Extra Punctuation: Too Many Options in Skyrim

[U2K]

Huh, seems like ye olde internet paparazzi couldn't think of anything interesting to write this week. Hopefully he's just conserving bile to make the review of SS Zelda or SR3 one(s)for the books.

 

[Gather]

But games that doesn't have character customization in some way or form (Even if you wouldn't notice) get's bitched at for "Same dude all the time". Then, with it being an Elder Scrolls game people will ***** about the fact that the guys are taking away features instead of fixing them (Where this is the fix because "you don't notice anything apart from scenic images of your character with your helmet off")

 

[ReinWeisserRitter]

this sounds pedantic. just sayin.

You should really have more to offer in the realm of criticism than "your opinion column has too much opinion I don't care about".

Just saying.

That said, my complaint with most Western RPGs' character creation systems isn't that my face is hidden the second I start playing (although that is ridiculous, now that you mention it), but that I can't make my character not look extremely disturbing and uncanny. Ever.

It's getting to this level in Eastern ones as well, but their stylized looks seemed to revel in the fact that it's not reality and shouldn't try to emulate it too closely has worked well enough, at least until they apparently forgot about it for the most part.

 

[Rakor]

Technically the dog (spoiler) did contain half the power of what amounts to a demon god, so it's not that absurd that he's durable if nothing else.

Hell, the demonic horse you get from the dark brotherhood chain is nigh invincible, too. I gladly let it go toe to toe with the Ancient Dragon while I hide in my shadows plugging it with arrows. But then that's only because it's difficult to jump 50 feet in the air to backstab a moving target.

I do agree some instances because absurdly difficult rather quickly (master difficulty rating aside). I want to know where they learn a 300+ damage icy wind that 100% frost resistance does nothing against. Granted it's additive and not multiplicative so they might just have bonuses that require a higher percentage for immunity.

Still, adventures with magical talking dog, awesomeness. Screw the dragons and civil war, a talking dog needs my help.

 

[praetor_alpha]

Sliders? You mean those disgusting things that White Castle has???

And if you're so depressed, ~ (open the console), showracemenu

Works for every Bethesda game since Oblivion. Don't actually change your race though, as it may reset your skill levels

 

[6SteW6]

Whoa Yahtzee what happened?! Usually I love your sharp, concise observations on the state of gaming in these highly enjoyable articles. This one fell flat though, seemed to meander without a purpose and then came to a quick, unsatisfying end. Just like my sex life Eyoh!

I found his review of Skyrim to have the same meandering quality.

Maybe he's just incapable of reviewing the game in his usual style.

Yeah I agree with that. My theory is that he was so used to the confined corridors of the games reviewed in Shooter Season 2011 that stepping into the extremely open ended experience that is Skyrim and given total freedom so soon after those shooters must have overloaded a part of his brain. We are just lucky he didn't lapse into a coma.

It makes me sad actually. I can only imagine Yahtzee running up to every chest high wall in Skyrim and weeping as he continually fails to become one with the structure

 

[Right Hook]

Eh, I tend to think you should give people as many options as you can, they look pretty silly when they complain about too much freedom, for the most part. It would be nice if they offered less strenuous customization options as well but what can I say, I personally have always gone DEEP into the character creation since Fallout 3, hell I couldn't put a good beard on my character in Oblivion and that was almost enough to rage quit right there, daddy needs to have his beard.

 

[Daaaah Whoosh]

I remember that dungeon. For me, it was as easy as going back into the room with all the bodies in it and using a healing spell on myself. Then, when everyone forgot about me, I sneak-shot them until they died. Of course, I was a sort of jack of all trades, adept at slashing, shooting, and spellcasting, so I can see where your problem was.

As for the faces, I'm just angry that I can't wash the damn war paint off.

 

[Luhrsen]

Something fun for people that like to praise/critic videogames.

http://www.cracked.com/blog/6-video-games-that-just-didnt-get-it-and-6-that-did/

 

[CodeOrange]

Oh Yahtzee, if only you knew that there isn't too much to do in Skyrim, but rather it's a shoddy RPG that simply wasn't playtested for balance with too many useless auxiliary features. Are there any leading online pseudo-celebrities on gaming sites who's specialization is in RPGs who will reveal Skyrim for the massive failure it is?

I found that "mummy" as opposed to "mommy" was a nice touch.

 

[GrizzlerBorno]

Making games is hard.
Don't give any freedom: Get yelled at by Yahtzee.
Give too much freedom: Get yelled at by Yahtzee.
Make the absolute perfect shining example of a game that the Angels will sing about in the Rapture, while God plays it, completely oblivious to his rapture-related duties: ....Get yelled at by Yahtzee.

Also, call me crazy but I think he's doing Saints Row 3 tomorrow.

 

[Scars Unseen]

I used to be a Breton, then I took a werewolf to the knee.

 

[Zanaxal]

This game used to be difficult but then it took a arrow to the knee.

Whole game just seems repetitive, samey boring monster type galore. I will shoot ze arrow or swing my weapon in the exact manor, repeat infinity. and how many times can one run through the same type of narrow Grayish brown cave.

