Do people still rank this game over Oblivion?

[Road to A+]

I have been playing through the whole TES series with the anthology and played Morrowind last (I did Oblivion > Skyrim > Arena > Daggerfall > Morrowind). When I was done playing DF I was really stoked to get into what most people rank as the best TES, and I was initially mind blown by the technical improvement, the soundtrack, lack of quest marker, etc...

But the combat system really aged like crap, like even arena and DF had better combat. Also people say the MQ in Oblivion is garbage which I agree (never finished it myself), but its even more dull in Morrowind! The game gives you no reason at all to progess the MQ, infact Morrowind is the only game of the series that doesnt give you a RP reason to progress in the MQ. I could have tolerated the [censored] combat if the quests were any good, but upon reaching Caius you soon realize that the game is simply a chain of errand boy tasks, which is a big let down.

The lack of quest marker was refreshing at first but quickly became annoying. It didnt really feel rewarding to check the journal every few seconds, felt like a chore.

The writing was alright but the nature of the quests (errands) made it less interesting to read.

My ultimate ranking for the series after playing would be

Daggerfall>Oblivion>Skyrim>Morrowind>Arena

[The Burning One]

Originally posted by A Radom Cat:

Originally posted by Voltronjeremy:

To be fair, acting as a sort of encyclopedia of tips is kind of the whole point behind the dialog lines you're referring to. It's definitely a little overt, but on the other hand, it's more immersive than handing you a booklet of tips and tricks.

I actually thought the lack of urgency was part of what made the game so immersive. The world and storyline doesn't seem like it's built around you, but is more reacting to your presence and actions. You don't join the thieves guild and instantly have some fateful encounter that thrusts you into the center of the action and ultimately marks you as the next leader of the guild. You get treated like a peon and get sent on fetch quests until you prove yourself and earn the right to claw your way to the top.

Same thing with the main quest. No one gives you much attention until you show that you deserve it.

this really. it makes the world feel more real, after all why would people care about some prisoner? and as for the "bandits across the street" if you ask around, people tell you "stay away from that cave, bad people hang out there" and as i said before, you have to get into the main quest based on your own initiative, there's no external false urgency, just you being told you're released and have duties you have to fill

even the main quest and im paraphrasing go out do something else at the very beginning

[Voltronjeremy]

Originally posted by A Radom Cat:

Originally posted by Voltronjeremy:

To be fair, acting as a sort of encyclopedia of tips is kind of the whole point behind the dialog lines you're referring to. It's definitely a little overt, but on the other hand, it's more immersive than handing you a booklet of tips and tricks.

I actually thought the lack of urgency was part of what made the game so immersive. The world and storyline doesn't seem like it's built around you, but is more reacting to your presence and actions. You don't join the thieves guild and instantly have some fateful encounter that thrusts you into the center of the action and ultimately marks you as the next leader of the guild. You get treated like a peon and get sent on fetch quests until you prove yourself and earn the right to claw your way to the top.

Same thing with the main quest. No one gives you much attention until you show that you deserve it.

this really. it makes the world feel more real, after all why would people care about some prisoner? and as for the "bandits across the street" if you ask around, people tell you "stay away from that cave, bad people hang out there" and as i said before, you have to get into the main quest based on your own initiative, there's no external false urgency, just you being told you're released and have duties you have to fill

Exactly. It's not like Skyrim or Oblivion, where they start they game by shoving you into the main quest and then send frequent (violent) reminders that you're supposed to be saving the world.

You need to find your own motivation for pursuing the main quest line. Just like an actual person would.

[unknown]

Originally posted by The Burning One:

Originally posted by A Radom Cat:

this really. it makes the world feel more real, after all why would people care about some prisoner? and as for the "bandits across the street" if you ask around, people tell you "stay away from that cave, bad people hang out there" and as i said before, you have to get into the main quest based on your own initiative, there's no external false urgency, just you being told you're released and have duties you have to fill

even the main quest and im paraphrasing go out do something else at the very beginning

ah yeah the level five door. well either way, I'm standing by my point that I like that more while others preffer something more like skyrim or oblivion. In the end people rank things based on their opinion and thags how it will always be

[Road to A+]

What if I dont find a personal motivation for doing the MQ though?

