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Where should I start with the Elder Scrolls series?

I can't believe I'm going to recommend Oblivion, but Oblivion.

If it's the first Elder Scrolls game you're going to play you need to know how good the quests can be (Morrowind/Oblivion) and how amazing it can look (Oblivion/Skyrim).

The only one that meets both is right in the middle.
 
ThreePiMatt said:
Its the "best" because its almost entirely dependent on how you build your character. I much prefer Morrowind's character-skill driven combat compared to Skyrim's player-skill driven combat.
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That's part of it, yes. Oblivion and Skyrim attempt to make the combat action-based, therefore player skill based and absolutely fails miserably.

Morrowind uses more character stats, and includes little touches like your footwork determining the type of attack you make (cut, slash, or thrust).
 
BlueTsunami said:
I'm guessing he prefers Morrowind since each subsequent game has devolved into mainstream coddling.
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That already happened with Daggerfall=>Morrowind. Granted that transition wasn't nearly as bad as the one between Morrowind and Oblivion.

I'd probably go with Morrowind to begin with, then Oblivion and Skyrim (and finally the first two to see where it all started, you'll be able to appreciate them more then - and maybe by the time you're done with the others, a fully playable version of DaggerXL will have been released).


Morrowind is easy to start with mod-wise too, since unlike Oblivion, you don't necessarily need gameplay balance and content mods to make the game good; just add the eye candy with MGSO and you're all set for your first playthrough:

ghxl6GR.jpg


onmJuDr.jpg
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The installer is fully automated and holds your hand all the way through, it's really great.
 
I'd start with Skyrim. It's easily the most accessible and is a good showcase for the series. Plus it has dragons.

After that, it will really depend on what platform you're playing on and how 'hardcore' into RPG's you are. If it's on PC, I'd go for Oblivion with mods. It has a very vocal minority of detractors but it's my favourite in the series. There are so many mods out there, you can tailor it to be the exact game you want it to be and it still feels modern. Just don't expect to see any attractive character models (unless you mod it with half nude female elves...see below).

Morrowind is brilliant but I'd only recommend that for those experienced with the series. It's not a good jumping off point for those new to the Elder Scrolls IMO. Unless you're using an all-in-one installer, it's a PIA to mod and feels incredibly clunky. The traditional inventory system and paperdoll are really great though. The combat is purely all dice rolls which aren't communicated visually very clearly. I like this, however if you're expecting Kingdoms of Amalur, this isn't the droid you're looking for.

I personally prefer Daggerfall over Morrowind. But I'd leave that one until DagerfallXL is released unless you have extreme nostalgia for the 90's . I'm a 90's PC gamer so I love that era of early 3D engines and general unforgiving nature.

...if you're still unsure about starting off with Oblivion, watch this: http://youtu.be/Euk0TonLVLY?t=14s

When the guard starts dancing at 2.50 I lose it everytime.
 
If you get mods to close the gap in graphics, I feel like the games are pretty interchangeable. You'll have dozens of hours of fun with each.

There are huge gaps in time between the plots of Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim so they don't necessarily need to be played in chronological order. However, note that you might stumble upon books in Oblivion or Skyrim that summarize the plots of the earlier games.
 
Ahasverus said:
You are on drugs.


There is nothing more boring than Cyrodrill.



The obvious answer would be Morroblivion. Who would not want to play the best game in the series with almost modern gameplay?
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And have everyone look like disfigured trolls? No thanks
 
Dr. Zoidberg said:
Start with Morrowind if you want to play it. It's hard to go back to if you aren't used to older-style games with tons more reading and less hand holding. I love Oblivion and Skyrim but I could never get into Morrowind, even with all the mods and patches. There's obviously a lot of depth there but it just feels too janky and cumbersome to me.
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Yeah, Morrowind is the best place to start. I know a lot of people who couldn't play it after playing Oblivion / Skyrim because of the lack of fast travel and quest compass. Plus Morrowind is the best in the series. Really nails down the exploration aspect.
 
I'd say that Arena isn't worth playing today unless you're very interested in history and evolution of the series; the scale is there, but it's largely randomly-generated content, and a bit *too* big; I found the dungeons tended to outstay their welcome and become boring a bit too readily; the very first floor of the very first story dungeon is utterly massive, and it doesn't improve from there.

Daggerfall's a tougher one. It has some of the same issues; I've heard the dungeons are a bit *too* big and labyrinthine - although that could well be to your taste - and it's also got clear signs of evolution from Arena with more involved things to do outside the main quest.

Morrowind is by some margin the safest choice of entry point. It's not the prettiest of games - but can be modded into something far more appealing. The scale has been brought down somewhat, and for my tastes, that's improved it; it's still huge, but it feels manageable, and content doesn't feel as much like it goes on for *ever*.
 
Another vote for Skyrim. Oblivion is worth playing for the first hour or two, because the beginning of that one is really nice. The character system is busted though and very easy to exploit. Skyrim has a great character system that you can't abuse. It's a fun place to explore and you can put in 50 -100 hours in that same alone. It will keep you busy for a few months.
 
Gez said:
I honestly think you should start off with Morrowind with Overhaul 3.0, skip Oblivion and then play Skyrim.

Here are some compressed screenshots I took of Overhaul 2.0 on my shitty 5870, i can only imagine 3.0 is even better. Apologies for the large pics but putting them in quotes doesn't do it justice.

<snip>

In case you don't know Overhaul 3.0 is a .exe that installs a comprehensive list of mods without the hours of fucking around. It installs mods that change graphics, adds sound and music, UI changes, bug fixes, animations, lighting, proper widescreen, new effects such as DOF and more.
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Holy crap at those pictures. Can't believe it's the same game. i need a gaming PC lol
 
A full overhaul like Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul makes Oblivion quite good. The guy's a talented developer. He got hired at Obsidian and was one of the developers of New Vegas after he created OOO.

OOO really makes the game tougher and less "for the masses" and makes the world way more fun to explore (more like Morrowind)
 
I still think Morrowind was the best overall but Skyrim was also amazing. I've heard some people talking about Morroblivion? Tell me more kind sers.

Also, any mods that can make Daggerfall, y'know not akin to pulling teeth? I have treid so hard to get into that game, and I can't.
 
Turn around and run while you still can. I say this as someone who has both enjoyed and reviled titles in the series. When it's bad, it's really shamefully bad, and when it's good, whole days will disappear.
 
Oblivion is still a lot of fun and you can get GOTY editions for just a few pound, and yes oblivion does have the best quests, the mages guild quest line is a thousand fold better then skyrims short pile of pants.
 
Don't play Arena or Daggerfall. I like em but you probably won't like em.

Morrowind is sick as hell

Oblivion is a jar of dog turds with cat turds rubbed on the outside.

Skyrim is fairly decent.

There are other ones but pretend that there aren't other ones.
 
wtf @ the people saying Oblivion. Do you want the guy to hate the franchise ?

Start with Skyrim. If you like what you're playing, then you can go back to Morrowing and Oblivion, with mods installed (especially in the case of Oblivion).
 
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