(Edit #4: Read this thread's title above again. If you think that the first part (the big white letters) contradicts the second part (the small gray letters), then you've misunderstood the definition of "clutter". Continue reading for more information. If you need me to explain further, please ask.)

(Edit #3: http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Clutter#Clutter. Note that it does NOT include Dishes, Quest Items, Valuables and Other. For example, dishes have an actual use in Oblivion whether you've realized it or not: they hold food, especially on shelves and tables. So let's keep the discussion relevant please: I am not suggesting that we remove things that make exploding fireballs feel awesome. I am not suggesting that we remove things without value (although I agree that everything should have at least some economic value). And I am not suggesting that we have LESS of any of the aforementioned non-clutter than we did in Oblivion. If anything, I would want MORE dishes, quest items, valuables and "other" as appropriate. Clutter specifically, however, seems like it could also be USEFUL, even if only to increase immersion. Thanks for responding )

(Edit #1: To clarify, I'm not suggesting that all clutter be useful or not present at all. I wholeheartedly agree that some clutter should be useless. But the clutter that doesn't seem like it should be useless, shouldn't be. Makes sense? )

Edit #2: Other reasons for useful clutter that have been brought to my attention from peoples' comments below:
1. No item should be $0 - worthless
2. Justifies or at least increases the reason for collectors to collect clutter items. Decorating your homes with only useless junk simply isn't as fun.


Original Post:

Is Skyrim going to be full of useless clutter objects like Oblivion? Admittedly, they add to the aesthetics and I like that you have to be more careful when picking up items so that you don't get over-encumbered with junk, but I think having at least some use for the more interesting items could really add to the immersion of the game.

At least in Fallout 3 a lot of clutter had a purpose: parts for custom weapons. I'm hoping that Skyrim follows suit, not only with the forging of custom weapons (although custom weaponry isn't very important to me), and not only for a few awkward quests (like collecting 1000 tweezers for some crazy elf; funny, yet gets boring rather quickly), but also for varying practical use throughout the game.

Here are some ideas based on http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Clutter#Clutter. (Yes, this has been discussed many times before. Thought I'd bring the discussion over to Skyrim and try to keep it relevant.)

Bones / Skull / Stone Brick -- Repair (sharpen) weapons such as blades, axes and arrows.
Bouquet of Flowers -- Give them to a lady to increase her disposition toward you. (Information gathering tool.)
Broom -- Blunt weapon (weak)
Calipers -- Stabbing weapon (weak)
Cloth / Folded Cloth / Yarn -- Repair clothing and armor. Kindling (see following item).
Parchment / Paper / Crumpled -- Kindling to start a small camp fire (imagine traveling the snowy mountains and deciding to create your own camp ground for the night, instead of only encountering existing camp grounds).
Crystal Ball -- Restoration of magicka (weak). Could have a small side quest to learn how to use it correctly.
Hand Scythe -- Blade weapon (weak)
Hoe -- Blunt weapon (weak)
Inkwell / Quill -- http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1157196-feature-request-custom-journal-notes.
Oar -- Blunt weapon (weak)
Paint Brush / Paint Palette -- Simple painting minigame. Requires finding a canvas as well. You can take your paintings and sell them or hang them in your homes.
Pickaxe -- Blade weapon (weak)
Pitchfork -- Blade weapon (weak)
Rake -- Blade weapon (weak)
Scales -- Fortify bartering skill (weak). Could have a small side quest to learn how to use it correctly.
Scythe -- Blade weapon (weak)
Shears -- Stabbing weapon (weak)
Shovel -- Blunt weapon (weak)


I'm interested in your thoughts too. Any other ideas welcomed

I like how things were in Oblivion. But everything should have worth. If I have 1000 brooms I should be able to sell them for A LOT of money. If I have one broom then maybe the shop keep doesnt want it and wont pay for it.

oblivion is a bad example for clutter, play morrowind even for just a few moments and see if you like the clutter there better. I would like to see a return of useful, valuable, and appropriate/fitting clutter.

Different kinds of fruit.

At first I was like no I love the cluter. But now that I read your post I like the idea. I still want useless stuff though

What about the stuff that players such as myself who like to put things intheir houses to personalize them I dont think they should take out house hold items out of the game. Myself and alot of others find this is good to do to make our characters our own and its good for the roleplaying that myself and alot of others like to do.

I do like alot of your ideas to add more items into the game I am not one to turn that down, because I would like the world to be diverse to suit our characters needs and it could add to immersion if implemented well.

