How can anybody srsly play as a Vampire Hunter?

[Lachdonin]

Bethesda's official stance has been to class Skyrim as an RPG, but have chosen not to design the game that way.

 

 

People around here certainly seem to have an inflated image of what Role-Playing is. There are literally hundreds of RPG's which offer you no choice at all. The entire J-RPG genre, while still being RPG's, give you little to no control over your characters personality or development.

 

To constitute an RPG, the only criteria is that you play a ROLE. Having cookie cutter story-lines or a lack of choice has nothing to do with the genre.

[OutLaw666]

I think the whole dawnguard questline only makes sense if you see it as some kind of gothic love story (with some similaritys to "romeo and juliet"). On one side the vampire hunters on the other the vampires. You (your character) is a vampire hunter. You want to kill all vampires for what ever reason, but then you fall in love with serana who is a vampire. And suddenly the decisions between good and evil are not so clear any more.

 

Just my thought...

Edited April 23, 2014 by OutLaw666

[HelenaGrace231]

So it happens that she is essential and a very helpful and kick-ass follower. The only thing that irritates me about her is that she raises a lot of undead and i have ash piles all over the place. For me, in your place of a roleplay, I would observe her carefully: her face, body language, speech, eyes. I would go along carefully and keep my self-control. The mysterious woman or Serana, can be turned back into a human, but it has to be at the end of the questline or she'll simply brush it off and decline to think about it. I myself haven't tried to turn her back, but i have the option to do so; i might miss those orange eyes in spite of those pretty green eyes of hers. :)

[KanesGhost]

 

Bethesda's official stance has been to class Skyrim as an RPG, but have chosen not to design the game that way.

 

 

People around here certainly seem to have an inflated image of what Role-Playing is. There are literally hundreds of RPG's which offer you no choice at all. The entire J-RPG genre, while still being RPG's, give you little to no control over your characters personality or development.

 

To constitute an RPG, the only criteria is that you play a ROLE. Having cookie cutter story-lines or a lack of choice has nothing to do with the genre.

 

Seems to me what an RPG is, is very much up for debate (not that I wish to here), prior to my last post I took time to search various perceptions of RPG in video gaming on the Net and then perceptions and claims of where Skyrim stands in all this, there's a lot of dissension and a number of opinions...did come across some very good break downs of the whole debate. You and I obviously have differing views on what and RPG is, I would consider Fallout, Dragon Age Origin and Mass Effect 1 (partially Mass Effect 2, but falling short) to be RPG's, they give Role Play choice. I would not consider the games you refer to as RPG's...each of us has our own perceptions....seems various Gaming Companies have their own perceptions also, though seems to change like the wind for them per game.

[KanesGhost]

I think the whole dawnguard questline only makes sense if you see it as some kind of gothic love story (with some similaritys to "romeo and juliet"). On one side the vampire hunters on the other the vampires. You (your character) is a vampire hunter. You want to kill all vampires for what ever reason, but then you fall in love with serana who is a vampire. And suddenly the decisions between good and evil are not so clear any more.

 

Just my thought...

I think you may well be right, it would certainly feel like what Bethesda may have been trying to achieve and I have seen many number of people express a lot of disappointment at her not being marriageable in the vanilla game and there are quite a number of fan Mods designed around Serana, her looks, abilities, marry status, etc...Though alas, I am not a spry young man, but am an old woman and so whatever charm Serana is meant to have is well and truly lost on me...an emo teen girl with constant complaints and woes to me issues, always getting in my Dovahs way (I did use various Mods to alter her behavior when I played Dawnguard, 'Shut up Serana', the better stealth AI for her, 'Serana is truly a Vampire' (makes her look like what she is) and would have used that Mod that stops her from bringing all the dead back to life if it had been made when I played through the quest)...Yes, I am very well aware the game was not made with my age group in mind... :tongue: ...in fact I would kill to give the girl a good clip across the back of her head and tell her to grow a pair... :tongue: ...But I can see your point and believe you nailed Bethesda's intention.

[DeltaWulf]

Nobody is asking for the extensive RP Table Top Games offer and not everyone is able to Mod for many varied reasons. What is being asked for is some choice from the game developers, not nil choice. Bethesda's official stance has been to class Skyrim as an RPG, but have chosen not to design the game that way. Despite the lack of RP, I do love the game for the most part and can usually through the use of Mods and careful choice skirt most of the more jarring immersion breaking elements of the game, but Dawnguards waifu is much like Mass Effects ending, laughable limited no real choice...Is a shame, as I actually like the Dawnguard story for the most part, but no longer play it as I do not enjoy such heavy railroading or the character (an irritating personality forced companion for long stretches, but her personality is well beside the point and irrelevant), I just keep it installed now for various Mods to function and a few of it's toys.

