Why there will never be another game like Morrowind (LONG RANT)

[A Potato]

Introduction

So I've just come on steam after a long, draining discussion on a YouTube comment section about some of the reasons why Morrowind is superior to Skyrim (something that has become very controversial to say in the Gaming community) and the ordeal has left me thinking hard about this amazing game.

Sadly, my thoughts are rarely optimistic and I came to a sobering and saddening conclusion: there will never be a game like Morrowind again.

So, like every person who has his head too shoved up his own behind, I've decided to put my thoughts out there in hopes that some fresh-faced innocent person can change my mind and give me a sliver of hope that someday, somewhere, there will be another game to rise to the challenge and create a masterpiece like The Elders Scrolls III: Morrowind.

Although it's more likely that people will get angry that I'm writing too much, dissing Skyrim and not swallowing Todd Howard's sausage

1) A refresh on what made Morrowind great

If you're a seasoned veteran of this magnificent game, then you need little convincing to agree that it truly deserves the fanfare and recognition as one of the greats of the RPG genre. But, in case you might have forgotten, or you just want something to smile about before things get depressing, here's a reminder of what makes Morrowind amazing:

1. A truly Open World experience; no invisible walls, complete freedom of movement and navigation (such as levitation, waterwalking, fortifying acrobatics, etc) AND no artificial restrictions on where you can and can't go.
   
2. One of the most diverse magic systems of all time; complete freedom to alter yourself and the world around you utilising just magic spells and enchantments. I have never played a videogame that handles the range of possibilities and options with magic as richly as Morrowind.
   
3. An immersive and complex in-game society; everyone in the world of Morrowind is part of an affiliation, whether that is to their own race or faction. When you do something in support or opposition to a faction, you are also affecting how everyone else in the game sees you. This system of association is completely unique to Morrowind, as far as I know. Never will you experience the levels of racism in a videogame as being an Argonian interacting with the Commona Tong, and never will you feel as part of a community in a videogame as when you ascend to the top in a Great House.
   
4. A completely alien world and culture; from traditional Medieval villages to cities grown from giant mushrooms, the setting of Vvardenfell is a completely original and mysterious one. You won't find 2 towns that feel the same and you won't ever forget the first time you gazed upon the city of Vivec, the ruins of a Daedric stronghold or the spires of a Telvanni tower.
   
5. A unique array of enemies; the different beasts, undead and Daedra that you will encounter in Morrowind are, in many ways, just as alien and strange as the land itself. From the body horror of the Bonewalkers to the silent beauty of the Winged Twilight each enemy is memorable and different from any other creatures in videogames before and since.
   
6. Huge variety in weapons and armour; there's 6 categories of weapon and 3 categories of armour in Morrowind, with huge variation of type and styles within each one. Do you want to wear armour made of hardened bone with a staff made of silver and glass? or would you prefer to fight naked using an axe made of Ebony ore? There's tonnes of interesting gear and loot that no other RPG can come close to offering.
   
7. A complex and challenging combat system; it can be frustrating at first, until you understand the game's mechanics from an immersive point of view. Real time combat that utilises dice rolls calculated by multiple conditions such as tiredness, skill and agility create a unique combat system that has only been featured in TES 1, 2 and 3 (as well as Battlespire), which sadly died after Morrowind.

There's much more, of course, such as excellent writing and quest design, deep lore, lack of hand-holding and so on, but I'll be listing things all day if I don't stop now.

2) Bethesda's transformation and the condensation of Skills and Interaction in Oblivion

So the first step that Bethesda made towards killing a future for hardcore RPGs like Morrowind was also the first game they made after the aforementioned game; the "revolutionary" game, Oblivion.

Oblivion was created as a direct sequel to Morrowind, with the Nerevarine's exploits being mentioned in-game by NPCs in conversation. However, like most sequels, it failed to achieve half of what Morrowind did.

Skills were condensed and magic was limited. No longer could you traverse the environment in any way you saw fit, many areas were artificially locked behind scripted locked doors and cutscenes would now lock you in place while the world moves around you. Factions were reduced to just 4 main factions (Fighters Guild, Mages Guild, Thieves Guild and DB) with a few minor factions added in the forms of short, linear questlines. Your advancement and reputation in Oblivion is also vastly simplified, with more linear quests and a lack of consequence to your actions, outside of a simplistic Karma system.

That isn't to say Oblivion was all bad, but the advancements it made in game design (such as NPC routines and unscripted dialogue) weren't worth the loss in quality and immersion that was suffered in the transition.

