The Elder Scrolls Series Topic

[Ami89E1234]

Since I've now got a little free time (first time in a good long while ), I have returned for the time being.

I'm honestly a bit surprised at the fact that there wasn't already an Elder Scrolls topic, but I suppose that's why I'm making one.

Thoughts on the series? Favorite memories/games? Things you like/dislike/would like to see? Personally, I find the games fantastic, especially the more recent ones in Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim.

I'll have to make this rather brief as I'm off to the world of Minecraft for a bit before finishing some physics labs.

[EmergencyFan97]

I've played both Oblivion and Skyrim. I like Oblivion better, but it is highly likely that that has more to do with my PC's specs than the gameplay.

[hunter42]

I like Skyrim for a number of things. The individual holds, sneaking, kill sequences. The implementation of Steam workshop is brilliant too.

But I prefer Oblivion because it was a much better game. Oblivion's story was better, the world was better, and the quests are better (except for the thieves guild, Skyrim nailed it). There's more houses you can buy and they look so much nicer.

Using mods to make Oblivion better looking, I would say that Oblivion is the best of the series. However, I often find myself thinking about what Skyrim does better - and vice versa.

[Ami89E1234]

I love Skyrim (very slightly more than Oblivion) for a few reasons, namely the simplicity and ease of use regarding Magic, Skills/Leveling, Enchanting, and Alchemy in comparison to Oblivion; actual weaponized combat is pretty much the same, and the return to weapons like crossbows (which haven't been used since Morrowind) is a plus in my book. Another thing I enjoy is the use of the Thu'um and the benefits they add to combat, as well as the new Vampire and Werewolf skill trees, since they make those powers MUCH more useful (an added benefit to me I suppose, since I somehow managed to get a glitch to happen in my PC version where I am a werewolf and a vampire simultaneously).

I prefer the world of Skyrim much more than that of Oblivion - Oblivion's was a very generic medieval folklore type setting that, since it was mainly auto-generated, had a very bland, unloving feel to it. The massive graphical improvements and attention to detail in Skyrim's hand-crafted world is outstanding: it feels larger and is much more varied and detailed. Every dungeon and location feels like it actually belongs and there is a certain air, a magical aura about the entirety of the world that makes it that much more special, whereas in Oblivion, many locations were simply redesigned from other ones, and it got repetitive much faster than in Skyrim. The use of far more voice actors and an overall more visceral musical and SFX experience served to further enhance the world.

I will agree with you though that the quests and questlines are far superior in Oblivion, as is the overall story. The quests in Skyrim are much too repetitive (Go to X, get Y and return to Z being quite cliché). I did however enjoy Oblivion's Thieves' Guild Questline more than in Skyrim's - it just felt more purposeful and had more meat to it. The lack of a Mage and Fighters' Guild also was detrimental to Skyrim's experience (while several smaller organizations step up to fill the latter, they fall *quite* short. The former is largely made up for via the College, but it isn't quite the same). Several things I do miss, however, from Oblvion, are the guards, who are, simply put, much more badass (case in point:

) and the natural and undead factions were much more varied and useful (i.e. can actually scare you, like when a half-dozen minotaurs got together and decided to have an ass-kicking party at your house).

Finally, I will concede to there being a better variety and number of homes in Oblivion (especially if you have all of the DLC), but Hearthfire, despite its bugs, is fantastic in that it allows you to build and customize a home any you way you want to.