I agree with you somewhat. But frankly, I hope Beth forgives me for saying this, but they have never been a company with cutting edge and innovative technology as Cryteck, Unreal Engine3 and the creators of BF3. Jeez, they didn't even put godrays in Skyrim. It's obvious that their real concern is to try to create a vast world that works seamlessly. Graphics is secondary for Beth. I knew even before Skyrim was announced that the next game from Beth would not be as graphically advanced as those heavyweight companies I've just mention. I knew it was going to be beautiful but not graphically innovative. I've a friend in Germany whose uncle works at Cryteck and he said that Cryteck gives A LOT priority to programmers who creates innovative shaders and whatnot and they pay handsomely to those who innovate in all the fields. There's a lot of competition within Cryteck. The CEO Cevat Yerly always said that they are always trying to push the envelope in graphic innovation. I don't know what philosophy Beth has, but certainly they are on a different page than those companies. They have a different outlook towards game development.

While graphics would appear to be 2nd on Bethesda's list, is it too much to ask for an updated engine? An engine that can support features of at LEAST DX10, let alone DX11? Yes, companies like CryTek are envelope pushers for the graphics department, they also built the CryTek engine to stress test new and innovative features that are being used across the board by multiple companies now. It would appear to me that Bethesda has taken the Ostrich approach and stuck with their old engine, fixed a few animations, and pushed the game out knowing people would gobble it up regardless. We were duped. And we are not happy. We live in an age of graphically advanced gaming immersing the player in the story with graphics. Amnesia, Battlefield, Crysis; all of these games immerse the player in the story with their graphics. Skyrim's story could be 50 times better simply by deploying a better graphics engine to fully immerse the player in the story.

Its funny because DX11 is nearly a cut and paste job code wise. Shader wise it might be different.

Honestly I think if Bethesda actually made their own engine it would be less buggy. I think part of the reason bugs don't get fixed that have been around in each game is because its in parts of the code they don't want to mess with for fear of messing up the entire game even more.

While graphics would appear to be 2nd on Bethesda's list, is it too much to ask for an updated engine? An engine that can support features of at LEAST DX10, let alone DX11? Yes, companies like CryTek are envelope pushers for the graphics department, they also built the CryTek engine to stress test new and innovative features that are being used across the board by multiple companies now. It would appear to me that Bethesda has taken the Ostrich approach and stuck with their old engine, fixed a few animations, and pushed the game out knowing people would gobble it up regardless. We were duped. And we are not happy. We live in an age of graphically advanced gaming immersing the player in the story with graphics. Amnesia, Battlefield, Crysis; all of these games immerse the player in the story with their graphics. Skyrim's story could be 50 times better simply by deploying a better graphics engine to fully immerse the player in the story.

Yep. I'd be willing to bet if you were to load up an unpatched (release version) copy of every Gamebyro engine game, they'd all have the exact same bugs and flaws. Oblivion, Fallout 3, Fallout NV, Skyrim, and whatever else uses it. You'd think someone would go "Hey, this engine is borked, we need to create a new, improved engine with better code."

Edit: After a quick look on Wikipedia, it would seem that more games than I thought use the Gamebyro engine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamebryo

I doubt ALL those games had the same bugs, so I would assume Bethesda did some sort of modification to the engine that caused them, and are too embarrassed to fix it.

Pointless drivel, your comments mean nothing.

You have already made your self clear when you bought the game in the first place, it is too late.

Let's not forget the glaring fact that this is the first Elder Scrolls game to be released WITHOUT a toolkit. With Todd speaking so highly of the modders, why was the toolkit not available on the release date?

To maintain the hype? Drama is the best publicity, and it's free...

Let's not forget the glaring fact that this is the first Elder Scrolls game to be released WITHOUT a toolkit. With Todd speaking so highly of the modders, why was the toolkit not available on the release date?

The PC community is what made the Elder Scrolls franchise what it is today.A top selling franchise that gives them a ridiculous amount of money.

He should definetly come here and discuss with us.

I would like to speak with Todd for 5 minutes on behalf of all PC gamers. In a civilized conversation, question the motives behind optimizing this Elder Scrolls release (which has always been PC oriented) for an outdated console without giving any love to current-gen technology. Question why their is so much stress and emphasis on PC DRM when their beloved XBox360 version was leaked on torrents 1 week before release.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the Elder Scrolls stories since Daggerfall (HAVE AT YO-- AAAYYYYYY!), and loved the endless imagination possibilities presented in Morrowind (every time I start a new character, I start differently). While Todd stated that he wants the experience to be the same across the board (xbox/ps3/pc), one would have assumed he meant the immersion, lore content, and story. I was unaware that this also meant bottle-necking the PC and PS3 users to XBox standards.

