I'v seen a lot of people assuming that there is going to be a starting dungeon for Skyrim like there was for Oblivion (and indeed most Bethesda games), but frankly I'd rather there not be. I absolutely abhored OB's beginning, simply because I had to go through that same exact half hour every time I wanted to start a new character... which wasn't rare for me. I hate to tempt a Morrowind vs. Oblivion flame, but I really preferred the MW approach simply because I could create my characer and GO! This carries over into other games as well, not just Elder Scrolls. Uninteresting linear opennings are an unspeakable horror for me no matter the title.

What are the other opinions around here? Would you rather warm the gears up in a starter dungeon, or get straight to romping around Skyrim?

We are a prisoner from the start so... to start in prison is quite logical.
But there are other ways, yeah...
Like in Morrowind.

Anyway, I think it has already been mentioned in some magazine how the game will "start"? I don't wanna mention any details because I'm afraid I will spoil.
I was afraid to spoil it for myself so I didn't research it too close. So if someone else have read it, please put it within spoiler tags

I don't mind starting in a dungeon, but I hope it is shorter than the one in OB.

I wouldn't mind a starting dungeon so long as I could choose not to play through it (simply because it might be useful to test out the different skills in a semi-safe environment and to get a good feel for the game). Honestly though, considering what your start is supposedly going to be (that of a prisoner... again) it would be odd if there wasn't one.

I really didn't like the starter dungeon in Oblivion, because after a while it just became boring. I really hope they take the Morrowind approach to things, that would be a lot better. :disguise:

Please kind sir, do tell.

....... Tell me tell me tell me tell me tell me tell me tell me!

This again? Please...

It doesn't matter to me where we start, although I wouldn't mind having a different starting setting then say Oblivion.

Who cares about it?

Just make a save at the sewer gate(oblivion) and load it whenever you want a new character

Thread

Welcome back to society (Insert NAME / RACE) here. Your debt to the people of Frozemy Hall is paid. Here are all the things you were arrested with, minus those things *sold* to pay for your *medicines*. To purchase replacement may I suggest the Pawn shop across town. I recommend the 'Kayv O'dooms' *bar* one klick south. Any complaints please feel free to file them with the Greybeard to the north. Thank you. Have a nice day. Move Along.

I hope no starting dungeon. But im pretty sure that bethesda will make it for beginners.

=O Cooooool

Eh, I'm good with just wandering out and killing some vermin to get a feel for the game - shoot, I might even read a game manual first and then go...assuming it's a manual and not a pamphlet No need for a long tutorial dungeon. If there is a long dungeon, I'd hope there's a way to bypass it the second time around.

Oh, yeah, spoiler.... ( I guess, maybe...)
Im assuming we're starting in like an open field or something, with either the gallows or a (head chopping off place) and then Esbern magically saves you, but before that I assume you're in your cell, and they take you from it and lead you to one of those places, possibly in a fort, or near a large city or something (or possibly in the mountains near a large city or a settlement) though these are all assumptions...

I don't want to tempt a Oblivion vs. Morrowind debate, but... personally, I hated how in Morrowind you have to choose how your character will be for the entire game without knowing how the skills work. I found Oblivion's beggining interesting; it revealed what was going on.

I would like Skyrim to have a starting dungeon. As there are no Skills selection anymore, maybe it could be shorter... but a Tutorial is a good thing, I think.

I hope we get a choice to explore Skyrim from the get-go. You could do it in FONV, and it worked well. It worked in Morrowind, albeit I agree with Wisel on the skill problem.

The game will start as you're heading to your executioner for your death sentence, then Erbert (Max von Sydow) saves you in the nick of time. Personally, I would love if this was outdoors for once, especially due to the terrain and how you could start in a small gorge. Then, when you escape and reach a summit, you are suddenly introduced to this magnificent vista of the landscape, seeing far into the distance.

Well, in Fallout 3 you could skip the GOAT exam, which I suppose was a step in the right direction.

I quite liked the starting dungeons, but agree that there should be an option to skip them.

Skipping comes with an inherent penalty though, you miss out on any skill-ups and equipment normally gained through the starter dungeon, which I think could be interesting, giving you a decision to make before the game even starts, do I run through the starter dungeon again, or do I skip it, stepping out into the main gameworld sooner, but weaker.

Or maybe they could disable skill-ups (leveling up in a skill) until the tutorial dungeon or whatever is finished. I actually found it a little annoying to advance in a skill before I chose my class in OB. Now obviously there won't be classes in Skyrim, but hopefully you get the idea. The equipment in the dungeon however won't be possible to collect.

We start off at our execution. Then a dragon comes flying in and says "hi." We have no reason to believe we will be in a dungeon, except for the get-away perhaps.

I personally want to start in a dungeon.
As annoying as it was at times to go through the whole "tutorial" in Oblivion on my many restarts in that game,(On Xbox 360) I did like it when I hadn't played for a while and it got me back into the swing of things.

I'm excited to see how great the graphics will be and little details when I first start off, it'd be too overwhelming to start outdoors and see the whole landscape!

I'd like to see us start in that gorge on the left side of Skyrim. We could see the sky, but we would be in an area that would be dug into the ground because of the river so we couldn't see much. Upon our escape, we'd run underground. If you want you can blaze through, not bothering to pick up anything and just go. Or you can do as the tutorial directions suggest and start picking up things with pop ups telling new players how to use the items.

I'd say its a civil war battle that we use as a destraction to escape. Esbern may be a prisoner along with us, whom helps us escape simply because he's chained up to us.

I want that first good look once we get out of the cave to be amazing, and pretty high up so we get an amazing look at the landscape.

Starting in a dungeon is fine with me. I just don't like how long it takes. It is a perfect area to get "adjusted" to the feel of the game before you're in the real world. So, I think there should be an opening dungeon, but it need to be shorter than OB.