jeffrobot Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 Hey guys, I want to gauge interest on an idea. Right now it feels like most of the reason I do anything in the game is for better loot. I go into dungeons because I expect to get something from it, when I complete a quest I expect to get something from it, when I go exploring up on some random mountain top, I'm hoping there's a treasure chest with some loot in it. And I think I could enjoy the game more if that wasn't the case. What if, for example, we replaced 75% of the good loot in the world with journal entries from those same people you would normally have gotten the loot from? A journal entry that said something meaningful, and helped bring that character to life in your eyes. Like, I go into a bandits den and kill the leader. Instead of finding an item, I get to read an entry from his journal, and learn about him and why he was there. So hes no longer just a nameless NPC mob, he's now some dude in the world I killed. We could get a little more complex, and maybe create overarching mysteries that you can only piece together by reading the journals of enemies from multiple dungeons/areas. To make things feel more connected and give you incentive to keep going through dungeons. There could still be quests for better loot, but it would require a little more purposeful action to find it, ie you hear about some awesome sword (maybe from a journal of someone you killed!) in a dungeon not too far away, so you head over there specifically seeking it out. Not all places would have it. The search for better loot ultimately ends up feeling really hollow and pointless to me after a while. Its like, I get better loot so I can get better loot... so I can.... get better loot... why am I doing this again? It holds out attention cuz Skyrim is so awesome though, but I think eventually most people will feel this. So instead lets make lets make the world feel more real and make your actions feel more meaningful. And I know just a bunch of journal entries is kind of lame - I think we could do a lot cooler stuff towards achieving this goal if we really thought about it. I know a lot of people, maybe most, wouldn't like this idea, but I'm also pretty sure I'm not alone in thinking it'd be cool. Let me know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tankhedghehog Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 I fully support this, especially the idea of an over arching mystery that could be slowly pieced together. someone please do this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phayze81 Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 Cool idea. The quest for loot does get a little shallow after a while. That's a big part of why I don't do many non-quest dungeon crawls. If theres no clear objective or story to progress then I get bored easily. I know almost nothing of modding, and I don't usually read the books and journals that are already in the game, but I'm a decent writer and would really enjoy working on some of the creative aspects of a project like this. So, if anyone with the techy skills is into it, PM me and I'll wingman on it for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vootins Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 I think this is a really great idea. Some of my favorite parts about Elder Scrolls games those little tidbits they have already included. Like the Pinewatch hut you can stumble onto with a whole bandit cave underneath and a small story about the mutinous crew versus the boss. Lots of the little notes are interesting, but I often wish they went somewhere. I stumbled upon the Anise's cabin, the secret witch, who attacks you when you discover her secret. A note references Helgi, whom she wants to join her. Wish I could track down this Helgi and confront her somehow, but you can't (I don't think, though there is a ghost of same name). Basically, if you find a note referencing different people, but no quest pops up when you read it, then it's a dead-end. Even if you find the folks, there's no conversation points. Any mods to create quests that are of a more subtle nature would be quite welcome. Especially if the writing were good. To keep it coherent, or at least provide a starting place for a mod, maybe each quest would lead to the next. Maybe even a noble purpose (or an evil one?) guides you, rather than desire for loot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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