*Stewie Griffin's voice* What do you mean 'go outside and do something?' I demand entertainment now!!!1

On a serious note, can someone recommend me a good questing area to raise my stats? The smugglers are kicking my ass.

[The Burning One]

Bro that’s just it you have to go places and the only way to find places is explore and do the guild quests they tell you great enemies to raise your stars for early player

[The Burning One]

Originally posted by Andrey Bandrey:

Originally posted by Road to A+:

What if I dont find a personal motivation for doing the MQ though?

The motivation for doing the MQ is the badass rewards and the fact that you have an impact on the world throughout it. There is no real narrative motivation, it's mostly in the gameplay.

Not to say that the plot isn’t good Either right I found it quite revealing to the story behind morrowind cause you learn about multiple groups in the main quests

[The Burning One]

Originally posted by Andrey Bandrey:

Originally posted by The Burning One:

Not to say that the plot isn’t good Either right I found it quite revealing to the story behind morrowind cause you learn about multiple groups in the main quests

Right. Morrowind probably has one of the most unique MQs in a full 3D Bethesda game. It lacks the spectacle and design of Oblivion and Skyrim, and many of the quests are filler, but the actual story and dialogue, especially for Vivec and Dagoth Ur, is probably some of the series' best. The rewards you get for it include some of the outright best items in the game, and the impact you have on the world is much more pronounced than later Bethesda games.

I like the magical staffs like the ones you find in daedric ruins and certain telvanni mushrooms the designs are really really cool I think

[Road to A+]

Im more about the journey than the destination though, hence why I didnt finish Arena, Oblivion or Skyrim's MQ

[unknown]

Originally posted by Road to A+:

Im more about the journey than the destination though, hence why I didnt finish Arena, Oblivion or Skyrim's MQ

by that logic you should like Morrowind's. it's not clear cut, you may be chosen but you fight and claw and force others to see it, its entirely the journey

[Rithm Fluffderg]

I mean, Oblivion's MQ should be considered equally unique because you aren't a chosen one at all, you just assist the chosen one in accomplishing his goal.

For the record, as far as main quests go, none of the games have a particularly amazing MQ. Morrowind's lacks motivation to even begin it - literally the only reason I even advanced it as far as I did was to non-lethally convince someone who thought he was the Nerevarine that he wasn't for the Tribunal quests. I usually just end up drifting off and doing other things. Oblivion's main quest, you aren't even a chosen one, you're just urgently trying to help the chosen one. Skyrim's is actually probably the only one that I've ever actually done, because it's the only one that managed to hook me in.

As for Daggerfall, there's literally so many things to do that I haven't even tried to finish it, lol.

People keep trying to paint Morrowind's "lack of motivation to do the main quest" as something worth praising, and it really isn't.

[Mr. Whiskers]

Originally posted by Andrey Bandrey:

Originally posted by HeroicSkaldZach:

People keep trying to paint Morrowind's "lack of motivation to do the main quest" as something worth praising, and it really isn't.

It's a big game. The MQ is only one of the things you can do in it, on top of the Great Houses, guilds, factions, and general quests. With Oblivion and Skyrim, you're trading off some freedom for motivation. Morrowind focused very heavily on freedom throughout the game. Cassius (if that was his name) even tells you that you should go out and do some guild quests and explore.

But the main quest is also only one of the things you can do in Skyrim and Oblivion. They have more things to do, even.

[Mr. Whiskers]

Originally posted by Andrey Bandrey:

(Morrowind's intro usually takes about 10-20 minutes, Oblivion and Skyrim's about an hour),

How do you take that long in those intros? Skyrim and Oblivion both never take more than 15-20 minutes for me.

Originally posted by Andrey Bandrey:

and it's better for roleplaying purposes if the intro doesn't keep telling you how important the main quest is (a few Legion people telling you it's a very important package vs. the Emperor asking you to deliver the amulet with his dying breath or a dragon attacking you).

