You don't think Bethesda wants money? The only reason Elder Scrolls exists is money. The "lore" is just another way the Elder Scrolls can make money. The books were not written to create a new universe. They were written to get people who played the game and liked it to buy them and feel like they somehow knew more than everyone else. Obviously, the author succeeded.

Yes, it's business.

Hmm... Maybe just do spells that have the option of being homing-missile like things? Costing a bit more magicka? Like 33% more or something?

Now that I think of that.. that would be kindof cool. Would stop me doing 10 feet area of effect spells that I shoot on the ground to auto-hit enemies.

And when I say homing-missiles, I don't mean they hit the mud crab behind me when I'm running forward and throwing it up to the clouds.

It's called magic missile.

So why are you so interested in protecting the lore over the gameplay?

Not much to post, I agree with Kalarn and he pretty much already said it all.

There's a lot of stuff that would be fun to see in a TES game but if it wouldn't fit in the game I'd rather just not see it.

Star dragons shooting lightning bolts and an avalanche of water horses might be fun, but ES is not the appropriate game for them.

I do really like the idea of a Wind Spell though...perhaps as an aspect of Th'um (did I spell it right?). Would be a nice advantage for Nords, scattering your foes and temporarily knocking them down.


All that said, I'd be happy if Bethesda licensed their tech out so more games similar to Morrowind/Oblivion/Skyrim could start popping up.

Because the lore is what makes the game the game. I can play any generic fantasy RPG. I can't play generic TES.

Those are mods though, and have absolutely no bearing on where conjured creatures come from. WHy on earth did you bring mods up? They have no bearing on canon.

Because he's on his last leg

TES magic is not exactly limited by lore. It is limited by the Bethesda's philosophy of systematizing things. The schools are established in the broader sense that would let anything to happen including fireballs in the shape of dragons or a magic brush that can paint other realms. Question is how can one systematize that sort of thing?

Fireballs in the shapes of dragons'd be too much work.

Really? I can't find too many fantasy RPGs on par with TES and not because of its lore.

I like TES, because it's got a great backstory (which is what I play a lot of games for) and decent gameplay. And Stone are you trying to make a point?

Gandlaf didn't do that. The river spirit was brought alive by Arwen - the daughter of Elrond. The river was a common defense mechanism and border of Rivendell.

That is a book/movie. Not a video game, it is also an entirely different fantasy realm. To have "River horses that wash away Nazguls" is not applicable, and not needed or wanted.

Accually, it was Elrond in the original version

Yes. My point is that the lore is not the most important part of The Elder Scrolls. The gameplay is what makes it unique.

Because we're bad-ass sorcerers and we want to make out fireballs look like dragons. If Gandalf can make a firecracker do it surely it can be done with actual fire.

It'd be a lot of code for little reward.

We'll just start referring to you as Negative Nancy.

Take into consideration things that seem simple like this...take time to program, taking away from the rest of the game.

No need to be rude.

I'd much rather see the time and effort put into better writing, better companions, and more/deeper/varied dungeons

I take it you've never seen a fireball turn into a dragon...

Why waste time on a gimmick? I'd rather have a decent quest than a shiny fireball.

Edit: I've gone 27 hours without sleep, I'm getting a bit cranky.

I don't really care to either.

I'd much rather hear well written dialogue and experience branching dialogue.
or
Interact with Companions that have their own strengths, weaknesses, personalities, and history
or
Explore several unique, deep dungeons with history and purpose in the world
or
See some of that Radiant AI that was supposedly so fantastic

As for the actual question, yes I want some control, but it has to be an effect of the spell and only usable with high skill in the magic, like an expert or maybe master perk. The main things I was thinking of were being able to detonate a spell or speed it up. In order to do either of these it would have to be built into the specific spell, and the magicka cost it adds would only be activated when this remote-effect was activated. For instance when you make your custom fireball spell, you put in the remote effect of detonate in 20ft. Then when you detonate this spell after casting it more magicka is drained from you, and the fireball explodes into a 20ft area spell.

As for the "flaming dragon" controversy I don't think he meant an actual dragon but just flame in the shape of a dragon (but still just fire) similar to the fireworks that turned into a dragon in Fellowship of the Ring (one more LotR parallel cant hurt). It was mentioned that this would be pointless as it is just unnecessarily flashy, but the flashy nature of it is why it has a purpose. If someone was able to bend fire into this dragon shape then they would stroll around the arcane university showing it off to all the apprentices. And what if this person is surrounded by a dozen goblins and faced with certain death. He can't demoralize them because he isn't good with illusion, he cant teleport away because he isn't good at that either (or it just isn't in the game ) So out of desperation he does the one thing he's the best at, his crazy dragon-imitating fire spell that isn't nearly powerful enough to kill the goblins.... but the spell is so crazy intimidating that the dumb goblins go OH [censored]!!! and run for their lives and he is saved.