I'm thinking it would be more likely that a female wouldn't be carrying a child all of a sudden out of nowhere. I don't think it unrealistic to imagine the people of Nirn would know where babies come from and a female adventurer would have the option *not* to participate in conception. I am particularly adamant about the *option* to have children or not. If it is more immersive for one person to have a family, then lovely, have one. If it is more immersive for another person to *not* have a family, then that's great for him or her. I think the problem generally comes from people saying how someone else plays their game ruins immersion for everyone.

Historically speaking, I don't think Boudica found it destroyed her immersion in reality to have children or even the ability to have them. To my knowledge, Joan D' Arc wasn't too worried about carrying a child suddenly out of nowhere, either. The former example had her children before he warrior career, the latter remained childless by choice.

I don't think any sane gamer or game developer would consider just arbitrarily giving female players huge bellies and babies, but as an option for players who like to draw out their games . . . what's the harm?

Just stop.

Oh! Hey! Lookit that!

I actually meant to point out -you-, specifically, as the one person here who really went so far as to give any explanation of WHY they didn't want it. But then I got distracted by something shiny while I was trying to formulate my post (a can of soda) and wound up forgetting!

Anyways, you're right about one thing: it'd take a lot of work to do it right, without totally killing immersion or breaking play-style... and that would be work which, as much as I would love to see it done for the sake of roleplaying, just simply kills any chance of it becoming a reality. It'd take all kinds of balancing to make something like kids work, and in that regard... it's much more likely we'd see it as a mod, rather than any element of the vanilla gameplay.

But that doesn't mean that, in order to talk about it, we should have to deal with all of the insanity that is the -rest- of this thread's posters.

You're the only person who, when I read you saying no... I didn't want to bash my face in with my keyboard until my brains oozed out my ears! Because you've hit the nail on the head with the only REAL issue there would -be- to having the player able to breed: making it work.

Do you just 'advance time' nine months or so? (what is the gestational period of an elf, anyways? The world probably doesn't ever need to know!)

Do you force female characters to spend the early days of a pregnancy heaving up their guts, only to finish out the ordeal by lumbering around like moaning, groaning, irritable, constantly-running-to-the-latrine bloated and hungry husks of their former selves for the final trimester? *(My sister has four kids... I'm fairly traumatized, but I've seen a lot of this first hand.)

That's not something that really applies well to -game design-... in that, you'd have to seriously work out the kinks. Fable severely simplified it... but then again, one day just kind of bleeds into the next with fable. There's no calendar (that I've ever seen) which really dictates to you what day or month it is.

So they could get away with the suddenly having a kid when the black screen cleared.


But again. This is the place to -talk- about these kinds of things. To whip up ideas and consider possibilities that would be fun... and, in general, discuss.

But its' endlessly frustrating to even try, when the most common response is a link to Darth Vader and "This".

You've missed my point which was about 200 miles > thataway.

It would break immersion if I were playing as a female character and got a family without ever being pregnant, and not being able to go out dragon hunting because of morning sickness. Which I am pretty sure will not be implemented in the game.

And Boudicca (please note the spelling), did not have her "immersion ruined", because she was a real person, what on earth are you on about?

Out of one side of your mouth you talk about morning sickness and out of the other side you say I'm off-base by bringing a real historical figure into the discussion? Um-hm. I would hope no one would feel the need to correct anyone's spelling or grammar in a friendly debate, but if it makes you feel better about yourself, go right ahead.

Point is, it's a game. Why on earth would anyone, especially a female who has lived through pregnancy and childbirth, want to re-live morning sickness, bloating and infinite potty-breaks? Why can't those who want a family have their family as cleanly as those who want to slay dragons can have that?

No thanks, I have children of my own.

To Colonel Tannenbaum again: Thank you for your response to my objections - it's not that I'm against the idea of children per se, it's just that I don't see how it could be implemented in order to have it make sense and be fully immersive when playing a female character - and TES has always been blessedly free of distinction or content between playing a male or female (the only exception I can think of off the top of my head is the small questline in Morrowind for the delightful Ahnassi?? in Pelegiad who could only be wooed by a male) - and having children I think would be one thing that would have to make a big distinction between male and female characters in order to make it a believable situation. And I don't want that, there are plenty of games (indeed, plenty of games that I enjoy!) where I have to play as a male.

Now if there were a situation in which you could be offered the opportunity to adopt a family (an optional situation), that would be easy to implement well because gender of the player character would not make a blind bit of difference and if it were done well it could be a very immersive situation for either gender, I would not be against that.

What? Lol

No thank you. Ararvyn Giralvel has no children, and will not!

Not really.

Some women do not remain childless by choice. Infertility,is not just induced by contraception, there are many reasons women are infertile.
There's also the entire issue of a pregnant woman coming into harm's way. No mother is going to want to do battle and endanger her fetus.


To those who don't like that I don't want kids in game:
Raising children is not like nurturing a pokemon through each evolution. Children require your immediate attention, until they are of age that they can be responsible and independant. As they mature, they still require attention. Parenthood is for life. You don't stop being parent when your kid moves out, graduates college, or has kids of thier own. Once you have children, you stop being a parent the day YOU DIE. Parenthood completely changes the way you prioritize your life, your outlook, and your future. An RPG cannot come close to realistically portraying this.
I don't want to be distracted by the needs of a child, have the child's safety compromised, these games are escapism from the actuality of daily life for many, many parents who do an excellent job of parenting.
As for boarding school, why have children if one isn't going to be around to raise them, influence, teach, learn from them?
Kids in game as unadoptable spawn of NPC's, that I can accept, but I don't want either.

