ES4: Oblivion - Why We Love It @ GameInformer
- Thread starter Dhruin
- Start date
My apologies, GBG. I entirely agree with what you wrote and appreciate your measured and detailed reply.
However, it certainly wasn't my intention to deride the overall philosophical basis and gameplay style of TES. I loved and treasured my experiences with Morrowind to death and can totally empathise with the romantic 'virtual world' transportation idea that these kinds of games offer. I appreciate that player centred, free roaming type of experience too.
I was actually directly responding to the tone of crpgnut who I felt wasn't quite adequately expressing the truth in his post and showing a bit too much TES bias on the concept of choice and decisions. I thought I detected a bit of condescension in there as well (the secret sentence particularly) which kind of elicited my response. In reflection, perhaps it was the incorrect tone…(I'll be mindful of it in future) but I do stand by the points I made.
That's a fair question. I would argue that in order for these games to become more responsively attuned to what the player is doing and thus more reactive, more effort is required from Bethesda to make more choices actually matter.
I think it's a fairly common complaint with the TES games; that there simply isn't enough ways to affect the gameworld at large.
As an TES player, I'd love a greater sensation that the world I'm exploring isn't a static place and that more events can occur without my direct knowledge or involvement. I like the idea that the world isn't just my playground to go questing in - that it is a changing entity all of its own with both malevolent and benign factors. This logically implies a place that is more reactive to choice.
I'd never begrudge the fun from anyone's enjoyment of the simple things in TES games - whether that be how one chooses to dress their character or even if it involves a little larping.
We all play in our own ways. In any case, I am hoping that Bethesda can improve upon Oblivion and bring back some of the alien mysteriousness of Morrowind. Whilst I felt they tried to explore that 'otherness' with Shivering Isles, it didn't quite click for me. But maybe Skyrim will fix all that. We'll see.