The beginning of the end for Morrowind came in the form of Oblivion's success. Times changed in the 4 years between TES 3 and 4. Videogames were rapidly growing in popularity and the industry was beginning to cater to the wider public. Oblivion was the most popular RPG during 2006 and 2007 and was the first steps into not just TES, but RPGs as a whole for many.

For many of the newer players, Oblivion was the most immersive game (mechanically and graphically) at the time, while Morrowind was being held back by its rapidly ageing graphics and slow progression. Many wouldn't even consider playing Morrowind, and those that did would often find combat a "clunky, frustrating mess".

Bethesda took the opportunity to make as much money as possible, abandoning the ethics of old (along with the last founding member of the original Bethesda) and released a bunch of DLC, including the infamous Horse Armour DLC.

Thus Morrowind's fate was sealed.

3) The bastardisation of Fallout

After the overwhelming success of Oblivion, Bethesda purchased another videogame franchise: Fallout. This post-apocalyptic sci-fi franchise was originally considered one of the greatest RPG gaming masterpieces of all time, until the decline of the name due to some poorly received titles such as Fallout Tactics.

Bethesda made Fallout 3 very much in the same frame of mind as Oblivion: condense, simplify and earn lots of money. The game lacked any and all faction interaction that the originals had, had a very linear story and was tonally much lighter than the originals. Just like with Oblivion, Fallout 3 was very successful with newer players, while ostracising a large portion of the original playerbase. Bethesda also continued the trend of releasing a huge amount of DLC at high prices, hoping to cash in on the success of their game while it was still relevant.

This all further contributed to the shaping of the current majority of RPG players and dictated a standard in the creation of western RPGs (as well as videogames as a whole). Sadly, this new future being created had no room for hardcore videogames like Morrowind.

4) Skyrim and the near death of the RPG genre

On the 11th of November of 2011, TES 5 was released and took the gaming world by storm. People from all over the world marvelled at the trailer, promising a unique, epic tale of never-before seen magnitude. Awesome fights against dragons and monsters in a unique, viking-inspired setting with a revolutionary graphical leap never seen before.

This new title attracted gamers new and old, like moths to a lantern. Even those that held Morrowind near and dear to their hearts were interested, due to the Morrowind main theme being used in the advertisement. Skyrim soon swelled to unprecedented levels of sales and success and Bethesda was immortalised as one of the greatest gaming developers and publishers in the world.

This was the final doom to Morrowind and other would-be RPG franchises. Big Huge Games, who created the Kingdoms of Amalur game went bankrupt, Capcom's Dragon's Dogma was overlooked and scorned for "copying" concepts from Skyrim and for the next 9 years all games that called themselves an RPG was compared to the behemoth that Skyrim had become.

To this day, Skyrim enjoys unparalleled success and recognition as the top RPG made in the last 20 years (possibly only remotely rivalled by The Witcher 3). The only RPG games that try to break new ground or replicate the gems of yore are small, indie games made by 1-10 person teams that lack the funding to even get their games off the ground, relying on Early Access investment to produce a product.

Because of this, I am sure, AAA companies won't ever try to create something new, fresh or exciting (just like how Morrowind was). There will never be a game of the same scale that will attempt to achieve what TES 3 did. Small game devs might try, but they will always be compared to Skyrim and be held to scrutiny by the new, casual and spoiled playerbase; ultimately being absorbed into the ugly corporate publishing companies that dominate the gaming industry (look at Kingdom Come: Deliverance that enjoyed temporary success, but was criticised for its "clunky" combat system, inconvenient realism and harsh difficulty).

5) Current Day Bethesda and the rise of Corporate Gaming

Since the success of Oblivion, Fallout 3 and Skyrim, Bethesda continued down the path of least resistance: making shallow, poorly written games while letting the playerbase fix their issues for them.

They tried to cash in on the Skyrim modding community with their "Creation Club", claiming that it was to give the modders clout and recognition while also bringing mods to console. The truth is a little uglier than Mr Howard's sweet little lies and Bethesda takes a large cut of the money that consumers pay for community mods, made by people who have no obligation or contract with Bethesda and simply do what they do out of their own passion for gaming.

Fallout 4 was received with mixed results, due to how utterly simplistic it was and ultimately paved way for the travesty of Fallout 76.

People's eyes are starting to open, but I believe it is too late. Morrowind was the first and last of its kind; an open world 1st/3rd person RPG of massive scale that dared to be different in terms of setting and mechanics.

