The DB let me down. Here's how to save it.

[Miraboreasu]

Most avid DB fans would say that it was the absolute highlight of Oblivion's questlines. Oblivion's DB included heavy use of infiltration skills, deceit, tracking marks to safe locations to ensure you don't get caught, and psychologically hard decisions. It really, really worked well, and made for the most fun I had in Oblivion. Skyrim, instead really brought my hopes up and crashed them. The entrance to the DB questline was PHENOMENALLY better than Oblivion's. No longer could just any murderer join, you had to do something to make yourself noticed!

 

The main contract you focused on for 50% of the questline was also VERY exciting. But that was about it. Beyond your long, long trek leading up to a fiesty political assasination, and the rebirth of the DB, the rest of it, well, sucked. Nazir's quests were all boring, even the last one which could easily be beaten by walking through a door and challenging the sub-par pirate captain to a short-lived duel that ended in 10 seconds.

 

There was no major psychology beyond the intro quest. The one BIG goal was really all you worked for. Although it was well done, it really only constituted a portion of what Oblivion's entire questline held. Instead of me sitting here, disappointed, I decided we should pool together and try to come up with some ideas that could encompass a large (30+ hour) DLC full of hard decisions, elusive marks, and incredibly difficult conditions in which the contracts would need to be taken out. No more of Nazir's drive by murders, but something befitting of the Listener, and the most skilled assassins in the Dark Brotherhood!

 

-Quests each need to be very long, and at least 10 of them, but no more than 15 (quality over quantity, NO FILLERS)

-You can hire specialists who will help you on your quests (changing the conditions, or giving important information)

-You can communicate via messenger with Delvin Malory, and arrange certain things to occur during these quests. These range from guaranteed escape routes, to distractions, and safe entrance routes into the mark's locations. Almost all are optional, some may not be.

-Contracts are timed. some must be completed in only a matter of days before they slip away. You may make preparations, but your time is ticking away.

-All quests include a necessary condition of the kill

-All quests include an additional condition which gives greater rewards

-Some quests include a 2nd additional condition which needs to be fulfilled along with the other. It needs to be incredibly difficult to do so.

-Some quests must involve careful infiltration where no guards can be killed.

-Some quests could require you to leave a single target alive, to spread the message. Doing so would be incredibly difficult.

-At least one quest requires you to take on a persona, and perform tasks to allow you access to the mark in a secure location.

-At least one quest requires you to take out multiple people in a confined location, all without being detected. Discovery of a body will raise suspicion, and make your job considerably harder. (Possibly, a requirement to leave one alive).

-Some quests have two possible outcomes, each with dire consequences on the outcome of the final quest, making it either harder, easier, or significantly different. Unnecessary casualties and wanton destruction could lead to the final quest being much, much harder.

-Some ACTUAL psychology included into some of the quests, such as befriending characters you may have to kill later down the line.

-Treachery in the brotherhood, and spies that need to be dealt with.

-Public assassinations in the streets of Hold Capitals. Methods to cover your identity will be optional, but difficult.

-Side quests which include covering loose ends. Ignoring these could result in the Sanctuary being attacked in your absence, or even during your sleep!

 

Other suggestions are more than welcome. I simply miss the old DB, and am put off by the mediocrity and short winded questline we were stuck with this go around. I really hope next time, Bethesda puts as much time in their work as they did before.

Edited November 27, 2011 by Miraboreasu

[Miraboreasu]

Reserved.

[Miraboreasu]

I'm getting votes, but no comments?

[HaikenEdge]

I like a lot of your ideas, but that's mostly because I was really disappointed by the Dark Brotherhood arc, which I felt had a nonsensical and railroaded end. I'll include my anger in a spoiler tag:

 

 

The Dark Brotherhood resolution was absolutely stupid. I'd say Astrid is a saavy, if not smart, woman, considering that she pretty much ran the Dark Brotherhood (with some success) prior to the player's and Cicero's joining. Therefore, even if she was trading the player to the Empire to preserve her little family, surely she wouldn't be so stupid as to tell her enemy exactly where her headquarters are; that's just inviting tragedy, like telling a burglar exactly when you're not going to be home. That's my primary beef with the Dark Brotherhood story arc.

