I've touched on this in another thread, but thought I'd try to provide some concise feedback here.

Overall, Skyrim is an excellent game, and I'm more than happy with it. The only niggle for me is the Roleplaying side of the game, which should be a big part of an RPG.

I've thought about this a lot, and I think that the main quest feels disjointed from the guilds, or the guilds feel disjointed from the main quest. I understand that it is a good idea to have some separate entities so that the world feels like a world in its own right, that can exist beyond the main quest etc. But the problem comes when as a player, you are thrust at the main quest, but at the same time want to experience the HUGE game world that exists outside of the main quest. And that's where the disjointed feeling starts to creep in.

Let's take my current character, a Dark Elf named Dreth.
Here are some key points I put together for him to give me some idea of who he's about.


A born assassin and hunter (perhaps from dragon blood and destiny to slay the dragons).
Wanders alone and free, no homeland.

No love for Imperials after they interfered with Morrowind, and then wanted to execute him anyway for nothing.

Keen interest in all things old and powerful. Dwemer, Daedra, Dragon Priests.

Not inherently evil. Will help people in need, although usually wants payment. Happy to take Jarl contracts for clearing bandits. Provides solitude (the word, not the town ), an opportunity to hunt alone, to rid the world of those up to no good and make some coin in the process.

Will assist the land against the dragons.

The Empire is a bad thing.

So, where do I start?
Well I'm thrust into a dragon attack. I'm immediately and rather reasonably requested to tell the Jarl of Whiterun about it, so he can deploy forces to protect his hold.
At this point, unless I'm playing a nihilist, or a raving psycho, I'm compelled to go to Whiterun and do exactly this.
But no sooner do I get there, than I'm thrust into helping against this obvious threat. Again, I'm compelled to help.

The main quests run like this through to the end. What I dearly miss from Morrowind is the bit where you are basically told; "try to blend in a bit. go and join some guilds, get yourself integrated in society". Why did you ever take this out? I assume there must a reason to do with obvious guide posts for the mass market who maybe arent going to pay attention and will lose track of what they are meant to do, and then give up to play something else. But removing this option can ruin the game for players like me. Oblivion was a lot worse for this, but Skyrim still hasnt dealt with it.

So ultimately, you either follow the main quest, and end up conqueror of the universe etc, but then start to join guilds and get the equivalent of the rat in the basemant quests. Or you at some point ignore a quest entry to pursue something else in the game, but are left with the constant feeling of being out of synch as you are ignoring the main game, to experience the rest of the game in a sensible order.

I might expand on this post later, but right now I have two little girls throwing a tantrum breaking my ear drums.....

Unfortuenately (to most) Bethesda has seem to be moving towards making roleplaying the player's choice and responsibility than having the mechanics/questlines/etc define your chracter within its own mechanics.

The player has to create his own mechanics and restrictions to get a satisfactory roleplay at best.

Its not terrible, but we need more

I never folloewd the guy on mine at the start, to riverwood. Therefore my outlander didn't know anything about the Jarl of Whiterun, so I havent started the main quest after 200 hours

You lost me at this.

You're complaining that that creates BAD RP? I'd say it's quite the contrary. Maybe your ideas were backward by mistake, idk, but I'm going to disagree with this. For Skyrim, and any game I could think of, that's pretty much what roleplaying is. You give your character a personality or set of traits and then respond to the world as he would respond.

In short - i have to use my imagination in order for my characters story to make sense which is all good but i feel the same way as the op. I try to create a realistic story the best of my ability but i also have to jump through hoops or pretend an NPC said something else

You are not "thrust" into the MQ. One of my characters said "screw that" and never went to talk to the Jarl. THAT'S what you can do with role playing. Nothing here is forced on you. Just ignore it.

I understand where you got lost, let me give you an example or two

Lets start with the famous Archmage issue.

Now i personally haven't finished the questline, however ive read enough of it to understand, and use this as an example.

Lets say your Dovahkiin, and theres a quest line you have to atleast get access to the college by using spells, however your a pure warrior. Why would learn a spell for this? what if my roleplay is that i dont know magic. Okay, i use a shout and there impressed. I get in and i want to help the college cause Dovahkiin is a pretty cool guy. I start doing the quest and at the end of it, im archmage and awesome, well.. did i get a choice not to be? not really... if im level 4 a beat the quest line, im not all that powerful, im not a mage..

WAIT!!!! I can shout, i have magioc in a sense!! I can justify it... wait.. they (NPCs) dont really care whether is magic or shouts, they just think your right for the job.

Using the same example, a warrior has the Ability to join the college even if there not in the main quest. The game doesnt restrict you ever, when in a common sense fantasy setting it should. Should a pure warrior be the arch mage of the college..? maybe, but if so skyrim does not tell you through gameplay you have to pretend.

I hope that make sense, and i was blabbering sorry




pretty much this, pretending is good and all, but i lose impersion when my spellsword is being called a sneak theif even though, ive never been caught stealing, or barely sneak

Role playing comes easier to some than it does to others.

Some people found "Oblivion" to be an amazing world to roleplay in. Others found there was not enough description and complained they couldn't roleplay in "Oblivion".

So in "Skyrim" we have much more detailed major quests which has unfortunately lead to different people now being unable to roleplay in "Skyrim".

I think "Morrowind", "Oblivion" and "Skyrim" are all great in their own respects and personally I'm glad that I've gotten to take part in all 3 of them.

I couldn't tell you about "Daggerfall" because I've never played it and I think "Arena" is a pile of pants probably because I played it after "Morrowind" and found it waaaaaay too retro (though if I'd played it when it was new, I would have been most likely impressed).

When it comes to your game you want to make the most out of it so really people ought to try a little more of that.

Az