RBNobody is siding with caution. If you don't like his example, fine. The point is, their last two (three) games had crummy campaigns, but now we should expect Skyrim to be different? Come on.

But the fact remains that in Morrowind those topics were, at the most, hearsay. The fact that the community chose to speculate on them doesn't lift them up to the level of gospel.

I can understand that, but the way the post was written makes it look more like.. strong displeasure.. about how gamesas has treated continuity since Morrowind. Surely, it's not been handled the greatest, but complaining that Oblivion didn't follow what some Morrowind rumors suggested, then turn around and effectively complain that Skyrim probably won't ignore follow what Oblivion's story laid out.. just seems a bit hypocritical to me.

Seeing the way a number of "hardcoe" Morrowind players react to some of the changes in Oblivion, and myself agreeing with some of their observations (despite me starting the series with Oblivion), I can definitely understand the concern with Skyrim. I have to wonder if some of the things I liked about Oblivion will be altered (for the worse) the same way some stuff from Morrowind was altered. The OP sounds a bit more hostile than concerned/cautious, though.

FWIW, I wouldn't have minded if Oblivion's setup followed from the Morrowind rumors... but it's also a "living" world, and a lot can happen in a couple decades. What did happen still made sense.. people do recover from getting sick sometimes, and the assassins killing Uriel's sons, as opposed to an angry mob, doesn't contradict anything (that I'm aware of). Which you prefer is based on personal preference, and I won't deny anyone that, but "I didn't like it that way" is a far cry from "They got it wrong".

That wasn't point, my point was they weren't dejected lines. Odfrid's prophecy was quoted by Patrick Stewart in the trailer. Tharnatos were agents of Tharn, involved in Shadowkey. They were present in Oblivion's early design, before they devolved into the Mythic Dawn. Tharnatos lent credence to the theory the sons were doppelgangers, puppets of Tharn, and he wasn't dead, but bidding time. Calaxes Septim was even given the cover of a mysterious disappearance, during the Imperial Simulacrum, to keep him a secret from Tharn. Martin, Mankar, his cult, and his daddy were jonny-come-latelies.

Besides, the population would not forget the scars left by civil revolt and Imperial retaliation in seven years. Their Emperor had been a cruel ruler, for decades before his imprisonment, and he had become enfeebled in the waning years. Uriel would die like his Empire. He would die wondering if his line would continue. It was this drama and tension which was absent, in the final cut.

Amen, brother. And I like your OP, too .

Including the ailing emperor and his uncertain sons would have taken no more than a rumor topic or two. "The Septim line is dead, and good riddance! Nothing but tyrants and impostors the whole lot of them." Tada, Morrowind backstory acknowledged, feel feel free to indulge in gate opening.

I hope Skyrim at least pays lip service to what came before. It doesn't hurt to err on the side of caution.

I'm (honestly) curious if the people would be more relieved at the Septims being killed, or scared that they no longer have a ruling Emperor or heir. Some NPCs do comment on being worried about that.

I'd imagine that some would be glad to see the sons not inherit, some would be glad to see the Septims dead, and some would be scared that the Septim dynasty is over. People don't all have just one opinion.

Rumors in previous games should not be treated as Chekov's Gun:

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Ptitlexn9xzsjd5fif?from=Main.ChekhovsGun

While a large part of games is good storytelling, isn't it kind of a reflection of reality to have rumors that go absolutely nowhere and mean nothing?

Mind, it gets tricky, because it's also very easy for the devs to throw out or change inconvenient lore, and they've done so in the past.

Precisely.

Yeah, that sort of annoyed me as well.

Especially because it could have been as interesting as:

Emperor asssassinated by Mythic Dawn
One of sons takes Amulet of Kings
Amulet of Kings falls off neck/Dragonfires remain unlit
Son is Tharn's kid
You find Martin

I would much rather play that.

But what is done is done.

As far as rumours go, there seemed to be rumours about every province in Oblivion. I only hope that the line of Septim is over, and the empire is in chaos etc. etc. If, somehow, another Septim magically appears it will be a bit of letdown to me.. But whatever, I get to play more TES!

Yes. Yes it is, by my count 4 major factions control 70% of the former Empire with about 7-9 minor factions controlling the other 30%, No there won't be, he'll be from a different line, forging a different Empire.

I'd agree with that. It might still be the Mede dynasty if Attrebus in the second Keyes novel grows into the role of future emperor.

There was also the rumor in "Oblivion", albeit from a deranged Bosmer, that the Akaviri would be returning to Tamriel in their dragon-ships. Somehow I don't think the Akaviri will make an appearance in "Skyrim", though it's tempting to take the rumor seriously as a type of Chekhov's gun.

Oh that Uriel Septim, what a man[censored].

If the leak is correct, and TES V does take place 200 years later, I don't really think recent events during TES III and IV will really matter, although there's nothing abnormal about a new Dragonborn appearing. In fact, it usually takes a lot longer for a new Dragonborn to appear after the previous lineage is wiped out.

He is right though. Indeed new lore is needed to keep the franchise evolving but at what point do you reward your lore-kahn followers with a depth that matches their desire to be immersed in TES world.

Ps. I am very grateful for TES and news of TESV, Im just nit-picking here.

Indeed. Heck both times, in fact, took a long time before the Dragonborn came to be.

To be honest im glad the Empire was left ruined and left to crumble, Everything has an end, Something new is about to happen, And hopefully the Dragonborn (Hopefully the Player) will set about something new.

I think that the people of the Fourth Era will miss the Empire when they no longer have it; various provinces and races will be at each others' throats again, trade won't be as free, and even a common language might not be as common.

From reading "The Infernal City", I got the impression that Titus Mede is not a bad man, but he's not Dragonborn either. He was one who saw power lying in the street to be picked up, and seized his opportunity; but it's probably significant that the Blades aren't around in the novel. Mede doesn't have the Mandate of Heaven, in effect, and the Blades know it.

I hope "Skyrim" won't be some cliched rise of a new would-be Tiber Septim, though, with the player character trailing him around like a staffer. Hopefully Bethesda has some surprises planned. (To me, it would be even lamer to have the player character be the one to rise to power, but your opinion might differ.)