Poll: Optional Patch for Skyrim?

[Damien Granz]

While I agree with everything typed up there, coding for the PC isn't quite the same as coding for the Xbox 360/PS3. It wouldn't be quite as simple as just porting the mod over to the consoles, because the games aren't really set up the same way (As Bethesda games on PC are some of the most mod-friendly games to ever be released). I don't believe it would take a lot of work to do, especially since Bethesda knows how they programmed for the PC and so if anyone could figure out how the mod works on a code level it would be them, but it's still extra man-hours for something not quite as high up on the list of things to get done.

It'd be awesome to see as a toggle option for consoles, I'm sure a fair few people would use it and it probably could be done in a day or two, but realistically I just don't really see Bethesda caring about it. At least not yet. Just my two cents, actually on topic for once.

I don't program, so I have to take their word for it if it's "Harder Than It Looks" to do. Maybe it's hard, maybe it's virtually impossible. I figured the main reason there's no modding on consoles is "So people don't unlock 'downloadable' content that's already on the disk" or "Cheat at Battlefield 3 on X-Box".

I only suspect this is an issue they may want to address because every, single, game I've ever seen with spiders has a dozen of these mods and topics requesting them. It's like, the fourth place most requested mod in games other than completion packages (like KotOR 2), cheating programs (like infinite gold or whatever), and nudity/sexual related mods (because it's the internet).

 

[Char-Nobyl]

I don't know about most of you, but if I were to ask Bethseda just one little thing, JUST ONE, it'd be for them to make a (Optional)patch to remove those hideous spiders from the game. Now, before people start posting criticism please note:

-I'm Arachnophobic.

Some of you might post: "O'well, it's a game deal with it."

I've dealt with it in several occasions but in Skyrim spiders are 6 feet tall and jump on your face. NOW I know regular spiders do that IRL but they usually don't go over 4-6 inches. Arachnophobia is serious and I' FOR ONE think that if Bethseda were to make such patch they'd be removing the poison of one of their best games.

If you agree please leave a YAY or Nay to the thread thy's read.

Wait, what? Look, man, I fully understand that arachnophobia is a real condition...but really? The Frostbite spiders are "the poison of [Skyrim]"?

A lot of people posted recommendations for user-made mods that are out, so it's clear that a lot of people shared your sentiment, or at least a lot of people were just creeped out by the spiders. But at the same time, yeah, they're scary. I don't think anyone on the dev team thought that they wouldn't be scary. They're supposed to be.

And while I respect that you're not demanding this from Bethesda, it's still rather unreasonable to look for an official mod to address a specific phobia. You'd still have people who had acrophobia who didn't want to climb any mountains, people with melissophobia who didn't want there to be any bears, hemophobia for people afraid of blood, and let's not forget the ruling class of Skyrim phobias: herpetophobia, fear of reptiles.

But, I was mostly just writing to kill a bit of time. Grab one of those user-made mods and go nuts. I won't criticize you for a fear that I, quite frankly, sympathize with. Those spiders are goddamn terrors.

 

[Keltrick]

Spiders are not the most, I guess, most frightening thing in that game. But to want a patch to remove them... shit, grow a pair or dont play it.

Why would he "grow a pair"? Testicles are vulnerable points that can be damaged easily.

And you obviously aren't an arachnophobe. You cannot just, as the saying goes, "grow a pair".

To use the English language to its most creative means obviously some can only react a typical ignorant sarcastic reaction in some people... "growing a pair" would suggest nothing more than to "harden the fuck up" and get over it. They are images on a screen, not actual spiders. The question of whether a patch, just to acomodate small few over something so stupid is insane, is a waste of time money 'for arguments sake'. The world already gives out too many participation awards...

Images on a screen is right. There isn't any real danger presented in depicting spiders in a video game, and they shouldn't be upset by them.Wait ... You mean they are afraid of something that they logically shouldn't be? OHMYGOD! Thats a brilliant idea! EXPLAIN to people with phobias, that their fear is irrational! I think we just cured all phobias EVER! Why didn't we try that before?

