I love the opening tutorial for Oblivion. It was great and it taught me how to play the game. What someone needs to do so they don't have to replay it if they don't want to is make a Save just before exiting the sewers. That way you can change your character into anything else you want and have a new name, race, class, skills and look and use that Save each time you begin a new game. It's a new starting point. I hope Skyrim does it the same way...it was perfect in Oblivion.

FOR THE LAST TIME WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE CUTSCREEN AT THE BEGGING! We're talking about the whole escape with the emperor part. Do you people really think I watch the starting movie every time I start a new character? I'm not [censored]! I don't know why people think we're even talking about that.

i liked morrowind's intro because it gave me little direction. it made the world feel bigger, and i could adventure around at first without feeling like i'm ignoring my destiny like how it was in oblivion.

Calm down Flunky.

Anyways, I thought both opening fit both games. Oblivion was a grand and regal adventure that saw you rising up from nothing to the warden of a savior whereas Morrowind was a culture shock game that thrust you into its environment to do as you pleased. Both of them work for what they do, and I think Skyrim will be like Oblivion in the progression sense even if it will have Morrowind's "weirdness".

I'm sorry I'm just sick of people saying "you can just skip it by pressing escape" and such. You can't skip the tutorial of Oblivion by pressing escape, unless if your're doing it to load a save.

I cared quite a bit about Morrowind, but I don't recall what, during character creation until I walked out that door of the Census and Excise office, that made me "care". I just stole some loot, got a package to take to Caius, and I was on my way.

Seyda Neen was before me with a few things to do, some stuff to sell/buy and a Bosmer falling out of the sky just outside of town. That was all I needed.

It should be quick with an optional tutorial.

It came off as really boring for me. I mean I really was not amazed by the introduction. It was bare bones with nothing but what was needed. That's all fine and dandy... For a game, it worked well enough because it was up to us to make our own story anyway.

But if you really think that's good enough...well, go play Morrowind again then. If an intro only needs to do what it needs to do, then Morrowind is fine. But if you want to amaze your audience, leaving their eyes sparkling and their mouths open that is not the way to do it. I'd rather have an introduction be more than what it needs to be. It doesn't need to be amazing, but I think it should be.

I just want a way to skip the tutorial level. It's a complaint that came up with oblivion and the fallout game. I REALLY hope bethesda learned this time and gives you an option to skip it.

I've made a new rules for this post. No one is allowed to talk about, quote, or even mention ANYTHING that has to do with the cut screen at the beginning of the game or the fact that you can save when you leave the sewers. That's not what this post is about. It's not titled "What are some ways to bypass the tutorial in Oblivion?" or "What do think of the Oblivion opening cut screen?". It's about what you think the LENGTH of the part that you PLAY at the beginning of SKYRIM should be COMPARED to other Bethesda games. I gave my reasons for why I think the Skyrim's opening shouldn't be as long as Oblivions opening, that doesn't mean I need advice on how to it pass quickly, that doesn't change how long it is.

As long as its interesting enough, I'm for the long openings. And if not, I don't care? Its only the beginning.

As long as the beginning makes sense and is neat/cool/interesting, I don't care how long it is. I'm still hoping you can talk to a cellmate before you leave, which you could use to flesh out your character (if you want). Maybe you're being transported to the gallows or something when a Dragon attacks.

Something different basically. Relatively.

I voted for none because I'm quite sick of these "More like Obliv or Morr" posts. Leave it to Bethesda and let them make Skyrim please.

I think the intro will be as long as it needs to be, for example.

Morrowind was all about mystery, random prisoner shipped off to a foreign land with no idea as to why other than the fact he was released from prison, I doubt he even cared about anything but the fact he was given freedom at that point.
Then you're told what you need to do and where you need to go and away you went, sure it didn't hold your hand and alot of people hate that, personally I like minimalistic tutorials, because the reality was you were essentially forewarned about the openess of the game, you easily learned everything by talking and snooping, but I guess most people don't like to read, but it is also true at times Morrowind did like to be a bit vague at times, or flat out lie to you, personally I think it all added to the Outlander concept in one way or another.

Oblivion was all about running out of time, you're in prison for something you did, despite which you're probably not really a bad sort but just someone who had made a few wrong choices in life. However since there are larger things at hand, you coincidentally become involved in a serious situation regarding the Emperor himself and then your only real choice is to rot the days away listening to some nasty dark elf, or follow the Blades, at which point the game takes advantage of the situation to tell you things and ease you into how some of the more basic systems worked.

Sure it's long but it still fits correctly into what's happening with the plot and as such is an appropriate length for Oblivion's story.


Skyrim I suspect will be somewhat shorter, and maybe even have a similar Outlander concept that Morrowind had, at which point you'll likely be thrown into the world with basic instructions and a "Good luck!" remark.

My point is it's not so much about which is right or wrong, but which kind fits the game's overall story/mood better despite what fans prefer.

You can press ESC when ever you want to skip it... Seriously everyone keeps complaining about things that you don't have to use/see like Fast Travel and Openings etc., you can skip it!

You don't have to read either, but in this case I'd advise you do so, they aren't referring to cutscenes.

I'm kind of undecided.

