling and emotion Morrowind evoked, which came at this magical time in our gaming history. I distinctly remember how profoundly immersed I was the first time I discovered I could "play" a game by wandering through some swamps and picking mushroom academical ingredients at my leisure. When I hear the Morrowind main theme I get a kind of pseudo-narcotic high. I remember rushing home and starting up the game, hearing the music, and anticipating the amazing experience I felt awaited me. The same phenomenon applies to FF7.

Through no fault of Bethesda, I have aged some. I have gained quite a bit of experience in playing video games. I'm much more keenly aware of what makes a game good and what doesn't. I can spot a line that isn't anti-aliased properly a mile away. I actively participate in forums which give users a false sense in having some input in game development. I have become my own worst enemy when it comes to allowing myself to enjoy games. I have developed absolutely zero tolerance for any perceived imperfection. The DRM wars that software companies have waged on PC users has strongly reinforced my "us" vs "them" mentality.

So I don't necessarily blame Skyrim for not being Morrowind. If you sat a kid who was new to the series down infront of both I'm quite sure he would choose Skyrim as the better game. Unfortunately I believe many of us desire that nostalgic "Morrowind" experience but we have all grown older and life has taken it's toll. It's sad.

All your post said was "Ignorant people don't know what they are missing".

» Mon May 28, 2012 3:14 am

Probably the best thread about why Morrowind is the best game in TES(according to them as least) and let me tell you who thinks differently why:

No complaining about game-features that have changed, coupled with an understanding that a series need to evolve.

No "Morrowind was so much deeper with it's statuc world" arguments that fall apart the moment anyone comparres the two games.

No "Attributes/spall-mking/skills are gone so Skyrim svcks". Or any other argument commonly assossiated with the Morrowhiners.

But mostly because he admit that it is the feeling of nostalgia that makes him think so, and that since he have aged and gotten more experienced he's also much more critical to new games.

In other worlds: Keep thinking Morrowind is a better game if you honestly think it is, don't be a Morrowhiner, respect my right to disagree and I will respect your opinion.

» Mon May 28, 2012 3:35 am

Nolstalgia vs. Continuation of the series. You will never get that first time feeling sadly.

FF7 ugh, I can't ever talk about that game without the Advent Children Tards who watched the movie and then got FF7 and proceed to scream, "OMG FF7 BEATZEZ ALL OTHARS! NOOB I R FF FAN I PLAYED1GAMEZ! CLOUD IS PURDY SO IS SEPHYKUN~ KAWAII BAKA DESU!"

...Unrelated frustration...

» Mon May 28, 2012 6:45 am

I think Skyrim is the first game to capture the Morrowind magic since I played Morrowind.

By the way, why do SOME people like to talk about how great MW was and then talk about how crappy the combat system in Skyrim is?

Does anyone actually remember combat in Morrowind!?!

» Mon May 28, 2012 4:11 am

Sure Morrowind was there the first, but they can't just keep it the same as that!

Nearly every game series that I know of keeps their games to one theme.

And that's my input.

» Mon May 28, 2012 12:52 pm

After playing many hours of Skyrim, I'll admit it is a quality game. Plenty of features to make it fun and interesting. We may be able to complain about certain gameplay mechanics or design decisions, but in reality the game is quite playable and likely represents an appropriate amount of development effort for a flagship title.

I think the biggest issue for many players in my age range (28) is that we remember the feeling and emotion Morrowind evoked, which came at this magical time in our gaming history. I distinctly remember how profoundly immersed I was the first time I discovered I could "play" a game by wandering through some swamps and picking mushroom academical ingredients at my leisure. When I hear the Morrowind main theme I get a kind of pseudo-narcotic high. I remember rushing home and starting up the game, hearing the music, and anticipating the amazing experience I felt awaited me. The same phenomenon applies to FF7.

Through no fault of Bethesda, I have aged some. I have gained quite a bit of experience in playing video games. I'm much more keenly aware of what makes a game good and what doesn't. I can spot a line that isn't anti-aliased properly a mile away. I actively participate in forums which give users a false sense in having some input in game development. I have become my own worst enemy when it comes to allowing myself to enjoy games. I have developed absolutely zero tolerance for any perceived imperfection. The DRM wars that software companies have waged on PC users has strongly reinforced my "us" vs "them" mentality.

So I don't necessarily blame Skyrim for not being Morrowind. If you sat a kid who was new to the series down infront of both I'm quite sure he would choose Skyrim as the better game. Unfortunately I believe many of us desire that nostalgic "Morrowind" experience but we have all grown older and life has taken it's toll. It's sad.

Ah shut up and play Dead Island and Border Lands, which I'd recommend.

» Sun May 27, 2012 11:35 pm

Don't take this as me picking on you but could you please clarify what you mean? Are you saying that we're all completely responsible for how much we do or don't enjoy something?

Not at all: enjoyment is something that just happens, by and large; but over the years I've read countless posts by people who seem bloody-mindedly determined not to enjoy something, which I think is significant. The same people often disparage those who do actually enjoy the thing in question, which strikes me as not being a very productive opinion to hold: indeed just today I received another rather ignorant and insulting comment along the usual lines, which I think I found more perplexing than annoying.

» Mon May 28, 2012 3:23 am

Agreed. Nowadays, I realize that it's not really Bethesda's fault. I mean, not only was Morrowind my first Elder Scroll game, it was also my first RPG. I had not the slightest clue about what was what. Didn't even knew you could find answers on the net, or that there was a forum. I depended solely on the in-game info to figure out everything, and I had to figure out, well, pretty much everything - down to the difference between the attack key and the talk key, and why it's not a good idea to confuse both when you're trying to buy something.

Can't beat that as an immerser, really.

So well, there's no way to get that fully back.

» Sun May 27, 2012 10:36 pm

I would have to agree. While there may be certain mechanics or features of Morrowind that I preferred, Skyrim also has plenty of features that I prefer. I think you hit it on the head - the reason many prefer Morrowind is not because it is a better game per se, but rather the nostalgia and memories. I too get goosebumps when I hear the Morrowind main theme, but for different reasons than when I hear the Skyrim theme. Morrowind theme takes me back.

» Sun May 27, 2012 9:38 pm

Morrowind sure as hell is more alien, it doesn't feel like this world.

That's why it's so damn awesome.

Exactly. Oblivion was a walk in the woods, Skyrim is a walk in snowy woods.

» Mon May 28, 2012 2:07 am

I started TES with Oblivion. Should I go back and play Morrowind just for the experience? :confused: