That comes under "shoehorning useless features in". There are better ways to do eavesdropping. Considering that this is not a stealth centric game, eavesdropping is unlikely to be all that useful outside of quests that are designed for it (like the Nocturnal quest in Oblivion). With that in mind I hardly think we can justify working this abstract mechanic into the game. It's also nauseatingly familiar from Fallout, and that is an unwelcome thought at the back of my mind when I'm trying to enjoy my travels in Tamriel again.

Is there no-one who understands my former reply ?

If people did they wouldn′t shoot the OP down so much, granted when I heard about it I didn′t like it too much and I don′t want any radios, but it doesn′t make my former reply any less true.

And maye they can be used for instant communication over long distances. You could just call up your questgiver and tell him job done, what next.. No need to travel anymore. Awesome! No? Thought not. :facepalm:

Keep this magic tech crap outta the game please.

I'm still waiting for you to explain to me what a dipcrap Tolkein was for his horribly ludicrous Palantirs...

From Wikpedia:

"When one looks into a palantír, one can communicate with other such stones and anyone who might be looking into them; beings of great power can manipulate the Stones to see virtually any part of the world..."

So we have a fantasy precedent for such nearly exactly such a crystal from the person who has had more influence than any other over The Elder Scrolls.

We also have - in the replies - obvious enthusiasm by many for Bards and Musicians in Taverns and elsewhere in Skyrim.

Your condescensions are simply misplaced. If you tell me such magic crystals have no place in Fantasy, you're just betraying your ignorance of basic Fantasy 101. If you tell me Musicians and Bards and their songs are more than welcome in YOUR Elder Scrolls but you laugh at the suggestion of Tolkienesque crystals in your game, despite their obvious usefulness AND conformity to Fantasy Lore then you simply lack any basic imagination and should spend less time engaged in knee-jerk snottiness.

Having musicians play to a magic stone you carry around sounds like a bit of a stretch. I would love to see actual musicians in courts and taverns, perhaps even a street performer?

That's a great point. It's unrealistic to be able to communicate across a vast distance in a fantasy game. Sure, I can teleport instantly to a remote place via the portals in my Wizards Tower, and I can summon Daedra from Oblivion to fight by my side as I shoot fireballs and lightning bolts out of my fingers, and I can take a Talking Dog artifact from a Shrine that tells me not to obey my quest-giving demigod...

But please, let's not doing anything ludicrous like that idiot Tolkein did... That might make things unrealistic...

I just feel like it should be left in Middle Earth, most of the quests and magic within elder scrolls has a very distinct feel to it.

A lot of other games do this aready... I'm sure we can keep Elder Scrolls unique?

I wouldn't mind it for a single quest, but that's it. A 'radio' should not be a item needed to carry around all the time for any quest chain.

Folks, just a reminder to keep it civil. No need to bring in each other's under garnments. :blush2:

I am Googlepox and I promote the implementation of Bards. :thumbsup:

Well, he didn't do it quite that way did he? I didn't see Gandalf tuning in to the local station to get the latest weather-report.. Those things were extremely extremely RARE. Not something you would dump beside a band of traveling trubadurs, just so you could tune in later from a creepy cave and get nice music while killing deadly monsters™.


"A Palantir is a dangerous tool, Saruman"

The issue isn't "unrealistic," but a game comparison that you brought down upon your own head:




You really shot yourself in the foot right there- "...in which Fallout was superior to Oblivion..." That's nothing but, as the saying goes, "asking for it" and the rest was downhill from there.

And since you keep choosing to ignore it, I'll restate yet again: I'm all for more Bards and Minstrels and Music, but I draw the line at magic radio. When I want to heard bardic music, that's what taverns are for. With luck, I could talk one into traveling with me. But I don't need obvious (By your own allusion in your idea description) attempts at shoehorning in a "magical Pip-Boy" when the same thing can be accomplished in other ways, which incidentally add all sorts of possibilities above and beyond those added by having a mystical radio with you. I've outlined several such ideas in an earlier post, which you seem to have ignored since it didn't allow you to go on about your "Tolkien-Boy 3000" or whatever. :shrug:

tl;dr: Much more music and Bards and Minstrels, no magic radio sets please.

Having Muscians in taverns and on the street: Yes

Talking Rocks that emit music: No

:thanks:
That is all.

and would there be a point aspect behind this? and origin if you will, Magick in a sense -shouldn't- have advanced much since the Mages guild was dispbanded no?

Might be nice to have a setting in the options to loop a particular song that you like the most. Maybe even give the option of the Morrowind or Oblivion music.

I guess it could be neat to have the crystal idea, but sounds kinda weird way of doing it.

You want to see the entirety of the "point" to it, it's in the first line of the OP:



There it is- the http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RuleOfCool.

Some of you guys have a serious gift for overreacting. Just because someone suggests something... DOESN'T MEAN IT WILL BE IN THE GAME. Sorry for the caps lock, but I've seen some bitter fights over completely ridiculous topics. If you don't like it, say it, and say why. But is it really worth your time to argue about it so much? Go read a book. Or play Morrowind. Sheesh.

So...how many Palantirs were stationed in taverns to broadcast music? Tolkein built his world very carefully; magic was never used frivolously.

If I remember how they were used correctly, they were never used for mundane tasks. It took a great deal of concentration and power to force the Stone to obey you. Saruman would hang various bodyparts on the battlements of anyone who used his Palantir to listen to musicians. I don't think Sauron would be thrilled about hearing the latest greatest hits of the Underhill Quartet either.

Now I would like the musicians in taverns, meadhalls, festhalls, and the lord's hold. It would be neat if they could find a piece of Beowulf that someone could perform in a meadhall. I can imagine though, sneaking on a hunt and having the Palantir sound off with a burst of music while my character fumbles to shut it down. Then turns slowly to find herself eyeball to whiskers with a saber-tooth. After reloading my game, I'd go hunting again, but this time I'd be hunting the trader who sold me the Palantir.....

Op. Your idea is bad. Not the music part, the magic crystal radio part. You cannot say that is just my opinion, as the Nay Vs. Yay replies in this thread proportionately prove that NOONE WANTS MAGIC CRYSTAL RADIOS!

And quit citing Tolkien. Your idea is NOTHING like a Palantir, which were powerful devices used to allow kings and the masters of strongholds to communicate in times of war, not to eavesdrop and listen to Showtunes. You should quit disgracing such an ingenious author by associating him with this crappy idea. Fallout is Fallout. Elder Scrolls is Elder Scrolls. Lets not mix the two together please.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZwuTo7zKM8

This idea, is so very incredible stupid that I am about to lose faith in humanity. Whats next? The resurrection of the Dwemer? Oh wait... They already got that one... Seriously, ofcourse we want bards in the taverns and great halls and streets who sing songs of heroism, bravery and love and all the aspects of life! But some kind of magic stone that is going to function as a radio?

No. Way. In. Hell. (I quoted someone here, cant remember who though, creeds to the person who said it!)

Dragons equipped with cannons and guns that we will be able to use as mounts?(Radio palantir, may or may not be applied to Dragon helmet)

What a minute!
I just got a crazy idea!
Instead of a magical item to play music, why not have a musical item like a lute or drums to play the music yourself.

Please hear me out though I know its a crazy idea.

No thank you i'd prefer no sort of radio feature, it would just be weird sorry :/