So I decided to make a character that would not be the "Dovahkiin" but I decided to go do the Golden Claw quest. It was all going fine and dandy and I thought to myself "This is probably the only quest in Skyrim where you don't have to finish the dungeon to finish the quest", which is something you could do in many of the previous games in the series.

But that's where I was wrong. I killed the trapped Dunmer, took the claw and thought to myself "mission accomplished", which I thought it was. I ran back through the dungeon backtracking my steppes all the way back to Riverwood and at this point my character would probably have announced "Hah! I have returned from your quest with the Golden Claw in my possession!" to Lucan Valerius who responded that I should go show these bandits not to mess with him.

I pulled out the Golden Claw and shook it in his face, he stared at me blankly and didn't seem to notice. I put the claw on his head and it bounced down on his shoulder and too the floor with a loud *clank* but he did not hear it. I picked it up again and offered it to him but then a divine voice shook the heavens and told me "discover the secret of Bleak Falls Barrow" and suddenly I was on these forums.

Doesn't anyone else get just frustrated with this kind of stupid quest design ? This isn't the only time Bethesda basically tells you to do something in one way or not to do it at all. Even in Oblivion you had more chances to do things differently and in Morrowind you had even greater choice and as I understand it from those who have played Daggerfall there was even more choice in that game.

Anyway didn't intend to go rant much about a game on the 24th of December. But when a game feels more frustrating than fun then it's doing something wrong.

Its not doing it wrong though. The thing is that quests will always be a form of railroading, sending the character down a pre-set path. If your not willing to walk the path, your not going to finish the quest. I get your point though, in that you were asked to retrieve it and he should want it back at that point but doesn't register it. But that barrow is an initial part of the MQ (dragonstone), so its always going to force your character through it to get the story kicked-off.

It's even put on the counter after you give it back, so I don't see why you couldn't have just stolen it after doing the Golden Claw quest if you wanted to do the MQ. Why even bother placing it at the counter at all?

I wonder how you removed it from inventory, it is suposed to be quest item, anyway the reason he doesnt acept the claw is because you need it for the dragon tablet quest.
Anyway Im with you Id rather have half the quests with multiple paths then this hundred on rails quests.

I'm wondering...if you go and "discover the secret" but don't loot the dragonstone from the boss, can you come back for it later? Or does this mess up the MQ once the dungeon respawns. If it doesn't, you could do that...or you want to stay away from that part because you do not want the encounter with the word wall (learning the word)?

What are you talking about ? I never mentioned wanting to do the MQ, the point is I couldn't even give the Golden Claw back.

I couldn't. I was mocking the absurdity of not being able to let him have the claw before discovering "the secret" of Bleak Falls Barrow. Perhaps not in a very clear way but really, I have the claw, he asked me to get the claw. Why can't I give it to him ?

Did you try returning it after opening the "claw door" ? It's useless to you at that point, so perhaps he'll take it. You don't necessarily need to complete the quest, just open that door.

I agree with you op. All of the quests on rails svcks. Choices with consequences make for a good game and the only quest that really has that in Skyrim is the Db and civil war. Also don't tell me ignoring a quest is choice as it isn't, not in the case if the bigger quest lines anyways. A simple example of this is Riften, everyone in Riften who isn't TG complains that the TG is there and that they are a scourge on the city. Yet you can't get a quest to destroy them, your either join or ignore their existence which is weak game design and writing

OP If you don't want to start the MQ just get the dragon stone and never report to the jarl of whiterun. That's what I did and made it to level 35 before fighting my first dragon.

On a side note waiting so long to start mq was great. Since I haven't exploited crafting the game scaled the dragons up nicely. The first dragon I fought outside whiterun st 35 killed my assassin in one breath attack and the first dragon I saw in the wild was an elder dragon. Skipped all the weaker more annoying ones entirely.

Sort of yeah, with as many dungeons as there are they could have not linked it to that one, or at least given you the ability to return and ask to borrow the claw. But at the same time it's the main part of the game and maybe it is asking to much to do things outside of the bounds as much as that is, they didn't need to be linked but it is made as an introduction to wordwalls, claw keys, and boss dragurs. Although they could have been seperate dungeons at least it's not as bad a situation that the radiant story sending you to the same dungeon 6 times for different people meaning you might have also broken the quest when you go though it before, or exploringa dungeon on your own accord and not being able to get a reward for clearing out the place that was troubling the near by town or being able to give someones Item they had lost to them because they hadnt asked yet.

I thought this thread would have been regarding the whole "my brother never said where he got the claw, he's a sneaky one" it reeks of having more story to it and just ends there. Some mysterious benifactor that knew a dragonborn was coming and give the claw to him saying hed need to set it up and lead him to the wall. Not the only time its done either regarding more depth past the request or how a claw ended up in someones hands in the first place. Then again these crypts being there for hundreds of years and being packed with loot to the extent of 4000units and 500 bars of dwemer metal to make stuff with is normal maybe lucan and others are actually guardians of the tombs.