Dragons: cliche or novel?

Post » Tue May 03, 2011 1:03 am

In one of the new http://www.gamepro.com/article/previews/218904/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-preview/, a writer remarked about how dragons are generally considered a cliche in fantasy settings.

Personally, I applaud Bethesda for taking on such a weathered mythological creature and so far seeming to make them not seem very cliche at all. With their own language, power sources, mythology, and even representation, TES dragons seem to be coming to life as a real part of the TES universe rather than just another "fantasy cliche" that is thrown in for monster diversity.

How do people feel about dragons being 'cliche' and whether or not they feel that way in Skyrim (so far)
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Vickytoria Vasquez
 
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Post » Mon May 02, 2011 9:43 pm

I'm beginning to think people who think things are cliched are cliche.
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Trevi
 
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Post » Mon May 02, 2011 9:35 pm

I love them. Thank you Beth.
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Nick Swan
 
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Post » Tue May 03, 2011 10:35 am

yeah, but so are swords and axes in fantasy rpg's. it okay to have cliche's as long as your not sacraficing unique content concepts for something that has been used a bunch.
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Julia Schwalbe
 
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Post » Tue May 03, 2011 4:55 am

The Jills look sick; they're not the lame over-sized six-limbed dragons, so they aren't cliche.
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Alexis Acevedo
 
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Post » Tue May 03, 2011 7:11 am

It's one of those cliche fantasy things that they are taking and running with. They're using dragons in a way that people have wanted to see for years but haven't been able to be fully realized in games until recently.
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Bedford White
 
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Post » Tue May 03, 2011 2:14 am

The Jills look sick; they're not the lame over-sized six-limbed dragons, so they aren't cliche.

Six limbed dragons? AS in four legs and two wings?
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Susan Elizabeth
 
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Post » Tue May 03, 2011 12:00 am

Beth has always treated their TES dragons with respect and originality. That aside, we could argue about cliches all day long, but I like to think of an often used idea as a bucket of paint. Anyone could just take that red paint and slap it onto the canvas and say "Check it out! I have red paint!" Then you have the artist who takes the time and uses technique, care, and planning to use that same bucket of red paint that everyone else uses to create a beautiful autumn forest. Same bucket of red paint that everyone else uses, but applied in a different way. Now if that bucket were dragons in fantasy settings, then its really no different.
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Ebou Suso
 
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Post » Tue May 03, 2011 2:01 am

Six limbed dragons?

Four legs, two wings: six limbs

You know D&D, Tolkin, dragons

Edit: yeah you got it ;)
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Phillip Hamilton
 
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Post » Tue May 03, 2011 1:32 am

Six limbed dragons? AS in four legs and two wings?


I believe he's talking about European Dragons. I'm also glad they went with the more batlike dragons. It really gives them a more feral flavor that lets them stand apart from more general conceptions
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Lizs
 
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Post » Tue May 03, 2011 12:07 am

Beth has always treated their TES dragons with respect and originality. That aside, we could argue about cliches all day long, but I like to think of an often used idea as a bucket of paint. Anyone could just take that red paint and slap it onto the canvas and say "Check it out! I have red paint!" Then you have the artist who takes the time and uses technique, care, and planning to use that same bucket of red paint that everyone else uses to create a beautiful autumn forest. Same bucket of red paint that everyone else uses, but applied in a different way. Now if that bucket were dragons in fantasy settings, then its really no different.


That is an excellent anology and really what I'm getting at in my OP. Dragons can be incredibly cliche, but TES treats them like they are a part of the world rather than just another creature thrust into it
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MatthewJontully
 
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Post » Tue May 03, 2011 7:38 am

one could say elves orcs and animal people are cliche to fantasy you know. and besides lore says they have existed. and now they return because alduin has commanded them to do so. and you gotta admit these arnt your average dragons
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Zualett
 
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Post » Tue May 03, 2011 9:01 am

Magic is also cliche when it comes to fantasy. Take that crap out.
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MR.BIGG
 
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Post » Mon May 02, 2011 9:28 pm

