Do you think the lore of the series is generic? : The Elder Scrolls Series Discussion

» Sat Feb 16, 2013 7:28 am

I was browsing some threads (not here, but in Gamefaqs), and I readed posts of people saying that TES was generic fantasy. I personally think that it is the exact opposite of generic.

It was a Dark Souls lore vs TES lore thread in the Dark Souls board, so I assumed some people were just biased and defended DS like [censored]. I want to know what do you think, do you people think that the series and the lore are those of generic fantasy??

» Sat Feb 16, 2013 1:15 pm

Ahahahahahahahaha

» Sat Feb 16, 2013 2:50 pm

this is a joke right? lol TES lore is so far from generic fantasy, that to compare it to such is almost laughable

» Sat Feb 16, 2013 8:48 pm

this is a joke right? lol TES lore is so far from generic fantasy, that to compare it to such is almost laughable

Eh, there are bits of it that are fairly generic. It's certainly not anymore generic than Dark Souls, not that I'm putting down the game. I guess people just see "elves, gods, dragons, etc" and think it's pretty much just Tolkien. They don't bother with the actual lore, and that's understandable. Oblivion itself was pretty damn generic.

» Sat Feb 16, 2013 5:39 pm

this is a joke right? lol TES lore is so far from generic fantasy, that to compare it to such is almost laughable

The joke was that thread I saw lol. And Dark Souls has got very poor lore (it also has less lore) and most of it is just filler without any importance.

» Sat Feb 16, 2013 4:30 pm

TES lore in general is not generic fantasy, although TES4 (and the upcoming TESO) tried to make it that way.

» Sat Feb 16, 2013 7:21 pm

A bit baffled at this question (though I've just commented on an article that had comments in the sense of "the historical period that Skyrim is set in means that..." - so I guess yeah, outside this community people might well be misinformed about TES).

But I think we've got the best answer already. Quoting Kirkbride from memory since TIL is down... //someone please post the correct quote when it's back//

...If a bipolar hermaphroditic bug-armoured god-king existing in multiple universes who has his own bible with _actual_ magic strewn throughout is your idea of a cliche, then I'd like to live in your world. It sounds fun and new...

» Sat Feb 16, 2013 8:08 am

I was browsing some threads (not here, but in Gamefaqs), and I readed posts of people saying that TES was generic fantasy. I personally think that it is the exact opposite of generic.

It was a Dark Souls lore vs TES lore thread in the Dark Souls board, so I assumed some people were just biased and defended DS like [censored]. I want to know what do you think, do you people think that the series and the lore are those of generic fantasy??

Hahahahahahahahahha XD

Seriously?

God, some people...

» Sat Feb 16, 2013 11:27 am

Right below this thread is a discussion about a teaser video for an upcoming something, disguised as a message sent by mages through magic Internet which also happens to be where souls go to be reincarnated.

If that's generic, you're either pretentious, stupid or drunk.

» Sat Feb 16, 2013 7:00 pm

tes is...weird, it also subverts alot of cliche fantasy, while outwardly retaining alot of the generic goodness that lures in the new crowd only to drag them into all the crazy crap thats just under the surface.

Just look at typical dwarves vs. tes dwemer, or elves and altmer, hardly generic fantasy races

» Sat Feb 16, 2013 10:57 am

If that's generic, you're either pretentious, stupid or drunk.

Or uninformed which is the case of the Dark Souls fans on Gamefaqs.

Given, it is Gamefaqs.

Any fictional series can look generic if you don't bother looking past the cover.

» Sat Feb 16, 2013 1:50 pm

I guess people just see "elves, gods, dragons, etc" and think it's pretty much just Tolkien.

But Tolkien is not generic!! It's the rest of the genre that is. Forgettable Realms ™ and numerous other cache-in attempts in every language spoken by man (or written by woman).

Sturgeon's law as phrased by Michael Moorcock (one of the few non-generic AND popular fantasy authors) and censored loreforum-style:
"A genre by definition must contain mostly [SEHT] once it becomes a recognised genre".

