The Elder Scrolls is really not recommanded to play on a console, the game series main strenght besides their vanilla version are the thousands of community mods. Dont play this on a console, you would miss so much...well to early for skyrim but you will see there will pop up massive numbers of mods.
Skyrim on a console is like watching the Superbowl on a 15" standard defintion TV.
I have 20+ mods active right now. Game looks beyond amazing.
Now I look at ToR. MMO or not... I feel like Bioware is about to release a HOT NEW portable tape player... while Bethesda has just released the first MP3 player.
Honestly, the game's not for everyone. If you like action-RPGs it's one of the best out there though.
There is so much to do in this game, it's insane. Personally, I'm playing a dark elf caster, and I'm having a blast (though I don't tend to play it for more than a couple hours at a time). However, based on how you wanna play, you can have some VERY different experiences.
For example, as a caster my stealth generally isn't the greatest, so I tend to have to resort to killing everything in sight rather than stealth (which is also why I rarely travel w/ a companion). If you go the heavy armor route, it's a lot more fast-paced, and you can perform finishing moves at random on your enemies, which can be very satisfying. You can also do the dagger / archery thing, with stealth & thievery, and the game plays a lot more like a stealth-ops game.
It is a very versatile game, and it is a good one, which is why so many people are enjoying it. It gives you a lot of freedom.
It seems you enjoy Bioware games so it can be hard to enjoy skyrim due to the contrast in gameplay. I myself am an avid Bioware fan and did not enjoy oblivion much, but skyrim has even me excited. Have only played a few hours but it certainly grabbed me, but if you are the type that likes a focus on story and perhaps a constant progression of sorts it can indeed be a rather meh game. But if in 9 hours you aren't having fun I doubt much will really change and much like any open world game you either love it or hate it.
And I'm really trying to figure out what is so great about this game? I put a solid 9 hours in on it today and have really been forcing myself to keep playing for atleast the last couple hours. I'm not here to hate or say it's a horrible game by any means. It's like all games, it has it's up's and down's. But, nothing about it was earth shattering to me.
Maybe I just have ToR running in the blood atm, I dunno? Maybe I'm being a tad biased cause of that. But, I really don't think so. Cause with so much hype that it has been getting, I went into it with the full mindset of a single player game. And maybe something to keep me busy for a couple days. But, it's not gonna happen, I'm gonna return it tomorrow on time lol.
I dunno. Maybe I should try a different toon, or just keep trying. But, the dark elf magic caster just isn't cutting it for me. Maybe I've just gotten to old to appreciate this type of game. Maybe it was the fact it was console, I dunno? I just can't sit here and say that there is anything overly great about it, nor will I say there is anything terribly wrong with it. I just find it I guess average, a 5 on the 10 scale, possibly a 6. Graphics are nothing superb, there was nothing overly entrhalling about the story and I was still going from point A to point B to retrieve something for a certain NPC.
I was really wanting to pay atleast a 5 day late fee for the game. But, I think I'm gonna have to try the new Assassin's Creed or the new Uncharted out to get me by I think. I know my amount of time was not a lot, but 9 hours in any game you should be loving it by then right?
I'm about 120 hours into Skyrim and I'm about to put it on hold for SWTOR's launch in two weeks. I would say renting it with a possibility of playing it for 400+hours, your better off waiting to play it again Mid next year. =P
Skyrim is no rental that's for sure, lol it takes time and a good chunk of your life....hehe just like an MMO does.
Wildstar (2013) & Elder Scroll Online (2013)
Playing: Diablo 3, WOW, Far Cry 3 & X-Com.
Enjoyed: WOW 5 1/2 yrs, LOTRO 3yrs, GW 1/2yr, DFO 1yr, EVE Online 3yrs, and Huxley (Beta).
Failed to impress: GW2 3months, Tera Online 6 months (best combat system in any MMO I've played) STO 1/4yr, Aion 1/2yr, AoC 1yr, CO, Fallen Earth, DDO, EQ2 1/2yr, WAR 1/2yr, Lineage 2 and FF XI 1/2yr, FF XIV.
Skyrim isnt for everyone, some people just want to play lInear games and be directed down a path and story, which is fine.
the way is see it, Skyrim is about creating your own story, exploring and sometimes, just messing around...
As for the graphics, I have to agree, they arent the best, considering they started working on their game in the gamebryo engine... and anyone who's ever used that engine will probably tell you they'd rather roll around in a pool full of aids. But thats why I bought the PC version, so I could get mods to make it look pretty!
