There′s a lot of talk in the forums obviously about how certain aspects of the game can make you a god too early and too easily.

The first argument is something in the lines of "why am I able to do these things so early on and easily, when it brakes the game for me?"

and the counter argument for that is "It′s an ES game, you can control how you play it and it′s your own fault if you break it for yourself."


Now, in addition to escapism in the mode of role-playing, the number one reason we play games is to be posed with a challenge which we must overcome, while at the same time enjoying ourselves. We are provided with the tools to overcome this challenge, but we like to think that after it′s all done with, we had a key role in getting through the game in our own specific style and ability.

Now, a game is fundamentally only a set of rules. We as players want to abide those rules, because if we do not, there′s really no point in playing the game in the first place. If no rules apply, there is no challenge and therefore no game.

I understand that Skyrim is a role-playing game, but this should not mean that everything is possible. The experience of playing is left largely to the hands of each player, but this only means that they can decide on how they reflect themselves to the character (coming up with a history for their character etc...), how they decide to combat enemies (melee, spells etc...) and what decisions they make in the game about what to do, when to do it and how to do it.

If you had a racing game, where there would be elaborate laps, but no penalty for not staying on track, you would end up with a sneaky feeling, that even though you abide the rules, there is really no reason to, and when it comes down to winning, there is always the possibility of "cheating" by cutting short here and there, which ends up eating away from the experience of competing in a race.

There are a lot of players new to Elder Scrolls games, a lot of them probably exhausted WoW players, who wanted a new type of game and saw Skyrim as an option. They are used to a system, in which a lot of time equals to a lot of little bonuses, that in the long run add up to a whole that is more powerful, and can then take on greater and greater challenges.

I personally think this is how it should be in any game of this kind, and do not see why Skyrim should be any different. All Bethesda should′ve done, would′ve been to add diminishing returns to professions and that would′ve made everyone happy. I think the argument of the "Elder Scrolls fan" stated above is not enough to turn the dissatisfied gamer′s argument into an unreasonable one. There should be rules, there should be a challenge, and it should not be left to the player to battle the urges to cut corners here and there. I don′t think Bethesda wanted to make a ton of gear that is removed from any "wow effect", when the player can make better ones with little to no effort.

tl;dr = There should be rules, there should be a challenge, and it should not be left to the player to decide the magnitude of that challenge, when it rides the risk of ruining the gaming experience, which in the end, is all that matters.

Thank you.

Just wanted to say , you put in to words exactly how i feel.

excellent post thanks :woot:

since when has any TES been about the "challenge"? if people are coming in from mmo's expecting it to play out exactly as one then thats their own fault because TES is about exploring and experiencing the game through the narrative of your character, not about min/maxing.