Yeah I was so disappointed when it turned out that that wasn't possible.

I totally agree. In Morrowind, when you talked about the unrest in Cyrodiil, it seemed like something was gonna go down.

Even in this http://www.totalvideogames.com/Elder-Scrolls-IV-Oblivion/feature-7685.html, producer Gavin Carter mentioned the political intrigue in Oblivion.

I don't think Oblivion would've reached out to so many gamers if they had weaved a complex political aspect, though.


@the the joining dagoth UR remark: I wonder if anyone has developed a quest?

Ok all, i scanned through the first page, and long story short, they didn't have the time/resources to do it, you have to remember that the devs were already pressed for time, existing quests had to be cut mid-quest so that they could finish up for the deadline(dark brotherhood quest), even quests which already had all the voices and scripting weren't implemented (chorrol match-making quest). Even with the deadline pushes oblivion was delivered as a semi-complete game, it's not that the devs didn't have the ideas (it was pretty obvious the potential at the end of the main quest) but they just didn't have the time for such things. Thats why we have to be patient for TES V so that it is a full, complete and really great game. Lets not leave too much for the modders eh beth

Bam, you have a possible coup and civil war. Why not Bethesda? WHY NOT?! :shakehead:

Interesting read, thanks.


Yes, there are actually 2 quest mods. Endrek's Sixth House mod and (my favourite) TheMadGod's Great House Dagoth. The second one handles it rather well, but obviously it would've been nicer if it had been in the original game.

Of course that might've caused problems with how the future games describe the events in Vvardenfell. And throwing in a dragon break in every game would get awkward too.

OB's a lost cause, it is what it is and it won't (at least vanilla wise) be anything more.

From what i've heard about the book, it sounds like TES5 has some major potential for intrigue.

Actually now that i think about it, TES4 had just as much potential, even with a relatively stable political background.

Read this friend:



Aside from this i'd like to add that i've been thinking about it, and TES IV may have been bethesda's way of creating potential material for the next game, i mean look at it, Cyrodiil is a wreck, every province is fighting the oblivion invasion, morrowind has been utterly destroyed, in-fact, i might be so bold to change my statement saying that they are planning so complete rebuild of TES, maybe this whole idea of the entire TES world getting destroyed is to create a new TES reborn, it is a possibility.

well we did get something about skyrim being divided, so politics may play a part

Yeah, well, that interview was from way back when they were still advertising flawless soft-shadows on all objects, a self-shadow feature that still worked, and a Radiant AI setup that, qoute, "allows us to breathe life into the world with very little scripting."


Would it have been great to see all these things in Oblivion? Of course it would have. But those were all plot hooks for the game we were hyped up for, not the game we were given. Bethesda ran out of time, bit more than they could chew, and we can only hope they learn their lessons next time around and give us a title that'll make us even forget Morrowind.

They aren't armies, they're guard garrisons to keep the peace. Count Caro didn't send the Guard out to fight bandits, he had to form the Order of the White Stallion. Likewise, Count Indarys had the Knights of the Thorn, but they were pretty much wannabes sponsored by the Count.


And you find it implausible that they aren't megalomaniacal, greedy, or power-hungry? They're nobility, not politicians.


Morrowind is different because their law allows and even encourages political warring. Cyrodiil is very different, they do not encourage infighting. They're the center of the Empire, such warring could destabilize the entire Empire. But nobody outside of Morrowind, except for opportunistic Nords waiting for the chance to invade, are affected by Morrowind's unstable political atmosphere.

Otaco thing kinda bugger me. Actually the Imperial Palace in general. Nothing ever happens there, Otaco has no guards/servants/counsillers or anything. At the end of the game he just walks up to you alone and says "hey thanks for saving our asses, ima go fix everything now." And nothing is mentioned of it again.

