The Importance Of Landscapes To Storytelling In The Elder Scrolls
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- Опубліковано 6 лис 2022
- The Elder Scrolls games are beautiful, but their landscapes are more than just eye candy. In this video, I talk about the importance of landscapes for storytelling in the Elder Scrolls series.
Here are some articles I found helpful when I was researching this topic.
P. Martin, 'The pastoral and the subline in Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion' (2011)
V. Melnic, 'The Remediation of the Epic in Digital Games: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim' (2018)
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If Bethesda does one thing right, it is landscaping.
Music as well 🎶 🎵 🎼
Too bad storytelling is having a falling out 🥲
So does my guy Miguel. I hear he's got a good mariachi band too.
@@veteranofthepsyche cheers for Miguel
Fr. World building really is what they do well.
@@carterneis8469 Worldbuilding is a narrative thing, while landscaping is a more visual, physical thing.
Worldbuilding establishes the constants and the rulesets of a given setting, and the things that have happened within the setting that led to the point of which a story begins. A couple classic examples of worldbuilding would be Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, or the writings of Robert E. Howard.
I still remember in my first playthrough of Skyrim that I was on my way from Whiterun to Windhelm and distantly hearing a dragon fly and roar. I felt genuinely intimidated. Even after 2k hours it still puts me on edge. Simply beautiful.
Skyrim has a very immersive way of giving you dragon fighting “instincts”. I cannot count how many times I saw a shadow pass over me and draw my weapons, only to find it was a cloud in the sky, not a dragon. It’s like a dovahkiin ptsd, and I could genuinely see most inhabitants of Skyrim having this exact experience.
“Have to keep my eyes open, damn dragons can swoop down at any moment”.
My fondest memory in a RPG is standing in the wilds of Cyrodil overnight while listening to Auriel's Ascension. It was dark and quiet leaving me feeling the tranquility of the night.
I love skyrims landscape, it makes me truly feel like I'm in an adventure and in another world. Almost like I am actually that character in the game
The Imperial City from afar for the first time through the trees is breathtaking.
But the moment that always sticks with me is turning the bend of the road in Skyrim from Riverwood to Whiterun, hearing "Far Horizons" on that first trip from Helgen to Whiterun. Whiterun seeming so large in the background, with the sun starting to set after meeting the three revelers for the first time as well so close to Riverwood.
Just looks like the start of a great adventure.
These videos are so cozy for the fall. Thanks for the vibes man! 🍃
Yep. My fondest memory of world of Warcraft was being like level 12 on my first character seeing ratchet for the fist time, just before sunset. It’s a little port town I approached from the hill above it, it sits against the ocean with a dock, a boat, and a few buildings. It’s really not much, but at the time it was amazing. And that stayed with me
The most memorable moment in Skyrim for me can be summed up into two words:
"Forgotten Vale"
Same... It leaves me with awe and wonder every time...
Hey Avarti. I just want to say that I find these video essays of yours very interesting and entertaining.
Thank you for taking the time to make them! :)
Yees Avarti
Will be playing Skyrim on stream for the first time on stream real soon so I'm super excited. Right now I'm wrapping up the Fallout 4 journey.
Thanks for this essay. Really worth subbing to you.
I agree with you about how I remember Skyrim and the other elder scrolls games. Specifically for skyrim, I can feel homesick traveling the world when I listen to Far Horizons, my favourite song of the soundtrack. And it is weird that it is Skyrim, since I played oblivion more than Skyrim, but I don't feel that when listening to Oblivion OST.
Environments are always important to visual storytelling. They create the atmosphere and set the tone. You learn a lot about what is going on through them as well as helps us understand the world. TES always has done a great job of that. The start in Morrowind has you arrive from the outside and the land reflects that alien feeling one would feel in a new place. Oblivion you start off in a dark ruin like cell, which is the opposite of Cameron's little plane of Oblivion.
Jeremy Soule is the most indispensable person involved in the Elder Scrolls series
his music is literally magic.
Only equaled by Howard Shore´s LOTR score.
TW3 also has amazing music tho.
I genuinely enjoy just roaming the wilds of Skyrim, following the paths, not running or dashing, just walk slowly along and admire the surroundings. Stopping and setting up a camp for the night, finding food by hunting or foraging, just pretending that I actually live in the landscape.
Woot another avarti vid!
