The Elder Scrolls: A Promise Unfulfilled | Complete Elder Scrolls Documentary, History and Analysis

Get The Elder Scrolls series on GOG (affiliate code) ► indigogaming.link/ElderScrolls
In my very first feature-length documentary/analysis video, I take a look at the best-selling RPG series: The Elder Scrolls, from its humble beginnings in Arena, through #Daggerfall, Morrowind, Oblivion and #Skyrim, as well as the spinoff games: Battlespire, Redguard, The Elder Scrolls Online and even Shadowkey.
I hope you enjoy this complete Elder Scrolls documentary and opinion piece on how the series evolved.
0:00:00 Intro
0:02:39 Arena
0:07:06 Daggerfall
0:14:17 Battlespire
0:19:00 Redguard
0:22:00 The Road to Morrowind
0:25:34 Morrowind
0:34:28 Oblivion
0:47:52 Skyrim
1:02:30 The Elder Scrolls Online
1:07:44 Elder Scrolls: Legends
1:08:27 The Creation Kit and Modding
1:11:22 The Elder Scrolls That Could Have Been
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MUSIC CREDITS
Arena & Daggerfall soundtracks by Eric Heberling
Battlespire and Redguard soundtracks by Absolute Pitch
Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim and ESO soundtracks by Jeremy Soule
The Elder Scrolls: Arena (Remastered) by Jambus
• Video
Elder Scrolls arrangements by Dan Goodale, Fredrik Eriksson, Karl Christmas, Ramon Molesworth, Robert Hood and Zenogias.
teatimecoder.com/daggerfall-music
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind "The Final Stage" by Freemind
ocremix.org/remix/OCR01207
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion "Beyond the Imperial Prison" by HyperDuck SoundWorks
ocremix.org/remix/OCR03522
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim "Legends Around the Fire" by RebeccaETripp
ocremix.org/remix/OCR03712
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FOOTAGE CREDITS
Beyond Skyrim: Three Kingdoms and Elsweyr footage by McFearless.
• Beyond Skyrim: Three K...
Beyond Skyrim Project | beyondskyrim.org/
Daggerfall Unity | / sragon67
Castle Master | • Can You Endure? #2 -- ...
Dungeon Master | / @outasynctv9183
Elite (1984) | • Elite gameplay (PC Gam...
No One Lives Forever | / @unleashed_fps1666
Crysis | / @pcgamingvideos
COD WW2 | • Call of Duty WW2 Gamep...
Pirates of the Caribbean | • Pirates of the Caribbe...
GameStar Todd Howard interview | • Interview mit Todd How...
Todd Howard interview with Game Informer | • Bethesda's Todd Howard...
BGS tour | • Tour Skyrim's Bethesda...
Ken Rolston interview | • Kingdom of Amalur: Rec...
Emil Pagliarulo talk | • Talks from STORY: Emil...
Bruce Nesmith talk | • Presentation: Radiant ...
Chris Weaver talk | • Keynote - Amplius Ludo...
Battlespire multiplayer | • TES: Battlespire. Игра...
Elder Scrolls Shadowkey footage by N-Gage Video Archive | ngage.arhn.eu/
Daggerfall spellcrafting, Morrowind: Bloodmoon and Morrowind: Tribunal | / @helswake
Morrowind spellmaking | • Spellmaking - Morrowin...
Knights of the Nine | / @bippoernesti
Shivering Isles | • Oblivion - Shivering I...
Dawnguard | • Dawnguard Skyrim Next ...
Skyrim VR | • Video
Dragonborn | • (PC) Skyrim - Modded N...
Forbidden Magic Spell Pack | • FORBIDDEN MAGIC: Spell...
Houses of Morrowind art | www.artstation.com/artwork/mG43Z
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SOURCES
en.uesp.net/
www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news...
www.imperial-library.info/con...
www.gamasutra.com/view/news/2...
www.mobygames.com/
venturebeat.com/2012/01/27/be...
web.archive.org/web/200706091...
/ clearing_misconception...
www.imperial-library.info/con...
www.gamasutra.com/view/news/2...
www.escapistmagazine.com/artic...
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/...
web.archive.org/web/201307210...
alchetron.com
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PATREON ► / indigogaming
BECOME A KZbin MEMBER ► / @indigo_gaming
DISCORD CHAT ► / discord
TWITTER ► / theindigogaming
#TheElderScrolls

[@Indigo_Gaming]

I'm humbled to hear that my work has helped inspire people to check out the older games again. *Please consider supporting the channel...* PATREON ► www.patreon.com/IndigoGaming BECOME A KZbin MEMBER ► kzbin.info/door/TRohxutThBffdcP3H6O0Zgjoin Get The Elder Scrolls series on GOG with my affiliate code ► indigogaming.link/ElderScrolls

[@Psyfonify]

Please, chill on the clickbait. This is not a documentary. Half the people clicking this probably think its the Elder Scrolls 6 making of documentary that is being awaited after the fallout 76 one by another channel that i, and probably most people, forget the name of because they just saw it for the exclusive bethesda interview access...

[@210antonio7]

this is an interesting take on video games in general. and the way companies have coped with the industry boom... I say why not add both ways of gameplay? beat the game the streamlined way then a bartender in a random small settlement appears where you can engage in dialogue that strips you of everything and plays , "hardcore", from that point on. and plz make compass toggle -able!

[@moonlightassassin8780]

This is a great documentary, but people need to remember that this is your own opinion on this subject and should not form fake facts without trying it to see how it plays.

[@Sebaxterr]

it is a documentary and knew exacly what i was clicking for.

[@gordlord561]

Moron... The title explains exactly what The video is, a documentary, history and analysis on The Elder Scrolls...

[@Dirt-McGerk]

The ability in Daggerfall to commit mortgage fraud is amazing

[@Indigo_Gaming]

Being wanted in 11 regions is the best feeling.

[@franciscoriquelme8701]

@@Indigo_Gaming I would say that that could be a point against Daggerfall's world: The banks. There are just too many of them! Normally I would imagine that the smaller kingdoms in the Illiac bay would be self-sufficient and not be trade centers like Daggerfall, Sentinel or Wayrest. Also I would imagine that the smaller kingdoms would not be too pleased with the power that banks can accumulate, especially given that centralized banking does not benefit smaller kingdoms when compared to larger ones.

[@larsrons7937]

@@Indigo_Gaming I never tried it in my own games (started with Morrowind), but isn't that what they probably tried to bring back in Skyrim, wanted levels differing from Hold to Hold? Though I never felt good about playing the criminal type myself and thus never explored that system, I still felt that this "wanted level" system was amongst the things I could actually "believe in" in the game of Skyrim (if that wanted star wasn't so easy to get rid of again). BTW thanks for a very detailed and informing history of the TES series, you really caught the important points and ups and downs of the different games.

[@savagex466-qt1io]

@@Indigo_Gaming I watched your whole video. You my friend need to make games. Weapons like maces are cool but a FLAIL ! Now thats harder to make id imagine. I loved Morrowind and Oblivion and Skyrim. I even play ESO. ( love how hudge eso is ) but the combat is not as fun as skyrim it seems. Skyrim online forced to play first person with more team play would be amazing. Just some ideas.

[@Kevin-jb2pv]

@@franciscoriquelme8701 I think that there should be many more banks with varying spheres of influence correlating with their wealth and political ties. AFAIK, medieval banks ranged from small, village payday loan and pawn shop type deals all the way up to huge banks with the wealth required to bankroll armies, so I think that having something more like that would make more sense. Like, you default on a small loan with the local payday loan place and you might have to watch your back while in town because they might send out some thugs to rough you up for their money (but probably won't actually kill you over it) but they may not be powerful enough to actually influence the local Lord or mayor to make you a criminal, but then if you screw over one of the large provincial banks, then not only will there be wanted posters out for you, but other banks in nearby regions won't do business with you, either, due to your reputation proceeding you.

[@Diarmuhnd]

I had a bad drug habit (coke) back when Daggerfall was released back in 1990's. I quit cold turkey and played video games non stop. Daggerfall was my go to escapism for 2 more years. Its over 20 years later and i love games and i'm clean still ... but games now a days dont reach for the stars , they seem to want to only reach into our wallets now. Your vid is really informative, amazing work. *I miss the glory days when games were made with passion for fun.*

[@Indigo_Gaming]

That's an amazing story. Great to hear how games changed people's lives for the better, especially at low points like that.

[@Diarmuhnd]

Thanks man. Yeah. Best 2 years + of non stop gaming. It almost became a problem itself... lol Good luck have fun. ")

[@somewhataddicted7685]

@@Diarmuhnd games are a drug in themselves when you really think about it.

[@Diarmuhnd]

@@somewhataddicted7685 very true ; especially now with the triple AAA's charing for everything , even red dots.

[@TheBloobster]

May I suggest the Divinity Original Sin series? They seem to have been made with much care and love for the projects. It shows with many nuances of the game. They are deep RPGs with fantastically intricate combat, fleshed out stories, and lots of exploration.

[@kidneystonermusic]

As someone who has only played Oblivion and Skyrim, I'm DYING for that Daggerfall spellcrafting system.

