Is there explanation why main quest is SOOO boring?

[Michanicks]

I just know it's boring, i expierencing on practice how boring it is, but why? On the paper, it seems average/mediocre at worst and even good and interesting at best, but even without comparison to side quests it's just a drag that it seems nobody wants to do, also judging by thousands of "completed 1000 quests, didn't touch main quest since first shout".

Why it is?
My only suggestion is because nothing feels important. If you don't touch the quest - nothing happens. Alduin never exists outside of side quests and he doesn't even feel like antagonist. Dragon attacks are more annoying than dangerous. Your choices don't matter. Skyrim stays the same. Everyone treat you the same.

But... side quests are also have similar problems, and people still find them interesting in comparison to main quest. I honestly wonder why.

[SpeedFreak1972]

Well the fun part is you can entirely ignore the main quest ...

[Michanicks]

Originally posted by SpeedFreak1972:

Well the fun part is you can entirely ignore the main quest ...

That's only highlighting how unimportant it is.

[alexander_dougherty]

The reason is Bethesda did a terrible job at writing the plot for the main quest, and for the guild quest chains as well.

They got rid anyone who wanted to preserve the lore of older games, which naturally included the writers who wrote that lore.... The new writers aren't invested so did a mediocre job, and Todd patted himself on the back saying it was the gameplay that was important.... except the gameplay is mediocre too.... all the game has is incredible flexibility and mods.

[tulle040657]

The game has a main quest? Who knew?

[Liquid Inc]

Originally posted by alexander_dougherty:

all the game has is incredible flexibility and mods.

And that's really all people want. That flexibility to do -anything-, and then getting mods to add even more to do. It's open for practically anyone to find something fun.

A good story is great and all, but there's only so many times you can play as the Grey Warden; Only so many times you can be Geralt, before you know the stories off by heart.

Bethesda lets us craft that story ourselves, and that's how it really needs to stay. Enough of a story and lore to hook us, but not enough to railroad us down that singular path. They just about stayed off that line with Fallout 4, but it was close.

[Ihateeverybody]

My issue is they tell the Main Quest from the Point of View of someone who is supposedly an adult and just evinces wide eyed wonder at every little thing and knows NOTHING about ANYTHING. They do this (and get even worse in doing it) from Game to Game.

Here is an example. When talking about Gods or Daedra. MAJOR Gods or Daedra...

"Who is X (X: being whomever)" These are actual Dialogue options. THESE ARE ACTUAL ONLY DIALOGUE OPTIONS AT Points. That is how it is written. I get you need to convey information to the Player, but it makes it seem the Character has lived their whole life without picking up ANY INFORMATION WHATSOVER.

Well how would you have done it? LIKE THIS: "X? The Blank of Blank, what about them?" That simple format allows the writer to deliver information to the player without implying the CHARACTER is a MORON.

And the story does suck. So ....you know. They got that going against them. 9/10ths of it turns out to be just running you around in circles accomplishing NOTHING. The answers are there, but no one wants to give them to you.

And the Ending. Yeah....that even more a waste of my time. The whole thing smacks of a Make a Wish event. Take the sick kid and pretend they matter. YAY, you won.

Disclaimer: These are the sole opinions of myself. Not meant to influence or disparage your experiences.

Edit: Typo

[alexander_dougherty]

Originally posted by Liquid Inc:

Originally posted by alexander_dougherty:

all the game has is incredible flexibility and mods.

And that's really all people want. That flexibility to do -anything-, and then getting mods to add even more to do. It's open for practically anyone to find something fun.

A good story is great and all, but there's only so many times you can play as the Grey Warden; Only so many times you can be Geralt, before you know the stories off by heart.

Some of us want a decent plot too..... Yes, we choose the path we take, but the writing should be decent too.

Take Baldur's Gate 3 for example, you choose how you play it, and the writing is better than some shows out there. I'm not asking for that level of writing, but some writing on the level of Oblivion would be nice (Oblivion had a lot of flaws, but the main quest, and the Guild quests were miles better than Skyrim)

[Freeman]

Bethesda lost all their good writers after Morrowind.

[dopugsnotdrugs]

the main quest i think was probably meant to be done as the very first thing and then you get into the real game after becoming dragonborn

its like asking why 3rd grade is so easy when you just finished a bachelors and dorm room parties

if you want, just use the console to setstage, or do the main quest lil by lil..

i think people have found speedrun skips somewhere, i know there are a few ways to get to blackreach for instance without doing anything in the story

you dont have to do the main quest or any quest.. my current guy just rushes in and steals the main loot with never killing anyone lol

[max]

Because the writing for Tes v is piss-poor in general

[FauxFurry]

Watch Emil Pagliarulo's talks on writing if you want to learn why.

https://youtu.be/Bi51-wjcwp8?si=4XjY5mDATaqwDP5L

[Zero McDol]

It's because you're expecting something that simply isn't there OP. Basically, the game isn't delivering what you were personally expecting.

Personally, I have no disappointments with this game, other than bugs that I just don't care about (games have bugs, it is what it is). I especially have little to no disappointments when I compare Skyrim to the vast majority of AAA releases during the last 5 years or more. To each their own.

[Zero McDol]

Originally posted by Liquid Inc:

Originally posted by alexander_dougherty:

all the game has is incredible flexibility and mods.

And that's really all people want. That flexibility to do -anything-, and then getting mods to add even more to do. It's open for practically anyone to find something fun.

A good story is great and all, but there's only so many times you can play as the Grey Warden; Only so many times you can be Geralt, before you know the stories off by heart.

Bethesda lets us craft that story ourselves, and that's how it really needs to stay. Enough of a story and lore to hook us, but not enough to railroad us down that singular path. They just about stayed off that line with Fallout 4, but it was close.

Yep, that's essentially what I like about this game, and why I rate it so high on my personal gaming list .

[Junipercat]

Wanting an explanation makes it sound like you think it is boring on purpose. Perhaps their writers were just better at the other stories. Or maybe it just isn't for you and not boring to others.

You can try and have it explained why you find it boring, but that will not change anything. Play the game if you enjoy the other aspects of it or just find another game altogether if it is boring to you.

Or go back years in time and rewrite the game yourself.

[Michanicks]

Originally posted by Junipercat:

Wanting an explanation makes it sound like you think it is boring on purpose. Perhaps their writers were just better at the other stories. Or maybe it just isn't for you and not boring to others.

You can try and have it explained why you find it boring, but that will not change anything. Play the game if you enjoy the other aspects of it or just find another game altogether if it is boring to you.

Or go back years in time and rewrite the game yourself.

Explaination will not show that game is boring by purpose, it will show what reasons it had to be so boring, since i can't pinpoint them myself. I can see why people may dislike its RPG system, combat mechanics, guild quests and write in details why, but main story has a lot of different ideas and tropes - it has spy infiltration, peace talks, dragon taming and dragon mounting, Valhalla before it became overused, trips to multiple different and interesting cities — how's that not enough to make at very least the story that wouldn't be boring? Is it really story writers flaws or it has something to do with more obvious flaws, like lack of real choice for an rpg game or that poor gameplay doesn't transfer well on these tropes (like exampe, when even Witcher 1 has dialogues as gameplay on its own, in Skyrim it may be simply means more details and descriptions for the mission, and real gameplay is always just spamming M1)?

If story would suck for obvious reasons, i wouldn't start this thread. But on paper, i can't see any really big problems with story itself, so either i missing something, or other problems i know ruining the story indirectly.