A phobia is labeled a phobia for a reason, and pointing out that there is difference between depictions on a screen and real life spiders doesn't change anything. The fear is still there, and doesn't lend well to being cured by logic.

I would hardly compare a participation award in a school sack race to a patch to help people cope with an anxiety disorder.

 

[Maximum_Power_Cheese_Supreme]

I think you should reword it from "patch" to "game setting" - Sort of like how TF2 has a colour blind mode for players with colour blindness but it's not a complete patch that affects everyone.

It would be a game-play option to have the spiders or replace the spiders with a different creature or turn them off entirely. Note that having the spiders disabled would also disable access to their loot.

But, I still have yet to play it so I don't know.

.

Good thing I only have a fear of heights. Which is fine in a video-game, I don't mind falling down a cliff-face as long as I have a save to revert back to.

Or maybe I'm just apprehensive about heights, which is normal for everyone. I still don't like climbing up ladders.

 

[Damien Granz]

Spiders are not the most, I guess, most frightening thing in that game. But to want a patch to remove them... shit, grow a pair or dont play it.

Why would he "grow a pair"? Testicles are vulnerable points that can be damaged easily.

And you obviously aren't an arachnophobe. You cannot just, as the saying goes, "grow a pair".

To use the English language to its most creative means obviously some can only react a typical ignorant sarcastic reaction in some people... "growing a pair" would suggest nothing more than to "harden the fuck up" and get over it. They are images on a screen, not actual spiders. The question of whether a patch, just to acomodate small few over something so stupid is insane, is a waste of time money 'for arguments sake'. The world already gives out too many participation awards...

Images on a screen is right. There isn't any real danger presented in depicting spiders in a video game, and they shouldn't be upset by them.Wait ... You mean they are afraid of something that they logically shouldn't be? OHMYGOD! Thats a brilliant idea! EXPLAIN to people with phobias, that their fear is irrational! I think we just cured all phobias EVER! Why didn't we try that before?

I would hardly compare a participation award in a school sack race to a patch to help people cope with an anxiety disorder.

Yeah, what people don't realize is that a phobia's a mental condition, and not just a sort of fear. I myself have done a lot of reading on spiders to try to 'cure' myself of the same phobia. I KNOW logically that they're a fraction of a gram, and not harmful, and even the 'deadly' ones tend to cause rashes at best and can all be easily treated in areas where they're common (and black widows are uncommon, but do occur, here). I know I'm not in any mortal peril. I KNOW that, I, being 1000 times this animal's size, could, with very little force, hit it so hard that its component body parts would scatter to the four winds.

That doesn't make it any real easier to not be afraid of them, though. Phobias are irrational fears. If they're to be bested, it takes a lot, lot of work and in some cases therapy and medication to best. That's not necessarily worth it for most people to play a video game, and not very fair to expect them to do.

That said, I don't imagine that every, every single person on Earth can be specifically catered to by every game. I don't expect every game to fit my sensibilities, and sometimes I do have to pass on those that don't.

But this seems like a relatively large enough problem, and a relatively easy enough fix (maybe? I don't know! Only really somebody at Bethesda could tell us how easy or hard a fix it really is).

I wish people wouldn't be so quick to belittle one another for a condition they don't really understand.

 

[shrekfan246]

I don't program, so I have to take their word for it if it's "Harder Than It Looks" to do. I figured the main reason there's no modding on consoles is "So people don't unlock 'downloadable' content that's already on the disk" or "Cheat at Battlefield 3 on X-Box".

I only suspect this is an issue they may want to address because every, single, game I've ever seen with spiders has a dozen of these mods and topics requesting them. It's like, the fourth place most requested mod in games other than completion packages (like KotOR 2), cheating programs (like infinite gold or whatever), and nudity/sexual related mods (because it's the internet).