[@Jishy2415]

I find your lack of Morrowind disturbing

[@kidneystonermusic]

@@Jishy2415 i tried it a few months ago. I couldn't do it. Too archaic in 2021. Thats my fault for waiting 50 years to play it

[@Jishy2415]

@@kidneystonermusic trust me if you just install a few mods, like the code patch and better combat, and just get over the fact that there is no fast travel or compass it is by far the best elder scrolls game I have played. And is in my opinion even better than stuff like Kotor.

[@kidneystonermusic]

@@Jishy2415 does it have mods on the xbox?

[@Jishy2415]

@@kidneystonermusic no only sse

[@broski5767]

To the guy who put this video out years ago: this is probably my 20th time watching it. It is good, it stays good; if anything it keeps getting BETTER. Everything is perfect, from the editing and music, the background gameplay and featured images that relate to the script, the pacing, the presentation, everything. You have made one of the greatest documentaries I’ve ever watched and I just want you to know that

[@BoleDaPole]

Have you even witnessed Tiger King documentary? It actually was on TV and has won awards.

[@limbitsafe6620]

@@BoleDaPole LMAO

[@datmufn]

@@BoleDaPole damn bro you’re username really describes u as a person

[@Ryan-sw6jx]

@@BoleDaPole *tightens belt on pants-on-head TIGER KING

[@graylyhen9490]

The vid says old game good and quirky new game bad and not good

[@zimmicks3170]

"What's the worst that could happen? We go out of business? Well let's go all out; THIS is the game" - Todd Howard, WHERE DID YOU GO?!? COME BAAACKK!

[@Indigo_Gaming]

That kind of attitude is what we're missing with modern Bethesda. You could see that it was "do or die" with Morrowind, but as you see, the Skyrim logo is behind him, those days were already long passed in 2011. They have in-house gyms, cafeterias, hundreds of staff and billions of dollars now.

[@johnn.7806]

@@Indigo_Gaming That's not really a bad thing though, kind of a success story really.

[@fajarn7052]

@@Indigo_Gaming Well, the money still comes from their own works, right? Would it be a sin to live a comfortable life with your own success...

[@Pebphiz]

@@fajarn7052 Of course not. But it seems like, with all of these resources, they'd be able to make games with _so much more_ depth, not woefully less.

[@fajarn7052]

@Cato the Elder That maybe so, but they are running business after all. If they can maximize profits with as little effort as possible, then it makes sense for them to go that way. It sucks for us fans, though.

[@MrVecheater]

Todd Howard: we removed everything unnecessary also Todd Howard: *adds cooking system that barely has any effect, tons of of repetitive quests with no meaning and shouts that do exactly the same as most spells*

[@jordanqq]

I got rid of the joy and depth... enjoy! - Todd Howard

[@nateblack8669]

The cooking system is useful IF you have the DLCs and memorize certain recipes, but ultimately it was just unnecessary. They could've just expanded upon so many other things.

[@Xivinux]

and only having 5 spells per magic school

[@lcmiracle]

Well for the shouts, i guess it's just an easier way to give characters spells because learning spells has stat requirements that is unreachable for some builds, but for shouts you'll eventually come across the word wall and kill enough dragons to unlock them all. So for mage builds the shouts are ~90% redundant but for non-magic builds it can be the only way to access high level spells

[@notjimpickens7928]

@@lcmiracle 98% of all shouts are useless you get a good enough enchantment on any weapon. Skyrim stopped being a challenge when i added a high frost damage enchantment to my elven war axe, I killed everyone from low level bandits to alduin.

[@ActitisHypoleukos]

Quote "Given the same tools the developers at Bethesda use, the modding community seems to be able to pinpoint our desires more accurately than the creators themselves." Is just so good. Like When the sun hits that ridge just right.

[@rumplefourskin6775]

Those hills sing 🤌

[@rumplefourskin6775]

I really hope you're making an emperors new groove reference 🙏 like look at my profile pic xD

[@herscher1297]

The thing is, the moding community has much more development ressources behind it

[@BoleDaPole]

Yea but mods aren't Canon so anything Bethesda releases is 100x better

[@jprice_]

@@BoleDaPole they should pick the best mod every month and canonize it, kinda like Pope is doing

[@orbindry1121]

"How is playing an Orc different from playing a High Elf?" - that is not a question in Skyrim. But it is a question you can ask in Daggerfall.

[@PinkSkunkSleepy]

It's not though, for one since you can't play as an Orc in Daggerfall. That said, all of the races play the same in Daggerfall, even moreso than in Skyrim. There are no racial skill bonuses like there are in Skyrim, although there are passive abilities which have been more or less consistent since Arena(Argonian water breathing, Nord frost resistance, etc.). If anything, Skyrim makes playing as one race mechanically more different than in Daggerfall, if only slightly.

[@orbindry1121]

I do agree with you, the point really wasn't the races at all. At high levels, and with the Dragon born DLC, effectively there is no difference between the races. Any race can obtain anything with time spent. And the idea of being able to just have your character be the best at everything, is where Skyrim really did not feel at all like an RPG. I've tried playing it as a farm simulator, or even a hunting simulator. I even had a mod were I started off as a blacksmith and worked my way from rags to riches. During that time, I actually felt more akin to what it was like in Daggerfall, and having that felt sensation of an actual RPG simply by completely ignoring the story and not becoming the dragonborn. I would say for Skyrim, the only difference between the races is when you start fresh, and play on Legendary difficulty. This cannot be simply done on normal or hard (it can but it is pretty much overly powered if you just rest constantly to always have an Orc's racial buff up for instance. Nord's Frost reduction is already high to not be scared of mages that use it, etc) Because it is only there you feel the power of their racial features until you hit about level 30-40 depending on how you're building your character. This level frame obviously will vary depending on what race you play, and if you dip into enchanting early in the game. From a certain point onward however, you may as well be any race.

[@PinkSkunkSleepy]

@@orbindry1121 I see what you're saying, and I agree that character progression through professions is different in Skyrim, but that's not really in your first comment at all. Daggerfall makes character progression feel more grounded because its factions are less unique. There's tons of different knightly orders in Daggerfall, plus the Fighters Guild, while Skyrim has the Companions and that's it. So when you progress in the Companions, it makes you a bigger deal than reaching the top of a knightly order or the Fighters Guild since there's no competition. It's similar to what you feel with being the Dragonborn. There's not enough competition because the scale is so different, which makes the LDB feel too powerful. That said, your first comment made it seem like Daggerfall did races with more depth than Skyrim, when it doesn't. Even if Skyrim's races only affect the start of the game, Daggerfall's basically don't ever affect it from start to finish.

[@captainxorro8553]

Thank god for mods! Character creation overhaul and random alternate start have added infinite replayability to skyrim for me. Races play very different than vanilla.

[@fisharepeopletoo9653]

@@orbindry1121 This is the beauty of Skyrim though, in my opinion. You can get what you want out of it, especially with mods, but even without them. You can decide to work as a blacksmith to become rich, there doesn't need to be a mechanic in the game to force you to do so. You can decide to delve heavily into rp complete with relationships and children, or you can go slay that dragon that keeps flying overhead and won't land. You can decide to only become the head of the thieves guild, or you can say screw it and be the head of literally everything. Definitely not saying Skyrim is perfect, many of these things aren't as good as they probably could be, but as I said the beauty of it is in how you can play it a hundred different ways, you can play it however you want.

[@shneancy220]

"While Skyrim aimed for the foothills and hit its target, Daggerfall had its eyes dead set on the stars" Beautiful

[@wallegg1499]

"...And it missed every single star and exploded in dead space"

[@matthew-dq8vk]

Really? It seemed outright fanboyish to me. You have a low bar for what constitutes 'beautiful'.

[@shneancy220]

@@matthew-dq8vk those things are not exclusive and beauty is the most subjective thing you can imagine so naff off

[@Tyswave]

This quote.

[@telomerecentromere4175]

@@wallegg1499 dead space is much higher than a foothill.

[@EntryLevelLuxury]

It’s so ironic that the games lost complexity as computers became more powerful. Edit: from a time management perspective it makes sense given that more man hours have to be put into level design and modeling etc. less time for quest manufacturing 👩‍🏭🤷‍♂️

[@MadbatThe1st]

Sad thing is that these games were never meant to take advantage of PC/Mac hardware, but sell to the X Box crowd. Plus it makes more business sense to do as little actual development as you can get away with. The bottom line of any business is not to make a customer happy but to make as much money as cheaply as you can.

[@expressrobkill]

doesnt seem so weird to me tbh, allot of the more limited technology, like using single screens with basic animastion and a large mass of text means you can add allot of complexity to the games, where newer games want to implement the worlds seamlessly into the experience with animations and features, this way of making games will always mean less complexity due to the complicated nature of the systems. Its the same way that dungeons and dragons which has the most simple technology i.e a bit of paper and your imagination, is the most diverse, detailed, and user custom experience available. i think when you think of it that way it expresses why games are less in scope. same reason a movie that takes 3 years is an hour and a half but a book of equivalent time can be a few weeks long but more complex.

[@tamil8108]

While I agree the complexities of... actually many long standing rpg franchises, but Elder Scrolls specifically, have been streamlined and dumbed down. I think the industry itself became so big it changed how they develop games. You have to sell so many units and unfortunately games like ES back in the game have to appeal to a more general audience. I loved Morrowind. First one I played. Get to Skyrim and Fallout 4, just kinda fell off. Skyrim was big and I prefer it over 4, but yeah. It was lacking real depth.

