So I have never owned an Elder Scolls game or played one. But I would like too. I'm a big Fallout fan and I decided to check out TES after hearing some good reviews. But I have some questions I would like answered.

Whats the overall theme and plot of TES series?
What is Morrowind's plot?
What is Oblivion's plot?
Which is better? M or O?
Where is TES set? It looks like a cliche medieval RPG to me. But I'm ready to be proven wrong.
What is with the people with freaky animal heads????? Gahhhhh!!
Being the noobie that knows nothing about the series that I am, should I get Morrowind or Oblivion? (BTW I don't care about graphics I play FO1 and FO2 I think those are worse then Morrowind)

I was wondering cause I found Morrowind on eBay for $8

Thanks for all answers! :celebration:

Why not get them both?

Play Morrowind before Oblivion, but get them both.

Honestly if you're looking for something that isn't a cliche medieval RPG, try Morrowind first. Oblivion still isn't medieval but it certainly looks pretty similar for someone unfamiliar with the series, while Morrowind is far from cliche or medieval. If you buy Morrowind, make sure to get the GOTY edition, even though it may cost a bit more. And try to get it on the PC as you'll have access to tons of mods for it.

The TES series has a lot of lore, multiple times more than Fallout has, and trying to explain it all to you would be futile. Morrowind's plot is easy to sum up but I'll allow others to explain it better than I could. What I think you should do is simply get Morrowind without knowing much about the series, because it will be even more awesome to you that way.

If you want an image of what Morrowind is like, imagine Fallout 3, a game I'm sure you've played due to your avatar, but imagine a game world that feels multiple times larger, with hundreds of locations, hundreds of quests, and more RPG elements like being able to join certain factions and not others. There is no quest marker in Morrowind, but rather you have to follow directions NPCs give you. There's also little voice acting, only major characters have their own voices and even then it's only a few seconds long. Most of the talking you do will be silently and through text boxes. The locations in Morrowind are really compact, and it will make Fallout 3 feel really empty because you can walk for only 20 seconds in Morrowind and stumble across a new location, where in Fallout 3 you can walk for a minute or more without finding a new one. Fallout 3 is my favorite game of all time, but Morrowind is a close second. It's really awesome.

As for which is better between Morrowind and Oblivion, that's a debate that has raged on for years in this forum and you'll never get a definitive answer. My personal opinion is that Morrowind is much, much, much better than Oblivion, and don't think I'm one of those people who likes what he played first the most because I played Oblivion before Morrowind. After playing both my opinion is that Morrowind is leagues better than Oblivion. But like I said there is no definitive answer to which is better, you'll have to find that out for yourself.

Whats the overall theme and plot of TES series?
What is Morrowind's plot?
What is Oblivion's plot?
I won't spoil. You will find out when you start playing.

Which is better? M or O?
I think Morrowind is generally better than Oblivion, but they are both great; especially when modded.

Where is TES set? It looks like a cliche medieval RPG to me. But I'm ready to be proven wrong.
Good, cause you are wrong.

What is with the people with freaky animal heads?
They are Argonians and Khajiits. Two of the races in TES.

Being the noobie that knows nothing about the series that I am, should I get Morrowind or Oblivion?
Get both. Play Morrowind first.

Buy them both, I assume they're pretty cheap by now.

I recommend: Play Morrowind first. Try to get at least up a few levels so you can really start to enjoy the game. The game starts out a little small, but as you gain levels the world will open up to you a little bit at a time. A lot of people get soured on Morrowind because they've gotten used to cutting edge graphics in their games. If you give the first couple hours of game play a solid effort, I guarantee you will love this game more than most others you've played. If you do find that the game is not to your liking or you just want to play a game of a little different game play and style for a while...

