Which Pre ESO Game Was Your Favourite?

MasterSpatula · May 2016

Morrowind

As much as I love Oblivion, Skyrm, and ESO, I also dislike the progression of the changes in the gameplay. While I think the term "dumbing down" is subjective and not entirely fair, it is objectively true that Bethesda and ZOS have catered more and more to the action/twitch game crowd (a community that already has essentially every other game on the market aimed at it) and less and less at traditional RPG fans (a community that is completely taken for granted these days).

Give me Daggerfall-like characters, where I have to buy advantages by taking disadvantages, not Skyrim-like complete removal of stats. But hey, for every half-blind klutz in their 40s, there's ten 20-year-old with an adrenaline addiction. My money's as good as their's, and my loyalty is pretty strong, but there's ten of them and one of me.

But of course, the real reason I love Morrowind best is story and characters.

dodgehopper_ESO · May 2016

Can't Choose Just One

There were great things about each, and they can't be valued without the perspective of the era. Morrowind was great, honestly earthshattering. The combat on it though seems really bad by today's standards. Oblivion likewise had great elements but the combat was weaker than Skyrim. Skyrim had the best combat system but also the weakest in terms of player decision and guild options or storyline choices. All three added to the series, I can't pick.

menedhyn · May 2016

Can't Choose Just One

Tricky, if not impossible, for me to pick one over another. Each game offered something different whilst still feeling familiar.

I remember spending a lot of time playing as an alchemist and spell maker in Oblivion. The sheer volume of ingredients, potion combinations and spell combinations meant I was never bored. With Skyrim it was much more about self-imposed limitations (long bow and iron dagger, combined with poisons and a handful of spells) and generally trying to survive. It was surprising just how much you could do by ditching high level armour and weaponry.

I deeply regret not having played Morrowind... yet. I think i've missed out on something special there.

Senet · May 2016

Can't Choose Just One

Actually my favorite was Daggerfall. One of the things I was most looking forward to ESO when I first heard about it in fact, was seeing the city in modern graphics.

Marktoneth3 · May 2016

Skyrim

Skyrim was my first

but I like oblivion because I can fight under water with those Slag fish

Morrowind I love the soundtrack

OmniDo · May 2016

Oblivion

ZOS_DaryaK wrote: »

It should be noted that both require the use of a DOS emulator. Unless, of course, you have an old DOS system you keep for this very reason.

Uhh...I was born in the late 70's bro.
That means I pre-date DOS, and no self-respecting geek wouldnt already be quite familiar with Virtualization software.

Uriel_Nocturne · May 2016

Solariken wrote: »

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Uriel_Nocturne wrote: »

Solariken wrote: »

Uriel_Nocturne wrote: »

Solariken wrote: »

Uriel_Nocturne wrote: »

Solariken wrote: »

Morrowind had a depth of gameplay and immersion that has not been matched since in my opinion. [1]It's really sad to see Bethesda dumb down the franchise in attempt to appeal to the fickle masses simply to make more money. [2]ESO is an abomination in that respect - it's the most superficial and watered down TES title to date. ZOS is lucky the combat is the best I've played in an MMO, I wouldn't have stuck around otherwise.

1) I really hate that phrase... it's in no way true, and in no way a good descriptor for the games changes.

2) That's because ESO is an MMO first, Elder Scrolls second. It's an MMO with an Elder Scrolls theme. If you were thinking of ESO as a regular Elder Scrolls game with some "online" thrown in, then the problem is you and not the game. The development staff were very clear, many times, before/during/after ESO launched that this is not going to be "Morrowind/Oblivion/Skyrim Online". If you were still thinking it was going to be that, then you are the problem, not the game.

Take that as you will, but I think stepping back and getting a bit of perspective might do you some good.

Sorry if you don't like the phrase " dumbed down" @Uriel_Nocturne but that's the truth. Skyrim doesn't even compare to the depth of gameplay Morrowind offers. If you have a problem with the phrase, you probably didn't play the games in order of release like many of us.