[@expressrobkill]

Tami Lambert well apparently cyberpunk 2077 will be everything in one, i’m very sceptical, you cant kill main characters but i guess that makes sense, also i think Bethesda is better at making the kind of rpg type games, very few games come close, so i can see why its annoying to have the games dumbed down.

[@booette964]

Part of the reason (I think) is because some don't have powerful computers and companies want to make the game accessible. An example I can think of is how Sims 3 had open world etc and a lot of players reported bad performance, while it wasn't as bad for people with better PCs - so for sims 4 they did load in instances instead of open world.

[@fangorn23]

DUDE. being able to LIE YOUR WAY OUT OF COURT would be so much fun in Skyrim. even if it was a mostly dialogue based thing, at least it would give the speechcraft specialists a place to shine! on the other hand. I get the feeling skyrim 'lawyers' are purely theoretical as most conflicts are resolved with fists or swords before they ever get to a court room.

[@frauleinhohenzollern8442]

How would lying in court not be a doalogue based thing? Could you lie in court in any other way besides it being dialogue choices? Would it be a mini game of jumping on platforms? Haha, of course lying would be a dialogue based mechsnic...

[@fangorn23]

probably by forging evidence or just breaking into whoever's office and taking the case files with the evidence. shit like that. Or just bribing them. paying 1000 gold to get rid of my criminal record just sucks you into the game right?@@frauleinhohenzollern8442

[@wildfire9280]

@@frauleinhohenzollern8442 In a much less coherently designed game… probably.

[@ItsChevnotJeff]

I mean, in Arena Guards attack on sight because you are a known outlaw with Jagar Tharn in power, Morrowind the Tribunal and Dunmer in general are already wary of outlanders and Oblivion no true court can be passed with the Death of Uriel Septim only having recently occured, and Skyrim is in civil war. The only place you can be put on trial is in Daggerfall, where the current conflict isn't exactly that demanding of political interference, only that a ghost of it's dead king is haunting the capital at night

[@alextrainor2552]

Are you donald trump?

[@TWHowl]

What Howard doesn’t understand is that there aren’t any superfluous features in an RPG because even one player might love that detail for their character. Having the option adds to a game world even if I refuse the option.

[@esteemedyams]

Words of wisdom

[@dontanton7775]

What players don't understand is that development costs money and making a feature for just one player means that other things are not getting done that would be used by many players.

[@warprecautions631]

@@dontanton7775 Bethesda is a AAA studio, smaller game developers have done more for RPGs with less resources. They are also cutting content that they previously utilised. It obviously isn't just meant for 1 player, its about having choice, something majority of players enjoy when playing RPGs. As consumers, we have a right to critique, so devs can improve their products. Otherwise they will keep getting away disasters like Fallout 76. People being overcharged for a half baked projects and micro transactions.

[@dontanton7775]

@@warprecautions631 Sure, it's not mutual exclusive. But they already overextend what they can do. That is why it takes longer and longer to make a game and they get more and more expensive to make. They were already at their limit. The initial comment I replied to basically said "There is no superfluous feature". And with that mindset you will never finish a game. You will end up where Chris Roberts endet up with Star Citizen. A released game is better than an ambitious vision that never makes it to market. 9 women don't make a baby in 1 month. And that is what players don't understand. They think capabilities and capacities are endless. They are not.

[@blackfox4138]

@@warprecautions631 We also have to take into account audience scale. A single indie developer is typically aiming for sales numbers in the thousands or possibly even hundreds. This, in turn, gives them more freedom to create a more genre specific game that fans of said genre can really sink their teeth into. Meanwhile, a AAA developer like Bethesda, is looking to reach an audience of millions, most of whom don't have much experience with RPGs. So the question is more about whether Bethesda should downscale their ease of access in favor of a more expansive and varied RPG, or if they should expand their accessibility at the cost of losing much of their more diverse and large scale RPG elements.

[@henrycooper4511]

ES 6: Fighting Skill Magic Skill Armour Skill Crafting Skill

[@user-sc4hv8qe6f]

Henry Cooper And a 5 dollar pay wall every 10 levels.

[@The_Azure_]

You forgot the speech skill, though there will be no speech checks.

[@Ellisepha]

Armir is gonna be a whole dlc by itself

[@Kamidon74]

Haha ES 6 will be even further dumbed down. Two Skills, Fighting and Magic. Probably Todd: "We had to cut sneaking and archery, it was too much. Now with Swords and Magic Staves, players have a more streamlined experience. Oh and no more classes, you're a magic fighter, with magic and swords. Instead of heavy or light armor, much too complicated, everyone has robes. Some robes grant more protection than others in a linear progression! Instead of caves having curving tunnels, everything is now just a straight line to the finish, with online markers holding the players hand every step of the way. Immersion? Money doesn't want that...I mean...People don't want that, they want hack and slash and pew pew in a game!"

[@Kamidon74]

@@user-sc4hv8qe6f Unlock glass dagger now, free loot box with a higher chance to get it every 8 hours! Only $5.99 to unlock more than iron and steel weapons and armor! Winter sale! Want the ability to sneak and wield a bow? Archer expansion pack out now for $14.99!!!

[@SamMotta]

"What could Bethesda possibly do now that would impress audiences more than the content the fans are creating themselves?" The most powerful sentence in the video

[@Gladiator0161]

I totally agree

[@ancientgamer3645]

Get absorbed by Microsoft. So they can make good games that don't need a fan base with dedicated modders to fix the darn things. Hopefully they dump Todd and his "it just all works" BS.

[@LabGoats]

@@ancientgamer3645 Yeah releasing less buggy games is good, but if Microsoft doesn't allow modding on future Bethesda games I'm going to lose it.

[@Erythnull]

@@LabGoats I'm sure if that happens, people will find a way

[@LabGoats]

@I lost my faith in humanity and i want you to die Yeah that's reasonable. Definitely better than no mods and a bad game. But Imo Bethesda or any other contemporary game developer can't possibly do the multitude of things that modders have done for Skyrim.

[@HypaSnypa12]

Honestly I think they just forgot to implement survival in the freezing environment of Skyrim. The best example of this is the “clear skies” shout. You use it to get past a bitter cold barrier. That’s it. It was clearly implemented to be an alternative to having to use a potion or something to not die. You never use it again however unless you want to take a screenshot (which by the way you could just go into the command menu and just change the weather)

[@Indigo_Gaming]

Yeah the cooking system, weather effects and setting just scream "survival". I'm thinking it was cut down significantly, either for time/scope purposes or it didn't test well with casual audiences.

[@Interdacted]

We got the survival update of the game they intended to release, but CC required us to buy it.

[@cmdrclassified]

@@Indigo_Gaming Don't forget, a lot of what I would call "cut content", was done due to limitations of console hardware. Same goes for the Fallout series too. Also, I love your work, Sir! Every video is a masterpiece!

[@DemiIsNotHere]

Seriously, the cooking system feels pointless in a game where you can stop time and chug an inventory worth of hp.

[@odioalospoopers]

@@Indigo_Gaming or maybe too many survival games were coming out at the time and didn't want to "turn TES into the latest fad", but yeah, more likely time constraints

[@pedronicolas7491]

Skyrim is my favorite of the series because i'm a little bitch and i like getting held by the hand. Great video btw.

[@Indigo_Gaming]

Lol, well I'm glad you enjoyed the video, despite my strong criticisms of Skyrim. I always say, if you enjoy entertainment, don't feel bad for enjoying it!

[@ghosto3624]

@@Indigo_Gaming my dude still replying to comments 3 years later, nice 👌

[@meghanachauhan9380]

No like bein grab by da pusi?

[@Terkzorr]

From the Daggerfall manual: *"People who play role-playing games need more than some pretty graphics and nonstop action to whet their claymores: they want depth and character and wit and drama. They want the thickest, most involving novel that they've ever read translated to their 15" screen, with themselves as the hero."* Oh man, I wonder what some of the original TES creators think about the new dumbed down series.

[@andrejz8954]

Yep, I lost it with Skyrim. Oblivion was a hiccup, but with skyrim, I just lost all hope. Even though I'd rather play Skyrim than Oblivion. My fav. tes game would be a mix between morrowind and daggerfall with added mechanics and stuff... so yeah, TES and FO franchises are a joke now.

[@utisti4976]

If only publishers and developers still follow that principle today.. :(

[@MrGoatflakes]

And not only that, they want to write it as they go...

[@nobel11]

I wouldn't mind if they wrote it as they go, if they'd at least pay attention to what they already wrote.

[@Balinux]

Yet strangely, Skyrim feels way more immersive for more players than the privious titles. Go figure.

[@patsilverfang]

"We know what the fans want but we aren't going to do that." -Todd Howard

[@ogfridgeman5546]

I mean that wouldn't be a bad attitude to hold if they did something worthwhile

[@Clavanz]

@@ethanhanks200 Not word for word but pretty much: 56:10

[@TheWemzz]

he kinda forgot

[@schweebe]

i think you meant this "We know what the fans want but we aren't going to do that." -Blizzard Entertainment

[@torperator1555]

To be fair most fans are pretty dumb.