 

Your example of Lydia is a very poor example, given the fact if you want RP a Xenophobe, you can ignore her and not use her as a Follower or even take her with you and kill her if that is your wish...Me, I just go though a little dialog in the Jarl's Palace with her and that's the last I see of her...am a Stenvar fan personally.

 

If you disable Serana you are very well aware you can no longer run the Dawnguard story and so 'no', it is not an option.

 

Then only use her for the required portion. No one is forcing you to keep her around. And last time I played through, you do very well have the choice to side with the Dawnguard. A true RPer would know how to take that option and work within the limitations they have available. Sometimes you simply can't control your circumstances. It's both immature and unimaginative to complain about being unable to kill Serana and then blame it on a "lack of RPing available". As for other games that are what an RPG "should be", they all work within the same limitations.

 

That solution to Lydia can very well be applied to Serana. Once you're done with her (as a character in the story, like, for example, Esbern, Ulfric, or Tullius, all of whom you have to look at more than once without being able to get rid of, yet you might hate for any variety of reasons) then just don't ever go back to Volkihar.

Edited April 24, 2014 by DeltaWulf

[avallanche]

Most quests are linear for practical reasons, most likely time and money. Its the price to pay for better graphics. But it still possible to roleplay with that.

But what makes me mad is the excessive use of Essential NPCs... quests are expect to break during the playthrough. The fact that you cant kill some anoying NPC because he is involve in some minor random quest is really a game-breaking.

Using the dawnguard questline for exemple... if you side with the vampires, even after you finish the main questline, you still cant kill Orthjolf and Vingalmo, two powermad vampires that tried to kill you. You have no option but to accept that they will stick around knowingly that they will try to kill you again eventually. That makes no sense, especially if you too play with a evil powermad character.

That is why we have mods... xD

[StatiSky]

you could do as above or go with the smart vampire hunter instead of the rage driven one. I mean she's offering to lead you straight to their lair, it's the perfect opportunity to strike. That's how I would think of it.

 

You know I like to think to the good ole days of Supernatural was that no matter how they destroyed your family when you learn a vampire wasn't hurting people but a actual person was it's not so black and white.

You seem to want to play one as a kill first ask questions later hunter. Serana with not being very evil should at most blur the lines for your character to go along with it.

 

 

Spoiler

Also you can cure her.

Edited April 25, 2014 by StatiSky

[TerraSloth]

I think it's quite funny that Serana, after DG is all said and done, if you convince her to become human, she becomes as bland as every other follower in the game, Serana was a good solid follower, with a personality

seriously every other follower worships the ground you walk on, serana's Does the best at being a friend to Dovahkiin , yet after you do the thing that might make more sense, the game punishes you by removing her last few interesting dialogue options... thanks Bethesda softworks, hopefully TES:VI will be more morrowind like, in the way that people do things logically

and i don't know, kill vampires?

 

seriously bethesda was so focuses on making the poweramers happy they left the RP out of RPG

[TeofaTsavo]

I was able, painfully, to ramp up suspension of disbelief enough to finish DG a number of times. I reached the limit at the end, during the cure dialog.

 

I'm sorry, dear, getting cured is non-negotiable. Here are your choices. Get cured. Refuse to give up your "power" and you will die, by my hand or Israns.

 

An unrepentant Serana, unwilling to give up this "gift" I am working to eradicate is too much. Throwing that defiance in my face is too much. And so she died. I was heartbroken a bit..a lot.. but leaving her alive, pure blood, with her abilities was not going to happen.

 

I wish it could have been an option supported in game. This capricious cure dialog is the most nonsensical aspect of the entire DLC. "Im gonna be a Vampire forever, shut up" "K, fine, sorry I asked" No, just no.

 

Ive played through DG 6 times. 4 cured Serana, 2 executed. It is annoying to tapdance around what should be my logical dialog in order to get the cure quest.

 

sorry for the necro. just wanted my 2 cents.

 

I always choose Dawnfuard. Stentor and the Mill couple always get executed. I track Alva till know she is dead. My first playthrough I didn't know about the escalating Vamp attacks and lost many NPCs, merchants, geez they even murdered the kids dog in Riverwood. No Mercy. No exceptions. I kill Vampires.

Edited June 5, 2014 by TeofaTsavo