I hope TES V has more of the "alien world" feel Morr

Post » Tue May 10, 2011 10:32 pm

I think they made the right decision with changing the environment in Oblivion. The technology at the time just wasn't good enough to make acceptable tropical flora. We have since seen games like Crysis that does the tropics perfectly but I think Beth made the right call. Because they have made that kind of decision before it is not that hard to think of them doing it again. I however do not see this happening. It is one thing to go from tropical to European and a completely other thing to go from the North Pole to southern Canada.

Pre-Oblivion Cyrodiil =/= Tropical Rainforest.
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Brandon Bernardi
 
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Post » Tue May 10, 2011 9:09 pm

Pre-Oblivion Cyrodiil =/= Tropical Rainforest.


Im not quite sure what you are trying to say, that "=/=" symbol is new to me... :unsure2:
And why are you saying this as a response to my post?
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Sammi Jones
 
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Post » Tue May 10, 2011 3:50 pm

The lore Cyrodiil wasn't supposed to be tropical. It was supposed to be a rainforest, but more likely a temperate type rainforest, not a tropical Caribbean type. But that was just nitpicking on my part.
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helliehexx
 
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Post » Tue May 10, 2011 6:26 pm

The lore Cyrodiil wasn't supposed to be tropical. It was supposed to be a rainforest, but more likely a temperate type rainforest, not a tropical Caribbean type. But that was just nitpicking on my part.


Oh, the posts I have been seeing were saying that Cyrodill was supposed to be tropical. Trust me though, if It was supposed to be a temperate rain forrest then they pretty much nailed it. They just needed more trees. (I live in a temperate rain forest btw)
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Wanda Maximoff
 
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Post » Tue May 10, 2011 4:03 pm

The land of the Nords could be very "alien" if done correctly. There are lots of concepts in Viking culture, which the Nords are based on, that could be used. For example, Viking/Dark Age law. They settled disputes with ordeals. like sticking your hand in boiling water and whichever party's hand got infected was obviously in the wrong- b/c the gods let him get sick. That does make sense to us, but did to the Vikings.

Lots of other stuff to (that i can't think of off the top of my head). personally im hoping for something that has to do with berserkers (half-naked, wolf-skin covered, crazy high guys with a battle axes)
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Anna Kyselova
 
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Post » Tue May 10, 2011 8:41 pm

Yes those ARE concepts of viking culture but they would not give the ALIEN feel. We are talking about how Morrowind felt like another planet but Oblivion felt like Medieval Europe with monsters. We are talking about what Bethesda could do to make Skyrim, Tamriel's equivalent to Earth's North Pole, exotic and alien.
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Chris Ellis
 
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Post » Tue May 10, 2011 7:18 pm

The land of Skyrim is the most rugged on the continent, containing four of the five highest peaks in Tamriel (see Places of Note: Throat of the World). Only in the west do the mountains abate to the canyons and mesas of the Reach, by far the most cosmopolitan of the Holds of Skyrim, Nords of the pure blood holding only the barest majority according to the recent Imperial Census. The rest of Skyrim is a vertical world: the high ridges of the northwest-to-southeast slanting mountain ranges, cleft by deep, narrow valleys where most of the population resides. Along the sides of the river valleys, sturdy Nord farmers raise a wide variety of crops; wheat flourishes in the relatively temperate river bottoms, while only the snowberry bushes can survive in the high orchards near the treeline. The original Nord settlements were generally established on rocky crags overlooking a river valley; many of these villages still survive in the more isolated Holds, especially along the Morrowind frontier. In most of Skyrim, however, this defensive posture was deemed unnecessary by the mid-first era, and most cities and towns today lie on the valley floors, in some cases still overlooked by the picturesque ruins of the earlier settlement.

That sounds breathtakingly beautiful for a quick landscape overview of the province. I really hope they stick to this foundation.

The land of the Nords could be very "alien" if done correctly. There are lots of concepts in Viking culture, which the Nords are based on, that could be used. For example, Viking/Dark Age law. They settled disputes with ordeals. like sticking your hand in boiling water and whichever party's hand got infected was obviously in the wrong- b/c the gods let him get sick. That does make sense to us, but did to the Vikings.