 

[The Bluejay]

Basically, we want Hitman in Skyrim :P

[HaikenEdge]

Basically, we want Hitman in Skyrim :P

Or Assassin's Creed in Skyrim.

 

Either would be bloody brilliant.

[Handofbane]

While I have been disappointed with most of the factional questlines in general, I will not buy a DLC just to fix the problems they put in there in the first place. To hell with that idea, someone puts in something unsatisfying and half-done, then anyone expects people to give them *more* money just to alter it or change things to give a better replacement?

 

Not voting overall, because there is no "should have been this way to begin with" option on the third poll.

[Miraboreasu]

I like a lot of your ideas, but that's mostly because I was really disappointed by the Dark Brotherhood arc, which I felt had a nonsensical and railroaded end. I'll include my anger in a spoiler tag:

 

 

The Dark Brotherhood resolution was absolutely stupid. I'd say Astrid is a saavy, if not smart, woman, considering that she pretty much ran the Dark Brotherhood (with some success) prior to the player's and Cicero's joining. Therefore, even if she was trading the player to the Empire to preserve her little family, surely she wouldn't be so stupid as to tell her enemy exactly where her headquarters are; that's just inviting tragedy, like telling a burglar exactly when you're not going to be home. That's my primary beef with the Dark Brotherhood story arc.

 

Actually, if you do the Destroy the Dark Brotherhood quest, it appears Maro already knows of the location of the door, and it's password. It appears that what information was gathered by the empire was that the Brotherhood was in a state of despair, and was vulnerable.

 

 

 

I will say that it was still unsatisfying though.

[Miraboreasu]

While I have been disappointed with most of the factional questlines in general, I will not buy a DLC just to fix the problems they put in there in the first place. To hell with that idea, someone puts in something unsatisfying and half-done, then anyone expects people to give them *more* money just to alter it or change things to give a better replacement?

 

Not voting overall, because there is no "should have been this way to begin with" option on the third poll.

Actually, I was planning on this being a questline to be employed AFTER the resolution of the entire DB questline, and enstatement of the new chapter at Dawnstar.

[HaikenEdge]

I like a lot of your ideas, but that's mostly because I was really disappointed by the Dark Brotherhood arc, which I felt had a nonsensical and railroaded end. I'll include my anger in a spoiler tag:

 

 

The Dark Brotherhood resolution was absolutely stupid. I'd say Astrid is a saavy, if not smart, woman, considering that she pretty much ran the Dark Brotherhood (with some success) prior to the player's and Cicero's joining. Therefore, even if she was trading the player to the Empire to preserve her little family, surely she wouldn't be so stupid as to tell her enemy exactly where her headquarters are; that's just inviting tragedy, like telling a burglar exactly when you're not going to be home. That's my primary beef with the Dark Brotherhood story arc.

 

Actually, if you do the Destroy the Dark Brotherhood quest, it appears Maro already knows of the location of the door, and it's password. It appears that what information was gathered by the empire was that the Brotherhood was in a state of despair, and was vulnerable.

 

 

 

I will say that it was still unsatisfying though.

 

That, to me, is a plot hole in itself; if only the Dark Brotherhood members know the password (as should be the case, considering some Dark Brotherhood members don't even know the passwords to other sanctuaries beyond their home), the the only way Maro would know the password is if he had a mole inside. If he had a mole inside, it's likely the mole wasn't killed during the "Kill the Dark Brotherhood" quest, or when Maro's agents razed the Sanctuary to the ground, meaning, the only possible mole is Babette, but Babette takes far too much pleasure in the death of the Emperor, making her an unlikely suspect. If that's the case, then surely Maro's mole is in fact Astrid, which makes her doubly stupid, because she gave up the password and location for nothing.

 

Of course, unless Babette is Maro's mole... in which case, I wonder how she feels about the death of Maro; she certainly seemed to revel in it.