"Immersion" help

[D0cR0ck]

Hello everyone,

 

I have has Skyrim since release day, and LOVE it. It's a fantastic game, however, that's all I've ever been able to see it as, a game.

 

I hear all these stories of people and their immersion and sticking to character, and it all sounds like great fun.

 

However I have never been able to do that. Even with Frostfall, Hunterborn and RND installed I simply see them as game mechanics and not "immersive"

 

I want to get immersed though, I used to LOVE playing DnD and would love to get that feeling from Skyrim, however, for one reason or another I cant seem to get myself to stick to character or get immersed. I'm constantly looting everything to sell for hold and not just what my character would loot. I'm spending my days hunting and skinning animals outside of Whiterun and not even bothering to look for the damn dragon stone, even though the Jarl told me its of high priority. Something in my head keeps letting me know this is a game no matter what I try.

 

Any tips or guidance on getting immersed and lost in the game?

[ACAkutare]

Please bear in mind, this is an opinion post.

 

Whether or not somebody can get "immersed" depends on them. There isn't any specific thing that forces people to do that, it's a matter of willpower.

 

Example: I have a level 113 female Altmer Paladin. She has completed the Destroy the Dark Brotherhood! storyline, and completely ignored the thieves guild. In-character she despises werewolves and vampires, and is using a mod that makes the Companions hostile to her.

 

There are keys I would love to pickpocket, gold to get, being able to pay any accidental bounty when I accidentally kill a townsperson while defeating a dragon, but it doesn't fit with her "concept".

 

I do it, because to me, it's a challenge. I've completed all DLC quests, all main story quests, and all faction quest on other characters, and I wanted to run through this as they would logically do.

 

Just something to consider. I view it as a sort of challenge, which keeps me interested in Skyrim.

I don't use things like Frostfall, RND, etc, but when I do play, I force myself a bit to ignore the fact that it is a game, and think outside the box to see what I can do to make it more interesting to me.

 

When you played DnD, how did you get immersed in your character? Using a similar thought process can help you immerse yourself.

Edited May 28, 2014 by ACAkutare

[D0cR0ck]

Please bear in mind, this is an opinion post.

 

Whether or not somebody can get "immersed" depends on them. There isn't any specific thing that forces people to do that, it's a matter of willpower.

 

Example: I have a level 113 female Altmer Paladin. She has completed the Destroy the Dark Brotherhood! storyline, and completely ignored the thieves guild. In-character she despises werewolves and vampires, and is using a mod that makes the Companions hostile to her.

 

There are keys I would love to pickpocket, gold to get, being able to pay any accidental bounty when I accidentally kill a townsperson while defeating a dragon, but it doesn't fit with her "concept".

 

I do it, because to me, it's a challenge. I've completed all DLC quests, all main story quests, and all faction quest on other characters, and I wanted to run through this as they would logically do.

 

Just something to consider. I view it as a sort of challenge, which keeps me interested in Skyrim.

 

I don't use things like Frostfall, RND, etc, but when I do play, I force myself a bit to ignore the fact that it is a game, and think outside the box to see what I can do to make it more interesting to me.

 

When you played DnD, how did you get immersed in your character? Using a similar thought process can help you immerse yourself.

What helps with my DnD immersion is the interaction with other players and their reactions to my decisions.

 

Whereas in skyrim there are only a handful of different outcomes to a situation and the NPCs are scripted to react a certain way

Edited May 28, 2014 by D0cR0ck

[notmyhome]

I think that's the problem.

A computer is NOT a human game master.

Just like a book is not.

Both can only adapt to your actions as much as their creators intended them to.

What they can do instead is show you beautiful pictures :)

 

Sorry, there's just no working around that issue. Online games can go some lenght to rectify that, but there the competitive environment prevents actual role playing - because that would cost you a precious edge.

[JGDrummer]

Like ACAkutare mentioned, this is just the opinions of people and may or may not work for you. I've never played DnD but have played many RPG computer games over the past couple decades. My immersion level to them has varied between games, and what immerses me varies as well. I absolutely love the Mass Effect series - I'm a total fanboy of that game series. What I love the most about it is the storyline and character relationships. That game just sucked me into the story from day 1 and I loved it all the way through game 3 (I was even ok with the ending!). As for Skyrim, I could really care less about the storyline. It's cool, but it never drew me in. I tend skip a lot of tedious dialog that tell the story just so I can get back out and play in the open world. The NPCs and character relations are all boring to me as well (with the exception of mods like Inigo... that NPC is awesome!). The game did a great job with them, but when you have 10 different male NPCs all with the exact same voice or dialog pool ... it breaks the immersion for me. Its not a bad thing at all - I know the developers can't spend unlimited time and money to hire a different voice actor for every single NPC out there. What I do love most about Skyrim is the open world and the environment. A lot of other games (like Mass Effect) are very linear in their play though... not Skyrim. They stand apart in that you have this huge, seamless environment where you can go anywhere you want and do anything you want.

