Elder Scrolls Explorer: Introduction (Premise)

Another mini-series I'm starting! The Elder Scrolls Explorer is bound to continue on for quite a while

There are thousands of RPGs (Role-Playing Games) out there, of all different sorts. Open world RPGs leave the player to do whatever they want, while guided RPGs bring them along for a ride, giving them goals to reach and bosses to defeat. These two styles are different ends of one spectrum, and there are loads of games in between, each of them unique in what they bring to the table. One specific series has touched me, and helped define what I find to be a good game. The games are known to many by their individual titles: Arena and Daggerfall for the oldschool gamers, and Morrowind and Oblivion for the newbies in the gaming arena. All together, these games make up what is known as the Elder Scrolls Series. They're renowned for their open-ended gameplay and their humungous worlds, and have won many awards, such as Game of the Year, and Best of E3...
I've loved these games ever since I was introduced to them, and I figured that for all of you that haven't yet been introduced, I'd better fill you in. For those of you that have experienced the glory that is an Elder Scrolls game, hang on for the ride, and maybe I'll show you a couple tricks you never knew about beforehand. :D

The premise of the entire series is stated outright in the instruction manuals (that people rarely read, which I have a problem with - but that's for another time): play the way you want to play, and have fun with it! The series always starts the player in a relatively simple tutorial area, whether it be a dungeon or a customs office, where the controls are explained, and the player can design their character any way they like. Character design sets up the general experience for the rest of the game, so quite a bit rests upon it, but if the character doesn't seem to work, it's always possible to work around or fix it (or just design a new character).

After design, the player is sent off with their character into the vast world and left to their own devices. Oftentimes, players choose a mix of exploration and questing, which generally provides the most rewarding gameplay experience. As the world is full of quests for both the most holy and darkest of dark characters, so there's always something new to discover in cities or the wilderness, and dungeons and temples are scattered about as well, offering their loot up to anyone that can face their dangers without being decimated. Combat along journeys can be dealt with in many different ways, and it serves as the main gauge of your character's skill.
The self-guided nature of these games makes playing them feel like leading another life in which decisions at one point can affect hundreds of things in your future...I find it absolutely wonderful, and so do thousands of other gamers. They're definitely worth checking out.

I'll be continuing this series with an actual breakdown of the games, the series history, and the plotline that ties the series together.

Have fun, good gaming, and remember: don't feed the trolls.
-Toast