What makes the ES series fun for you?

[udubdawgs]

what i loved about morrowind was a huge, unique, open-world where i was able to customize my character in a way never before seen on consoles.

as well, it was a game that finally brought together real-time and character-based mechanics.

it was a game full of options and choices and lots of everything. it redefined re-playability and stands out in stark comparison to the worthlessly replayable kotor1.

the player was given huge freedom, but, it was matched by a hard line of rules and regulations and boundaries.

it made me think about what console gaming could become... and, resulted in my hugely disappointing, though, enjoyable, time with skyrim.

[Zephyr]

What drew me in initially were the open world and the fantasy elements. I remember playing other RPGs over the years, their worlds, and I wondered how cool it would be to just move around such a world at will. So I was floored when I saw the demo videos of Skyrim. I also love Lord of the Rings, so it was (and still is) amazing to actually go into a fully realized world, with so much to explore and experience. The fantasy elements add further aesthetic value, as well as a world with a different society and lifestyles. Escapism and all that.

[House of the Wolf]

The feel of the caves/dungeons--creeping through them--has kept me drawn, and (IMO) they've only gotten better with each game.

[Xarnac the Conqueror]

ES is the only cRPG medium that offers a single player tabletop type experience.

[logansrun]

ES is the only cRPG medium that offers a single player tabletop type experience.

all except for being real time instead of turn based. for that you'd need to go back to Baldurs Gate or something of a similar genre.

[Xarnac the Conqueror]

ES is the only cRPG medium that offers a single player tabletop type experience.

all except for being real time instead of turn based. for that you'd need to go back to Baldurs Gate or something of a similar genre.

Yeah, but I'm not necessarily talking about the combat, just the setting and medium in general. I'm mostly talking about character creation, be and RP anything you want. Though like we both know, there were many more options of who you could be in previous titles.

The ES is really the only IP that offers this. Some Euro companies try and make terrible imitations (Gothic, Two Worlds), but they couldn't hold the ES jock.

[DikaSmausha]

I chose open world and lore/story. That feeling you get every time you exit the tutorial dungeon, then making your own story and choosing your own path. That right there is the main reason I play video games in general. I also really love how detailed the world is. The lore is absolutely amazing, everything is explained. Pus the stories for the games are just excellent as well. That epic quest you venture on... or a evil dark path full of murder and thievery. But really, the motto for Elder Scrolls is "you are what you play" sums up why I play this series.

[ClockworkCadaver]

For me, it was the open world of Morrowind that got me into the series. The freedom of being put in a world and do whatever I wanted was something I hadn't felt before in a game. Also, the modability is a huge plus.

[Abishpulu Shand]

The depth of background, particularly in the in-game texts, is a huge draw for me, as is the fact that I don't HAVE to be Awesome McSuperdude all the time and can quite easily make a living by making potions or hunting deer for their skins or whatever I want to do.

[Hrolf Alfblod]

I voted the story and lore, and the open world aspect, as that's what keeps me coming back the most. Although, what originally drew me to the series was the fantasy elements.

[philfredobob]

Open World and Fantasy Elements. as a fan of what is called the ''generic'' fantasy land, i thoroughly enjoyed Oblivion.

i have never been a fan of TES lore, but i did enjoy what was added in Oblivion and how Oblivion featured already established lore. but mostly i liked the ''go anywhere and do anything'' feel that Oblivion had, and i never really found it in the other games.

[Isabel of Alinor]

I wish i could have chose 3 since i love open world ,but at the end of the day i chose story/lore and magic. Being an altmer all the time choosing magic was obvious, but i kinda feel that the story/lore option also replaces the fantasy option because the story/lore has fantasy aspects to it. Elder scrolls lore is simply the best in my opinion as well as magic in oblivion.

[DikaSmausha]

Open World and Fantasy Elements. as a fan of what is called the ''generic'' fantasy land, i thoroughly enjoyed Oblivion.

i have never been a fan of TES lore, but i did enjoy what was added in Oblivion and how Oblivion featured already established lore. but mostly i liked the ''go anywhere and do anything'' feel that Oblivion had, and i never really found it in the other games.

Oblivion definitely felt like the most open of the TES games.

[Isabel of Alinor]

Open World and Fantasy Elements. as a fan of what is called the ''generic'' fantasy land, i thoroughly enjoyed Oblivion.

i have never been a fan of TES lore, but i did enjoy what was added in Oblivion and how Oblivion featured already established lore. but mostly i liked the ''go anywhere and do anything'' feel that Oblivion had, and i never really found it in the other games.

