Why Skyrim Dungeons are so awesome. : V

» Fri Dec 16, 2011 2:06 pm

This time around the dungeons are varied and the puzzles surprisingly interactive. I love how certain shouts are needed to get to secret areas and even at times required to complete a dungeon. Of all the Elder Scrolls Skyrim has the best dungeons. Another nice feature is that a clever person can use shouts to circumvent puzzle bridge spans and other obstacles intended to guide a person on a more linear path. While most likely not planned it is a nice way to work around the system.

Share you thoughts on how Skyrim's dungeons engage you :clap:

» Fri Dec 16, 2011 10:42 pm

I thought the puzzles were super easy but it doesn't bother me. I really just enjoy the atmosphere and searching for new shouts.

» Sat Dec 17, 2011 1:29 am

Variation.

A vast improvement on Oblivion.

» Fri Dec 16, 2011 2:19 pm

I thought the puzzles were super easy but it doesn't bother me. I really just enjoy the atmosphere and searching for new shouts.

Yes the puzzles tend to be easy but they have also been fun for me. What is really nice is how varied the puzzles can get. I can see modders going all out and making some commercial quality puzzle dungeons with the Skyrim engine.

» Fri Dec 16, 2011 12:55 pm

Every dungeon feels different. My wife is already sick of tired of "hey come check this out!" every 30 minutes when I find a new dungeon, or make my way into the bowels of some huge underground cave. Each dungeon looks like it was hand crafted by a different person.

I don't agree with the puzzles, though. I wish they were a little more challenging and a little more varied. (not a complaint, though, just an observation)

» Fri Dec 16, 2011 12:18 pm

Variation.

A vast improvement on Oblivion.

^ This and I hate puzzles. If I wanted puzzles, I would play a puzzle game, but I admit they do add to the experience of dungeons.

» Fri Dec 16, 2011 3:10 pm

Apart from the few problems I've had with them, they're much, much better than dungeons in previous TES titles. 3.5/5. Great effort, decent outcome.

» Fri Dec 16, 2011 11:22 pm

I love the dungeons and can't recall seeing two alike yet, and I'm 70+ hours in.

The puzzles aren't hard, no, but they're there at least. A puzzle is most likely also designed just to keep the most [censored] people out, not meant to be a high end security system. Plus, they are usually accompanied by traps, so you get poisoned or stabbed while working them, so I'm assuming their main purpose is to lure you in and keep you occupied while the traps kill you off.

The variety is really what makes dungeons awesome, though. Various depths, rivers, plant life etc. The only thing I could ask for was a bit darker dungeons. I've yet to actually feel like I needed a torch.

» Fri Dec 16, 2011 5:10 pm

[Erm ... never mind ... WTH? Hahah ... I just posted a reply to a phantom post. I think this means I should go to sleep.]

» Fri Dec 16, 2011 5:49 pm

They are beautiful, varied and most have their own unique story.
They are interesting, fun and engaging.

Too bad they are tubes.

» Sat Dec 17, 2011 3:24 am

I like the variation compared to OB big time. Puzzles are good, I wouldnt want them any harder as im not a great rational thinker!!!

I do think some dungeons are little on the small side though......

» Sat Dec 17, 2011 1:03 am

They are the best part of the game

» Fri Dec 16, 2011 10:34 pm

I thought the puzzles were super easy but it doesn't bother me. I really just enjoy the atmosphere and searching for new shouts.

The puzzles are not supposed to be hard for humans with a functioning brain to solve. They are there to stop the drauger, whose brains rotted out of their bodies long ago. There is a book in the game that describes this.

I love the dungeons in this game. I am the kind of player that prefers an excuse or reason to go into an area, rather than just barge in. So, I eagerly await the next quest that sends me to a dungeon. After I have done about half of them, then I will just go exploring. As by then, my excuse will be that I need to fill in the map.

» Fri Dec 16, 2011 5:58 pm

They are beautiful, varied and most have their own unique story.
They are interesting, fun and engaging.

Too bad they are tubes.

In the next Elder Scrolls game, I'd like to see Bethesda improve their dungeons even more, and bring back non-linear dungeons.

Really, it seems kind of counter-intuitive to make a open-world RPG with linear dungeons.

» Fri Dec 16, 2011 12:16 pm

I like the variation compared to OB big time. Puzzles are good, I wouldnt want them any harder as im not a great rational thinker!!!

I do think some dungeons are little on the small side though......

Really? I thought some of them were too big which was a problem for me as I loathe going into caves lest they take an hour to get though.

» Sat Dec 17, 2011 12:20 am

No different than using tiles to make completely different dungeons in 16-bit games.

» Sat Dec 17, 2011 12:59 am

I'm a huge fan of the dungeons. The puzzles are good, but could be more difficult. I'd like to see them at Resident Evil level... Hard but not freeking impossible. The increased variably is good, too. My FAVORITE improvement, though... usually there's an "exit". IE a quick way to get out of the dungeon instead of going all the back through an empty cavern.

» Fri Dec 16, 2011 9:36 pm

The devs who designed the dungeons did a wonderful job, I am not usually a dungeon player, in Oblivion I avoided them whenever possible, now I'm always curious to explore.

» Fri Dec 16, 2011 7:29 pm

I love how long some Dungeons can take to clear out. Sometimes I`ll come out of a dungeon and realise an hour has gone by in realtime...I never notice because I`m having too much fun exploring

» Fri Dec 16, 2011 3:04 pm

They may be varied but I still feel they shouldve made the puzzles a bit more challenging, I have encountered some I really liked (had to read a book and decipher what order to put the runes, and a riddle on another one)

Also they shouldve added more dungeon mob variation, its draughr/bandits or falmer/automatons every time

» Sat Dec 17, 2011 12:19 am

The Dungeons are much better yes, the "puzzles" are a joke though.
The most difficult one was the first where I thought the code must be somewhere in the wall pictures, took me half an hour because I didnt want to just try all possible combinations.
Didnt come to my mind that someone who constructs a giant Maze and an epic door to protect ancient Mysterys would engrave the Keycode on the Key...
Explains why they are extinct though.

» Sat Dec 17, 2011 3:25 am

Still not found myself needing a torch.

This.

The only dungeons i really hate are the Dwemer ones. When i see one, i just turn around and leave.
Everything so square, and these falmer...god, i hate falmer...

» Sat Dec 17, 2011 2:57 am

The puzzles are like they were designed for babies. "Gee, let's just put the answer right in front of the player so they don't have to think."

» Fri Dec 16, 2011 9:30 pm

I particularly liked using environment dangers (traps, oil pools etc) to defeat enemies.

» Fri Dec 16, 2011 6:37 pm

The puzzles are not supposed to be hard for humans with a functioning brain to solve. They are there to stop the drauger, whose brains rotted out of their bodies long ago. There is a book in the game that describes this.

I love the dungeons in this game. I am the kind of player that prefers an excuse or reason to go into an area, rather than just barge in. So, I eagerly await the next quest that sends me to a dungeon. After I have done about half of them, then I will just go exploring. As by then, my excuse will be that I need to fill in the map.

Which is humorous, because sometimes after I open a puzzle door, there's Drauger on the other side!

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That being said, I like that there's a purpose, an objective for going into dungeons now. A shout word, some sort of weapon or armor that's worth it, etc. The puzzles give it a Zelda feel to it, without being Zelda. I think it's a great thing, honestly.