So with ES v on it's way what does everyone want to see within the interaction sequences? I kind of liked EA's idea with mass effect paragon and renegade.
What do you think of maybe a dark and light path. Dark magic, light magic, dark weapons, light weapons? Excessive use in either could result in related higher powers but also dark and light quest paths.

Please comment.

I'd be fine with an infamy/fame system with bigger, actual consequences

However, I don't think I'd like light/dark attack types. Magic/weapons are neutral, it's all about how you use them

A dark/light path could be added into that thread about what would make me not buy the game.

No good vs. evil, light vs. dark, etc, etc. The best system would be reputation. It was done in MW and DF, and it made more sense. You are judged by who you hang out with and your actions.

Actually, now that I think about it, they should have reputation and fame/infamy combined. If you are part of the FG, but are known to be violent or complete your missions by being more cruel, you will have a good reputation score within the FG and maybe some of the other factions that use the FG, but you are also quite infamous and may be warned to tone down the cruelty if one is way too infamous. Lets use MW's FG for example, in one mission, you are told to collect debt from the owner of the strip club in Suran. The infamous route would be just take the money from her and you become known as being a dike to merchants, while fame route would be to pay it off yourself and you become more known as being kind to merchants. Both complete the mission you were supposed to, but the difference would be how you handled your mission.

I am really not into the whole dark versus light mechanic- it feels trite to me, as I don't wish to become a paragon or a pariah, and yet with a dark/light emphasis, I become one or the other, no matter what. For that matter, I hope that Skyrim shows a lot more of the independence and ambiguity that drew me to the series in the first place.

NO NO NO. NO SIR. Keep the reputation & bounty. Nobody really thinks of a person of being light or dark. You either have fame, infamy OR YOUR UNDER ARREST!

I hate the idea, its way too generic and old now.

I would much prefer they add multiple paths that are each morally ambiguous for different reasons, allowing the player to choose a path through that best fits their desired personna - not being forced to live the life of a Paladin or Assassin.

FNV did a fantastic job at this, I hope the trend continues Away from the generic, outdated, boring Good vs. Evil cliche.

Miax

It was my understanding that infamy/fame replaced reputation. fame being straight-up reputation in most cases, but negative reputation in others, and likewise infamy was usually negative reputation, but in few cases (bandits come to mind) it was positive reputation

Would definitely like to see faction reputation return, though, that was what I had in mind by bigger, actual consequences. Doing something to get reputation in one guild could hurt your reputation in another.

You get to use the force for either side right?

Oh wait wrong game.

This. Dark/Light alignment systems are much too black/white one-sided and don't fit into the themes of TES. A greater emphasis on the already established fame/infamy system is what would be key in my personal opinion for dialogue and interaction.

Except fame and reputation was very...general. I'm suggesting it's broken down into individual factions, and the fame/infamy is more of an indicator of how you handle situations within that faction. Like I said, one can have high reputation in the FG, as you are found to be able to complete contracts with satisfaction, but you are known for being a dike (as indicated by higher infamy). What this means is people will expect you to shake down people, instead of helping them, and take up more "gray" contracts.

Ugh no, I really dislike those things in games because it always comes down to saintly and baby-eating options in quests. :shakehead:

Yeah I see your points but I kinda was looking at this type of thing as additional advancement to the game and quests related specifically to the advancement you have decided to make rather than being forced to choose one or the other. Do some bad stuff, gat some bad stuff, that kind of thing.

No. Renown, but not good and evil. Their pantheon as their witness, the Nord worldview is devoid of dichotomy.

I don't really like karma type systems where your actions are judged as being good or evil by some cosmic arbiter. I would rather have the characters in the game judge my actions based upon their point of view. What some will see as an act of heroism, others will see as an act of villainy. It's the way reality works, and I wish more games worked that way.