(For all of you lazy members that don't feel like reading, I'm suggesting the game starts http://i51.tinypic.com/29vkmrp.jpg. Hear me out before you vote or don't vote at all.)

I posted in http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1191085-a-better-opening-to-the-game-please/ two days ago of where I believe Skyrim will let us loose on the world though it was a bit spammish considering the topic at hand so I decided to make one of my own. My search didn't yield any results on this specific theory and I've never seen it mentioned before so why not? Ok, here it goes...

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Where We Might Start Off ~ In the beginning of Skyrim

Yeah, it's the same layout I used before. Big whoop! Wanna fight about it?

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If you look at http://i53.tinypic.com/dd19xs.jpg in the Bethesda studios, you'll notice it's littered with grey boxes. It's quite apparent that they mark various locations. Possibly all of them. If you take a gander at http://i55.tinypic.com/iyj18k.jpg, you can see that the artist marked the settlement of Riverwood right next to the Throat of the World (aka the tallest mountain in Skyrim). Why would they do this? Well zoom in on that first link.

I know, all the fine print looks like grey splotches (the picture's pretty blurry). Well call me stupid but I think I see the word "Riverwood". As most of you already know, Riverwood is the village from the demo and has been mentioned to be one of the very first you'll encounter in your grand adventure. Due to these occurrences, I believe it is the very first if you follow the main plot immediately after the tutorial. And due to the grey box on that map being appropriately sized (look at how large Riften and Windhelm are) I believe we know where it is. Right http://i56.tinypic.com/2817brm.jpg at the lower left in green.

Now the three closest markers to Riverwood are http://i54.tinypic.com/5ysvpi.jpg, http://i56.tinypic.com/2hqc87s.jpg, and http://i55.tinypic.com/xohc38.jpg. The first location is undoubtedly High Hrothgar nestled utop the peak of the Throat of the World. As for the second? Well during the demo we're told the player finds Riverwood, sees a stream full of jumping salmon (the river in the map), then walks uphill towards Bleak Falls Barrow. It is on a small mountain and after studying the caption on this location, I could make out the word "Barrow". Coincidence? I think not.

And the third marker? You guessed it. It's size indicates it's either a dungeon, cave, mine, fort, ruin, camp, landmark (I.E. Hero Hill in Oblivion), or something else miniscule. Whatever it is, I strongly believe that's where the game starts. That's where the execution is to be held, that's where Esbern saves you, that's where you see a dragon for the first time, and that's where the Greybeards call out to you. It's all so conveniently packed together and really makes sense for the beginning of the game.

Edit: There is also a possibility the game starts http://i56.tinypic.com/fxgg2b.jpg. Perhaps it'd be more practical to follow a stream to Riverwood rather than curve around a chain of mountains?
(There are no other contending locations as far as I'm concerned. One of these must be it.)
For the record, I already know the player character was caught crossing the border into Skyrim and that's why he is imprisoned but this doesn't mean the starting point has to be anywhere close to the boundaries. We haven't been told exactly how long it has been since their offence and it's unlikely for whoever caught us to try and kill our main guy right there upon capture.

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Alright that's it. I hope you enjoyed these examinations because I enjoyed making them. And to those who already saw most of my thoughts posted on the other thread I linked to before, thanks for reading them again. Feel free to poke at my anolysis or discuss where you think Skyrim will start.
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I think it will start around the center of the map like Oblivion. Obviously if it was in a corner, you could only go in one direction. The center allows you to choose freely where you want to go first, so I think it would be more idea to start in the center

I wanna fight about this.

Just kidding, I really don't care. I'm hyped on this game but my thoughts on relevance is elsewhere at the moment.

I think it was confirmed somewhere which city we'll see first.. Can't remember which they said it was though. Anyways, this speculation is pointless, it's already confirmed. Somewhere.

*Thinks he recalls riverwood was the city*

Sounds pretty plausible I mean it's not that far off from the border so it makes sense. It always bugged me that in Oblivion I could be in the center of Cyrodill and have apparently never seen anything in the province. I mean either I was already in the imperial city and was arrested or I was picked up on the border which means there were a bunch of jails closer or I should know the path that brought me to the imperial city.

I thought we start in Falkreath?

It has not been confirmed where we start. Personally, I think it makes more sense if we do start out closer, than the OP suggests, to the border (so Falkreath) but his argument is pretty valid. Will just have to wait and see I guess.

Yeah that's what I believe as well. It'll be Falkreath. There's no reason to think Riverwood will be the first place. The early footage of Oblivion showed Chorrol, and we didn't start there.

There's Falkreath Hold and then there's the city of Falkreath. My http://i55.tinypic.com/xohc38.jpg http://i56.tinypic.com/fxgg2b.jpg are in http://i56.tinypic.com/1z6xvsp.jpg.

I've never heard this confirmed but yes, I do believe we start in Falkreath (the http://i56.tinypic.com/1z6xvsp.jpg, not the http://i53.tinypic.com/2zj9udk.jpg).