 

And to to put the icing on the cake with the environment of Skyrim, you have the thousands of mods that make it all the more real or immersive. Not just like Frostfall and RND. Those are super cool by making playing through the world seem more realistic (I better eat and sleep and warm up before I die!). But the graphic mods are what really draw me into the world of Skyrim. The ENBs, Lighting Overhauls, Sky mods, Lightning, Rain, Climates, Clouds, Rocks, Trees, Grasses, Waters... all those mods put together into a game (if done right so they all work together) can make Skyrim almost seem like a real place... visually. I use and am a fan of RealVision ENB (to each their own), and when I look at the video that SkyrimTuner did for it, I can't help but be blown away!

 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJx-iBco9Ms)

 

Man, that looks so real! Its like a fantasy world that you can actually feel like you're in.

 

Not to mention the sounds, atmospheres, architecture, landscapes... all done by Bethesda are top notch in my book. I had my wife put on the headphones (she's not a gamer whatsoever) and just walk around Whiterun during the day and at night, and she was blown away at how cool it was.

 

That's what gives me a sense of immersion to Skyrim. The world you get to play around in and all the mods that enhance that world to make it truly beautiful and spectacular!

Edited May 28, 2014 by JGDrummer

[simtam]

I want to get immersed though, I used to LOVE playing DnD and would love to get that feeling from Skyrim, however, for one reason or another I cant seem to get myself to stick to character or get immersed. I'm constantly looting everything to sell for hold and not just what my character would loot. I'm spending my days hunting and skinning animals outside of Whiterun and not even bothering to look for the damn dragon stone, even though the Jarl told me its of high priority. Something in my head keeps letting me know this is a game no matter what I try.

Looting for the sake of looting is a view of DnD from the perspective of "Munchkin" game. You can do better. And you don't have to care what Jarl said - if it were really that high priority, he would manage it himself, wouldn't he? BTW, I heard you can get more monnies for those animal pelts in Riften ;)

[ChaosWWW]

I don't know how much this will help in your case, but I'd recommend the Requiem overhaul if the base game is not immersing you.

 

When I first played Skyrim, I played it vanilla and I couldn't help but be fairly unengaged. It felt like all I was trying to do was test to see how big the world was by exploring every dungeon and doing every quest without even really thinking about it. And in general I could go anywhere and do whatever I wanted without it really mattering. The game was essentially a cycle of "go to x location > dominate guys by just backing up and pressing the "fireball" button (I was a mage) > Get a bunch of loot > spend really long times selling and organizing loot > rinse and repeat". There was no real feeling of immersion at all, I was just milking the game mechanics for all they were worth, which the game allows very easily.

 

Once I installed Requiem for a new playthrough, however, everything changed. Suddenly, the world didn't exist just for me to loot. Now I actually had to act like I was a part of the world. As someone who was nearly executed in a new land I knew nothing about, I wasn't able to just run up to everything I see and expect a positive outcome. With just rags and a dagger, I was dominated by mere wolfs. Instead, I had to think very carefully about everything I did. I couldn't just wander around in the overworld, instead I had to avoid dangerous locations and travel with a purpose. If I wanted to loot a place, I had to sneak (was a rouge this time) around and see what the threats are. If the place is guarded by heavily armored bandits or draugr, then it was time to look somewhere else.

 

I could go on like this, but the main thing that Requiem offers is a de-leveled version of Skyrim that designs itself around that fact. That means the world doesn't adjust itself around you like the base game does (which is very un-immersive, I will add), but instead is what it is. If a cave is full of trolls that can kill you in one hit, that's just what's there, it's not going to change to accommodate you. What this does is close off the world, giving the game more mystery, more of a feeling of dramatic tension and just makes the game more believable. It slows the game down and gives you some time to appreciate the subtleties in the world that Bethesda put a lot of effort into that most people probably didn't even notice because they were rushing through the game. Not only that, but you genuinely feel like you are progressing a lot in the game, giving you a stronger connection to your character.

 

Another immersive element is how much more your character class mattered. In the base game, you could fairly arbitrarily decide what you want to be at any point in the game. Getting sick of being a warrior? Just start firing fireballs and before you know it you are a mage now! With Requiem, you have to stick to your class, increasing roleplaying and immersion. Heavy armor is virtually unusable without investing skill points into it, you'll fail every time unless you invest in alchemy, etc etc.

 

Although Requiem sounds like it might not address the issues you are talking about, I'd definitely at least give it a shot. Additionally, you'd be surprised at how the game gets more immersive with visual mods. A good ENB goes a long way.

Edited May 28, 2014 by ChaosWWW

[D0cR0ck]

I don't know how much this will help in your case, but I'd recommend the Requiem overhaul if the base game is not immersing you.

