On the Level

Classes will not be present in Skyrim. You will not choose a Spellsword or Bard or some custom class of your own making. As a result, there will be no major or minor skills. Attributes have also been given their pink slips. I'm not yet sold on the removal of attributes, but the more I think about it, the more I like a classless system.

Even back in the old, old days of playing the classic and duly revered Dungeons & Dragons with pencil and paper (and dice!), I was frustrated by classes. They did not leave room for the kind of character I wanted to play. For example, the character in whom I was most invested was a Half-Elf called Fallon Chiaro. He was a Magic-user/Thief. This was all well and good except that I wanted to play him as an archer. But, neither as a magic-user nor as a thief was I allowed to use a bow. Such an artificial limitation seems silly now, and I've always enjoyed the lack of such restrictions in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (TESIV).

In fact, I must not have been the only one frustrated with the restrictions of classes in Dungeons & Dragons because later on, in order to help alleviate this problem, additional classes were added to accommodate a broader range of styles of play, which had not been allowed with the previously available classes.

In Oblivion, classes were defined by your choice of 1 of the 3 schools (combat, magic, stealth) and by your choice of 7 of the 21 skills. All skills not chosen as your 7 major skills were instead minor skills for your character. Each school included 7 skills, and the skills associated with the school you chose were increased by 5 points for your character. The major skills you chose for your character were increased by 20 points.

In Oblivion, as well as in Skyrim, leveling is accomplished by increasing skills. In Oblivion, when your major skills in any combination increased 10 times, your character would advance to the next level. In Skyrim, since there are no major or minor skills, increasing any skill will contribute toward leveling up. I've come to realize and appreciate the significance of this change.

I had resisted the prompting of several forum posts to consider what kind of character I will play first. I initially had no interest making such a decision before even putting my hands on the game, particularly without knowing the racial abilities and skill bonuses.

However, after seeing the 20 minutes of Skyrim game play video, I was so impressed and enchanted by the beauty of the world that I am now intent on creating a character that will live in the wilderness and explore this new realm. When I considered what choice I would make in order to build this character, I immediately fell back into the normal thought process for developing characters for Oblivion. That is, I thought about what skills I would have to choose as majors.

Of course, this is completely unnecessary in Skyrim. Rather I will merely play using those skills. This is much simpler, but even better, we now have the freedom to alter our style of play without having to start a new character. I can be a sort of ranger for a while, but later, if I want, I can join the fighter's guild, or become a vampire, or whatever. I can do all that without ever regretting decisions made way back when I created the character.

Skyrim is beautiful. I am eager to dive in.

Return of the King

On 11/11/11, The Elder Scrolls series will return with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The graphics are amazing, even though it is made for the same XBOX that TES IV: Oblivion was made for. The user interface is much improved. Some gameplay elements have been removed that will be missed. So much more has been added.

After seeing the graphics in bits of the gameplay demo, I thought I would find it impossible to return to playing Oblivion while waiting for Skyrim to be released. But the full gameplay demo so thoroughly pulled me into the world that I was actually inspired to play Oblivion once again.

The 20 minutes of gameplay demo was released in 3 parts, which are below.

Malvolio: the idea

For the past couple of months I've been playing a character I developed with an extensive long-term purpose in mind. I tried to think of a way to role-play a character that might legitimately pursue multiple quest lines.

I came up with a Dunmer I named Malvolio. I chose Dunmer because of what seems to me to be a racial tendency toward evil. I also wanted to demonstrate, for my own edification if for no one else, that even the most wicked can receive grace.

The name is from a shakespeare play. It means "evil wishing". I chose it because the meaning fits what I intend to do with the character, the name is consistent with Dunmer names because it is built around L, M, and V, and it sounds like a real name rather than something made up.

My plan is for Malvolio to undergo deep character transformation that motivates him in directions entirely different from his original goals. He began as a wicked, angry, malicious person.

I started him out as just a brawler who joined the Arena for the thrill of bloodshed. He joined the Theives' Guild primarily as a method for paying off bounties without losing stolen goods, but also because I wanted to obtain and keep the Boots of Springheel Jak.

