In previous Elder Scrolls games, joining the thieves' guild was always a little of a chore. It took some investigation to even find out about the possibility of the guild existing, only in rumors amongst the poor in back alleys. In this game, there's a big neon sign pointing to Riften that even the guards boast about it being the home of the thieves' guild. "But of course that's just nonsense. These thieves are rabble and cut-throats." Riiiiight.

So my question is, was this as potentially game breaking for anyone besides me that not only is the thieves' guild existence openly acknowledged, but also the location is publicly broadcast? Does this break the game for anyone else that they are publicly paraded much like the companions in Whiterun?

Their location is not public. It was as in Oblivion, the beggers and some persons have contacts with the Thieves Guild. It has always been openly acknowledge, I remember in Oblivion I read all these posters "The Grey Fox", and everyone said he was the leader of the Thieves Guild. And also, the place that people know about it just a bar, which everyone can visit, it's behind the "locker" where the real thieves guild are (where you get when entering the secret entrance)

wow dont think so much into it. its a game, does this keep you up at night? lool relax who cares maybe the reason they arent hidden is because no one has the authority to act on them because of lack of evidence. Its not like they can be punished for just calling themselves theifs guild and living in the sewers. also the sewers seems kinda like a good hiding place for criminals.

I don't think anyone knows the exact location of the Thieves guild, they just know it is in the Rataways but because the game has to be scale down the Rataways are smaller than they actually are so its not exactly hard to find. Also their main base is hidden so if they found the Ragged Flagon they may not be able to find the main area and I assumed Maven Black-Briar and the Guild have threatened or bribed people who have gotten too close.

I'm more worried about how a bartender in Riverwood knows that some random boy is contacting the Dark Brotherhood.

with someone like Maven Black-Briar covering their back, they don't need to hide

Because if it was hidden, we wouldn't be able to find it.

Also, the Thieves Guild bribe the guards to clear bounties, they're probably paying the guards to look the other way about everything the guild does as well.

I feel the same way. You literally just walk into town and a guy is like "I work for some woman who basically rules this town, and works with the Thieves Guild, and use to work for them myself. Go talk to thsi guy if you want to join up with them"

No wonder they keep talking about their "run of bad luck"....

This^ This is the first game where the thieves guild is really established in a city. I enjoyed the quest line and I like how many small jobs they've got this time around instead of just steal so much worth of crap in this hold etc, but I'm not sure how much I like the fact that the guild this time is much more about muscle than sneak-thievery. Its much more mafia-like this time around, with shakedowns, embezzlement, and general crime family shenanigans.

Well son, i think they are prety well hidden. The sewers are quite mazey and they could just pretend to be a gang of nobodies if guards were to find them. Also, of course the guards know about the rumours floating about that place, how can they not?

Cuz bethesda has yo moniez and no care.
No but really if the game gets anymore dumbed down...............rip TES.

You should actually look into this questline. The whole bad luck thing is foreshadowing of something much bigger. I really thought this questline was brilliant

I loved Oblivion's Thieves Guild initiation.

How you had to do this long list of "things" to get in.

Stuff like hiding in the bushes and listening in on secret backalley meetings at specific times and such.

I haven't attempted to get into the Skyrim Theives Guild or the Dark Brotherhood yet. I'm hoping it involves a lot of zany hi-jinx, and not just killing people all the time.

Skyrims Thieves guild blows Oblivion clean out the water, I was very impressed with the location and it seems more realistic that they are known but have friends in high places so cant be touched.

What people CONSTANTLY tend to forget that Thieves Guild works differently in every province. Here, they are part of Riften's mafia.
In Skyrim, they are for generations sponsored by the most powerful family in Riften and are practically allied with the Dark Brotherhood as that family likes to use them as well. They don't need to hide: anyone who tries to meddle with them gets their life screwed up. If Hyenormious Lex came to Riften, after three days he would get beaten to a pulp, lose his position, get his reputation slandered and just when he gets used to being a beggar, somebody slits his throat.

This is Skyrim, not Cyrodiil nor Vvardanfel. Different land, different cultures, different traditions. And I for one am glad that Bethesda tried to make something new rather than recycle them from game to game.



Word of advice: learn the "Throw Voice" Shout. It makes sneaking a bit more fun and makes it easier to traverse locations with no minimal kills.

I dont mind the thieves guild quest, although I liked the motives the guild had in Oblivion more.
But I think that the dark brotherhood had a much cooler and mystic intro.

Exactly. I've not joined the Thieves' Guild yet (saving that for my thief/assassin character) but I have spent quite a bit of time in Riften. It struck me that the Guild was quite open because the whole town is a run-down shanty riddled with organised crime, and the guards and Jarl do nothing about it because they're more corrupt than anyone.

i am the one true leader of the TG..........at least thats what they told me........

If they're a mafia..............then they'd be a......................mafia. Not a thieves guild. If you walk into a town a guy goes "join the thieves guild" then it isnt much of a thieves guild. Its more of a crime ring then a guild.And even then they kill people, and are in the open. The whole point of DIFFERENT guilds is the point. If you go around killing innocent people, acting tough, NOT being SNEAKY and then stealing stuff you might aswell be a dark brotherhood member.

The thieves guild in Skyrim is just modeled after that of Ankh-Morpork, where the Patrician realized it was a better idea to legalize crime and set a crime rate and then have a thieves' guild to make sure said rate was kept stable and thus get rid of freelance thieves.

I agree. I dislike how the thieves guild progressed overall in Skyrim. They didn't feel like sneaky thieves anymore. They felt more like murderers that had total control of a city and just threatened people if they didn't pay them. They feel .. too powerful. I like the underdog kind of feeling in Oblivion.

Who cares, I'm more concerned about how other people are powerleveling their blacksmithing so high. It's ruined my gaming experience!

What better way to remind people that they should pay up than sitting in plain, untouchable, sight. In Riften they are untouchable by the law (as the law is in their pocket) or the politicians (as they are either in their pocket or shoveling the gold into their pockets along with the thieves) In a lot of ways it reminds me of the mafia in Italy. Everyone knows its there, thats the point. Thats one of the reasons you pay, because you KNOW they are untouchable. You pay for protection because they are the only ones who can offer it.

I'm more ticked off that, I had an Ivansgard?(Spellcheck) Guard (Some Farm City out in the middle of no where) TELL me, "WE KNOW YOUR IN THE THEIVES GUILD, WE'LL BE WATCHING YOU"...
really?!? a Guard out in the Po'dunk area near High Hrothgar KNOWS Im in the theives guild?!? I've never stolen or been caught for any stolen goods yet.
ANOTHER issue is...the guy wo brings you in...TELLS Maven your name...I wanted to choke the guy out screaming,"[censored] BAG! IM NOT SUPPOSED TO BE KNOWN OR YOUR BAD LUCK MIGHT RETURN IF YOU TELL PEOPLE THE NEW GUY IS DOING WORK..."

=/

Also...The second quest you do for Maven THROUGH the Theives guild..is poison a guard...(I won't spoil anything)...I'm like.."I thought we were theives, NOT the Dark Brotherhood?!?"

Don't worry me saying poison the guard isn't spoiling squat...you'll see.