[@Twintooth96]

This is still the best Elder scrolls video on KZbin even 4 years later.

[@Indigo_Gaming]

It's sad that this video isn't horribly out of date yet. 2018 was the same year TES6 was announced.

[@Twintooth96]

@@Indigo_Gaming that is true, however I always come back to this video annually as you can tell the passion you have for the series...it also inspired me to play Morrowind like 2 years back so I love it and once again,you did an amazing job.

[@Indigo_Gaming]

Glad you enjoyed so much. Thanks for watching!

[@Wattsnic000]

"Keep it simple, stupid." killed fallout 4.

[@Texelion3Dprints]

Exaclty, but it works and shows how stupid most people really are.

[@Kiddums_]

I want to never see that system again in a bethesda game

[@michaelthompson7217]

It’s unfortunate because KISS has improved so much software it’s ridiculous. Video games like this were unfortunate collateral damage. It shouldn’t have been KISS but inevitably someone made a business case for it to be. Eventually we will find a balance.

[@basshead.]

Ain't nothing wrong with Fallout 4. I enjoyed it more than I enjoyed Fallout 3/NV. I'm a hopeless romantic. I love romance RPGs like Dragon Age, Mass Effect and Witcher. It's very cool that you can romance companions in Fallout 4.

[@kiminonamae6075]

i dont get, what that person is doing there, except incoherent mumbling and destroying games we loved... if they need him hired, he should work on some fps shooters, not rpgs... sigh

[@BigDictator5335]

You don't see many Khajiit in Skyrim. They must have gone Elsweyr.

[@armchairgravy5148]

*throws empty skooma bottle

[@artemislogic5252]

@@armchairgravy5148 that's racist

[@l0remipsum991]

they must be in gulags

[@piccoloatburgerking]

@Balton Plays Minecraft Low quality shitpost spam.

[@piccoloatburgerking]

@Riff Raff uno reverse card - *no u.*

[@gp.5989]

I absolutely adore Morrowind to this day. My friends and I played the hell out of it when it was new. I still remember finding that skooma den and telling my buddies about slaughtering the whole group. Oblivion and Skyrim were prettier, but practically held your hand and demanded you think inside the box.

[@14112ido]

I try it recently and I absolutely love the journal system and lack of quest marker. It’s more immersive imo considering the medieval fantasy setting. Also it demands that you pay more attention to your environment instead of constantly checking your map.

[@incognitoman3656]

Finally, a comment talking about Morrowind! I think Arena and Daggerfall was wonderful, but Morrowind was 100% custom made, and an incredible game. Just one word. Skooma. Try it.

[@BoleDaPole]

Well it turns out fans of the series like the stream lining and simplistic gameplay because they keep buying Skyrim and are perfectly content replaying the game for over a decade now, whereas TES fans got tired of morrowind in about 3 years and stopped oblivion right when skyrim released. Fans THINK they want complex gameplay, but they really dont.

[@alanluscombe8a553]

I started elder scrolls with oblivion years ago and I love it. I like Skyrim as well but I love everything about oblivion from the cheesy graphics to the music it’s just wonderful. I also bought morrowind and am going to start learning to play it tomorrow. I think I’ll love that to

[@caseyhall2320]

@@BoleDaPole I wholeheartedly disagree with your opinion, but that shouldn't matter to ya :P I do want more complex gameplay. I found it in Daggerfall. I downloaded tons of mods for it into Skyrim, Fallout 3, NV, 4, Valheim, & Halo. I enjoyed all of them way more because they allowed me to feel more engaged in what I'm doing without the game feeling like a monotonous task. It, for me, is almost always better. Provided it's not a mod that completely breaks the balancing of the game, lol. Simple gameplay philosophy (that Todd focuses on) can be great, but only if done well. I'd consider Skyrim as almost the antithesis of simplicity done well. Everything is structured and put together with...well what feels like an unorganized goal. Almost nothing you do, despite being Dragonborn, has an impact. The level scaling system actively works against the player, and forces a couple character types instead of actually letting you be what you want to be. Skyrim is a perfect game for people who wanna chill. But those of us like myself prefer systems that make sense, are expansive (not overly restrictive), and make us feel engaged. In which case, if anyone's like me, for the love of god go play Daggerfall Unity. It's free, and you'll love the depth of the mechanics. Mechanics that're meticulously made with a vision.

[@geofox9484]

Todd Howard's first game as PL being Redguard actually makes a lot of sense

[@MALICEM12]

Yep, he is at the end of the day. A man that fundamentally doesn't want to make classic Eldar Scrolls games. He originally made the most different game in the series, and action adventure game. And over the years has tried going back to that and lo and behold, Skyrim is an action adventure game.

[@donniequalls9693]

Skyrim... not only sells more copies than any other RPG ever.... *Has been released more than any RPG ever*

[@bigpoppa9721]

So Good Its Been Re-released Seven Times

[@sephyrartcore9523]

And it's one of the worst alongside Oblivion lol

[@bigpoppa9721]

@@sephyrartcore9523 haha fck u witcher casual boi.

[@bigpoppa9721]

dont think so. ever heard of final fantasy?

[@donniequalls9693]

@@bigpoppa9721 Which one? That's kind of a loaded question lol

[@sonke5485]

"How are the races diffrend? How is playing an orc differend than playing a high elf?" I often asked myself these questions while playing...

[@anselravenhart4753]

Thalmor are bastards in the lore. That's the difference.

[@Leinarth_]

@@anselravenhart4753 They are because the game tell us they are but to be a High Elf has literally no diference in-game between playing as an Orc or anything else besides a little stat boost and useless magic abilities.

[@anselravenhart4753]

@@Leinarth_ Yes, I know. I was making a joke about Thalmor being assholes.

[@Leinarth_]

@@anselravenhart4753 My bad, sorry =(

[@anselravenhart4753]

@@Leinarth_ It's ok. Now you know for sure that the Thalmor are assholes.

[@gawaniwhitecrow2731]

Only a true fan of the series could of done this Vid. Good work sir.

[@HighFreeMind]

COULD HAVE

[@gulagbatman1318]

As someone who was introduced to TES: Skyrim as a 12 year old, this series has a special place in my heart.

[@tom.m]

As someone who was introduced to TES: Daggerfall as a 10 year old, this comment makes me feel old as fuck. 😂

[@gulagbatman1318]

@@tom.m Lmfao 🤣 Jesus Christ, you fossil. I'm 23 now. Lmao hahaha 😂 . I can't imagine how you must feel. Skyrim was my first fantasy game. Prior to that I HATED fantasy. But this game broke that, and I will forever remember that change. Skyrim forever. :)

[@aleksandartrickovic4097]

"Roses are red, Skyrim is fun, you are carrying too much to be able to run."

[@akaniotevanos9861]

**Starts spamming power attack all over**

[@forstgrade6949]

Poop on you buddy boy

[@BiomechanicalBrick]

You should unload some of that unwanted gear. Go to Sadri's Used Wares, talk to the Elf.

[@557deadpool]

Skyrim isn't fun* Fixed

[@42Mrgreenman]

@@BiomechanicalBrick Nah, ya gotta go to the mansion with the Orcs, talk to the scamp...Probably a long walk though, better take a silt...I mean fast travel....

[@hasiumcreeper5384]

"Perhaps we'll have look for our ideal role playing game *ELSWEYR* ."

[@Superwing]

I caught that too. Indigo has not addressed this yet! Come on, where's the statement!

[@assassincharmander390]

Hasiumcreeper **laughing**

[@NowUrJustIncoherent]

Ian Gallagher Come on, where's the

[@Indigo_Gaming]

I can neither confirm or deny this accusation.

[@Darknigth21]

This is what i got from that sentence: It will be Elder Scrolls 6: Elsweyr and will have all the rpg elements that were in Daggerfall.

[@czesciek8775]

man finding this video 3 years later, i really enjoyed this video and totally agree with your opinion on everything, thanks for reminding me of all the got TES memories i’ve made over the years ❤️

[@frauleinhohenzollern8442]

My 30th time watching this as a sleep aid. Your voice is audible honey. The praise of old-school Bethesda games and subtle bashing of modern games is relaxing.

[@Indigo_Gaming]

Wow, glad you enjoy it so much! Would like to revisit the series when I have something more to say about it.

[@steedls2303]

I hope Fallout 76 slaps Bethesda in the face and makes them realize that they have to make TES 6 *really* damn good. I want the game to be great but Bethesda's track record has not been good as of late.

[@scythe321]

Sadly I'm expecting Skyrim 2: Less Content Boogaloo

[@simonpierson2669]

@@scythe321 the comment at the mid end of the video about TES6 / skyrim being a platform for the mod community to create and produce on for fans is sadly the most likely and true part of the whole video and i wouldnt be suprised if it isnt proven as such when todd howard/ bethesda and obsidian fail to give us a follow up to skyrim that isnt just a 3d texture / VR rehash of it

[@scythe321]

@@simonpierson2669 Yeah very true, even DLC (like Dragonborn) really just serves as an "asset" trove for modders to build something bigger. I don't have a problem with this formula but Bethesda have taken it too far. Skyrim had great towns like Riften, Solitude, Windhelm etc but in Fallout 4 they went with the "build your own shit lol" approach and gave us Diamond City and (at an absolute stretch) Goodneighbour.

