A Communal Letter to Bethesda Softworks LLC

[hipolipolopigus]

I thought I'd write a letter to Bethesda here before I send it to get some community input :) Feel free to suggest additions, subtractions (Perhaps divisions or multiplications if you're so inclined ;)). This is a work in progress and it may be a while before I send it.

 

 

Dear Bethesda Softworks LLC,

 

Being an avid gamer and fan of many of your games, I felt it was my responsibility to write this letter to you on behalf of your consumers and fans alike. As you may be aware, there are more than a few issues regarding Skyrim. The first that I would like to address is the lack of Large Address Awareness and the (Apparent) lack of quad-core support (In spite of the recommended specs calling for 4gb RAM and a quad-core CPU). What on Nirn are you thinking? Is there a reason for not enabling these? Is there any reason to enforce the lack of Large Address Awareness? The LAA fix modified your binary, sure. But it was a single byte flag that didn't compromise the integrity, operation, or security of the game. Either let us use it or deploy it yourself. I have 10gb of RAM, 6 of which Skyrim could be using! -(Edit)- When you stop things like the LAAF from happening there are two possible reactions;

• First (And least likely) the issue will just go away
  
• Second, the users will find a way around your system. This has already happened with the LAAF. So what now? Prevent that? Release an LAA-enabled binary?
  

 

Next is patch 1.2. Oh boy. You've probably heard a lot about this already. Perhaps ironically, doing some research into this patch brought up your blog's 404 page titled "This is somewhat embarrassing, isn’t it?" (The correct link is here, unsure why that one was supplied). Here are my observations of what you've done in 1.2;

• Fixed several rare or remedial gameplay/control issues.
  
• Claimed to have fixed performance for PS3 users (Many are disputing this already).
  
• Broke several core functions including resistance, dragon flight... The list is still growing.
  
• Didn't fix much, if anything, from the community bug list.

I'll leave it at that for now.

 

-(Section up for revision/removal)-Marriage and relationships. Very cold and almost professional. No children, no friendship/companion development... You get the picture. -(Need suggestions for here)- I was really looking forward to having an amazing immersion experience. Instead, I'm left with... Well, a wife that helps me fight dragons, sure. But she could die at any moment. Most likely from repeatedly gouging herself on those pesky dungeon traps which are, honestly, too obvious. Perhaps you should take a leaf from Bioware's book, look at their Mass Effect character development. I can say that I feel genuinely attached to them and actually somewhat traumatized when they die.

 

(For Brittainy)

Why do PC users have the low-res textures from the console versions? Is this indicative that the content is ported? Is it the Bethesda way to let users fix things where they can to save on man-hours and to meet somewhat obnoxious release dates? ("One-one-one-one-one-one" as a certain comedian I know of puts it). In hindsight, I would gladly have waited for issues to be ironed out if I knew things were going to be this bad. The content and evolution of the game from Oblivion has suffered immensely.

 

Okay, enough assuaged gripes. Onto the good stuff! (I did need to pause a bit few minutes for this :/)

 

Well... I'm stumped for this section. I would have put something about the grace of the dragons, but that kinda went out the window with 1.2. I'd praise the almighty creation kit, but... Well... You know. The main story? I guess... Was a bit short, though. I honestly intended to write nice things here. -(Need suggestions for here)- -(Thought of something 3 things! )-I do appreciate;

• "Turn Undead", particularly in dungeons. I just love watching as those annoying Draugr tossers walk right over the traps and get smushed/incinerated. Thanks for that!
  
• The dragons following me into cities was, to be honest, unexpected. Thanks for taking time to do (What I assume is) a cell check!
  
• Putting Tamriel in Skyrim. This is going to make modding amazing (Eventually...), hope your DLC will utilize it! :happy:
  

 

Well that's it for now. I hope that you take this letter and the good intent behind it seriously.

 

Warm Regards,

Vedviing - Ui Mahfaeraak

 

 

So... Let's get to it! Suggestions, please :happy: Smilies in the letter aren't final, they're there for the moment to make the letter seem less judgmental (I admit, it definitely sounds judgmental).

Edited December 1, 2011 by hipolipolopigus

[darthsloth74]

Well I'd leave out the marriage section, since those preferences could be modded. Concentrate on LAA and patch 1.2 they are the most serious issues, unfortunately I doubt they'll respond/ take notice.

Things are bezerk over at the Beth forums, complaints keep going up, then just as quickly get taken down by the moderators. They're running damage control thats for sure, I'm sure they never anticipated this.

[Dan3345]

I don't understand what you are trying to accomplish? First of all, your letter is written terribly. You are trying to get the attention of multi-million dollar game company, and they will not take you seriously as long as its written like that. Second of all, they probably won't read this anyways.. The only way I see anyone reading this at bethesda is if you sent it to Todd Howard himself. And even then, it is very doubtful they would do anything to change their already gold game. Your complaint about marriage should not be there at all. The Creation Set is due to come out soon, that is how Bethesda fixes things. Besides, marriage is too major a part of the game to be changed in a patch. The only way they could change that to suit what you and I want (I do want it too) is if they brought back the voice actors and such and patched the game and updated. It would be huge update and its just not very likely at all. They are more likely to just work on the DLC.

 

I'm not trying to be harsh but this is unfortunately the reality of these types of letters. :( I would send one too if I thought it would make a difference but it won't.

[hipolipolopigus]

@darthsloth74; Thanks for the input :happy: Perhaps I should also mention Bethesda's reliance on the community for fixing things. Doesn't the Unofficial Oblivion/SI patch cover things Bethesda still haven't done, or am I mistaken there?

 

@Dan3345; I don't take it as harsh :happy: I agree completely, which is why I'm putting this here for community input. The best way to proof-read something is to get lots of people to read over it, no? On marriage, I'm not saying it should be patched, I understand how amazingly complex the whole process would be, I'm saying that it's gone irrevocably wrong.

Edited December 1, 2011 by hipolipolopigus

[HaikenEdge]

I'd leave out the smileys. They make the letter seem easily discountable.

[csgators]

Save your letters for games that deserve it. You complain about modders fixing things for Beth? At least they can. $60 and it should be everything to everybody out of the box. My favorite game in the world in 1998 was NCAA football from EA, the 99 version crashed so much it was unplayable. After that it was console only. Count your blessings.

[hipolipolopigus]

I'd leave out the smileys. They make the letter seem easily discountable.

Smilies aren't intended to be final (Perhaps I should write that...), they're simply there at the moment to not make the letter seem so cold and judgmental.

[hipolipolopigus]

Save your letters for games that deserve it. You complain about modders fixing things for Beth? At least they can. $60 and it should be everything to everybody out of the box. My favorite game in the world in 1998 was NCAA football from EA, the 99 version crashed so much it was unplayable. After that it was console only. Count your blessings.

It's not a complaint, exactly (At least I didn't intend it that way). I revel in the chance to fix and tweak things, though it shouldn't be up to the community to fix massive bug lists. I've seen a rather sizable one around, supposedly 500 entries on it, not all of them minor.

[elvinkun]

Never use smileys and jokes when you want to send an official letter ... If something, only harsh sarcasm to give it some edge, but no smileys, that makes people discard it before reading.

[hipolipolopigus]

Never use smileys and jokes when you want to send an official letter ... If something, only harsh sarcasm to give it some edge, but no smileys, that makes people discard it before reading.

Smilies in the letter aren't final, they're there for the moment to make the letter seem less judgmental (I admit, it definitely sounds judgmental).

Thanks for the input, though :happy: