Things you don't like about Morrowind...

[r]

We obviously all love this game, but it's not perfect, is it?

The only major gripe I have is with the woefully bad directions you often get given to places, typically caves which are never that easy to find anyway. The best example is when you have to go to Sargon for a Fighters' Guild quest and you're told it's north of Maar Gan. Having searched every square foot of the mainland north of Maar Gan I think I eventually gave up until I stumbled across the cave on an island near Dagon Fel, which admittedly is north of Maar Gan, but that's like giving someone directions to Reykjavik by saying "Head for Scotland then go a bit further north".

I also don't like the handful of glass throwing stars you get in the game, mainly because a throwing star made of glass is the coolest thing ever and I want a resupplying surplus to be able to use as a main weapon...

[Fiar]

Agreed.

Directions were horrible, I can't remember how many times I tried to find caves for quests and wound up all the way across the map, miles away from where it actually was.

I remember having a hard time with the Molag Bal shrine quest, thinking he said the cave was near Tel Aruhn, but was near Kogoruhn. I gave up on two profiles before I actually found it.

And when I needed to find the Urshilaku Burial Caverns. Almost impossible when I first got the quest, to find.

I also don't need to mention the Cliff Racers, for the name of those things is enough to make my point.

[alowe]

Things I don't like:

1) game crashing
2) npcs standing in the middle of doorways
3) getting stuck on scenery
4) screwing up a quest after saving

But to balance it out, things I do like:

1) game runs smoothly on my weak laptop (even with max view distance)
2) mods - being able to customise your experience how you like it
3) the way the fixed scenery evolves in the quests on Solstheim, makes it feel like a living changing environment
4) skooooooommaaaaaaaaa!!! / scrub that, easter eggs, humour and wtf moments

[Dogmantra]

THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH MORROWIND, ONLY THINGS WRONG WITH THE PLAYERS!

Sorry, that was my inner fanboy.

I don't like how the game loves to crash so much, or... that's pretty much it.

[RestlessChicken]

i could come up with a list, but i'll just say one thing for now: character and creature animations. slow, clunky, unnatural and strange. the beast races walk around like their tails are actually prosthetics jammed up their anus.

i haven't seen one yet; are there already mods out there that changes character animations of game creatures and people? all sorts of retexturers and all that, but i haven't seen yet one that updates/corrects animations.

[The Ninja]

There could be better running animations for some of the characters, making them look cooler and less dorky (a la, the Khajiit and a few others)

There should be more throwing stars (Or you should be able to buy them at least), not just a handful of some types like r said.

The skill of your weapon should affect the DAMAGE done (Like in Oblivion), not the ACCURACY.

There should be more types of creatures, and REAL LIFE ones too. Not just wolves, but bears and others. More than in Oblivion actually. That would be cool. "I'm going out to hunt some deer, then some badgers, and maybe a pidgeon. I'll be back by 10."

My game crashes now and then, but it wouldn't be that bad if it crashes after I remember to save!

There shouldn't be any Medium Armor. Just Light and Heavy.

Custom Weapons would be nice, just a big fee to a blacksmith or Armourer and you can create a custom suite of armor or weapon.

Some skills are in categories that don't make sense. Like Security is in Intelligence, Armorer is in Strength, Block is in Agility, Unarmoured is in Speed, and Illusion is in Personality. It just doesn't fit!

There are a few others, but I can't seem to remember them right now.

[Sanguine]

1)The skill of your weapon should affect the DAMAGE done (Like in Oblivion), not the ACCURACY.

2)There shouldn't be any Medium Armor. Just Light and Heavy.

3)Some skills are in categories that don't make sense. Like Security is in Intelligence, Armorer is in Strength, Block is in Agility, Unarmoured is in Speed, and Illusion is in Personality. It just doesn't fit!

1)I think it should affect both.

2)I like the fact that there are more armor types

3)I think all of those atribute/skill combos fit very well in my opinion better then they are in Oblivion.