"The problem with quotes from the Internet is that it's almost impossible to validate their authenticity." - Abraham Lincoln
@ OP Its not your CUP of TEA thats obvious. And for graphics i dont know if you play on console with a bad tv or lowend PC?
But i run Skyrim on highend PC with a superb full HD PC screen and my game looks gorgeous prolly million times better then your beloved UGLY looking OUTDATED TOR.
You eather like solo games with total freedom or not. You prolly like games where you follow path and they hold your hand then your at wrong place with Skyrim.
Have fun with whatever you play:)
Hope to build full AMD system RYZEN/VEGA/AM4!!!
MB:Asus V De Luxe z77 CPU:Intell Icore7 3770k GPU: AMD Fury X(waiting for BIG VEGA 10 or 11 HBM2?(bit unclear now)) MEMORY:Corsair PLAT.DDR3 1866MHZ 16GB PSU:Corsair AX1200i OS:Windows 10 64bit
The first time i booted up skyrim i was like "What do YOU want me to do game? What's my goal?"
After playing roughly the same amount of time as you, i hopped online and did some searching. CLEARLY from all the glittering reviews i was doing something very wrong. I've never played TES games before this one, so it really was a hurdle to jump!
After reading abit and getting the general idea of the game, in that it is highly 'self-motivated' game(for lack of a better word/s).
So i restarted a new character, and asked"What do *I* want to do?" I wanted to explore at the time, and so i did. In that moment i grasped what it was all about. I went from coner to corner of the map, and could explore anything i wanted without restriction. Fell in love from there on out.
So, to address you OP- it MIGHT not be the game for you, OR- Your just not looking at it right. if you are in the mindset of "What does this game want me to do", you wont get very much out of this game.(besides the awesome main story) To get the most out of this game, just do whatever strikes you at the time. steal, kill, eat, marry someone, craft, enchant, etc. etc. etc. I have gotten the most enjoyment out of the game this way.
It's more rewarding to me as well, because the more stuff i do, the more areas i explore, the more loot i find...it all makes the game better and better, in that as my levels get higher, i get more perk points, and the mob's get harder/more varied.
Once one gets to about level 50 or maybe earlier, the game really amps up, in that the mob's will use better stuff against you, making you get more of a stratedgy together to beat them. What i mean is if you only do story missions, you'll beat the game at an early level, meaning it'll be a cakewalk. but, if you do other stuff first then go back to the story, there is much more stradegy involved in the higher levels of it all.
Just an example of different strokes for different folks is all. It's definitely not your age. I'm 40 and have been gaming constantly since Intellivision and Atari, and then right into the C64 and Zork. I never stopped. I've played a metric ton of games. Skyrim is easily one of the best games I have ever played. TOR on the other hand, aggrivated me and bored me to death within a very short period of time. Doesn't make Skyrim the best game for everyone, nor TOR the worst game for everyone.... just me.
The gaming industry is like a library to me. Everyone goes into it to find a game that fits their needs and preferences, and there's thousands of games to pick from. Everyone will have their own, individual experience with each title. No wrongs or rights when it comes to opinions, just peronal experiences that vary from person to person.
We need all different types of games because there's so many types of gamers in this market.
The first time i booted up skyrim i was like "What do YOU want me to do game? What's my goal?"
After playing roughly the same amount of time as you, i hopped online and did some searching. CLEARLY from all the glittering reviews i was doing something very wrong. I've never played TES games before this one, so it really was a hurdle to jump!
After reading abit and getting the general idea of the game, in that it is highly 'self-motivated' game(for lack of a better word/s).
So i restarted a new character, and asked"What do *I* want to do?" I wanted to explore at the time, and so i did. In that moment i grasped what it was all about. I went from coner to corner of the map, and could explore anything i wanted without restriction. Fell in love from there on out.
So, to address you OP- it MIGHT not be the game for you, OR- Your just not looking at it right. if you are in the mindset of "What does this game want me to do", you wont get very much out of this game.(besides the awesome main story) To get the most out of this game, just do whatever strikes you at the time. steal, kill, eat, marry someone, craft, enchant, etc. etc. etc. I have gotten the most enjoyment out of the game this way.
It's more rewarding to me as well, because the more stuff i do, the more areas i explore, the more loot i find...it all makes the game better and better, in that as my levels get higher, i get more perk points, and the mob's get harder/more varied.
Once one gets to about level 50 or maybe earlier, the game really amps up, in that the mob's will use better stuff against you, making you get more of a stratedgy together to beat them. What i mean is if you only do story missions, you'll beat the game at an early level, meaning it'll be a cakewalk. but, if you do other stuff first then go back to the story, there is much more stradegy involved in the higher levels of it all.
