You have been a prisoner in every game except for one. As far as the "petty crime" thing, he has stated several times that you can think of many reason why your character would be in prison. It allows for a nice roleplaying experience.
If you can't see the tradition, then you are the only one who doesn't.

As far as Shadowmere goes, I really wouldn't be against her being in the game. Perhaps a subtle reference would be best.

In no game but Oblivion are you a regular prisoner, in the first you are wrongly imprisoned due to being loyal to the emporer, the second you aren't a prisoner, the third you are imprisoned and sent to Vvardenfell for being a candidate for the Nerevarine. It is only in Arena and Oblivion that you are in Oblivion, and only in Oblivion that you are a 'regular prisoner', imprisonement is the tradition not being in prison, which is what Todd is forcing as a tradition, I have no problem being in prison in Skyrim, but I feel it should be because Bethesda feel it best serves the main story, not because it is a 'tradition'

I seriously doubt that Todd and the rest of Bethesda are continuing with the prisoner trend just because of "tradition". There's a reason they have done it before and are doing it again: because it's a fun way to start roleplaying a character that has to start from scratch. Also, I'm pretty sure that in Morrowind your character was not imprisoned for the sole purpose of being a candidate for the Nerevarine prophecy. That was just the reason for sending you to Morrowind and releasing you.

Anyway, we should really get back on topic.

What does it matter? In every major Elder Scrolls game except Daggerfall you are a prisoner whether under regular circumstances or not, that is the tradition, the hows and whys of it are not. But hell maybe in Skyrim you will get your wish and there will be a reason given for your character being in prison, we know the Blades are being hunted down which I assume has something to do with their connection to the dragonborns, if that is the case I am sure that those responsible for hunting the Blades would also be searching for the few remaining dragonborn as well.

But really this thread is going way off topic, lets try and keep it on track shall we?

on topic, Shadowmere was never explicitly classified as a vampiric horse, or a horse from Sithis, he was just Luciens horse

That's what I thought. She was probably immortal since you used her for those quests.

Ah but Shadowmere wasnt explicitly classified as not being a vampiric horse either :tongue:. But if the OP was right and Shadowmere is in fact an immortal horse (not sure where he is getting his info from though) it would be nice to see her return.

Geif a white horsie called "Lightmare".

In Arena, you are a Prisoner, it doesn't matter if it's wrongful imprisonment, Oblivion could also be wrongful imprisonment, but it leaves that up to you to decide. In morrowind you are a prisoner, it says nothing about why you are imprisoned, in fact in the coded package it only tells that you were released from prison because you had the appearance of meeting the conditions, meaning you were already in prison. Even in the intro movie, it tells that you are a prisoner born of uncertain parents, that you were taken from the imperial city prison. There is nothing about why you were there in the first place.

In daggerfall, you could have various backgrounds, including one which have you be a prisoner which is released by the emperor. So we have 3 games where you are a prisoner, and one where you could be one.

And this was recognized as a tradition by many, before Todd said anything, he didn't force anything.

On Topic:

Shadowmere has red eyes, giving evidence of a supernatural presence, and she was unimportant to any quests whatsoever, she was unessential, yet was made immortal, this gives evidence that she was immortal not out of necessity, but simply because she was just an immortal being.

The tradition being a prisoner Todd said the Tradition was starting in prison, which is the tradition I had a gripe with

It’s not given any reason for why you was in prison, mass murder, you tried to steal an expensive item, you tried to steal food as you was hungry, you picked up something by mistake, you was framed or you believed the horses outside the city was a public service.
You decide.
In Morrowind it was the same, the reason why you was imprisoned was not given only that you fit in the prophecy so the empire decided to use you, again the reasons from Oblivion with the extra that someone high ranking in the empire framed you to use you.

Let me revise my gripes
In Arena you are in a dungeon that happens to be an old prison
In Daggerfall you are in a cave
In Morrowind you are on a Boat
In Oblivion you are in a prison

So Todd saying that starting in prison is not correct and silly, as part of the prisoner beginning is seeing in which way you are imprisoned (to me anyway)

EDIT: On topic@Daydark, If Shadowmere is immortal (I thought it was a he :shrug:) then the most plausible explanation would be that she is a 'daedric artifact' of sorts, like the Unicorn?

Where did he say that? When they asked him in the podcast, they asked why you always start in a prison, or as a prisoner. So if anything, the tradition he talks about has to be in regards to "in prison or as a prisoner".

We can meet the Adoring Fan again , had actually been a little cool if they have a bear pit or arena, and a old bosmer who goes where every day and complains that the imperial city arena was much better and he knew the grand champion.

See just as much reason to add shadowmere as the adoring fan. Yes she could be a quest reward again but guild rewards seldom repeats only daeric quest rewards.

In a certain magazine interview (Game informer I think) he said that "Of course, we will be starting in prison again, as is tradition" If I have misquoted or misinterpreted I am happy to be corrected

Okay, if that is true, I can understand you a little better, I mean starting in prison isn't a big deal for me, but I get where you are coming from if that is true, because it is being a prisoner that is the tradition, not necessarily starting in prison. I'm fairly certain he means that simply being a prisoner is the tradition, starting in a prison is maybe just the most effective way of driving that point through, or the logical starting point with having in mind that one is a prisoner.

Anyways, Shadowmere, I don't particularly know why she's supernatural, only that it seems pretty likely that she is supposed to be, and I honestly feel that the reason she's immortal is because it's supposed to be a character trait of hers.

I just liked the fact that every TES game had the prisoner trait, but also had it's own twist on it, although with the 'execution' part in Skyrim it seems that it has at least some variation

And on Shadowmere, I think she is Sithis's 'Daedric Artifact' so she fazes in and out of this plane of reality

I don't think Sithis is a Daedra, a being you can hold a conversation with.. rather he's more a insentinent force bit like gravity or eletromagnetism in our world.

If anything Shadowmere could've been a daedric creature in service to Mephala/The Night Mother, just to explain her apperant immorality.

I don't the Night mother is actually Mephala, but Shadowmere is probably a Daedra (Not a daedric prince) who happens to resemble a horse (as Daedra's merely reform after they are killed, they are not destroyed)

Mine got herself killed very quickly.

At the end of the day, you're saying that it's not Elder Scrolls tradition to start the game as a prisoner - despite the fact that this is the case in all of the games bar one. I'd let this one go if I was you...

Anyway - I don't really care if Shadowmere returns and doubt she will.

To be honest - I'm not bothered about mounts at all - unless the massively revamped.

No actually I agreed that starting as a prisoner was tradition and that starting in prison was not Mr Van Gogh

EDIT: Anyhow, if anyone returns it should be The Adoring Fan, as Shadowmere had nowhere near the amount of impact as him

I say it border to nitpicking, if a reporter asks him does we start in a prison again and we actually start as a prisoner outside the prison you answer yes as its accurate enough for press use. Trying to correct minor errors the reporters do only confuse them more

I concede defeat

But don't they only reform in Oblivion and then must make their way back to the mortal world? As opposed to getting knocked unconscious and waking up after 20 seconds.