Being one who loves music, I've always wondered if future TES games would incorporate Music as a skill. Morrowind had Lutes, but they were unplayable without mods, which always bothered me.

Perhaps something could be implemented for a person to become an expert musician? The benefits of it would be the ability to play at inns for tips and gold, maybe expert ones could serenade hostile creatures and make them calm, and maybe make them follow you and protect you. (Pied piper of Hamlin, anyone?) And of course, those not skilled in music would often hit wrong notes, rarely get tips, etc.

Various instruments I think would work are:
-Lutes
-Flutes or Pan Pipes
-Drums
-Clavichord (Assuming it's primitive enough)

I love the music of the series, and I just think it was a little dull not to see any of it preformed, or any happier songs. And good lord no, this isn't a suggestion for a guitar hero in TES, I really don't think the player should be involved with what's being played, rather they choose a song, and assuming their character's skill is good enough, is played well or badly.

Also note, this is more a suggestion for all future TES games, not just V. Hence why I think this fits better as a thread for discussion than in suggestions. Does anyone think this could work?

It would certainly make playing a bard leaps and bounds more appealing.

Yeah, that's another thing. I never understood the usefulness of a "Bard" class who can't sing or play instruments, or even tell stories.

I would like it. It would be a nice addition if it could be pulled off properly. I don't think it would work though. Not enough action for BGS.

an absolutely awesome idea.

it would add a lot more to the recreation side of things.

all it would need is to assign each button on a controller to the seven major chords, and perhaps hold a shoulder button to make them minor, sharps/flats or sevens.

It wouldn't exactly be complex, but as a fun mini-game to make little tunes when your chilling at an inn.

There are lots of skills you can't do in TES that are more important than playing music. It's not really a necessary skill, so while it's pretty cool I don't want it to have priority over most other things that could be added.

I've heard this before, but it's a decent idea. Maybe playing music to npcs raises their disposition towards you, with the amount it increases determined by your skill level.

This is what I mean by player involvement. Those who don't know what chords are will hate this, and this will hog up space for better features. I don't want it.

I love playing as a Bard in ES but the class is all about Personality than anything. With a lute or something of the sort "could" be a nice add-on instead of using magika the class would use a short list of songs 5 or 6 notes long.

You wouldn't need to train for you can make your own music. The longer the song the more complicated and less chance of having an effect on NPC's.

Plus it would be nice to see a NPC bard in an inn playing music, it'd be a little thing that'd make sleeping at an inn more common then sleeping outside.

But I doubt Beth would do this....sadly....

I've always wanted to do something at an Inn other than listen to people discussing the ferocity of mudcrabs, just sitting there taking a second to drink some booze didn't seem appealing.

Agreed. I've played as a Bard before, both preset and custom, but I've never liked how that basically made me an adventurer with personality but no actual musical talent. Ordinary instrument playing could be a tad mundane or tacky for the Elder Scrolls, but perhaps there could be an implementation similar to the old LucasArts game http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loom_(video_game). There would be various "drafts" that you'd play (they could be as general as just being tones or as specific as being played off a staff), and these would have their own magical properties that influenced the world or NPCs around you. It could fit quite nicely. Whilst we're on the topic of music, I'd love to see performers in taverns again!

I had music as a skill in my own wishful-thinking skill set. There are several ways it could be useful beyond better bard roleplay or being a walking sound test function. Music might change someone's mood, affecting how they react to you when approached/spoken to It could be a money-maker at higher skill levels, with nobles hiring you instead of local inns. Like an actual bard, you could choose to sing about real stories and events, increasing the fame of yourself or another by singing about finished quests, or even as a subtle way to pass on information. A bard working for the thieves guild might sing about a corrupt guard captain, potentially lowering public opinion of him...even if it's not true. Agents and assassins might have double-lives as bards to get legal access to gated areas by invitation.