"You're on a PC just use mods lololol". Yea, there will be mods. In fact, once the toolkit is released (which boggles my mind as to why it was not released with the game like MW and OB), I will begin work on the Unofficial Skyrim Patch fixing the countless 'cracks' in the world I have already encountered (and documented), as well as the floating trees and bushes. However to release a game in the current state (Low Resolution textures, inability to make full use of a systems resources, etc etc) only to rely on modders is a shame.

5 minutes Todd, I would like to have a genuine conversation with you for 5 minutes. Elder Scrolls enthusiast to Elder Scrolls Creator. I highly doubt I'll ever get to talk to you, but here's to hoping.

Imagine if Bethesda did the stuff the modding community didn't have to do. Even if it means getting only 100 hours of content I would rather that and have a great looking game and much more detailed world than 400 hours and so much put in but no care put into them.

Heh, like I said before, it would appear that Todd has caught the http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3724674.stm

As it stands right now, I feel like I am playing Skyrim. I don't feel like I am living in Skyrim. I don't feel immersed in the story, because the textures don't trick my imagination in to thinking this may be real, but wait it's just a game. Look at Amnesia, when you play that you really do feel frightened. You may not be scared of it, you may know its a game. But in your heard and mind you feel like you are the character, not playing the character.

I want to feel myself as a Nord, as a Breton, as an Argonian, etc etc. I don't want to play one. I want to be one. That is immersion, and that is what must, in my opinion, compliment the story to make it last in the years to come. Morrowind has phenomenal immersion for its time. Oblivion has decent immersion for its time. Skyrim? Its level of immersion is that of a brick on a beach.

My issue is that so much feels tacked on rather than being implemented. Marriage is basically "LETS GET MARRIED". When I see a guy running up to me I'm going "What a fugly animation". They put so much in but give each so little thought. It feels as if they go: "This is cool" and give it like 5 minutes attention when they need to give it some love.

My issue is that so much feels tacked on rather than being implemented. Marriage is basically "LETS GET MARRIED". When I see a guy running up to me I'm going "What a fugly animation". They put so much in but give each so little thought. It feels as if they go: "This is cool" and give it like 5 minutes attention when they need to give it some love.

One thing for - graphcics svck tremendously, and if they dont correct that, I dont know what to say...

That you still enjoyed the game so much you were willing to put in 70 hours of your own precious time into it already? Come on, graphics are for action gamers. RPGs don't need fab graphics. Want the PC-only RPGs? Look at Daggerfall, Ultima VII, Avadon. All great games, all comparatively poo graphics. Did that stop them being fun? Not in the least.

That you still enjoyed the game so much you were willing to put in 70 hours of your own precious time into it already? Come on, graphics are for action gamers. RPGs don't need fab graphics. Want the PC-only RPGs? Look at Daggerfall, Ultima VII, Avadon. All great games, all comparatively poo graphics. Did that stop them being fun? Not in the least.

I would like to speak with Todd for 5 minutes on behalf of all PC gamers. In a civilized conversation, question the motives behind optimizing this Elder Scrolls release (which has always been PC oriented) for an outdated console without giving any love to current-gen technology. Question why their is so much stress and emphasis on PC DRM when their beloved XBox360 version was leaked on torrents 1 week before release.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the Elder Scrolls stories since Daggerfall (HAVE AT YO-- AAAYYYYYY!), and loved the endless imagination possibilities presented in Morrowind (every time I start a new character, I start differently). While Todd stated that he wants the experience to be the same across the board (xbox/ps3/pc), one would have assumed he meant the immersion, lore content, and story. I was unaware that this also meant bottle-necking the PC and PS3 users to XBox standards.

"You're on a PC just use mods lololol". Yea, there will be mods. In fact, once the toolkit is released (which boggles my mind as to why it was not released with the game like MW and OB), I will begin work on the Unofficial Skyrim Patch fixing the countless 'cracks' in the world I have already encountered (and documented), as well as the floating trees and bushes. However to release a game in the current state (Low Resolution textures, inability to make full use of a systems resources, etc etc) only to rely on modders is a shame.

5 minutes Todd, I would like to have a genuine conversation with you for 5 minutes. Elder Scrolls enthusiast to Elder Scrolls Creator. I highly doubt I'll ever get to talk to you, but here's to hoping.