Well, the consoles are closed systems. "Modding" in reference to them is usually simple things like chipping it to use pirated copies or breaking multi-player Battlefield/Call of Duty matches. Modding in reference to what happens on PCs is your second paragraph, basically. Completely new content, overhauling graphics/sounds, re-skinning characters or weapons, adding ambiance to the sky, and nude character models (because it's the internet). I can't really say if the same thing can be done for consoles, as I'm sure it technically can be, but because most games are still programmed using computers themselves and modders rely on the goodwill of the developers/publishers to provide modding support a lot of the time (Modders can do wonders with actual toolsets. They've done crazy things to Skyim already without the tools, but it's nothing compared to what they've done with Morrowind), it'd be a nightmare for consoles.

Getting community mods to be distributed on the PS3/Xbox 360 would likely require unique toolsets to develop said mods for those specific consoles because they use different APIs than the PC (The Xbox 360 uses DirectX like the PC, but it's utilizing DirectX 9.0c which hasn't been the primary API for the PC in five years apart from Windows XP eh, scratch that, most games are still built to be playable on Windows XP, and the PS3 provides much more OpenGL support from what I remember) and would require heavy testing to ensure that it would be easy to apply/remove and wouldn't make a huge impact on the performance because there's little you can do on a console to change the graphical settings and improve frame-rate. In addition to that, actually distributing them would require Microsoft and Sony to agree to provide the mods for download because there isn't really any other effective way to quickly and easily get media onto a console (flash drives/external hard drives do work, but it's all about ease of access).

It's a pretty huge pain any way you look at it really. And I'm getting off-topic again. Ahem. I'm going to go play a heavily modded Morrowind now.

 

[WaysideMaze]

There is no reason for me to fear spiders. At all. I know that I can crush them like the god that I am, but logic doesn't work well regarding phobias. Thankfully I got the game on PC. Thankyou modding community.

Note. Some people seem to think that killing the spiders should feel good for me. It doesn't, they're still there on screen creeping me the hell out.a dead spider is still a spider, and I still hate them.

weirdly, I quite like scorpions. Gimme scorpions instead Bethesda.

 

[triggrhappy94]

I think it'd be a good idea for you to leave it, facing fears and all. I remember I started hyperventalating when my argonian started swimming out into deep open water. (The deep part, not the open part).
I do get what you mean, spiders don't normal both me too much... as long as I can identify as not being poisoness. But that first spider was really freaky.

 

[Lewieroo0]

I've heard alot of people wanting to remove spiders from skyrim and personally i can't understand why it's such a big deal.

I hate spiders in real life but video game spiders don't scare me at all (with the exception of the one from Limbo -.-).

Also threat wise in game they can be defeated pretty easily as swords dont take too long to cut into their flesh (Especially when using Werewolf form which gave them less of a chance against me and was hilariously entertaining ^.^)

 

[Damien Granz]

I don't program, so I have to take their word for it if it's "Harder Than It Looks" to do. I figured the main reason there's no modding on consoles is "So people don't unlock 'downloadable' content that's already on the disk" or "Cheat at Battlefield 3 on X-Box".

I only suspect this is an issue they may want to address because every, single, game I've ever seen with spiders has a dozen of these mods and topics requesting them. It's like, the fourth place most requested mod in games other than completion packages (like KotOR 2), cheating programs (like infinite gold or whatever), and nudity/sexual related mods (because it's the internet).

Well, the consoles are closed systems. "Modding" in reference to them is usually simple things like chipping it to use pirated copies or breaking multi-player Battlefield/Call of Duty matches. Modding in reference to what happens on PCs is your second paragraph, basically. Completely new content, overhauling graphics/sounds, re-skinning characters or weapons, adding ambiance to the sky, and nude character models (because it's the internet). I can't really say if the same thing can be done for consoles, as I'm sure it technically can be, but because most games are still programmed using computers themselves and modders rely on the goodwill of the developers/publishers to provide modding support a lot of the time (Modders can do wonders with actual toolsets. They've done crazy things to Skyim already without the tools, but it's nothing compared to what they've done with Morrowind), it'd be a nightmare for consoles.

