Why Don't the People of Winterhold Just Rebuild?

[stebbinsd]

The developers of the Elder Scrolls put a ton of thought into the worldbuilding behind this franchise. Sometimes, they forget to think about some things, and sometimes, their forgetfulness leaves serious elephants in the room. In my latest youtube video, I explore one such example. I hope you all enjoy it.

 

[Shadeybladey]

Aren't they still at war?

 

With dragons and vampires everywhere?

 

I think Gisadrink did a mod at The Engineering Guild, but good luck getting membership.

 

I like Pocket Empire Builder, so I can build my own stockades, camps and settlements wherever I like.

 

:)

[stebbinsd]

They haven't been at war or have Dragons for the past 90 years. Tamriel has always had vampires.

[Shadeybladey]

Huh?

 

Is this Skyrim?

 

Last time I played, there was a civil war between the Stormcloaks and the Imperials and there were dragons everywhere. I specifically recall several dragons when I became Archmage, even in the courtyard. I think they were how the buildings got burned in the village.

 

It could have been a mod, I suppose...

 

:smile:

 

Oh, and Gisadrink's mod I mentioned earlier rebuilt the starting prison we escape from in the beginning. Forget the name... Helgen?

 

:)

[Shadeybladey]

Maybe everyone who lives there already has a house?

[stebbinsd]

Last time I played, there was a civil war between the Stormcloaks and the Imperials and there were dragons everywhere. I specifically recall several dragons when I became Archmage, even in the courtyard. I think they were how the buildings got burned in the village.

I mean before the events of Skyrim. They've had 90 years since the Great Collapse happened.

[Shadeybladey]

I mean before the events of Skyrim. They've had 90 years since the Great Collapse happened.

 

LOL! Yes, I watched your video after my original post and was disappointed when you said you had no answer! :D

 

But, sure, they had 90 years to rebuild some wooden cottages and so on. The actual Mages Guild and Jarl's Hall seems undamaged (maybe the Jarl's long house had to be rebuilt) but they can hardly be expected to replace areas of land and cliff face which have "Collapsed Greatly" into the sea.

 

And, as I say, I have been attacked by dragons while there, so I think those cottages were burned out maybe less than 90 days ago, not more than 90 years ago. Although, I must admit i don't recall if those dragon attacks happen in Vanilla LE or whether that's a mod at work.

 

And, maybe no one there needs a house? Maybe they rebuilt what they need and left the rest? And I'm not even sure if burned and broken wood would last 90 years after being wrecked, so maybe it does indicate a more recent dragon attack? The major cities are pitifully small in Skyrim compared to Daggerfall, where even villages are much larger, with more buildings and people. In reality, Solitude and Windhelm are barely more than hamlets, let alone cities.

 

But, using Kyles Razor, the dullest, most boring answer is probably the most likely: the state of Winterhold is a design decision the devs made to suggest the ruin and destruction of the Great Collapse, and to suggest that the town never really fully recovered, even with a nest of Arch Mages casting spells like Levitate and Telekinesis on huge rocks to rebuild.

 

Hey! Maybe it took the Mages decades to rebuild the guild hall and they simply aren't interested in the town? You know how self-absorbed those wizards are!

 

Come to that, 90 years - where are all the children? Winterhold should surely be over-populated by now?

 

:D