[H8Ball]

Want some sheer tear-your-hair out annoyance? Try the Vampire quest line for size. In my opinion, the single MOST frustrating experience in Morrowind, bar none!

My first experience in attempting them was about 4 years ago, and went something like this:-

- NO fast travel. I had to run everywhere, which was disappointing.
- NO access to the usual Merchants. Even more disappointing. I ended up storing loot for when I was finally cured.
- NO clues as to what to do next. NPC's reacted with disgust and just said Goodbye, then were highly likely to attack me. Quickly got sick of saving, talking and reloading if attacked. But I HAD to talk to NPC's to eventually find out that Mages DON'T say Goodbye, so I CAN talk to them. Effectively a MASSIVE "lucky dip!"
- NO clues, even from Mages, as to where any Vampire lairs were. Hunted around for AGES (even around Red Mountain) before finally stumbling across it. I mean, an Ancestral Tomb would be logical, but a Dwemer Ruin? The LAST place I'd expect to find Vampires! Another MASSIVE lucky dip finding it!
- NO clue that, when talking to Mages, it's Latest Rumours I have to select to get clues to find Quest Givers for the miscellanous Vampire quests. Up to now, this has mainly given bog-standard responses, and I've read them ALL so I've stopped selecting it. Now I HAVE to! Oh dear. Another lucky dip.
- Now, I realise I have to travel all over Morrowind, finding EVERY Mage and either selecting Latest Rumours in their dialogue for a clue to a Quest Giver, or stumbling across a new topic in their dialogue which ONLY appears while I'm a Vampire. What? Yet ANOTHER lucky dip?
- One quest had me looking all over the place for an Ancestral Tomb because the Quest Giver DIDN'T say which one it was! Oh No! Not ANOTHER lucky dip! I finally gave up on it.
- The quest that gives the BEST reward of all? NO clues whatsoever! I never even knew about it because NO-ONE referred me to the Quest Giver! Turns out he's a lone Vampire in one of the MANY Ancestral Tombs. Yep. Another BLASTED lucky dip!
- Finally, the cure for Vampirism. Obscure and difficult to find to say the least!

I ended up SO frustrated I decided to get myself cured, but then realised I didn't have the clues! It took me ages to find and solve them, and I was glad to be finally back to normal! This time round, I had the UESP Quest Walkthroughs to help me, but I still got frustrated and went for the cure, missing ONE of the 7 miscellaneous quests. Guess which one? The VERY one with the BEST reward of all, and I overwrote my saved game!!!

I sincerely think that Bethesda could have done things a LOT better. The lack of clues and constant "lucky dip" approach is VERY frustrating, and the total lack of ANY reference to the best quest? UNFORGIVABLE!

I'd much rather have seen NPC's at least talk to me a couple of times before becoming hostile, referring me to the Temple or Imperial Cult in their greeting. They could then refer me to the Mages. Then, the Mages could refer me to one of their faction members who "knows about Vampires." That Mage could then "examine me" and give a clue to where to find my clan's Vampire lair. The Vampire leader could then refer me to "sympathetic" Mages, i.e. the Quest Givers for the miscellaneous Vampire quests. Still a bit of a run-around, but NOT the sheer frustration of random clueless hunting all over Morrowind!

I don't think I'll be bothering with the Vampire quest line again, as it's TOO frustrating even WITH walkthroughs! Look at me! I'm BALD!

[The Ninja]

1)I think it should affect both.

2)I like the fact that there are more armor types

3)I think all of those atribute/skill combos fit very well in my opinion better then they are in Oblivion.

1) Maybe, but it gets annoying when you are clearly as close as you can get and still can't hit them!

2) It just gets more complicated.

3) How so!?

[Sanguine]

1)I think it should affect both.

2)I like the fact that there are more armor types

3)I think all of those atribute/skill combos fit very well in my opinion better then they are in Oblivion.

1) Maybe, but it gets annoying when you are clearly as close as you can get and still can't hit them!