[@callithasmed8468]

@@scythe321 I'm expecting a Horizon Zero Dawn/Ark ripoff? :P

[@ghost-4783]

They need to go back to the start, what made their games great. No idea wtf they are playing at thesedays.

[@OutdatedLeon]

The Elder Scroll 6 will be about base building + horse armor DLC. - Todd Horward

[@ragingmayomuskateer5800]

Don't forget creation engine!

[@exnomer5002]

You misspelled his name dude, It's "Fraud Coward". 👌

[@Mike_the_Enigma]

I'm all for the base building, but the horse armor? Depends how shiny lol

[@ddi654]

I dont want base building in my rpg!!!!!!!!!!!! unless its kenshi style lol

[@davidelinmortal]

It just works!

[@sohpol]

OMG... finally someone who can understand me and with whom I can share my pain regarding The Elder Scrolls. I agree with everything you said in this video.

[@thumble360]

This is such an incredible video. You put so much work into this. This is probably the best elder scrolls documentary out there. I learned so much about the history of the series and the game trajectory. Thank you for creating this.

[@johncameron1935]

Knowing that my preferred method of climbing mountains in Skyrim was not only intended to do, but had mechanics for in Daggerfall has me shook. I want climbing to return to the elder scrolls!

[@baddgerpaw]

I want a nice decent remake of daggerfall, maybe keeping the game mechanics similar. Like I nice mash of Daggerfall and Morrowind. I loved the level of detail and freedom it had, I can do with a smaller map because as said it adds more detail and life rather than repeats. That with the freedom of Daggerfall would be S tier.

[@ullysses95]

Not gona happen, only if they make cities open again then maybe levitate comes back too.

[@InsidiousOne]

Zelda: Breath of the wild have surprisingly strong and free climbing system. You can climb literally any wall or slope, except for the dungeons, which are puzzle based.

[@ShaneShrimp]

@@InsidiousOne unless you run out of stamina after approximately 2 seconds of climbing

[@InsidiousOne]

@@ShaneShrimp even the starting stamina is enough to climb most walls and slopes, and you can level it up. You can also prepare a bunch of stamina restoring dishes and stamina stops being an issue at all.

[@eonsislept207]

20 years ago when game store employees were chaotic neutral.

[@Indigo_Gaming]

I always think of a Software, Etc. employee I knew, back in a city I grew up in. His name was Theo, and his taste in video games was so horrible, I would use his recommendations to figure out which games NOT to buy. One of his strongest recommendations was Beatdown from 1999.

[@mirror1001]

@@Indigo_Gaming was armond white his real namr? Lol

[@InsidiousOne]

Still remember: I had just recently acquired a PS1 and had absolutely zero sources of information about which games are good. And when I came to the store, the employe told me: "This one is good. Shooting aliens, and stuff". It was Blasto.

[@rorythomson3439]

@@InsidiousOne LOL!

[@JackBradley07]

This video reminds me of the first time a played a TES game (Skyrim). After finishing it I tried the other games and loved them. The elder scrolls is now one of my favorite video game series. Thank you for making this video, it was super fun to watch

[@teakettle7021]

Wonderful documentary. You’ve actually given me some deeper insight into the decline of my interest in gaming in recent years. I’ve been growing older and for a while I’ve just attributed my distance from games to just be a part of that, but I’m starting to realize that it’s this accessibility-craze that’s been ruining them for me. It’s what ruined World of Warcraft for me and various other games I used to so easily immerse myself in. In growing older, I’ve certainly gotten wiser and thus am wanting of deeper mental challenges and symbolisms in my games. That coupled with the blanket solution of over-accessibility, I find myself either playing lower budget niche titles, or just finding those challenges in external endeavors. In a way it’s a blessing, I suppose. I am however, fascinated by the complexity of old-school immersive sims and still long for a modern AAA title to don that moniker faithfully.

[@maxchenmusterhausen5311]

I agree, i am struggling with the same stuff. pc-gaming is my hobby, but the games...the games just dont support me here. Everything seems to follow certain, clear visions from modern devs. but making all games the same. nobody takes risks. And so many ideas from 25 years ago just never came, despite the fact the rising power of machines provides everyone with much more. But nah, its more important to have "de graxis". Still no total war-game in multiplayer where every unit is played by a player. no massive daggerfalls in multiplayer. no fps-melee-games with real, badass controls, game-mechanics reduced to "press x"...modern games just tend to feel empty, like products. not like 30 guys putting together code for an unrestricted vision. i now prefer the jank of old so much, that it transformed in to a feature for me - and i argue, thats a bad thing, because most modern games or guided, curated. i hope for something that will rarely appear anymore.

[@couchman-sw6jy]

It’s funny, I’ve become the opposite. When I was younger I wanted all this depth, but now I just want to have fun in a game and not think too much.

[@xSTARRYxEYESx]

I was shocked when I compared the production values on this to your sub count, 42K, christ, there are people with millions of subs who don't put this much shine in. Incredible work.

[@RavensEagle]

Because when you 'keep it simple and stupid' it appeals to a broader audience :I

[@flexmusi]

He dosent play the stupid youtube system and instead make quality content the problem is youtube prefer stupid content with consistent uploads around 10 min instead of inspired content with depth

[@superguy911]

This is what he brings up at the end: mass appeal requires dumbed down content

[@mattsmechanicalssi5833]

All of his videos have the same superb level of quality. Something that I feel is lacking in this day and age of "instant gratification". All content creators should aspire to reach this level of workmanship.

[@LittleMikeStarCraft]

I have a feeling he will be getting more, it slotted into my recommended list with all these videos talking about Bethesda and Fallout 76.

[@rafaelcomfsemph]

holy shit, i never expected in my life seeing a documentary with a production quality like the ones in tv talking so indepth about gaming :). you raised the bar to all documentaries about games, loved it

[@piedpiper1172]

Rafael Silva Daniel check out NoClip. His FFXIV doc is phenomenal

[@ManguEry]

I guess you'll enjoy ahoy then

[@danielstokker]

No he didnt thats crap

[@cloudbloom]

Retro Ahoy is also god-tier with his documentaries. Noclip is fantastic as well

[@migaelrademan2951]

Also check out Nick930 he also makes high quality video game documentaries.

[@Lunkaren]

This was an amazing documentary and I enjoyed every minute of it. Thank you for taking the time and effort to make this, it was a great and educational watch!

[@theodorflorinro]

This documentary is a truly masterpiece. I watched it 3 times. Everything is combined so masterfully.

[@connorbanepoop]

ive watched it 4 times,

[@IlMasso22]

I will be very concise one the matter: TESVI simply need CHOICES. I think it's absurd how you can be almost a god on Earth in skyrim and still feel, even in the late sections of the game, so irrelevant to the world around you.

[@tiagodarkpeasant]

what i hate the most in skyrim is that you can be he leader of every faction in the game in one playthrough, like what if the companions gave you a mission to destroy the dark brotherhood, nd if you still wnted to be part of them, they would eventualy discover and try to kill you, the wizards scholl should have more importance like, when dragon return from the history, why would no one care to ask questions to wizards ? all thos faction exist as if only the player cares about them, at least the thieves guild has some importance in riften

[@irllcd13]

It won't. Bethesda has forgotten how to make real RPGs, nor do they even care to.

[@ualaelinlive]

The writing is godawful. The quests in Morrowind are memorable and often humorous. I can't remember a single quest from Skyrim outside of a few Daedric quests after playing 120 hours of it.

[@irllcd13]

ualaelinlive The only quest from Oblivion I remember is the dark brotherhood murder mystery dinner party. The only one I remember from Skyrim is the talking dog. Bethesda really, really sucks at writing and dialogue.

[@DarthAlphaTheGreat]

IlMasso22 Choices and impact. As in your choices actually mean something, not “all roads lead to Rome”...or all quests lead to Alduin...

[@Carlmdb]

"Keep it simple, Stupid" design philosophy is the antithesis of a true RPG.

[@shadysam7161]

Thats why Emil Doltiarulo is the worst game designer in history.

[@TheDarkblue57]

It’s brilliant game design even if it is shallow.

[@shadysam7161]

@@TheDarkblue57 Except when you're making a fucking Role-Playing Game! Because when you make it more complex, it makes the world feel more alive and thus better in that regard for immersion!!

[@BirdLips2]

@@shadysam7161 Emil Pagliarulo

[@shadysam7161]

@@BirdLips2 I call him Emil Doltiarulo for a very good reason; "Dolt" means a stupid person, you see. And Emil is really, *really* , stupid.

[@Reddotzebra]

25:35 It is telling that despite not having played it seriously since before going to university, the Morrowind version of the ES theme still brings tears to my eyes. Games like that are not made anymore.

[@benrobinson375]

I had never played any Elder Scrolls games before Morrowind but I must say I'm impressed with the attention to detail and amount of content Daggerfall had. Why can't we have something like that made nowadays?

[@peacefusion]

cause graphics have changed so much. skyrim barely fit on console dude.

[@benrobinson375]

@@peacefusion not sure what you're saying about Skyrim, the Special Edition is only 12GB which is small by modern standards. One could create a game which had the same level of details as Daggerfall, with modern graphics, but with less repetitive content.

