The best way to have envents like getting knocked out by some trap and waking up in a giant camp, or whatever the example was, would be if that wasn't how the quest started. I'll explain, the quest should start off as some simple go here and kill this quest but on the way part of this quest you are on has the scripted surprise of you being knocked unconcious for what ever reason. this way people will still be surprised but the surprise is part of a quest you were already working on when it happened.

that way no one gets dragged into a different quest when they are working on another. or just not on a quest to begin with.

I think you don't understand the motto at all.....

The point of "Be Prepared!" is to "be prepared for any issue you encounter by having the skills and experience to handle it well"

That applies to real life in general, but I would say it applies even better to a TES game. In a TES game, you literally have to be prepared wherever you go, because the world is dangerous, and there are legitimate forces at work that are opposing you, as well as random things that could befall your character.

Or similar to how morrowind begins the tribunal by you getting awoken from your sleep by an assassin?

What is exploration without the danger of being thrown into an unexpected situation you just can't run away from?
The equivalent of a walk in the park? Even so, you could get mugged when you take a walk in the park.

In Oblivion, IIRC, there were 2 quests which, at one point, made the player "captive" in the sense the player was put in an unexpected situation where the player had to get through the quest in order to go back to the open world: the Bloated Float and Caught in the Hunt. That was 2 quests out of what? 180?

I don't see a problem with this type of quest.. on the contrary... what happened to all the "immersionists"?

This

The Immersionsts are around. I wish they aren't, but they are around. They are people who don't care about gameplay, only about playing a simulator. Further, what's bad about immersionists is that they believe they have the right to tell everyone else to play like them. They are like cultists trying to increase their numbers by dragging people away in the night by force.

And Through a Nightmare, Darkly, and the painting one, and some others, I'm sure.

I happened to love most all of those, and I don't see why anyone would have a problem with them. I mean, if you're in the quest, you should finish it when there's significant pressure to do so. Like being trapped or on a time limit.....

Lol I would totally LOVE to have to improvise something because I've been caught in an unexpected situation. or maybe even just thrown in some cell in a dungeon and have to escape or something. Of course, like some mentionned, I would rather these events to be random, and have no journal entries or any sign of it being a scripted quest.

Also, for those saying "I don't want it to happen when I have NOTHING to defend myself", well, what in the hell are you doing without even a single weapon on yourself? You know... at least keep your main one or something

And also, if you get thrown in a cell, I doubt they'll let you keep your weapons

No. I dont want to be forced into anything. Now if your told before entering an area for a mission or once you start there is no turning back like the arena fights or that oblivion arena fight then sure! but forced unknowingly, no.

My question is, why would you get a "quest" to escape? Isnt that standard "Oh [censored] I've been kidnapped!" basics?

The only thing that really stinks about those kinds of quests is if they happen when you're already piled high with gear to sell. If they let you have a horse or a wagon or something to put loot onto, then the forced quests wouldn't be much of a problem.

That's why it's called a "surprise". Look above at the quests from Oblivion that "trap" you surprisingly, and then tell me whether they were good or bad, and if you simply abhor them.

The difference is that, with Through a Nightmare, Darkly and A Brush With Death (and no, I don't remember the names off the top of my head, I'm looking at the UESP.net quest page ) the player is told in advance about being "captive" and the player has to willingly go into the painting or the dream world, unlike the other 2, where all of the sudden the player is captive with no choice other than complete the quest to be able to go back to the open world. And again, I have no problem with that at all, on the contrary.

I like the way you think... But I like the way I think better.
Edit: I hate the way you think.

My point to objectors remains despite that fact. The quest limits you from doing anything without completing it. Be it with your foreknowledge, or if it's a surprise, the end result is the same.

And I also like both those kinds as well.

its not so much that these quest should not exist. its just that if you get pulled into to them while doing something else, it makes alot of people want to rage quit because they are stuck with something they were not in the process of working on. a quest in the context of this thread should not be introduced in a way that gets you stuck straight from the start, it should be introduced some where in the middle of the quest so that you can still have the thrill of being surprised without having the game grab you by the neck and rub your nose in some quest while you are in the process of some other task.

Being the kind of player who doesn't dabble in quests right away, surprise events that lead me into doing things I might not seek out on my own would work fine for me, provided that they're not so abundant that I almost feel like I'm playing a much more linear game than I am. I'm going to explore Skyrim for awhile, get to know the terrain well before tackling quests that are likely to send me across the damn province to go acquire something/kill someone/whatever, where having a better map for getting there already in my head helps get the task done a little faster. Or just without running into the kind of baddies I don't feel like dealing with in my search for a deer with funny-looking antlers or something.

But for everyone else I'm sure that would svck more than the Adoring Fan. And we don't want that.

Well, they will be kind of there with the random encounters that will be added. Like in RDR though, you can just walk away and let the bandits ravage the poor farmer's wife, though.

No, that'd detract from the point of the game - although thinking about it, maybe a caught in the hunt-style quest that occurs when you sleep in X town?

Id really like quests that you have to do as soon as you get them . . . it bothered me that you have unlimited time to do some quests

'Quickly, some unarmed soldiers are stuck in an abandoned mine infested with goblins. You need to bring them weapons and save them' . . . and it doesnt even matter if you get there tomorrow or a month later

Putting time limit in main quests will probably force some players too much for their liking (id personally love some time limited main quests), but some appropriate side quests should be time limited: either you do those quests ASAP or theyre lost forever

I actually like this as long as they were rare.

I dont get you guys, you want realism, but then you want to always 100% of the time choose to do a quest?

In real life a quest can force itself on you.

No, no. Nice idea, but no.

I like the random finish me now or it ends types of quests from time to time. It gives the player a new challenge to adapt to. Althrough if they were littered around at a high volume it would become tedious.. like most things a healthy balance is needed.

I'd like to see a few maybe. I know The Bloated Float took me a little by surprise, but it wasn't bad in any way. (I just wished I was higher level at the time so the loot would have spawned higher, but that's another issue).

I love the bloated float quest, I sure wouldn't mind seeing a few more. But if I'm in the open, don't force me to go to a place to do a quest, but in the case of the blotaing float, or similar, I'd be totally cool with it.