2) It just gets more complicated.

3) How so!?

Intelligence for security because you know how the locks work, Armorer because swinging around a hammer all day fixing a sword is going to build muscles, Agility for block well I would prefer speed but it makes more sense then endurance, Unarmed for speed because you are moving so it hits a less vital spot you would thus need to be fast, Illusion and personality well that one isn't that good but it is the best fit.

[The Ninja]

Hmm, I see your points, but I still think that Block should be Endurance, since you are "enduring" your enemy's blows. Securtiy does make sense the way you said, but you need Agility to do it for coordinated and controlled movements.

[Sanguine]

Hmm, I see your points, but I still think that Block should be Endurance, since you are "enduring" your enemy's blows. Securtiy does make sense the way you said, but you need Agility to do it for coordinated and controlled movements.

Yeah, I can see either ability for either of those skills, although I still think block should be speed because you need to be fast enough to interpose your sheild between you and the weapon.

[The Ninja]

Hmmm, I think Endurance still fits better. And armorer DOES build muscles, after all, you have to pound again and again and again to shape and repair your item... that is endurance.

[Sanguine]

Hmmm, I think Endurance still fits better. And armorer DOES build muscles, after all, you have to pound again and again and again to shape and repair your item... that is endurance.

You would also get stronger as you do it because your muscles grow, and you can have no muscles and a huge endurance have you ever seen an olympic runner? Plus it is essentialy the same movements as using a hammer for combat.

[Ekardt]

Hmm, I see your points, but I still think that Block should be Endurance, since you are "enduring" your enemy's blows. Securtiy does make sense the way you said, but you need Agility to do it for coordinated and controlled movements.

Yeah, I can see either ability for either of those skills, although I still think block should be speed because you need to be fast enough to interpose your sheild between you and the weapon.

Agility affects manuevering and balance. Have you ever held a real shield? They weigh a LOT and they throw your balance off like you wouldnt beleive. Agility is more than appropriate for shields.

[Sanguine]

Hmm, I see your points, but I still think that Block should be Endurance, since you are "enduring" your enemy's blows. Securtiy does make sense the way you said, but you need Agility to do it for coordinated and controlled movements.

Yeah, I can see either ability for either of those skills, although I still think block should be speed because you need to be fast enough to interpose your sheild between you and the weapon.

Agility affects manuevering and balance. Have you ever held a real shield? They weigh a LOT and they throw your balance off like you wouldnt beleive. Agility is more than appropriate for shields.

Ok that is a very good reason, I still think it should be speed.

[alowe]

Some skills are in categories that don't make sense. Like Security is in Intelligence, Armorer is in Strength, Block is in Agility, Unarmoured is in Speed, and Illusion is in Personality. It just doesn't fit!

I think they had to make sure the attributes are evenly distributed amoungst the skills - i.e if more skills used speed then characters who had high speed would have an unfair advantage. Once they'd allocated all the more obvious attributes there were problably a few skills left that didn't fit the remaining attributes well but they had to ensure the balance.

I would check the skills and what attibutes they need but too tired to be bothered

[Dogmantra]

<snip>

Most of your points seem to make it more like Oblivion (except the throwing stars, which is oddly the one I agree with). Seriously, get a weapon that you're not any good with and try swinging it a few times. Then get one you're better with, and you'll hit more often and do more damage. I prefer Morrowind's system. When you started talking about skills being in the wrong categories, I really thought you were going to mention Spear...

[r]

Security building Intelligence? Well, I suppose you need to be clever to know how to pick a lock, although the only people in the UK who practice the art of lockpicking nowadays seem to be mouth-breathers in Adidas tracksuits stealing car stereos.

Armourer building Strength is right. If you are repeatedly hitting something with a hammer your guns are going to get a good work-out.

