So, Skyrim has been fun and as my first entry int the series, will make me get a new game system just to get my hands on the sequel. THIS ALL SAID, there are a few things I would like to see done differently in latter installments. I am not the only one as much of what I am about to gripe about out of anoterwise near perfect game have been moded into existence, and while mods can fix this it be nice if the vanilla variant did like wise.
So, here we go: My top ten list of things I want done differently from the least spoilery to the most spoilery. And I will have spoiler warnings when things show up so you can skip that part.
Also, I will have pretty pretty pictures to keep the wall of text from being too much.
1. Improved children. I recently saw a youtube video show casing a mod that fixes this, but yeah: they all look the same. Change their hair all you want, they all look alike despite most suppose to look different. Of the four main orphans, we have a Nord (Vikings), an imperial (Italian/Roman), a Breton (slightly magickly inclined human race that were descended of the human concubines of High Elf Conquerors thousands of years ago but otherwise look like normal humans) and another is a red guard (the Black Moroccan expy race with Curved Swords). Yet there are no mer (High Elf, Wood Elf, Dark Elf, or Orc) despite dark elves flooding in as refugees, a few high elves happily married with other people of different races (and its implied that children take after the mother?s looks and racial traits in the game), and despite the orc holds having one cheif with a harem, the only children around are either adult or teenagers.
It would make sense for the Catfolk Khajite not to have any being that 90% of them are not allowed into town, and some of the backstory with the Angorian dinosaur/lizard/crocodile folk would make sense that many wouldn?t have any children in Skyrim outside of their homeland of Black Marsh, but the others?not so much.
This all said, a little variety. When the kid of the happily married Redguard couple looks like the Nord child, you know you need some variety.
Others could be a little different in their dialog as well.
Standard for a females spouse of the player is the children to say they took them to the market, and a male spouse took them hunting/fishing for boys and girls respectively.
Here are ten I can think of that might work more specifically for 10 different marriageable options: first five ladies, last five dudes.
Women Folk
1Aela the Huntress (companion and hunting expert, and an archery trainer): Mama said she was going to teach me how to shoot a bow! Bet I could hit an apple off a Sabercat after we?re done!
2Aeri (lumberjack): Mama is going to teach me how to whittle!
3Jenessa (a mercenary you can hire to adventure with you): Mama taught me how to sharpen a dagger.
4.Muiri (alchemist): mama taught me how to mix potions!
5.SHavee (Angorian Dock Worker): Mama is going to teach me how to swim!
Menfolk
6. Moth gro-Bagal (Orc Blacksmith): Papa says I work the forge like an Orc!
7. Onmund (Mage student): Papa taught me how to summon a wolf!
8.Revyn Sadri (merchant): Papa told me how to get the best deals from the Caravans.
9.Torvar (Companion, and a particularly drunk one) Dad passed out drunk again!
10. Perth(Miner) Daddy is going to teach me where to check for ore.
Yeah, it will get old fast too BUTTTTT does the orc black smith girl look like she?s interested in making a pie? Didn?t think so.
2 More epic battles: due to limitations to technology (and time potentially, you do not have a game till it ships), Bethisda had to scrap the idea of having open battles with hundreds of combatants being randomly around. Well, when the next gsme generation rolls around, why not implement it? It?s a thought? If nothing else a single battle will level up a couple areas by a few levels.
3 More werewolf options: There are other weres in the game. In Dragoonborn DLC you fight werebears randomly. But there are werecats, were crocodiles and so on in lore. SO why not that? Even if you only stick to the tried and true werewolf, one of the mods out there is to adjust the look of your lycanthrope like you do your character. So why not?
4.More Dialogue from NPC?s. It?s a problem with an open world game like this, especially with many an actor doing any ware from 3 to twenty different characters. And how many of us can easily make a dangerous drinking game out of: Let me Guess: someone stole your sweet roll; I used to be an adventurer like you, then I took an arrow to the knee; the warriors from Hammerfel have curved swords. CURVED SWORDS! Can you believe it? And so on and so on.
Espesialy since you are bound to run into the following voice types:
Guard
Grumpy Old Man
Young Girl
Typicle Dunmer Female
Typicle Dunmer male
Orc male
Orc female
Sleezy shop keeper
Drunk guy
Scary Big Guy
So maybe having ten to twenty lines they could say make this less obvious it?s the same guy dong the same thing in 10 different places.
