All this guy wants is sit with his little girl and enjoy her happiness as she rides around on a horse and looks at pretty things. He got his solution to make that happen a few pages ago.

I google searched it after reading your post. You know. The shallow post that added nothing to the conversation. You do make a good point about people carrying weapons. The console command to turn off violence does not stop that. Using the intro as a reason to not play ANY aspect of the game is a failure of logic. Period

What Skyrim needs is a http://morrowind4kids.com/

Well this thread is going well So many judgemental types eager to wade in.

I have a feeling it would be pretty easy for an experienced modder.

This whole thread is kind of surreal, because it's a weird grey area. People are getting really, really overly defensive about this- no one is saying you are a bad parent. There's no reason to blow this out of proportion.

It's just that it does raise the eyebrows- I can see the appeal to a child, the game is gorgeous. Oh, look, butterflies and bunnies! But as an advlt who plays the game and understands the complexity and darkness that lies underneath that, it causes some people, like me, to say, well, why would you want them to have free access? Sitting them on your lap and wandering around a sunny field sounds fine. Wanting a mod to take everything out for you...sounds like you want to allow them to wander freely.

There's a fine line between wanting your children to understand how the world works because they're smart enough to handle it (video games are just fun and entertainment!) and wanting them to hold on to their childlike wonder, which involves sheltering them for a wee bit from things like seeing wolves attack bunny rabbits and overhearing bandits threaten people, bards tell bawdy jokes, townspeople crying over their dead children.

Again, it's just an opinion. If it hits you that hard, hurts you that much, I would suggest looking inward and seeing where all this defensiveness is coming from.

I grew up without violent videogames, we compensated by making strong bows out of branches and equipping the arrows with dart tips. We also shot blowpipes at eachother, played with knives, threw rocks at eachother, climb tall trees, fight kids from other enighborhoods, experimented with fireworks and flamable fluids.

^This. Why dont you all chill out and go and play Skyrim??

Me too! If we had really known and understood as kids how close we were to dying...

But we did learn consequences. Sticks hurt. So do bottle rockets when shot at your chest. Ow.

What consequences did we learn from video games growing up? I don't know, because I didn't have a game system until I was 15. I did love the Space Invaders free standing machine at the laundrymat though

I'm gonna step out of this thread now though. I gave my opinion, it won't really change anyone's perspective, and that's cool. Different strokes, etc.

The difference is that both the advlt/ child are interacting and exploring an objective world, characters, and items and can manipulate and discover those uses and values, resulting in sharing ideas between parent and child and then acting upon them to see the consequences in a forgiving, educational state.... whereas TV you view seperately, with no parent/child interaction, leaves one to arbitrate and there is absolutely no objectivity or learning tools to function with.

You seem to be the defensive one, expressing your parenting decisions and personal life.

Stop fearing for others by being exclusively judgemental. Live, and let live. Everybody learns in their own time and path.

Stop being informed and reasonable; you're ruining the tone of this thread!

After this many pages I can't even remember who was getting pissed at who, but for darn sure people will get defensive when you start talking about parenting. Teh interwebs is a bad, bad place for subtle communication.

For anyone who cares, I'm not a parent. I'm just enjoying this little mosh pit we've got going.

See, this is the reason I'm leaving this thread. You took everything I said, blew it completely out of proportion, and applied your own value set to it. Congrats and thanks for proving my point! Moving on now...

People are getting defensive because of unnecessary assumptions. My own view is that I doubt there is a single parent anywhere in the world who went from abusive to dedicated because of a forum thread. Assumptive, judgemental posts do nothing for the topic's clarity or purpose. Quite obviously, I have exaggerated for effect don't take it personally. I am sometimes mistaken for an ass.

I would loooove to! Unfortunately, I'm at work.

You never had a point. Judging and fearing for others isnt a point. Then, to compare your own decisions and children to someone else is really just prejudiced and almost condescending. You're wondering why people are seeming defensive? Thanks for re-iterating your non-point, and leaving when necessary.

There is nothing wrong with letting your kids play M rated games.