Oblivion definitely felt like the most open of the TES games.

yeah oblivion was great and huge, but i felt that the landscape was pretty repetitive and could have used a bit more detail. it was basically huge tracks of land with very little in it.

[philfredobob]

Open World and Fantasy Elements. as a fan of what is called the ''generic'' fantasy land, i thoroughly enjoyed Oblivion.

i have never been a fan of TES lore, but i did enjoy what was added in Oblivion and how Oblivion featured already established lore. but mostly i liked the ''go anywhere and do anything'' feel that Oblivion had, and i never really found it in the other games.

Oblivion definitely felt like the most open of the TES games.

yeah oblivion was great and huge, but i felt that the landscape was pretty repetitive and could have used a bit more detail. it was basically huge tracks of land with very little in it.

we agree on that point, Oblivions my favourite, but im not blind to its flaws. the landscape itself was good, the Dungeons that dotted the Landscape were too repetative.

[desaun]

I've only played Skyrim and bit of Oblivion so far but the open world theme really makes me like these games. I would have picked like all the options but well yeah... Also the customization is nice, to make your pc like you want it... Cool.

[Linkuya]

I would definitely say:
Lore
Open World
Customization/Personalization
Scenery

[dzio]

I chose open world and customization, but lore is just as important, so if i could, I'd pick those three. Open world is amazing and the fact that I could just go wherever I wanted and the game was not dragging me in one direction was what made me fall in love with Morrowind in the first place. And the thing that made me stay was how I could make my character whoever I wanted them to be and there were really no "wrong" choices. Combined with the simple idea that you get better at something by doing it, instead of spending some arbitrary character points on it when you advance a level (Skyrim sort of dropped the ball on this one, but I still love it), this was a complete paradigm shift for me. I'd never played a game like that before Morrowind and this concept is now an cRPG golden standard for me. I can't help it, I now judge all other RPGs I play by TES standard. And lore is a big part of it too - all this amazing freedom would mean nothing without the proper setting. If you make the world alive by removing as many limitations to the players' imagination as you can, you need to make it alive in other ways as well. Tamriel is amazing and unlike many other game settings it's fully realized, like something from a good fantasy book series.

[Linkuya]

Well said.

[Arcane Archer]

Lore, open ended world, and the amount of personalization you can bring to your story/character

[cybrxkhan]

I like the customization, open world-ness, and lore. Customization because I be whoever the @#$% I want, and with Skyrim's it's even easier because I don't have to give a darn about min-maxing and grinding like I have to do with virtually every other RPG - I can just play how I want to be without feeling like I have to grind. The open world draws me in because it fits well with customization - I can be whoever I want and go and do whatever I want. Sure, there's quest markers and stuff, but I can just walk 1305801385 miles in the opposite direction. And lastly, the lore is probably one of the best I've seen, ever, in any fantasy story - well-crafted, knowing where to draw the line between being inspired by real-world cultures and ripping them off.

[umber hulk]

the fact that i can design and tailor the experience to my liking.

[Wings_Of_Evana]

The adventure, customization, and just seeing your character grow over time probably. Naturally the story/lore is quite compelling as well.

[Yaije]

You know that feeling when you get out of the character creation screen and get the first glimpse of the open world to explore? That right there.

this also extends to Fallout 3 and New Vegas and any other game like it (AC3 definitely had it as well).

Even got it a bit from Eve when I logged in today to go hunt down some asteroids.

Butback to the unique to ES bit. It's the fact that nothing feels set in stone and I can do whatever I want. Even if it's not supported by perks or in game mechanics (like magic sneak attacks for example) I can be a heavy armored magic asassin if I so choose, or be a dervish dancing death dealer dynamically decimating denizens decisvely.... didn't think I could string so many D-words together

[Mattbott]

the freedom is what i love.. it's being able to create a character from scratch, set up strategies, and pit yourself against the world. It's a real buzz and i'll often think about TES characters during the day in anticipation of playing again

I especially enjoy the early big boss fights when there is no spare potion of ultimate healing or summon dragon shout to dig me out, and i have to use every bit of luck, resource and skill to defeat an enemy

the lore not so much, tho there are books i will read which pertain to my character (right now i have a nord who is reading every word and seeking out every quest and dungeon relating to the dwemer) - for me the lore only serves to help me with RP ideas if i get stuck in game