5. Talos play a big part of the new game. Talos was one of the Nine gods that make up the Aedra, and his worship is currently banned due to a deal the Empire made with the Thalmore (the Nazi esk faction that rules the High Elves). So maybe have the new player be his reincarnation or questing to find him or her?
6. Better Romance dialogue and options. While introduced here in Skyrim, maybe doing what Bethisda did with Fallout 4 would help. Or maybe have it be more then I have a magic necklace that helps in my healing spells, and I chopped some wood for you/hired your services/your lord and you are my bodyguard/punched you into submission. I may not have much eperiance with romance but I want a little of it. Also, maybe cater it to the character. Here are 3 excamples of this that play very little in the story line so as to keep the spoilers down. Mostly. Heck, I will throw in 3 you can't romance normaly
Nadja Stonearm: She?s a bit of a Tsundary (as it she acts crass to you and others, but has a softer side here and there). She never turns off the crassness, but she gets nicer about it like telling Skore that she will help him with his shield work when he comes to her about an opinion about his shield (given she is an Expert Block Trainer, this shows his humility and how she is willing to be nice to him.) Or how her last adventure, that yes: Letting idiots bash against her shield till they wear themselves out is a great strategy!
So, as you progress in this story line, her attitude may go up or down, and maybe you can call her out on it, which eventualy leads to a brawl outside (when you first enter the Mead Hall the Companions call home, she and the dark elf in the guild get into a brawl and she wins, something one of the others comment as they are at it again). Then mabe a dragon attacks, and while everyon pitches in, you deal the most damage and as a Dragon Born, eat its soul which shuts her up for a bit. Eventualy she may warm up to you in other ways, like she?s off doing her thing and you have to find her. When you do she is in a bandit camp surrounded by dead enemies, and you finaly find out why she can be so mean spirited.
Then you reconcile, get married, and have the whole when you leave the house she yells: Have fun storming the world! And now I have a fan fic idea, one moment if you would.
YSolda: She is a merchant with ties to the Khajit Caravans and ttrying to earn enough to by the Banard Mare tavern. Maybe you could ask if there are anything she is looking for a particular client, or spend some time going over some of the notes she?s taken on being a merchant, or befriend the caravans she is working so closly with? That would work.
Bogakh The Steel Heart: She is an orc and a cheiftan?s daughter that is not all that happy about the fact she is nearly of marigable age (meaning that she will be shipped off to another Orc Strong Hold to be part of another chief?s Harem). She can be a follower either by paying the bride price or having a high enough Speech Tree to just come along with you.
Option A.) You pay off the dowry, and if her father has concerns about a none orc or a city orc marrying a Strong Hold girl, maybe do the first fight most of the chiefs have you do when you ask if there is anything that can be done for the hold (its ?training? and an easy way to get 100 gold). Beat him, and pay double, and you get your girl to conquer the world with.
Option B) She wants to see the world, which is why she is so conflicted in following her heart and following tradition. So Aladin; take your warrior princes on a magic carpet ride and do these wonderous things to strengthen your bonds: like Slaughtering Badnits, slaughtering the twisted abominations called Falmer, slaughtering trolls, slaughtering giants, giving her a sweet roll, slaughter storm cloaks, slaughter Imperial forces, slaughter vampires, and maybe, just maybe giver her a sword wrapped in wildflowers. Now I have another fan fic idea, uno moss.
Carlotta Valentia: She is only interested in caring for her daughter and selling her food. That said most of the men of Whiterun have propositioned her, half of which were even single. Her queest is to get the Bard in the tavern to leave her alone and that no means no (Persuation, Bribe, or the fun options of intimidate and brawl). Since she is not interested in Men why not a WOman charecter? Yeah, yeah, every marigable option is bi BUT every couple in the game vanilla is heteranormative until you show up. Everyone celebrates it, but just work with me on this. Maybe the two of you can talk, maybe even flirt on accident then not so accident. Then you work it out.