ESO should have been TES first and PvP MMO second. The problem is they really tried to hybridize a bunch of game types/genres and it really sucked at first, though they have made some positive changes as they figure it out (IC is the the closest thing to what it should have been, IMO). I think this should have been a heavily PvP-centric game and leave the pure PvE questing to the single player TES games. Also, there are enough traditional PvE MMOs out there already.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

I've played since Daggerfall. The game evolving with each iteration is not a "dumbing down", it's the natural progression of a series. You say "Skyrim doesn't compare". I'll counter that with my own opinion which is that Skyrim is the best in the series, and a great example of the natural evolution of a series as technology and player popularity allow them to try different and better things.

As for your second point; If you want a PvP-centric MMO, go check out BDO. That garbage game should be right up your alley. And as for what you think it should have been, that's irrelevant. What ESO is, is an MMO first, Elder Scrolls second.

You say that there are "enough traditional MMO's out there already", yet every one that gets released does better for population than any other game in any other genre. They keep selling, and people keep playing. They're still very much in demand, which refutes what you think pretty soundly.

If you want more PvP, go play a MOBA. They're designed for nothing but that, and by your posts, that seems like what you really want.

@Uriel_Nocturne I don't know where all that hostility is coming from, but you're wrong. ZOS marketing for this game initially revolved almost entirely around PvP and how focal it was (supposed to be) to the game. Cyrodiil and Imperial City are HUGE parts of this game and despite so many people leaving the PvP community is still quite large. It's now clear that ZOS is in fact taking this game in a " Skyrim online" direction and shoving PvP to the back seat, and that is a massive mistake because ESO can never be as good of a PvE game as the single player TES games.

This game is living up to only a minute fraction of the potential for what a TES MMO could/should be.

And I apologize for that. I re-read my own post, realized it was way more hostile than I ever intended, and edited it accordingly.

I apologize for misconstruing my own thoughts/words.

I disagree with the idea that PvP was going to be the center of the game. I've watched all of the same marketing, played in all of the same Beta's. What I saw was Zenimax trying to make an MMO that was evenly split in importance between PvE and PvP.

The problem is; while that's a noble goal, most people play MMO's for the PvE. Aside from MOBA's and specifically Open World PvP MMO's, the PvE segment of most every MMO on the market is also the most heavily populated side of MMO's. regardless if what Zeni's marketing tried to promote, players came to ESO for mainly two reasons:

1) It's a new MMO.
2) It's Elder Scrolls themed.

So regardless of how Zeni views this as "not a traditional MMO", it is an MMO. While the PvP population might be quite large, the PvE population dwarfs it. As far as the changes leading further and further away from PvP; well, Zeni is going to do what most every other MMO does. Adjust the game to fit the largest population.

I also don't think that they realistically wanted to "beat out" the SP Elder Scrolls. I think that Zeni just wants to have an Elder Scrolls themed MMO that holds its own amongst other MMO's. And they're succeeding there quite remarkably if the awards its winning are any indication.

Well I won't deny any of that. As I think about it, you know what my biggest frustration is with this game?

Above all else, it should have at least been a sandbox world, which historically is the heart and soul of the Elder Scrolls franchise. Instead, it's largely theme park in nature.

We should have had spell/ability crafting, no rigid classes, horizontal progression, world building, and so much more.

Remember how awesome it was in Morrowind to find a quaint little shop in Balmora, murder the shopkeeper, and use the crates inside as your personal banking hideout? And then use a lock spell on the door when you left so NPCs wouldn't go inside? Man, those were the days.

But anyway, Camelot Unchained is indeed that type of game and as soon as it drops that's where I'm headed.

I can agree with all of this.

ShedsHisTail · May 2016

Morrowind

Morrowind changed my life.

I always liked video games, but could never get really invested in them. I'd play for a while here and there, but eventually get bored and go back to reading a book or whatever.

Then this one day I went over to my friends house, an I walk in and he's sitting at his computer playing this game. I look over his shoulder and I see this first person perspective, he's got an axe and a shield. He's slowly walking down a flight of ramshackle wooden stairs. A dust storm has risen and wind is whipping past him, the visibility is basically nil, so he's taking his time, on the look out for enemies. Suddenly, out of nowhere, there's this low rumbling sound, almost like a growl, and bullnetch floats between a pair of towering mushrooms, minding it's own business. I'm staring at the screen awestruck. And I'm like "What game is -that-?" He shows me the box and everything changed for me, gaming-wise, right at that moment.

