I don't see what the problem is with being told that you're the Dovahkiin.
"I don't want to be the Dovahkiin!" Then don't buy the game dammit. By all means, do other stuff, put the main quest on hold for a little while, but why buy the game if you have no intention of playing it's main storyline?
And so what if, in the song they say the Dovahkiin is a he? They can't call him an it, can they? They call him a he because they don't know his gender. Just like how I'm calling him a he now. They can't really sing about him using the words "Him slash Her" can they?
Does that stop you from playing as a female? The fact that the guy in the pictures and trailers is clearly a Nord wont stop anyone from playing as an Argonian.

I agree with you completely about the main heroes in the past TES games. I already pointed out something similar earlier in this thread to those complaining about the Dovahkiin thing and comparing it to how their character was a "nobody" in Oblivion. It still seems like some people still can't grasp the number of messages available in Oblivion that the main character was never a nobody when the game's story began. Gee, I wonder why did Uriel Septim saw Oblivion's main character as someone he could trust. In fact, he trusted the main character more than any of his Blades... and he didn't even know the guy/girl until the escape attempt. Gee, I wonder why Uriel Septim was given a vision of how important the main character will be.

Dovahkiin is not a name, it's a messianic title. You are the Dovahkiin, the Dragonborn, savior of Skyrim and indeed all of Nirn. And that voice? Every character will have a voice unique to race and gender. They'll probably keep Emil Pagliarulo's voice for the male nord PC, because frankly that was a pretty damn good FUS ROH DAH. Your characters in the prior games had voices too, it's just that now they've expanded their repertoire of grunts and gasps to include one-syllable made up fantasy words. You'll forget about the trailer about two minutes after you've made your character, blown off Esbern to let him sit and rot in his cabin or cave or wherever waiting for you to come back and start the main quest while you're doing whatever the hell it is you want to do because [censored] it it's an Elder Scrolls game and it's your right to play it however you damn well please.

*sigh*

I don't want a male or female character to be represented.

As i've said already, i'd rather they didn't refer to the player-character at all. Showing footage of how a player-character might look is perfectly fine, but he or she doesn't need a name, and they sure as hell don't need a song about them. Promotional images should mostly show dragons or artwork - not a generic bioware-esque player-character.

Also, note the use of the term 'player-character' instead of 'main character'. Who's to say the player-character will even be the main character? In Oblivion, the main character was arguably Martin. That's who the story revolved around.

Anyway, this argument is going nowhere. In the interest of not having to repeat myself yet again, i'll just admit that i'm overreacting slightly to some minor issues. Now we can all move on and talk about the positives of the game.

@Gregasaurus - please, don't get me started on the dragonshouts. They're one step forward towards a fully voice-acted player-character which in my opinion is possibly one of the worst things that could ever happen to the Elder Scrolls series. I'm going to pretend they don't exist in Skyrim and not use them at all.

The next thing you are going to complain is that your character has a face?

And if you have problems hearing your shouts, I don't know why you don't have problems hearing your grunts while you're hit...

Seriously, look at my avatar, and just do that.

They're one step closer to fully voice-acted player characters in the same way that being able to change your character's hairstyle and clothing is one step closer to the game being Barbie Dress-Up Dolls.

I was initially a little disappointed at being told I was Dovahkiin. Then when I learned that being Dovahkiin is where the game begins, not where it pivots dramatically or where it ends, I was wasn't bothered at all knowing I am Dovahkiin.


Actually, I believe it is a name, as is stated in the trailer. You are Dovahkiin, Dragonborn, one of numerous others throughout history. You might be a prophesied one-and-only kind of Dovahkiin too, which could make you the Dovahkiin.

I didn't like the grunts at first, but learned to avoid falling and to drown the grunts out as background noise during battles. Hearing the character actually speak words (even if those words are brief and in another language) is a lot worse in my opinion.


Stupid comparison. Please, think before typing.

OH no, you can also see your character's hand! IT RUINS MY IMMERSION!

Oh no, you can press the middle mouse button and you can see yourself in 3rd person! IT RUINS MY IMMERSION!

It's a role playing game, it's also a Bethesda role playing game. That means some will invest hundreds of hours into a single character, and your character's appearance can be a big part of that role playing. If you are not interested, that's fine, your choice, but I will point out that many players' version of what you call Barbie Dress-Up will be making their muscle bound, weathered Nords look as hard and manly as possible.

OT, not upset at all, get rescued, get katana, meet Greybeards, bugger off and do whatever seems fun at the time, come back and save world if and when, get all the 'you have to' stuff over and done with as soon as possible.

Look who's talking, Mr. Slippery Slope. A transition to a fully-voiced character would necessitate a transition to a character with fully-scripted dialogue more in the vein of a traditional roleplaying game. Frankly I don't see gamesas abandoning the Wikipedia-esque character interaction anytime soon as far as this series is concerned. They've got Fallout now, if they want more of that stuff. Being able to speak a few non-words strictly for aesthetic purposes does not mean your character will be any less of a silent protagonist in the truest sense of the phrase. Gordon Freeman is completely silent, but he's still in the same vein as Link, who grunts, groans, gasps, and even shouts. He was doing that back in 1998 and as of today that's still all he's doing. You can imprint your own intepretation of their thoughts and attitudes just the same to either one. If your character starts to shout catch phrases (especially if accompanied by a laugh track) then yes, I think you will have valid reason to complain. As it is now? You can hardly punch someone with your voice if you don't talk. It's fine. Quit overreacting.