You forgot to add "Have this absolutely worthless suit of armor for saving the world" and "Hey lets play how many times can people repeat, there is no heir to the throne" seriously :blink:

Sorry. Still unable to quote but KhadirgroGhurkag was right in his/her earlier point about George R. R. Martins Sword of Ice and Fire series. To see it applied to a game the most recent example would be Dragon Age: Origins. You get to help chose a king between two feuding dwarves, help someone become a king whilst overthrowing a despot. It wasn't too deep but something like this would be very good. A castle would've been nice as opposed to armour. And a county after all Kvatch was pretty much there for the taking and I'll never understand why they didn't put out a final DLC where you restored Kvatch and became the head honcho there.

That description might do justice to a cadre of civil servants, but they're not that. They're petty nobility, and even if they're standing together for the moment against the Daedra, their chief recreation would be undermining each other. I don't think anybody could name a single real-world kingdom where the nobles didn't fight over everything that could possibly be fought over. And I don't mean one of those "constitutional monarchies" with a King who cuts ribbons at shopping mall openings.

No sooner would the ashes be cold at Kvatch than the Counts of Anvil and Skingrad would be squabbling over the remnants of poor old Goldwine's holdings. But they don't act as if they even knew him.

Somebody's out to smear the Count of Cheydinhal over the death of his wife. In the real world, that gets at least one or two enterprising blackmailers involved, and it puts the Count at some trouble to refute or silence the voices. But the Count doesn't even care, and we never find out.

For a civilized peaceful society,
justice is politics all the same,
here words are swords with less notoriety,
yet there is none of it in this game.

Now see there's a mission. You get hired by Count's through other parties maybe to plant incrininating evidence, carry out acts to undermine dukes or countsor just assassinate them. You sneak into a counts bedroom, kill the countess as she sleeps then reverse pickpocket the knife into the count. Go outside then alert the Imperial Guard. I know that may have holes but the idea would be good.

Shakespeare ftw. anyway

Especially after recent, passing mention, I couldn't help but notice what the Cyrodiil and Ayleids lost, when Tekumel was replaced with Disney Land as the great contributing influence.

Who'll hopefully arrest you on the spot and water board you until you explain exactly what you - a complete stranger - were doing in the counts private rooms.

Hahahaha. That would make it even better. Realising your folly after months of torture you see a chance to break out and take it. Upon reaching the surface you're eyes take time to adjust to the light and your character is as skinny as a rake. Time to mug someone and hit the nearest pavillion of pleasure.

Playing that part of Dragon Age reminded me a lot of Morrowind for some reason

I think that whilst Dragon Age has it's faults (especially on the console version), it is a good game and shows what can be done with narrative. And if it reminds people of earlier ames in the TES series then that would highlight that something nomatter how small is lacking. I never got a chance to play MW that much as I had an Xbox, wore out my disk and have found it impossible to find a copy I still remember alltying yourself to a house and getting a home made for you by said house. Or getting different vampire bonuses depending on which clan sired you. I think focing you to make a choice when handled correctly is good and thankfully I think it's something Beth have learned during FO3. Now all they have to do is employ this and make it more fantastic as in fantasy like. Have more NPC characters metapohorical as well as literal. Heroes who hang out in bars bragging. Dodgey barmen in back alley bars slipping you notes concerning less moral missions.

In a system where territory is won and lost by warfare and intrigue perhaps, but the Counts of Cyrodiil have their territories governed by a higher government. And they don't have the manpower to do any warring or expansion, they just have guard garrisons. I will admit, though, that Kvatch was woefully underdeveloped. They didn't even have a Guide to Kvatch in the game.


Perhaps that's why the Orum Gang is able to operate without any trouble with the Guard.

Perhaps thats how the Dark Brotherhood can operate there.

Yes, that is another plausible theory, given the Count refuses to even acknowledge the existence of the Abandoned House.

The point is, however, that even if their actual territories are dictated to them via the Elder Council, they're going to ferociously fight over whatever they possibly can, through whatever avenues they possibly can. Whether those avenues are through bitter lobbying of the Elder Council, or using less than ethical means to turn the political machinations, they're not all just going to sit pretty and be perfectly tranquil because they're close to the center of a governing body. If anything, the amount of political danger, tension, and complexity shares correlates with how close one is to the central bureaucracy.