 

When I first played Skyrim, I played it vanilla and I couldn't help but be fairly unengaged. It felt like all I was trying to do was test to see how big the world was by exploring every dungeon and doing every quest without even really thinking about it. And in general I could go anywhere and do whatever I wanted without it really mattering. The game was essentially a cycle of "go to x location > dominate guys by just backing up and pressing the "fireball" button (I was a mage) > Get a bunch of loot > spend really long times selling and organizing loot > rinse and repeat". There was no real feeling of immersion at all, I was just milking the game mechanics for all they were worth, which the game allows very easily.

 

Once I installed Requiem for a new playthrough, however, everything changed. Suddenly, the world didn't exist just for me to loot. Now I actually had to act like I was a part of the world. As someone who was nearly executed in a new land I knew nothing about, I wasn't able to just run up to everything I see and expect a positive outcome. With just rags and a dagger, I was dominated by mere wolfs. Instead, I had to think very carefully about everything I did. I couldn't just wander around in the overworld, instead I had to avoid dangerous locations and travel with a purpose. If I wanted to loot a place, I had to sneak (was a rouge this time) around and see what the threats are. If the place is guarded by heavily armored bandits or draugr, then it was time to look somewhere else.

 

I could go on like this, but the main thing that Requiem offers is a de-leveled version of Skyrim that designs itself around that fact. That means the world doesn't adjust itself around you like the base game does (which is very un-immersive, I will add), but instead is what it is. If a cave is full of trolls that can kill you in one hit, that's just what's there, it's not going to change to accommodate you. What this does is close off the world, giving the game more mystery, more of a feeling of dramatic tension and just makes the game more believable. It slows the game down and gives you some time to appreciate the subtleties in the world that Bethesda put a lot of effort into that most people probably didn't even notice because they were rushing through the game. Not only that, but you genuinely feel like you are progressing a lot in the game, giving you a stronger connection to your character.

 

Another immersive element is how much more your character class mattered. In the base game, you could fairly arbitrarily decide what you want to be at any point in the game. Getting sick of being a warrior? Just start firing fireballs and before you know it you are a mage now! With Requiem, you have to stick to your class, increasing roleplaying and immersion. Heavy armor is virtually unusable without investing skill points into it, you'll fail every time unless you invest in alchemy, etc etc.

 

Although Requiem sounds like it might not address the issues you are talking about, I'd definitely at least give it a shot. Additionally, you'd be surprised at how the game gets more immersive with visual mods. A good ENB goes a long way.

I forgot to mention I am using Skyrim Redone, for the fat that the Wayfarer perks tie in well with Hunterborn, Frostfall and RND.

 

I appreciate everyone's advice thus far. I'm starting to get a feel for what I need to do to get the immersion up.

[madcow12]

Try this (www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/54422/?). Weather, faction relation, spells now actually affect each race differently.

[BlackRoseOfThorns]

 

I forgot to mention I am using Skyrim Redone, for the fat that the Wayfarer perks tie in well with Hunterborn, Frostfall and RND.

 

I appreciate everyone's advice thus far. I'm starting to get a feel for what I need to do to get the immersion up.

 

 

If you like looting then why not build your game around this concept and make it more immerse? Scavenger or hunter would fit perfectly. You just need few class supplementary mods, couple environmental and maybe some nice voiced follower.

 

Hunting in Skyrim - A Hunting Guild (it got so complex author had to make dedicated page with description)

http://www.huntinginskyrim.net/

Sunken Treasures

Skyrim Unique Treasures

Convenient Horses (Use keybind to wave at your horse to follow. Pack your belongings in saddlebag.)

Horse Herding (Name your horses and create herding camp.)

Dual Hand Combo Hotkeys (Ditch silly quick slot menu, swap your weapons and spell with keybinds)

Duel - Combat Realism (for enemy AI)

The Way of the Dovahkiin - Ultimate Deadly Encounters aka Sands of Time (Starts the game, lv1. Wolfs attack Riverwood, Bandits attack in front of Whiterun, Chauruses kills Dovahkiin in the middle of tundra. The end.)

Skyrim Immersive Creatures (<<<That's what killed Dovahkiin)

OBIS - Organized Bandits in Skyrim

(get only 1 enemy mods, if your machine can't handle it)

AFT - for auto relax option, followers start using object placed around them or sit down when you don't do anything

or Followers Can Relax (you can ask them to gather)

Dine With Followers

Sit Anywhere

Animations

Immersive Hud

 

Skyrim Bigger Trees (with the biggest version installed I got lost couple of times in Riften on the way from town to fort >_>)

Unique Grasses and Ground Covers

Supreme and Volumetric Fogs

Real Clouds

RCRN or ENB for dark nights

 

Inigo

Hoth

Valfar

Arissa

Atvir Dress

Odvar the Affilicted

Herman the Mad

Interesting NPCs and Vilja (if you don't mind the accent)

BFF Animal Companions (Dog raised by a mage, that likes collecting skulls. Or fox that loves to catch butterflies. You need to feed them every morning at 10am and can check what they brought you back).