-Guilds should have ranks [like Oblivion you ran through ranks the rank earned you awesome main guild questlines]
-Guilds should have mini stories within a main story
So if it wasn't to obvious I run mage characters. And was very disappointed in the College of Winterhold. First off, I didn't think the major plotline of the Guild should have been found on your first quest in the college and two I don't think they should have went such a cliche route. Think about for a second here is my idea:
You enter the College of Winterhold are announced the rank of Novice. Yes, Novice mage before Apprentice. They don't know you. They don't know your skills, you cannot just be an apprentice. The main teacher, teaches you the Novice skill Lesser Ward. Now he wants to send the Novice mages out onto a field test, they must work with one another. It should be a small dungeon of some sort, so you get to know the other Novice Mages and it gives a feeling of progression with them later on. The field test should probably be a small mine or cave filled with wolves or something slightly insignificant. After you clear out the cave you report back to the teacher Toldifor. He says to come back the next day, your Novice training isn't done. And you won't be able to advance the rank if you don't do non main guild quest, so your teacher tells you to go ask around. They will ask you meaningless task. Like picking up their package in Whiterun or collecting them a certain amount of herb, etc. You do those meaningless task and then the next day you talk to Toldifor. He says news travels fast and he's impressed by my work. We do another major minor novice quest and then quest are opened again for those people we asked with minor task again, this time a little more impressive like their work is being destroyed by Skeevers in a mine. The next day you come back and Toldifor says it's time for your first test. You do a hard, but major quest. Probably in the research that will lead you to the Eye of Magnus. It would be interesting if you found the Sarthal Amulet in a completely different ruin and Toldifor wonders how it got here. After the test you are hired to the rank of Apprentice mage and are given an Apprentice spell. Again you go and assist the other mages with quests, maybe something more substantial for an Apprentice mage. Toldifor major quest. Mages minor quest. Toldifor test, you find the eye of magnus in Sarthal. It's unlikely that they'd want you an Apprentice mage to help with the Eye of Magnus. After reporting to the Arch Mage you're told to go off and help the other mages with anything they need. While you work Apprentice mage quest, the Arch Mage visits you and brings your rank to Adept mage and he ask you to find information about the Eye of Magnus, where it came from,etc. Also you get an Adept spell for the rank up. You do the quest and finally are able to track down information, give it to the Orc. But the rest of the project of the Eye of the Magnus again is restricted from you. And you end up doing minimal quest for the other Mages.
The pattern continues as you go through the ranks. When you hit Master, then something happens. Toldifor has gone missing oh no. And Ancano tells you of the Staff of Magnus. [For the longest time he's been a thorn in your side, been a jerk, a complete [censored] bag. Even the ball of light said your paths will meet soon]. The Grand finale is Toldifor is the bad guy trying to gain the powers of the Eye of Magnus [he's your teacher, mentor, someone who has assisted you, taught you, how could he do this] and Ancano is the one trying to help you. [As a high elf this put his species in a new light, makes you rethink about the high elf, etc]
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I always found the Imperial Legion and even the Stormcloaks a bit boring. The Imperial Legion is "Regain the Rift" and "Regain the Pale" in the end the quest end up:
-Blackmail
-Kill someone in a fort
Well that's all good and fine, at least they have ranks with rewards, but we need more murder and intrigue. I've regained the rift and the pale and am finding myself bored. When is something going to happen. Instead there should be more intrigue, especially with the Imperial Legion and all the scouting around. How about things like Attend a stormcloak meeting, and what if the courier with the information you were suppose to forge was a plan set up by Ulfric. Maybe also you are asked to spy for the Legion. To gain Ulfric's favor to change the tied of war, you slip him bad information.
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Where to begin with the Bard's College. I'm not sure, lol.