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[Glowcat]

Are there any weapons with a paralysis enchantment? If so, are there any artifacts that I could get that always have that enchantment? Where could I find such a weapon?

Yeah, they sometimes appear in stores. Sometimes if you kill and paralyze the enemy's corpse seems to become inaccessible though.

[Shadowlord]

I just use the ice form shout, which tends to incapacitate multiple opponents if I aim it right, and usually gives me enough time to take out at least one of them (unless they're a boss) before they fully recover. Of course, some enemies ARE immune.

[Dakorma]

When people say a game got inspiration from a mod I get a sick feeling in my mouth, that the modder has a monopoly on any use of the same idea.

That's only in your head, I never implied anything like that. Though a little nod towards the original mod developper can be considered proper etiquette .

You know, it's entirely possible that mod developer is now working for bethesda.

I know that Bethesda hired Oscuro, who created several game balance and immersion mods, and tweaked and compiled many other mods, for Oblivion. I have a feeling his "Oblivion Overhaul" largely inspired the way Radiant Story sets the difficulty level of dungeons to your level when you first reach them.

Nope, Obsidian, hired Oscuro.

Still, I was surprised to see how many of the mods I had incorporated into my Oblivion game seemed to show up, in some form or other, in Skyrim... mechanics to encourage resting, the ability to recruit even regular NPCs as companions, wandering NPCs and NPCs with jobs, dual wielding, item crafting, and more. I was hoping for more survival-immersion features, such as making food necessary for survival (rather than essentially making it a weak potion), adding a penalty for not sleeping, expanding on the effects of wounds and fatigue (stumbling, etc.) and adding portable bedrolls and camping kits. Ah well, that's what mods are for... and if I don't see those sorts of mods soon, I might just have to learn how to script for Skyrim!

This game is grueling on the hardest difficulty setting... but I like that. I found myself hiding from a Dragon Fight when I knew I was underprepared... my second fight cost me 1k in potions, and I probably wouldn't have won if a pilgrim priest hadn't joined the fight. On that note, I really like how your NPC companions can permanently die, rather than resurrecting. I find myself making sure to set aside a few healing potions for my Housecarl, whenever I brew them for myself.

It's kind of funny that your NPCs can die, when pretty much all of the NPCs in the game that are quest related, are unkillable. Even ones for misc quests. Granted there are plenty of non-quest related NPCs this time around. But it still strikes me as odd that I can't just up and murder the Thalmor hussy when she shows up. I mean I can walk in and murder her staff, her entire guard, and she still is invulnerable. It's a poor move on any DM/Game Designers part when they rely on invulnerable NPCs. She's not even that relevant to the plot. I can just straight up and murder anyone I want in morrowind, and all it tells me to do is reload my game. Do the game devs think gamers a stupid enough to not realize that we can read and listen to a warning. They have to rely on having invulnerable npcs, to make sure a SANDBOX isn't broken. Hell take a look at how fallout new vegas does it. You can literally kill EVERYONE in that game, bar, 1 single individual, who has plot reasons for being immortal. You can even complete the game with that single individual being the only person left alive. That's good game design.

And Yes Man is at least an awesome character who is often genuinely funny.

The point is, in a sandbox that prides itself on the ability to go anywhere and do anything. Bethesda has consistently failed after Morrowind, to actually have that happen. They rely on invulnerable npcs to secure their plots together, so that when people get stupid and decide the wreck plot, they don't have to program in backdoors. So it appears even poorer designed to people like me who deliberately want to wreck plot. This means their basic premise of go anywhere do anything is thus ruined. Because you lack the ability to do things, like you could in morrowind or New Vegas, IE, just walk in kill the general, turn around kill house, go to the fort kill ceasar. Or morrowind, Kill Caius, kill Vivec, kill each of the houses leadership, kill everyone in the gameworld, then walk into red mountain kill the ash priest retrieve the sunder and keening, tank the damage, and strike the heart as indicated in vivecs notes, then get congratulations for doing this from Azura.

[Microcline]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

When people say a game got inspiration from a mod I get a sick feeling in my mouth, that the modder has a monopoly on any use of the same idea.

That's only in your head, I never implied anything like that. Though a little nod towards the original mod developper can be considered proper etiquette .

You know, it's entirely possible that mod developer is now working for bethesda.

I know that Bethesda hired Oscuro, who created several game balance and immersion mods, and tweaked and compiled many other mods, for Oblivion. I have a feeling his "Oblivion Overhaul" largely inspired the way Radiant Story sets the difficulty level of dungeons to your level when you first reach them.

Nope, Obsidian, hired Oscuro.

Still, I was surprised to see how many of the mods I had incorporated into my Oblivion game seemed to show up, in some form or other, in Skyrim... mechanics to encourage resting, the ability to recruit even regular NPCs as companions, wandering NPCs and NPCs with jobs, dual wielding, item crafting, and more. I was hoping for more survival-immersion features, such as making food necessary for survival (rather than essentially making it a weak potion), adding a penalty for not sleeping, expanding on the effects of wounds and fatigue (stumbling, etc.) and adding portable bedrolls and camping kits. Ah well, that's what mods are for... and if I don't see those sorts of mods soon, I might just have to learn how to script for Skyrim!

