The Elder Scrolls

[scathefire]

This guy is a fucking retard, that article rustled me. I was gonna get autistic and go point by point but these bits right here really highlight his disability.

This part is the highlight for me

Managing expectations is the number one thing a good marketing department has to do. Let's take a look at Starfield. Let's assume that a new studio had put out Starfield. I suspect it would be talked about like the second coming. But because it was released by Bethesda, the expectations were so much higher that it was seen differently. Starfield is a good game. It's a very good game. It's just not the game that people expected it to be.

 

[Asian tech support]

This part is the highlight for me

>dark souls 2 would be a good game if it wasn't released by fromsoft
>bloodlines 2 would be a good game if it wasn't called bloodlines
I hate this cope so much it's unreal. A complete abdication of responsibility.

 

[Fathomless Eminence]

This part is the highlight for me

When a game studio starts talking about "managing expectations" you just know they have no faith in themselves. The energy in that office must be abysmal. If you're genuinely invested in what you're doing, you're gonna see the heart and soul come through in the final product. A certain je ne sais quois if you'll pardon my faganese. I'm so over corporate "mass appeal" slop.

 

[Tri-Tachyon'sClown]

Pardon me for being goofy and not giving the substance of your post any thought, but reading this it just dawned on me that due to their naming conventions, gro-gnard would be an excellent Orsimer surname.

Shit, it would. I'll write it down next to the Dunmer "Tree-torcher" one.

>dark souls 2 would be a good game if it wasn't released by fromsoft

I'll die on the hill of it being at least decent.

 

[Gog & Magog]

Have they considered approaching the franchise from a different perspective? I wouldn't mind a top-down 2D zeldaesque spin-off. Would be fascinating to see how devs could translate elder scrolls' mechanics into a different genre. Speaking of, why aren't there more Bethesda spin-off games? You would think a franchise as big as Elder Scrolls would be drowning in spin-off titles.

 

[Tri-Tachyon'sClown]

Have they considered approaching the franchise from a different perspective? I wouldn't mind a top-down 2D zeldaesque spin-off. Would be fascinating to see how devs could translate elder scrolls' mechanics into a different genre. Speaking of, why aren't there more Bethesda spin-off games? You would think a franchise as big as Elder Scrolls would be drowning in spin-off titles.

Maybe they don't want to risk a small game that won't make gangbusters because anything less will kill off this dying company. Even Starfield sold (barely) enough to offset the insane production cost (iirc), and that game was universally panned by all but the most midwit of midwits. No one talks about Blades, Legends (even after the shutdown), Castles, even a remaster of the mainline title Oblivion is largely dead not long after release when it came to discourse (I see more people talking about OG Oblivion despite less players, hell I saw someone playing a 3DS fan port).
They need big titles to draw people's attention, and if TES6 does even worse than Starfield they're shutting down. The TV show is just barely keeping the lights on, they're betting the farm on TES6 and I think they might just lose it.

 

[Fount of BadSpeak]

Maybe they don't want to risk a small game that won't make gangbusters because anything less will kill off this dying company. Even Starfield sold (barely) enough to offset the insane production cost (iirc), and that game was universally panned by all but the most midwit of midwits. No one talks about Blades, Legends (even after the shutdown), Castles, even a remaster of the mainline title Oblivion is largely dead not long after release when it came to discourse (I see more people talking about OG Oblivion despite less players, hell I saw someone playing a 3DS fan port).
They need big titles to draw people's attention, and if TES6 does even worse than Starfield they're shutting down. The TV show is just barely keeping the lights on, they're betting the farm on TES6 and I think they might just lose it.

They have the same problem most Western entertainment has chosen to adopt, in that they have bloated their companies to massive sizes, and thus can only survive off of massive blockbuster hits. Gone are the days of small scale projects that could make a modest but tidy profit, because you need to increase quarterly profits, and that means more more MORE! There's no such thing as modest passion projects with small teams that you can use to train up new hires on a less critical project, or to let your creatives really go for it and see if they make a gem. Nope, there's just the 9 figure development cost juggernauts that need to pull a quarter billion or more just to break even, and when you have that much money on the line, then every suit is going to meddle to try to make sure that the ROI isn't risked with silly little things like "creativity" and "appealing to the fanbase". After all, they need that mythical "modern audience" to make more money than before!

Personally, I think TES VI will sell because name recognition. Starfield didn't have brand recognition beyond "Bethesda" behind it to help bolster its appeal, but there are more than enough normalfags out there that loved Skyrim who will almost 100% buy We Wuz Septimz day one without an ounce of hesitation or skepticism. What will probably suffer is the game after TES VI, much like how Halo 5 sold well despite a poor reception for Halo 4, but Halo Infinite did much more poorly since people figured out by then that 343 was fundamentally incapable of making good games. Usually it takes a massive turd or two in the franchise before fan loyalty really starts to wane, and I do not think that Elder Scrolls Online got enough notice from Skyrim fans to meaningfully reduce TES sales.