Spoiler, spoiler, spoiler: Brynjolf of the THeives Guild: The guy is so charming many fans are disapointed he dosn't make a response at seeing you with a Amulet of Mara. He's the second in comand, and prefers it that way (even when you take over...he sugests it in fact). He starts you off on this, and he ends it. So why no? The events of the questline has already proven yourself as a great theif and genious, and you took out what has been hindering the guild in Skyrim. Why not? It would also be easier, and heck, have him show up to you with an Amulet and its your turn to remark on it.
Aranea Ienith: Dunmar preistess over the Shrine of Azura, and despite having a standard Dark Elf Woman voice that you hear over and over again, is quite attractive if you get her in anything other then her defoult robes and have a circlet on her head. That said, I also find her to be a bit of a wooby (a charecter like Wall-E that you just want to give them a hug and tell them everything will be better). THis is because at the end of her quest (which gets you the Star of Azura Daedric artifact) she looses contact with her patron diety. After centuries of having Azura's guidence, she dosn't know what to do with herself. She is now a follower to join you in your adventures, an a potential recruit into one of the factions, but not an option to be a steward for your hearthfire DLC homes you build, nor can she say she woulld like being with you for now and eternity when you wear an Amulet of Azura.
This can be simple enough as to take her around to the other landmarks, maybe a trip back to Morowind, and say I have a viion of the two of them togeather, with little half elves running around.
Regardless, A little romance is all I ask for.
7. More romancable options. Most of the romance options in the game are Nord, Bretton, or Imperial. There is one 1 Redguard Woman, 1 high elf woman, about 5 orcs, 4 dark elves, 3 Angorians, and no cats or woodies. Almost half are combatants of some sort. And most share the same voice tallents (I.E. anything not a Nord, Bretton, or Imperial have just 1 voice actor instead of like 2 or 5. So maybe more out there, or ones that are more varied?and have more guys that are interesting that don?t make a living smashing skulls. Scouts Many Marshes can?t be the most interesting of em.
8. better married life. No, I don?t mean sex. If Bethesda wants to tread those dangerous waters or not, a Modder will be there to help. But a little more interation then: how much did the store make, or hay make me a home cooked meal, or how were the kids. Maybe make them a meal, ask how their day was, cuddle, have an argument if you?ve been gone for a long time in game, or talk about having more kids. Or they choose where to live, or tell you its time to move after the umpteenth bandit, wolf, or giant attack your dream home you built from the ground up.
9 Thalmor have a bigger part of the plot. In the proceeding centuries since the events of Oblivion, the empire has weakened, the Septim blood line has been snuffed out, and the High Elves have gone all murder happer wit their own Third Riche, and now the dominant force on the main continent. This has lead to the civil war in Skyrim; and while in the main story line they were simply there to unwittingly cause the return of dragons (the wording of the prophesy mentioned civil war amongst the Nords), they play very little in it. Only in the College of Windhelm story line does one play a major role.
Yet, in the other parts you see what they have done. They torutrded and butured the Blades till they were only a handful of them spread out across the continent; a wood elf that helps you in the main storyline does so because his entire family was killed by the Thalmor. Another part, there is a Khajit agent off the assassinate someone. When you talk to the justifiably scared target, you go to the leader of a nearby caravan, tell them the situation and the leader tells you to: Kill that Thalmore Filth. An early side quest in White Run involves heloing soeone that may be on the run for speaking out against the Thalmore if you believe her or helped them take the last city in Hammerfell. A Highelf officer in the Imperial army is working with a human empire because not only did he not like the leaders of his homeland, he was there when they found and butchered a bunch of high elf refugees that had once spoken out about their cruelty (which included his family). And so on and so on. So, why not make them a part of the main events? Or have this be the pushback promised regardless of which side of the civil war you were on.
10 The Dwemmer?s return. In elder scrolls lore, Dwemer were a scientifically and magically advanced race of ancient elves that dispensary thousands of years ago. Despite this, they left behind a legacy including armor, weapons, steam and soul gem powered murder machines, and the Falmer.
A major spoiler here, but the Falmer were once the Snow Elves that clashed with and lost against the early Nords. Over the centuries they twisted them to be a slave race, to be something so twisted their souls changed from black (sapient creatures like the 10 playable races) to something that can fill a soul gem as easily as a mammoth, wolf, drauger, or mudcrab. Not. Nice. People. SO imagine if they come back all of a sudden, say the Thalmor accidentally did it, and now we have to deal with them. Time for another world changing event I say.