I've been a fan of The Elder Scrolls since Arena but this is some very good advice. If you go into an Elder Scrolls game expecting the game to tell you what to do you're not going to get much out of it. If you go in with the mindset, "this is my world to do with what 'I' want!", you will get possibly years of enjoyment out of it. It really does depend on the player's frame of mind.
After reading abit and getting the general idea of the game, in that it is highly 'self-motivated' game(for lack of a better word/s).
Great post. Dead-on with my understanding also.
BTW: the terms I've seen used are "self directed" gameplay, implying that the direction taken is your own rather than provided by developer via NPC contact, or "free roaming" implying a non-linear world layout. Self motivated works too :-)
Ken Fisher - Semi retired old fart Network Administrator, now working in Network Security. I don't Forum PVP. If you feel I've attacked you, it was probably by accident. When I don't understand, I ask. Such is not intended as criticism.
Oddest thing. Although I do like open world games and sandboxes, I did not care much for the Elder Scroll games... Till now.
This last one's really nailed the sense of "being there", in my opinion. I don't know if it's the setting or the music and sound or the art style, but I was hooked within the first half hour or something. And I still haven't grown tired of the game.
So I guess if you're finding yourself thinking whether you're missing something, chances are you aren't. Because, see, I don't think this is the kind of game that you learn to appreciate after playing for something like 20 hours. It just gut-grabs you. Well, at least that's what it did to me.
And my god, the vistas in this game. A few days ago I was up on a hill trying to get a good shot of the landscape, and a bloody dragon swooped down on me, right out of nowhere! Well, that made a good shot alright. :P
Comments
Skyrim on a console is like watching the Superbowl on a 15" standard defintion TV.
I have 20+ mods active right now. Game looks beyond amazing.
http://www.skyrimnexus.com/imageshare/image.php?id=8382
http://www.skyrimnexus.com/imageshare/image.php?id=8833
http://www.skyrimnexus.com/imageshare/image.php?id=8739
Now I look at ToR. MMO or not... I feel like Bioware is about to release a HOT NEW portable tape player... while Bethesda has just released the first MP3 player.
Honestly, the game's not for everyone. If you like action-RPGs it's one of the best out there though.
There is so much to do in this game, it's insane. Personally, I'm playing a dark elf caster, and I'm having a blast (though I don't tend to play it for more than a couple hours at a time). However, based on how you wanna play, you can have some VERY different experiences.
For example, as a caster my stealth generally isn't the greatest, so I tend to have to resort to killing everything in sight rather than stealth (which is also why I rarely travel w/ a companion). If you go the heavy armor route, it's a lot more fast-paced, and you can perform finishing moves at random on your enemies, which can be very satisfying. You can also do the dagger / archery thing, with stealth & thievery, and the game plays a lot more like a stealth-ops game.
It is a very versatile game, and it is a good one, which is why so many people are enjoying it. It gives you a lot of freedom.
It seems you enjoy Bioware games so it can be hard to enjoy skyrim due to the contrast in gameplay. I myself am an avid Bioware fan and did not enjoy oblivion much, but skyrim has even me excited. Have only played a few hours but it certainly grabbed me, but if you are the type that likes a focus on story and perhaps a constant progression of sorts it can indeed be a rather meh game. But if in 9 hours you aren't having fun I doubt much will really change and much like any open world game you either love it or hate it.
I'm about 120 hours into Skyrim and I'm about to put it on hold for SWTOR's launch in two weeks. I would say renting it with a possibility of playing it for 400+hours, your better off waiting to play it again Mid next year. =P
Skyrim is no rental that's for sure, lol it takes time and a good chunk of your life....hehe just like an MMO does.
Wildstar (2013) & Elder Scroll Online (2013)
Playing: Diablo 3, WOW, Far Cry 3 & X-Com.
Enjoyed: WOW 5 1/2 yrs, LOTRO 3yrs, GW 1/2yr, DFO 1yr, EVE Online 3yrs, and Huxley (Beta).
Failed to impress: GW2 3months, Tera Online 6 months (best combat system in any MMO I've played) STO 1/4yr, Aion 1/2yr, AoC 1yr, CO, Fallen Earth, DDO, EQ2 1/2yr, WAR 1/2yr, Lineage 2 and FF XI 1/2yr, FF XIV.
Skyrim isnt for everyone, some people just want to play lInear games and be directed down a path and story, which is fine.
the way is see it, Skyrim is about creating your own story, exploring and sometimes, just messing around...