On the one hand, tangible repetition of any kind is usually a bad thing in games (swinging your sword might never be noticably repetitive, but playing an identical 15-minute dungeon sure will be), and the sooner -- and most enthusiastically -- the player is engaged in the meat of the gameplay, the better.

On the other hand, I don't think the quality or detail of a game's opening should be sacrificed for the sake of keeping it extremely short; while no one wants to play an hour-long opening sequence every time they start a new character, the first time it's played will likely leave the biggest impression, and be the most memorable.
It's, "did you see the awesome intro sequence in ? Whoa!" vs. "argh, I was going to re-play but I'd have to play through the intro again."

Fun, character-tailored openings which vary across new saves, while also providing a consistent introduction to the main focus of the game and its gameplay, might be ideal. Of course, the ubiquitous "make it optional" suggestion applies here as well - let us skip the damn thing if we want.

Well even if he means that opening sequence, there are mods for that... So he can simply download the mod and skip it...

And what's bad about the fighting? How would you die from a few goblins and rats? If you let the Blades do the job you won't die against the Mythic Dawn guys...

I think that long is fine, and obviously you are not gonna play the game for 10 times (If Bethesda makes an extremely HUGE ULTRA SUPER non-linear plot with tens of decisions fine. But still very unlikely).

They can still give us a long opening and then give us the option to skip it after completing it once or something. Long ones are good because they introduce the place for you, I'll understand Morrowind because you arrive from a different place and you are confused and a short opening was excellent since it shows how confused you are, but in Oblivion they made a long one and it was an excellent choice because 1) for the tutorials and 2) to show you how connected you are to the plot

They introduced the mythic dawn, the Emperor assassinated etc..

So introducing the plot is good, and making it an hour is nicer! All we need is a skip option for the second, third, fourth or millionth time we do it.

I like Morrowind-style tutorial.
It was simple, short and effective.
Morrowind was first TES game I've ever played (and heard of) and that short tutorial thought me all the basics and there weren't any problems with it.
I don't mind Oblivion style longer tutorial, but from what I've noticed, lot of people doesn't, so I think that it should be shorter and more Morrowind-like (many other stuff since Morrowind >>> Oblivion).

I would much rather have a long and meaningful opening than have a short pointless 30 second opening. Openings are the first thing you see in games so they should be amazing

i want kind of in the middle. I would like it to be almost as long as the opening in Oblivion, but I want their to be a little more... umpf to it. I do agree that when I first started playing Oblivion, the beginning seemed like it was taking forever. I never liked going through the sewers. Maybe start off by having to travel through a mountain instead?

Lets cut it with this optional stuff.

I would like a longer tutorial and intro sequence but I don't think it will be required in this game. It was used in Oblivion to solidify the character you made based on what you considered fun, bows, magic or melee. Then after you used everything it asked you one more time. With Skyrim we will just use what we like so there really isn't a danger of picking stealth for your heavy armour two handed killing machine.

An opening intro is good to familiarize yourself with the controls. Do what many other people did. Have a save game at the point where you choose your character again, then you skip all the intro stuff you don't want.

I liked the Oblivion style opening. I'd like something like that but better.

Btw, make a save file right before you enter the main world You won't have to replay the opening.

Actually, if I remember correctly in the reviews about Morrowind before it came out just about everyone went on about how this unique way of character creation was pretty much a "revolution" in RPG's. Instead of the standard RPG character creation method before it. So apparently it did amaze some people (the people whose job it is to review video games and play way way more than I do)

And I didn't care from the get-go it seemed they forced some heroic destiny on you, no matter what your background story was. I mean you start out the game fighting along side the Emperor, for crying out loud, then have to rush out with the amulet to "save the world by finding his son". Now sure, you could put off or completely avoid the MQ, but I found MW's "here take this package to Caius" with no real importance or world saving destiny attached preferable. It's an open RPG. I understand though the attempt to heighten the intensity with this approach in OB.

Everyone has their preferences so they can't please everyone. And I didn't hate OB's tutorial. I just thought it was too long. And yeah, saving at the sewer exit was a "way" to get around it, but the lighting was so terrible it made it difficult (even more so than the 1st character creation screens) to get the look you wanted. You stepped out into the light of day and said, "Yikes! what the heck! He looks terrible." Just give an option to skip would be so much appreciated, I think. Especially with someone like me with Alt-itis. I never finished OB, but made approx. 40-50 characters (and that's probably a conservative number) by the time I quit playing for another game.

Either way, I will play Skyrim for hours and hours like I did the previous games.

Well,actually I liked Morrowind better.But you were simply being released so nobody would pay attention to you.I actually liked how the game pulled you in and said: find out.
In Oblivion,the opening was not bad,the jail or emperor guiding parts were pretty good,but there was no need for that goblin dungeon in between.

In Skyrim,I bet there'll be a dragon attack on the jail and you'll escape in the chaos.This could be two ways:
-Interesting way: You run as the city/prison collapses slowly on your head.Like Dark Messiah's first episode.You can learn about the weapons as guards die,dropping weapons.
-Boring way: You run to the nearest sewer.The rest same as Oblivion.

I really hate the long intros in Fallout 3 and Oblivion. Starting a new character is painful.