Wyverns or Dragons?

[Doctor Meaticus]

If you haven't finished Oblivion and your not keen to prematurely find out what happens at the end, don't click the spoiler.

Spoiler:

At the end of Oblivion, Martin breaks the Amulet of Kings which transforms him into a dragon. Correct?

No. It's wrong. He transforms into what is technically a wyvern - no front legs. Maybe I'm being pedantic. After all, some consider wyverns to just be a type of dragon.

But what I want to know is, are wyverns the only kind of dragon that TES knows? Personally I'm hoping to see some more traditional European dragons with four legs and a pair of wings, rather than having the wings where the forelegs should be.

Better yet, I'm keen as a bean to see multiple kinds of dragons, which we may have to combat in different ways. Assuming we are indeed fighting them.

[Dark Spark]

Don't ask anyone here. I was once taken to task when I asked just what exactly was a 'lycan'— when the term 'lycanthrope' was still so far displaced from common knowledge that a storyteller could pass it off as something unique. We pendants don't get no respect.

[ch00_bakka]

I hear ya. The whole wyvern-dragon thing bugs me, too. I think we should see some of each, as well as some wyrms or other dragonesque things.

[Dark Spark]

Wyverns = good
Dragons = evil

"...Hell, I always thought the opposable thumb was overrated."
—Cpt. John Sheridan, Earthforce.

"There's always the threat of an attack by, say, a giant space dragon. The kind that eats the sun once every twenty-eight days. It's a nuisance, but what can you expect from reptiles?..."
—Marcus Cole, not in Earthforce.

[Fist]

In GameInformer it looked like they had front legs.

[Xgon]

Looking at the magazine now, there are three pictures of a dragon, two look in-game, the other is a painting/drawing. In one ingame pic and the art piece, the dragon has only two legs. The other ingame pic I cant even fully see the body.

[JJSmart]

Maybe we could have some of both. Wyverns for the small ones and dragons for the big ones.

[Spiney]

I prefer the more upright ones. Yet I can't see how there can't be both.

Dragon appearances vary greatly from culture to culture. Having a few different forms would be nice to see.

[Fist]

Yeah, in the artwork it looks like they have front legs, the other two pictures could be debated.

[MasterShadow]

Look, this is Bethesda's TES lore. Regardless of what someone thinks their dragons "look like", it doesn't matter. That was a dragon at the end of Oblivion, and these are dragons in this game. I don't care if they look like gorillas. This is Tamriel, and if Bethesda says this is what a Tamrielic Dragon looks like, then its a dragon.

[Fist]

Look, this is Bethesda's TES lore. Regardless of what someone thinks their dragons "look like", it doesn't matter. That was a dragon at the end of Oblivion, and these are dragons in this game. I don't care if they look like gorillas. This is Tamriel, and if Bethesda says this is what a Tamrielic Dragon looks like, then its a dragon.

I see what your saying. It says from multiple sources that Akatosh is represented as a DRAGON not Wyvern.

EDIT: Also he is like a god-king, so I'm pretty sure he can look anyway he wants. I mean, the Daedra can.

[Argonanza]

I see what your saying. It says from multiple sources that Akatosh is represented as a DRAGON not Wyvern.

There's no Wyverns in TES in the first place, so how would this matter?

[Fist]

I see what your saying. It says from multiple sources that Akatosh is represented as a DRAGON not Wyvern.

There's no Wyverns in TES in the first place, so how would this matter?

What? I know, thats exactly what I was saying. I did phrase it kind of weirdly though.

[Master Z]

Actually, they look more like drakes than wyverns. Drakes are a sub-species of dragons that do not have front legs. Wyverns, on the other hand, besides only having two legs, are also far less intelligent, among other differences that are generally disputed. As there is a draconic language much more advanced that what the mind of a wyvern can comprehend, it is obvious that they are not wyverns, but rather drakes or a tamriellic rendition of a dragon.

[Vinja]

this just seems like splitting hairs..... large reptile thing that can breathe fire = dragon to the layman regardless of how many legs it has.

anywho if there are different types i want those Chinese ones with the fu man chu stache, those are ballin

[Fist]

Yeah, I think your right. Blue troll, green troll. Still a troll.

[Symphonic]

I don't like pulling this card, but...

