Argh... I feel torn. I can relate to a lot of the things said here, and yet I still really enjoy TES. How do I explain it? Lets go back to Skyrim... ...when it comes to that game, some of the things that Bethesda sucks on are also what makes Skyrim a better and more unique game.
It all comes down to the modding community. Because they leave so many things that basically have to be improved on, the modding community is naturally more active. And fans of the game tend to know better what fans want than a large dev team ever could. Or at least - there's a more direct line for communicating what is needed and making it happen. This results in a game that can be better tailored to a wide range of people and the niche groups just as well. With the mods out there now, it can be basically anything you want it to be, whether that be just a better game or another game. When it comes to both appearance and gameplay, two modded Skyrims can pretty much be completely different games. And I don't know that this would happen if Bethesda wasn't screwing so much up. All of this depth and diversity started with a high demand to make a half-baked game more finished and polished... ...and then it just kept going until modders managed to essentially make several completely new games based on the original.
Whether you agree with it or not, this makes for the sort of game that would be hard to imagine coming from any dev team in a vacuum. It makes it very unique. I personally think Beth really needs to get a lot together - the people playing your game shouldn't have to roll out all of your patches for game-breaking bugs for you. That looks bad. But still... ...some things do work out nicely in the end. I'll just say they owe a lot to the modding community that supports them. And if those people aren't getting paid, they should be.
A few people mentioned graphics... ...I think in an exploration-based game, graphics are much more important to immersion than they would be in a game that was more about the action or puzzle-solving. I'd even argue that story is less critical. Who plays TES for the story anyway? I think I did Skyrim's main questline once. And it took forever because I kept getting distracted. The idea is to create an atmosphere that draws you in. A vague story is good. It creates a mystique that implores the player to see the world for themselves and use their own judgement to make it what it is. I think TES generally does a good job here. Skyrim is not the prettiest game, but the actual atmosphere does have a way of keeping you playing. It just has this look and feel to it that makes you wanna see more. And no matter how long you play, you never feel like you've truly grasped everything.
I WOULD like to see them improve on that and bring the graphics up to a respectable level for the release time this time around. No way around that really.
The lore is almost better for all of its vague, convoluted, contradictory nonsense. It gives the world this nascent, shifting quality, like taking part in a famous legend... not as it actually happened but as it exists in peoples minds. No two people tell the story the same - and it can vary greatly depending on where you're hearing it. As you go about picking up pieces of the lore, new additions can change how you see old ones in interesting ways. In the meantime you may have forgotten some things that have now been replaced and its left you with a different perspective. It's almost less like a story and more like a strange dream. I'm not sure if this is intentional or just incompetent, but I think leaving things up to forced interpretation works in their favor. As with any legend, the story is whatever you want it to be and can change depending on what you choose to believe from a reference point that is unique to your personal experience. It makes the world seem more alive - more a part of you. It's just more personal... ...kind of the backdrop to the story you want rather than its own encapsulated thing. Keeps things more interesting than a more concrete, point a to point b storyline. If you wish it to be that, you'll wind up disappointed. I don't think it's meant to be that, and I really pray they don't try to make it that, like they did with Fallout.
Now, do I think they meant for it to be that way? Naw. I think they probably have a hard time keeping track of their own lore with how long the series has been running and how many people have contributed. I do think they at least know by now that it bolsters them, though. If they're smart, they'll never tie up their lore and fix all of the inconsistencies. I know for me, the jacked up lore still keeps me playing, in a really weird way. I know it doesn't always make sense, but somehow I like it that way?
One thing that's inexcusable is that god awful recycled engine. Many of the games flaws grow on you, but that, and all the bugs aren't so charming. No denying the games have always been clunky as hell. And often just...
unfinished.
That's my two cents. Bethesda kinda sucks, but perhaps by some cosmic coincidence the weaknesses of TES are part of what make it an endearing series, for me at least. Bethesda are not what made the last Elder Scrolls good, and most of what they did do right wasn't intentional. They're either brilliant or very lucky. They definitely have a lot of work to do and a lot to answer to. But somehow I feel like it'll all work out.
Or maybe it'll be a steaming pile and everyone will finally get sick of their shit
