The numbers are impressive: Skyrim forum already boats more replies than Oblivion's and the game is only due 8 months from now. I am wondering if all this collective energy could be put to a productive use. I have no idea whether this has been or is being done somewhere else.

Volunteering

There should be a streamlined standardized pipeline for people who have both the desire, time and knoledge to offer Bethesda their skills pro bono . First and foremost, i am thinking about small specific tasks such as weapon design -you could submit a 3D model along with textures and so forth -, voice recordings - you could record generic NPC one-lines like ?I don't want to be bothered, starnger? and Bethesda would include the appropriate few in the game, or, on a more abstact level, ways to improve the Combat AI, where yould describe both the conceptual and the programming levels of your idea.

I also believe this forum coiuld jumpstart the whole unix approach. Collective projects.

Tis a good idea.

That's because everyday we get dozens of repeat topics. Nobody knows how to use the search function apparantly.

I actually like this idea quite a bit. It is a shame that a lot of this work is already done. At least it looks like it is, there isn't really a way to tell but in the 5 years of working on it and there are only 8 months left they had better be getting close.

THIS IS THE GREATEST IDEA EVER POWER TO THE PEOPLE

Plus the forums are culled of old threads every so often. The oldest existing thread in the Oblivion General Discussion only dates from 2009.

But yes, there's been a lot of duplicate threads, spam threads, double posts, reposts of discussions that reached their post limit and the odd troll thread.

I think there's been about twenty multiplayer threads in the last two weeks alone. Plus duplicate spear threads, graphics threads, a bajillion about the trailer because people failed to see the one that was already on the first page.

No doubt the Skyrim GD will be 'cleaned up', but we get threads duplicating others that are just a page back. People seem to have the need to make polls or start a new thread if they have the slightest variation of another. Like it did something for them.

Unless we live in a world where everyone is a professional voice actor, awesome modeler, or exceptional artist. This is really going to hurt the Elder Scrolls more than it will help.

Nice idea on paper. In reality, not so much. How much manpower and cost would it put on Bethesda to handle the logistics of having every single forum member volunteer? Don't insult everyone's intelligence saying it wouldn't happen, look at what gets suggested routinely and bear in mind that everyone thinks their own ideas are brilliant. So of course everyone would be perfect for some voice acting, and everyone who has ever opened Paint could help out with 3D modeling (convinced that they could slip their own favorite [whatever] in as well) and everyone who has ever suggested some "desperation explanation" for why their favorite race/creature (Sloads, liches, etc) should be playable is sure to be an excellent writer.

So, yeah...nice concept, horrible idea, nightmare to implement and would probably be more trouble than any resulting benefit by many orders of magnitude. :shrug:

Granted. *BUT* Bethesda would always have the last word and the option to modify the offered material to any extent the'd see fit. Specifclly, talking about NPC one-line i am not entirely sure those require professional voice actors. On the other hand,they would certainly provide the needed variety.

With most of the ideas in these threads, I'm glad that this wouldn't happen. The only hing I want Beth 'borrowing' from are the better Mods.

Professional voice actors don't just have good voices, they know microphone technique, and more importantly they know how not to waste time in a recording situation. It's all very well saying anyone can read the lines, but they still need to be recorded by a skilled engineer.

It would be too much of a legal hassle.

If they are only going to use 5 voice actors, I'd be happy to offer my professional voice for free.