Do you agree? Dis agree? Have a list of your own?
So, here we go: My top ten list of things I want done differently from the least spoilery to the most spoilery. And I will have spoiler warnings when things show up so you can skip that part.
Also, I will have pretty pretty pictures to keep the wall of text from being too much.
1. Improved children. I recently saw a youtube video show casing a mod that fixes this, but yeah: they all look the same. Change their hair all you want, they all look alike despite most suppose to look different. Of the four main orphans, we have a Nord (Vikings), an imperial (Italian/Roman), a Breton (slightly magickly inclined human race that were descended of the human concubines of High Elf Conquerors thousands of years ago but otherwise look like normal humans) and another is a red guard (the Black Moroccan expy race with Curved Swords). Yet there are no mer (High Elf, Wood Elf, Dark Elf, or Orc) despite dark elves flooding in as refugees, a few high elves happily married with other people of different races (and its implied that children take after the mother?s looks and racial traits in the game), and despite the orc holds having one cheif with a harem, the only children around are either adult or teenagers.
It would make sense for the Catfolk Khajite not to have any being that 90% of them are not allowed into town, and some of the backstory with the Angorian dinosaur/lizard/crocodile folk would make sense that many wouldn?t have any children in Skyrim outside of their homeland of Black Marsh, but the others?not so much.
This all said, a little variety. When the kid of the happily married Redguard couple looks like the Nord child, you know you need some variety.
Others could be a little different in their dialog as well.
Standard for a females spouse of the player is the children to say they took them to the market, and a male spouse took them hunting/fishing for boys and girls respectively.
Here are ten I can think of that might work more specifically for 10 different marriageable options: first five ladies, last five dudes.
Women Folk
1Aela the Huntress (companion and hunting expert, and an archery trainer): Mama said she was going to teach me how to shoot a bow! Bet I could hit an apple off a Sabercat after we?re done!
2Aeri (lumberjack): Mama is going to teach me how to whittle!
3Jenessa (a mercenary you can hire to adventure with you): Mama taught me how to sharpen a dagger.
4.Muiri (alchemist): mama taught me how to mix potions!
5.SHavee (Angorian Dock Worker): Mama is going to teach me how to swim!
Menfolk
6. Moth gro-Bagal (Orc Blacksmith): Papa says I work the forge like an Orc!
7. Onmund (Mage student): Papa taught me how to summon a wolf!
8.Revyn Sadri (merchant): Papa told me how to get the best deals from the Caravans.
9.Torvar (Companion, and a particularly drunk one) Dad passed out drunk again!
10. Perth(Miner) Daddy is going to teach me where to check for ore.
Yeah, it will get old fast too BUTTTTT does the orc black smith girl look like she?s interested in making a pie? Didn?t think so.
2 More epic battles: due to limitations to technology (and time potentially, you do not have a game till it ships), Bethisda had to scrap the idea of having open battles with hundreds of combatants being randomly around. Well, when the next gsme generation rolls around, why not implement it? It?s a thought? If nothing else a single battle will level up a couple areas by a few levels.
3 More werewolf options: There are other weres in the game. In Dragoonborn DLC you fight werebears randomly. But there are werecats, were crocodiles and so on in lore. SO why not that? Even if you only stick to the tried and true werewolf, one of the mods out there is to adjust the look of your lycanthrope like you do your character. So why not?
4.More Dialogue from NPC?s. It?s a problem with an open world game like this, especially with many an actor doing any ware from 3 to twenty different characters. And how many of us can easily make a dangerous drinking game out of: Let me Guess: someone stole your sweet roll; I used to be an adventurer like you, then I took an arrow to the knee; the warriors from Hammerfel have curved swords. CURVED SWORDS! Can you believe it? And so on and so on.
Espesialy since you are bound to run into the following voice types:
Guard
Grumpy Old Man
Young Girl
Typicle Dunmer Female
Typicle Dunmer male
Orc male
Orc female
Sleezy shop keeper
Drunk guy
Scary Big Guy
So maybe having ten to twenty lines they could say make this less obvious it?s the same guy dong the same thing in 10 different places.