Yes those ARE concepts of viking culture but they would not give the ALIEN feel. We are talking about how Morrowind felt like another planet but Oblivion felt like Medieval Europe with monsters. We are talking about what Bethesda could do to make Skyrim, Tamriel's equivalent to Earth's North Pole, exotic and alien.

So perhaps that's a good thing. Morrowind had an 'alien' feel. Oblivion's Cyrodiil had a 'familiar' feel (familiar as in similar to climates a lot of us live in). Skyrim could have a harsh but beautiful feel.

Perhaps Morrowind should be the only province to have that alien feel, and stay unique as a result. Other provinces should therefore exude their own auras of emotion that can't be matched. Cyrodiil already has the typical fantasy feel nailed, so we can expect excitement from now on. I can see Skyrim being presented as a world that although presents a beautiful and captivating visual appeal, is in fact a harsh and unforgiving land. 'Appearances can be deceiving' being the key element to consider.

Would it really be so bad if Morrowind was the only province with the 'alien' feel? Would that unique feeling be ruined if it were present in the other provinces as well? I'm sure the Summerset Isles and Blackmarsh could present their own variety of 'alien', but I think perhaps every other location would be better off playing to their own strengths and offering a unique experience of their own, rather than a feeling we've already experienced in a previous game.
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Rachyroo
 
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Post » Tue May 10, 2011 11:50 pm

So perhaps that's a good thing. Morrowind had an 'alien' feel. Oblivion's Cyrodiil had a 'familiar' feel (familiar as in similar to climates a lot of us live in). Skyrim could have a harsh but beautiful feel.

Perhaps Morrowind should be the only province to have that alien feel, and stay unique as a result. Other provinces should therefore exude their own auras of emotion that can't be matched. Cyrodiil already has the typical fantasy feel nailed, so we can expect excitement from now on. I can see Skyrim being presented as a world that although presents a beautiful and captivating visual appeal, is in fact a harsh and unforgiving land. 'Appearances can be deceiving' being the key element to consider.

Would it really be so bad if Morrowind was the only province with the 'alien' feel? Would that unique feeling be ruined if it were present in the other provinces as well? I'm sure the Summerset Isles and Blackmarsh could present their own variety of 'alien', but I think perhaps every other location would be better off playing to their own strengths and offering a unique experience of their own, rather than a feeling we've already experienced in a previous game.

Well said. I think Skyrim could successfully feel "exotic" and new, without necessarily having the evoke the same sense of an alien world that Morrowind accomplished. A less alien landscape may indeed be more proper for the region.

As long as it has its own unique identity, and is not merely an extension of Bruma (which would be very unlikely to happen anyways), I would be satisfied.
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Siobhan Wallis-McRobert
 
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Post » Tue May 10, 2011 9:20 pm

Darkstorne I think you have absolutely nailed it. Just because we think Morrowind is superior to Oblivion (some of us not (im on the edge) we think that we need the "Morrowind feel" in TES 5.
Very well said indeed, Darkstorne. The one problem with this is that it replicates Earth once again. Northern Earth (never heard that before lol northern earth) is very much the same as that description. Beautiful but extremely dangerous. Just like the North Pole!!! This discussion is over.
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Flutterby
 
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Post » Tue May 10, 2011 11:44 pm

Why can't things be normal?

I don't wanna see aliens in a fantasy game :(
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Blaine
 
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Post » Tue May 10, 2011 6:02 pm

The lore Cyrodiil wasn't supposed to be tropical. It was supposed to be a rainforest, but more likely a temperate type rainforest, not a tropical Caribbean type. But that was just nitpicking on my part.


That was the same impression I had. Mostly jungle, but with out ocean tropical detail.

If they do research on trees and the like in order to make their game worlds, then maybe they ran into a brick wall or it just became too tedious. I can certainly sympathize with that.
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IM NOT EASY
 
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Post » Tue May 10, 2011 4:12 pm

Why can't things be normal?