Corporations want to release games for the casual player, the players that come home after football practice and play for 30 minutes. No longer are AAA RPGs for the gamers who lock themselves in their rooms on weekends or call in sick just to become part of an extraordinary world for a few hours. We are pushed aside, scrounging for hardcore RPGs at the indie section, where it's a constant fight for funding to actually finish a game, let alone achieve greatness.

I love indie game devs, but more and more are being absorbed into corporations or falling apart into bankruptcy. The future of the RPG genre is looking grim for us hardcore gamers who loved games like Morrowind, Gothic, Dragon Age: Origins, Arcanum, Fallout, Ultima and so many others.

With this videogame's death, the thread of prophecy is severed. Restore the RPG genre to restore the weave of fate, or persist in the doomed world you have created.

Final Words

Thank you if you made it this far, regardless of whether you agree or not. I understand that it isn't nice to read a wall of text (especially a ranty one like this) and I know that the topic isn't fun, nor is my writing style.

I want anyone who made it this far, and has something to say about it, to let me know their thoughts. I mainly made this rant to vent and lament the decline in my favourite gaming genre, but I also want to know others' views.

Do keep in mind that I do have Asperger's (must be pretty obvious from the wall of text), so I might come across as difficult in debate or general conversation. I still like knowing other people's opinions though.

[Castyles]

You could sum it up with only three words: "It's Todd's fault".

... Or "it just works".

[A Potato]

Pretty much haha, although I do think that it's the fault of most people in charge of big corporations these days, Todd just being the worst imo

[Teralitha]

The simple answer is.. No.

[Valden21]

Unlikely? Yes. Doomed? No. Part of the reason is that we're basically blaming the whole company, when not EVERYONE in the company is to blame. The execs at the top? Yeah, they're the ones making the decision to go down these paths, so much of the responsibility is with them. The execs with the power and authority to defy these bad decisions did not do so. Instead, they went full "yes sir, anything you say, sir" to the top execs, so some of the blame is to them too. But the coders and programmers? They probably tried to head off these decisions, but got ignored.

[A Potato]

Originally posted by Valden21:

Unlikely? Yes. Doomed? No. Part of the reason is that we're basically blaming the whole company, when not EVERYONE in the company is to blame. The execs at the top? Yeah, they're the ones making the decision to go down these paths, so much of the responsibility is with them. The execs with the power and authority to defy these bad decisions did not do so. Instead, they went full "yes sir, anything you say, sir" to the top execs, so some of the blame is to them too. But the coders and programmers? They probably tried to head off these decisions, but got ignored.

I agree completely. The problem I see is that too much power is being given to the execs at the top.

Piranha Bytes was a good example when they made Gothic 3. The game was severely rushed and lacked so much content due to the publisher JoWood forcing them to cut corners. After PB left the company, the guys at JoWood simply went to other companies with the rites to the Gothic franchise and churned out horrible garbage that completely ruined the title. Piranha Bytes was absorbed into THQ Nordic recently too, which makes me quite sad.

I guess Bioware would also be a good example with EA.

The big problem with Bethesda is that they are a self-contained developer and publisher, so the guys in charge of making the games will never find agency, unless they leave as individuals (which in today's economy isn't likely to happen).

Originally posted by Teralitha:

The simple answer is.. No.

I don't understand what you mean by that. No as in "no there will be another game as great as Morrowind"? or No as in "no, Morrowind wasn't great"?

Please elaborate.

[Allwynd]

I must admit Skyshít introduced me to the TES series and to Morrowind, but after playing through Morrowind multiple times and seeing how much there is for you to do in that game, the massive modding community, I started hating Skyshít even more.

Oblivion wasn't bad per se, but it looked pretty boring - one giant forest and that's it, also the fact that every character's face looked like that of a grandma was also a huge negative. And lastly, I don't understand why, but Oblivion's UI was the hardest to navigate. Morrowind's was the simplest once you got used to it and Skyshít's is just a console UI.

If this is the trend - dumbing things down for people with attention spans shorter than that of a raisin, then I can assure you that TES 6 has already been released - it's codenamed The Elder Scrolls Blades and they are ironing out the kinks to make it a good mobile game.

Then TES 7 will only include the voice of Todd Howard telling you to try and fall on your head until you start seeing Bosmer and Orsimer making out. The game won't have graphics, but it will still utilize the most expensive GPUs to 100% to keep the hardware industry going.