5. Talos play a big part of the new game. Talos was one of the Nine gods that make up the Aedra, and his worship is currently banned due to a deal the Empire made with the Thalmore (the Nazi esk faction that rules the High Elves). So maybe have the new player be his reincarnation or questing to find him or her?
6. Better Romance dialogue and options. While introduced here in Skyrim, maybe doing what Bethisda did with Fallout 4 would help. Or maybe have it be more then I have a magic necklace that helps in my healing spells, and I chopped some wood for you/hired your services/your lord and you are my bodyguard/punched you into submission. I may not have much eperiance with romance but I want a little of it. Also, maybe cater it to the character. Here are 3 excamples of this that play very little in the story line so as to keep the spoilers down. Mostly. Heck, I will throw in 3 you can't romance normaly
Nadja Stonearm: She?s a bit of a Tsundary (as it she acts crass to you and others, but has a softer side here and there). She never turns off the crassness, but she gets nicer about it like telling Skore that she will help him with his shield work when he comes to her about an opinion about his shield (given she is an Expert Block Trainer, this shows his humility and how she is willing to be nice to him.) Or how her last adventure, that yes: Letting idiots bash against her shield till they wear themselves out is a great strategy!
So, as you progress in this story line, her attitude may go up or down, and maybe you can call her out on it, which eventualy leads to a brawl outside (when you first enter the Mead Hall the Companions call home, she and the dark elf in the guild get into a brawl and she wins, something one of the others comment as they are at it again). Then mabe a dragon attacks, and while everyon pitches in, you deal the most damage and as a Dragon Born, eat its soul which shuts her up for a bit. Eventualy she may warm up to you in other ways, like she?s off doing her thing and you have to find her. When you do she is in a bandit camp surrounded by dead enemies, and you finaly find out why she can be so mean spirited.
Then you reconcile, get married, and have the whole when you leave the house she yells: Have fun storming the world! And now I have a fan fic idea, one moment if you would.
YSolda: She is a merchant with ties to the Khajit Caravans and ttrying to earn enough to by the Banard Mare tavern. Maybe you could ask if there are anything she is looking for a particular client, or spend some time going over some of the notes she?s taken on being a merchant, or befriend the caravans she is working so closly with? That would work.
Bogakh The Steel Heart: She is an orc and a cheiftan?s daughter that is not all that happy about the fact she is nearly of marigable age (meaning that she will be shipped off to another Orc Strong Hold to be part of another chief?s Harem). She can be a follower either by paying the bride price or having a high enough Speech Tree to just come along with you.
Option A.) You pay off the dowry, and if her father has concerns about a none orc or a city orc marrying a Strong Hold girl, maybe do the first fight most of the chiefs have you do when you ask if there is anything that can be done for the hold (its ?training? and an easy way to get 100 gold). Beat him, and pay double, and you get your girl to conquer the world with.
Option B) She wants to see the world, which is why she is so conflicted in following her heart and following tradition. So Aladin; take your warrior princes on a magic carpet ride and do these wonderous things to strengthen your bonds: like Slaughtering Badnits, slaughtering the twisted abominations called Falmer, slaughtering trolls, slaughtering giants, giving her a sweet roll, slaughter storm cloaks, slaughter Imperial forces, slaughter vampires, and maybe, just maybe giver her a sword wrapped in wildflowers. Now I have another fan fic idea, uno moss.
Carlotta Valentia: She is only interested in caring for her daughter and selling her food. That said most of the men of Whiterun have propositioned her, half of which were even single. Her queest is to get the Bard in the tavern to leave her alone and that no means no (Persuation, Bribe, or the fun options of intimidate and brawl). Since she is not interested in Men why not a WOman charecter? Yeah, yeah, every marigable option is bi BUT every couple in the game vanilla is heteranormative until you show up. Everyone celebrates it, but just work with me on this. Maybe the two of you can talk, maybe even flirt on accident then not so accident. Then you work it out.
Spoiler, spoiler, spoiler: Brynjolf of the THeives Guild: The guy is so charming many fans are disapointed he dosn't make a response at seeing you with a Amulet of Mara. He's the second in comand, and prefers it that way (even when you take over...he sugests it in fact). He starts you off on this, and he ends it. So why no? The events of the questline has already proven yourself as a great theif and genious, and you took out what has been hindering the guild in Skyrim. Why not? It would also be easier, and heck, have him show up to you with an Amulet and its your turn to remark on it.
