To me, Bretons serve little significance in the Elder Scrolls series anymore. While Skyrim did make the human races more distinguishable, it still wasn't enough. Because they can't be made distringuishable really. Humans are Humans. The Bretons don't have any stand out traits really and little significance to the storyline anymore. I think they should have been removed or replaced with another race.

How did you land on Bretons for removal, but not Imperials?

Because Imperials play a crucial part in the story now. Bretons don't really anymore. Imperials were added because they needed a face for the dominant ruling force. Could you really make a TES game now without Imperials? How would you explain it? Bretons on the other hand, they would just be like a fart in the wind.

So how would you explain the elimination of an entire province worth of people? And who would you add to replace the Bretons?

I never said the province would be removed. I'm not really sure who would replace them.

Bretons are like the English and French. It shows in their architecture.

The races don't really show race as much as a general cultural representation until you come to the Argonians and Khajjit. The Breton's have played a rather large role in TES history, removing them would be pointless.

This would force all mages to play an Altmer. I like playing a Breton because they're the most skilled humans in magic. Theres about 3 stealth races (Bosmer, Khajiit, Argonian) 3 combat (Nord, Orc, Redguard). Removing Bretons would really limit choice for a magic user. It would just leave Altmer as the only inheritanely magic race.

And besides, aren't they Man-Mer hybrids? With the Thalmor threat most likely being in the future of the series, the Bretons can exploit a "middle ground" as it were between the Dominion and the Empire. Or am I think of another race?

The Thalmor a purist, the only thing the Breton's might be able to chose they might have in a conflict would be their method of death, and thats only if The Thalmor are feeling generous. The Breton's being a mongrel race of mer-men is a disadvantage to them politically.

Bretons are like the pagan / Celtic druids of old. Based loosely on the Brythonic culture of Britain and Western France. I imagine their magic users in the brown or grey druid robes with large hoods wielding magical staffs made of wood.

http://dummidumbwit.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/druids.jpg

http://debramoolenaar.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/oak-tree.jpg

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSpScee-ya9AbEg1t2gZQKTX2f8WhIIml_1QhKO-dqj8qW8giVpgySqWCgPtg

http://dummidumbwit.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/druids7flat.jpg


Their lore is totally unique. I love the look of the new Bretons.

Unlike the Nords who are brutal warlords of the north with their metal armor and love for weaponry and unlike the Imperials who excel in an more orderly society and advanced technology and trade etc.
Unlike the Altmer who are an elegant and sophisticated people who you can imagine being more at home to robes made of silk and with fine hand crafted staffs.

Yes, yes you could make a TES game without the Imperials. The imperials are a race of nobodies. Actually, they're Nords, just a different Nordic Culture.

Before Morrowind, the Imperial Race was distinguished by Culture, not Physical Appearance. Everyone in Oblivion is an Imperial. Most happen to be Nords. Some Imperials were kinda fuzzy and spoke in third person. A few were green and red lizards. But they were all Imperials.

Nords come in two distinct subraces: The Nords of Skyrim, and the Nords of Cyrodiil.

[censored] Morrowind and its [censored] of the series lore.

I'd say their Nead's, not Nords. If anything their like the Bretons in the sense that their a mongrel race of mixed blooded freaks . Many from Alessia's time likely had Elvin blood but the original Cyrodiilic's were Neads, their blood only getting further muddied with the introduction of the Nordic Empire.

Umm, no. Please don't take out my favorite race...

That's like saying that Spain serves little significance in the real world. Yeah, the days of their glory are over, but they played an integral part in forming the world as it is now. That's not something I'd call insignificance.

Most of the races of men are pretty interbred, with the possible exception of Nords, just because they're racist enough to not want to interbreed.

It's worth pointing out,however, that Bretons merely have more elves in their heritage than most, they're not "half-elves". Genetics in Nirn basically mean that the mother transfers over the overwhelming majority of her genetic material onto her child, so that only the mother matters where race is concerned. Bretons have elvish influences, which means their magical talents, but they are practically physically indistinguishable from an Imperial back in Oblivion. (The used the same voice actors, as well.)

Honestly if it came down to removing a people, I think Bretons and Imperials would generally just be merged. I dont think it would cause a huge outcry in the TES fanbase. However, youd need some way of transfering the magical aspects of the Bretons over, so players arent forced to play a mer for spells. But it wouldnt be the largest loss, nothing like the outcry against destroyed Vvardenfell

What's with removing stuff? Weapons, armor, skills, attributes, and now an entire race? What's next, predetermined characters?

Snip, Oblivion voice actors:

Ralph Cosham - Jauffre / Vincent Valtieri / Male Bretons (voice)

Wes Johnson - Lucien Lachance / The Grey Fox / Pelinal Whitestrake / The Arena Announcer / Sheogorath - Shivering Isles / Dremora / Male Imperials (voice)

The females did indeed have the same voice actor but were recorded with distinctly different voices.

Also, if you ask me, it is very easy to distinguish the two going by their looks only.

Alright, I was going by memory on that one, and forgot that was one of the ones where the males were different, but the females were not. (Maybe I was thinking of orcs and nords?)

The voices of the female bretons and imperials, when it came to canned pvssyr like rumors and random lines they say to your character as you walk past, seemed to use the same audio files as far as I could tell. That was why I really had trouble telling the two apart (at least for the females.)

No, they could just add another race. It's not like they have to get rid of Bretons. Plus I play a Breton

Really? Did you really just post that? The forums were buried in rage threads because Bethesda combined two armor pieces and added finishing animations, and you think them merging two of the playable races won't cause a huge outcry?

Yeah. Who needs lore? It's useless. All Bethesda needs to do is add go-karts and pandas and their next game will be perfect, right?

And there was much rejoicing. Then lo, there came the Day of Dread when Bethesda announced its plans to introduce the Blue Shell.

All they have to do is make them more unique.

Clothes and hairstyles unique to each human culture would help a lot. Imperials and Nords have their armour and weapons, and Redguards have their hoods and sabres... but what do Bretons get? Nothing.

Bretons need to be less like Medieval England and more like Regency England. Curly moustaches, ruffled collars, maybe a little makeup on the men. Something to set them apart!

They're supposed to be celtic druids from before Anglican influence or covens of witches.