Bethesda's "Giant Middle Finger"

[AlduinWorldEater]

Putting this in the spoiler forum due to DB content.

 

I've been really immersing myself in the Dragonborn add-on lately. Reading, talking, wandering...and overall, I think Bethesda gave a giant "screw you" to all the players (myself included) who wanted to go back to Morrowind. Various conversations and literary items tell us that Vvardenfell is now completely uninhabitable thanks to Red Mountain. Vivec, Gnisis, Balmora, and Ald-Ruhn are confirmed as destroyed, and there's confirmed damage across the mainland too.

 

I've also been looking at the world map for Solstheim itself. It's NOTHING like the original Bloodmoon island. There are familiar landmarks, such as Raven Rock, Fort Frostmoth, Skaal Village, etc., but the layout's all wrong. Sure, the island got blasted by the eruption of Red Mountain, but it wouldn't change the positioning of things to that extent.

 

Overall, I just feel like Bethesda stuck a finger in the faces of those who wanted to return to the land of the Silt Striders...sort of an indirect way of saying, "You want to go back to Morrowind? Here, we'll slap a bunch of crap together that you'll recognise to shut you up."

[Faelrin]

I honestly never thought they would let us go back to Morrowind anyways. I thought we might get Solstheim at some point (which we did), but I wasn't counting on it either. Though yeah the map positioning of some things was weird, but its not a huge deal to me either. Then again I haven't really played Bloodmoon in years, so my memories waned there, and I guess that's probably why its not a big deal to me either. The only thing I would have liked to see was guars. Though I was pleased with the ash hoppers even if they aren't the same as the scribs.

 

Unless you meant this in like a future game scenario, then yeah it does suck that Vvardenfell was pretty much obliterated.

[AlduinWorldEater]

Yeah, I'd meant a future scenario. We won't be returning to Morrowind - Bethesda once stated "we will never make a game as big as Morrowind again". Personally, I just wanted a remake.

 

Here's hoping SkyWind doesn't get shut down like its predecessor.

[Faelrin]

I think this one has the okay because they're doing everything from scratch this time, and not using old assets. Though part of me still wonders what Vvardenfell was like after being destroyed even if its totally uninhabitable now. Would also be nice if they would explore the rest of Morrowind that wasn't, such as Blacklight and other places we haven't been to yet. Maybe if they ever do a game in Black Marsh, since from what I recall a lot of Argonians kind of raided some parts of Morrowind, then perhaps those places could be explored in a dlc or something. Though they probably won't.

[notmyhome]

That dieing Silt Strider you find in DB really has some poetic value...

As a reminder that Morrowind (the game as well as the province) is GONE and we all should get over it already.

Why? Because this is the Arena and not Ponyville.

[Riprock]

<snip.>I've also been looking at the world map for Solstheim itself. It's NOTHING like the original Bloodmoon island. There are familiar landmarks, such as Raven Rock, Fort Frostmoth, Skaal Village, etc., but the layout's all wrong. Sure, the island got blasted by the eruption of Red Mountain, but it wouldn't change the positioning of things to that extent.

 

Overall, I just feel like Bethesda stuck a finger in the faces of those who wanted to return to the land of the Silt Striders...sort of an indirect way of saying, "You want to go back to Morrowind? Here, we'll slap a bunch of crap together that you'll recognise to shut you up."

 

 

I really find this a childish attitude. Let's look at your complaints:

 

1) "the world map for Solstheim itself. It's NOTHING like the original Bloodmoon island."

 

Of course it is. You say so yourself, in your very next sentence: "There are familiar landmarks, such as Raven Rock, Fort Frostmoth, Skaal Village, etc". By your own admission it is SOMEthing like "the original Bloodmoon Island". Your complaint is that it is not exactly like the original.

 

2) "Overall, I just feel like Bethesda stuck a finger in the faces of those who wanted to return to the land of the Silt Strider"

 

Did you not know that Dragonborn only included Solstheim, which is, only in a technical sense, "the land of the Silt Strider"? Firstly, Silt Striders were never in "the original Bloodmoon Island", they were in Morrowind. Bloodmoon was an add-on to Morrowind. You're complaining that an add-on to Skyrim doesn't exactly replicate the add-on to Morrowind...AND that the Skyrim-add-on doesn't have the content of Morrowind, too? Whiskey tango Foxtrot. Secondly, just what makes you believe in some kind of conspiracy at "Bethesda" to disappoint you? You figure they were cackling to themselves, whispering "Oh boy, this will REALLY be a giant middle finger to our customers, he he hee heee hee hee!"? Dude. Really?

 

3) "sort of an indirect way of saying, "You want to go back to Morrowind?"

 

Stop. Right. There. Dragonborn was not about Vvardenfell, and you knew it. So stop.

 

4) "Here, we'll slap a bunch of crap together that you'll recognise to shut you up."

 

This last bit is just a temper tantrum. Nobody from "Bethesda" promised you any of the things you're complaining about. You seem to think the point of Dragonborn was to fool people. Try looking at the content.

[AlduinWorldEater]

 

<snip.>I've also been looking at the world map for Solstheim itself. It's NOTHING like the original Bloodmoon island. There are familiar landmarks, such as Raven Rock, Fort Frostmoth, Skaal Village, etc., but the layout's all wrong. Sure, the island got blasted by the eruption of Red Mountain, but it wouldn't change the positioning of things to that extent.

