Haha Nord goes *bonk*

Although seriously, Nords are awesome.

The Children of the North, and Kyne's Chosen.

Oh yes, a Nord life is a life for me.

RAISE YOUR MUG!

bearbelly wrote: »

Eifleber wrote: »

Also how many people really care that much about lore?

It's a medieval-like fanstasy MMORPG.

Lore is one of its main pillars; a huge part the structure of a RPG.
I would imagine a majority of people who play games in this genre ("swords & sorcery" fantasy) care about the lore.
It's what sets this genre apart from others.

I guess for most people "acting like a medieval warrior or wizard" is roleplaying enough, even without lore or backgroud ..

bearbelly wrote: »

It's a medieval-like fanstasy MMORPG.
Lore is one of its main pillars; a huge part the structure of a RPG.
I would imagine a majority of people who play games in this genre ("swords & sorcery" fantasy) care about the lore.

That's what you would think. I've met both types of people here already: Lore fanatics - and those who only care for fighting (PvP or PvE), skip all dialogues, don't read a single book and don't care for the lore at all, as long as they can fight and farm for items. Which seems really weird for me (and I think it's a pity because TES lore is so complex and interesting), but it's their choice, not mine. What the percentages are - I don't know.

bearbelly wrote: »

But my assertion (which is my opinion, I'm not trying to say it's fact) is that there are more people who play fantasy games for whom lore is important than not.

Well, I don't know. I have already considered making a poll about that because I've always been wondering.

Eifleber wrote: »

I guess for most people "acting like a medieval warrior or wizard" is roleplaying enough, even without lore or backgroud ..

I'm not sure if it's most. But I've also realized that there are even roleplayers (and fan fiction writers) who assign their chars certain affiliations without really understanding the group they'd like to belong to. Making the Morag Tong look like fanatic lawless killers, or believing Great House Telvanni would participate in the Three Banners War (while they strictly refused to join the Ebonheart Pact for various reasons)... Everyone might make some mistakes, especially if it's all new to them, but sometimes it looks like label-picking without really understanding what it's all about. Okay, okay, I'll stop whining

Athan1 wrote: »

Thanks for the analysis, @ealdwin !

I guess my main question is... If you're playing a fantasy game with tons of races and magical creatures... why go plain? Why play a boring human, riding a boring horse, using a mundane sword and a shield? You can do this in literally any medieval video game. Human races are so boring and feel like copy/pasta - only Redguards stick out as more creative and fun but basically no-one uses them (just look at the poll). The Nedes (Nords, Imperials, Bretons), feel and look the same - if they're slim and short with white eyes you can't even tell them apart!

For me, the fun lies in playing as an elf, using magic, and doing things I can't do irl. I do try to stay lore-friendly and refrain from extravagant outfits/skins etc. But gotta spice it up a little!

So for me, the preference of Breton comes down to that my first character in an Elder Scrolls game was a Breton. At that point, character selection was had very little to do with lore or character story/background, and came down (1) does this race sound interesting and (2) can I make them look nice. Bretons being kind of like half-elves in a society built on knightly orders seemed cool, and I could make them look nice. As I continued to play ES games and delve into their lore, that interest in Bretons remained.

In general I just find their history and society interesting, the descendants of man and mer, at times working with their Elven cousins and at other times standing against them. Skilled in sword and sorcery, Bretons are found as court mages or brothers in arms. Their society is built on knightly orders and city states, at times united in common cause, and at others fragmented into disputing factions. I would like it if they had a bit more elven influence that was more visible beyond, skilled with magic and slightly pointy ears. Perhaps if they shared the interest in ancestors that elven cultures do. Not worshipping them, but more interest in blood-lines and genealogy with their own versions of the Great Houses, rising and falling. (We see some elements of this in ESO, but imo there could be more).

I also tend to gravitate towards Magicka based races for similar reasons as you stated. Magic is cool. Especially in ESO, where there are some really cool spells and effects. For that reason, in ESO in particular, my favourite races have tended to be Breton and Altmer. I've played Imperials in the other games, where they are a bit more jack-of-all-trades (and easier to make look nice). I've dabbled in playing stamina, but haven't managed to find as much fun as with magicka.

Khajiit all the way. I like playing a sneaky, conniving cat.
Second choice would be Bosmer.

I honestly like all the races for their own reasons, but argonians, imperials and bosmers are my favourites. Quite funny my favourites are from each race type. Man, mer and beast.

I personally enjoy all of the races' lore, but Argonians are just the most interesting in a way. Tree-born lizard people with heavy Native American and "Tribal" influences? That is just interesting without mentioning the fact they're also one of the cultures to actually worship Sithis, most commonly indirectly through the Hist.