I've never had an experience like that with any other game. Morrowind was both so alien and yet undeniably grounded. It was fantasy, high fantasy... the -highest- fantasy; but it lacked the typical tropes. No elves, no dwarves, no dragons or fairies. Instead it was a hard-wrought, gritty world full of realistic characters, Men and Mer, nix-hounds and netches, daedra and dagoths. And the people, too, were so foreign, sure they were humanoid, but they were new and distinct cultures; and the dominant race wasn't white-people (which was rad.)

Even the magic felt grounded.

Then there was story, god was there story, not just the main story; but side stories, side stories to the side stories. Story elements I didn't even no existed until months, even years after my first play through. The Twin Lamps and the Morag Tong, the various Daedric shrines, the vampire clans, the Ashlanders... There was just so much game there.

And this was back when the internet was still fairly new, so going online for YouTube videos, and tactics and walkthroughs was something which you just didn't really think to do. There was no, "How do I find X item?" and even if you could find a walkthrough, it usually just a paragraph of text with no pictures which was barely any more useful than the quest text the game provided.

Morrowind pulled you in because it didn't hold your hand. You had to learn it. It was a world you had to become a part of to survive.

That's what I miss about Morrowind that the newer Elder Scrolls games couldn't provide. Each subsequent game, Oblivion and Skyrim, inched their way closer to the typical high fantasy mold. Oblivion with it's more familiar environments an landscapes, Skyrim with the introduction of dragons and more familiar cultural elements. They've sacrificed what made Morrowind a truly unique an interesting game.

I don't blame them, of course, a lot of that has to do with the locations and cultures of the peoples and places in those regions of Tamriel... But I am -really- looking forward to revisiting Vvardenfell in ESO and maybe, just maybe, finally seeing Blackmarsh.

TerraDewBerry · May 2016

Oblivion

WalkingLegacy wrote: »

Where are Arena and Daggerfall on this list.

Daggerfall was awesome.. but somehow people think The Elder Scrolls Series began with Morrowind? Hahahahahahaha... ....

kip_silverwolf · May 2016

Can't Choose Just One

They are all so good, I can't choose a favorite! Each and every one has something about it which I love.

All of them that feeling of awesomeness when you step out of the dungeon and into the lands of Tamriel for the first time. Lol Daggerfall especially, because it was the ultimate accomplishment for me, having taken so many months of blood, sweat and tears! (and many, many rage quits!

) Never before (or since) has a game challenged me like that (Lol, not even Dark Souls!) but that was what I love about it!

Oblivion I love for the questlines (Sanguine's 'naked' quest being one of my favorites!

) as well as being able to sword and board PLUS use magic without swapping! ( so hoping for the return of that magic 'C' button for ES6)

and Skyrim I love for the wolf twins!

It's not just gameplay either that makes the series so great! Jeremy Soule is simply amazing with the music and soundtracks!

ShedsHisTail · May 2016

Morrowind

Ahnastashia wrote: »

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WalkingLegacy wrote: »

Where are Arena and Daggerfall on this list.

Daggerfall was awesome.. but somehow people think The Elder Scrolls Series began with Morrowind? Hahahahahahaha... ....

I actually played Daggerfall a bit before Morrowind came out. A typical game would involve smooth sailing for 25-30 hours, rob a few shops, rob a few graves. Then, eventually, lost in a massive dungeon and never find my way out.

Uriel_Nocturne · May 2016

ShedsHisTail wrote: »

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Ahnastashia wrote: »

WalkingLegacy wrote: »

Where are Arena and Daggerfall on this list.

Daggerfall was awesome.. but somehow people think The Elder Scrolls Series began with Morrowind? Hahahahahahaha... ....

I actually played Daggerfall a bit before Morrowind came out. A typical game would involve smooth sailing for 25-30 hours, rob a few shops, rob a few graves. Then, eventually, lost in a massive dungeon and never find my way out.

I only ever made two characters in Daggerfall over the course of 4000+ hours put into that game.

Sadly to this day, one of those characters still has not emerged from a dungeon...