I thought the clutter items were fitting. They add to the ambiance of the world. Some things just don't make sense having any worth. I do agree with using Scythes and etc as improvised weapons though.

Don't take out clutter, but have a use for some of it.

Bam, compromise.

Thanks for your comments so far. I've edited my original post to clarify. Just to be clear, I'm actually in agreement with everyone so far. I didn't mean to remove clutter entirely.

McDieval fast food paper bags - You can use it to create Burden spells. ZOMG great idea!

Nah, joking aside your ideas of having some minor uses for clutter sounds nice, but regular clutter that may be related to houses or daily activities also has to be there to add to believability.

More function like your ideas would be great. I hope they implement something like that. Meanwhile, I'm hoping beyond hope that they add worth back to clutter. I want to not only sell clutter, but also buy clutter. I'm a huge collector you see, I must have at least one of everything. Its difficult when you can't buy these items because they are worth $0. And if clutter items also serve purpose then maybe it makes collectors like myself look less like freeks. bliviongate:

Yeah I like the clutter, I wish they made the stuff worth more in Oblivioin alot of the stuff was zero gold or like one to about three gold alot of stuff can be made more than that...

It should be possible to grind bones into bonemeal.

But if you have 100 pewter plates then should you be able to sell them in bulk for like 25 gold?

1000 brooms is not realistic unless you have a really large company with outlets all over Skyrim and are selling them wholesale.
I would prefer to have lots of clutter but most of it without value. I really don't think many people collect clutter after the first couple of hours play as they find things with much greater value.

Aside from metal or artwork items, clutter items should not have a value or even have information pop up when moused over. And if there is going to be clutter make it's value more realistic. A used, wooden spoon or an old clay plate should not be worth a gold coin, but if it must have a value then there should be coins smaller than gold.

I think there should be a copper coin and a silver cion as well as a gold coin. 100 Copper = 1 Silver. 10 Silver = 1 Gold or be able to 'chop' the gold coin into small equal pieces like the Romans did.

But personally I want tons more clutter and junk but with no value or info pop-ups. Broken pottery should be laying around the outside, Rags/clothes hanging up on pegs or clotheslines, draqed over chairs, drying in front of the fireplace and everything else that make it even more realistic. Coastal regions should have nets and ropes and lobster pots and crab traps and fish drying on spits in the sun. Ice regions can get away without much outside clutter as it's 'apparently' covered with snow.

Now Skyrim doesn't actually need to make all the items but they will, I hope, leave provision for modders to add them.

Should that be "Person of the opposite six?" A woman giving another woman flowers has some...http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EveryoneIsBi, otherwise.

Pewter should be worth more than that I mean make them each about ten to twenty gold a piece, that sounds to cheap for pewter.

Grind them into pewter dust and make damage fatigues out of them. :thumbsup:

That's not very realistic either. :shakehead: The world is more varied than that.

Now that is a great idea. I was playing Morrowind Crafting mod and there isn't any part of it that allows you to make bonemeal out of bones, unless I've overlooked something.
And yes, I love clutter and use it a lot in mods and it should have value.

I think one thing that is overlooked is that all these items are hand made by people, lorewise. Every piece of pottery, yarn, plate, broom, those are all hand made by the people. So they should definitely have value, as they are hand crafted things. Yarn especially. It had no value but someone had to raise and tend to those sheep and then shear their coats and then spin it into yarn. After doing all that work, you're going to just give your yarn away for free? It's expensive to maintain animals. But these mundane things aren't really a part of TES games because TES games are mostly about fighting and exploring, which is why you see tons of swords and armor, but not lots of different household objects or tools or pottery. Last time I checked, basket weaver wasn't a class, although that is a skill that should be in the game in my opinion, amongst many others.

What will M'aiq (or his descendant) collect if there aren't any clutter items? Calipers and yarn for everyone!

Is it wrong that I want to stab a bandit with a fork? Or maybe a broom.

I love clutter, it is so much fun to watch it fly about when you AOE a room to hell!

also, filling one's basemant with skulls is fun...

just need more skulls...

I think if crystal balls are going to be used as an item make them actually work how thier supposed to.

Scrying. DUH.


Crsytal balls are fantasized cell phones. Oh snap!

Or they could just be an instrument to trick ignorant villagers out of their money.

Does having an excessive amount of keys count as clutter? That really was cumbersome in Oblivion.