I want to delve into some of the mixed feelings this game has evidently garnered,

1) Do you think the developers should have taken more time to work on improving weapon functionality e.g. dual wielding performance?

2) Do you think they should add spears and blunt weapons as DLC?

3) Do you think they should have included more environmental effects such as footprints in the snow, accumulating snow, etc.?

4) Do you think the main quest should have been worked on more?

5) Are you happy with the new spell animations?

6) Do you think visual presentation is important in a TES game (past the point of at least having presentable graphics)?

7) Do you think the dragonborn storyline and quests were focused on too much during production?

8) Do you think combat is important when it comes to The Elder Scrolls?

9) Did you prefer the way spells looked when cast in Morrowind?


I'm trying to get some insight into people's stances on the game, as I know opinions on Skyrim can clash here in this board.


-Joseph K.

----------------------------------------------------------
"Nobody ever pronounces my name right" -Me

1) nope, they should've take some time to test some quests and fix some breakable ones
2) yeah, why not?
3) not really
4) I liked it as it is
5) yes
6) not fundamental but yes
7) no
8) yes, its one of the series strong points
9) no, but they were good too

1) God yes. Dual wielding / hotkeys are a total mess in this game.
2) In a patch sure. I won't pay to use different weapons, that's moronic.
3) Don't care about stuff like that.
4) Haven't finished it yet.
5) I don't play as a mage and never will.
6) A little. I still play Morrowind although heavily moded for updated graphics ..
7) Haven't finished it yet.
8) Yes. Without combat you just run around talking to people? ....... zzzzz
9) Don't care at all.

1. Don't Dual Wield, but those who use it against me and my followers are fine with it.

2. We already have Blunt Weapons, they are called Maces. Spears, really Pikes, are not for one on one combat, they are a close infantry weapon, think Phalanx. Since we can't throw weapons, why have a Spear?

3. Would be nice, but the neat effect is not worth the cost in Save Game Bloat

4. MQ is fine. These games are not about the MQ.

5. Sure, lights and sparkles and people die. What more do you need?

6. Up to a point.

7. Just about right.

8. Not really, combat is just a stepping stone in the path of a quest. Combat is needed, but it is not the most important part of the game for me.

9. Again, sparkles and lights and people die, what else do you need?

1) Nope. Combat works great for me.
2) If they feel like it. It's not high on my list of things I'd like to see in DLC.
3) Not particularly.
4) Nope.
5) Very much so.
6) If you're referring to the visual aesthetic of the world, then absolutely. If you want to know why I care, just look at one of the dozens of terrible armor mods that clash horribly with the game world.
7) Nope.
8) Yes.
9) Not even a little.

That is my thoughts on questions.

1. Yes.

2. No, polish the dual wield first.

3. Err...I doubt going cross country between Windhelm & Dawnstar would be possible if the snow would accumulate..so I guess I say no. You know Skyrim doesn't have road service and all that.

4. Yes, the game was rushed...

5. Yeah their nice, but I miss tons of spells from Oblivion.

6. It sure helps the immersion.

7. Yes.

8. Yes.

9. Not really.

10. What's your question number 10 ?

1,2 and 4-8: Yes. Everything that has to do with putting more work into something is something I think one should be able to generally agree on regardless on opinion on the feature. Everything could always be better. As for the graphics, yes it is important for an ES game to have decent graphics. The world is the main character. Even Morrownid had very good graphics when it was reseased. Don't get me wrong I am no "ZOMG THE GRAPHICS ARE AWESOME! MUST BUY!"-guy, Oblivions, Morrownids, Fallout 1&2 or Daggerfalls graphics doesn't bother me at all, but having graphic that allows for more details improve the feel of exploration.
Spears and more weapons should be added, but not as "Item Packs" unless they are free. Idealy as a part of larger content addons.

3: Enviromantal effects would be nice as long as it didn't make travelling in snowy areas impossible.
9: Nope.

Actually, while I agree that everyone can think that things can be improved upon, that's not the question. The question is, should Bethesda have spent more time on these features, at the expense of something else? If they didn't make sacrifices, the game would just be in eternal development while they kept adding and tweaking.

I think they should have taken more time with the entire combat system, considering it's still "tap button x" and enemies don't realistic react to being struck. KoA taught us that a game being "open world" isn't an excuse for bland, mediocre combat.


Yeah, I'd like to see a wider variety of weaponry.


Nah, I'd rather see better dialogue and quests. They spent enough time and money on the graphics, not enough on the important RPG elements.


Hell. Yes.


They could be a lot better, but they work for me.


