Sorry if this was covered before, I don't recall reading one here for TES. One thing I would like to see, is mutiple endings, or different endings, depending on the choices you make. Maybe that is why I play voer 250 hours on the game and never finish them. The ending will always be the same, so why bother finishing the game with different characters if the end result is always the same.

I would like to see different endings in the game. If I choose not to do something, then instead of saving the world, maybe the world became destroyed, or taken over. Maybe instead of becoming the hero, I saved the world, but I become a dictator hated by others. I would like different endings depending on the choices I make during the game.

So what would you guys and girls like? Different endings from the choices you make, or the ending is always the same.

I'd like multiple paths to the same ending.

Regarding the issue of different endings, the main benefit of doing so would be that it would benefit replayability, as it would encourage players to play through the game multiple times in order to experience the different endings. Granted, I already usually play an Elder Scrolls game with more than one character, but that's because there are already other factors that contribute to the replayability, multiple endings would add to this. And it is true that often, when I make a second character, I don't feel like completing the main quest if I did it on the first one, because the whole thing is going to work out the same anyway. Also, different endings depending on the player's choices during the game would benefit role-playing as it allows players to do things differently with different characters. In Oblivion, if you can't see your character risking his life to save the Empire, than your only option is to ignore the main quest. If the game gave you more choices in the main quest, you could potentially find other solutions to it other than what the game allows.

However, there are difficulties involved in putting multiple endings in the game as well. The biggest probably being what to do when it comes time to make a sequel, because the plots of Elder Scrolls games have generally been too big to simply ignore the events of the last game in a new game. For Daggerfall, Bethesda introduced the Warp in the West to effectively allow ALL possible endings to be canon, but this is kind of confusing, it would get pretty silly if Bethesda got into the habit of using it every game. Therefore, if Bethesda were to use multiple endings, unless they can come up with more varied devices to reconcile all endings, the best option is to probably just take one of the possible endings, and make it the only canon ending. This would likely leave some players feeling that a different ending would have been a better choice, but other developers that have done multiple endings seem to be able to get away with it. Another problem I can see coming up with multiple endings is that you have to show players the ending that they got. In Fallout, the game can simply show you a slideshow and narration telling you how your choices effected the game world, but things are a little harder in the Elder Scrolls as the series has generally allowed the player to continue playing after the main quest, and I would not want to sacrifice this. Therefore, you actually see the effects of the main quest in the game, and showing all those effects would become much more difficult if Bethesda were to put multiple endings in the game. It must also be said that multiple endings would add extra work for the developers, of course, as they need to create not just one ending, but multiple ones.

Regardless, if Bethesda were to do multiple endings in the next game, I wouldn't want just one linear main storyline where choices in a few select places determine the ending. Because let's face it, if the rest of the story is the same, I don't really want to play through the whole thing multiple times just to see all the endings, I'd rather just read about the endings online or watch videos of them on Youtube or something. If Bethesda were to do multiple endings, I think the preferable choice would be to allow multiple paths to the mainquest, with the different endings being the logical conclusion of these paths. Perhaps if Bethesda were to use such an approach, they could take a look at how Obsidian handled it in New Vegas. In other words, instead of the typical fighting to protect Tamriel plot, they could have multiple factions each fighting for their own goals, just as an example, let's say the game takes place in Skyrim and we have Nords fighting for independence, and the Empire fighting to maintain control over the province, this is just an example, of course, I really don't know what the story of the Elder Scrolls V will be. The player could then choose to side with either the Empire, or the rebels, and at the end, the side the player chooses determines he outcome of the story. Preferably, the player should gain a chance to do a few quests for all sides and get familiar with them before making a permanent commitment, so that players don't end up deciding that they don't like the faction they're stuck with only after it's too late to go back. Such a setup, I think, works best for this sort of thing because there are potential reasons to choose any side. And players aren't left with only the two extremes of perfect hero and cliche villain who is evil just for the sake of being evil, assuming the available sides are written well enough. Of course, any factions that play a part in the main quest should be independent from the non-mainquest related factions, and players can join them regardless of which option they choose.

All things considered, I'd say there would be advantages to using multiple endings, but I could also see why Bethesda might choose not to go that way. But even if there are not multiple endings, I'd like more options in the main quest, just because players will eventually reach the same end point no matter what they do doesn't mean there can only be one way to reach it.

I think that main factions should be incorporated more into the MQ, and while one can still complete the MQ without ever interacting with them directly (they should still have an important story presence regardless of whether you join them) joining any faction changes the way players approach the MQ itself and has different effects on the game world before and after the MQ's conclusion.

Of course this takes a huge amount of developing resource to pull off, but it would be my ideal.

But yes I think that multiple endings are better than one definite ending. I like to empathise with my characters, so giving me one way through the MQ is like only giving me one dialogue choice or one faction to join. As for canon, I am all for choosing one (hopefully fairly neutral) ending and making that canon for future games. I think KotOR does it well, but Star Wars characters pretty much all follow the redemption story so it doesn't really count...

And not continuing after the end.

Just because Morrowindl did it, didn't mean Oblivion needed to.

Selbeth, i'm going to have to disagree with you on that one point.

