Most important area? : V - Skyrim

» Tue Jan 05, 2010 10:49 pm

Other, Immersion.

But Exploration is a close second.

This, a combination of them all to make me escape real life and feel like I'm in the game.

» Wed Jan 06, 2010 9:37 am

Funny how exploration is clearly the most popular thing in an ES game, yet the design choices in Oblivion didn't reinforce or promote this style of gameplay at all. Between the mission design, world design, and fast travel the entire game was built to be played like a linear RPG and they wanted you to focus 100% on the main quest through the way that it was presented to the player (sense of urgency, linear "do this then this" design to it, etc).

If they put the game design and world design with exploration in mind then we'd get somethinng closer to morrowind, which had open ended faction questlines to promote non-linearity, a mainquest that didn't require you to dedicate yourself to it from a narrative standpoint, and being unable to just "teleport" anywhere.

I wish they would design Skyrim with exploration in mind, not with linear missions in mind like Oblivion.

I most certainly disagree:

15 Daedric shrines
many landmarks
unmarked oddities
goblin tribes
Ayleid statues
nirnroot
Shadowbanish wine
isolated settlements
side quests to be found
wayshrines
doom/rune/heaven stones
roadside inns
dungeons/dungeon design variations (Vilverin, Sideways Cave, Fingerbowl Cave, Black Rock Caverns, etc.)
nature itself (I love my waterfalls)
etc.

I find this stuff by running (or riding) off and exploring. I don't get it as a by-product of fetch/kill quests. :shrug:

» Wed Jan 06, 2010 1:38 am

Factions are the most important for me, I love to really get to know all the faction members, and really feel like a part of them. And while doing factions quests, I'm also exploring the land, so that's a nice bonus for me.

» Tue Jan 05, 2010 11:21 pm

Main Quest, lots of new and old factions, more different types of dungeons, exploration.All of those are equally important.

» Wed Jan 06, 2010 2:14 am

dungeon crawling is merely part of exlporation really...

I agree, they kind of stick together, but I also think immersion is, really. I mean, talking to the people, resting at inns, guild quests etc. But like the rest I really like exploration. Especially without an arrow on my compass... Although if you do go explore, often you need a quest of some sort to get you going (no, not always) like a local asking you to fetch something in a cave or ruin.

The main quest is also somewhat important I think, but mainly in the sense that it ought to have more impact on the game world as you progress through than other quests, and also ought to be quite long... It's my second place if dungeon crawling is combined with exploration.

» Wed Jan 06, 2010 1:27 am

Stealing. Sure, exploration is great, but nothing beats the feeling of opening a high-level lock or taking that shiny dagger off the shelf behind the owner's back.
Of course, I love looting dungeons as well. I can't wait to see all the delicious loot in Skyrim.

» Tue Jan 05, 2010 8:27 pm

Glad to see I'm not the only one that LOVES the exploration aspect of the elder scrolls games.

» Wed Jan 06, 2010 11:45 am

We all agree. Exploration in all aspects of the word.

» Tue Jan 05, 2010 8:48 pm

It has to be dungeon crawling as to me thats easily the most important area of an Elder Scrolls Game.

» Wed Jan 06, 2010 9:25 am

I voted exploration mostly because of the amazing landscapes and dungeons in Morrowind that no other game I've played has.