Of course, any modern game should have decent graphics.


If anything they weren't focused on enough. Go get x, come back. Go kill y, come back. Boring, boring, and repetitive.


Absolutely, as you spend a great deal of the games doing just that.


No.

1. Yes. Much more focus should`ve been put on weapons and skills in general.

2. Yes. Spears and blunt weapons, with of course corresponding skills would`ve been great.

3. No, I`m not so bothered about snow effects. What we have is good enough. But i`m sure I saw snow accumulate on some spiders I kiled when I was on a snowy mountain. Footprints would be nice though. It might help me trace my way around.

4. No. Still not finished it. But I don`t believe the MQ is really the point of these kind of games. Even if Beth makes it seem so. They`re just there to guide you to do something if you need the direction.

5. Abstain. I don`t know. I don`t ever use Mages. Looks ok to me from how it looks from the NPC view.

6. No. Once the main intro is done, let`s get into the meat of the adventuring out there.

7. No. I think it was just enough. No more or less is required.

8. Combat is extremely important. yes, it`s an RPG so many other factors need to be in the game, but when you are in a quasi-medieval dark age where there`s no real law outside of a city (and little within) and you want to go everywhere and see everything, the ability to fight or to get others to fight for you is KEY. It`s KEY to survival (unless you sit as a scribe in a chapel all your life). So combat as in weaponry available and tactics should be high on the priority list. Not enough of this is at all in Skyrim. A major oversight in my view.

9. Abstain. Not bothered either way. they probably look better in Skyrim.

1) Do you think the developers should have taken more time to work on improving weapon functionality e.g. dual wielding performance?
I think dual wielding does need some work on it, as right now, the way it works means you're actually at a disadvantage if you duel wield. Basically it just needs a few tweaks to make it balanced.

2) Do you think they should add spears and blunt weapons as DLC?
To be honest, I think they should be available free. Well, spears at least. Because we know after the game was released they made them just for a bit of fun. But yes, weapon pack DLC would be seriously appreciated, one of the things I miss about Morrowind the most is the sheer variation in the weapons.

3) Do you think they should have included more environmental effects such as footprints in the snow, accumulating snow, etc.?
I think things like footprints would have been a nice effect, and I'm surprised they went into enough detail to have salmon swimming up waterfalls but forgot about footprints. I don't feel that it is anything major though, or worth charging for.
EDIT: Although, thinking about it, being able to track prey through the snow by following their tracks would have been amazing.

4) Do you think the main quest should havee been worked on more?
I would have liked it to be a little longer, but I still think they did a pretty good job of it.

5) Are you happy with the new spell animations?
I love them. It makes a nice change from the old magic system, but again, I do miss the variation the previous games had.

6) Do you think visual presentation is important in a TES game (past the point of at least having presentable graphics)?
I think yes and no. It's quite clear that Bethesda want up to be wowed by it, and I think a large portion of the excitement leading up to the game launches is based on how spectacular they look, so in the aspect of actually paying for the production and ensuring the games do well enough to fund other Bethesda titles, I think the flashy graphics are important. In the aspect of gameplay though, if the gameplay is good enough, it doesn't matter what it looks like.

7) Do you think the dragonborn storyline and quests were focused on too much during production?
I think they could have used more depth. In the previous titles you were really made to work you way through the factions and it was a lot more rewarding. And each faction's story was deep and engaging, for example: The Dark Brotherhood. However in Skyrim in many factions you join and are almost instantly top-dog. It just feels a bit lazy.


8) Do you think combat is important when it comes to The Elder Scrolls?
Yes, very. But I think a few more non-combative options (Dues Ex: HR style) would work wonders for immersion.

9) Did you prefer the way spells looked when cast in Morrowind?
Not really, the spells in Morrowind we're all essentially different coloured blobs.

My responses are in? turquoise.


I'm missing the tenth question..

1. No.
2. Yes.
3. Yes, seasons.
4. Don't care.
5. They are alright.
6. The graphics are great. I would trade down a little if doing so meant I got more in-depth game play.
7. I could do without a main quest, so I am probably the wrong one to ask.
8. I was happy with the combat in every one of the games. Would like to have fighting staffs and throwing knives back, though.
9. I don't remember the way they looked. I miss the spellmaker. Skyrim has quite a lot of crafting in the game, which is a lot of fun--just can't figure out why they would take out such a fun and important one.

Ah yes...the tenth question. It was "Do you think today's TES fans have the required perception to solve perplexing challenges".