[@ksar98]

​@@benrobinson375Not with higher quality assets and certainly not with the consoles of 2011, some models of ps3 only had like 20 or 40 gigs of storage. The only reason Skyrim even became 12 gigs and not over 20-30 gigs is because Bethesda were stupidly good at compression

[@_Rackham]

Try the Skyggerfall mod for Skyrim its Daggerfall in the skyrim engine, there is also a version remade on the unity engine with more modern features like mouse aiming.

[@benrobinson375]

@@_Rackham was the entirety of Daggerfall reproduced in Skyrim? That's amazing...

[@T33K3SS3LCH3N]

"This lead to Oblivion to become the most unintentionally comical game" - I can only recommend you all to look up Bacon_'s Oblivion videos. That stuff is a whole genre of comedy in its own right.

[@ualaelinlive]

I've been better

[@perttuhaapala2406]

Also willburgur with a little amount of meme mods

[@michalk.9174]

@@ualaelinlive I hope things get better.

[@bcbitchkkv]

I don't know you and I don't care to know you.

[@perttuhaapala2406]

@@bcbitchkkv then pay with your blood!

[@nerdSlayerstudioss]

Speaking of a magnum opus...congratulations Indigo on a well done video.

[@Indigo_Gaming]

Thanks man! Yeah it was a beast, but I'm happy to have finally slayed it.

[@trudalehampton9128]

NerdSlayer is my shit!!!

[@coltoncurlee2423]

Indigo Gaming there’s no way I could ever put that much work into something haha. You earned yourself a happy sub! 😊

[@ratoo1276]

third time watching this, I love the nostalgia trip and the length is perfect to listen to in the background while gaming or studying. Good luck on your ventures, and keep up the great work!

[@zacharytessier495]

Fantastic video... As someone who's recently started really getting into the Elder Scrolls, I feel I really got a good understanding of the series's evolution.

[@balintszollar]

I'm definitely a masochist: I'm watching this film for the second time, just for it to break my heart again.

[@SalmonCaramel]

Same here.

[@Michael-lc4gr]

Me too. Also in case I die before TES 6..

[@theothersideofthecoin3125]

I don't know why, but this comment is so funny🤣

[@nipsynuggets4930]

@Heebus Chrikey what the fuck are you on about

[@LabGoats]

@Heebus Chrikey Comparing the hammer & sickle to the swastika is rediculous. Mostly only Americans equate the two. Good ol' McCarthyism.

[@Rouxkat]

That first feeling you got in Oblivion when you were greeted by: "You can not go beyond this point"

[@FireFoxBancroft]

Yeah that feeling is called "disappointment".

[@shiningmissingno.8788]

I was pissed dude, was literally the only game I played in 2006 that didnt auto-generate an endless world

[@bradhanthorn7789]

One of the most captivating, heart warming and beautifully optimistic endings to a video I've ever seen, great work!

[@angelaeroza385]

This is great. The way you describe it makes clear The Elder Scrolls as it started and the series now are basically in different genres

[@tofuprincess]

This is extremely depressing. It’s a bittersweet feeling because remembering all these games brings back a lot of nostalgia but will we ever get those feelings back with new games?

[@serenemountain6769]

You can always travel through time ... Morrowind has been completed by a third Party , Players can now have access to the whole kingdom of morrowind -> www.tamriel-rebuilt.org/ Morrowind can be upgaded to have graphics like oblivion -> wiki.nexusmods.com/index.php/Morrowind_graphics_guide

[@aithjawcraig9876]

Nah it's not about recapturing the feeling. Video game design philosophy has shifted in a big way since then. Nobody wants to push the envelope anymore

[@HaveYouSeenJeff]

Classics of this current era in gaming will still be a thing. Fromsoft has a good track record for games that age pretty well, I think Breath of the Wild will be a favorite amongst the Zelda franchise for many, Subnautica is a good example with the console port being successful. When you have franchises like Fifa or CoD that capitalize on selling a hotter, fresher take every year or two, or "games as a service" that milk players at every opportunity they can muster, they aren't making games that are intended to age well. I can definitely understand why you might feel that the idea of a modern classic is unlikely, but there are good games being made and so long as there's a market there, they will still be made.

[@briztevan]

I love u

[@utisti4976]

I got that feeling with Divinity Original Sin II. You should try it.

[@theUSpopulation]

I really don't like Todd's and Emil's idea of removing things because they are redundant. I love them as game developers, but this is a pretty bad philosophy. Redundancy helps for role-playing. A thief can pick a lock, a mage can use a spell and a warrior can bash the door open. By the time Skyrim comes around, EVERYONE is skilled in lock-picking because that is the only solution. Where is the role-playing? I love Skyrim. It introduced me to the franchise and is my favorite game purely as a game. But it is my least favorite game in the franchise as an RPG.

[@asiamatron]

Yeah, we end up with ES games that remove a lot of the interesting features. What's left is also streamlined and simplified. As a result we end up with games that are lot less memorable.

[@avatarion]

It's weird they say they want to get rid of those things when at the same time they added "useless" immersion factors such as sitting on a bench or chipping wood, probably inspired from Gothic if we are honest.

[@JWalters388]

Ironic that they don't want redundancy and yet most skills like charisma in Skyrim and Fallout 4 is pointless and not add much to gameplay. Most spells, guilds, side quest (Even main quest), and gameplay style in Skyrim felt redundant. Only mods make them FEEL that they are needed. I don't actually play FO4 but what do you actually get when finishing any of the main quest, really?

[@todd2.08]

theUSpopulation Lockpicking in Oblivion can be done at any level so why are you only nagging about Skyrim when Oblivion came up with the idea that anyone can lockpick a chest or door at any level regardless of the lock's difficulty.

[@No-ll3mh]

I personally use lost grimoire, adds an open lock spell which I love the mechanic of (one cast per lock level, you have to have a high enough skill, but all one spell), a mod that I can't remember to bash a door with a battleaxe or warhammer, and a mod to bust doors with unrelenting force. There's no problem with mods fixing a game in my opinion, it just lets you make a game to your taste. Some people like the simplicity of one skill to pop locks, I'm sure, but if you don't, mods are there for you.

[@VanMiddeConcrete]

I come back and watch this video every few months. Easily the best gaming documentary I've ever seen. Well done, Indigo Gaming!

[@ceetee110]

DAAAAAAMN. Good job!!!! I didn't expect to watch the whole thing but I couldn't turn it off. You vocalized all of the frustrations I have with the series even as someone that started with Skyrim, and thus have always had to judge the series backwards. I can't wait to digest your other work!

[@jayp4687]

Dude... My attention span on analysis videos has become so short i didn't believe i'd last 10 minutes of your video. after 1h and 20mins i felt disappointed it ended. Your voice is pleasant to listen to, points good, writing engaging, pacing well done, progression easy to follow, editing fitting and overall well done, so on. In other words this video was stellar! It would feel weird if it came from TV because more conventional media doesn't accept videogames yet, but it deserves it more than just about 90 of the programs there. I'm utterly blown away. You my dude are amazing.

[@jedyzichterman358]

Jay P tfw you recognize your profile picture

[@MadMalMan]

Every other analysis video - 'HEY GUYS WHATS UP' ... .Annnnd I'm done

[@forasago]

Any traditional broadcast medium would have spread the content of this video over at least twice the run-time with tons of annoying filler and repetition. Good riddance to TV.

[@wilsterwonkels7384]

Todd Howard loved Redguard. That explains that.

[@GodsTodd]

@Balton Plays Minecraft random=\=funny, zoomer

[@aX0n777]

@@GodsTodd It does sometimes

[@aX0n777]

Well.. he also loved oblivion, so...

[@GodsTodd]

@@aX0n777 no.

[@greta8849]

@@GodsTodd he loved morrowind too. yes.

[@trndom]

Stellar work. Glad to have stumbled upon this channel.

[@outloud_overthinking]

Your narrative is just magical. thx for soothing vibes, I really appreciate it

[@faultycommodity]

This feels like a triple-A documentary production - well done, Indigo! My first venture into Tamriel was through Morrowind - and it completely blew my mind! That feeling of being lost in the Vvardenfel wasteland, hindered by diseases from skeevers and mentally tortured by cliffracer screeches... having to levitate inside a cave to find an enchanted Daedric bow... it was priceless! These experiences have yet to be surpassed, or replicated. But despite all of that, I totally understand the marketing decisions the company made. I just hope that Bethesda can still create something that's huge and challenging in the future.

[@Indigo_Gaming]

Yeah I really connected with the quote from Ken Rolston (lead designer for Morrowind and Oblivion) that I used at the beginning of the Oblivion chapter of this video. You literally described it in your comment, you want that bow, that's your story. And I think that's what The Elder Scrolls should be about: YOUR story.

[@tessereq]

I've seen many video essays, this one is by far the most impressive. The production value, the research, the script, everything is top notch. Bravo sir

[@MagicGonads]

I don't think this is a video essay, it's more in line with a documentary.

[@Sergio_TGV]

@@MagicGonads Thanks for this, Indigo :)

[@Catmouflage]

If you like video essays you should watch Lindsay Ellis' series on the Hobbit, I feel bad even calling it a video essay as it's more of a documentary of the film's production and problems with the script/studio/cast etc

[@ulfricstormcloak7629]

You know it hit me at the end where he said we maybe need to look somewhere else for the rpg we want. i fucking hate it because im so adjusted to the lore of TES that i read so much about it. But how does someone create the same magick/energie without copying it or using butchered material..?

