- Location
- The Hague
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Controversial gaming opinion: video games are good.
What are controversial gaming opinions you have?
serra2
Himouto! Sylvanas-chan
Like, each of those spells could be useful in the process of puzzle solving or quest design, if they were included. Use Create Water to fill a basin to hold down a pressure plate, repair a mechanism via magic over having to do a sidequest to get the need materials, copy a ritual from a book in a Sealed Library therefor bypassing the need to either sneak the book out or fight all the guards, Mage Hand to drop buckets over people's heads at a distance letting you sneak past guards because they can't see you....
Vindictus
XENO
- Location
- Texas
There is a 'Detect Magic' spell in Skyrim, IIRC? At least, I could swear I remember using a spell to search for enchanted artifacts at one point... It's been a while though, and google isn't turning up anything on a quick search.
Beyond roleplay, there are obvious uses for 'arcane mark' type spells as well. Say you 'Mark' an NPC, and this NPC's location is then shown on your maps- This would have some utility in, for example, hunting down where XYZ character you need to talk to is, or keeping track of where enemy guards are located (Notably, the 'mark enemies' function is already implemented in Fo4, via recon scopes)
You could also probably work in some interesting features beyond that, using magic and the 'Mark' system; for example, 'Marking' enemies and then casting Chain Lightning in order to target where the chains go, or 'Marking' one enemy as the 'Target' for another enemy who you ensorcell with an illusion spell, or 'Marking' two items and casting a spell to make them change places with each other... etc, etc, I'm sure you get the point by now.
But implementing this idea would basically require a total overhaul of the entire magic system and most of the related spells. A single modification, and you're looking at revamping a third of the game mechanics.
Add in a few more modifications- Updating stealth mechanics, climbing walls, expanded weapons sets- and you'd almost be better off making an entirely new game altogether.
TES was based off a DnD game originally, and you can still see a lot of the DNA in the setting.
DnD is primarily about rampaging around the countryside killing things, taking their stuff and using it to make you better at killing bigger things and taking their stuff. Yes you can do more with it, but thats what the bulk of the mechanics support.
Its pretty clear that a game world set in a tabletop game focused on killing things and taking their stuff would also have magic that supports mostly that when it makes the transition to a video game.
This is especially true when most utility magics wont have a proper place in TES if you were to port them over. Why would you need Mending when you can just open you inventory and select your repair hammer? Or for that matter, why even let equipment degrade in the first place?
Why have Create Water when water is never ever used for anything unless its special magic water?
Also, you have Mage Hand. Its called "Telekinesis". Its either a Mysticism spell or an Alteration spell, depending on the game.
Most utility magic in TES is of limited use, and its not worth the effort to implement those spells in the game when faster better alternatives exist, especially since many of them are so niche or have no use at all.
TES already has a solid selection of utility magic (defined as anything that doesn't inflict damage or prevent damage from being inflicted), from Invisibility, Muffle, Summons, Water Breathing, Light, etc.
Most of these spells are designed making it easier to adventure out in to the wilderness or other dangerous locations and come out alive, because, surprise surprise, thats 90% of what you do in a TES game.
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- Location
- Land of the Midday Sun
My takeaway from that is that you're blaming the developers for having a different focus than what you want them to have. They're more interested in making a fantasy adventure game, and you're more interested in a fantasy roleplaying game.
Play a different game, maybe? Don't get mad at the devs for not sharing your personal preferences for fake imaginary fun.
Play a different game, maybe? Don't get mad at the devs for not sharing your personal preferences for fake imaginary fun.
disturb not the harmony of fire, ice and lightning, lest these titans wreak destruction on the world in which they clash
- Location
- Somewhere
Hey, only Republican presidential candidates get to rip off that movie.
Herman Cain Admits to Quoting Pokemon Movie During Campaign (Video)
I regret I have but one like to give.
- Location
- Land of the Midday Sun
No, I'm saying that blaming the D&D roots of TES in regards to the lack of utility magic is barking up the wrong tree. Blame instead the developers being lazy and them leaving the modders the work of coming up with interesting magic.
There is a difference between "being lazy" and "having a specific vision in mind for your game."
- Location
- Land of the Midday Sun
Considering it's Bethesda, a company that relauched Skyrim after 5 years with the same bugs as the last patch they issued, yes, I can say they're lazy.
The Englanderish
Schrödinger's Kuudere Kitty Caliph(a)
- Location
- Califat de Chats
Okay but as someone playing a fantasy game, I want to do more than the tired mediocrity of the standard fire/ice/lightning triad. They're perfectly allowed to dev the game they want, but spoiler alert: that game is going to be critiqued. Sometimes the vision isn't actually well-recieved. See: the very noticable trend of moving TES games away from the depth some of them have had in the past and the general ill-reception from large parts of the customer base.