Play Oblivion. This game came out in 2006 and still has some pretty great graphics, so if that's something you feel that you need, don't worry. Like Morrowind there is a lot to do in this game, but since the world levels with you, you can pretty much go anywhere you like from the very beginning. The combat is a bit different from Morrowind's so you will need to take a little while to learn it, but that is really gone over in the tutorial. This has a more classic RPG style to it and you will see a lot of familiar creatures and things that are similar Tolkien's middle earth, so if you're a fan of that genre, this is a good game for you.


Both games are incredible and I hope you have a great elder scrolls experience!

Whats the overall theme and plot of TES series?

There isn't necessarily an overarching plot, but the general gist of the games is that a random hero always seems to come up in times of crisis and ends up saving the world directly or indirectly depending on the game, and you the player pretty much decide how you go about doing it. Themes depend on the game. Morrowind is more morally abiguous and generally deals with issues of fate and such. Oblivion is more about that generic "save the world" sort of thing and pretty much every storyline is about you saving some entity from another entity. There's obviously a bit more to it that than that, especially in Morrowind, but for a newcomer thats all you really need to know.


What is Morrowind's plot?\

Guy/Girl/beast gets taken out of prison to be thrown into the country of Morrowind (specifically the island of Vvardenfel) to help combat the growing threat of Dagoth Ur, a quintessential "devil" who aims to purify Morrowind by driving out the Empire, among other things.

What is Oblivion's plot?

Guy/Girl/Man/Girl in a Beast body suit gets taken out of prison to help secure the Amulet of Kings, which is pretty much the very thing that gives the Emperor his power (as a symbol, not as something that actually gives him wield-able power) but is also the only thing that drives back the forces of Oblivion, which is a plane of existence where the Daedra exist, and in doing that, you are also sent to secure the heir to the Empire so that you can prevent the gates of Oblivion from allowing Mehrunes Dagon, a daedra (god), to invade Tamriel, the continent the Empire consists of.

Which is better? M or O?

It depends on who you ask; Oblivion might be easier for you to get into, given your experience with Fallout, but Morrowind tends to be much deeper and much more filled with stock content. (with mods, both games more or less become equal)

I personally recommend starting with Morrowind, as not only will you get the story in a more chronological manner, but you also won't be spoiled by Oblivion's gameplay, thus possibly deterring you from giving Morrowind a chance due to its less than easy gameplay.

Where is TES set? It looks like a cliche medieval RPG to me. But I'm ready to be proven wrong.

Oblivion pretty much is that, but Morrowind is much, much more unique in that regard. But anyway, the Elder Scrolls series is set on continent of Tamriel, where the Imperial Empire rules over several provinces where the (playable) races of the games hail from, such as Nords from Skyrim, Altmer (High Elves) from the Summerset Isles, Dunmer (Dark Elves) from Morrowind, and so on like that.

What is with the people with freaky animal heads????? Gahhhhh!!

Those are the beast races, which are the Khajitt (sp? They are the cat beasts) and the Argonians (the lizard-men), which hail from Elsweyr and the Black Marsh respectively.

Being the noobie that knows nothing about the series that I am, should I get Morrowind or Oblivion? (BTW I don't care about graphics I play FO1 and FO2 I think those are worse then Morrowind)

Get both at some point, but as I said, start with Morrowind. If you end up liking the series, Morrowind will be a better start than Oblivion will be. Plus, Morrowind provides much more opportunities to learn about the actual lore of the game than Oblivion does.

Believe me I want to, but I only have $20 bucks after paying off New Vegas :sadvaultboy:



Thanks a lot for the answer. I think I'm definitely getting Morrowind first. But I will get Oblivion soon after. :tops:



Thanks, I do like LOTR and Tolkien. But I think I will play through Morrowind first, then when I feel satisfied with that I will check out Oblivion.


Thanks to everyone who answered! This was faster answered then I thought it would be. :foodndrink:

Thanks a lot, plenty of good info right there. I am definitely starting with Morrowind first. (I've really only seen Morrowind gameplay compared to Oblivion, and it looks great to me)

This game is a lot more complex and has good back story then I thought. After reading these posts I'm much more interested :goodjob:

The games in the series aren't directly connected by plot, as with the Fallout series. People and events from past games may be referenced but they all have their own thing going on, just in the same world.