Because many of the daedric shrine quests are clearly evil in nature, I have been unwilling to complete some of them with other characters. Malvolio provides an opportunity to complete them all without deviating from character.

I intended for him to complete the Dark Brotherhood quest line, but later, for an as-yet-undetermined reason, repent of all his wicked ways to ultimately become a Knight of the Nine and complete that quest as well as the Main Quest.

At this point, Malvolio is the Arena Grand Champion, the Gray Fox, the Listener, and the Madgod. I thought Shivering Isles could very likely provide the impetus for repentence or some trauma(s) that might turn him completely around. I'm convinced that it will. But having completed the main quest, I believe I did it too soon. He is only level 14 and has many Daedric quests yet to complete. I will revert to a save before going far into the SI main quest in order to complete daedric shrine quests (and anything else I'd like him to complete while thoroughly evil) before pursuing the SI main quest. Some of the daedric shrine quests in addition to experiences in SI could easily explain trauma that could lead to Malvolio's repentence.

The Ring of Destruction addendum

Finding the Ring of Destruction at Fanacasecul is trickier than I originally thought. I have actually approached the location from the east and found the ring rolling downhill from the NW (just below the encampment on the platform) toward the spot shown in the previous post. I could just barely hear it 'clinking' as it rolled. It seems that the ring is poised, possibly under or behind a bottle of beer, and begins to roll the first time you enter the area. This calls for saving before entering the 'zone' or cell.

Fanacasecul: The Ring of Destruction

Be careful. If you kick the ring by accident before seeing it, you may never find it.

A Character Profile: Finds-the-Lost

Name: Finds-the-Lost
Race: Argonian
Birthsign: Warrior
Class: Pilgrim

Premise:
I wanted a character who explores Ayleid ruins, and collects all sort of items from throughout Cyrodiil. He is a collector, merchant, dealer in antiquities. But he obtains items on his own rather than hiring out the work like Umbacano does. So, he must be a sturdy adventurer.

I decided he should be physically formidable, if not dominating. I wanted him to have the following:

• Ability to fix his own armor and weapons, even magical items.


• High level of skill at Mercantile in order to trade effectively and to invest.


• Skill with blade and perhaps light armor in order to defend himself.


• At least moderate Security skill in order to access ruins, vaults, etc.


• Considerable strength to add to his fighting skill and to enable him to carry large quantities of loot.

Somehow this idea got combined in my mind with a desire to play an Argonian for the first time. I thought this race might be a good choice for more extensive exploration of Blackwood, Lower Niben, and East Niben than I have previously done.

Even though the idea of "Pilgrim" doesn't quite mesh, the Pilgrim's abilities along with the Warrior birthsign seemed a nice fit.

Warrior gives him additional strength and endurance making him a more formidable physical opponent.

The Argonian race gives him water-breathing, which gives him easier access to some locations and items. It also gives him bonuses to blade and security, which match my goal as described above. The race also makes him more likely at home in Blackwood.

Pilgrim is suitable because it does not have blade as a major skill and because it does have armorer, mercantile, and security as majors. The other skills are filler, which helps to make leveling more manageable.

Because Pilgrim has no more than two skills associated with any attribute, it is one of the best standard classes for leveling under control.

The name was inspired by some Argonian NPC's in Leyawiin.

Character Creation: Custom Classes

Well, I've had to re-evaluate my ideas about standard classes. I've encountered a real problem with leveling, though it's not related to the scaling so many gripe about. But my issue is also well-documented and thoroughly discussed. I've only really begun to understand it.

Increasing one's level in Oblivion is tied inextricably to the use of major skills. It's worth noting that leveling is not tied only to the successful use of major skills, but even to failed attempts with those skills. So, even if you accomplish nothing and only practice with major skills, your character's level will still increase. This can potentially propel you quite prematurely to high levels, at which you may not be prepared to survive against the opponents that you will then encounter (level scaling) because you may not have had time to obtain powerful magic items or to develop other skills. Rapid leveling may also result in your character having relatively low attributes (which do increase by some measure at each level increase).

More importantly, you may miss a great portion of the game experience. I'd like to control leveling in order to maximize (or at least improve) the attribute bonuses I receive at the point of level increase. But I also want to just take a leisurely pace through the game and savor the entire experience.