 

[TrainWreckWatcher]

Personally, I think TES VI will sell because name recognition.

I dunno man. average consooomers might go for it cause they think there is hype, but anyone who tried starfield or anyone who is moderately knowing about games I don't think they have any faith in Bethesda anymore.

Have they considered approaching the franchise from a different perspective? I wouldn't mind a top-down 2D zeldaesque spin-off. Would be fascinating to see how devs could translate elder scrolls' mechanics into a different genre. Speaking of, why aren't there more Bethesda spin-off games? You would think a franchise as big as Elder Scrolls would be drowning in spin-off titles.

I don't think they even know how to make an insim anymore them learning a totally different style is a miracle.

 

[Problematic User Forever]

I dunno man. average consooomers might go for it cause they think there is hype, but anyone who tried starfield or anyone who is moderately knowing about games I don't think they have any faith in Bethesda anymore.

The average consoomer are the biggest segment of players/buyers though.

People think Nesmith is crazy for saying nobody noticed or complained about the attributes not being in Skyrim, but people are not "getting it".

It's not that *nobody* noticed, it's that the 20 million players they added with Skyrim didn't notice or care.

When he says that people don't actually want another Morrowind, he's not talking about the 4 million people that bought Morrowind, he's talking about the 25 million other people that bought Skyrim.

 

[Spooky Dogwood]

The average consoomer are the biggest segment of players/buyers though.

People think Nesmith is crazy for saying nobody noticed or complained about the attributes not being in Skyrim, but people are not "getting it".

It's not that *nobody* noticed, it's that the 20 million players they added with Skyrim didn't notice or care.

When he says that people don't actually want another Morrowind, he's not talking about the 4 million people that bought Morrowind, he's talking about the 25 million other people that bought Skyrim.

I understand, but it's still pretty brazen to shit on your older games and the dedicated fanbase they still have in such a mask-off fashion. He has no regrets about being a cynical slop-peddler. He thinks it's a good thing. He doesn't lament needing to dumb things down for a broader audience, he's bragging about pushing for it.

 

[Problematic User Forever]

He has no regrets about being a cynical slop-peddler.

Brother, it's always been slop.

Like, I can't say this enough, Elder Scrolls has always been shit because it was a bunch of D&D players trying to force table top rules into an action RPG video game wholesale.

The "good" bits were always just good luck and people finding the series at the right time in their life to enjoy it.

If you want someone that isn't pushing slop, go be a fan of Jonathan Blow. The sad fact is that like 95% of people developing games are doing it for the money.

 

[Fount of BadSpeak]

Brother, it's always been slop.

Like, I can't say this enough, Elder Scrolls has always been shit because it was a bunch of D&D players trying to force table top rules into an action RPG video game wholesale.

The "good" bits were always just good luck and people finding the series at the right time in their life to enjoy it.

If you want someone that isn't pushing slop, go be a fan of Jonathan Blow. The sad fact is that like 95% of people developing games are doing it for the money.

"Actually it's always been bad, so it's ok that they ruin it!"

Oh fuck off, you "people" are so god damned transparent. If you want to post retarded and objectively false nonsense about gaming, then go shit up the unpopular opinions about video games thread with your inane faggotry.

 

[TrainWreckWatcher]

The average consoomer are the biggest segment of players/buyers though.

It works until it doesn't work.
Look to Dragon Age and Saints Row for examples.

 

[StacticShock]

It works until it doesn't work.
Look to Dragon Age and Saints Row for examples.

counterpoint: mods.
something both examples you have given don't have extensively, don't forget that saarfield has a script extender for gamebyro 2.0, ops, creation engine.

Thoughts on this socialist reddit thread linking the Stormcloak rebellion to the irl birth of racialized nationalism

>thalmor literally support the "nationalistic nords" as they can use the rebellion to keep the empire under strict rule and have them lose some of their military in said rebellion to curb any potential unison from the empire to strike back
>the same nationalistic nords whose leading head killed the only jarl that was well liked by everyone else for the throne of high king, said head who keeps the jarls political support fractured between the empire ruling and their faux independence, destroying any chance of them actually uniting and supporting the empire to enact TOTAL THALMOR DEATH
>cue to our (((thalmor))) propping up controlled opposition "nationalists" and arresting/killing those that rise organically within the political space that can potentially unite the people to work against globalist policies

dunno, chief.

