SnubbS wrote: »

What did this game do to deserve its 'M' rating? It feels like it should be a 'T' rating.

I recall the game having a "T" rating when I bought it. Which got upped to a "M" rating with the coming of the justice system, when we could suddenly steal and murder our way across tamriel...
...so I am guessing that was the big reason. Crimes against NPCs?

Kiralyn2000 wrote: »

Browiseth wrote: »

Kiralyn2000 wrote: »

Cadbury wrote: »

Reading this topic makes me wish CD Projekt would make an MMO set in The Witcher universe.

Ugh, Witcher. Was never able to get past the first game. Just. Don't. Like. Geralt.

(also, kind of tired of the whole "dark & gritty" movement of the past few years. No, I have no interest in watching Game of Thrones. )

Odd that you describe "dark and gritty" as a movement. Its not like dark fantasy is a hip new thing or anything

Guess I just remember it as being a Big Thing that everyone was gushing over, from around the time the first Dragon Age came out (at least, in the video game world). Sure, Dark & Gritty existed, but I don't remember it being a super-mainstream thing in games/movies/TV until the last decade or so. Eh, whatever.

Go find the first "Conan the Barbarian" and watch it.
Sure, the sequel went all flowers and sugar-honey iced tea in the regards of dark and gritty, but there was a time when moviemakers actually dared more in the past as well...

Browiseth wrote: »

Kiralyn2000 wrote: »

Browiseth wrote: »

Kiralyn2000 wrote: »

Cadbury wrote: »

Reading this topic makes me wish CD Projekt would make an MMO set in The Witcher universe.

Ugh, Witcher. Was never able to get past the first game. Just. Don't. Like. Geralt.

(also, kind of tired of the whole "dark & gritty" movement of the past few years. No, I have no interest in watching Game of Thrones. )

Odd that you describe "dark and gritty" as a movement. Its not like dark fantasy is a hip new thing or anything

Guess I just remember it as being a Big Thing that everyone was gushing over, from around the time the first Dragon Age came out (at least, in the video game world). Sure, Dark & Gritty existed, but I don't remember it being a super-mainstream thing in games/movies/TV until the last decade or so. Eh, whatever.

@Kiralyn2000 the 80's are a wonderous cesspool of raunchy fantasy B-movies, so it's hardly a recent development that "the kids" are only enjoying, you closet hipster you

speaking of Dragon Age, i wish elder scrolls would tackle the darker themes like those games do. there's a reason why "argonian slavery" is usually joked about amongst the community; because the games always shy away from showing how awful it must be and subsequently leaving a gross taste in your mouth like Dragon Age's depiction of elven opression
just as an example

by the way i like Dragon Age

I loved the depictions of the city elves in DA-O... of course, that game also had a few other really, really great features (like the race-epecific origin storieswhich then combined to start the main plot - I loved that one, brought real value to multiple character playthroughs just to see the various options...)

But yeah, its best to show people why slavery is not such a good idea for the slaves... not just tell them, -show- them. Uncle Sheo is right on target with that one!

Kharnis wrote: »

ArchMikem wrote: »

I'm talking like fleshed out Gore in combat mechanics such as dismemberment from physical attacks, blood on your sword from jabbing with Ransack, etc. Or including full on nudity for character models when you don't have anything equipped. The pros would be the fanbase actually praising ZOS for once for giving us an experience that allows more of the nitty gritty, the cons however would force more parents to keep this game out of the hands of their kids they let play, not to mention the expected flesh parties that would take place in every player hub.

Then there's the obvious question of, "does the game even need that stuff?" Need? Of course not, it's fine as is, and the problems that kind of mature, adult content could and or would create probably may outweigh any kind of beneficial outcome to our gaming experience. But just for poops n' giggles anyway, how would you as the player react to a bit more of a darker, red light district Elder Scrolls? Would it enhance your experience in the game world, or would you just discard that armor and dance like a dark elf in front of people trying to use the Banker.

I partially agree with you. I've always said Zeni should own their "M" rating, but I don't want to necessarily go as far as you wish. Gore? Sure. Within reason. Having fountains of blood every time you hack into someone or something would get comical after a while. But the occasional spray or spatter of it, such as when a critical hit is made? Sure. Dismemberment is too far, in my opinion, as that gets old quickly, too.