Its stupid to think its cliche because the dragons in Skyrim are pretty much a new breed of dragons where they do not just breathe fire because they are aged enough but they do because they use words. If the dragons were just the unsophisticated brutes that breathe fire then yes it would be cliche but the dragons in Skyrim are civil in the way that they have their own language. They also have a way in which they get their powers which is new from what I know.
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Chad Holloway
 
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Post » Tue May 03, 2011 7:53 am

we all know that dragons are the ultimate boss, no matter how many times we use them.
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noa zarfati
 
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Post » Tue May 03, 2011 12:10 am

That is an excellent anology and really what I'm getting at in my OP. Dragons can be incredibly cliche, but TES treats them like they are a part of the world rather than just another creature thrust into it

Thanks. And yes, thats always what makes the elder scrolls world great. They truly do sort of take ideas that are used thoughtlessly in a lot of settings and mold it to their world in a way that it feels as though it belongs.
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Steven Nicholson
 
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Post » Tue May 03, 2011 9:14 am

Thanks. And yes, thats always what makes the elder scrolls world great. They truly do sort of take ideas that are used thoughtlessly in a lot of settings and mold it to their world in a way that it feels as though it belongs.


I believe effective worldbuilding is the linchpin of strong fantasy games/stories. Bethesda really know's how to build a unique world (although I personally felt Oblivion wasn't as unique as past games due to architecture and creatures)
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Ludivine Poussineau
 
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Post » Mon May 02, 2011 6:57 pm

Nah, I think dragons are still too cool to be considered cliche. My only concerns are there will be too many of them or they will be too easy to kill and become like Cliff Racers in Morrowind.
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Elina
 
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Post » Tue May 03, 2011 8:53 am

well i dont think skyrim dragons can be cliche because its there own dragon i mean when i read previews about the dragons in skyrim i felt a good relief
like i mean i was excited about dragons when i heard there in skyrim but i only cared about fighting it, now i really wanna know dragons like they put so much detail in it and i mean character wise than facial because when they breath fire its magic and there speaking i mean that kind of stuff is cool so i dont dragons in skyrim are cliche. :D
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Paula Rose
 
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Post » Tue May 03, 2011 10:56 am

Obviously Dragons are cliche in fantasy to an extent, its not a bad thing but it is true. Say we were playing Family Feud...Do I even need to finish this anology? I dont care that Dragons are the focus of Skyrim, but I did like how they were more of a mythical background entity. That actually made ES novel in that Dragons weren't flying around everywhere like most high and even low fantasy settings.
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Kit Marsden
 
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Post » Tue May 03, 2011 2:41 am

when they breath fire its magic


I really enjoy how Bethesda seems to be implementing their breath weapons. Not only is the audio for the fire breath in the gameplay trailer worlds better than any other fire breath audio I've ever heard (it actually SOUNDS like fire i.e. you can hear the oxygen being svcked away) but also there is supposed to be a word behind it. Brilliant :clap:
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Natalie J Webster
 
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Post » Tue May 03, 2011 10:40 am

but yea i believe these dragons are pretty novel
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krystal sowten
 
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Post » Tue May 03, 2011 3:07 am

I'm beginning to think people who think things are cliched are cliche.

Brilliant! :thumbsup:

Dragons are not cliche in a fantasy settings. They define it. They are classic.
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Kate Schofield
 
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Post » Tue May 03, 2011 6:36 am

Four legs, two wings: six limbs

You know D&D, Tolkin, dragons

Edit: yeah you got it ;)


Tolkien's Dragons were varried some had wings, some crawled like a lizard aka four limbs and some where worms with no legs. So it not like his were "standard"
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carly mcdonough
 
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Post » Tue May 03, 2011 6:01 am

TES has a lot of things that are "cliche with an original twist."

Some examples:

Orcs, with the story about how they were elves who were transformed when Trinimac was corrupted and turned into Malacath.
Dwarves, with them being a subrace of Elves and being technological steampunks instead of gold-hoarding hammer-swinging Viking miners.
The Sixth House - a "cliche" evil cult, but with a disease that transforms you into a monster and an evil god who stole his power from the heart of another god. Speaking of which, Lorkhan is a very non-cliche god.
The Daedra - some of them are close to cliche devils and demons, but many of them are strange and original creatures. I think of them as "fantastic aliens."
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Irmacuba
 
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