Biggest Traditions In The Elder Scrolls Series

Summary

Most players find themselves hoarding loot, stripping corpses, and pawning off valuables.
Multiple playthroughs are essential due to the vast content and player limitations by design.
Lore retcons, adjustments, and missing features challenge players.

The Elder Scrolls game series holds an extraordinary influence within the gaming community. Featuring intricate storylines, stunning visuals and audio, groundbreaking design elements, and universal appeal, the realm of Nirn possesses a unique ability to bridge the gap between casual and dedicated gamers. It appeals not only to enthusiasts yearning for immersion but also to non-gamers seeking a captivating fantasy experience.

Despite undergoing significant transformations since its beginning, certain traditions have been consistently maintained across each game in the series. Even a casual playthrough exposes these recurring elements. These recognizable aspects are expected to resurface in the upcoming game, The Elder Scrolls 6. This game, tentatively scheduled for release during this current kalpa, could see Alduin make his return to consume the world as prophesied.

10. Becoming An Insatiable Loot Hoarder

Swiping Everything That Isn’t Nailed Down

Due to the capacity to transport limitless gold and an unusually heavy load of equipment, many players often pick up and store any valuable items they discover, including the clothing of deceased individuals, resulting in a path of bare-bodied corpses behind them.

In games like Arena and Skyrim, looting and selling items is a popular method for earning gold, given the numerous unidentified enemies and unlocked chests strewn across Tamriel. It’s no wonder that many players, save for those who prioritize roleplaying or have a fear of nudity (gymnophobes), might find themselves developing a compulsion to hoard.

9. Multiple Playthroughs

One Character Is Never Enough

Each game in the Elder Scrolls series is incredibly extensive, both in terms of geographical area and content. It’s easy to assume that a single playthrough would be sufficient for fans. Yet, a well-designed RPG tailors the player’s capabilities and experiences based on their character’s build decisions, ensuring multiple playthroughs offer fresh and unique adventures.

Generally speaking, most gamers often start a fresh character when replaying a game, to explore new possibilities. For instance, it could be experiencing the life of an Argonian in Morrowind, following the evil path disregarding the Nine Divines in Oblivion, or opting for something other than a stealth archer role in Skyrim.

8. A Library Of Readable Books And Scrolls

Tamriel’s Literacy Levels Must Be Through The Roof

Today, it’s often claimed that fewer individuals are reading physical books compared to the past. Yet, a longstanding feature in every Elder Scrolls game dating back to Daggerfall is the inclusion of readable, collectible in-game books and scrolls. These ancient texts offer players captivating narratives, character advancement, insights into the game’s lore, and quests or hints for quests.

1. In this series, the number of books has expanded so much that it resembles a mini-library, with numerous books continuing into subsequent games.

2. The Elder Scrolls themselves are rarely featured in each game, but as any avid lore enthusiast would acknowledge, they can’t be read by ordinary people, not without proper training, and may even cause blindness to those who attempt it.

7. Meme-Worthy Guards

The Long Arm And Punctured Knee Of The Law

To a time-traveling Shezarrine, Dragonborn, or prophesied hero (in other words, a player character), guards might appear absurd as they strive to maintain order and the law. Yet, guards in every Elder Scrolls game have an inherently humorous quality about them that is unintentional.

In games like Daggerfall, Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim, the law enforcers – be it a group of guards shouting “Halt! Halt!” in Daggerfall, or the suspicious Ordinators in Morrowind, or the ever-eager Imperial guards in Oblivion, and even the hold guards in Skyrim – are always able to elicit laughter from players. And who can forget that Skyrim’s guards gave birth to the unforgettable “arrow to the knee” meme?

6. An Immersive First-Person Perspective

Witnessing Dawn’s Beauty Through The Player Character’s Eyes

In many games, you experience the action from a first-person perspective, but aside from a few other role-playing game series that aren’t as popular these days (like Wizardry), seeing a fantasy world in first-person was quite unusual. Typically, RPGs would present the environment from an overhead view.

The Elder Scrolls now enables players to switch to third-person view for a better look at their character, yet each game is designed with a close-up perspective in mind. Although there are several modern RPGs that use first-person perspective, not many can satisfy like TES does.

5. Lore Retcons And Hand-Waving

Made A Mistake? Call It A Dragon Break

In a saga as extensive and long-standing as The Elder Scrolls, it’s expected that certain aspects of the storyline may evolve or contain minor inconsistencies. Yet, Bethesda has chosen to implement significant modifications across all their games thus far, each accompanied by its own convenient justifications.

In earlier games like Arena, the Khajiit and Argonian races resembled humans in appearance. The character of the Daedra princess evolved significantly for Morrowind. By Oblivion, Cyrodiil was a land filled with jungles, swamps, and rainforests. However, an interesting transformation occurred in Skyrim; the blades were transformed into dragon hunters, and most Nords abandoned their fierce warrior lifestyle, old deities, and started worshiping Talos, transitioning into farming communities.

4. Missing Features From The Previous Game

Todd Howard’s “Less Is More” Design Philosophy

As a devoted fan, I can’t help but reflect on the vast array of skills in Daggerfall, despite some, like the language ones, not being particularly captivating or practical to me. Yet, the sheer number was truly remarkable. Fast forward to today, it’s fascinating to see how the Elder Scrolls universe has evolved, with certain skills, weapon types (such as spears), spells (like levitation), and features (like layered armor, spell crafting, and transportation options) being phased out over time from previous games.

In the game “Skyrim,” a significant change was implemented by eliminating skill levels and attributes altogether, and replacing them with perk points instead. Todd Howard, who is well-known for his work on this game, often prefers to consider what aspects can be removed in future projects rather than focusing solely on adding new features. This approach allows for a more streamlined gameplay experience, with greater emphasis on the core elements that remain.

3. Getting Sidetracked With Sidequests And Exploration

Just One More Dungeon Run

Translating that into simpler and more conversational language: If “The Elder Scrolls” games were structured linearly, players might complete their adventures faster. However, a defining feature of every “TES” game is getting side-tracked by extra missions, unexpectedly prolonged dungeon explorations, or just plain curiosity about what lies beyond the next hill.

Players have grown accustomed to the convenience of fast travel, yet when they find themselves in an expanse of uncharted territory en route to their destination, they typically choose the longer, more scenic route rather than using a quick load shortcut.

2. The Prison Break Opening

A Palate Cleanser For The Delicious Taste Of Freedom

From The Elder Scrolls Chapter 1: Arena onwards, players are initially presented with a grim view of confinement in The Elder Scrolls series. Regardless if it’s from a cell, shipwreck, prison boat, or an execution cart, the initial challenge for players is to secure their own release.

This approach might serve as a subtle hint to players with malicious inclinations that their character is inherently wicked, or it could be used to highlight the vast autonomy available to the player once they enter the open world.

1. The Burgeoning Mod List

Spending More Time Tweaking The Game Than Playing It

Each title within the “The Elder Scrolls” series stands out uniquely. Yet, due to particular design choices or constraints in game development (such as time and budget), a large number of PC gamers have historically utilized modding tools and platforms to customize their version of the game according to their preferences.

The vibrant community of modifiers for games like Skyrim, Oblivion, Morrowind, and now Daggerfall (thanks to the release of Unity), is flourishing. These days, the potential for personalized gaming experiences is virtually limitless. However, there’s a notable drawback: passionate modders might find themselves immersed in creating breathtaking additions for their favorite game worlds, rather than enjoying those creations within the games themselves.

2025-01-10 19:35