This game is grueling on the hardest difficulty setting... but I like that. I found myself hiding from a Dragon Fight when I knew I was underprepared... my second fight cost me 1k in potions, and I probably wouldn't have won if a pilgrim priest hadn't joined the fight. On that note, I really like how your NPC companions can permanently die, rather than resurrecting. I find myself making sure to set aside a few healing potions for my Housecarl, whenever I brew them for myself.

It's kind of funny that your NPCs can die, when pretty much all of the NPCs in the game that are quest related, are unkillable. Even ones for misc quests. Granted there are plenty of non-quest related NPCs this time around. But it still strikes me as odd that I can't just up and murder the Thalmor hussy when she shows up. I mean I can walk in and murder her staff, her entire guard, and she still is invulnerable. It's a poor move on any DM/Game Designers part when they rely on invulnerable NPCs. She's not even that relevant to the plot. I can just straight up and murder anyone I want in morrowind, and all it tells me to do is reload my game. Do the game devs think gamers a stupid enough to not realize that we can read and listen to a warning. They have to rely on having invulnerable npcs, to make sure a SANDBOX isn't broken. Hell take a look at how fallout new vegas does it. You can literally kill EVERYONE in that game, bar, 1 single individual, who has plot reasons for being immortal. You can even complete the game with that single individual being the only person left alive. That's good game design.

And Yes Man is at least an awesome character who is often genuinely funny.

The point is, in a sandbox that prides itself on the ability to go anywhere and do anything. Bethesda has consistently failed after Morrowind, to actually have that happen. They rely on invulnerable npcs to secure their plots together, so that when people get stupid and decide the wreck plot, they don't have to program in backdoors. So it appears even poorer designed to people like me who deliberately want to wreck plot. This means their basic premise of go anywhere do anything is thus ruined. Because you lack the ability to do things, like you could in morrowind or New Vegas, IE, just walk in kill the general, turn around kill house, go to the fort kill ceasar. Or morrowind, Kill Caius, kill Vivec, kill each of the houses leadership, kill everyone in the gameworld, then walk into red mountain kill the ash priest retrieve the sunder and keening, tank the damage, and strike the heart as indicated in vivecs notes, then get congratulations for doing this from Azura.

So it's settled: Bethesda no longer has the competence to write characters or faction quests.  Therefore, they need to let Obsidian make a TES game, as Avellone has shown time and time again that character and quest writing are his strong points.

Plus, who hasn't fantasized about a game with metaphysics/lore by Kirkbride and character/quest writing by Avellone?

[Shadowlord]

Bethesda should probably hire Obsidian to do what Obsidian is good at, and do what they are good at (making amazing environments and vistas, when they really try, for instance), both on the same game. If they can work together, it could be something great.

[Dakorma]

So it's settled: Bethesda no longer has the competence to write characters or faction quests.  Therefore, they need to let Obsidian make a TES game, as Avellone has shown time and time again that character and quest writing are his strong points.

Plus, who hasn't fantasized about a game with metaphysics/lore by Kirkbride and character/quest writing by Avellone?

My heart did a little flutter at that.

As an aside, can anyone here, recall a genuine character from Skyrim? And from that character recall any memorable lines?

I'm sitting here, and bar the AWESOME AUSTRALIAN DARK ELF. That I can recall. I mean, hmm, I can't actually recall any of his lines either.

Let's see other NPCs. Fuck, I can't.

Morrowind didn't even have this problem. And it's NPCs were SIGNPOSTS.

Dagoth Ur. Come, Come, Nerevar, friend or traitor.

Crassius Curio, proving your worth by having you strip.


Lets compare this to other story based RPGs.

Planescape Torment

Nordom:I prefer the term, fearsome cubed warrior.

Nordom: Fall from grace, I wish to speak about your body.
Fall From Grace: Pardon?
Nordom: Your body, your form, your reason for selecting it.
FFG: Why I suppose it's comforting, I like the wings.
N: It would be more efficient and practical to become a modron. 12.7% more, give or take 5.4 percent.
FFG:Nordom are you trying to court me.
N: My intention is not to initiate legislation.

A stories worth can be measured in how long things like that stay with you.

IE
You're a wizard, Harry.
What, no I'm not, I'm just Harry.

A man in a duster riding a purple t-rex, walking through downtown chicago battling hordes of the undead, while a mildly obese man sits in a one man polka suit on the back playing desperately.



Wherefore art thou romeo.
Deny thy father and thy name.
or if thou will not, be but sworn my love.

All men are enemies. All animals are comrades.

Quite likely you can all recognize where those came from, with maybe one exception. You can also likely name the speakers.

Now let me give you a quote I've googled from skyrim, see if you can recognize the speaker.

If I die today, it will not be in terror.