You are released from prison by decree of the Emperor himself and sent to an inhospitable island with instructions to deliver a package to someone. The events that follow drag you into some supernatural conspiracies and grudges. I won't spoil it, but if you want it spoiled it's easy enough to look up.


Again a prisoner (a different one), you find yourself in the middle of a high-profile assassination attempt when the Emperor's secret escape passage turns out to open into your cell. The imperial line is quasi-divine, and bad things happen if it were to end...same note on spoilers as above.


This question has spawned countless threads and angry, angry flame wars with both sides kicking sand at each other. Suffice to say that gameplay and content between them are "similar but different", that http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Morrowind_for_Oblivion_Players http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Oblivion_for_Morrowind_players offer some comparisons, and that the rest will be personal opinion. I could give my own opinions but it would inevitably turn this thread into another spitting contest.


The world and entire universe in TES are fictional, and not the same as that presented by Tolkien and D&D. This is another point of contention between Morrowind and Oblivion, though, the accusation that Oblivion moved in favor of cliche for greater mass appeal.


Beast races. They're not so much people with lizard and cat heads as big bipedal http://www.imperial-library.info/content/races-tamriel-argonian and http://www.imperial-library.info/content/races-tamriel-khajiit.


Same deal as "which is better", but from a technical standpoint, I'll say Morrowind simply because it's older, and therefore cheaper. From there you can look at the "Oblivion for Morrowind Players" article and see if you'd want them both. But I will echo aiming for the GOTY, PC version.

Each game has a separate, individual plot that is wildly disconnected from the other games. However, each game adds to the series' overall history, lore, and background, so it's effectively like the real world in that regard. Example: The characters in The Elder Scrolls 4 talk about stuff that your character did in #3.

The theme is open-ended exploration in a huge world. You can pick up anything and start a fight with anybody (if you played FO3, you'll be familiar with this aspect).

It's your standard fantasy novel stuff, but the lore is a lot deeper and in-depth than most games in the genre (and indeed, even some books).

A prisoner (you) is brought to an exotic province in the kingdom of Tamriel. You are being released there by order of the Emperor, and employed by him to see what's up. It's a hostile landscape (though still beautiful), and you will routinely be called "Outsider" and "Scum" by the locals, who don't like foreigners too much. You start having weird dreams and stuff as you continue your investigation, and soon discover that you're about to play a huge role in that nation's history.


Above emperor is assassinated by a secret cult, and you have to find his long-lost heir and bring him to power before a force of Daedra (fancy word for demons) invades. Plot is a lot more standard than Morrowind's, and the location is less exotic.


Depends on who you ask. Casual gamers would enjoy Oblivion more because of it's simplicity: anyone can pick it up and start playing.
Whereas RPG fans would appreciate Morrowind more.
Not to say Morrowind is tough to play, but there's a lot of text to read, and the combat is based on the DnD system so it's a bit wonky and unrealistic.


A kingdom called Tamriel, which is also a continent on the planet Nirn. There are many other continents, but a game has yet to be based outside Tamriel, so we don't know much about them other than what's been written in the in-game books (just like the real world, Tamriel has books that you can pick up and read any time. Most contain tid-bits of info about the history of Nirn and other planes of existence).
Each http://api.ning.com/files/uOQJGx8exF9-R6ugyp4PJYRIf92sHLi-Q7kygQ1NG98I8zKw5GXM-4sVa4b0DUyPMdO1*FW81v0Y1LHnw6hJ3nl8Yr1SpDSs/TamrielMap.jpg of Tamriel is different geographically. Skyrim is mountainous and full of a fair-haired, fair-skinned race of tough people. Elsweyr is a sort of dessert-like province filled with cat and jaguar people. Morrowind is a place of great varrying climates and terrain, from giant mushrooms and grasslands, to desserts and volcanoes (much of what we've seen of Morrowind is just Vvardenfell, the island where the game Morrowind takes place). And then there's Cyrodiil, the capital province and home to an enterprising, civilized, roman-esque race of humans. It varies somewhat as well, being in the center; grasslands and forests and jungle and snow.