Getting community mods to be distributed on the PS3/Xbox 360 would likely require unique toolsets to develop said mods for those specific consoles because they use different APIs than the PC (The Xbox 360 uses DirectX like the PC, but it's utilizing DirectX 9.0c which hasn't been the primary API for the PC in five years apart from Windows XP eh, scratch that, most games are still built to be playable on Windows XP, and the PS3 provides much more OpenGL support from what I remember) and would require heavy testing to ensure that it would be easy to apply/remove and wouldn't make a huge impact on the performance because there's little you can do on a console to change the graphical settings and improve frame-rate. In addition to that, actually distributing them would require Microsoft and Sony to agree to provide the mods for download because there isn't really any other effective way to quickly and easily get media onto a console (flash drives/external hard drives do work, but it's all about ease of access).

It's a pretty huge pain any way you look at it really. And I'm getting off-topic again. Ahem. I'm going to go play a heavily modded Morrowind now.

I think as time goes by, the difference between "TV" and "Monitor" and "Computer" and "Console" will evaporate entirely. I'm not saying 'Consoles' will die, because if the iPod/Pad/Phone line of products prove anything to me, it's that people LOVE their standardized hardware/software systems, and that's what I think consoles will effectively become (and honestly already are and sort of always have been), is just a 'pre-packaged computer with specialized operating system'.

 

[Lewieroo0]

I dealt with this problem when playing Fallout 3. I'm deadly afraid of ants so fighting ants in the game was terrifying. After a while I came to realize that killing these bastards ants actually helped me with my fear. I'm still afraid but, now I have the courage to kill ants.

With that kind of gaming experience it can also make for good immersion

 

[Jezzascmezza]

If spiders in Skyrim terrify you that much, then I'd advise you not to do the final mission in the Companion's quest-line...

 

[Stainlesssteele4]

Never in the history of video games have they patched out an enemy because of a few people with phobias.
I feel for you, and I understand how much it must suck, but Bethesda (or any other studio for that matter) would never remove an enemy from a game because people are scared of it.
But hey, now's your chance to overcome your fear!

 

[Rainforce]

Seriously?
it's not the Devs fault that you are TOO SCARED TO PLAY THE GAME.
Be grateful that there's a mod for that.

also, go break your phobia (had it myself for years), the experience alone is worth a lot.

 

[Ulkjen]

Your phobia just spices the game up that much more. Being -terrified- of doing certain areas because of something is an influence i really desire for some games. BUT if you really really dont like the effect the spiders have on you, there is a fanpatch for getting rid of the spiders. It turns them into bears instead. Just look it up.

 

[Trull]

Skyrim: I WILL TEACH THE BOY HOW TO OVERCOME SPIDERS
OP: Nah, too scared
Skyrim: :C


That's what I thought from reading peoples posts.


Also, l2pc, consoles r for nuubs (granted the only reason is mods)

 

[mad825]

Here are my reasons why I think not;
-You are overreacting.
-you are no fun, I like horror games/films/stories/real-life events.
-Failing the psychology of game design
-gives you a chance to grow and change for the better

 

[Catalyst6]

I'm not fond of spiders myself, which is why it's nice to be able to bludgeon my fears to death. Cathartic.

And besides, it's *supposed* to be unsettling. Removing the spiders from the dungeon would be like replacing the Grunt in Amnesia with a neon-green Care Bear.

 

[srm79]

I dealt with this problem when playing Fallout 3. I'm deadly afraid of ants so fighting ants in the game was terrifying. After a while I came to realize that killing these bastards ants actually helped me with my fear. I'm still afraid but, now I have the courage to kill ants.

This. I'm hugely arachnophobic, so much so that my girlfriend has to deal with them while my kids piss themselves laughing at me. I find twatting Skyrim spiders to be very theraputic though. Even more so if it cuts to a finishing move and I can cackle with glee as my warrior drives a sword through the top of it's fucking ugly head.

 

[lobster1077]

I'm arachnophobia.

You're Arachnophobia? You sound like a low budget supervillian =D