» Sat Feb 16, 2013 10:10 am

At least people around here has some brains and not.... heads filled such fanb**ism. Really, the answers i was expecting to get. Tokien seems generic to some people because LOTR is what comes to their minds when they think about fantasy....

» Sat Feb 16, 2013 1:37 pm

Eh, there are bits of it that are fairly generic. It's certainly not anymore generic than Dark Souls, not that I'm putting down the game. I guess people just see "elves, gods, dragons, etc" and think it's pretty much just Tolkien. They don't bother with the actual lore, and that's understandable. Oblivion itself was pretty damn generic.

i will admit on the verry top of the surface taken at face value it may seem generic but a 'little' digging will show you otherwise and, all be damned that try to make TES generic fantasy, i will not stand by and let it happen lol

» Sat Feb 16, 2013 9:58 am

Read http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:The_36_Lessons_of_Vivec and you will have your answer.

» Sat Feb 16, 2013 12:15 pm

But Tolkien is not generic!! It's the rest of the genre that is. Forgettable Realms ? and numerous other cache-in attempts in every language spoken by man (or written by woman).

Sturgeon's law as phrased by Michael Moorcock (one of the few non-generic AND popular fantasy authors) and censored loreforum-style:
"A genre by definition must contain mostly [SEHT] once it becomes a recognised genre".

Tolkien on its own? Oh hell, no. The man was a genius. It's just a lot of people see it as the basic of Fantasy. If something uses similar themes and objects it's seen as generic. This is from my experience, mind you.

» Sat Feb 16, 2013 1:30 pm

Read http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:The_36_Lessons_of_Vivec and you will have your answer.

a fine example to ilestrate the point, well done

» Sat Feb 16, 2013 6:35 pm

Of course not. Generic fantasy doesn't result in 11+ threads of discussion, all of it based around in-universe lingo and insane numerology, for the sole purpose of figuring out who one being is.
Generic fantasy doesn't give me a headache.
Generic fantasy doesn't have fans up in arms whenever there's a chance it may become more generic.
Generic fantasy doesn't have a [VEHK]ing hermaphroditic two-tone God-king who murdered his best friend, slept with his girlfriend, then literally won at life.

» Sat Feb 16, 2013 5:08 am

Generic fantasy doesn't have a [VEHK]ing hermaphroditic two-tone God-king who murdered his best friend, slept with his girlfriend, then literally won at life.

I like how every argument for "Nah, not generic" boils down to "MOTHER[VEHK]ing VIVEC"

» Sat Feb 16, 2013 11:10 am

I like how every argument for "Nah, not generic" boils down to "MOTHER[VEHK]ing VIVEC"

He is the model every non-generic fantasy character must follow

» Sat Feb 16, 2013 4:19 pm

I like how every argument for "Nah, not generic" boils down to "MOTHER[VEHK]ing VIVEC"

suprised more people don't bring up Pelinal the time traveling insane joint avatar, probably my favorite character in tes, and hes plenty...different

» Sat Feb 16, 2013 7:39 am

suprised more people don't bring up Pelinal the time traveling insane joint avatar, probably my favorite character in tes, and hes plenty...different

Well, nobody remembers MR. winged bull

» Sat Feb 16, 2013 8:54 pm

Well, nobody remembers MR. winged bull

or his human lover...disgusting, actually alot of the lore in cyrod was hella interesting, wish they would have cramed more of that into oblivion

» Sat Feb 16, 2013 4:59 pm

suprised more people don't bring up Pelinal the time traveling insane joint avatar, probably my favorite character in tes, and hes plenty...different

lol yeah thats true nothing says diferent than a time travelling elf killing mad man who may verry well be more than one person at a time depending on your acceptance of kinmune.

those poor people on gamefaqs to not understand how deep and borderline insane TES actually is

» Sat Feb 16, 2013 6:37 am

or his human lover...disgusting, actually alot of the lore in cyrod was hella interesting, wish they would have cramed more of that into oblivion

Oblivio could ave been a verry different game if more of the obscure lore was taken into consideration and implemented, just imagine if te insperation that went into KotN was rampand in vanilla oblivion