In the old days of Dungeons & Dragons, experience points drove leveling. D&D had flaws, to be sure, but this might be a better idea than allowing the use of skills to drive level increases.

With all that in mind, I have second thoughts about using standard classes. Rather, I might be driven to build custom classes that reflects, not the skills I anticipate using with a particular character, but quite the opposite, skills I will not be using. This is "anti-intutive" and quite frustrating. But there is the reality.

But, it's not all black and white. I can make an effective character class that has some skills I will be using and some I will not. For example, Marksman is a skill more difficult than many other to increase, so I might like to have the 20 point bonus and the more rapid advancement obtained from choosing it as a major skill.

So, while I will try to maintain a sense of reality established by the standard classes, I will - I must - use custom classes when necessary.

Role-playing

I've been reading some threads on The Elder Scrolls forums that argue that Oblivion is not a role-playing game. The implication of such an assertion is that the target audience largely assumes Oblivion is a role-playing game. It must be noted first, there is probably a reason for this.

Reference was made in a particular post to The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, describing it as a true example of a role-playing game. I haven't played Morrowind, though I am tempted because of all the positive reports I have seen.

As for Oblivion, I find it impossible to experience it as anything other than a role-playing game. That is not to say it is strictly impossible for it to be perceived or experienced in any other way, but my own desire to role-play is facilitated beautifully in Oblivion. I can't imagine anyone finding difficulty role-playing in this environment.

The post to which I referred, but which is regrettably lost to me, described ways in which one could merely hack-and-slash one's way through the game. It also describes, though very vaguely, some of the role-playing elements of Morrowind.

Not having played Morrowind, I can't say for sure, but the impression I get is that Morrowind forced the player to role-play. This is not necessarily a bad thing, and could easily be a tremendous asset, depending entirely, I think, on its execution.

But one of the strengths I see in Oblivion is the freedom I have precisely for role-playing. For example, I am in no way compelled, in spite of Jauffre's assumption, to pursue the main quest. If it does not suit my character's personality or motivations, then I am free to ignore that quest or any other without lacking an abundance of engaging adventures.

Not only so, but I also have the freedom to allow my character to grow and change as real people do. As a result, my character may begin selfish and concerned only with riches, but may gradually or through some traumatic event become interested in the stakes of the main quest or some other quest.

For example, I might have a Nord who considers himself a Son-of-Skyrim who is only passing through Cyrodiil. Yet, not heartless, and perhaps imagining the implications for Skyrim and the rest of Nirn, he decides to bring Martin to safety. He might reasonably expect that to be the end of things because he couldn't know Jauffre would err so egregiously (and then take no responsibility - did you notice the bulk of the main quest hinges on Jauffre's ineptitude for which he never apologizes?).

So, this Nord might become a reluctant hero or uninterested in cleaning up the Imperial mess. He might also have been eager to kill Daedra from the beginning just for kicks or as a matter of principle.

I have a Nord character named Magnus who saw himself as only a strong man. He participated in the arena and joined the fighter's guild. But he received an inheritance from a long-lost relative who was, apparently, some sort of wizard. Thus, his mind opened to possibilities, and he has begun to develop magical skills, though he has no real natural talent for it.

I have a Bosmer, Braelon Goldenthorn, whose love is wandering the country side, running with the animals (that aren't trying to eat him) and sleeping under the moon. I don't see this guy pursuing either the main quest or any of the faction quests. But things could change.

As another hypothetical, I might have a happy go lucky thief who is out for adventure and gold. If he incidentally becomes infected with vampirism, he might be so offended, horrified, etc. that he takes as his life's purpose the eradication of the disease and it's carriers.

One of my favorite aspects of Oblivion is that it is so open-ended. By every standard of role-playing game since Dungeons & Dragons, Oblivion is most definitely a role-playing game. Of course within the genre, there are infinite possible variations. Some provide more guidance; some provide more freedom.

I have to say also, I've seen many nay-sayers on the forums whose purpose seems only to pick nits and indulge some desire to complain mindlessly. I don't suggest that Oblivion is without flaws, but having begun many years ago with paper, pencil, and dice, I can't make much of them.