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

» Sun May 27, 2012 11:57 pm

I'm starting to wonder if Nostalgia added 5X more quests to each Morrowind faction in my Memories, along with Daedric being incredibly hard to acquire with only 2 full sets in the game, Powerful artifacts worth obtaining and overall more Lore and depth to NPCs, did I just imagine all that? Because I certainly remember the dodgy combat at least.

Yeah it seems Nostalgia added all these fantastic RP elements in my memories that never existed.
Morrowind is still talked about because it was a Genuinely good game, MOST if not all of it's flaws were due to Hardware/Software limitations in that time, with the occasional Balance issue that would never go away unless you remove the features from the game, and never adding anything as a replacement.

» Mon May 28, 2012 4:05 am

I've experience that sense of awe and wonder the OP talks about, but this has happened to me quite a few times when i'm playing a game that i know is just a level above almost anything else i have played before and basically is the reason i play games. Games like Final Fantasy 4,6,7, Final Fantasy Tactics, Castlevania Symphony of the Night, Xenogears,Metal Gear Solid, Zelda A Link to the Past, OoT, Halo, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age Origins, and Oblivion. Right now i put Skyrim above all those other games, cause of the depth of the experience is greater and that feeling of awe has lasted over 120 hours now and seem to have no end in sight.

» Mon May 28, 2012 10:38 am

Agree with a lot of the comments here, however I do think there is an added influence, and that is technology. I think writing had to be better when games weren't mechanically/graphically as good in order to keep people interested. It also allowed a development team the ability to focus more on the story lines, because there was only so much that could be done with the mechanics and graphics. I offer this:

Compare the mechanical/visual aspect of dragons flying around Skyrim to the Cliff Racers in Morrowind.
Compare how easy it is to become the Arch-Mage in Skyrim to how long it took in Morrowind.

As games have advanced, the focus seems to be heavily geared toward graphics instead of story. Even as it stands, I think most of the "outside" criticism towards Skyrim has been about how the graphics under-shot the gaming community's expectations (at least on PC). It seems to be really only those of us who are familiar with TES series who have problems with the character development and story side. Also, I think the people who game on the PC have more issues with things like the menus and interface than console gamers, but at least we can fix those.

I understand the whole nostalgia thing, but you'll really never capture any past moments again. Most of us already understand that we'll never have a first love, first child, first car, first house, etc. The problem is that games can be deceptive, because a new game presents an opportunity to be a "first" but that's hard to find these days.

» Mon May 28, 2012 6:01 am

There is a word for that. Nostalgia. Trust me, you just remember the good stuff.

» Mon May 28, 2012 3:35 am

Skyrim is much more awe-inspiring in my opinion. Morrowind does have a HUGE nostalgia factor, because at the time the game was simply the best around. It was absolutely amazing.

Stuff has improved, they gave us Skyrim, and I love it.

» Mon May 28, 2012 10:31 am

It was the SNES era of RPGs that got me hooked on the genre. I've come to realize that I'll never again feel the same wonder and attachment that I did when playing FF3 (or 6 if you're a stickler for international titles) and Secret of Mana in my youth.

I'm sure some of it is "rose colored glasses" and all that.

Gaming is changing. Just like music, and everything else in the world that a generation may or may not become attached to/infatuated with. The kids are taking over (and I mean no offense by this, it's a fact) and one day they'll be saying the exact same things about how epic was and how modern gaming is just a shadow of its former self.

Getting old svcks.

» Mon May 28, 2012 12:15 am

Same reason I consider Zelda: Link to the Past to be the best Zelda game ever, with no newer Zelda game ever coming close to it.

» Mon May 28, 2012 6:44 am

I'm gonna hazard a guess that you weren't even born when it came out.

Morrowind will always hold a special spot for me in TES series, because it was my first however I haven't played it since Oblivion had came out and I doubt I will play it again unless it gets a remastered edition(Like Xboxhd remakes etc).

No, I was around and did play it. It was okay and nothing more. I and pretty sure a lot of people are tired of people whining that Oblivion and Skyrim didn't meet their golden standard.

» Mon May 28, 2012 3:15 am

Morrowind never gave me that feeling, Daggerfall and Skyrim did, but that doesn't bother me and make me complain about other TES games as I still love them(I'm not pointing at the OP)

My list would be:

Skyrim
Daggerfall
Oblivion
Morrowind
Arena

But you don't hear me ranting about how Morrowind is horrible.

My list is the same!

» Mon May 28, 2012 4:16 am

It's not nostalgia. But seriously, It's nostalgia. My first was Oblivion, and even though my list would be:

Skyrim
Morrowind
Oblivion
Daggerfall

Although a heavily modded Oblivion (30 gb or so) is unmatched: Better cities, UL, [censored]loads of stuff, enemies, OOO, MMM, Fran's, quests... If Skyrim gets that much stuff I'll be in [censored] heaven.

» Mon May 28, 2012 1:56 am

Not all of it's nostalgia, Morrowind is still a legitimately good game and some have in fact played Morrowind quite recently, heck I've even played Daggerfall only a few months ago. People really do see this far too black and white whenever older games come up though. Far too many refuse to listen to anything regarding them and just call nostalgia or inversely are far too zealous when it comes to the older games.