No, it's not. I'm relaying all the information we have available and deciphering where the player begins. You obviously didn't read my OP. :nono:

Why does everyone think that we'll be seeing a dragon right away at the start and the Greybeards will call to us at the beginning? From what we know of the GI podcast, Todd clearly stated that sometime during the game (He never said in the beginning) that we'll find out we are Dovahkiin during an event that occurs and a dragon is involved. After that, the Greybeards then shout out your name.

All we know for the beginning is that we're about to be executed and Esbern (Last of the Blades) saves us. Could a dragon be involved? Maybe, but I doubt it.

I've heard it mentioned several times that the starting place for the game is riverwood..todd also says it himself in one of those q&a vids after the game demo

Nope, he stated several times that Riverwood will be the first town you encounter. You don't literally start there.

The way I see it you start in the location I marked, the Greybeards call out your name, and on your way toward the Throat of the World you come across Riverwood where you get the Golden Claw quest from Lucan. But in order for the Greybeards to call for you, the dragon encounter has to happen. That's why I believe it occurs in the beginning of the game. Besides, I think it's more likely for Todd to reveal spoilers that you find early on rather than late in the story.


Thank you. I thought I made that clear in the OP people.

Thnx

To add to the topic of where we will start, let’s look back at Morrowind and Oblivion, in both we started the game as prisoners. From Morrowind it was a prison ship that came from the Imperial City, for Oblivion it was as we all remember in the Imperial City dungeons. Judging from those facts which seems to be a trend of Bethesda’s and the fact that the Story must start somewhere, it may be safe to assume that there will be more bars holding us against or will in the future.

If you would have just read my original post, you'd know that.


I fairly certain Todd has already said we start in a prison. I think it'd be tucked away in some cave or dungeon out in the wilderness this time.

http://i53.tinypic.com/wepz.jpg? It's on the same wall as the Executioner (which you can see below). Very likely.

Nice review of the map.

I think we'll start in a jail or something.

Thanks.


I agree. See my post above.


Edit: Hmm, I find this extremely interesting but I guess others don't? That or the majority of people are just too lazy to read... :shrug:

I'm gonna go ahead and bump this because, frankly, I think it deserves more attention. Until someone can debunk my theory, we know where the game might kick off. I've pieced together some things I don't believe anyone else has before but it seems like no one cares about the location you start at. I thought this was big...

Am I missing something? :confused:

Alright, I'm bumping this one last time. Lets see what happens...

Doesn't Luke have a theory that we start in Falkreath?

I applaud the time and effort you put into making this thread. Very nicely thought out and i agree with your main idea of the starting location near riverwood. Also, i dont have a link but im positive i heard todd mention that we would learn about being dovahkiin "very early on" so im thinking a visit to high hrothgar is quite early in the main questline

Yes, here it is:


While it's possible, there are no bits of information that support this scenario other than the city of Falkreath is closer to the border. My response to this is why would Riverwood be mentioned as one of the first settlements you encounter when there are two others closer to Luke's supposed starting point? Even if Falkreath had an extensive underground escape system, do you think it would lead anywhere close to Riverwood? Look at http://i52.tinypic.com/11r50z4.jpg between these two locations. There are entire mountains in the way as well as a river that bars a straight path through. Even half that expanse would be quite the trek I'd imagine.
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Thanks.

Note: Bumps result in rise of votes for 'No'...

There is a road going across the border into Hammerfell. You can't continue traveling up the road unless you run into Falkreath. So basically, if they caught you crossing the border, naturally they would take you to the closest prison, which happens to be in Falkreath(One of the 9 hold cities). At some point you may be told to go to Whiterun, which will force you to travel through Riverwood.

I don't think Bethesda would insinuate what province the player came from. That'd be unfair to those with back-stories of their own. Besides, what are the chances of a road from Arena or Daggerfall still being in the same place after so many years? We don't even know if Elinhir (Hammerfell's closest city to Skyrim's border) exists anymore.


Not always true. Todd Howard has said prisons are different this time around. Maybe the one in Falkreath is toned down for the public. A dungeon in the middle of nowhere offers privacy to those who wish to torture their prisoners.

I've stated this before but look at the picture right above the Executioner in the Bethesda studios -> http://i55.tinypic.com/nbaxq0.jpg

Doesn't look too friendly to me. A bit evil for some run of the mill Hold city in my opinion.


Well, the way I see it the beginning of the main quest is as follows:

• Escape your execution with Esbern
  
• Encounter a dragon - Discover you are Dragonborn
  
• Travel to High Hrothgar after the Greybeards call for you

Looking at the map, I presume the 7,000 steps start somewhere behind Riverwood. So I would have said...


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I'm having trouble agreeing with this theory even though it has no significant problems. I think it starts too close to the boundaries, really. Wouldn't be good practice to let the player see those invisible walls within the first hour or so of gameplay. And if you look at where Falkreath is on the map, you'll see it's kind of wedged in between two groups of mountains. Almost like it's hidden from the world. Is that the first thing Bethesda wants us to see after we emerge from that beginning dungeon? I'd imagine, what with those mountains in the way, there'd be no view of the beautiful province around you.