I still get on and try to rescue him from time to time, but it's looking pretty bleak. lol

crazmadsci · May 2016

Not on the list but TES Arena is my favorite! The very 1st TES game

WalkingLegacy · May 2016

Morrowind

ShedsHisTail wrote: »

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Ahnastashia wrote: »

WalkingLegacy wrote: »

Where are Arena and Daggerfall on this list.

Daggerfall was awesome.. but somehow people think The Elder Scrolls Series began with Morrowind? Hahahahahahaha... ....

I actually played Daggerfall a bit before Morrowind came out. A typical game would involve smooth sailing for 25-30 hours, rob a few shops, rob a few graves. Then, eventually, lost in a massive dungeon and never find my way out.

I think Daggerfall is where I saw my first pair of pixelated female chest organs.

phairdon · May 2016

Oblivion

Oblivion was my first experience playing Elder Scrolls games. Spent many hours playing, adding a multitude of mods along the way.
Looked forward to Skyrim with a lot of anticipation. By the time I went through the game once, had no desire to play again.

Bought Morrowind as well, did not enjoy the game. Not sure If I made it quarter of the way through the game/

Now having memories of my first play through. Being chased by Wolves somewhere near Skingrad. Trying to out run the creatures, as they were too OP for me at level 1 lol (nerf Wolves).

ShedsHisTail · May 2016

Morrowind

Uriel_Nocturne wrote: »

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ShedsHisTail wrote: »

Ahnastashia wrote: »

WalkingLegacy wrote: »

Where are Arena and Daggerfall on this list.

Daggerfall was awesome.. but somehow people think The Elder Scrolls Series began with Morrowind? Hahahahahahaha... ....

I actually played Daggerfall a bit before Morrowind came out. A typical game would involve smooth sailing for 25-30 hours, rob a few shops, rob a few graves. Then, eventually, lost in a massive dungeon and never find my way out.

I only ever made two characters in Daggerfall over the course of 4000+ hours put into that game.

Sadly to this day, one of those characters still has not emerged from a dungeon...

I still get on and try to rescue him from time to time, but it's looking pretty bleak. lol

You're like that guy who has been playing the same Civilization II game for ten years.

Egonieser · May 2016

Morrowind

Moonscythe wrote: »

Everybody who played it misses Morrowind. I think it would be great if Bethesda gave it to a subsidiary studio for a major do over. Bethesda is too small to spend that kind of time doing it right but, as Square Enix proved, there is a market for a redone, much beloved, classic. I would buy it.

Why? The community mods have done more for them than any remaster ever would, I mean look at Morrowind MGSO and Tamriel Rebuilt mods, do you really think they need a AAA company to do this? If anything they would only screw it up because they don't put their heart and soul into it unlike a community project who truly do it out of love not for financial gains.

Also Skywind is coming along nicely (Morrowind rebuilt on Skyrim engine, you have the graphics and physics of Skyrim, but everything else - quests, stats, crafting, exploring like in Morrowind with some few minor additions that lacked in original Morrowind due to technical limitations of its time).

No, no remasters are needed - remasters are just quick moneygrabs. If you want a true remaster - community modders will do it twice better and with love put into it - and best yet - it's free as well (obviously you need to own the basegame)

Seriously though, YouTube or Google for Morrowind MGSO and Tamriel rebuilt mods and have a glance at it - they beautifully transform the Morrowind we all love and adore into a beautiful, almost modern looking game (obviously as much as the technical limitations of the engine allow, but still).

wayfarerx · May 2016

Can't Choose Just One

This is like asking someone to pick their favorite child! So difficult...

Morrowind was probably the best RPG of all time for many reasons. I specifically remember killing Vivec, trapping his soul and using it to power my ultra bad-*** staff as one of the highlights of my CRPG tenure. Unfortunately I hate the Dunmer
Oblivion had awesome side quests and story, but I was really disappointed with the last fight in the main quest.
Skyrim was absolutely epic in the way that it played and combat was tons of fun, but I agree that a lot of the RPG elements were dumbed down.

I only ever played Arena and Daggerfall well after the fact and had trouble getting too deep into them because they had aged so much.