Aranea Ienith: Dunmar preistess over the Shrine of Azura, and despite having a standard Dark Elf Woman voice that you hear over and over again, is quite attractive if you get her in anything other then her defoult robes and have a circlet on her head. That said, I also find her to be a bit of a wooby (a charecter like Wall-E that you just want to give them a hug and tell them everything will be better). THis is because at the end of her quest (which gets you the Star of Azura Daedric artifact) she looses contact with her patron diety. After centuries of having Azura's guidence, she dosn't know what to do with herself. She is now a follower to join you in your adventures, an a potential recruit into one of the factions, but not an option to be a steward for your hearthfire DLC homes you build, nor can she say she woulld like being with you for now and eternity when you wear an Amulet of Azura.
This can be simple enough as to take her around to the other landmarks, maybe a trip back to Morowind, and say I have a viion of the two of them togeather, with little half elves running around.
Regardless, A little romance is all I ask for.
7. More romancable options. Most of the romance options in the game are Nord, Bretton, or Imperial. There is one 1 Redguard Woman, 1 high elf woman, about 5 orcs, 4 dark elves, 3 Angorians, and no cats or woodies. Almost half are combatants of some sort. And most share the same voice tallents (I.E. anything not a Nord, Bretton, or Imperial have just 1 voice actor instead of like 2 or 5. So maybe more out there, or ones that are more varied?and have more guys that are interesting that don?t make a living smashing skulls. Scouts Many Marshes can?t be the most interesting of em.
8. better married life. No, I don?t mean sex. If Bethesda wants to tread those dangerous waters or not, a Modder will be there to help. But a little more interation then: how much did the store make, or hay make me a home cooked meal, or how were the kids. Maybe make them a meal, ask how their day was, cuddle, have an argument if you?ve been gone for a long time in game, or talk about having more kids. Or they choose where to live, or tell you its time to move after the umpteenth bandit, wolf, or giant attack your dream home you built from the ground up.
9 Thalmor have a bigger part of the plot. In the proceeding centuries since the events of Oblivion, the empire has weakened, the Septim blood line has been snuffed out, and the High Elves have gone all murder happer wit their own Third Riche, and now the dominant force on the main continent. This has lead to the civil war in Skyrim; and while in the main story line they were simply there to unwittingly cause the return of dragons (the wording of the prophesy mentioned civil war amongst the Nords), they play very little in it. Only in the College of Windhelm story line does one play a major role.
Yet, in the other parts you see what they have done. They torutrded and butured the Blades till they were only a handful of them spread out across the continent; a wood elf that helps you in the main storyline does so because his entire family was killed by the Thalmor. Another part, there is a Khajit agent off the assassinate someone. When you talk to the justifiably scared target, you go to the leader of a nearby caravan, tell them the situation and the leader tells you to: Kill that Thalmore Filth. An early side quest in White Run involves heloing soeone that may be on the run for speaking out against the Thalmore if you believe her or helped them take the last city in Hammerfell. A Highelf officer in the Imperial army is working with a human empire because not only did he not like the leaders of his homeland, he was there when they found and butchered a bunch of high elf refugees that had once spoken out about their cruelty (which included his family). And so on and so on. So, why not make them a part of the main events? Or have this be the pushback promised regardless of which side of the civil war you were on.
10 The Dwemmer?s return. In elder scrolls lore, Dwemer were a scientifically and magically advanced race of ancient elves that dispensary thousands of years ago. Despite this, they left behind a legacy including armor, weapons, steam and soul gem powered murder machines, and the Falmer.
A major spoiler here, but the Falmer were once the Snow Elves that clashed with and lost against the early Nords. Over the centuries they twisted them to be a slave race, to be something so twisted their souls changed from black (sapient creatures like the 10 playable races) to something that can fill a soul gem as easily as a mammoth, wolf, drauger, or mudcrab. Not. Nice. People. SO imagine if they come back all of a sudden, say the Thalmor accidentally did it, and now we have to deal with them. Time for another world changing event I say.
Do you agree? Dis agree? Have a list of your own?