I entirely understand the scenario you seem to be describing, save for one part: the 'having' to play a male.

Why? Are we to assume, then, that the player could not be a mother? Why would you be -forced- to play a male character? The only difference that I can see, truthfully, which would play any kind of a major role in the ability to become a parent between genders would be the sudden awareness a female character's player would feel regarding her safety and well-being.

It would entirely shift your dynamic from being some rampaging adventurer to being responsible for a family, regardless of gender. This is why it wouldn't really work as a primary part of the game, but would instead be much better suited to being a mod. As a mod, the proper attention could be paid to things like ensuring that a mother-to-be can't reasonably expect to charge out into battle... but that there are other things with which she could occupy her time.

Elder Scrolls games are notorious for being long, drawn out affairs. For most folks, it seems to be an endless slog of dungeon diving and cave exploration... but that isn't the way it -has- to be.

Sometimes, the "Quest" is 'sit at home... eat something... drink something... and watch the cat chase that ball of yarn you found for it.'

In the case of children, my guess is it would be more like: "Sit home, eat something weird... shift uncomfortably for a few hours... go fetch some water... cook some food... read a book... go to bed early, cause getting kicked in the ribs for twelve hours a day is tiresome."


As for the rest? Well, everyone is entitled to an opinion. I'm not against opinions. Even something like "I don't want the responsibility" is better than what we have been getting here.

But the fact remains that it isn't something which would just suddenly be -forced- upon you. It's not just some aspect of the game which would 'pop' up. It would be something you would pretty -actively- know was possible. There's only really a few ways I can think of that a woman ends up having children. In any natural situation, it really shouldn't be coming as any kind of a surprise to the player.

So there's really no reason why it should blatantly be disallowed for consideration... or even discussion.

In one word: NO. :down:

Having children would also involve babies and toddlers, in addition to pregnancy, also the time span would be wrong now add that it would be a load of work.

Now adopting an infant might be an idea, just to have somebody great you then you come home (and take care of the fields with plants you grow for ingredients)
Pretty stupid to have a maid who just make a mess, but a kid who makes mess is naturally.

Why not?


I don't want my Character to have kids (I'm good with kids), Buuuuuuuuut I'm open on quest to save children or Kidnap them.

Also, I love the idea that Kids will look up to you.

I admit that i didn't give a very good reason for not wanting it, infact i didn't gave a reason at all. The fact is that i wouldn't use it. Therefore it would be a complete waste of time in my opinion. There are so many things i would much rather see implemented. It would be illogical to wish for something i am never ever gonna use anyway. Like Epona222, i also have a very hard time seeing how it could be implemented in a way which would actually make sense. The reason people mention Fable is probably because Fable is a great example on why it wouldn't work, especialy in a game like TES.

No children please it just ruins to whole feeling of this game i mean how could you be an explorer and all with a kid. You'd have to be sitting there taking care of the kid and finding him food and reading him bed time stories, no thank you. And how were you planning on making the babies a selection screen or the legit way....... anyways i just overall think NO! I'm all for more content but most defiantly not this, you want kids go get some in real life.

As an involuntarily childless woman myself, I find this point rather irrelevant to anyone's gaming experience. As such, it is also way off-topic. Though it is nice to see more than one or two word posts now and again.

I'm still hoping a happy medium can be found between waking up one day with a child, a nanny, and a boarding school application and going through every excruciating detail of human gestation. I have always considered having a home and family in my characters' backstory made his/her willingness to go to the ends of the earth to save Nirn much more realistic. Especially in games like Morrowind where the native population isn't exactly welcoming of their savior from afar.

As far as excruciating details go, inasmuch as the PC might be hit by a cold spell, yet not have to watch as his/her fingers, toes, and nose turn black and fall off, I think it's possible to introduce a family element without morning sickness, childbirth, and the terrible twos.

Dear sir... I'm truly sorry.
What all of you "Children wanting" people want is a combination between Sims and Skyrim. Do you actually believe that this topic is in any way relevant? If you want, sure, you can mod it in. But seriously, don't you think it's exaggerated? Do you expect to take care of your child as well? Read him a bed time story? See him grows? Feeding him? Tell him that he should do his homework?

The answer is:
No...

Sorry, but there are already children in this game, do you really want more to it than that?

Unsure - I think having children takes up a huge amount of programming time- there are decisions to be made about romance, what sort of dialogue is engaged in, then if you are playing a female character do you become pregnant - if so that would be difficult to carry on doing quests - if male having a partner who doesn't complain about you putting your life on the line every day but is just a blank NPC is not very immersive - once the child is born do your quests change - find some cloth diapers, bathe the baby?

I think it is just too hard for anyone to do properly - its hard enough in real life

Sorry for being so direct, but this idea is kinda stupid... Though you all can mod it freely, it 100% won't be in-game.

I work alone.
END OF STORY.

Didn't I read on here that children in the game have already been confirmed? From reading the posts it seems like not everybody is aware of this

No

I think ill be a bit busy saving the world to pretend im playing some garbage like fable.