 

Overall, I just feel like Bethesda stuck a finger in the faces of those who wanted to return to the land of the Silt Striders...sort of an indirect way of saying, "You want to go back to Morrowind? Here, we'll slap a bunch of crap together that you'll recognise to shut you up."

 

A little edit here to clarify a few things...

 

1) "the world map for Solstheim itself. It's NOTHING like the original Bloodmoon island."

 

Of course it is. You say so yourself, in your very next sentence: "There are familiar landmarks, such as Raven Rock, Fort Frostmoth, Skaal Village, etc". By your own admission it is SOMEthing like "the original Bloodmoon Island". Your complaint is that it is not exactly like the original.

 

It's not that it's not EXACTLY like the original. You're right, it is SOMETHING like the original. It's just the orientation of those landmarks that irks me. Maybe I'm being a bit eliteist here, but I think that the area should at least be geographically correct - or at least as close as it could be after surviving the Red Year. But again, I might be thinking in an eliteist manner here, which is a possibility that annoys me more than the issue above. Haha.

 

2) "Overall, I just feel like Bethesda stuck a finger in the faces of those who wanted to return to the land of the Silt Strider"

 

Did you not know that Dragonborn only included Solstheim, which is, only in a technical sense, "the land of the Silt Strider"? Firstly, Silt Striders were never in "the original Bloodmoon Island", they were in Morrowind. Bloodmoon was an add-on to Morrowind. You're complaining that an add-on to Skyrim doesn't exactly replicate the add-on to Morrowind...AND that the Skyrim-add-on doesn't have the content of Morrowind, too? Whiskey tango Foxtrot. Secondly, just what makes you believe in some kind of conspiracy at "Bethesda" to disappoint you? You figure they were cackling to themselves, whispering "Oh boy, this will REALLY be a giant middle finger to our customers, he he hee heee hee hee!"? Dude. Really?

 

You're completely right here. This was a complete lack of sense on my part.

 

3) "sort of an indirect way of saying, "You want to go back to Morrowind?"

 

Stop. Right. There. Dragonborn was not about Vvardenfell, and you knew it. So stop.

 

I understand what you're saying here. But I don't appreciate the way you chose to express it. I know Dragonborn wasn't about Vvardenfell. But again, this was a lack of sense on my part.

 

4) "Here, we'll slap a bunch of crap together that you'll recognise to shut you up."

 

This last bit is just a temper tantrum. Nobody from "Bethesda" promised you any of the things you're complaining about. You seem to think the point of Dragonborn was to fool people. Try looking at the content.

 

The ONLY reason I feel this way is because Bethesda knows that a lot of TES fans have wanted to go back. They publicly stated that they would never make a game that size again, and I accept that fact. I don't have to like it, I just have to accept and respect their decision - which I do. I simply feel a bit like this was a way of trying to appease that same group of fans, since they have no intention of ever doing a remake...and I don't feel it was a real great way to do it. But there again, it was poor wording on my part, and I see how you got the impression of me that you did.

 

 

Removing the statement that was here because it would only worsen the situation.

 

Overall, I feel like I could have worded this whole post a bit better. Truthfully, I feel like I should have kept it to myself. Opinions and internet, we know the story.

Edited April 28, 2014 by AlduinWorldEater

[chanchan05]

My take is, Skyrim is not Morrowind, and the authors have every right to make changes if they want, and they may not think of it as sticking a finger at customers.

 

And dude, The Red Mountain is bigger than any volcano existing on the earth's land surface apparently (does not count Hawaii and other sea volcanoes. Also, "wouldn't change the layout to that extent". Do you even know how poweful a volcanic eruption is? We have a caldera lake in my country that's 18km across, caused by the eruption of a volcano. Entire islands disappeared from volcanic eruptions. Read on Karakatoa, Tamboa and Santorini (Thera). Consider that Tamboa's eruption was so powerful enough that it despite being in Indonesia, the eruption causes huge atmospheric disturbances that basically, summer never came for Europe and America. Read about 1815 Year Without Summer. Karakatoa destroyed 50% of the island it used to stand on, about the same as Santorini. For all we know, the communities we see in Solstheim are new ones, just named after the old ones which were destroyed by the eruption, where the survivors moved to.

[AlduinWorldEater]

I never even considered that. Looks like I need to do my homework before saying things like this!

[Lachdonin]

I never even considered that. Looks like I need to do my homework before saying things like this!

 

Sometimes going on misinformed rants are how new information is brought to our attention. So long as you take everything as a learning experience and always strive to better yourself, no harm, no foul.

 

As far as Solsthiem goes... Looking at the two maps in overhead the shape of the island is about right. The NW cost is pushed out more and lacks the bay around the glacier, but considering the geology in the area that's an acceptable change...

 

Based on this;

http://img.4plebs.org/boards/tg/image/1384/04/1384042614128.jpg *Comes from Lady N.'s tumbler, MK claims he made the map.

 

Red Mountian is colossal. Like, the size of Ireland. It's eruption would have been felt as far away as Akavir, and could have even forced chunks of Yokuda back to the surface. It would have been the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of megatons of TNT, far more powerful than any nuclear explosive ever built. In fact, that map indicates it's bigger than any super volcano on Earth. We should be more surprised that the map of Tamriel wasn't radically changed than being concerned about little old Solstheim.

 

 

*had to adjust the magnitude of the explosion, after a little research...

Edited April 28, 2014 by Lachdonin