[@SeverinHawkland7855]

"reaserch"

[@flats6666]

what an absolute BANGER of a video. amazing.

[@ver_nax3162]

No point in lying, while developing I've been watching and listening to this awesome documentary, I have watched over 30 times and I still can't get enough of how amazing this is. Great work Indigo, you got me addicted to your content.

[@dylanperea4448]

After 55 minutes when M'aiq said "M'aiq is tired now" I felt that

[@shannonbriggs100]

1 hour and 18 minutes talking about one of my favourite game series? ... imma just go get my popcorn.

[@ChristianTheChicken]

That's exactly what I did lol

[@Oakshield2]

Shannon Briggs? Champ!

[@soulrebel6309]

Yea cuz you lookin like a shhnack

[@carlcedarstaffii4852]

This was well thought out and well done. You got me thinking and reevaluating my opinion on what makes a good rpg game. Thank you and keep up the hard, but great work.

[@therealitzatrap]

Such an amazing documentary!

[@pattonpending7390]

I haven't played Daggerfall in over a decade. My "holy crap!" Moment was when I made a spell to make my horse and cart fly and was able go all over the map 30' off the ground. Blew me away.

[@RogueBoyScout]

My holy crap moment was installing a 1 Gigabyte game when that was nearly the whole of my Harddrive. In 1996, I'm just saying it was a true "Holy Noley, this game is huge" moment. No other game has given me that surprise since.

[@ifritto]

I would kill for a modern rpg with daggerfall's scale and deep systems

[@callan6499]

Just play Daggerfall, it's free en.uesp.net/wiki/Daggerfall:Files.

[@treatb09]

they should just update graphics and leave everything else alone.

[@GuardianWorld]

Try Daggerfall Unity then. www.dfworkshop.net/. It's a remake of Daggerfall that uses the original files on Unity, better graphics. Not 100% complete, but it's getting there.

[@fugleymonkey]

Google "Daggerfall Unity". It's being remade.

[@sartanko]

I back daggerfall unity, it got mods that increase view distance ridiculously which makes it look more real than Skyrim imo, and there's high res texture packs.

[@chrisshorter3197]

Amazing essay, it captured my feelings about the series perfectly. Though Daggerfall was before my time, you convinced me to give it a shot. It feels like the soul of TES has been leaking for a long time, and I've felt crazy in discussions online saying that Skyrim is anything other than the best RPG of all time. Thanks for this wonderful video, and I look forward to future ones.

[@Mr.SethSquatch]

You make some of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen keep it up brother and take care!

[@dkgxd7709]

You just made an hour and 20 minutes feel like 5 minutes,was sad when it was done. Well done man :) great video

[@jessemccormick5623]

Bethesda's ambition in a Skyrim Quote: "Eyes on the prey, not the horizon."

[@mainaccount3087]

"Eyes on the wallet, not the stars"

[@echoskelet]

@@mainaccount3087 Skyrim is quote on quote ' fine' its the Fallout 76 that killed it for me. Pretty much done with them. Atleast i did not bought it. But i saw other channels and revieuws. Etc. Do research before buying. Basicaly. If it were good i would still not buy it. Not a fan of 'online'.

[@kikisekscotermann5332]

@@echoskelet Give it just a few more months... :3

[@echoskelet]

Maybe..But knowing bethesda.. Its has just such cool concept...And they fk it up ..Its so sad.

[@Nadaters]

@@echoskelet I'm pretty concerned about elder scrolls 6 with bethesda's current track record...

[@CharlieKellyEsq]

25:33 that morrowind music, hits me in the feels every time I hear it. NOSTALGIA is a drug

[@frauleinhohenzollern8442]

It's crazy how strong the nostalgia is... It almost hurts. It's like watching the movie trailer for return of the king, I'd watch it over and over waiting for it to come out, and that music gets me too. God I hate how fast time moves. Its like every time I wake up another week has gone by and I just want it all to slow down so I can catch my breath but it only goes by faster the harder I try to slow it all down.

[@WBF_III]

What an incredible essay. Well done!

[@ericshuff3152]

I’m only 10 minutes into this video. And HOLY SHIT I would be so hype if they implemented features that they used to have! Speaking different enemies languages to make them non lethal?? Climbing walls to enter buildings threw the second story? Economic class systems?? Yes yes yes someone send this video to the devs at Bethesda please

[@kato1kalin]

Dude, do you not know about mods?

[@ericshuff3152]

@@kato1kalin I just play the games as they come out man

[@kato1kalin]

@@ericshuff3152 I hear ya. It's a shame the fans have to fix and improve their games like that. I first played Morrowind with 80+ mods. Unfortunately it's kinda a prerequisite for elder scrolls games.

[@ericshuff3152]

@@kato1kalin I hear ya. In a way thats kinda shitty by Bethesda cuz its the community keeping their games relevant and alive for free. Not sure if people who mod the game get any compensation but they honestly should cuz I’ve heard some of the stuff they do is crazzzyyyy

[@kato1kalin]

@@ericshuff3152 F@#k Bethesda. They got caught stealing free mods and reselling them on creation club without crediting or compensation to the author. They literally stabbed their community in the back. Their scum. On top of starvation wages, mass layoffs and general shit bag moves. But yes I feel for your sentiment. Sorry for the rant but that company is scum these days.

[@cadetri9716]

"with Todd Howard as lead director, the game was no longer a mythical rpg, it was an action adventure game" *Looks nervously at Fallout 76*

[@christopheralvarado4544]

Tbh I think that's why Skyrim sold like it did. Until Skyrim I just never cared for TES, and when I first saw the trailer it gave off the mighty badass fantasy vibe similar to Monster Hunter. I think the problem is that the original core audience felt a bit neglected and had false expectations. The only RPGs I play are Skyrim and Pokemon, which is a jrpg. Skyrim was...not exactly what I expected it to be for better and for worse.

[@christopheralvarado4544]

@topple I've been noticing a trend in RPG games. In the Pokemon community there are people who think Pokemon has just been the same thing for 20 years and that it needs a oddyssey or breath of the wild make over. I have a few gripes, but the other half and and think they're still good. My point is that there will always be a disconnect between long time fans and new fans such as myself.

[@dwculp]

I think they have kept the feel of the original, especially the feel of Daggerfal. I remember when the original Elder Scrolls was released and I wasn't all that interested. It seemed OK, and it really sucked in one of the guys in my Army unit in the barracks we lived in. However, when Daggerfall was released, I was absolutely blown away. The game was so expansive and the possibilities seemed endless. What I like most about the Elder Scrolls series is that my character is not tied down to what the developers see as the lead character. I can develop my character in almost limitless ways and take my character in the direction I want to go. In Elder Scrolls games, the main story is almost secondary, or in the background. You dont have to follow it, and it makes for a great, time consuming, in-depth experience. It has pretty much been that way in every TES game. The game is about freedom, choices and exploration and I think both the old games and the new games have captured that feeling.

[@williamofy6376]

Todd Howard is the Donald Trump of the gaming world...promises you gold, but you get half @ssed crap.

[@williamofy6376]

@@ReconCrusader Ha, sorry...couldn't resist the joke

[@nerdolo748]

Incredible video I just stumbled upon. What touched me the most is the thing about our ideal role-playing game (at least for people being into freedom, writing, immersion more than action adventure) being actually much more far from us in Skyrim than in Daggerfall. I remember dreaming about such game since being a child. One would think I should get one by now, yet nope.

[@eazybuxafew]

Never played a single elder scrolls game. But I remember watching my boy play Skyrim in college. But thoroughly enjoyed your analysis

[@PyrrhicPax]

DaggerFall sounds more ambitious than most of today's RPGS. Ive heard it's nearly impossible to remake in today's standards. But the people who pull is off, would be Gaming LEGENDS

[@samuelgrahame3617]

Well someone has remade it in Unity. Which supports mods and is open source. Which means people have upgrade alot of the assets. Added better skybox better grass. Fixed bugs. Upscaled terrain.

[@PyrrhicPax]

@@samuelgrahame3617 remade it in Unity? The assassin's Creed game?

[@samuelgrahame3617]

@@PyrrhicPax unity game engine.

[@ridalger16]

@@PyrrhicPax lmao

[@voldlifilm]

I think the trick is to embrace the creed that "nothing must be in the game". HD graphics? Get rid of it. Voice acting? Nonsense! Balanced gameplay? No no no. Make it big, pixelated, full of text and completely breakable. Playing as a barbarian? Forget joining the mage faction. Playing as a foreigner? No room for you among the militant racist faction. It can be done, it just takes balls. or ovaries. Whatever gives folks the guts to say "fuck the rules".