Or maybe I just forgot. Great feedback, I found it interesting to see how much/little the answers varied. Some things I frequently pick up on hearing are "combat is not what TES games are about", which I've always flat out disagreed with. They're not straight up fighting games, but what's dungeons and dragons without trawling through hostile locations and fighting powerful enemies? I also hear people say that graphics are not of significant importance, at least that's what I infer when I hear people mock the widespread appreciation for Skyrim's look and presentation. My feeling is that it's not simply 'graphics' - it's not a resolution contest. It's a world that we're playing within, and the world Skyrim throws me in to could not have been created without today's technology as far as visuals but also sound goes.


1) --I was quite happy with the dual wielding, although I never used it as my primary style
2)---I'd love to see them as it adds character creation possibilities, but I didn't miss them at all
3)---No. I was fine with how it is, but obviously the more the better. Accumilating snow is, as someone pointed out, unrealistic; snow prints would be great though if they ironed the bugs out
4)---I was fine with the amount of time they seemed to give it, I'd just agree that there should be more of a celebratory ending when you finish the MQ. I understand that this is the same with all TES games (something people often forget to acknowledge), but a line or two from NPCs and maybe a complimentary title would go a long way.
5)---I love the new spell animations
6)---Yes I do
7)---No I don't
8)---Yes I do (though it won't ruin an otherwise brilliant TES game)
9)---Of course not, anybody who did must be out of their mind


The responses have been great, because all the opinions make sense, whether I share them or not. Honestly, I was expecting to hear more of the criticisms that run down Skyrim for doing the same thing the older TES games also did!

Because you're made me a happy frost troll, here's a proper #10:
10) Do you think the new perk system, and its implementation, was a success?


-Joseph K.

----------------------------------------------------------
"Nobody ever pronounes my name right" -Me

1 - Would it have been nice? Sure. But I'd hardly list is as a top priority.

2 - We have blunt weapons. That's what maces and hammers are. As for spears, if you aren't going to throw it and you aren't fighting calvery with a bunch of your buddies then you shouldn't be wielding a spear.

3 - Footprints would be nice, as long as they faded quickly. It would be cool if you could be caugt sneaking by them too. As for things like accumulated snow, to much strain on the video card for too little benefit. Besides, would you really want to come out of a cave and find the entrance has been blocked by snow while you were inside and now you have to wait for Spring?

4 - More content is always good, so this is a leading question. But extra work on other quests or additional quests would have added just as much.

5 - I'm not much of a spell caster by preference, but they seem fine to me.

6 - Yes.

7 - No, not really.

8 - It's fairly central. You don't get a big demand from people wanting to play shop keepers.

9 - Didn't play it; I started with Oblivion.

Yes, but I woudl rather still have had better quests and NPC behavior. Karma like FONV or the convoluted faction politics of MW.

Maybe spears. I thnk the blunt paradigm doesn't work with the one/two handed setup as is.

meh, it seems they already spent too much time on pretty and not enough on substance.

oh yes.

hell yes. love em. but on console playing a mage is painful due to the (lack of) hotkey system

not really. skryim, ob and mw are all behind compared to other (linear) games, but the gameplay wins out.


what dragonborn storyline? its like a side quest compared to previous TES storylines.

yes


no.

sure. depends on the fan maybe?

1) Do you think the developers should have taken more time to work on improving weapon functionality e.g. dual wielding performance?
I would have liked block with dual wielding, since not being able to makes combat boring (RT, RT, RT, RT, heal, RT, RT, RT...) There would need to be some other penalty to offset the offensive power, perhaps movement speed, but I'm not sure.

2) Do you think they should add spears and blunt weapons as DLC?
Maces and warhammers are already in. Spears... Maybe but it would mean a completely new fighting mechanic and also- why would spears just suddenly appear one day in Skyrim?

3) Do you think they should have included more environmental effects such as footprints in the snow, accumulating snow, etc.?
This is a processing power issue I'm guessing. PC could handle it, consoles couldn't. Majority of players are on console, so Beth gonna focus on features that are present on those as well as PC.

4) Do you think the main quest should have been worked on more?
Not sure how it could have been. I thought it was fairly deep for a game with no cinematics.

5) Are you happy with the new spell animations?
Hell yeah. Come a long way since Oblivion.

6) Do you think visual presentation is important in a TES game (past the point of at least having presentable graphics)?
Yes. Part of making the world and lore believable and immersive.

7) Do you think the dragonborn storyline and quests were focused on too much during production?
No. It's the main quest.

8) Do you think combat is important when it comes to The Elder Scrolls?
Hell yes. It's what all the trading and crafting is ultimately for.

9) Did you prefer the way spells looked when cast in Morrowind?
Nope.