It is much more easier to rationalize the background in the intro of Morrowind as in an example I provide in my toon;

The Emperor saw the PC one day, thought its a good idea to play a joke with the Dunmers, kidnap the PC, label him/her "prisoner", and ship the "prisoner" off to Morrowind hoping that he or she might screw things up there.

or

The "Prisoner" is actually a Agent using the status of "Prisoner" to stay low from the transfer from Imperial City to Newb Town.

What I am saying is, the intro that Morrowind provide isn't really that of a "prisoner" intro or the matter of being label as the prisoner; its more that such setting isn't that of a Jail Cell/Prison/Real Prison Boat with many scary prisoners or felt like one. The toon isn't wearing any kinds of restraints, the people are indifferent/nice to the PC when one go from the ship to the end of the Office, there isn't any indication that one is a prisoner other than the note in the instruction of the package (I usually just skip the video intro as it is not really worth my time), and people on Newb town think the PC is just an immigrant and might actually be helpful to you. That is why I would never see Morrowind's Boat intro to that of a "Real" Prison Intro like it was presented in Oblivion.

SKYRIM


• Skyrim + Morrowind(Solstheim) + Argonia(?) vs Akavir Invasion
  
• Skyrim vs. Cyrodill

MORROWIND


• Morrowind(Solstheim) vs. Argonia

Summerset Isle


• Aldmeri Dominion(S.Isle + Valenwood) vs. Cyrodill
  
• Aldmeri Dominion vs. First Well-Prepared Maormer Invasion

Random


• Ayleids have returned!!!!! (It will happen anyway:D) - Main-side background, new playable race etc.)
  
• War (I World War:D) - (for TES x - whole Tamriel to explore:d)
  
• Dwemers have returned!!!!! (Nah...Maybe few:D) - this along with "Mysterious Akavir" are two unchangeable mysteries of TES games:d )

I think that is an extreme rationalization in order to get around the fact that you were a prisoner in morrowind as well, I mean with that kind of rationalization one could even make the PC in oblivion a non prisoner.

In Oblivion, I modded the intro out. And that about the first 5 minutes of gameplay for Oblivion when I bought it. I freaken hated it to no end.

The rationalization wasn't really that extreme in Morrowind, because as I said before, the setting and the feeling for the setting of such jail cell isn't there at all.

I've never had a problem rationalising why a good/innocent person would start as a prisoner in either Oblivion or MW. Miscarrieges of justice/people being framed aren't exactly unknown in the real world so why not in a fantasy world?

My playing style and moral seem to tangle with my gameplay. Usually, I just think what my toons would do and go into hiding (a cave or a ruin) if ever become my toon become framed. I am quite aware injustice happens all the time in a fantasy world, but I just have beef with a Jail Cell intro.

My MW backstory was easy... As an Imperial Agent, I was entering MW covertly on a prison ship so as to not attract attention. I had to kill Socucius Ergalla for asking too many questions though...

In OB I didn't bother with backstories.

In all honesty, I've never seen the point of adopting much of a backstory in single-player games like these at all. While a big fan of roleplay in MMOs, I've never really gotten into delving into my character or paying much attention to what they were doing or why in TES/Fall Out. It seems a bit odd to me, is all.

I really liked he politacally charged Daggerfall and Morrowind plots, and I think that Oblivion left it open for another dramatic political plot. The Oblivion crysis left the Empire without an Emperor. Maybe 40 or 50 years after this the tempory government starts to collapse and a few factions or over ambitious wealthy people feel as though they can run in and grab power for themselfs. This would allow the player to be thrown into a very tence Tamriel with great potential for story, faction tensions, and other smaller groups out to grab what they can in all the chaos.

This could make for an interesting scenario I think.