I can't be the only one who sees a picture or a screenshot, like http://i.imgur.com/eypy5Km.jpg by Feng Zhu, and gets an urge to play a TES game. Or a story from someone's playthrough. What inspired you to return to Tamriel?

Usually, anything related, but that picture is amazing.

Yes, I agree, that picture is gorgeous. But while I would use that picture as my desktop wallpaper, it wouldn't make me want to play the game. Ironically, artist's concept paintings are less likely to make me want to play than actual screenshots of the real game. Seeing the real game is what is most likely to make me want to start a new character and play.

My most vivid experience with this happened about a decade ago. I'd been playing WoW and happened to browse the screenshots thread in Morrowind General. Somebody posted a screenshot of their charcter outside Seyda Neen. It was just an ordinary screenshot of the vanilla game, nothing special about it. But I was immediately filled with a huge longing to be back in Vvardenfell. It was like homesickness. I'll never forget that moment.

Browsing screenshot and character update threads, seeing people's characters as they fight through dungeons, reading about where someone's character is today, often makes me want to play. As a matter of fact I often avoid the screenshot threads for games I'm not currently playing because they can make me want to drop the game I'm playing now and switch to that game.

Tmar's screenshots and updates by mirocu, Acadian and Renee Gade III, among others, always make me want to return to Oblivion. And screenshots by Areial and Andra Hawksdaughter always make me want to return to Skyrim.

Anything related, Artworks for example, Lately i've been reading the two TES novels for inspiration.

I loved both of those novels. Have you heard if there will be a third ?

They were out before Skyrim, so im not sure since its been a long time. but i do hope the same author or someone else does something like that. a TES book would be sweet. until we wait for the next game.

When i heard that TES books were going to be released by Titan books, I thought they were novels or something. But alas i was disappointed.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/104332913@N05/15063765487/in/album-72157645975007196/lightbox/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/104332913@N05/15254056585/in/album-72157645975007196/lightbox/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/104332913@N05/15253291369/in/album-72157645975007196/lightbox/

My thoughts exactly. Especially after seeing Baa and Mooch and the rest of the girl gang running amok in Elsweyr.

That's true for me as well, especially if it's been a long time without playing.

But if it's been a month or two, artwork can provide a new, fresh perspective. I spent my last playthrough trying to get the right list of mods and graphic settings right, and that kind of tarnished the memory.

http://orig15.deviantart.net/4dcd/f/2014/225/b/e/skooma_den_by_theminttu-d7uyxzy.jpg and http://pre07.deviantart.net/5a26/th/pre/f/2014/283/6/c/dunmer_merchant_by_theminttu-d82cd0x.jpg by Minttu Hynninen are great too.

I get inspired by any good movies set in medieval times or fantasy or anything similar. Also get pumped up after watching Game of Thrones, or reading the books.

For people who like artworks, Check out this guy, his artworks are amazing.

http://theminttu.deviantart.com/

Two of my favorties:

http://pre11.deviantart.net/824e/th/pre/f/2011/103/0/5/a_quiet_night_in_suran_by_theminttu-d3dx301.jpg

http://orig10.deviantart.net/ee09/f/2013/158/7/9/black_book_by_theminttu-d685uid.jpg