Islands : V - Skyrim

» Sat Feb 19, 2011 8:23 am

There were islands in Oblivion. Not off the coast in the ocean but why do there have to be islands if there is water in an area? The only reason there were so many islands in Morrowind because it was a giant volcanic island, of course there were going to be lesser islands.

Well the same applies to glacial regions such as Skyrim, but for different reasons. Have you ever had a look at a map of http://i.infoplease.com/images/mapcanada.gif for instance? Just replace cooling lava with glacial erosion/fragmentation.

EDIT: Crap! Just noticed it's my birthday. WHYYYYYYYYY!?

Sorry for the off topic >.>

» Fri Feb 18, 2011 9:33 pm

Well Skyrim should have coasts. So hopefully they take advantage of them with islands and underwater enemies. I would love to see an area in Skyrim that was like the area in the north of Mowworind, tons of tiny islands with different things to discover if you swim from island to island.

» Sat Feb 19, 2011 1:32 am

Well the same applies to glacial regions such as Skyrim, but for different reasons. Have you ever had a look at a map of http://i.infoplease.com/images/mapcanada.gif for instance? Just replace cooling lava with glacial erosion/fragmentation.

EDIT: Crap! Just noticed it's my birthday. WHYYYYYYYYY!?

Sorry for the off topic >.>

Well actually northern canada had a long history of volcanic activity. The canadian shield is all igneous rock but yes, there can be some islands caused by glacial deposits.

Oh and happy birthday.

» Fri Feb 18, 2011 10:59 pm

Yeah some islands would be sweet. No need to list the definition of an island guys, we all know what the OP wants and Oblivion didn't really come through with this.

» Sat Feb 19, 2011 10:12 am

Islands fascinate me, especially really small ones. Put some foliage and rocks or even a cave, and you make me a happy explorer. I absolutely loved some of the islands in Morrowind.

A city on an island doesnt count. I live in a big city on a big island myself, and it doesnt feel like an island *at all*.

And yes I would love if there was something to do on those. Dungeons, shipwrecks, many enemies, perhaps hidden treasure.

Gawd I really want that :drool:

» Sat Feb 19, 2011 1:49 pm

Islands near the coast (perhaps a few small ones in the big lakes too!), hell yeah!

I really loved the coastlines of Morrowind and really hated Oblivion's.
It's really fun exploring small islands and such.
I hope there are a lot of them in Skyrim.

» Sat Feb 19, 2011 1:31 pm

One thing i loved about morrowind was the little islands off the coast. I was alittle disapointed to not find them in oblivion. I'd love to have a little island off the coast of Skyrim with not much but mabe a small village or a single cabin to be my home. How do you all feel about this? It might be a small thing that would make me happy

Mabe even a mission to colonize an island would be pretty sweet.
or perhaps even hidden islands with rare items to find?

I think this would be a great idea. Even without the 'home' mission or location identity ... just having islands or some scattered locations off a coast would be a great addition. I realize that the borders of the game have to be somewhere, but perhaps with islands they could have a couple secret distant islands that the borders are bent or offer a linear path to if discovered which normally wouldn't be easily stumbled upon or definitely not seen from the coast. Perhaps only visible from a tall peak located pretty far away. I can envision a mission that ends up with a house or building on a tall peak and if one pays attentiona and looks in a specific direction or through some kind of tool at the mountain building/mission spot. Seeing the island would allow a player to notice the previously unseen island and then work toward gaining access to it.

» Sat Feb 19, 2011 4:34 am

Absolutely loved the shallow waters on the West Gash and the Sheogorad regions of Morrowind, and the multitude of small and large island there, with the chance of finding dungeons and treasure in them. Just perfect.

Hope we see more places like those, and I would not mind icy theme for them, as well.

» Sat Feb 19, 2011 7:19 am

Morrowind's islands are great, I especially liked the smattering of ones near Seyda Neen.

Oblivion had a couple tiny islands but they didn't have anything on them (I think one had a burnt out house), so it didn't hold my attention really long. The imperial city island isn't in enough water for it to feel like an island.

Islands are great, put them in Skyrim! Although it doesn't seem like the area would have as many as Vvardenfell.

» Sat Feb 19, 2011 12:24 am

Can I ever comment on something without someone not understanding what I said. I said that volcanic areas typically have lots of islands. I never said that's the only way you can have islands. I was commenting on your assumption that islands must be along a body of water when in reality, that's not truth. Also, there were several islands in Oblivion, the imperial city, the mages guild island, the island where you have to do the Hunters run and so on. There were dozens of more non-memorable islands in Morrowind than in Oblivion. The fact is that Oblivion had some islands. Cyrodiil doesn't need to be dotted with islands to be real or interesting and neither does Skyrim. Some islands are probably going to show up but it is not going to be the same as Morrowind because once again, Morrowind was a volcanic island.

I believe its your tone, people probably get half-way into your paragraph and decide anything you got to say isn't really worth reading.

Anyways, the OP wasn't saying anything about Skyrim NEEDING to have islands, especially not for realism or anything else like that, they just commented that they'd like to have that feeling of finding a little memorable island with a house or something on it.

Second, as you pointed out, there are lots of other ways for islands to form, so why even keep bringing up volcanic activity? Yes, we get that it makes sense for Morrowind to have islands, but that doesn't mean Cyrodiil or Skyrim wouldn't have islands.

Finally, volcanic activity. Skyrim has it, as shown by the map and mentioned by Todd, there is a volcanic tundra. Also as you said yourself, glaciers can help form islands, as well as be islands themselves. Seems like there are lots of good reasons for Skyrim to have islands. The OP wasn't trying to suggest it would be more realistic, just that he wished for that feeling, so really what is your point?