Skyrim - The Elder Scrolls V

[panurgy]

Agreed that Argonians are badass, but Divayth Fyr is a 4200 year old wizard, and probably one of the most powerful in Tamriel. I'd put Baladas in the same general category though a step or two down. IIRC, in-game stats of Divayth were between Dagoth Ur and Vivec, though that could be taken with a grain of salt, especially since the story says that Dagoth was approximately as strong as the Tribunal combined around the time of the Nerevarine's return. Anyway, I would just find it hard to believe that Divayth could be taken down by anyone short of Vivec or a daedric prince--and even then I think it would be a fight.

As far as playing Morrowind or Oblivion, I'd give a big thumbs up to either, especially if you're willing to invest time into putting together a stable mod setup. Morrowind is, IMO, a better story and RPG. There's a reason why many TES fans consider it the gold standard. Morrowind almost doesn't need mods, though it can be better with them (especially graphics).

Oblivion is also worth playing, but IMO requires mods to shine, including the complicated group of 60-ish FCOM-related mods. I'd suggest starting with Morrowind, and if you still have the itch, continue with Oblivion. Also, Shivering Isles is a must-have for Oblivion, and both Tribunal and Bloodmoon are must-haves for Morrowind.

 

[panurgy]

I thought it was mostly the volcano that wiped them out, I mean I am sure some are still alive or their descendent's are, but the STUPID VOLCANO!

I miss my mansion

I interpret that as the volcano caught them by surprise and killed a lot of people, particularly the "average folks". Brelyna Maryon at the College of Winterhold, for example, is from House Telvanni in Skyrim-era Morrowind. Her parents are two of the mages who worked in the Council House at Sadrith Mora from Morrowind (the game). Her dialog directly states that House Telvanni has survived and is clearly doing fine in Skyrim-era Vvardenfell. They're probably a long way from their glory days, but they're definitely not struggling refugees.

 

[Wolfbeckett]

Indeed, which only makes logical sense considering, you know, WIZARDS.

 

[Double A]

If I was a House Telvanni wizard, I would conjure several illusions of myself set to explode when in contact with anything metal or wood. I would then Recall myself to a random burial ground cave thing only accessible by swimming through lava, set up shop, and make like 90 invisibility/damage health poisons, spike a bunch of Argonian water supplies with them, and then skip town.

 

[LightSpectra]

just beat the Skyrim main quest.

Holy crap was that anticlimactic.

 

[TheDanish]

just beat the Skyrim main quest.

Holy crap was that anticlimactic.

Agreed. Skyrim's MQ is probably the least interesting part of the game, alongside the civil war.

 

[cybrxkhan]

just beat the Skyrim main quest.

Holy crap was that anticlimactic.

Yup.

I thought Oblivion's was much better. Sure, it was much more cliche, and the beginning was kind of boring, but at least the final battle was EPIC (the final battle was so fun I replayed it 4 times just because it was so chaotic and awesome). Skyrim's final battle... well, it just takes place on some crappy hillside and you don't really need to do anything (during half the final battle I was running around because my mouse got messed up, and the other guys did all the work for me... looks like they didn't need dragonborn after all).

 

[ace99]

Yeah something about being Dragonborn doesn't really feel as epic as it did about being Neverar. But then again, at the end of Morrowind I killed a demigod with one blow, so there's that.

 

[Wolfbeckett]

My problem with Oblivion's main story was that you were essentially the side kick. Yeah, you maybe do most of the heavy lifting, but at the end of the day Martin was the "chosen one" and you were like, his bodyguard or errand boy or whatever. Skyrim's main story is quite lame too but at least it feels like you're the main character. Morrowind's was rad of course, that game actually tried to inject some subtlety into it by making you question whether or not you are REALLY the destined hero. Are you accomplishing all these things because you are the chosen one, or are you becoming the chosen one because you're accomplishing these things? A subtle distinction and one that I quite like, it may not be the most brilliant story in all of fiction but at least it tried to be something more than a generic save the world story.

 

[ace99]

Well in Oblivion (Shivering Isles) you find out later that you're actually Sheogarth so I don't mind that too much.

 

[Wolfbeckett]

I never played Shivering Isles so my comment excludes that. They can retcon it in as many after-the-fact DLC's as they want, doesn't change the fact that I didn't like the story as shipped at all.

 

[sophie]

Yeah, I usually just pretend the Civil War is the real main quest and the dragonborn crap is just some random sidecrap that gives you some pretty rad powers if you follow through with it.

Then again, even the Civil War was anticlimactic in its own right.

 

[ace99]

I usually just pretend that I'm a renegade sociopath kleptomaniac on a murderous alcohol and skooma driven rampage through the fair lands of Skyrim. It fits pretty well.

 

[Wolfbeckett]

I usually just pretend I'm a mercenary of some kind doing work for rewards, since the game really doesn't give you enough options to do anything else. The game doesn't even let you play the goody two shoes, if you do a favor for a poor person they pay you and there isn't even the simple option of turning down the reward. Sucks when you're ostensibly playing a good guy and some random peasant gives you like 500 gold for something. Doesn't feel very heroic to take what is probably half a years wages from these people lol.

 

[Double A]

I just pretend my character has ADD and does- Ooh, shiny!

 

[cybrxkhan]

I pretend that my character is one of the characters from my creative writing projects who's in the process of reincarnating and they're in the delusional stage between the life they're leaving and their next life.

 

[LightSpectra]

The civil war was worse than the main quest. It's just easy-as-pie battles interspersed with a few random errands (kill a messenger, a tiny battle, whatever).

Geez. I was thinking the main quest was going to end with using the Elder Scroll to banish Alduin into some time paradox (since he was prophecized to end the world). I got a little pissed off when he just died.

 

[cybrxkhan]

I didn't mind the civil war quests too much. Tons of battles is totally cool with me, though I wish some of the battles had more people running around.

I got a little pissed off when he just died.

Actually I don't think he died. Somebody - I don't remember who, but either one of the guys at Sovngarde or the Greybeards or something - say that Alduin only gets killed temporarily or soemthing. After all, you don't suck up Alduin's dragon soul thingymajig like the other dragons. Or something.

Main quest ending still sucks, though. The beginning wasn't bad, actually, and I thought some of the build up was a bit better than Oblivion's and was more reminiscent of Morrowind's at a few points in terms of quality, but the ending was like bleh.

 

[sophie]

Actually I don't think he died. Somebody - I don't remember who, but either one of the guys at Sovngarde or the Greybeards or something - say that Alduin only gets killed temporarily or soemthing. After all, you don't suck up Alduin's dragon soul thingymajig like the other dragons. Or something.

Main quest ending still sucks, though. The beginning wasn't bad, actually, and I thought some of the build up was a bit better than Oblivion's and was more reminiscent of Morrowind's at a few points in terms of quality, but the ending was like bleh.

And that ridiculous point where the game forces you to kill Paarthurnax and piss off the Greybeards even if it makes absolutely no sense for your character to do that.

 

[cybrxkhan]

And that ridiculous point where the game forces you to kill Paarthurnax and piss off the Greybeards even if it makes absolutely no sense for your character to do that.

Or you can not kill Paarthurmax, save the world and "kill" Alduin, and the Blades will think you're the most terrible person who ever lived on Tamriel.