There's something I've always wondered, and that something is--not only about Skyrim, but, about the RPG genre in general.

We all know RPGs are the genre that focus on player choice. And we, the player, do get a large range of choices in most RPGs. However, why is it we players can never be an actual "bad guy"; a bad guy who works for the main antagonist, making him into an ally instead. For instance: instead of destroying the Mythic Dawn and defeating Mehrunes Dagon we can ally with the Mythic Dawn and kill Martin Septim, allowing Dagon to rule over Tamriel.

The only issue I see with this is that the game would require 2 main storylines instead of 1, which, I'm well aware would require more work and resources to accomplish. I'm also aware that resources aren't infinite. Currently, most RPGs require a--in my opinion--poorly designed mod to allow this, for the game's never developed that way by the designers. I think it would be a pretty cool change instead of simply choosing to be a hero/anti-hero (i.e. Riddike).

Because, if that's what the devs wanted you to do, you could do it.

There are plenty of "evil" games out there. You can go play those, if you like.

I've never even seen an "evil" game that allows the player to be an actual bad guy; I've only seen games that allow you to be either a hero/anti-hero.

Sorry but something like this would be gamebreaking as, the elderscrolls games are the actual physical incarnation of a myth that is told on a set of scrolls called 'the elder scrolls'

If any of the games ended with the success of the main antagonist then the next scroll would not come true. and the series would just.........well........stop.

and that would be really really bad.

But no ''Evil'' game is like TES.

them elder scrolls tell it one way, buddy.

Also, TES has a very in-depth lore backing up its games, and for such a dichotomic story line, there would be no real way to resolve the split. The story has to end (pretty much) the same for everyone so that the lore remains intact.

Fallout New Vegas has exactly this. You can literally murder the leader of all the 'good' guys and take over

There could be a canon/non-canon ending, if the designers wished to continue the series. The canon ending, of course, would be the "good" ending; while the "bad" ending would be non-canon.

OverLord comes to mind.
StarCraft, as the Zerg wipe out the Terran and Protoss.
Infamous.

Etc.


Agreed. TES is about being the heroes of the prophecies.


That too.

You can be a bad guy, your just working with everyone else to save yourself from getting ate by Alduin!

@OP don't listen to the naysayers, it's really possible to do evil endgame that is pretty easy to program in. Look at Fallout: NV as an example.

Will we be able to do it in this game? If you look at Bethesda's track record, the answer is a clear "probably not" on that. They like to have consistent lore too, so that might be a reason.

It's the nature of TES, in general that no matter how bad of a person you are you can still be a hero. It is the classic anti-hero syndrome and while, in this case it would seem impractical to join up with Alduin and his dragons:

I think for this we will have to rely on a mod but hopefully it won't be as bad as, say, the buggy, crashy, 6th House mod for Morrowind. Not sure about any Mythic Dawn mods for Oblivion though, never saw one if it existed.

well elder scrolls are not like that you can be a bad guy but if killing dragons and save the world is the only way to continue your acts i think that you need to do it

It would be awesome (if not too easy) to side with the dragons and er... eat the world.

Knights of the Old Republic lets you be evil.

Overlord 1+2 come to mind. Although I'm not really sure if it is considered to be an actual RPG.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMRKy-huXHw

You live on the world. Alduin eat world+You living on the world he eats=Dead criminal bad-guy thing.

Plus it is in your favor to kill the dragons, you absorb their souls and gain power.

Power+Criminal bad-guy thing=Happy criminal bad-guy thing.

Get me now? :tongue:

I think that this is easier to do than you think.

Just don't play the main quest and imagine that the dragons continue terrrorizing everyone forever and that civil war always rages. You can still role-play being a poor wood-cutter from riverwood, if you'd like.

Dungeon Keeper and its sequel were also great games where the entire goal was to be evil and destroy a land of peace, prosperity, and noble heroes. Unfortunately, those games are ancient, nearly impossible to find, and have issues running on current hardware. :/

Was just about to post this. Not only does it let you be evil, but it lets you become the main bad guy and in such a way that you were right from the beginning even though you didn't know it. That twist has to be one of my favourite gaming moments ever.

Dungeon Keeper I & II was a good one, you played a devil and built dungeons to trap goodies and take over the land of light.

Overlord I & II was another one where you played a baddie.

overlord?

Of course it's possible, but it messes up the lore.

Maybe it'll be a feature in the last TES game. :shrug:

Couldn't say it any better.