Even a pacifist would have protection. My bodyguards weren't hired assassins, they are meant to protect. You couldn't even play the game if you just let the first thing that attacks you, kill you. Most pacifists believe in self protection. In fact, most every religion that preaches pacifism, also believes in self defence as a last resort. If a character cant defend himself, he would hire a bodyguard. It wasn't just pacifism builds though , it was the fact that some of my characters couldn't actually fight.

I think their focus on making everything in Fallout: New Vegas do-able without killing a single person inadvertantly ead to a huge amount of the quests being dry, dull, boring, and having no killing in them except for the 'rampage and have to kill everyone' option in order to complete it. Now, very few of us try to kill nobody. But there is also a large chunk of us that aren't there to kill 'everybody'. This leads to quests being perminantly incomplete for me. I don't want to kill everyone, but I cannot get through all the dull talking.

Sounds like celebrities who are anti-gun but hire armed bodyguards.

I am all for non killing quests, it only makes murdering all that the more fun (Now its an option rather than a "everyone does it").

Again, most pacifists believe in self defence. Since your not given an option to talk your way out of every unavoidable fight, you could either RP that your Calm/Command spell was actually some kind of dialogue, or hire Bodyguards, or both. Set your bodyguards to stun.

Yes, but then there are the pacifists that believe the only ones who should be defended are the ones that can pay for it.

Well, Oblivion had non-violent quests in the Thieves Guild... but that's not really what you're looking for if you want to be a healer, rather, it's about stealing things and doing so without unnecessary trouble. And in Morrowind, some of the quests for the religious factions involved healing people, though at least in the Temple, you also got quests to kill people that were considered heretics, I can't speak for the Imperial Cult as I never did much in it.

I'd like to see more quests that can be solved without violence, though, I'm not personally interested in making a pacifistic character, but that doesn't mean I won't try to seek non-violent solutions where possible. Sometimes, in RPGs, I enjoy making a point of trying to find solutions to quests that don't involve killing, but I'm still perfectly willing to fight if necessary, besides, having some quests that don't have to end in bloodshed adds variety to the quests since you wouldn't have to be constantly fighting. Now, I don't believe all quests should have non-violent solutions, I doubt we'll be able to talk Alduin out of eating the world, for example, and having all Fighters Guild quests not require fighting seems to defeat the purpose of that guild, but where it would be reasonable, it's sometimes nice to have an alternative besides killing everyone who stands in your way.

Be able to have a job not good enough?
Join a band of treasure hunters, but only because they assure you there'll be no fighting, but you know, just in case.
Every religious sect with its own quest line to become the head priest! Listen to confessionals, heal people who are brought in afflicted of horrible diseases.
Wait long enough and some other powerful questing NPC's will decide to complete the main quest themselves! With you as their healer, of course!
There will probably be all sorts of political alternatives that don't require murder...

Too lazy to read the thread. Ignore any points that may be redundant.

Okay, so TES has needed a way to play a pacifist, or at the very least, somewhat non-violent character for the longest time. For too long has the series had it's entire focus on LEFT FOOT, RIGHT FOOT. STAB THAT GUY, SHOOT THAT GUY. when there is so much more that can be done in an open-world game. Every quest has its focus on just...killing stuff. The Elder Scrolls universe is a world full of numerous roles- not just those of violence. This is a game that has classes made for healing people, but giving them no options to do so. The game needs to have a larger focus on being able to solve problems through non-violent means, damnit.

Well, you can be a healer. But you'll find it's pretty useless, because the whole point of the games is to get stronger and be a hero who defeats obstacles in his/her path. If you're purely healing based you simply can't do that unless you are simply supporting the hero. If it was a co-op game, a healer would make sense, but not really here. You can still heal, sure, but unless you do some killing of bad guys (or knocking out maybe), you can't be the hero.

EDIT: At best, you can heal companions who will kill stuff for you, but you'd be pretty useless. You can't defeat Alduin with healing. It doesn't work too well as a game mechanic.

TES has had that, its called Illusion and sneak.

lolno

Want to finish a questline using nothing but Illusion and Sneak, champ? Go ahead and tell me how it works out for you. I'm willing to bet that you're forced into about seventy-four different battles, just to end the quest where you have to kill that one bastard. Think of say...the Mages Guild questline in Oblivion. You have to kill Mannimarco. An awesome option would be to secretly charm/demoralize (or something) him, and then convince him to kill himself, like with in mass Effect.