New vegas did it wrong, the game should not be all about choosing a side and then finish up with that, instead there should be some other thing to make multiple endings. If TES 5 would have the same kind of "open ending" as fallout NV had.. Well lets just say I wouldn't be happy one bit.

Selbeth.. you realize that when you choose a "side" in new vegas, you basically do do the same quests all the time. After having beaten the game with all possible main story endings I can tell you this: all of them want the same and they all want you to do the same thing.


This spoiler shows how new vegas will play out, don't look if you have not beaten the game and plan to beat it.

Yes as it adds to the role playing aspect as it is unique to you.

You're suggesting to end the game When the MQ is completed?

Why?

I would love that becasue if it was just diffrent paths to the same ending it wouldn't account for anything in a way,would be easy to get them all but i WOULDNT want it to be like endless endings and such

Yes.

Because when a game ends, it should end. It's time to start over. This comes with the option to ignore the campaign. Also, the main quest is limited, like Daggerfall was and Morrowind was going to be. It prevents the player from being majordomo of the world. There's a consequence for saving the world: your character can't enjoy the peace.

It should be possible to have the same end result, but totally different paths to get there and directly opposite reasons for doing it. For example, I can either stop the one party because I'm Mr. Niceguy and consider them "evil", or do it because they're a splinter group within my own evil faction who need to be taught who's in charge. Ideally, instead of obvious "black and white" paths, there'd be a couple of hard choices between shades of gray.

The end of the MQ should not end the game, but the NPCs really need to recognize who you are (assuming that your character's participation in the MQ is publicly known, unlike the Almalexia bit in the TB MQ for MW). After all, you're no longer "Joe Average" to be sent on petty errands.

I like to be able to continue playing my character after playing through the main quest, and I'd like to see changes in the world caused by the main quest. I would also like multiple endings, or at least multiple ways to achieve the end if there's only one ending.

It'll be difficult, I have only seen 1 in the series with multiple endings, the rest have been one ending, I'm not sure how they'd so it exactly.

I find that with FO3etc the various endings and paths do somewhat dilute the quality of the main quest. Different routes to the same ending is also dodgy. If the main quest is ornate enough then the differences in the character you choose should be sufficient.

Personally speaking, of course.

Make multiple endings with one canon ending.

No because it makes the entire storyline shorter. Similar to what happened in Fallout New vegas.

NO, man. Just naw.


I'd like multiple "endings" to the main quest, but I'd prefer the main quest to act just like a giant, normal quest. I want complete continuity; hell, even the credits shouldn't roll (they can be in the options, or something like that). There can be a cinematic, but otherwise, it should act as a quest.

I voted "Other" because the Elder Scrolls main quests are the least interesting things about the games. I do each one once, and then never again. So it doesn't matter much to me what they do, as I'll only ever see it once.

Yes, but I would not mind multiple paths to the same ending.

I vote for there being different paths to get to get to a different ending based on the path you took. At least have the three obvious paths: combat, magic, thievery. That can implement some quests from the three guilds into the MQ. This would also bring back a rivalry between the guilds so that you might have to pick one of the three over another one(similar to New Vegas factions). And then there could be the lone wolf path, or the Dark Brotherhood path or w/e. The types of paths don't matter to me, it doesn't even have to involve the guilds, I'd just like to see some variation. It also adds to the replay value.


Definitely not. The game should continue until you want to start over. The developers don't need to force you to start over if you don't want to. It's up to you, your choice. It kind of defeats the purpose of an open world game if it suddenly quits. That's my opinion at least.

It's mostly goofy to keep the game going past the ending of the main quest for a couple reasons. One is that you can only have minor changes to the gameworld because of it, like in Oblivion where they just changed one district of one city, or Morrowind where they just turned off the ash storms. That was weak.

The other is because most quests in the game are beneath the character to perform after they've completed the main quest. I just killed a god, and this cat wants me to buy a ceramic bowl? It really takes the piss out of the game if you aren't respected for what you've done, and it can't be worth it time wise to make all those events matter to the npc's.

I see what you're saying, Shades, but the ability to continue past the end of the main quest is one of the fundamental features of TES games. And even other series, that once rolled credits and required you to start over if you wanted to play more, are now doing "post victory" content. Though I agree, there should be some kind of fundamental shift in gameplay and setting as a result of completing the main quest.

I'd like multiple endings. And if the question of "which end is official" is a problem (and it most likely would be), my preference would be for the game to somehow track and upload what kind of victory just occurred, with the one with the largest number of instances being the "official" outcome.

Multiple paths, one major ending, perhaps with smaller differences depending on your choices. Less confusion.

Many endings for each major quest lien would be cool, if they made sense.
Using Oblivion as my example,
The Mages guild questline would be amazing, if you had the option, to side with Mannimarco, and overthrow the "No Necromancy" deal.
Fighter's Guild, I don't see any other ending working.
Dark Brotherhood, I would of loved to be able to decide if I was listener, or an assassin still.
Thieve's Guild, I don't see that one working nay other way, and it had a great ending as is.
Main Quest. An option for evil characters, because it is awful how you have to be a good character, or it makes no sense. Why would someone hellbent on wiping the people off of the face of Cyrodil save them all from certain death, with no major reward for themselves?