Visions are not unanalysable monoliths that are immune to people thinking they're a bad idea.
So I'm not super knowledgeable about the video game making process, but I'm pretty sure developers and testers are different people in different departments.
I don't think they have that vision, is the thing, not in the sense you mean. My strong impression is that Bethesda doesn't want to deviate because what they have filled a role that a lot of people like, and attempting to innovate or change it up could backfire, and they can rely on modders to do the innovating without pissing off people who just want what is now pretty widely recognized as a "Bethesda game". This...isn't bad, as such, but it is disappointing, because they've been doing the same damn thing for 12 years now and I'm really sick of it. I want to see something other than a retextured Oblivion/Fallout 3 experience, and I want them to do more shit with their actual writing.
They're capable of more, they've proven it in the past, which is why them being content with a C+ is disappointing to me. I know they could ace it if they really tried and took the extra time, and make something truly special.
Fire ice lightning can be a bit stale at times, I wont argue that, but adding earth air water wont make things more interesting.
And lets be honest, most of the "depth" they cut out was pretty useless faffing about anyway.
I can see this, yeah. No arguments here.
Triggerhappy
Stick with Trigger and You'll Make it Through
- Location
- SoCal
Edit : Adding the edit first since it's actually a critique.
Not every open world game needs a compelling over plot. Bethesda. You could make a Fallout game that doesn't have a main plot line, beyond the bare bones of getting the player into the game, and maybe some vague end game escalation, and people would probably like it.
Also lets you avoid having to railroad the player onto the 'one true hero' narrative with all the baggage that applies to other game plots.
I don't need to by the General of an army of revolutionary war cosplayers, while also being a power armored techno knight, a secret agent for robot rights, and the mayor of post atomic Disney World all at once.
Especially since none of these rolls are really going to be given the depth they deserve.
Conversely, I would totally play a spin off tactical shooter in the fallout universe that does a more curated game experience on a series of smaller maps. Say as, for instance, an NCR ranger squad. Or a Brotherhood expeditionary unit traveling across the mid west.
Not playing it much . . . what's the problem with Elder Scrolls magic system?
Not every open world game needs a compelling over plot. Bethesda. You could make a Fallout game that doesn't have a main plot line, beyond the bare bones of getting the player into the game, and maybe some vague end game escalation, and people would probably like it.
Also lets you avoid having to railroad the player onto the 'one true hero' narrative with all the baggage that applies to other game plots.
I don't need to by the General of an army of revolutionary war cosplayers, while also being a power armored techno knight, a secret agent for robot rights, and the mayor of post atomic Disney World all at once.
Especially since none of these rolls are really going to be given the depth they deserve.
Conversely, I would totally play a spin off tactical shooter in the fallout universe that does a more curated game experience on a series of smaller maps. Say as, for instance, an NCR ranger squad. Or a Brotherhood expeditionary unit traveling across the mid west.
Not playing it much . . . what's the problem with Elder Scrolls magic system?
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- Pronouns
- He/Him
It's too powerful.
- Location
- Russia
And also not powerful enough.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
That is the opinion of people who are wrong, yes.
Poorly balanced. Overpowerd in some areas, underpowered in others. Some people take issue with certain aspects of it that I personally don't agree with, but in my opinion its one of the better magic systems in games because of how many options you get compared to other spell casting systems.
To be clear, I am referring specifically to Skyrim. Previous entries in the elder scrolls series had a spell creation system, which resulted in spells that were bland, overpowered, or both.
It`s also boring.
Which is a bigger issue than either OP or UP.
The Englanderish
Schrödinger's Kuudere Kitty Caliph(a)
- Location
- Califat de Chats
Yes it will. And more could help too - gimme metal and lava and other stuff. Though it woulc not solve the problems with the overall magic system due to that being a separate issue to the spell selection. The ways in which you can unload damage and typings with resistances/weaknesses is a wholly separate issue to Skyrim's magic being fucking unwieldy and inconvenient and a pain.
Triggerhappy
Stick with Trigger and You'll Make it Through
- Location
- SoCal
So what? Is magic just another way to do generic damage but with more flashy lights?
Well, thats like, your opinion man.
Yes and no. There is a specific schools of magic that lets you bring the pain (destruction), but there are also illusions you can cast, summons under Conjuration, and a whole host of utility magics under Alterations.
Currently we're knifing each other over if there is enough utility magics, if the blasty spells are diverse enough, and if magic in general is too combat focused in the elder scrolls.
It`s not quite that bad yet; magic still has some utility in Skyrim beyond the purely and directly offensive.
Compare that to stuff like Quest for Glory or the Northlands Trilogy, where casters had solutions to problems entirely distinct from or even completely unsolvable by non-casters though.