And ridicolously powerful crafting skills shoots this game into the difficult for 3yold category. When you can get 99% resistance to anything its just silly.

Think ill play some baldurs gate2 / Eldar scrolls 3 and die alot, that should fix it.

 

[OtherSideofSky]

What always really bugs me about all the sliders to create faces is that it's really hard to tell how a face will end up animating in game. Half the time you make a perfectly fine looking face and then it turns out that it moves so unnaturally it throws you out of the experience.

I definitely think there should at least be the option of a simpler customization interface (because even if I think messing with those sliders is nuts I still don't want to use the unspeakably bland default face). That way the people who like the crazy slide-bar stuff can still have their fun, and everyone else can still make a reasonably unique character out of pre-made pieces.

 

[infohippie]

If you want a preset face and cover it with a helmet, do it. If you want to see your face, do not wear a helmet.

This is one thing I do wish could be a little different. I'd like a menu option the same as in WoW where you can choose not to show your helmet. You can wear one for the stats but still see your face. I don't like wearing a helmet so I often don't, but since a few perks in the heavy armour skill tree require you to be wearing a full set including helmet I still put it on before a tough fight. It'd be nice to not have it showing so I don't have to keep taking it off and putting it on.

 

[ThunderCavalier]

I do agree with Yahtzee that there sometimes is a bit too much choice in these games, often times in places that there really shouldn't be that much choice to begin with.

I'll be quite honest and say it outright: I highly doubt that anyone in the RPG fandom will be up in arms if BioWare, Bethesda, Obsidian, and frankly any other RPG company I can think of that does Western Sandbox RPGs scraps their facial character creation generator. The only thing that really matters to me, imo, is the gender, the ability to freely customize the stats of the character, his actions, and the stuff he wears, and anything beyond that I honestly could care less about.

And I do also agree with Yahtzee that I wouldn't mind a return to the days when we had a predetermined hero with a set backstory. Sure, there'd be limited choices from therein, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a fan of the older J-RPGs (you know, the ones that had decent stories, gameplay, and weren't shit) that had predetermined parties, stories, personalities, etc. Sure, you really could only customize who went into battle and what stuff he used to bash over a monster's head, but it was still all in good fun, and the stories often made up for the lack of choice.

Oh, and you can't get sidetracked by picking up every single Bent Tin Can in the game and storing them up in your house because you're one of those obsessive types that needs to pick up everything that has a prompt to be picked up. ... Or was that just me?

 

[Zom-B]

Oh Yahtzee, if only you knew that there isn't too much to do in Skyrim, but rather it's a shoddy RPG that simply wasn't playtested for balance with too many useless auxiliary features. Are there any leading online pseudo-celebrities on gaming sites who's specialization is in RPGs who will reveal Skyrim for the massive failure it is?

I found that "mummy" as opposed to "mommy" was a nice touch.

I'm not saying I completely disagree, but how is Skyrim a "massive failure"? Clearly, from a sales standpoint it is not. Nor from a publicity/popularity standpoint (go to any gaming website, I guarantee at least one story on the front page will be about Skyrim). It's not a failure from an open world standpoint either. There's tons of places to go, things to do and stuff to see. There's lots of choice in character builds as well. There's also dozens and dozens of quests to complete.

The only things that I so far see as a failure of the game are the terrible combat system. Apparently the crafting system is easily abused, which could be considered a failure, I suppose. And obviously, since we are talking about a Bethesda game, it runs on a crummy, buggy engine.

Honestly though, how do you qualify Skyrim as a massive failure? It definitely has problems, it's definitely overrated, but it delivers fun and it delivers a pretty darn deep and varied RPG experience.

 

[Electrogecko]

I was interested in hearing about how Skyrim has extreme degrees of quality and difficulty depending on the play style, but as was said earlier, we were distracted by nose sliders.

 

[JET1971]

The only sliders i used was the presets, that was enough variety for me on character creation with the face.

As for having too many choices when playing? well shit thats what i love about Elder Scrolls, you can do 400 hours and not touch the main quest but do other quests or just mess about collecting crafting resources while going from one dungeon to another. Yes i always have a pickaxe with me and yes I am getting tired of finding iron ore.. 316 iron ingots sitting at home, and every jewel I find dropped onto the floor in my house. lately I have been collecting skulls and dropping them off in the Solitude market area. makes a helluva racket when I run through. I think im going to do soul gems in Whiterun next since i have a few hundred of them and will only be using grand or azura's star from now on.

One thing I dislike about Skyrims quests is some of them force you to join a guild to complete because something you need can only be retrieved during a guild quest or you get the guild start quest without actauly wanting it. i dont like sneaking and I despise picking locks so NO I DONT WANT TO JOIN THE THIEVES GUILD!!! lol...

 

[Trippy Turtle]

Holy crap he almost stole my name. My first character was called Hamface McGee.
Anyway I kind of wish you got to see your character more. Perhaps when they talk to an npc it shows their face?