Argonians are a lizard-like people from Black Marsh. Kajhiits are a cat-like people from Elsweyr.


Since you like the old-school Fallouts, I'd have to say go with Morrowind. It has a great story and fantastic presentation. The graphics were top-notch for it's time.


Definitely go with Morrowind.

I should add that with Morrowind, like others here have said, the beginning is sort of hard. In Fallout 3, you can pick up any weapon and do at least some damage with it, but with Morrowind, unless you're skilled at using a weapon, you wont hit [censored]. Morrowind is a bit unrealistic in that regard. You will see your weapon hit an enemy but it wont do any damage unless you're skilled with it. That's why I say, for your first character, you should stick with one type of weapon and only one type. For example, I played my first character using only Short Swords. At first I couldn't hit anything, but a few levels later I was hitting with every strike. That character is level 12 now and can dominate with a short sword, but if he picks up ANY other type of weapon he wont hit anything. TES games also have magic, but the problem with Morrowind is that most spells have a chance to fail, and for a new character the vast majority of the spells you cast will fail. That's why I recommend staying away from magic for your first playthrough.

If you keep that in mind, and keep in mind that the first few levels will be tough, then you will be able to stick with it until you get to a level where you see how awesome the game is. You'll be able to explore much of the world, but there will still be a lot of locations with enemies too powerful for you to beat at your level and that you'll have to come back to at a later level.

Will you be getting Morrowind for the PC? Because if so you should download some of the mods http://morrowind2009.wordpress.com/ as they will help make the graphics a bit better. Morrowind Graphics Extender will also allow you to play with the fog that it's in the vanilla game turned off, so you'll be able to see much farther than you would have been able to without it. It really helps make the game better, imo. There are also other mods such as player-made patches that you should definitely install.

Get them both. You can get them both for like under 40 USD

Thank you for the information, I survived FO2's hard beginning with ridiculous combat system. So I think I can handle waiting out to be powerful. Also, do characters level up with you like Oblivion?

I'm getting Morrowind GOTY. But when I purchase Oblivion, should I go ahead and get GOTY? Or buy the CE with the septim coin etc and get the expansion packs later?

Should I use long swords or short swords first? From a noobs perceptive it looks like long swords seems to be the way to go. But I would like to hear from someone experienced.

Eh, I think you're overstating it some, particularly the magic. You only start with spells from schools you take as starting skills, which makes those skills high enough that casting the minor spells you start with shouldn't be a problem. Destruction starts you off with Fire Bite, which I never had trouble casting, and which is far more easy and effective than the majority of beginner-level melee.


No characters in Morrowind level with you; what they start at, they stay at. However, there is some scaling in which enemies will spawn in some areas. As in, say, a dungeon with undead in it might have skeletons and lesser bonewalkers if you enter it at a low level, but have bonelords and ghosts if you arrive later. This is a minority of the game world, though, and I think mainly applies to overworld, non-dungeon encounters.

Oblivion GOTY includes Shivering Isles, which is pretty great imo, so I would get that if I were you. You could technically get the CE and just buy the disc versions of the expansion packs later if you want, but that depends on how much money you have.

Personally, I would start with short swords, as there seems to be more variety for them, from what I've seen at least. :shrug:



I've never made a magic based character before, all I know is the spells my current character currently has have ridiculous cast chances, something like 5/100 for most of them. I don't remember if I started out with them or not but I know that the few times I've tried to use them I've consistently failed. Maybe magic gets easier as you progress but I wouldn't know.

