That's a quite nonsensical argument if you ask me. No one ever implied that "original" -- a dreaded word, but I'll go with it for now -- means insectoid, reptilian or anything like you have seen in Morrowind.

http://www.johnb.co.nz/hiking_new_zealand.jpg looks pretty much like a random area in Oblivion-style Cyrodiil. Well, that picture was made in New Zealand, which hardly has any non-marine mammals, only marsupials. My point is that just because some things look recognizable, it is not that other aspects of a game cannot be "recognizably alien".

It being a fantasy game, liberties can and should be taken with the fauna of the place. It's not essential, but it adds more of interest to a game than, say, something that's "like real life but with magic". I like my escapism so far out that it goes into outer space and chokes in the void. But that's just me.

Bugs and reptiles are not essential. The only reason they fit Morrowind is because Morrowind made them fit, not because they're what you'd typically expect to see. To get a good idea of creatures that would fit Cyrodiil, all one needs to do is flip through old bestiaries or modern compilations of old bestiaries, like Jorge Luis Borges's Book of Imaginary Beasts. The peryton, the t'ao t'ieh, sphynxes (similar zoomorphic creatures can found all over the world), nasnas, vegetable lambs of tartary, lamias, all these would have made this fictional world seem a little more unique.

Their fauna isn't all "traditional". The afore-mentioned Mountain Lion is a New World animal. And they still got, as I said earlier, Land Dreughs and three-eyed trolls.

The trolls have three eyes? Really? I only see two..

Most of them got three atleast as I recall.

I don't recall ever seeing a troll with two eyes. All I've seen have three.

The Grahl of Solstheim have two eyes. And in most fantasy games, they have two eyes. But the ones in TES IV have three.

Yes, I love how alien it made Cyrodiil, with those 3 eyed trolls. They just freaked me, out, I was like... "wha!!?" and I kept on countign them but. There are definately 3. Someone clever made that game... like who thinks outside the box.

No, it was (apparently) not described correctly anywhere else. But what you see in the most recent game is the highest canon. You get what you see, not what you read.

Cyrodiil's fauna matched its environment. It wouldn't work to put strange monsters everywhere that didn't match the environment.

Exactly what did you want them to be? They're crabs, so Bethesda made them look like RL crabs. Only bigger.

And what's the justification for the sudden change in environment? I've always been puzzled by their decisions...

Hmmm...Bethesda's choice of creating environments have been confusing as of late. And now their current victim is the Wasteland.

Its still better than Blizzard. They've changed the backstory several times.

Just by the way, if you felt the need to focus on my spot, because I sued yours above, then I wasn't attacking your statement, I was being sarcastic about the game.

However, to me, Oblivion did not represent Cyrodiil correctly, and what you see is something that has been rather selfishly compromised for the mainstream market. The highest canon, is what is written, because what is written is what goes into the games, not the games themselves.

Cyrodiil's fauna matched it;s environment in what context? It didn't because you can't define anything to suit it unless it's based on real world, and even then Land dreughs seem out of place.

And as for mud crabs, yes, I expect them to be crabs used to swampland and mangroves, (like the Imperial City was supposed to be surrounded by) not having coral growing on their shells.

I think I am only being fair in that.

Only with WarCraft. The Koprulu Sector (StarCraft) and Sanctuary (Diablo) are both pretty consistant.


I can write a book explaining how the Sun is purple. I can cite quotations from renowned intellectuals, provide charts and diagrams on what could cause the Sun to be purple, and sell several million copies. That does not mean the Sun is actually purple. What IS takes precedence over what is WRITTEN. We have read that Cyrodiil is a jungle, but we have seen that it is deciduous. Which do you trust more: a book, or your own eyes?


It matched in the context of forest creatures living in a forest.

Wish I knew what you were talking about.

No offense to Blizzard, but I never thought their backstories were good, not even when I was fanatic about them.

Those were in-universe sources. They can be untrue. And they often are.

EDIT: And what is wrong with having trolls, ogres, wolves, bears, and boars as the monsters in the game?

That would be true, but you'd hardly expect a Guide made by Imperials, to get their own province wrong would you?


EDIT: There is nothing wrong with that, but there is also nothign wrogn with diversity or imagination. And the latter is pretty important in a fantasy universe.

Nothing really, but it is a sign of unoriginality. Those creatures have all been used before over and over.

It doesn't matter. We've been to Cyrodiil. We know that it is not a jungle. In TES I-III, it was. That is no longer current cannon.

Not often. But, they're falsifiable so long as a dev writes in-character.

I agree that the lore should help the game, but some of their choices are boring.



TES I and II? Seriously? No can't be. Jungle Cyrodiil appeared after the first PGE.

But why wouldn't they be there? They live in such forested areas.

Either way, it would make little sense for a jungle to be just south of a cold region like Skyrim.

I am sorry, but apart from the events that occured in Oblivion (and even soem of them) I disregard that 'current canon'.

But I understand, that that is my choice, and not something I shoudl force on others.

Crimson Paladin, by earths standards they fit in there, but why should that decide Nirns fauna?

You mean how it wouldn't make sense that the Andes is west of the Amazon? Yeah, that's dumb.

So could wolverines, wendigos, kobolds (authentic kobolds, not the D&D type that don't warrent such a name), nymphs, snakes, uktena, sasqui, mee-go, flying monkeys, werebears, gaint ants.....and yet Bethesda went with generic High Fantasy trope.

Because the players of the game are natives of Earth, and should be able to understand what is going on and not asking "Why is there a flying carnivorous camel in the forest?"

Quoted for truth,

And in addition to that, why couldn't common fantasy creatures that don't suit it currently be changed to suit the environment.

Both of the answers are why I quoted for truth.




Obscure (camel), but, I never even imagined a nix-hound until Morrowind, and it still bode well for me. Unless by that you mean they were appealing less to the fans, and more to the mainstream then yes.

Cyrodiil isn't overrun with mythical creatures. Thats how it's supposed to be. Besides, they still have invading Daedroths, Clannfears, Spider Daedra, and Scamps. Sure, they're not native, but neither are most supernatural creatures.

The nix-hound was an alien creature and thus fit in well into the alien enviroment of Vvardenfell. What would you think if you saw a nix-hound-esque creature in Grand Theft Auto?