I don't wanna see aliens in a fantasy game :(

Because Nirn is an alien world? Every humanoid you saw in even Oblivion was an alien. Oh, and the "North Pole" comparison shouldn't count towards all of Skyrim. Southern Skyrim is all that's snowy, due to the high mountains. Perhaps we'll see Atmora, which is pretty much the North Pole.
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Natalie Taylor
 
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Post » Tue May 10, 2011 9:53 pm

I may be in the minority on this but I prefer worlds that feel close to earth.
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Robert Jr
 
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Post » Tue May 10, 2011 1:45 pm

I'd prefer Morrowind feel like Morrowind, Oblivion feel like Oblivion, and TES V feel like whatever they feel like throwing at us this time. Do something different, something that makes TES V stand separate from the past. Sure, sometimes the steps forward might lead to other steps back, but you've still got to try to move forward, not make the past in prettier colors.

If one wants to see the dangers of chasing the past, one only need to look at the IndyCar fanbase. Some want to go back to the 1950s and 60s. Some want forever 1995. And it's been killing the sport.

Let's just let TES V be its own game with its own feel, rather than demanding it be Daggerfall 2, Morrowind 2, or Oblivion 2. Let it be itself and work on its own merits,
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LADONA
 
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Post » Tue May 10, 2011 12:05 pm

I can definitely picture Black Marsh or Valenwood being "alien" in their own unique ways, with Elsweyr, Hammerfell, and the Summerset Isles having an exotic yet not "alien" feel. Skyrim never sounded "alien" in its description; more like an all-too-familiar and Earth-like Scandinavian or Canadian setting, although something more "Himalayan" in its culture could be at least passably interesting. I just hope it doesn't end up as a boring Nordic version of a "generic fantasy" setting, the way that Cyrodiil bacame a stereotypical Medieval fantasy land. Unfortunately, the scenic mountains and fertile valleys, no matter how nicely portrayed, will likely be over-run by stereotypical stupid and belligerent Nords, condemning the game from the start to be little more than a forgettable "hack and slash" action title.

TES needs to keep itself "unique", rather than try to emulate the mass of generic "hack and slash" action/adventure games out there. Going after the "mass market" with a watered-down product is a guarantee that TES will become nothing but a lame excuse for what it once was, and will eventually generate about as much enthusiasm as any other generic commodity: next to none.
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matt oneil
 
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Post » Tue May 10, 2011 12:13 pm

I'd prefer Morrowind feel like Morrowind, Oblivion feel like Oblivion, and TES V feel like whatever they feel like throwing at us this time. Do something different, something that makes TES V stand separate from the past. Sure, sometimes the steps forward might lead to other steps back, but you've still got to try to move forward, not make the past in prettier colors.

If one wants to see the dangers of chasing the past, one only need to look at the IndyCar fanbase. Some want to go back to the 1950s and 60s. Some want forever 1995. And it's been killing the sport.

Let's just let TES V be its own game with its own feel, rather than demanding it be Daggerfall 2, Morrowind 2, or Oblivion 2. Let it be itself and work on its own merits,

Doing this would simply create even more different fans in TESV, making even more people angry, more arguiung in the forums, and future games will always disappoint more people.
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electro_fantics
 
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Post » Tue May 10, 2011 5:44 pm

Doing this would simply create even more different fans in TESV, making even more people angry, more arguiung in the forums, and future games will always disappoint more people.

Yet it's what they've done with every successive TES game, and the series has only grown in popularity.
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clelia vega
 
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Post » Wed May 11, 2011 12:01 am

Yet it's what they've done with every successive TES game, and the series has only grown in popularity.

The series has grown more popular from better advertisment. If Daggerfall where advertised as Oblivion was, it would sell just as well. Each time the games have changed, these forums have grown more tense and Bethesda is always disappointing.
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Mark Churchman
 
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Post » Tue May 10, 2011 6:01 pm

The series has grown more popular from better advertisemant. If Daggerfall where advertised as Oblivion was, it would sell just as well. Each time the games have changed, these forums have grown more tense and Bethesda is always disappointing.


Some people will always like Morrowind better. This doesn't change Bethesda from wanting to try to make a better game. In my opinion they did that with Oblivion. They simplified it sure but I just like it better. Oblivion is my favorite game ever. Bethesda is not making Morrowind II. They are making The Elder Scrolls V. Whether we like it or not, Bethesda is making a brand NEW game with a brand NEW feel and they are hoping it will be better than everyone's favorite game, Morrowind. They hoped that Oblivion would be better than Morrowind. They hoped that Morrowind would be better than Daggerfall. They hoped Daggerfall would be better than Arena. Bethesda will most definitely succeed this time. They know what people want. They know what they want. They know how to make an amazingly critically acclaimed game. Fallout 3 placed #7 out of every PC game ever on "PC Game Magazine's Official Best PC Games Of All Time." Todd Howard, game director for Fallout 3, is/was the game director for all of the latest TES games. This almost ensures the awesomeness of TES V will be high.