How is that pacifistic?

A real pacifist solution would be to convince Mannimarco to be a nice guy and not continue necromancy and be a helpful member of the mages guild. Wouldn't that make a fun questline?

I was more going on a rant about not having to use outright violence at that point. Maybe there's a number of options that you can use to end the quest without outright violence. I dunno', I was just trying to make a point about not having to stab things, and that speech option from Mass Effect often comes to mind.

You can finish quest lines with Illusion and sneak. Try again.

Spoken like a true ten year old.


@ comte de dark

I would love to see a set of sidequests like that. Personally, I prefer to roleplay mildly troubled characters (you know, the 'evil' type who eventually seeks redemption in the game, or the altruist who's torn between doing what's just and right, and sating some dark or selfish desire. It helps me evolve my character at some point mid-game and gives reason for moving from the more honourable quests and guilds to the more questionable ones). Anyway it would be nice to see them add it in, perhaps with a pivotal point or branch in the quest line where the 'healer' is forced to choose if his/her principle beliefs are worth his/her life.

Questlines? Yes, of course. Look at the Thieves Guild. I dont recall having to actually kill anything in that. But then look at the Mages Guild. You have to kill certain enemies to advance quests.

So what? Not every quest should have a non violent option, that would be unrealistic. Some fights should be unavoidable. You could still do plenty of stuff as a pacifist in TES games. You think Gandhi is going to go into Oblivion gates and slay Daedra? why would a pacifist, that most likely doesnt believe in war or get drawn into politics, go through those type of quests?

I think Gandhi would be down with some daedra slaying... He struck me as the type to enjoy some role-playing.

But in all seriousness, I see your point and I agree. Some fights are unavoidable but the option to explore a variety of peaceful alternatives should definitely be present.

And they are, if your crafty. Just not for every quest line. There's all types of ways to have enemies kill each other, or themselves. I would like more options, but not every quest should have that option. TES has always for the most part had a way for you to reach, or complete most stuff no matter what your build is. I'd actually like to see more specialized content, specific for different roles. Kind of like the rooftops of Dementia were for the acrobatically inclined.

Agreed that some fights should be unavoidable. But why isn't there a way for an aristocrat, or a healer to advance through the more...hostile questlines in the game. it pigeon-holes characters into certain roles, despite the Elder Scrolls games being about absolute freedom. Maybe Gandhi wouldn't have gone into gates to slay Daedra. He would have, as you have made a point of, used Illusion and Sneak (because Gandhi is a wizard now) to sneak past the bastards and grab the Sigil Stone. Then, when he's in Paradise, talking to Mankar Cameron, he literally talks the monster to death or some such, and walks away fine and dandy. But what happens when Daedra poor into The imperial City and threaten to unravel all the crap that you just did? You turn Martin invisble and get him to safety, or maybe you give such an inspirational speech that martin defies logic and turns into the Avatar of Akatosh anyway.

I don't know.

That's the thing though, why would a pacifist look for danger/violence/hostile/etc. situations? He'd probably try to avoid those, unless there was simply no other option. That's like a Monk trying to pick a fight.

Unless they are very psychologically weak and you are a master psychologist, I don't believe someone could really talk someone into killin themselves, especially if you were aware of exactly what they're trying to do, and especially if you had a weapon at your disposal and wanted to get rid of them.

Perhaps with a command spell you could, but that wouldnt really be a pacifist, like someone else pointed out. He wouldnt want X enemy to commit suicide, he'd want him to turn himself in. The pacifist would only fight to defend his own life if it was in mortal danger. Then again Gandhi may just let himself get killed Obi Won style.

Because he has to save the world or something. Jesus, I dunno'. If the opening is anything like it was in Oblivion, with the plot being shoved into your face immediately, then it wouldn't make much sense to ignore it. Works better in Morrowind, where the beginning of the game is calm and the plot advancement is about as quick as a snail.



Magic/Speechcraft level of 1,376,867,234. The idea is that in that sort of situation, if you're attempting that (seeing as it's the endgame) you better be damn good at what you're doing. otherwise you have to endure that stupid fight where people respawn and you're going to look very silly when you die.



In death he'll be stronger than you could ever imagine.