WalkingLegacy · May 2016

Morrowind

ShedsHisTail wrote: »

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Uriel_Nocturne wrote: »

ShedsHisTail wrote: »

Ahnastashia wrote: »

WalkingLegacy wrote: »

Where are Arena and Daggerfall on this list.

Daggerfall was awesome.. but somehow people think The Elder Scrolls Series began with Morrowind? Hahahahahahaha... ....

I actually played Daggerfall a bit before Morrowind came out. A typical game would involve smooth sailing for 25-30 hours, rob a few shops, rob a few graves. Then, eventually, lost in a massive dungeon and never find my way out.

I only ever made two characters in Daggerfall over the course of 4000+ hours put into that game.

Sadly to this day, one of those characters still has not emerged from a dungeon...

I still get on and try to rescue him from time to time, but it's looking pretty bleak. lol

You're like that guy who has been playing the same Civilization II game for ten years.

That's because, like someone said earlier, Civ is another game where it devolved tremendously after III

TerraDewBerry · May 2016

Oblivion

ShedsHisTail wrote: »

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Ahnastashia wrote: »

WalkingLegacy wrote: »

Where are Arena and Daggerfall on this list.

Daggerfall was awesome.. but somehow people think The Elder Scrolls Series began with Morrowind? Hahahahahahaha... ....

I actually played Daggerfall a bit before Morrowind came out. A typical game would involve smooth sailing for 25-30 hours, rob a few shops, rob a few graves. Then, eventually, lost in a massive dungeon and never find my way out.

I remember being able to fly in Daggerfall... it was just amazing. I too got lost in the randomly generated dungeons... and remember getting "in the wall" syndrome...

Sheey · May 2016

Morrowind

Morrowind was the best Game in my opinion*. I loved the Spellcrafting and the possibity to reach 'godmode'.
--> Soultrap (on your self) + Max Attributes = perma. addentional Stats every time you recasted that self casted spell.
Skyrim was pretty nice as well but it didn't give me that positive feeling how I had it with playing Morrowind.

Age of Empire III was same good as Morrowind but an other kind of game in general.

JD2013 · May 2016

Morrowind

Morrowind. Always Morrowind.

Such a weird feeling, such an alien landscape ... Such a fantastic story. It's probably why I hang out in Stonefalls and Deshaan so often in this game.

Yolokin_Swagonborn · May 2016

Cyrodill 1.4 - 1.5 when PvP worked.

Tavore1138 · May 2016

Daggerfall

CaptainBeerDude · May 2016

Morrowind

WalkingLegacy wrote: »

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Shadowfx1970 wrote: »

I must admit Morrowind was the first in the series I played fully I did have a go at Arena that a friend had, but I missed Daggerfall which I hear was really good too.

They should certainly update and redo some of the classic games.

Patiently waiting for Skywind (Morrowind in Skyrim engine) Besides Star Citizen, it's the only other game I am actually excited for.

Is this a real thing? Do we console plebs get it? C'mon Bethesda, take my damn money.

WalkingLegacy · May 2016

Morrowind

CaptainBeerDude wrote: »

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WalkingLegacy wrote: »

Shadowfx1970 wrote: »

I must admit Morrowind was the first in the series I played fully I did have a go at Arena that a friend had, but I missed Daggerfall which I hear was really good too.

They should certainly update and redo some of the classic games.

Patiently waiting for Skywind (Morrowind in Skyrim engine) Besides Star Citizen, it's the only other game I am actually excited for.

Is this a real thing? Do we console plebs get it? C'mon Bethesda, take my damn money.

Real thing for PC only. Must own Morrowind and Skyrim for it to work.

WalkingLegacy · May 2016

Morrowind

Skywind

phairdon · May 2016

Oblivion

WalkingLegacy wrote: »

Skywind

Looks good. Still a work in progress though?

BlackguardBob · May 2016

Oblivion

Oblivion is the only XBOX game I have ever completed including the DLCs for the achievements. I found this game very uplifting but I would have voted for Morrowind if it had not been for the dreadful Cliffracers. I hated those creatures and found them to be of nuisance value and far too prevalent.

WalkingLegacy · May 2016

Morrowind

phairdon wrote: »

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WalkingLegacy wrote: »

Skywind

Looks good. Still a work in progress though?

Unfortunately.