Someone call a vet. The NPC's swans are sick.

Seriously, why are all NPCs - even the weedy little ones like Nazeem and Cicero - as ripped as anything? The size of some of their muscles is, quite simply, unnatural - I know a bodybuilder on his way to being one of the strongest under-25s in the UK, and his arms are exactly the same size as almost all of the male warrior NPCs. One or two really strong characters I can understand, especially those wielding battleaxes and warhammers, but there's no rhyme or reason for the average warrior to be that strong.

It just seems a bit gimmicky after a while.

This title is an invitation to DOOM!

Was going to have another cheap bodybuilding pun, but one was bad enough

Well they were a lot better about it this time than in previous games with the body sliders. But it is kind of odd.

well for one it is a fantasy game, so there will be a little bit of idealism going on. But aside from that, life in Skyrim is a bit more rough than our comfortable western civilization. You have to work hard... for everything. It would make sense if the nobles looked more out of shape, or at least less buff, but then only about half of them, as most of them still participate in combat of some kind. One would assume the Jarls are out training when you're not looking; swinging a sword around... will make you pretty buff.

Different times back then, my friend. Don't forget, Elder Scrolls takes place on Nirn, not Earth eons ago. Just because some races are based off people, doesn't mean they are exactly the same. Nirn has magic, and the food is probably a lot different. Who knows, maybe a small Mud Crab claw is brimming with 300g of protein.

After reading the title, I thought you were actually going to ask for guns in Skyrim...

...and here I was thinking you actually wanted guns in TES

I for one am happy to have differing body styles. I like being able to choose whether I want the Schwarzenegger look, or the malnourished pipsqueak look. In fact I have hoped something like that would come along since Oblivion. As far as why are they all ripped goes, I ain't got a clue. would be nice to have a few slightly overweight npc's around.

and as far as gimmicky goes...look no further than Marriage, now that's real gimmicky.

So let me get this straight, how many NPCs have you been undressing... and why?

Well, I believe that most warriors in the Middle Ages were that buff (full-time ones who actually practiced anyhow). In fact I believe there was something called knight's build which meant you had insane neck,shoulder and arm muscles. As for the six packs, yeah they exaggerated. As for the beggars, they're not buff, just have very little fat and this makes their muscles stand out more. But I wasn't surprised by the arm muscles, swinging around large pieces of metal all day does that to you. Oh, and BTW, I'm really glad we have different body sizes and not having that is one of the many things I hate about Oblivion.

Swing a sword, war/battle axe or just the axe to chop wood...and keep at it for about 2 to 4 hours a day. Even though it really doesn't show it much, except in Solitude, any one who "lives by the sword" is going to practice...alot. That's your life.

FYI. You can have huge ripped arms and not have any *strength. Also, you can have long skinny pathetic looking arms and bench press over 300 pounds. Having spent many years in gyms I can attest to witnessing this first hand.

Why not guns? Or rocket launchers? Or , maybe, surface to dragon missiles?? I mean, if the Professor on Gilligan's Island can make cold-fusion reactions from coconuts and seaweed, why can't the Nords make guns, from , say, Nirnroot and Fire Salts?

Talking about their arms here, Nyan. No undressing required


Not really to that extent. Swords are less than half a stone, at most. Most of the NPCs in Skyrim look like they could lift several hundred kilos.


I know that (although I'm definitely in the 'deceptive arms' category). That's precisely why every NPC being hench seems a little bit unrealistic...

^^This (except the part about having spent time in gyms ).

Perhaps they drink a lot of water and consume vast quantities of salt. This would give them a bloated appearance throughout their body. Having a high diet of red meats could contribute to higher instate of proteins....On another note, it is a video game and the people are supposed to be "hardy."

Apologies, I assumed we were talking overall body fitness and size, ya perve

Lol you're right. I should edit "many years" to "a lifetime."

+100

This, so much this. Muscles mean jack dittly when it comes to combat. Look at UFC. Now I know many of you will point at Brock Lesnar and say "But, but, but, but, but hes HUGE." He also lost many fights so its a moot point. Many UFC fighters train to stay lean, not to get huge. In fact many UFC fighters believe having to much muscle can be a bad thing because it makes you slower, uses up more energy, makes you bulky so you cant properly block and also makes you less flexible.

Now I am sure warriors of old had muscles, but honestly muscles mean nothing. A guy who does nothing but bench press all day will get his butt whooped by someone who actually trains to fight. So in my opinion no one in the world should be as large as they are, maybe a few, but common not everyone is Conan and even those who are, doesn't mean they are the best of the best. Just means they work out.

This.

I meant me.

It's also funny how jacked the human characters are in comparison to the beast races, especially the argonians who look really poverty-line skinny.