There won't be a game like Morrowind for a long time, but with the advances of technology it might be possible 5-10 years from now. If real AI can be implemented into a game, it can both save a lot of time writing personal dialogues for every NPC and also provide infinite replay value as NPCs/AIs will react differently each time. Another thing that can add infinite replay value is a procedurally generated world, kinda like Diablo 2 where there are a couple of patterns on how the map looks so it doesn't feel the same each playthrough. This could be limited only to dungeons or some parts of the overworld map in order to create some sort of consistent yet different overworld map.

[A Potato]

Originally posted by Weilan:

I must admit Skyshít introduced me to the TES series and to Morrowind, but after playing through Morrowind multiple times and seeing how much there is for you to do in that game, the massive modding community, I started hating Skyshít even more.

Oblivion wasn't bad per se, but it looked pretty boring - one giant forest and that's it, also the fact that every character's face looked like that of a grandma was also a huge negative. And lastly, I don't understand why, but Oblivion's UI was the hardest to navigate. Morrowind's was the simplest once you got used to it and Skyshít's is just a console UI.

If this is the trend - dumbing things down for people with attention spans shorter than that of a raisin, then I can assure you that TES 6 has already been released - it's codenamed The Elder Scrolls Blades and they are ironing out the kinks to make it a good mobile game.

Then TES 7 will only include the voice of Todd Howard telling you to try and fall on your head until you start seeing Bosmer and Orsimer making out. The game won't have graphics, but it will still utilize the most expensive GPUs to 100% to keep the hardware industry going.

There won't be a game like Morrowind for a long time, but with the advances of technology it might be possible 5-10 years from now. If real AI can be implemented into a game, it can both save a lot of time writing personal dialogues for every NPC and also provide infinite replay value as NPCs/AIs will react differently each time. Another thing that can add infinite replay value is a procedurally generated world, kinda like Diablo 2 where there are a couple of patterns on how the map looks so it doesn't feel the same each playthrough. This could be limited only to dungeons or some parts of the overworld map in order to create some sort of consistent yet different overworld map.

This made me laugh, you should propose that idea about TES 7 to Todd Howard haha.

In regards to the more serious stuff: yeah, Oblivion isn't so bad (I do own it on steam after all) but it was the one that started the trend of releasing ungodly amounts of DLC for a ridiculous price (before anyone else did it).

As for the prediction of a fantastic, hardcore RPG being released in 5-10 years? I think that the problem lies in the fact that it is mainly new players that companies are interested in. And, while you are living proof that that doesn't always mean a casual player, the stark majority of people who buy the new AAA RPGs are. I don't see this changing with the current political climate either, young people don't like facing adversity as it clashes with the narrative they've been told all their lives that "they're special".

[Dixon Sider]

Morrowind is better than skyrim for 2 huge reasons imo (and many small reasons). Skyrim also has its benefits, but nothing that can even come close to outweighing these 2.

1) the game is built around no waypoints

That's very important because I have to mod waypoints out of games to enjoy them, and skyrim feels very clunky without hem. Directions are rarely given, and never recorded in your journal in skyrim. Waypoints are not something I can really accept in RPGs anymore. I need them gone or else I just play something else instead.

2) fast travel ruins the fun

Fast travel should not be the end all be all method of transportation. We need to have limits to fast travel. Morrowind got it better than any game I ever played. There were silt riders, mages guild, mark, intervention, and boats. Tons and tons of methods for fast travel. They felt much more immersive than the click here to teleport from anywhere garbage we are used to now as 2020 gamers. It forced us to be a part of the world.

[A Potato]

Originally posted by Dixon Sider:

Morrowind is better than skyrim for 2 huge reasons imo (and many small reasons). Skyrim also has its benefits, but nothing that can even come close to outweighing these 2.

1) the game is built around no waypoints

That's very important because I have to mod waypoints out of games to enjoy them, and skyrim feels very clunky without hem. Directions are rarely given, and never recorded in your journal in skyrim. Waypoints are not something I can really accept in RPGs anymore. I need them gone or else I just play something else instead.

2) fast travel ruins the fun

Fast travel should not be the end all be all method of transportation. We need to have limits to fast travel. Morrowind got it better than any game I ever played. There were silt riders, mages guild, mark, intervention, and boats. Tons and tons of methods for fast travel. They felt much more immersive than the click here to teleport from anywhere garbage we are used to now as 2020 gamers. It forced us to be a part of the world.

Couldn't agree more. The fact that I have to constantly consult my journal to read the directions adds so much more to the immersion than a big arrow telling me where I need to go. And fast travel without restrictions was one of the first things I felt was wrong with Skyrim; especially since they already have carriages and boats in place in the first place.

