In the build up to E3 and the eventual release of the Skyrim I have been thinking about my character and more importantly the first hour of game play.

For me the first hour normally reflects what I would like my character to be. In Oblivion you were able to get a 'rusty' versions of nearly every style of weapon and armour in the game, and therefore set the mould for your character.

I liked that in Oblivion you were trudging through the sewers, finally making your way to *the light at the end of the tunnel* and beginning your adventure.

What do you envision the first hour of Skyrim to be like?


For me its walking to your death, escorted by armed guards to an execution block when suddenly the whole place opens up into chaos as dragons swoop over and burn everything. DRAGONS ARE IN SKYRIM! You then have to escape the complex following http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Esbern through a hidden entrance to caves below the keep and your eventual salvation in the forest below.

In your immediate path after leaving the caves will be an ancient ruin (similar to http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Vilverin) full of goblins or low level bandits and packed full of goodies and significant items that will start a few other quests.


Looking forward to reading your speculations.

Wake up in a dungeon, told you are the Dragonborn, do a tutorial dungeon.

Care to embellish on that at all?

I like how Morrowind did it, honestly.

ready for execution then an arrow comes out of nowhere esbern rescues me and tells me to follow him we run from the guards and soon as we are in safety i ask why did you save me and he'll say in time you'll know, then a small dragon comes out of nowhere i fight the dragon. then a little bit more info then finally free roam

Cool!

That's something I didn't think about. I imagine with all the dragon shout powers and absorbing their souls etc. you have to fight one at some point early on to introduce it all. Meaning they will have a de levelled and probably unique first dragon battle.

Could that be the one from the preview?

I think the beginning of the game may be something like this:
You're about to be executed,Esbern kills the executioner and maybe some sort fight starts in the prison while you and Esbern escape. Once you Esbern escape towards Riverwood you encounter a dragon,then you fight the dragon. Once you kill the dragon,maybe the Greybeards will call you? Then that's where you begin your journey towards High Hrothgar.

What I envision:

CG intro sequence wherein Esbern goes through a more complete version of his "you should have acted speech" while various bits of footage are intercut with shots of the Wall.
Transitions to black screen. Everything's blurry. Guard hesitates on a word, flash to chargen. Make your dude and gameplay resumes, things coming into focus in first-person. Guard finishes talking, makes a comment about your race as he tosses aside the sack that was over your head.
First-person procession to executioner's block in Riverwood (or wherever the starting village is going to be). Shoved towards the chopping block. Suddenly somebody shouts in alarm. A dragon comes down and begins laying waste to the town. It crashes to the ground and pins you under a paw, smells you, mutters something in Dragon. The Greybeards shout and the dragon looks in the direction of High Hrothgar. An arrow catches it in the neck. Esbern rushes into your view, firing a few more arrows at the fleeing dragon as the guard chases after it, firing away as well. Fade to black.

Wake up. Esbern talks more, says NO PLAYER YOU ARE THE DOVAHKIINS and [censored]s off to some place where he can be left alone until you're ready to start the main quest, after choosing a weapon or spell from his box o' player character goodies and getting booted out into the overworld.

Nice

Do you think Esbern will die early on? (dying is all the blades seem to be good at)

I certainly [censored] hope not. Bethesda would be really stupid to once again spend a significant chunk of cash or a celebrity to voice a single character that dies after 20 lines. He better [censored] walk up the 7000 steps with me. He better be a Nord Jack Lalanne who not only walks up those steps but does it faster than I do and calls me a sissy for taking so damn long, and remain an advisor for the rest of my quest. And if he does end up getting eaten by a dragon his last living act should be to make the damn thing choke on him.

Hahahahaha

I suggest looking into Arthmoor's multiple "Alternative Beginnings" for Oblivion for ideas for Skyrim.

This. It was short and concise. I did like Oblivion's the first time through after that I just kept a save near the exit of the sewers. In all honesty F:NV did it the best to me, you got your character rolled up and were thrust into the world. There was a tutorial area but it was optional.

I think we will be woken up by a guard, telling us that today is the day we die. Then we pick what our character looks like/name. We then are led to a courtyard with 3-4 other prisoners, and see a hangmen tying/preparing ropes. Right before we our hung a group of remnant blades takes off their capes in a crowd, and rescues us. Esbern leads us out a passage way, while the other blades fight off guards. We escape into nearby woods, were he hands us a sword, and we then must follow a linear path into the mountains to their hideout. Once at the hideout he tells us of the elder scrolls prophecy, not that we are Dragonborn, but that we play a part. Toturail begins in a training like camp fashion, takes about 15-30 mins tops. We the. Go out to the woods to look for the remaining blades. We come across an opening in the woods/mountains and see a blade, dying. As we approach a drogon swoops in, the two of us fight it off, protecting the dying comrade. Then after we defeat it the souls is svcked into the pc, and then we find out we are Dragonborn, 10 guards pop out of no where, tutorial for using shouts, we blow them over a cliff to their death. Back to the hideout we go, must find out more about dragons, drogon born powers, yadda yadda, in the wild we go!

:rofl:

First hour ill still be creating my badass dark elf.

I've actually been pretty sick of starting out in prison (with no explanation). I mean, tradition is ok in video games as long as its something cool.
Plus, we always know what to expect.

I like your idea tc, but yea I want an epic introduction at some point in the prison. Maybe Esbern brakes through your cell through some hidden wall and helps you escape.

WHAT! Are you sure!?

Anyone know if its confirmed that the game begins in a prison again?

I've seen leaked footage.
And its been talked about.

Oh good, thanks.