Dragons aren't real. Dragons are fantasy. Just like ancestral and cultural legends, they change depending on the region and who you talk to. There is no definition for the appearance of a dragon, a wyvern or otherwise. In Warcraft, Dragons are full-grown, Drakes are young. Both have 4 legs. Proto-drakes are the 2-legged drakes, and wyverns are lions with batwings and a scorpion tail. It all depends on the source.

You can't be "wrong" about your dragon design, because it's your dragon design. Chinese dragons are long and snake-like, slithering through the air and presumably never bothering to walk (Their limbs don't appear as if they'd afford walking anyway). Are they not actually dragons because they don't have 4 distinctive legs?

[heratik]

I don't really care as long as they look awesome and are amazing to fight...

[Symphonic]

Hah, well said, heratik.

[Cactus]

Just to spin this topic a bit and avoid starting an entire new discussion that's related to this one anyway...

...is anyone besides myself really wary that you'll be fighting dragons? I hate dragons as enemies in video games or movies because fighting one just seems to.. unrealistic. I know the game is fantasy, so don't say none of it is realistic. There's just a certain point where the dragon is just sitting there whilst you pelt it with arrows or whatever instead of simply swallowing you whole like it should that I can't buy into.
Dragon Age Spoiler Ahead
Take the Archdemon at the end of Dragon Age. It's this huge dragon god that is bent on basically destroying the world. It's the size of a large house, or bigger, and could easily just bite you in half. What's it do instead? It stands off to the side breathing fire at you while you, your party, and your army tickle away its health. Occasionally it jumps in and smashes you to the ground. However, instead of simply rending you limb from limb in the span of a breath, it flies around and lands for you slowly dwindle its health away whilst healing the meager damage it did to you.

This is why I'm afraid of Skyrim. There's nothing short of a video of you fighting a dragon or me actually playing the game that will remove my fears either. I hope it works, and I hope it proves to be awesome and epic, but I'm afraid it'll be more pecking away at their life whilst they sort of just let you and make half-hearted attacks.


Note: If mods would prefer I started a new thread, let me know and I'll post this as a new thread and this post can be deleted once I do.

[River]

I guess they could have some sort of enchanted armour that protects you from this, but that would be a bit lame. I know what you mean I have the same problem with Dragon age. I'm not sure on elder scrolls lore in much detail, but may be as we are Dragon born the dragon effects are less effective on us. Or maybe the Dragon will not/can not harm/kill a dragon born. this could lead to a kind of dark ending where you effectively execute his amazing beast. I'd feel pretty bad if it didn't fight back and was just resigned to its fate. (however I want the ending to be much more epic than this!).

[Cactus]

Yes, but there are supposed to be dragons throughout, so it's not just an endgame thing. I think I read there are more than 20, or around 20, or something. And dragonborn or not, if they're giant and huge and chew on you and swallow you, you're dead. Hence my vague paranoia regarding the subject.

[Symphonic]

I'm expecting that we'll be able to use special, "dragonslaying" techniques to bring them down. Dragon shouts will probably play a huge role, and judging by the introduction of "finishing blows", it may be safe to assume that there could be some contextual combat. Press jump at the right time to leap onto the dragoon's wing. Run up its back and let out a bellowing dragon shout, your blade flashes and you swing your weapon, hewing the dragon's head from its body.

Also, the article seems to imply that the Dragonborn is of the same ilk as the imperial line. Not necessarily the same blood, but annointed by the gods just the same. Perhaps, for the final battle, we'll gain a dragon shout that transforms the hero into a dragon, allowing you to do battle with Alduin on equal footing?

[River]

I like this Symphonic. Something along these lines could be O.K.

[heratik]

Take the Archdemon at the end of Dragon Age. It's this huge dragon god that is bent on basically destroying the world. It's the size of a large house, or bigger, and could easily just bite you in half. What's it do instead? It stands off to the side breathing fire at you while you, your party, and your army tickle away its health. Occasionally it jumps in and smashes you to the ground. However, instead of simply rending you limb from limb in the span of a breath, it flies around and lands for you slowly dwindle its health away whilst healing the meager damage it did to you.

Yeah, that was pretty lame, work out it's pattern, move accordingly, SLOOOOOOOOOOWLY drain it's health away and hope you don't run out of long range ammo to hit it with