I'd prefer it not have a minigame, as that would get really tedious unless your "songs" are five seconds long, which would be pretty lame in itself. Simply selecting the song and letting it play in accordance with your skill level would be fine. Along with skill, your library of songs could also be a mark of talent. Instead of a background "town theme", you might have corner bards providing the music in towns. Travel the land and learn those songs yourself, visit out of the way areas (like the nomads in Morrowind) to learn music from them. If an archaeologist finds some ancient, preserved piece of song from a ruin and you got your hands on it you'd be the envy of bards everywhere. Choose from your log of finished quests and turn them into music to influence people's disposition toward you, visit a bar and ask for stories from off-work adventurers, or simply piece together keywords of names/places you know and make your own song. It wouldn't be possible to have lyrics for all of them, of course, but that's far from the most suspension of disbelief you have to do on a regular basis. As with fine/rare alchemy tools, a bard might covet a masterpiece instrument. There are plenty of ways it could be implemented interestingly.

If this happens I'd never go dungeon crawling again. :rofl:

As a skill no, but as a profession yes. I think Bethesda should add professions to classes so if you don't want to go adventure or dungeon crawl you can seamlessly integrate yourself into a town society and get payed gold. Profession could be music, cooking, blacksmithing, hunting, etc. It's just an idea but I'd think it'd add some immersion in the game and add some more options to play with as well as help individualize classes a little more.

BUT professions require skill.

I have suggested non-combat based skills before, fishing and cooking, bethesda probably won't do this because it adds to much(they have to worry about comsole gamers). I have nothing against consoles or the people who use them, but Elder Scolls deserves more than what they have to offer.

We should make a thread of Non-combat based skillz.

It would add a rather unique role-playing feel to it. And it would be cool to enter an inn and listen to the local bard playing a song. However, it would be neccesary to have a large variety of songs, at the very least 10. Otherwise it would get annoying. And for each skill level (1-10, 11-20, 21-30 etc.) it would play a different version of the song. For instance someone skill level 5 would hardly be able to play the song, someone level 16 could play some basic notes, and at level 100, it would sound like virtuoso. However, if it was done badly, it could sort of ruin the game.

I agree the potential of an Elder Scrolls game is infinite but they I feel as though they don't add stuff because many of their customers aren't the hardcoe fans, and they would skip over the features because all they want to do is beat the main quest and say they "finished" the game, so because of this Beth doesn't want to "waist" their time on something only a small portion of their customers would use.

It really could benefit all classes.

Combat: Serenade dangerous beasts with music to calm them, and take command

Stealth: Distract the lords and guards at a castle with a party, while your thief friends steal things.

Magic: Maybe enchant a lute to be able to put people to sleep...then kill them.

If it was there anyone would use it. It would open these close minded gamers to a new world of gaming. When I beat first my first game I lost the desire to just beat a game, and got more of a desire to enjoy a game.
That type of mindset is meant for competative gaming and MMOs, and since Elder Srolls is neither of those then why not add features like this.

May have already been said, but I'd really like a system similar to the N64 Zelda games. Those instruments where great, and would be a great implementation to TES. Perhaps I could use these instruments to teleport, ala Zelda? Could be a fix for the Fast Travel issue. It would also be nice to be able to summon creatures, ala The Bard's Tale.

While I wouldn't want to base the skill around it, it could be interesting to have artifact-grade instruments you need musical skill to use well, just as we have powerful magic swords you need sword skill to be any good with.

I agree but I think that beth should at 2 or 3 more skill slots that can only be used for profession skills. You could have Fisherman (catch fish), Craftsman (make stuff out of what used to be clutter) , Musician (Play for money or just fun), as well as many more.'

EDIT: I should also say that I don't think the skills should effect leveling up at all and should be there for entertainment and when you are a bit tired of playing the core game.

UV2 will have a playable lute feature (where your keybaord acts like a... well, keyboard) and I can't wait for it

It would be interesting if TES:V had a similar system built in. Whether I'd see it as a fundamental skill or an entertaining novelty, I don't know

I would love this! I used to play a Bard back in my D&D days and has tons of fun with it. I've never played one in Tes because I would basically just be a rogue. :ninja:

At the very least they should put bards who play music back in the taverns.

I never play as a bard. And never in Neverwinter Nights. I just dont think theyre very good in combat. Though in NWN they are good as support because of thier songs and buffs.

However I would love to see bards in TESV as It adds alot of atmosphere to the game when your in towns and inns. The Witcher had plenty of bards in the towns etc. And even a juggler in the main city, I even watched him for a while and then I realised... wait this is a game, hes never going to drop his balls. Which ruins the experience.