I do think Bethesda should go back and look at some of the features from their older games and grab a few things that would be great to have in future games. Fleshing out Daggerfalls fast travel system (choosing how recklessly you travel and what form of transport you use, ect.), sinking like a stone in water or getting bogged down in mud if you're wearing full plate and loaded down with items, carts to help lug loot around, and mounted combat for the modern era would be great. Grabbing some more weapons (particularly variety in ranged attacks), spell, faction, and enchantment variety from Morrowind would be great because spellcasting and enchant use is feeling really limited right now.

People need to stop making polls about which TES game was the best or what order they would rank them in and start thinking the particulars of why they liked one game more then another. Specifics not generalizations make things happen and promote real discussion.

» Mon May 28, 2012 3:25 am

This is really simple when you look at it like this:

You are chasing the Dragon (Pun intended)

The first time you something is always the best. When a drug addict does Heroin for the first time it's the best, he spends the rest of his life chasing that high of the first time. You always remember the first time you had six, I bet you don't remember all of the other times that were probably just as good if not better. The first is always different.

It's the same way with video games, the first game that gets you into a genre will always be the best to you. Doesn't mean that you didn't upgrade it just isn't the same to you.

For example if the first girl your with was a "7" but now your dating a model. You have upgraded but you still look back on that "7" fondly.

» Mon May 28, 2012 12:49 pm

I'm gonna hazard a guess that you weren't even born when it came out.

Why? Just because someone doesn't share the opinion that Morrowind is awesome? I like Morrowind, but it's not half as good as a small minority assert day in, day out.

» Mon May 28, 2012 12:15 am

Sir. Please elaborate more vividly.

» Mon May 28, 2012 5:01 am

Nostalgia aside, Morrowind is simply a much better game than Skyrim.

Fully agree. Maybe is because of that i am downloading Morrowind III right now, after i experienced Skyrim for almoust 200h with a lvl 56 char.

» Sun May 27, 2012 11:24 pm

Morrowind never gave me that feeling, Daggerfall and Skyrim did.

» Mon May 28, 2012 10:06 am

Okay. Some posts have gone away. Insults will stop now, please.

Thanks! :thumbsup:

» Sun May 27, 2012 11:30 pm

It's all nostalgia, but people confuse it with fact constantly.... and will even go to great lengths to prove it's not. lol

Daggerfall was the best game ever..... according to me.

Letting my little brothers play it who all started TES with Morrowind, they don't make it out of the first dungeon before complaining about the graphics and quitting.

Yet they'll defend Morrowind as the best game ever to their friends who played Oblivion as their first TES game..... and the cycle just repeats itself.

Oh, and in conclusion; Daggerfall is the best game ever and is better than every other persons favorite game:)

EDIT: hopefully the above line is considered sarcasm and not an insult=)

» Mon May 28, 2012 3:59 am

Same reason I consider Zelda: Link to the Past to be the best Zelda game ever, with no newer Zelda game ever coming close to it.

Easily the best Zelda game, and why I can't get into any new ones. I still play this from time to time :foodndrink:

» Mon May 28, 2012 12:50 am

I'm glad this thread got unlocked.

» Mon May 28, 2012 12:32 pm

I'm older than just about all of you (41) and am as old as you can get and still have 'grown up' with gaming most of my life.

You are able to overlook flaws in your first RPG game because you are unaware of the flaws. Now Morrowind wasn't my first RPG, but it was my first, first person one that wasn't' simply a dungeon crawl (I never played arena or daggerfall).

I really enjoyed it, I gamed the system, I actually finished it and I get bored easy.

But like losing your virginity the first time is special, after that you start looking at the quality of the experience.

Morrowind was a horrible buggy mess, with horrible inconsistencies and overpowered abilities and items. Bethesda never fixed them either, it was up to modders.

When I hear someone wax on about how great Oblivion was I already know how old they were, because to someone with a bit of experience, Oblivion was awful. If it wasn't your first love, you felt like you just woke up after a night of beer goggles.

Whats funny is people who think Bethesda will fix anything but the game breaking issues. They won't, they NEVER have had a history of that. They have NO CLUE about balance, and less of a clue about story writing each game it seems. They have made a tremendous amount of money doing this, so why would you expect them to change?

It is what it is. The market is starving for sandbox RPG's out there, and they are one of the few feeding it.

» Mon May 28, 2012 1:52 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.

Speak for yourself mate, as will i.

I haven't played Morrowind for 6 years or so. I remember it intricately in places, not so much in others, but believe me when i say nostalgia doesn't enter into the equation.

I *know* what subsequent titles could have been like.

I do not blame myself that they were not, and i sure as freak don't excuse Beth for it either...

» Mon May 28, 2012 12:42 am

I'm older than just about all of you (41)

Only 41? Damn kids. :laugh:

» Mon May 28, 2012 4:44 am

Only 41? Damn kids. :laugh:

Hope thats not your daughter in your avatar

» Mon May 28, 2012 9:30 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'm also 28, and I have all the same feelings about Morrowind that you do, but that's exactly why I love Skyrim so much, because I actually have that Morrowind feeling from the game once again. Skyrim feels like the immersion, detail, and sense of adventure of Morrowind, mixed with the improved gameplay of Oblivion, greatly improved on both levels, and added a bunch of other things just cuz, and threw it all in a blender.

Skyrim really is a mashup of all of my favorite RPG's, and all the things that made those various games stand out for me. At 28, I would point to Skyrim as the better game.