Bethesda shifting focus more and more.

[Arioch13]

So many classic serious have been utterly ruined by being crossplatform with the exception of Oblivion. However, I have read some worrying news lately in PC gaming magazines and on the internet concerning skyrim.

 

After seeing what can happen to many of my favourite serious when released cross platform to the (1 weekend gaming formula) I am nervous. I dont think I have ever anticipated a game so much as skyrim. Morrowind and Oblivion are my favourite games of all time largely thanks to the modding community but also because they had a good foundation. (Open world, non linear and reasonably large) though bigger really is better for me in world terms.

 

My concern is that there seems to be a growing perception among PC gaming jornalists that Skyrim is suffering from an on going process of dumbing down. I just recently played the other game I was really looking forward to this year (The Witcher 2) only to find it could have been Two World 2 or practically any other Xbox lightweight action game with an RPG label.

 

If I was religious I would pray that this doesnt happen to Skyrim, sadly I dont have the comfort of religion or the fairies at the bottom of my guardian so I would welcome any feedback or information concerning how open and non linear Skyrim will be. Particularly how big the game real estate / world is looking.

 

Oblivion was the game that made me finally give up entirely on the Xbox and spend a fortune on pc gaming gear (an on going never ending process) but its starting to be a waste of time as so many games are basically xbox games with only a poor implementation of anti aliasing enabled (such as supersampling). I can only hope that Skyrim is a true sequel to TES series and creates a new world for us to explore without the extreme linear experience that I always find makes me feel like the game would be happier as a rolling demo without the player there at all.

 

Any reassurance from anyone with actual information would win my heartfelt gratitude.

[hector530]

I find it funny how people say tw2 was dumbed down for consoles.... And it isn't on consoles lol. Also these like 5 threads about skyrim being "dumbed down" most of them die quickly and everything I've read about skyrim shows way more depth then oblivion. Edited May 31, 2011 by hector530

[istred]

I find it funny how people say tw2 was dumbed down for consoles.... And it isn't on consoles lol.

Yet. Most of the changes scream "Consoles!" - the menus, QTE etc. So most likely they will soon announce the console versions...

[hector530]

I find it funny how people say tw2 was dumbed down for consoles.... And it isn't on consoles lol.

Yet. Most of the changes scream "Consoles!" - the menus, QTE etc. So most likely they will soon announce the console versions...

 

Nope don't see it. I think it's just the fact PC gamers are paranoid. People also said sc2 was dumbed down for console owners because you can select all your buildings.

[draconix]

"Dumbed down" is another way of saying "refined," which is another way of saying "simplified," "streamlined" and "made more accessible." It's all just spin. Good games are not overly complicated. As a matter of fact, overly complicated games are by definition, overly complicated.

 

If you want to make the game more complicated, you can apply limitations yourself, for instance, you can force yourself to do a quick hand-jive every time you swing a sword as an added handicap. And by the time you beat the game, not only do you feel fulfilled by having beaten a great game, but you have also mastered a useful life-skill... Seriously. ;D

 

The direction that gaming is going is a matter of evolution. Blaming this direction on game consoles is kind of weak. Every day people vote with their hard earned money on what kinds of games they want developers to make. Sometimes you get good results, and other times you get "Medal of Halo: Big Red Duty 1943, Xtreme Doritos Edition".

Edited June 1, 2011 by draconix

[Jagex]

"Dumbed down" is another way of saying "refined," which is another way of saying "simplified," "streamlined" and "made more accessible." It's all just spin. Good games are not overly complicated. As a matter of fact, overly complicated games are by definition, overly complicated.

 

If you want to make the game more complicated, you can apply limitations yourself, for instance, you can force yourself to do a quick hand-jive every time you swing a sword as an added handicap. And by the time you beat the game, not only do you feel fulfilled by having beaten a great game, but you have also mastered a useful life-skill... Seriously. ;D

 

The direction that gaming is going is a matter of evolution. Blaming this direction on game consoles is kind of weak. Every day people vote with their hard earned money on what kinds of games they want developers to make. Sometimes you get good results, and other times you get "Medal of Halo: Big Red Duty 1943, Xtreme Doritos Edition".

You, sir, are full of win. :dance:

[BladeValant546]

Am I the only one who knows the semantic difference between complex and complicated? I personally do not know what Skyrim gonna be like, and I feel like there only the minority who will critically criticize choices if they feel it in the wrong direction instead blindly follow a choice because i do not know why to be honest. I however would not blame consoles or anything like that, but dumbing down is an issue (Mass Effect, Halo, Call of Duty, Final Fantasy, Dragon Age, Fable, Command and Conquer, WoW are one I can think on the top of my dead as popular games). I personally believe that Skyrim can be good, but there is a large margin that lends to a potential of messing it up. People need to learn to discuss I think the idea they have done might work, but I am worried as a ES fan. Thank you, do not worry, Bethesda has not jumped on the mainstream bandwagon....yet.

 

PS :psyduck: POKEMON!

[IndorilTheGreat]

I think that the term, "Dumbing Down" is constantly being confused with "Gameplay Changes."

 

One that I notice the most, is from Mass Effect to Mass Effect 2. Some people say that Mass Effect 2 was "dumbed down" for the consoles. However, this is not the case. The skills are simply more streamlined, as well as combat not being quite as "tactically" oriented.

 

When someone says "dumbed-down," I feel what they really mean is "simplified" (as draconix said above). I don't think I've ever actually played a game that has been "dumbed-down." I have, however, played several games that have been "over-simplified" from their predecessors. But, you know what, companies "dumb-down" games so they can get a feel for what their customers want. TES did not really hit the main gaming market until Morrowind came out. Heck, most people have only heard of TES through Oblivion (I actually had someone ask me if Morrowind was an expansion for Oblivion :pinch: ). So, in a sense, you could consider Oblivion to be the "second in a trilogy," if you will.

 

And if a trilogy has taught me anything, it is that the second part in a trifecta tends to be the low point. :thumbsup:

[antonkr]

I have little to no hope.

Think about it

We had daggerfal fans being pissed off at morrowind being too simple and easy

Than we had Morrowind fans bashing Oblivion,

And me being both a morrowind and oblivion fan... well 11/11/11 is gonna scare the crap out of me.

 

In that month I will either way be play the best Elder Scrolls to date. Whether it will be Skyrim or Morrowind is something I have yet to find out and won't till 11.11.11 comes.

 

We can only hope

[brokenergy]

It always happens with sequals, people are just more attached to the predessor than to the new one.