In the years to come, I am willing to bet that all the evidence will point to "violent videogames" doing nothing to harm a child's mind, and videogames in general being nothing but a benefit. It is just sad people who try to find a scapegoat for their own failures as a parent or try to find a reason for events like columbine.

Console commands would be a good bet, or getting 100% invisibility

I wish I could have entered this thread sooner.

Op I feel your stance, the glory of just watching your child look at something vast an expansive to just explore when the smoke filled, loud and obnoxious streets out the outside determine otherwise. were a trip to the mountains isn't immediately availible. nothing beats the out doors, but to just give them the mind set to -explore- chainge your views and see what they normally may never see is a gift.

I'm no saint when I was a tad younger I let my siblings watch and play all grandtheft autos from GTA 3 to IV, same for Morrowind and Oblivion back then when I visted home they weren't really 5....maybe 6-7 impressionable but I found it didn't effect them NO I AM NOT SAYING YOU SHOULD DO LIKE I. what I am saying is that you're doing some good from my point of view letting them explore, and as petty as it might seem and well unparentlike? I'd say don't mind their initiale fright, its a chance to teach them what is and is not to be feared.


I'm sure you'll get reactions like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e55P2XF38O0&feature=player_embedded to be honest I'm a bad person to even smirk at it, but it is PRICELESS. just see the array of emotions she goes through from joy, jubilance to utter disdain and fear.


FAR to early for her to be going through that, BUT a kid her age goes through just the same set of emotions simply wandering outside and seeing a dog for the first time. All that matters is That YOU as a Parent are able to explain, expose, entertain and intervene as you see fit. see that girl? she didn't want to play skyrim anymore your child may end up the same and probably will be content to just watching, by which you have full control over what they see.

Which part of my post was defensive, exactly?

I am in 100% agreement with you that my child will be learning emotional complexity from me, but that doesn't mean us sitting down TOGETHER to play Skyrim for 20 minutes is going to turn my child into the angry German kid.

I also agree children shouldn't be left alone in front of the TV/PC for hours on end, but I do not think making a kid-friendly Skyrim mod is going to cause this to happen. Repsonsible parents will continue to be responsible, while those who prefer to use "electronic babysitters" will do so regardless.

Skyrim is a great interactive activity. I get to ask my son "What do you see?" "Horse/bear/walrus/butterfly/whatever!". "Where do you want to go?" "That way!". "What am I doing now?" "Swimming in the water!". The proposed mod would make this even better, since I wouldn't have to worry about getting reamed by giant spiders while taking a dip in a lake.

hmph...

Many of you seem to think the OP wants his child to play the game to its fullest, quests and all. He clearly states he (and she) fancies this as a world simulator for open-air exploration. Meaning that the majority of the content re: dungeons/quests will never-ever be encountered. Anyone with sense knows he wont hand the game over to her from char creation... but more likely from first getting to Riverwood.

The OP on the other hand needs to be aware that even just wondering around the map there are distributing "open air" points such as a skeletons, dead bodies, the Markarth intro, the Reach, pre-blown up houses with charred corpses. But if the OP is experienced enough in this world he can quite easily guide her around these areas (make a list man!).

He has to be there every single step of the way really

g/l regardless.

I understand, but combat and violence is kind of the point here. There are many games out there that your daughter would probably enjoy that would allow her to "explore" and do all sorts of things (check the "Family" or "Casual" tags at the Steam Store).

Oh give your kid more credit, she deserves it. Back in 1998 it was considered fine to let 5 year old kids play Metal Gear Solid, which is perhaps not as graphically brutal as Skyrim but it did have its share of neck snapping and such. I think now in this day and age we tend to overly protect children that don't need to be protected.

Honestly OP, there are better games out there that will let her explore, ride, swim and have age appropriate fun better than Skyrim ever will. Mods or not, it will never be trully right for her. Do some research (as you know what you'd like for her better than anyone else.)

Or you can take your daughter to a park.

I'll lay a $20 down that they do that to, make it $100.