[LoSboccacc]

isn't obsidian best know for its very very bad 'RUINED FOREVER' sequels?

has something changed recently?

[Sensei]

I found a weapon with paralysis on it randomly. I then disenchanted it and used it on a sword, and tuned the paralysis time down to 1 second. They don't stay paralyzed but it's still basically as good as a sword that randomly knocks people over- that is to say, rather OP sometimes. And fun.

[irbis]

You know  - playing as a mage i feel like "unfinished".
I really miss all the non-combat magic. In Skyrim you are more of a Battlemage rather then Wizard.

Where all the non-combat spells gone?
Levitate? what about freefall? what happend to jump spell? Open/Close Locks spell? Cats Eye's and Light spell that last for longer then a silly 60sec. Elementa Ressist Buffs.
I remember from P'n'P rpgs that my biggest passion for magic was not that i can blow up a whole village but that i can do common actions... but with magic, and enhanced. My fellow fried trying to light up a campfire or a torch in the middle of rain, and i just shot my fingers and kazaam - theres the light. Conjuring magical horse, walk on water, breath in water, lift objects with my magic, control the wather  - summon blizzard, rain, sunny sky - just for the heck of it, because i can. Place magical forcefiel, make animals not run away from me...
sorry, been day dreaming again.

The point is - Skyrim lacks the "ambient" spells. Magic that doesnt benefits them directly in combat or game. Just make couple of things easier. Theres literaly one such spell in Skyrim. its that ore transmutation spell. I rarely use it - but i am very glad i can. Skyrim wizards looks more like a character from first person shooter and spells more like guns.

Argh, when the hell they finaly launch moddding tools??? >.<

[Dakorma]

isn't obsidian best know for its very very bad 'RUINED FOREVER' sequels?

has something changed recently?

Not really, it's known for buggy games. Which doesn't mean it's ruined forever.

NWN2 was bad, almost as bad as NWN1, but Mask of the Betrayer is one of the best RPG stories out there in a long time. It's buggy because the NWN engine they were given was the one Atari licensed from Bioware, which was the BETA, no patches version.

KotOR2 was buggy, but better than KotOR1 in almost every possible way other than bugs, however it's publisher Lucas Arts basically made them release it a year before they were supposed to.

Alpha Protocol, was buggy, however, it had some of the best character design and narrative plotting in recent RPGs. With a genuine and reaction story that had something like 6 endings with some being variations on the same theme. It suffered in that for 8 months which they were supposed to be deving the game, Sony made then sit, and not refine it while they decided if they were actually going to publish it. Then they made them stick to the 2nd agreed release date instead of deciding on a new one.

Fallout New Vegas, almost every fallout fan even one that started with 3 agree NV was better than fallout 3. There were very few issues with the publisher on this one. Bar the fact that they let Bethesda record the bite phrases, "Patrolling the mohave makes me wish for a nuclear winter" being one of them.

[Ivefan]

So it's settled: Bethesda no longer has the competence to write characters or faction quests.  Therefore, they need to let Obsidian make a TES game, as Avellone has shown time and time again that character and quest writing are his strong points.

As an aside, can anyone here, recall a genuine character from Skyrim? And from that character recall any memorable lines?

I'm sitting here, and bar the AWESOME AUSTRALIAN DARK ELF. That I can recall. I mean, hmm, I can't actually recall any of his lines either.

Let's see other NPCs. Fuck, I can't.

This strikes near to what i thought. Rather than making this feeble attempt for quests and stories with levelscaling.
Okay, It would be a non-TES game and it has a very siple layout, but anyway;
Remove all settlements except for a central one and make it impressive, a stronghold in a hostile land, where the difficulty increases with the distance from the core.
Adventurers go forth to explore, find valuables, beat monsters and gather whatever they find interesting.
Helping the stronghold expanding by assisting in the construction of outposts or the defence of them.

That is kind of how i play skyrim, only that skyrim isn't that good of a playground for this purpose.

-Edit-
Derp. Browser messed up.

[Rose]

Guys, guys, you're all forgetting something.


The candles that last 2000 years.

[Shadowlord]

Ivefan: "I am sworn to carry your burdens!"

Just because you hear it SO. MANY. TIMES.

[irbis]

Ivefan: "I am sworn to carry your burdens!"

Just because you hear it SO. MANY. TIMES.

ahh i love that one

Lydia: "I am sworn to carry your burdens!"
Me: "Okey. You were the one who said it. <jump on her back>
Lydia: "The hell man?!?"
Me: "my legs hurts, start moving. Lets head to magic Collage"
Lydia: "Wait, what?!? we are in Riverside!"
Me: "ZZzzzzzzz...." <already asleep>
Lydia: "stupid thane dragoncrap..." 

[Ivefan]

Ivefan: "I am sworn to carry your burdens!"

Just because you hear it SO. MANY. TIMES.

Derp, Browser messed up, edited my post.

Guys, guys, you're all forgetting something.
The candles that last 2000 years.

Oh yes. All the ruins with burning braziers, candles and torches.
A gameplay decision, but nonetheless stupid.