Avarti, I like your videos very much, I watch every single one with utmost interest. I really like how you dissect different topics in video games and how you present your opinions to us. I share most of your opinions with you, my first big game was Oblivion and I fell in love with it since. I spend so much time in Skyrim too. I wish you become more successful if it is what you wish and please dont stop making this series. We want to hear from you :) Cheers from Slovakia
Im so glad this is what you do. Exactly how you do it. I dont get the time these days to play long games and get in to the lore and the actual immersion of them. But your vids and how you do them actually fills that need. Totally surprising to me. Plus, ive been game developing a good bit in my free time, and these vids and takes on all this has REALLY inspired me with direction for a new game. Nothing near as massive as these lol but as immersive by music, story, dialong, play fun etc. Thanks!
Was waiting for your Skyrim videos for a while 🎉
Skyrim was my first Elder Scrolls game and, while it's no White-Gold Tower, seeing Solitude's location atop that rock archway to the Blue Palace really sticks with me.
Those are some nice landscapes. You should probably buy more DLC to enjoy it more. pls.
Fallout 3 does a fantastic job at giving a great first impression as well, when you step out of the vault for the first time and look down that little cliff onto the wasteland.
Though a game that really did an outstanding job for me, when it comes to great first impression and being immersive, is South Park The Stick of Truth. That moment, right near the beginning of the game, where "you" can climb the watchtower of Kupa Keep and the camera sways over to let you see the town you're so familiar with from the show, which is now yours to explore and which for the first time has gained a consistent layout... that was just a magical moment for someone who loved the show.
Yaaaas! Glad your back to work 🎉
In the TES games I've always liked the notion that the "World goes on whether I'm there or not". Those people have lives, chores, schedules, friends and just life. When I approach a group, enter a town or similar they are going on about there life, It doesnt seem to begin or end with me at all. Nature goes along like it always has and will. I'm just a part of that.
I am working and listening to Jeremy Soule wonderful OST and each day I am back in Skyrim. Even 10hr ambient sounds are incredible. I recognize every sound. I know people will tell older games Morrowind/Oblivion were better, but I found Skyrim the best because of scenery and atmosphere. I would totally remove fast travel, I would slow down game even more and make special equipment really special and not having "skeever" running around with ebony axe
Great video 😍
my own most immmersed moment was back in 2016-7 i was drunk and i was in my buble, i was walking passed the silent moon camp weaving around the god forsaken sabrecats encounter, and i went up the hill to go to drela's cottage and a dragon just dropped out of nowhere i got so suprised it was glorious, then the one from eldersblood peak saw me and i had to fight 2 at the same time xD then the game crash xD
you can't get enough of this game i am telling about the game itself without any mods its a game that have no end and you can't say i am down with it
super insightful analysis
What a lovely video :)
Bruh during my first Skyrim play through I didn’t even know I could fast travel
I like to turn off the music when I play Skyrim sometimes. It makes it even more immersive imo lol especially in Skyrim VR
BGS: World building
OE: Story writing
Thumb Up #603! 👍 You're welcome! Thanks for the fun, digital video recording! 🎬🖖✌️😎🤓
Notes: I like your perspective about it. I think that I've felt that way too, without knowing it until now. 🤔
Damn dude, I haven't seen a vid of you'rs in ages
Do a top ten singing bards of Skyrim video!!
what a great video!
Is it really hidden if it’s given right in front of the player?
luh yu.
Just the day before writing this I maxed out illusion and destruction and went on a clean up mission to soul trap all elves from each hold in black gems and used frenzy to not get arested for doing so because for some reason they consider knifeears "people" . This is proof that is I wake up on some side of the bed and decide to roleplay as a schizo , sadistic and goofy ah argonian vampire I could get right at it.
Are you still playing the game? Tell me the truth 🙌🏻
Mankar Camoran was right. Lorkhan was betrayed by the so-called "Aedra", if they were gods they wouldn't have died. Even Lorkhan's heart couldn't be destroyed by them.
TAMRIEL AE DAEDROTH
Can we stop bashing Skyrim for "automatically starting the game as dragonborn," when that's completely the same player choice as TES3 & TES4 (albeit very early in the game)? That's your fault if you auto-pilot the intro without realizing you don't learn that you're dragonborn until you defend the Whiterun western watchtower. Just don't retrieve the dragonstone of Bleak Falls Barrow.
Predictable replies:
"But you still learn dragon shouts from word walls."
So, don't approach them.
"But then you can't use dragon shouts."
Yeah, that's the point.
Bruh
Your voice is as beautiful as this game haha
First! Love your content
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@@perkitaseaman3290 Thanks 😂
Here, you deserve a trophy 🏆
First? Don’t even know
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@@perkitaseaman3290 thank you my kind sir
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Bethesda is incredible at landscaping, but mostly horrible at writing characters. When it comes to guns in games they re simply the worst.
Absolutely love “The Elder Scrolls” my all time favorite games. ⚔️⚡️🔥🧊