no its a rpg open world game with todds words do what ever you possibly want, thats what tes aims for

And while that's all cool, no player actually stays in the same place for too long.

Don't tell me you'd really spend your time in this game going to shop every day, selling/buying/repairing/whatever stuff all day long, then go to tavern for an hour and then go to bed til morning for the same next day. Let's be honest, no one RPs THAT much

No but I might spend a lot of time looking for skilled craftsman to do those jobs for me, and hire them to work for my shop, or travel in search of new trade routes, and potential partners in business and openings other shops haven't made use of yet. I might also look for opportunities to control mines full of untapped resources and wealths and monopolize some aspect of the market, or even go to other lengths and ventures... The real problem with consideration of these sort of topics isn't the suggestion, its the lack of thought people put into this sort of mechanics potential to create new adventures, and open a wealth of new role-play opportunities in the game, as well as a feeling of accomplishment, and immersion. The point is, someday a game will master this idea, no doubt about it, it is a gold mine of gameplay opportunity, why not hope that this is the game to do it? Besides once again, it is an OPTION, not all mechanics must be used by ALL players, if they were wouldn't that detract from the concept that each player should derive a completely different and unique style and feel of gameplay from another when playing this incredibly immense, diverse, and detailed game world???

+1 for Jonquill, this is an idea Not the exact way of implementing

It's just that the topic went down the way or "your own little shop", not your own business.


The thing you described is something I'd like to see very much actually.

I would love such things. I would love being able to make my living with a mundane job. In LotRO, I spend more time on my Hobbit, baking pies and helping other Hobbits with their mundane problems, than I do on my epic Elf Hunter, spelunking dangerous dungeons. I prefer living in the world as a mundane character much more than I do the epic spelunking part.

Yes. I think it would add a great new element and give the game a heap of play time.

My favorite game series has to at some point let me pretend I'm a blacksmith in an epic fantasy world...might as well be now

Maybe not owning a shop, but definatley more leisure activities

That is correct or maybe there is an option that lets you skip the time of work like we skip the time of resting.

This is very true. One of the few voila moments that I can still remember was finding an enchanted staff at the bottom of the frozen lake in Solstheim. I was so happy when I found it; maybe the staff was useless and not very powerful but I was so happy when I found it. Also, I didn't know about the quest to get the robe of woe in the well at the back of the Skaal village. Rather, I had been adventuring and found a note left by another enemy in another cave. I think it was a journal-entry. I read it and at the end he said that he really wanted the robe of woe, and mentioned where I could find the owner.

I was interested so I went looking for the cave for ages, but finally found it and made my way to the person wearing the robe and killed him; I was SO happy when I got it. I made a huge post about it on GameBanshee but no one seemed as excited as I was unfortunately. I was so amazed to find something that was so powerful and unique while not expecting anything, roaming caves in the wilderness.

This is a feeling I hope to find again in Skyrim; I never had it in Oblivion.

---

I'm a little nervous about the whole shop-owning mechanic since it just gives me a bad flashback to Fable, which I didn't enjoy at all. But this is just opinion. What I liked about Morrowind and Oblivion is the 'nomadic' lifestyle that your character can live. While yes, the feature can be in and I can just choose to play without using it, but I wouldn't like it shoved in my face all the time. Like Jonquil said, I would like things to be much more subtle, more subtle than things were in Oblivion. This gives you this feeling of wealth and depth for the game.

One of things I do remember is that when I heard Morrowind was coming out I was so excited that once the game was out and everything, I printed out walkthrough to all the guilds and things. I read them like novels. I didn't experience the majority of quests 'blind'. This I truly regret, but there was so much more to Morrowind that it didn't matter. I could still play and find new things to do. Not so with Oblivion.

I hope that if they do implement voice-acting (which they probably will), that there's more than just a variety of one-liners.

/off-topic tangent

Voted no on both professions and shop ownership.

There are three core gameplay mechanics that the Devs will be working overtime to make fun and balanced: Magic, Combat, and Stealth. Its hard enough doing those three things, I simply don't believe they have the time or resources to add half a dozen professions in meaningful way. Not unless they took a lesson from Fable 2 and boiled all professions down to abysmal single-click timing games.

Second, I don't really understand the motivation to simulate the mundane in RPGs. Seriously, what's fun about being a shoe shiner? Or a bricklayer? Or a cotton picker? Nothing. What fun game mechanics come from owning your own shop? Placing orders with suppliers? Hiring and training employees? Managing labor disputes? Not while I can be out there bashing Goblin skulls, thanks.

I've always been a more deep role-player, even back in the D&D days. Fact is I get a lot of enjoyment from bashing in goblin skulls as you say. However, it cheapens the experience of an RPG if you streamline the game so much that its reduced to no more then that, and if people can't explore more extensive and complex forms of the game. It is the direction the TES series is going though, and no doubt the direction of the larger fan bases. Fable III sold out, and the most appealing aspects of Oblivion are rated as combat, basically the so called 'role-players' of today are actually just Action Adventure gamers who like to see their characters get cool new abilities with time. So my days of enjoying the subtle and the mundane in a video game may be over, along with a lot of other older long time RPG fans preferences, none the less it really is a pity, as it flies in the face of what true Roleplaying is supposed to be. What sort of satisfaction can you get as a thief in a game which focuses so heavily on combat that they never even gave consideration to fleshing out the ability to enjoy a little cat-burglary.