Get them both, and if you don't mind playing some older games, you can download both Arena and Daggerfall for free. As it stands they're all fun, and Oblivion and Morrowind are both good games in their own right. Neither is better than the other, in all honesty.

O that's great where's the best place to download them?

After you've finished playing Morrowind a few years from now (:P) you should http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/479044-how-to-get-the-past-games-to-run/. But I wouldn't recommend downloading either of them before you play Morrowind. No particular reason really, it's just that I think you'll have a better experience having Morrowind as your first TES game.

In all seriousness though, Morrowind will take you a really long time to complete. My first real character was made last July, and I've only just barely explored all there is to see of the main game world (Vvardenfell) (I pronounce it Vaur-den-fell but I think it's more properly pronounced Var-den-fell), and have done almost no quests in that time. But despite that, I've visited nearly a hundred different locations and have leveled up 12 levels. At the rate I've been playing at, it will likely take me another few months to fully explore the world and all of it's locations, and another couple months to finish all the quests. Of course, I only play maybe 2 hours every day or so, but that still's a good amount.

Now, you should know that before I played Morrowind, I had played Oblivion, which then caused me to read up on a bunch of the lore in the Elder Scrolls series. I don't play Morrowind for the lore, because I already know all I really need to know. That's why I enjoy exploring more than doing actual quests. But since you don't know any lore what-so-ever, I'd suggest following the main quest and doing lots of side quests as well, because if you just aimlessly explore like I've been doing, you'll get a good feel of how awesome the game world is, but you wont know much more about the lore behind it.

Also, TES games have readable books. Meaning that there are dozens upon dozens of different books in the game that you can pick up and read. Most aren't too lengthy, and will only take a few minutes to read, but if you want to learn more about TES lore reading the in-game books is a good place to start.

I do hope you like Morrowind though, Bethesda makes amazing open-world games and Morrowind is, in my personal opinion, their absolute best so far. Fallout 3 is still my favorite game ever, and is really great in the open-world department, but I don't think it comes close to the standard Bethesda set for themselves with Morrowind. Though I do feel it comes closer than Oblivion came.

ok I'll get Morrowind first. Seems like a real time commitment........ I like it :laugh:

I'm still on the fence on whether to get the CE or the GOTY. The pewter figure and soundtrack are so dang awesome, but I want all of the added on stuff too.... decisions decisions (it's a good RPG already!)

Edit: That's awesome that you can read books, I always wanted to read Duck And Cover or Lying, Congressional Style. Sounds like an awesome experience so far.

Well, I mean, the CE for Morrowind is definitely nice, and you can purchase the two expansion packs separately... it's a hard decision. If you become a TES fan, you'll probably kick yourself for not getting the CE first, but it's also much cheaper to get the GOTY edition instead of the base game and both expansion packs separately.

... Eh I guess you should get the CE. Morrowind without the expansion packs will still last you months.

Yes I hear of a lot of people kicking themselves after not getting the CE's for certain games (Oblivion, FO3, etc) I got the FO3 CE and loved it, and the NV one looks amazing, so I think I'll go with the CE first. I think I will enjoy it more. After taking a super freaking long time to finish the main game I will buy the expansion packs.

The main quest in Morrowind isn't all that long, don't get me wrong. It's all the side quests and exploring that will take you months to complete.

And after that, assuming you don't decide to just play vanilla again with a new character, you can play again with mods. There are so many they can make it a whole new game. Note that the expansions also improve your mod access, since they brought with them more scripts and objects and general resources for the modmakers to use.

Use http://www.imperial-library.info/ site for more information on lore and history (I think it was this one), and http://uesp.net/ site for information on the games themselves, such as the classes, skills, birthsigns, quests and much more.

Thank you for choosing Snakes_Eternal TESlines and enjoy your stay on the planet of Nirn.

EDIT: Changed reply text color from King snake red to... well, something that doesn't burn.