Even if it is not Morrowind II, even if Bethesda simplifies the game more than they did with Oblivion, The Elder Scrolls V will be brilliant. Bethesda is the best game studio in the business and they will succeed. There is no doubt in my mind that they will succeed.
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Antonio Gigliotta
 
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Post » Tue May 10, 2011 11:44 am

My point is, if the series keeps changing, this community will get worse and worse, and Bethesda is going to keep disappointing someone. Currently, Bethesda is going to disappoint the various Arena, Daggerfall, Morrowind or Oblivion fans, without doubt. There can only really be one, perhaps two groups that will be fully satisfied. Each game is compeltely different, and it isn't helping anyone. What's wrong with Bethesda catering to the fans they have, anyway? People seriously underestimate the amount of people looking for a good, in depth, open sandbox RPG. I looked for another outside TES once. I failed. Bethesda has this market all to themselves, and will sell a crap load if they do what they do.

You don't see the Call of Duty series turning into an RPG. You don't see the Tekken Series turning into an RTS. You don't see the Halo series turning into a Racing game. You don't see the GTA series turning into a puzzle game. Every single one of these games has never strayed far from what they've always done (perhaps an occasional spin-off), and they are some of the best selling game in thier areas. Changing games, apart from modernisation, isn't important to sell them. At all.

What does this even have to do with retaining the alien feel of Morrowind in TESv, anyway?
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Sammi Jones
 
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Post » Wed May 11, 2011 1:27 am

I was going to reply to your reply to me... but why bother? This post is a more detailed version...

My point is, if the series keeps changing, this community will get worse and worse, and Bethesda is going to keep disappointing someone. Currently, Bethesda is going to disappoint the various Arena, Daggerfall, Morrowind or Oblivion fans, without doubt. There can only really be one, perhaps two groups that will be fully satisfied.


Why should ANY group need to be fully pleased? What makes Arena fans more deserving than Daggerfall fans, or Morrowind fans more deserving than Oblivion fans? Or Oblivion fans more deserving than Arena fans? Absolutely nothing. I still say they should make the game they want. It's worked how well so far?

Each game is compeltely different, and it isn't helping anyone.


Seems to be helping the Zenimax pocketbook.

What's wrong with Bethesda catering to the fans they have, anyway? People seriously underestimate the amount of people looking for a good, in depth, open sandbox RPG. I looked for another outside TES once. I failed. Bethesda has this market all to themselves, and will sell a crap load if they do what they do.


And as long as they keep the sandbox going, you'll all probably keep coming back and you know it. Meanwhile, they'll be looking to trap more "outsiders", because it's the only way to offset the perpetual increase in development costs.

You don't see the Call of Duty series turning into an RPG.


You should go listen to Todd Howard in the "Irrational Interview". I think he'd point out some things that might surprise you about this. Of course, it might break the spirit of some people...

What does this even have to do with retaining the alien feel of Morrowind in TESv, anyway?


I believe I said I wanted them to make Skyrim feel like they want Skyrim to feel, with complete disregard for how any other game in the series felt, and that they should let it be its own game with its own feel. And I stand by that. It's not like I think this community WANTS to be in peace and harmony. Not when people refuse to believe that I have more fond memories of Cyrodiil than Vvardenfall. (Most of my fond memories in Morrowind are "Bloodmoon")
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sally coker
 
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Post » Tue May 10, 2011 9:12 pm

My point is, if the series keeps changing, this community will get worse and worse, and Bethesda is going to keep disappointing someone. Currently, Bethesda is going to disappoint the various Arena, Daggerfall, Morrowind or Oblivion fans, without doubt. There can only really be one, perhaps two groups that will be fully satisfied. Each game is compeltely different, and it isn't helping anyone. What's wrong with Bethesda catering to the fans they have, anyway? People seriously underestimate the amount of people looking for a good, in depth, open sandbox RPG. I looked for another outside TES once. I failed. Bethesda has this market all to themselves, and will sell a crap load if they do what they do.