Games that have a restricted fast travel system where you have to still walk to the location after travelling to a nearby spot (like Elex) feels like a passable compromise, but I don't think I've ever played a game where I had to use the public transportation system quite like with Morrowind.

[GetToTheTop]

Wow you REALLY don't like me huh

[psychotron666]

Tes 6 is will have 3 skills, warrior, thief and mage. It'll also include an auto level system in case that's too complex for you. And the big new features, the auto play system where it just plays the game for you and you can watch it, to get all the crowd of let's play watchers.

Plus it'll include a sims like system so you can play my little pony and dress up your tes family in between watching it play the game for you

[Siddha]

I dont need to hate on any of the other Elder Scrolls games to be a fan of Morrowind
I play and I like all the Elder Scrolls games from Morrowind onwards
Each one is different and similar in all kinds of ways
They each cast their own unique spell over me when I play them
I take each one on its own terms and I allow it to show itself to me

[Mr. Whiskers]

Because it was dated when it came out and game design has moved on to better things since.

[A Potato]

Originally posted by Todd Howard:

Wow you REALLY don't like me huh

Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies...

Originally posted by psychotron666:

Tes 6 is will have 3 skills, warrior, thief and mage. It'll also include an auto level system in case that's too complex for you. And the big new features, the auto play system where it just plays the game for you and you can watch it, to get all the crowd of let's play watchers.

Plus it'll include a sims like system so you can play my little pony and dress up your tes family in between watching it play the game for you

Wouldn't surprise me if this actually happens. Or if they just ad a FPS mode, where there are no levels and you go around ripping enemies apart like in the latest DooM games.

Originally posted by Siddha:

I dont need to hate on any of the other Elder Scrolls games to be a fan of Morrowind
I play and I like all the Elder Scrolls games from Morrowind onwards
Each one is different and similar in all kinds of ways
They each cast their own unique spell over me when I play them
I take each one on its own terms and I allow it to show itself to me

But sadly this kind of blind acceptance leads to lazy devs and poorer and poorer games and business practices. Do I need to bring up what happened with Fallout 76? It's important to be as critical as possible when it comes to games, as our feedback is what fuels the industry.

The problem with TES 4 and 5 is that they show a lack of respect and appreciation for the fans who stuck around since the beginning or for the fans that basically saved them from bankruptcy (Morrowind was made during a time when Bethesda was about to go bankrupt). And when you play a series, it is inevitable that you compare one game to another, due to the fact that it shows the devs' growth, not just the franchise's.

Originally posted by Mr. Whiskers:

Because it was dated when it came out and game design has moved on to better things since.

The fact that Morrowind still has a strong player community and modding community,despite being very close to 20 years old, proves that it can't possibly be as dated as you think.

Also, are you saying that Oblivion or even Skyrim has better game design?

I can name 3 games that had better combat design than Skyrim that came out around the same time: Demon's Soul's, Kingdoms of Amalure: Reckoning and Dragon's Dogma.

I can name 3 games that came out just a couple of years before with better RPG mechanics than Skyrim: Risen, Mount and Blade and Dragon Age: Origins.

Oblivion still didn't have the greatest combat system (and it wasn't so bad just because of stats) compared to games like Dark Messiah (which came out in 2007) or Gothic 1 and 2 (which came out at the same time as Morrowind). And Mass Effect was better in nearly every way in terms of RPG design than Oblivion (hell, even Gothic 3, with how unfinished it was, had better RPG design than Oblivion).

Game design in Bethesda hasn't "improved" since Morrowind, if anything it has devolved. And sadly this has dictated the norm in general modern videogame design, trying to appeal to the widest audience by simplifying the elements that make every genre stand out.

[Allwynd]

Originally posted by Mr. Whiskers:

Because it was dated when it came out and game design has moved on to better things since.

That's a fun joke.


Name one thing that Oblivion, Skyrim or ESO do better than Morrowind other than full voice acting and improved graphics? Even Skyrim and ESO are using the same 2 voice actors to voice the entire game even though Betheseda and Zenimax are loaded with money and can easily afford 10-20 voice actors if they ever wanted to.

And how is combat better? It's only been dumbed-down to appease to a larger crowd so they can make more money. They stopped making games about the gamers and about making more money.

On this image: https://i.imgur.com/Msh2VuN.jpg

You can see how much they dumbed the series down from Morrowind through Oblivion till Skyrim. Skills are merged into one another or outright removed. It all boils down to having less factors affecting your character and their performance... Why? Certainly not to make the gameplay better, but just to dumb-things down and make it available for a larger audience. And quantity isn't the same as quality.