[@WhiteEagle8888]

As Todd was speaking about cutting down features for the upcoming Elder Scrolls games and the camera focused on the Nerevar in the back, I think I could see a tear in his eye as Todd was talking XD 56:55

[@TehUltimateSnake]

White Eagle someone make this a meme 😂

[@judeaberdeen6848]

Sweet Nerevar :,(

[@blondjon]

I absolutely love this video essay. So very good. Would love more

[@aramere3650]

This is an amazing documentary video! I love it so much

[@DR-nh2kh]

I think fallout 76 says a lot about where Bethesda is heading

[@trevorpearce4532]

Don't pre order lol I ain't buying es6 till I see youtubers review

[@ZTheLastViking]

@@trevorpearce4532 Yea same I'm still looking forward to es6 but Bethesda lost my trust. For example when Rockstar releases I don't even need to see a trailer to know it'll be a masterpiece

[@CertifiedSunset]

@@ZTheLastViking I an't buying Elder Scrolls 6 until I know that it support modding, I jsut love modding my games so much that it is almost a requirement at this point for me. Even if the game is an 11/10 I still wnat modding, I just love being part of this self developed community that gets to express their vision onto an interactive canvas.

[@ZTheLastViking]

@@CertifiedSunset I play on Playstation so I'm not modding personally but what would KZbin gaming be without mods. I play the games as they are and watch them progress to their best potential on KZbin

[@bobthebuilder1360]

All fallout 76 does is show that they sucl at making online games

[@Dramon8888]

"I can't say that Todd has done anything other than really well for the franchise. That being said, the game he's making is not the game I would have made." -Julian LeFay This quote really resonates with me. I really want to play that game, I wish that game exists. It sadden me that Julian doesn't seem to be interested in making a game, he could certainly crowdfund it, or maybe even find a publisher. Now granted, a game isn't guaranteed to be good just because one man is working on it, and even the best team can make a horrible game, but I would certainly play it. It's also sad that there doesn't seem to be any interests from anyone to make a Daggerfall-like game, or at least I'm not aware of any game like it.

[@Indigo_Gaming]

This was the most interesting thing in my interview with him. You could tell that he probably has some great ideas technologically how to improve the game, but got more than a bit burned with his experience at Bethesda. We pretty much saw eye to eye on what the original games were about: making a world that you could explore and discover, rather than be told what to do.

[@Kesyabasturd]

Indigo Gaming Is there any possibility he would come back to the gaming industry?

[@shoutingship6457]

to Indigo Gaming, I admire your ability to do comprehensive research but some of this stuff that you complain about isn't true. The complaint isn't that comprehensive or that complex. This is more like a Fable situation where every feature complained about not being in the game is actually in the game. This critique is more driven by nostalgia. Also games are improving in content but people are just complaining about them being multiplayer. Console companies got rid of online-only so this isn't anything to worry about. The quote on the other hand is really unsubstantial. Todd Howard is a game director not a game designer. He doesn't really have the role people say he does at e3 demos.

[@shoutingship6457]

It's the difference between a Movie Director and a TV Director.

[@esideras]

It just makes me sad that so few developers these days care more about maximizing profits as opposed to creating something truly great. Everything is just shallow, soulless corporate crap. It's especially true of western developers, with the exception of CDPR at least we have Kojima, Miyazaki and Yoko Taro in Japan to name a few. And we have Chode Howard, nameless EA person, nameless Activision person, nameless Ubisoft guy etc. Just a bunch of spineless money-grubbing corporate shit.

[@PabloPazosGutierrez]

I'm amazed by your scripts and locution. These are top quality videos. Impressive.

[@nomercy8989]

In 2006 when Oblivion came out I read an article from the guy behind Kingdom come: Deliverance about how he was blown away by Oblivion. But then he went back and played the older ones and found out that the game was a pretty big step back in a lot of gameplay aspects. I was an really interesting read for me.

[@GreedAndSelfishness]

Man. So thats why Kingdom Come feels a lot like oblivion. Except better.

[@manrightchea]

Oblivion had really awful dungeon exploration. That's the one thing I remember about it the most and couldn't stand about it. I remember a good dungeon on Morrowind could give you an incredibly piece of armor or weapon. Such as the Skullcrusher hammer. Not Oblivion. You'd work your tail off to get to the end of a very difficult dungeon, just to get a chest with 50 gold pieces and some healing potions. On Morrowind if you managed to earn an entire set of Glass, Ebony or Daedric armor, you felt extremely unique and people always made you feel powerful and important because of it. However because of the enemy's leveling up with you on Oblivion, everyone had the best armor, despite the fact that it should be incredibly rare. It was very immersion breaking.

[@Robert399]

Agreed and I certainly prefer Morrowind these days but people forget how impressive Oblivion's visuals and world (with features like radiant AI) were at the time. Undeniably lots of features were stripped out but I also think people forget how many were still there compared to Skyrim: attributes, custom classes, custom spells, useful effect chains, overpowered but fun effects like Reflect Spell and Chameleon, super speed (& skooma!), item durability, etc. And I still think it had the most unique and interesting side quests, even if it also had a load of crap ones. Skyrim may have improved the main quest but overall it lacks the standouts that Oblivion had; they're all consistently mediocre. Oblivion's best quests still gave its world a sense of character (even though it's not within 100 miles of Morrowind); it didn't quite feel like the whole world revolved around you, even if they were moving in that direction. (P.S. I'm not hating on Skyrim. I still enjoyed it and put hundreds of hours into it. But I definitely feel it has the least unique selling points to draw me back.)

[@darkwhipthelasher9178]

1:00:00 " It seems that in the minds of many regulars, the series has already peaked -- and that is one mountain Todd Howard's team hasn't been able to climb " JESUS, PUT OUT THE FIRE, HOLY SHIT

[@finfen9730]

Fantastic video! My personal opinion on the state of the series was they actually made a gigantic canvas for us even as it was unintentional. I'd like them to expand what they can but ultimately, the world we always think they'll make is never going to happen. It's so much to put on a development team. As a D&D player for decades and DM, I like creating stuff so as long as the modding world continues strong, we'll get to work together to customer tailor our perfect elderscrolls each time. And I think I'm ok with that.

[@duddledudeduck]

Man this is such a great video I love it

[@lolitaras22]

Best video ever! Your documentary is a work of art. I'm 48 years old and gamer since Atari 2600 and the Pong games and also, I'm addicted to rpg and open worlds. You did so thorough and extremely detailed analysis of the specific merchandise, that describes accurately the pathogens of the industry as a whole. Very well done, bravo!

[@FatherSaunders]

right there with you buddy. 40 yrs old. Gamer since atari 2600. Im craving that open world rpg that I cant just get completely lost in. Its been years and years since I have felt it and I hope one day to feel that way again!

[@korlic9]

morrowind legit gets me emotional still, such an epic installment in an already epic series

[@stellar1252]

The only thing I hate about it is the combat. It's just so... unsatisfying.

[@robertsmalls2293]

Stellar Ok S’wit.

[@meh_cromancer]

@@stellar1252 Skywind is going to be the savior. Yeah skyrim's combat is also ass, but it's going to be amazing regardless

[@matthewnewton6737]

@@meh_cromancer Skyrim's combat is WAY more fun and new player oriented than Morrowind. Sure it is not realistic, but at that point what the heck are your expectations for a video game. Skywind will be almost perfect if the community developers work the engine right.

[@meh_cromancer]

@@matthewnewton6737 what? I'm saying skyrim's combat is garbage but skywind is still going to be awesome because it's miles better than morrowind's. Reading comprehension bud.

[@Dagoth_Ur_1]

Morrowind's depth was quite special and fulfilling. Skyrim was special in it's own immersive way, but I hope the next one will be bigger.

[@devindonovan8201]

When you got to the part about combat in oblivion: I mean... That's more how it works in real life- as you said, kinetic. I prefer a system where whether I hit or miss isn't based on an invisible die roll, but rather my individual skill/ability to properly line up my spell/attack to hit the enemy.

[@Havok0159]

And frankly that isn't the problem with Oblivion's (and Skyrim's) combat. But rather the constant enemy HP scaling. In Oblivion you are incentivized to not have your main combat skills as major skills meanwhile Skyrim endgame for most people becomes the stealth archer meme.

[@bg4164]

Yeah, but in real life different characters will have varying ability to hit and do damage. The player might be great at clicking on things, but the pure mage character probably sucks at using weapons. I get that it's a preference thing, but I also think that removing the die rolls moves the game away from RPG and towards action game.

[@bloodyfunguy9025]

@@bg4164 Stat based RPG accuracy is not the only valid model for an RPG. Real time action RPGs rarely use that model, and tend more towards the current model, where the damage done is the "role" you are choosing. If I, as a battle-mage, decide to wield a weapon, I will likely not miss, as it is hard to miss an opponent right in front of me with a length of wood or steel. But being unused to it, and untrained in it, I will probably use it wrong, and not really hurt my enemy as much as a warrior or knight would. Still playing a specific role that my actions and choices defined, as my unique character. But in a more real-time friendly a immersive way.

[@Jayhawker2000]

@@bg4164 It should be a combination of both, IMO. A successful hit with a character with low skills should require more skill from the player.

[@quattro4468]

@@bloodyfunguy9025 i disagree. Ive seen lay men literally miss trying to hit trained boxers.

[@Alpha1200]

Watching this video for the second time and I have to say I really admire the amount of effort, research and detail in this. You don't see that often on KZbin.

[@voices4dayz469]

That's because Minecraft is more important than anything in the world according to KZbin view times hahahahahahahaha this video is great...also...we're doomed.

[@blackirontarkus3997]

@@voices4dayz469 imma head out