As for the graphics, I have to agree, they arent the best, considering they started working on their game in the gamebryo engine... and anyone who's ever used that engine will probably tell you they'd rather roll around in a pool full of aids. But thats why I bought the PC version, so I could get mods to make it look pretty!
"The problem with quotes from the Internet is that it's almost impossible to validate their authenticity." - Abraham Lincoln
@ OP Its not your CUP of TEA thats obvious. And for graphics i dont know if you play on console with a bad tv or lowend PC?
But i run Skyrim on highend PC with a superb full HD PC screen and my game looks gorgeous prolly million times better then your beloved UGLY looking OUTDATED TOR.
You eather like solo games with total freedom or not. You prolly like games where you follow path and they hold your hand then your at wrong place with Skyrim.
Have fun with whatever you play:)
Hope to build full AMD system RYZEN/VEGA/AM4!!!
MB:Asus V De Luxe z77
CPU:Intell Icore7 3770k
GPU: AMD Fury X(waiting for BIG VEGA 10 or 11 HBM2?(bit unclear now))
MEMORY:Corsair PLAT.DDR3 1866MHZ 16GB
PSU:Corsair AX1200i
OS:Windows 10 64bit
I know exactly what your feeling man- i think.
The first time i booted up skyrim i was like "What do YOU want me to do game? What's my goal?"
After playing roughly the same amount of time as you, i hopped online and did some searching. CLEARLY from all the glittering reviews i was doing something very wrong. I've never played TES games before this one, so it really was a hurdle to jump!
After reading abit and getting the general idea of the game, in that it is highly 'self-motivated' game(for lack of a better word/s).
So i restarted a new character, and asked"What do *I* want to do?" I wanted to explore at the time, and so i did. In that moment i grasped what it was all about. I went from coner to corner of the map, and could explore anything i wanted without restriction. Fell in love from there on out.
So, to address you OP- it MIGHT not be the game for you, OR- Your just not looking at it right. if you are in the mindset of "What does this game want me to do", you wont get very much out of this game.(besides the awesome main story) To get the most out of this game, just do whatever strikes you at the time. steal, kill, eat, marry someone, craft, enchant, etc. etc. etc. I have gotten the most enjoyment out of the game this way.
It's more rewarding to me as well, because the more stuff i do, the more areas i explore, the more loot i find...it all makes the game better and better, in that as my levels get higher, i get more perk points, and the mob's get harder/more varied.
Once one gets to about level 50 or maybe earlier, the game really amps up, in that the mob's will use better stuff against you, making you get more of a stratedgy together to beat them. What i mean is if you only do story missions, you'll beat the game at an early level, meaning it'll be a cakewalk. but, if you do other stuff first then go back to the story, there is much more stradegy involved in the higher levels of it all.
The Deep Web is sca-ry.
Just an example of different strokes for different folks is all. It's definitely not your age. I'm 40 and have been gaming constantly since Intellivision and Atari, and then right into the C64 and Zork. I never stopped. I've played a metric ton of games. Skyrim is easily one of the best games I have ever played. TOR on the other hand, aggrivated me and bored me to death within a very short period of time. Doesn't make Skyrim the best game for everyone, nor TOR the worst game for everyone.... just me.
The gaming industry is like a library to me. Everyone goes into it to find a game that fits their needs and preferences, and there's thousands of games to pick from. Everyone will have their own, individual experience with each title. No wrongs or rights when it comes to opinions, just peronal experiences that vary from person to person.
We need all different types of games because there's so many types of gamers in this market.
Bren
while(horse==dead)
{
beat();
}
Great post. Dead-on with my understanding also.
BTW: the terms I've seen used are "self directed" gameplay, implying that the direction taken is your own rather than provided by developer via NPC contact, or "free roaming" implying a non-linear world layout. Self motivated works too :-)
Oddest thing. Although I do like open world games and sandboxes, I did not care much for the Elder Scroll games... Till now.
This last one's really nailed the sense of "being there", in my opinion. I don't know if it's the setting or the music and sound or the art style, but I was hooked within the first half hour or something. And I still haven't grown tired of the game.
So I guess if you're finding yourself thinking whether you're missing something, chances are you aren't.
Because, see, I don't think this is the kind of game that you learn to appreciate after playing for something like 20 hours. It just gut-grabs you. Well, at least that's what it did to me.
And my god, the vistas in this game.
A few days ago I was up on a hill trying to get a good shot of the landscape, and a bloody dragon swooped down on me, right out of nowhere! Well, that made a good shot alright. :P