I note that I get most enjoyment out of developing my character, and seeing them grow!

Once growth is limited, so is my enjoyment.

Growth comes in a number of ways:

1) Physical or Stats and Skills:

Self explanatory and this is generally well done.

2) Understanding / Knowledge / Plot lines:

Again self explanatory. You can see development in understand in all plot lines, where you discover something. This is another form of growth.

3) Social or Political (Fame):

Another form of growth is in social circles / vocational growth / climbing social and corporate ladders / climbing guild pathways. This involves developing relationships, and specific sets of skills in communication and technical skills. Starting in a guild or faction with negative privileges and rising to higher privileges as time goes on.

4) Moral Development of the Character:

I can't think of an example here. Perhaps others can. But basically I see it myself, where as games go on, I don't want to kill everyone. I just want to persuade, or knock unconscious people. I get sick of killing. Perhaps the characters moral compass could somehow be included through plot or quest choices, where certain choices are not available when the character is of good moral codes.... etc

5) Emotional development of the Character:

You see this in games like darkest dungeon. If you kill people all day long and see people dying all the time... I suspect you will either go crazy or get very depressed. Being in a dangerous area all the time pre-disposes you to anxiety / hypervigilance / Post-traumatic Stress disorder.

It would be great to see emotional state enter the game in some form.

6) Material Growth: We sooo live in a material world. And growth in this area means you can live in a good house with all the mod cons, with the best weapons and armor. I hate the way that material goods in these games are sooo overpowered (OP). I do hope that growth in material things be balanced with other ways that characters grow in the future games.

I can't think of any other growth areas, can anyone else?

I think you should probably be posting stuff like this in the relevant "http://www.gamesas.com/forum/26-the-elder-scrolls-series-discussion/ (dig around in there, you should find something appropriate). TES V: Skyrim is done, and nothing is happening - no bug fixes, no changes, no DLCs.

Right now, if you're finding character growth a problem (for you personally), you'd probably want to dig around on the nexus to see what mods you can find to fix that for you. I personally don't have any issues with any of your posted points - and I have multiple girls running in this game.

Yes you are right.... I think it should go to your link.

My point is more a general point about RPGs and what makes them good.

Character growth in the areas listed tends to be something I see that makes my gaming experience more enjoyable.

I still enjoy my characters, but at a certain point, my character is so strong it is just a matter of doing the plots for the plots sake. Which is fun, but it is more fun when you are building your skills, and getting better equipment.

Where in the original post or title does he mention skyrim specifically? I'm under the impression this thread is about rpgs in general, not just one single action-RPG that came out 5 years ago.


Skyrim doesn't cover a lot of what's in the op like moral choices (there's little to no choices in skyrim, and the game is designed for you to kill most people in your way - a pacifist play through is basically impossible without heavy Modding).


Not that I'm hating on skyrim or anything, there's a lot of things skyrim does well, but there are also many rpgs that handle character growth as described in the op much better than skyrim, and I think restricting the topic to one single game limits the RPG discussion drastically.


I think if the op wanted to talk about skyrim specifically, he'd probably have posted this in one of the tes discussion forums and not the general community discussion.

The thread was created in the Skyrim General Discussion forum. It was moved here by a moderator.

1) I would love to see these stats also effect the physical appearance of the PC and NPC in the game.


2) I think Deus Ex does a fine job of this. There are so many hidden details to be heard and read.


3) I love this in a game! I think that some connections and influence shouldn't be apparent at first. Like you find a dropped parcel and deliver it to its owner. Later you get into smell minor trouble and that guy you helped turned out to be a retired judge who helps get you out. Stuff like that.


4) Fable and a few other games have tried this but it always felt gimmicky to me. What needs to be done is a AI developed that passes your deeds, if witnessed, among NPC and then change their attitude towards you based on their own personality.


5) Would be interesting but if your playing a true RPG it would hard to do this.


6) I always felt it was too easy in most games to achieve material growth. Things are usually handed to you or the economy is so broken/simplifief it doesn't take long to accumulate a small fortune.

I think it would fall under social and moral but (FANTASY I say that because people get weird stuff in a game folks) religion can be a great hook. sorta how you had the tiered mage guilds and schools, boy nothing can mess with a cleric or be as rewarding as actually seeming to gain ground or converts in a game world. (more of a thief myself but I have tried my hand at Bealer the healer hehe).

Another good one is the actual defeat of a long standing enemy, It is really a feather in the cap when a party finally manages to bring down a well played thorn in the side....( A really nasty GM can make you think maybe you did the wrong thing to boot heheh or indeed make it the wrong thing for the right reasons)

It was nice of the moderator to move it for me!

Thankyou ...

Good point 2-Caps.... I guess the takedown of a personal adversary could be grouped with social (taking out a social adversary), or knowledge (plotline).

It could also tie into morality. Was the person good or evil or have some sort of tie to the PC like being a close friend or family member.

I'd rather not see physical growth in some games as that can ruin the way I like my character to look. It almost forces me to choose a path or skill set because I end up hating the way my character looks on other skill sets.

Fable is the best example. I put too much into strength? I'm now a beefed up overly muscled dude. I put too much into skill? I'm now a giant. I put too much in magic? I'm now covered in runes. It gets really annoying.

Yeah, was just going to say that - I like finding a good appearance for my characters, and really dislike when the game hauls off and changes it on me. Like in Fable. (Heck, there are plenty of games where I've sacrificed armor/clothing stats as long as I could, just because I preferred how a particular outfit looked. )

I'm the same way. Which is why I didn't like Fable a lot in the beginning. There are other issues too, like a good amount of them. Which is sad since Fable had some good interesting ideas at the same time.

I loved my Dragon Age Inquisition character. It just turned out that my character concept for a debonair knight-enchanter fit in perfectly with the script and story, and it all played really naturally. The only romance option that fit him was Dorian, so he had to be gay though I am not.

I guess my point is that ideally you have synergy between the character concept and the script. Sometimes it clicks, sometimes you can't quite play exactly the way you want to.