I voted YES and YES. Think this is a very intriguing idea. To be able to CHOOSE a profession is a cool addition to the game. But don`t get me wrong, this should be fully optional, and not mandatory in the game. There could be several ways of doing this.

One way is as an extra skill i.e. "Profession - blacksmith" to choose in character creation and develop from the beginning of the game, or maybe advancing in the "armorer" skill could be nescessary for starting a blacksmith prof. The armor skill should then be very high before you can even attempt to train to be blacksmith. Then when you are ready to train you will need basic necessities like an ambolt, bigger and better hammer etc., and can start making money on the profession. Still you would not qualifie to be able to buy a blacksmith-workplace/shop. More use of the blacksmith skill and some gold would enable you to buy it. Then one could employ NPC`s to maintain the shop or your character would visit the shop from time to time to repair/make weapons.

Another way is to have some kind of sidequests for each profession. Maybe even a "guild" for every profession(blacksmith, carpenter, jewler, farmer, baker, brewer, priest, alchemist, teacher, fisherman, miner, logger etc). Then advance by completing quests. Finally be able to build/buy/use a building.

Yet Another way is to have starter occupations early in the game. A separate section of occupations. You could then choose from one of these: patron, craftsman or scholar, then advance(through lvl or quests) to more distinct professions. Craftsman - blacksmith, carpenter or jewler. Patron - farmer, baker or brewer. Scholar - priest, alchemist or teacher(just an example) When you have reached a certain point you will be able to build/buy/use a building for your profession.

My point is, there are literally dozens of ways to incorporate this into Skyrim. Maybe some of my suggestions are more suited for a strategy game and too complicated for a RPG, but there are ways to make it simpler I`m sure.
Just some thoughts...
I dont think this should be the main focal point of the devs, there are more important elements in TESV, but if its possible. Why not?

I would like to see this to add another sense of realism, but it shouldn't be binding. Like a traveling blacksmith or alchemist.

It's a role playing game, why not? I'd definitely have a shop of mine. But having your own shop would only be logical if the AI is improved.

i think it would be good if you could make your own weapons and armor, or at least fletching arrows, but only if it doesn't take a long time to do and it's easy to get the things you need for it.....

I said some features, but not many
the way I feel, you can already focus in a profession on your own, without it being defined by the game
that would feel far more organic

I want to be a guard or have some legion quests like MW or something, but thats more of a faction than a job. Also I want to see other NPC's use the shops so the stores don't feel so empty.

The need (or more specifically, the motivation) for professions and shop ownership would only come about if TES V was a multi-player game.

Trade and economics of such a magnitude would be limited to a single game world, more of a waste in my mind. Player-to-player trade makes it viable, not a closed microcosm.

And TES V will not be a multiplayer game. So I say no, even though I wish the game had multiplayer. :wallbash:


Addendum: I am all for crafting though. Crafting is awesome.

Owning a store seems a bit to complicated. Jobs should be simple. Like handing out fliers for a store, or getting the supplies. Stuff like that.

i have put time into roleplaying as hunters and apothecarys it would be nice to see it more established into the game

as far as shop keeping with only a year in the making i think it would be too complicated unless you could buy a shop and set up workers

I voted Yes for both.

I wholeheartedly believe that Bethesda can do better in the development of professions, such as becoming a blacksmith, in comparison to games that have done it before such as Fable. The idea of becoming a blacksmith (I'll just use blacksmith as my profession example) and owning/running your own business, even helping run an existing business, is just an option that should always be available, even to people who only care to dungeon delve and murder the crap out of every daedra in sight. "Open world RPG"s are, in my opinion, being limited nowadays. They are being simplified down for anyone to come in and play with ease. Now I don't mean to say make the game seem ridiculously impossible to survive at first like Morrowind (for some), but instead the game should play out through a simple and moderately detailed tutorial that covers the near obvious aspects of the game, but leaves lingering hints as to what further research into those aspects could lead to.

Professions could be listed just like skills, with their own levels, skill perks (Taking from Oblivion, the perks gained at 25, 50, 75, and 100), and world interaction benefits just for being at a certain level in a profession. They wouldn't raise your overall level because they aren't your character skills, they are your character professions. On a side note, they should de-categorize weapon skills in my opinion. It was annoying to think that a barbarian who only ever knew how to wield big weapons like claymores and warhammers, could use a dagger just as good because his Blade skill had been increased by use of the claymore. No. That's just silly. In my opinion they should really detail it down to skills like, Daggers, Broadswords, Katanas, Longswords, Tantos, Wakazashis, etc etc. Just a thought.

Owning your own shop should be difficult in my opinion. You shouldn't be able to be some scruffy half-orc with a taste for blood and expect smiling customers in a shop you managed to open using the money you gained from slaughtering the city to your west. It should be an ultimate test of the speechcraft and mercantile skills, supported by your professions. You could add in a profession of entrepreneur just to make the possibility of owning every shop a rogue's dream come true.

Just thinkin.

Would be cool if you could buy alot of stuff in the city like in AC Brotherhood

Yes to both. It increases the Role playing aspect. And it is a ROLE PLAYING game after all.