My Character still doesn't know why he keeps waking up in prison on some random day having lost all his skills, items, clothes... with no recognition of what just happened and why the crap he is there. It's happened twice now and I'm afraid it's going to happen again...,poor chap.

All the reasons previously stated....

Plus it offers a good method for character creation in game.

What's your name prisoner?
Where do you hail from?
Etc etc
The Soccicus Ergala (dunno nor do I care how you spell that npcs name) bit from the beginning of Morrowind was done much better than the character creation of either Fallout game. Oblivion's was pretty good too, although less memorable...since I don't remember it.

We were caught crossing the border?

Whats nice is that modders have created mods that allow you to start as whatever you want. Like in Oblivion there's a mod that lets you pick how well off you were before you got there, what reason you came to oblivion, etc. You arrive by ship, skip all the boring tutorial stuff and can start in different cities.

I'm a fan of this reoccurring theme. I was dissapointed when I didn't start out in a vault in FO:NV. I would like to escape from prison on my own this time though. Tunnel out after years of digging, assume a new identity, grab a quick change of cloths, and be off to do stuff

Is there a reason people always assume you were "convicted of something really bad" when Bethesda goes out of their way to never say anything about what you were convicted for? Except in Arena, where you weren't convicetd at all but imprisoned solely at the order of a usurper, anyway.

I always like to assume I was wrongly imprisoned, but I still like starting as a prisoner.

I don't know, I think it would be interesting if they started you off in some random city as a drifter passing through who gets questioned before being allowed entry....and continue on from there. You avoid the criminal implication, and still have a moldable backstory.

It's so you can know how it feels to start at the lowest level of society and rise to the top. It's about building your character from the ground up to make something of their life, their new found freedom.

It's like I said in a previous thread appropriately titled, Tabula Rasa?



Todd is trying to teach us how to take responsibility for ourselves. It's a philosophy he followed in his younger days which helped him to rise to his position in Bethesda. He took control of his life and lived purposefully. Through hard work and a deliberate march in the direction of his dreams he made it, much quicker than most people.

Now, through these games, Todd is trying to share with us the very core of the ideas which helped him achieve great happiness.

Think about The Stranger by Albert Camus. Our protagonist is thrown into prison for a crime he committed unintentionally. He floated through life without direction and let the various forces around him shape who he was. This lifestyle culminated to that very point when he murdered someone on a whim, without any planning or realization of what he was doing. After being arrested and spending time in prison he reaches a great epiphany. I won't go into much detail but he finally comes to terms with the absurdity of the universe and accepts his fate. Unfortunately, it's too late and he's executed. No lucky escape with the Emperor or rescue by the last surviving Blade.

Todd is giving us that opportunity. He is saying, 'Here, your new life is yours to create. Don't just be a leaf traveling in whatever direction the wind carries you. Be the wind itself.'



Beautifully said.

I hope my post makes some sort of sense.

I like the prisoner theme. As many have said it gives me an oppertunity to create a backstory all of my own for my character. Whether that be being imprisoned for the wrong reasons or because beforehand I was the Jack the Ripper of Skyrim. It gives me an oppertunity to be who I want.

Yeah it's an Elder Scrolls tradition. I quite enjoy starting my journey from a cold damp prision cell.

Perhaps your character was in the Nordic military and was imprisoned for killing a wandering elf merchant... make something up :toughninja:

Because the hero never stops right there.

nice

People can't pronounce their real Black Marsh names :T

Hey, it was either that or "you all meet in a tavern...". Seriously, you try making up a good way for a character to get introduced. Other than that, the prison thing is just tradition (Daggerfall didn't have it, not sure if Redguard did). Bethesda might as well copyright it lol.

Its called an RPG for a reason. Just make up your characters story by yourself and make up why he/she is in Prison. Me I pretend that my character in Skyrim is going to be excecuted after a fight with some guards, and they tried to kill him later but he escaped. But was captured again. So now he's in Prison, and the day I get skyrim he's gonna be excecuted, but ocfourse he'll escape. :toughninja:

Firstly, this is by far the best post on the thread.

Secondly, my actual opinion; I think the idea of being a criminal as an 'open' ended tool is a pretty naff idea. I normally don't mind it, as I do love an anti hero. But I can also see the annoyance so many people have with it. Even if you're wrongly accused you're still a criminal. In a game where you can get jobs, hold a reputation and what not, that kinda has a big impact on your world, well it should do at least. And especially considering its not just a simple Aladdin story, its up for execution, so something big must have happened. A more open ended situation (equally as cliché these days I know, but still) would be to own a farm, or bit of land, bandits attack; voilà! I know its not perfect, but then again I'm not a professional writer. I can just see why its such an annoyance, and I think the reasons given for it are pretty damn annoying too.

Well honestly it is better than just being there. It also gives you a since of starting with litteraly nothing which i like in games. Fable 3 messed that up imo. I liked the fact I was no one in the other games at the start.

I think those against this tradition are affected by a real-life culture where any association with prison is a stigma (despite said culture locking up more "ordinary people" than just about anywhere else in the world).

Just because the PC started out in Jail doesn't mean that the PC was a criminal. If the PC did commit a crime, it doesn't automatically mean the PC is *always* going to be a thief or criminal in future. I find that real-life concept also completely messed up - again particularly when the person was convicted for a minor offence (although locking them up with hardened criminals in a sub-human environment is a good barbaric way to de-humanise people whatever they started out as).

As such I agree with the theory of it providing a good basis for "Tabula Rasa".

As everyone said its pretty much just elderscrolls tradition but it is also a plus for people who like to roleplay the game in a certain way. You don't have to act like you were forced to be a criminal, people get locked up all the time for being falsely accused. Personally I think they do it so that you can roleplay a dirt bag who comes to redeem himself over the course of the quest but thats just me.

I role-play and it doesn't involve being accused of a ghastly crime I may or may not have committed.

In Morrowind, I was actually an agent of the Emperor who told me I had to pretend to be a prisoner in order to be shipped to Vvardenfell.

In Oblivion, I'm friends with a guard in the IC and, due to a house fire, had no place to sleep and no money to afford an inn. Since he was on duty, he invited me to sleep in a cell near where he worked. I was goofing off with wrist irons and some crappy clothes when the Emperor came and mistook me to be a common criminal.

In Skyrim, I was a member of the King of Skyrim's royal court. The king assigned me to go to Cyrodiil to talk to the people there. Upon my return, I had no idea what the hell happened because the next thing I know, I'm being captured and led to my execution.

Honestly, I tend to disregard the beginning and pretend it never happened. I was never in jail. I tend to view that part of the story as totally unrelated to my character.

Dont really get why this is an issue. Most RPGs give you an opening set up.

In the Witcher, you are Geralt, a witcher, with a detailed backstory.
In Fallout New Vegas, you are Courier number 6, who has been shot and buried.
In Fable you are a child whos town and family are destroyed by bandits.
In FF7 you are a soldier named Cloud with amnesia on a mission with a bunch of mercenaries
In Ultima Underworld 2 you play the Avatar at a celebratory feast with Lord Brittania

You have more or less freedom over your characters opening. There will be some backstory, but you can fill in the gaps around that, unless you are paying an RPG with a preset character. My point again? The restrictions laid on your Character in the TES games by starting in jail are relatively minor, and can easily be explained. Yes, there are some preconditions, but some need to be in place to explain how you get to the opening point of the game. Also, unless the game has some shape, it can feel a little directionless.