^Haha, that's a bit extreme. I'm not talking about something that would completely ruin your game, maybe something just for hardcoe mode for those of us who like a more difficult game.
I'm aware of that. And I'm not trying to promote my mods here . . . I made my mods for myself, for the way that I wanted my own game to play. I just took the extra effort (which is considerable) to make them available to others . . . not to win a popularity contest.
The problem is not so much that RPGs have been "dumbed-down," but that so many gamers have pushed for this "dumbing-down." Most of today's gamers seem to put "fun" (as in killing as fast as possible, and being god-like) way above challenge.
This is why I wrote the following in my opening post in this thread included the following: "Based on the attitude that I have seen on this forum, most gamers expect their character to be better than the average NPC, right from the start of the game . . . so this is what the developers have been giving them. Personally, I prefer a level playing field, where I have to struggle to survive. Few here want any real consequences . . . things like getting tired just get in their way of having fun (which seem to consists mostly of killing and being god-like)."
Arwen, I enjoy your realism mods and wouldn't play without them. I'm really looking forward to what you would do with Skyrim to make it more challenging
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Anyway, I think we should also be clear in our posts about who should get exhausted after running, whether its your hero, certain NPCS, all NPCs, certain races, etc. And also about whether this should just be an animation or whether it should actually affect gameplay and your abilities.
I'd like all of it, to be honest. Like others have said, your hero shouldn't be Superman right from the start. It should be difficult for you to run from dragons and other enemies at first, but the more you play the more you build up your endurance. So this would not only be an animation but also a gameplay effect where you would be forced to slow down and maybe in hardcoe mode (if there is one) you actually collapse from overexerting yourself.
I think all NPCs should vary according to their obvious physical fitness. An elderly person or someone with a more sedentary life should not be able to outrun someone who walks around all day through the wilderness. I also believe that, while it might unbalance them a bit, certain races should run slightly faster and for longer. The most obvious one would be Khajiits. This could be some sort of race specific perk.