 

[Mr. Racewar1488]

>thalmor literally support the "nationalistic nords" as they can use the rebellion to keep the empire under strict rule and have them lose some of their military in said rebellion to curb any potential unison from the empire to strike back
>the same nationalistic nords whose leading head killed the only jarl that was well liked by everyone else for the throne of high king, said head who keeps the jarls political support fractured between the empire ruling and their faux independence, destroying any chance of them actually uniting and supporting the empire to enact TOTAL THALMOR DEATH
>cue to our (((thalmor))) propping up controlled opposition "nationalists" and arresting/killing those that rise organically within the political space that can potentially unite the people to work against globalist policies

This is why if you play as an Altmer Dragonborn you should side with the Stormcloaks to make them look like Thalmor puppets. Besides, Altmer Dommy Mommies>>>>>Nord "women" who are hairier than most human men and probably have a larger dick too.

 

[Jose Beaner Luna]

counterpoint: mods.
something both examples you have given don't have extensively, don't forget that saarfield has a script extender for gamebyro 2.0, ops, creation engine.

>thalmor literally support the "nationalistic nords" as they can use the rebellion to keep the empire under strict rule and have them lose some of their military in said rebellion to curb any potential unison from the empire to strike back
>the same nationalistic nords whose leading head killed the only jarl that was well liked by everyone else for the throne of high king, said head who keeps the jarls political support fractured between the empire ruling and their faux independence, destroying any chance of them actually uniting and supporting the empire to enact TOTAL THALMOR DEATH
>cue to our (((thalmor))) propping up controlled opposition "nationalists" and arresting/killing those that rise organically within the political space that can potentially unite the people to work against globalist policies

dunno, chief.

Thalmor "support" Ulfric not because they like him or anything but because they want a forever war, thats what they mean with Ulfric being an unknowing asset, the longer the Imperials battle the Stormcloaks the more resources both sides waste until the elves come and turbo rape them both, and they know it, except Ulfric cannot stop because muh Talos and Tulius cannot stop because Ulfric will not back down so they are in an eternal stalemate until either of them die.

This is why if you play as an Altmer Dragonborn you should side with the Stormcloaks to make them look like Thalmor puppets. Besides, Altmer Dommy Mommies>>>>>Nord "women" who are hairier than most human men and probably have a larger dick too.

So fucking BASED! Todd was afraid to let us marry more superior Altmer baddies, thank god mods exist so i can marry Niranye.

 

[God of Nothing]

Altmer Dommy Mommies

this is your brain on porn

 

[StacticShock]

this is your brain on porn

if you aren't playing skyrim with ostim and CBBE, are you really playing skyrim?

 

[Problematic User Forever]

"Actually it's always been bad, so it's ok that they ruin it!"

Oh fuck off, you "people" are so god damned transparent. If you want to post retarded and objectively false nonsense about gaming, then go shit up the unpopular opinions about video games thread with your inane faggotry.

If you faggots would stop pretending every game you enjoyed as a kid to be fucking art or some sort of masterpiece, you wouldn't be so surprised when an AAA developer says something that makes it obvious they were, in fact, making something to be as profitable and popular as possible.

"false nonsense?" So now we're going to act like everyone in here hasn't talked about every Elder Scrolls games leveling system being complete shit except for Morrowinds? How janky and buggy as fuck the entire series is?

 

[Sheep King]

Like, I can't say this enough, Elder Scrolls has always been shit because it was a bunch of D&D players trying to force table top rules into an action RPG video game wholesale.

If you faggots would stop pretending every game you enjoyed as a kid to be fucking art or some sort of masterpiece, you wouldn't be so surprised when an AAA developer says something that makes it obvious they were, in fact, making something to be as profitable and popular as possible.

"false nonsense?" So now we're going to act like everyone in here hasn't talked about every Elder Scrolls games leveling system being complete shit except for Morrowinds? How janky and buggy as fuck the entire series is?

I'll take D&D players trying to jankily fit table-top rules into a video game because that's what they want to make over a game made because it appeals to the lowest common denominator any day.
Contrary to modern usage, jank and slop are not always synonymous. I agree people overlook flaws in Morrowind but there's a difference between them trying to sell copies by making something genuinely interesting, and trying to appeal to everyone by sanding down every single edge.

Morrowind was working with limited resources and a schedule to save the company. Oblivion, which I find fundamentally unfun, is still visibly trying to achieve a balancing act between older systems and interesting storylines with the limitations and expectations of being developed as a console launch title. For all the meming, NPC schedules and radiant behaviour were a genuine innovation for the series.
Skyrim's endless releases, Starfield, and TES VI if it ever comes out, have had all the time and resources in the world to expand on the earlier titles and make genuinely good RPGs, but practically every idea they have had has come down to "cut out everything that's hard to design around" and "introduce more unlimited skinner box proc-gen slop". So hearing them claim that there's nothing good about the older titles that build their fanbase worth replaying while arguing they've 'improved' is pretty fucking rich.