Medium armour? Never seen the point of it. Most of it looks cool, especially the Gah-Julan Bonemold set, but you can't wear the Indoril armour in Vivec, and an armour that combines the protection of light armour with the portability and manoeuvrability of heavy armour has always seemed somewhat pointless to me.

[satan_n_stuff]

Security building Intelligence? Well, I suppose you need to be clever to know how to pick a lock, although the only people in the UK who practice the art of lockpicking nowadays seem to be mouth-breathers in Adidas tracksuits stealing car stereos.

You know that's not really lockpicking right? ( Most locks can be easily opened by inserting a "special" key and repeatedly tapping on the back of the key with a screwdriver or something like that. No I'm not going to tell you what kind of key, besides, it depends on the lock type. )

[Milder Despues]

About the whole skill-governing-attribute-issue: I think two attributes are equally suitable in several cases. Athletics, for example. Shouldnt that increase your speed, endurance and possibly even willpower?

[urthdigger]

Some skills are in categories that don't make sense. Like Security is in Intelligence, Armorer is in Strength, Block is in Agility, Unarmoured is in Speed, and Illusion is in Personality. It just doesn't fit!

I think they had to make sure the attributes are evenly distributed amoungst the skills - i.e if more skills used speed then characters who had high speed would have an unfair advantage. Once they'd allocated all the more obvious attributes there were problably a few skills left that didn't fit the remaining attributes well but they had to ensure the balance.

I would check the skills and what attibutes they need but too tired to be bothered

I think you misunderstand what it means when a skill corresponds to a given attribute. It means that raising that skill gives you bonus stats if you pick that stat to raise next level. In most cases, that stat in question does not affect the skill at all. For instance, all speed does is make you move faster. It doesn't make you better at unarmored combat, doesn't increase your dagger's accuracy, the only skill it helps out is athletics since they both affect running speed.

[The Ninja]

I think they had to make sure the attributes are evenly distributed amoungst the skills - i.e if more skills used speed then characters who had high speed would have an unfair advantage. Once they'd allocated all the more obvious attributes there were problably a few skills left that didn't fit the remaining attributes well but they had to ensure the balance.

I would check the skills and what attibutes they need but too tired to be bothered

Yeah, balenced, eh?

Most of your points seem to make it more like Oblivion (except the throwing stars, which is oddly the one I agree with). Seriously, get a weapon that you're not any good with and try swinging it a few times. Then get one you're better with, and you'll hit more often and do more damage. I prefer Morrowind's system. When you started talking about skills being in the wrong categories, I really thought you were going to mention Spear...

Maybe it fits because you are carrying around a long heavy pole. Also, it gives Endurance one more skill. Edurance seems to be lacking skills in Morrowind.

Armourer building Strength is right. If you are repeatedly hitting something with a hammer your guns are going to get a good work-out.

Notice, you said "repeatedly." If you repeatedly do any excersice, you are building Endurance. See my point?

[H8Ball]

Personally, I would have balanced things out by making a couple of simple changes to the way Attributes govern Skills:-

Code: Select all

Strength:     LongBlade   Axe          BluntWeapon  Acrobatics
Endurance:    Spear       MediumArmor  HeavyArmor   Armorer
Agility:      LightArmor  Block        Sneak        Marksman
Speed:        ShortBlade  HandToHand   Unarmored    Athletics
Intelligence: Alchemy     Conjuration  Enchant      Security
Willpower:    Alteration  Destruction  Mysticism    Resoration
Personality:  Barter      Persuasion   Bribery      Illusion

1. Armorer now governed by Endurance rather than Strength
2. Two skills Mercantile/Speechcraft expanded to three skills Barter/Persuasion/Bribery (makes more sense)

This way, the number of skills is increased from 27 to 28 and each of the 7 Attributes governs exactly 4 of them, so there's a perfect balance.

I would also have made Athletics increase MUCH more slowly so it could be used as a Major/Minor skill without causing over-levelling.

[The Ninja]

Acrobatics is in Strength!?!?

And personality has too many skills. Personality and Mercantile take care of those.