Actually... it would be all right, as long as they do it -right-! Say, like those "death animations" if you kill someone with a critical magic hit, you know, the burning to ashes, or freezing and crfumbling, etc. No reason the same mechanic could also have gore-y finishers with weapon kills...
One idea I liked in this regard would be the old: https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/222351/brutality-pack-concept/p1
Having extra gore as purchasable expansion pack would solve a lot -. those who really want it pay extra, those who dislike it just don't buy it. Simple.

Kharnis wrote: »

Nudity is also not needed. But the showing of skin? Absolutely. Especially with some NPC outfits and the costumes. I like the chainmail bikini as much as the next person, but I rather like the armours the artists have come up with. Some of them, mostly in the medium armours (in my personal opinion) look damn good on characters, even if they're covering up the body.
So, since I'm a big believer in player choice, give us a choice: players can have their characters wear costumes if they want that so-called sexy look, and the players who want "realism" (which always made me laugh in a game with magic and the ability for characters to survive a hit to the head with a mace, especially while wearing a cloth cap) can show their armour.

Full nudity? Not needed, agreed. Oh, sure, it would be fun to laugh at some naked nords dangly bits, but its not really something we truly need (although, if you consider how much money they could make selling... uhm... "dangly bit expansions" to all the boys in the crown store... I mean, I can imagine it "Want to look less like a greek statue and more like the man you want to be? Buy this in the crown store, only 1000 crowns per extra inch..." )

I for one -would- want to see something done with the ugly modern-looking underwear though. Was a linen loincloth too much to ask? Of course, I would also want more oipportunities to show it off - like armor reducing swimming speed (and swimming having a stamina cost, and armor also increasing that, to the poiunt where you cannot swim at all in full heavy armor... so people who want to swim should strip down for it... and then maybe have to fight their first enemy out of the water without armor...)

But in battle, I prefer characters to look armored rather then clad in skimpy silks. Heck, I oftan say I'd love it if every "civilian" costume unequipped automatically as soon as you enter combat (since I consider them all to be mere "Illusion disguises" like the one in Orsinium anyhow...)

Kharnis wrote: »

More important than anything, though, is that Zeni needs to get a lock on the atmosphere of the game. This is supposed to be a world where society broke down (the Empire) and the various warlords are trying to fill the vacuum (the Alliances). And this is on top of a number of supernatural threats that have decided this is a great time to start making trouble. The world should feel dangerous, and un-natural. A lot can be said against The Secret World (and it has), but the one thing they nailed was how dark and dangerous and creepy the world felt. That is what the game should be aiming for. It should feel extremely unsafe to step outside the city walls, especially at night. It doesn't have to actually be more dangerous than it currently is, it just has to feel it. For instance, there's a cabin in Stormhaven called "Uncle Sheo's Cabin." There's no one in it, and only a single note amongst a bunch of...well, stuff, we'll call it. Creepy as hell, though. This is what there should be more of in the game, only ramped up to an 11 here and there. They came close in Rivenspire, but didn't quite hit the mark.

Agreed, atmosphere is much more important. And there some background grittyness would be very welcome.

One of the things that always vexed me a bit was the lack of such... everyone is either alive and unhurt, or long dead and a skeleton or burned husk. None of the "wounded" you meet in quests are actually blood-covered, there are none missing limbs, heck, the people you sometimes "rescue" from burning buildings or from under rubble don't even have torn or singed clothing! It does make the whole thing feel more like a amateur theater play then an immersive world, sometimes... and don't get me started on the "rescue my kid" quests when mentioned "kid" turns out to be a fully grown man who needs the player to hold their hands walking a dozend steps...

BtW, that "Shrine of Sheogorath" cabin always felt like there ought to be some quest that ended up dropped from the game... just like the fisherman hut in grahtwood, or the deserted argonian village in shadowfen...

In the end, both gorey grittyness and nudish naughtyness can be a good thing, or a bad thing, depending on how they are handled. If they were to add somesuich just to have it irregardless of the story... that would likely become a bad thing (just think of unneeded *** or blood scenes in TV shows like "Spartacus - blood and sand", which are sometimes all too obviously added without contributing anything to the story, just to show some boobies or CGI blood... and thus end up a jarring distraction in the story...), but if they handle it right, in just the proper dosage and especially where the story fits, it becomes a good thing (more like the scenes in Games of Thrones, where what nudity or gore happens, adds to the story instead of distracting from it).
Done right, I'd love to see more of it in ESO. Though I for one wouldn't hold my breath for the powers to be to shell out development money to make it so...