You don't see the Call of Duty series turning into an RPG. You don't see the Tekken Series turning into an RTS. You don't see the Halo series turning into a Racing game. You don't see the GTA series turning into a puzzle game. Every single one of these games has never strayed far from what they've always done (perhaps an occasional spin-off), and they are some of the best selling game in thier areas. Changing games, apart from modernisation, isn't important to sell them. At all.

What does this even have to do with retaining the alien feel of Morrowind in TESv, anyway?

That's the community's fault. I like Arena, Daggerfall, Morrowind, and Oblivion. Fans of the whole series do exist, and despite changes to the series, it is still an in depth, open-ended, sandbox RPG series. Oblivion is not an action game(where do people even get this crap from?), as some seem to believe. If Bethesda decides to change the feeling of their games and how the mechanics work, they are not turning the series away from being a sandbox RPG series. I actually like the starting each game from scratch thing Bethesda is doing. It keeps the series fresh. As long as Bethesda keeps the lore and open sandbox RPG design with the "live another life in another world" motto being a clear criteria for the game(as they have), it's The Elder Scrolls I enjoy. I welcome different mechanics and different types of settings.
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Amy Masters
 
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Post » Tue May 10, 2011 7:14 pm

I think it would be very possible to make skyrim look and feel alien, i can see it now, tall mountains with narrow trails, rickety rope bridges and howling winds, homes built on the side of shear cliffs and into the mountain itself. Forests of ice pillers and strange twisting ice formations reminiscent of glass and giant crystal like formations to travel across.

It could easily be very alien and unique.
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Elea Rossi
 
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Post » Tue May 10, 2011 2:53 pm

Why should ANY group need to be fully pleased? What makes Arena fans more deserving than Daggerfall fans, or Morrowind fans more deserving than Oblivion fans? Or Oblivion fans more deserving than Arena fans? Absolutely nothing. I still say they should make the game they want. It's worked how well so far?

Ok then, let's anger everyone! Sure there are fans of multiple games, but, on the most part, nearly everyone is going to be disappointed, and it'll ony get worse with major changes to TESV.

Seems to be helping the Zenimax pocketbook.

Read the rest of my post.

And as long as they keep the sandbox going, you'll all probably keep coming back and you know it.

Nope. I, among many people, am using TESV as a decider for the series. TES has been going down the "action" path since Morrowind, and I don't want another one of the thousands of action games that call themselves RPG's because they let you chose a few stats. TES may very well be there if they carry on the way they are.


I believe I said I wanted them to make Skyrim feel like they want Skyrim to feel, with complete disregard for how any other game in the series felt, and that they should let it be its own game with its own feel. And I stand by that. It's not like I think this community WANTS to be in peace and harmony. Not when people refuse to believe that I have more fond memories of Cyrodiil than Vvardenfall. (Most of my fond memories in Morrowind are "Bloodmoon")

So there's really no point in this argument. We're talking abou gameplay, not landscape design. Refuse to belive? :rofl:
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Harry-James Payne
 
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Post » Tue May 10, 2011 11:50 am

Ok then, let's anger everyone! Sure there are fans of multiple games, but, on the most part, nearly everyone is going to be disappointed, and it'll ony get worse with major changes to TESV.


Everyone is going to be angry? Becuase they changed stuff? Because Bethesda is not catering to their exact desires? I think if I were a game studio, I'd be considering a cool-off period that would make Blizzard scream "Release a new game already! We've done all of our franchises since you. TWICE!!" if I had a fanbase that was that petulent.

Read the rest of my post.


It doesn't say anything I consider relevant and substantiated. It seems like your opinion with zero supporting evidence. Simply put, people responded to Oblivion by buying Fallout 3. Seems like it's still working...

Nope. I, among many people, am using TESV as a decider for the series. TES has been going down the "action" path since Morrowind, and I don't want another one of the thousands of action games that call themselves RPG's because they let you chose a few stats. TES may very well be there if they carry on the way they are.


How many people? How many are simply making promises they'll keep for a week? Hard numbers only, please.


So there's really no point in this argument. We're talking abou gameplay, not landscape design. Refuse to belive? :rofl:


Right, because no one thinks TES V = Skyrim. The two are practically interchangable to anyone who has visited the speculation threads.
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Matthew Barrows
 
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