Dunmer and Redguards are a surprisingly close second, and Khajiit are third.

Djennku wrote: »

I really enjoy the lore, culture, and lifestyle of the Argonians. They are unique in the world of Tamriel, and because they see things so vastly different compared to the other races in terms of values and beliefs, they are labeled as primitive and dumb when this couldn't be farther from the truth.

My absolute favorite thing about them is the lore of the Shadowscale order, and the Argonians' direct ties to Sithis. From what I understand of it, the Hist originate from Sithis' realm, making the Argonians direct descendants.

I personally don't believe that Argonians themselves are slaves to the Hist, but rather individuals that exist symbiotically with them, and that the Hist has created the forms of what we know today as Argonians for them to interact with this world. In turn, they keep the Hist protected and act as their eyes and ears when needed.

We know from already established lore that the Hist and Black Marsh are from a bygone era prior to the Elnofey wars, and from what I understand of Tamriel being the remnants of a larger world now destroyed or removed when the realms merged, it would make sense that what the Argonians may have been had the help of the Hist to keep from being exterminated, and thus they continue to exist as we know them today.

Most of this is just speculation on my part, as the world of the Elder Scrolls is very vague and full of mystery, but it's fun to imagine. XD

You can get into this:
https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Argonian
https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Hist
https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Sithis

From what I understand, Hist was created by Sithis, and then kind of fused with local lizards, creating argonians.
Sithis not being considered as a god, but rather a personification of life/death cycle.
https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Varieties_of_Faith:_The_Argonians
https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Children_of_the_Root

You may also notice that from argonian point of view, having children and stone houses is not optimal.
https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:The_Strangeness_of_Dryskins

Altmer, Bosmer, & Dunmer, not necessarily in that order, but the poll only lets you pick one. My response was going to be “Elves, of course!”

Raudgrani wrote: »

Nords could have a lot more depth, if they didn't only make them stand out as alcoholics, and if TES lore was based a little more on old Norse culture (not necessarily the faith, but customs etc!), and less on contemporary Swedish culture like fermented herring, meatballs, cheese/cheese cutters and drinking etc. A missed opportunity there. However, I like the new Solitude furnishings in a way, because a lot of them are based on actual Norse archaeological artifacts. Great research there!

Agreed

Elvenheart wrote: »

“Please, have a seat here on the couch while I get my clipboard so I can take notes while we discuss this further.”
Just teasing, I create interesting back stories and familial connections for all my characters in the games I play too, and I find I don’t have fun with a new character until their story is somewhat in place. I have tried to imagine describing their stories to a psychologist and what they might think the stories mean about ME, though! 😁

My main started as a young Telvanni mage, was exiled from his home due to House issues (that really was unpleasant...), then spent years traveling, got in shady company, got out of it again, made closer acquaintance with a living God, had a severe accident with a Dwemer machine after which both of his arms had to be amputated (It's only a crumb of comfort, but finally it was an advantage to know Lord Seht...). After several months of rest he was travelling again, and at the moment he's about to resolve his conflicts in his homeland.

Any psychologist would probably be shocked. And I'd probably be shocked about their misinterpretations.

Zodiarkslayer wrote: »

I am Breton. Always.
In Oblivion and Skyrim I always got the max magic resistance and went on high elf killing sprees. God, that felt good.
Why the hate for arrogant racists, you might ask?
Just because.

So to you each single Altmer, without any exceptions, is a racist - because of their race?

The_Lex wrote: »

I love the history of the Dunmer - how they went from Altmer to Chimer to Dunmer; the worship of Boethia, Mephala, and Azura; the creation of the Four Corners of the House of Troubles; the Anticipations (their rise and fall); the geography and topography of Resdayn/Morrowind; etc.

I would have picked Nord as a very close second if it included "ancient" (late-Merethic, 1E) Nords. With the exception of Lyris Titanborn and the Nord from the ESO trailers, ESO Nords are like a separate race compared to Ysgramor and the 500 Companions, the ancient Nordic pantheon with the animal totem/avatars, dragon worship and uprising, and the era of the Tongues. If ESO is truly cannon, I don't know what happened to the 2E Nords. Maybe they were drinking bad mead.

I bet they had a cold winter and aĺ the bees died. So there was no mead. All they had was fermented mammoth milk.

Elsonso wrote: »

Body modification is an essential part of any real commitment in the service of Seht.

I know the Apostles consider it an expression of deep faith, as striving towards perfection and eliminating nature's flaws is seen as a main virtue in the worship of Lord Seht. Still, not all of them have modifications (at least visible ones ). Also - may the Apostles proclaim what they want - I have the impression that Sotha Sil doesn't think highly of those with an unquestioning mind. You know: "Smash the old machines, and from the wreckage, assemble new truths."