Are you completely unable to detect irony or something?

meh

That's one of the silliest things I've ever read. Why are they restricting us to the races they have made, what if the player doesn't want to be a premade race?
Derp

Stupid comment.

If I don't want to be one of the premade races, i'll make a mod that adds a completely new race.

Go derp someone else kid.

I agree with you, i hope its not a symptom of further freedom being taken away from the player, i don't need to be told who i am in a game, now whatever character i make, bosmer thief, altmer mage, orc warrior, they all have to be dragonborn to use the dragon shouts which is restrictive and samey, those dragonshout effects could just as easily have been attributed to another means like normal magic, or even astrological signs and called something else, now whatever character i make has to be tied to this "dragonborn" stuff.

Dragon Shouts are just a Greater Power from Morrowind with a fancy name. It's not even unique to you; plenty of NPCs and spawned enemies can use them.

If someone tell you you are an idiot, does that make you an idiot? No one said you have to listen to what some mountain hermits say you are.

So why are you so upset about being given a quest? That's all it is; being Dovahkiin is a quest, nothing more. A quest you don't even have to do. Are you going to kill yourself if someone tell you to go die?

OH yes, this is a big spiral of losing freedom, started from 1979 in Akalabeth where you've been told outright, "You want to become a knight".

But seriously? That's your problem? That you're called the dragonborn? What about Champion of Cyrodill? Or the Neveraine? Just hero/adventurer?
Oh no, these restrict my character so much in... uh... well...

So if it would be birthsigns it would be completley different? It wouldn't be.
Also, you don't have to get all of them you know...

it's just an opinion, i am very quickly noticing cannot put forward a straightforward opinion without someone becoming upset, or thinking i am upset myself, it's just an opinion on a game, it not doomsday, as for killing myself? lol lets keep things in perspective shall we?

YOU don't know about it. The trailer was Esbern talking to somebody.. probably Greybeards.... But YOU don't know about that in the beggining of the game. ESBERN or THE GREYBEARDS TELL you.

Its not like this is new or anything. Everyone was the Champion of Cyroidiil, or the Nerevarine. Not sure why everyone's getting up in arms about being Dovakiin. You're the hero, plain and simple. The best part about TES is that you don't have to do the mq if you dont' want to...

Its not like anything is changing, so really I don't see a problem. If you don't wanna be dragonborn, don't be. The mq won't advance if you dont' do it. You'll run into a dragon now and then, but they are treated like any other wild enemy. Pretend that dragons burst into flames after you kill them for any other average joe, and you'll be fine.

The perspective is that you somehow think, just because some old men tell your character he/she is Dovahkiin, that somehow it becomes fact. And that your character is ruined forever.

You don't want anyone to tell you you are Dovahkiin? What kind of silly complaint is that? Are you defined by what other people say you are, or what you actually do? Are you that easily influenced that you are brainwashed into being Douvakiin just because you are told?

I don't know who is getting up in arms but it's not me, i just stated an opinion once and i didn't go on repeating it, others can state their opinion that they disagree with me completely and that is the way it should be, it's called conversation or debate, i don't remember stating anywhere that i am correct or that my opinion should not be challenged, but i have not been rude or aggressive to anyone, so i am not up in arms.



If i did that would i lose out on some abilities by not following the MQ?



Like i already said, it's just an opinion, sorry you don't like it.

If you don't want to be Dovahkiin, why would you want Dragon Shouts for?

Make up your mind. I myself have never actually finished, or even started, the main quest of Oblivion even after all these years. If you are greedy and want the advantages of the main quest, then it is your own problem that you had to be Dovahkiin to get it. If you are serious about roleplaying as someone who doesn't want to save the world, then stick to your guns. Hell, just use the console to hack yourself some Dragon shouts without doing the quests.

I find it outrageous that your are simultaneously demanding to not do the main quest, yet demanding the rewards that the main quest offers. Quests have rewards; that's how the game motivates us to play the game.If your desire to roleplay is weaker than your desire to collect powers, then that is your choice.

Outrageous? kill myself? idiot? for a simple opinion on a game?

These boards are frequented by some very angry people it seems, i will not post here again no worries lol.



All the anger is coming from you not me, i demand nothing, i have an opinion nothing more, i am bemused by all this aggression.

I didn't tell you to kill yourself. I merely ask you if you would just because someone told you to. Because you seem to consider it important that no one tell you anything you don't want to hear, just in case you might accidentally do it.

And yeah, it seems you are so easily influenced. At no point did I ever claim you are dumb; only weak willed and perhaps open to hypnotic suggestion and mind control.

I guess I do come out sounding hostile, but that's not directly aimed at you but also at the person who made this topic. You might have noticed that the topic starter made the same comment in the title of this thread.

Good day, by the way. Since you say you are leaving.