Hirelings I think would be a great addition to the game. One thing I really aspire to see is a mod that allows you to muster your own army. Much like how in F:NV, you could get allies to create an independent New Vegas, I'd like to see a future DLC where you could take control of one of the holds for yourself and be king - maybe raise your own army and make decisions like a true Jarl. That would really put a spin on the whole impact and open world deal.

Personally, I wanna control Markarth. Free the workers, make it a Communist paradise... Ah...

Maybe even animate the Dovakiin so he slouches like all the other Jarls. Seriously, shouldn't they have like spine injuries by now? They spend 90% of their day leaning back on a throne.

First off excellent discussion all.

now back to the battle

FPSFrame52 That is the kind of thing i would prefer.Have benchmarks be part of the storyline not outside it.

Otheral I agree to an extent.Benchmarks within a faction should only be used for entry and somwhere in the middle.Leadership should be entirely story driven.
Rarely are leaders the best at something.Eisenhower was probably not the best shot,tank driver ,or medic in the Army in WW2 but he knew how to lead those that were.
Sometimes being a hero is enough to get you put in charge ala George Washington.Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin were probably more skilled at running various parts of the Government but people wanted George in charge.

I agree with Fluents post in that regard.My Nord wanted to learn and improve his magic and events spiraled to where I ended up in charge.
I also agree it could have been longer and using FPSs model would have been a better way.

Tenet 5: Never kill a Dark Brother or Dark Sister. To do so is to invoke the Wrath of Sithis.

Dovakiin: B*TCH I'LL KILL WHO I FEEL LIKE!

Sithis: DIEEE!

*Slow-mo death scene*

I wanna see that in a DLC. Oh Sheogorath, please, put that in a DLC.

So we begin again...

You could master one or two things that hardly makes you a master of the arcane arts in TES it makes you powerful in one or two. Just look at the college, the Arch Mage is http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Savos_Aren but its Mirabelle Ervine who really runs the guild. I can agree with all of that but in Morrowind you needed these character traits before you could advance These are the traits you needed below.
Morrowinds Mages guild requirements link below.
http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Mages_Guild#Mages_Guild_Quests

Fixed

So anyways the condition you need to meet are very reasonable.

However, didn't the Brotherhood give up the Tenets?

And FPS... damnit, stop giving me ideas that I like.

I would love to expand to have an army... or actually regrow the Dark Brotherhood... perhaps even to the point where, though I am just the Listener, I could mark targets for death.

I killed a high end target before, why not let me shape the landscape in that bloody wake?

I know that is why it would be interesting as to how that would play out. You against a dark entity who nobody really know what it is. Very interesting indeed.

And one of them was a downright nutcase. *sigh* They were the best faction.

Its a shame I just read some lore last night that said when the Great House fell and I was deeply saddened indeed.

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:House_Telvanni

House Telvanni was indeed bad ass. I'll never forget my Altmer Battlemage wearing his enchanted Daedric pieces he got from one of those Telvanni quests. And an amulet that summons 3 atronachs at once. The only problem was, if I was too close to the enemy when they blasted away, their blasts took me out too. Those were the days though.

I will never forget the moment of WTH when I had to murder Arch Magister Gothren to become the new Arch Magister. The ruthless setting was perfect for my Altmer Andoral my all time favorite character that is now with me in Skyrim.

I like it the way it is. I don't want to be penalized for choosing a race that I think is cool.

You're a completionist, and that's a valid way to play, but it wreaks havoc on people who want more logic and consequence in the game and story. It's not entirely mutually exclusive, but it is for the most part.

Should you able to join the the imperials, kill ulfric, finish the quest, then join the stormcloaks, and drive out the imperials, and put ulfric in power?

These types of schizophrenic options really bother me (obviously there are a couple cases where BGS drew the line, but not many). It's grinding for content rather than RPing, IMO. I'm not saying that you shouldn't be able to play how you want, and BGS clearly is more on your side than mine, but the world will always feel shallow to me if it lacks consequence. If you can do everything, then in reality, you can do nothing, because there is no meaning. It turns the game into a fashion statement rather than a living story.

Why not compromise a little? If you want to be archmage, become a battlemage, spellsword, or other hybrid. The alternative is to yank all the legitimacy out of the college, which is, unfortunately the route BGS chose.

But you won't be penalized. If anything you'll be strengthened. Sure, the beginning will be a pain, but that just makes the end reward all the much sweeter. Imagine the triumph you'll feel when, after wasting all those hours in the glow of your monitor/TV, you finally achieve the ultimate Orc pure mage. Or the ultimate Breton sword-and-board. A lot of gamers I think want that instant rush - the instant feeling of success. They forget that good things take time - that the most frustrating, tough games can be the most fun. Look at Dark Souls. That game is a testament to Nintendohard - but people love it. Why? It challenges them - it forces them to think, antagonizes them whilst at the same time pushes them onward.

A hero does ordinary things extraordinarily well. But the Dovakiin is not a hero - the Dovakiin is a legend.

And legends don't just do ordinary things. They do extraordinary things extraordinarily well.

RP reasons

That article contradicts the fact that Felna Maryon is of telvanni descent, which she tells you in game. I think the demise of the house is exaggerated, though that's based on one contradiction, and the personal belief that a few of the wizards at least should have been capable of handling the last couple hundred years.

Yes, whoever wrote in the demise of House Telvanni is a jerk. I mean, yes, the Dunmer got smashed, go ahead and make the Great House fall. But some Argonian-raised orphan is the last heir of House Telvanni? The House that contains some of the oldest, most powerful wizards in Tamriel? [censored] off.

Brand-Shei is not the sole remaining heir of House Telvanni, I don't give a [censored] what Beth said.

Edit:

Forgot about that.

But that is the 'hobbling' for which you asked. You want race to matter- i.e. playing as a certain race will hobble you in certain endeavours/classes/perks/whatever. If you pick a race and play as the opposite of that race's tendencies, then you're getting what you want, at least as regards to class/perk development.

Yes?

So what is the problem on that front, exactly?

post limit.