Your description makes it sound like Morrowind's the one that "keeps telling you", though either way is effectively the same. You're just roleplaying someone who chooses not to pursue their fate in each one.

[Rithm Fluffderg]

The only factions you'd need to do multiple playthroughs are, are the Houses, and maybe the Thief/Fighter conflict if you don't feel like doing that specific thing that lets you continue in both factions.

And then there's the vampire factions but vampirism is garbage in vanilla Morrowind because you're exchanging 95% of the game for 5%. Even Oblivion's backward-ass system is better. And it's not like you can even join the factions to begin with, you just do quests for them :/

Fortunately, Morrowind has mods so I can correct that horrendous gaff.

Either way, in Oblivion and Skyrim, you're not required to do all the factions on one character, either.

...And I have to be blunt.

If you're not doing multiple playthroughs, what are you doing? Gods-of-all-Trades are boring, it's much more fun to play specific characters that do specific things.

[unknown]

Originally posted by HeroicSkaldZach:

I mean, Oblivion's MQ should be considered equally unique because you aren't a chosen one at all, you just assist the chosen one in accomplishing his goal.

For the record, as far as main quests go, none of the games have a particularly amazing MQ. Morrowind's lacks motivation to even begin it - literally the only reason I even advanced it as far as I did was to non-lethally convince someone who thought he was the Nerevarine that he wasn't for the Tribunal quests. I usually just end up drifting off and doing other things. Oblivion's main quest, you aren't even a chosen one, you're just urgently trying to help the chosen one. Skyrim's is actually probably the only one that I've ever actually done, because it's the only one that managed to hook me in.

As for Daggerfall, there's literally so many things to do that I haven't even tried to finish it, lol.

People keep trying to paint Morrowind's "lack of motivation to do the main quest" as something worth praising, and it really isn't.

it might not be something to praise, butbsome people preffer the laid back aproach to "now, hurry, fast, now, do it: no no, do it hurry even though it's going to wait for you even if you don't"

[Voltronjeremy]

Originally posted by HeroicSkaldZach:

I mean, Oblivion's MQ should be considered equally unique because you aren't a chosen one at all, you just assist the chosen one in accomplishing his goal.

For the record, as far as main quests go, none of the games have a particularly amazing MQ. Morrowind's lacks motivation to even begin it - literally the only reason I even advanced it as far as I did was to non-lethally convince someone who thought he was the Nerevarine that he wasn't for the Tribunal quests. I usually just end up drifting off and doing other things. Oblivion's main quest, you aren't even a chosen one, you're just urgently trying to help the chosen one. Skyrim's is actually probably the only one that I've ever actually done, because it's the only one that managed to hook me in.

As for Daggerfall, there's literally so many things to do that I haven't even tried to finish it, lol.

People keep trying to paint Morrowind's "lack of motivation to do the main quest" as something worth praising, and it really isn't.

I think the think that makes the MQ in Morrowind feel so different from the other two is that you're not treated like the MC right from the start.

I mean the first scene of Oblivion is the Emperor telling you that you're fated to be there. You're told that you're an integral part of the MQ before you even get to finish customizing your character. It's true that you're not as special as the MC in Skyrim, where you're literally the only one capable of stopping Alduin, but you're still obviously unique.

In Morrowind, though, you're not even aware of the significance of your role until you're fairly deep into the main quest. In fact, it's made apparent later on that you were never actually meant to be the Nerevarine. You were only ever meant to be a pawn to sow dissent against the Tribunal and it was completely unexpected for you to actually fulfill the prophecy. It's true that you're still chosen but, in my opinion, it feels more earned in Morrowind than it does in Oblivion or Skyrim.

Edit: Also want to point out that I do indeed feel the "lack of motivation to do the MQ" is something worth praising. I don't necessarily dislike the way Oblivion and Skyrim shove the MQ in your face, but I like Morrowinds subtlety as well.

The outcome of the MQ affects the entirety of Morrowind and has to do with the culture and history of the region. It doesn't make sense for some random prisoner to stumble on it fresh off the boat.