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 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Table Of Contents: Chapter I: Welcome To Morrowind, Try Not To Get Eaten Chapter II: The Club At The End Of The Street Chapter III: The Way Back Chapter IV: Grind and Smash Chapter V: Losers, Users and Deadbeats _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Why are you doing this LP? Because this was the LP I was originally planning to do before I got sidetracked with Warcraft III and CyberNations. Have you played this game before? Not for any meaningful length of time, no. I've played plenty of Oblivion and Skyrim, but I'll be playing Morrowind largely blind. Screenshot or video? Screenshot. Thanks to Steam's customizable insta-screenshot ability, posting updates will be a snap (not counting time spent altering certain images for comic effect). Any expansions? I have the Steam Game Of The Year Edition, which includes Bloodmoon and Tribunal. Any mods? Nope. This is going to be a vanilla-flavoured shitshow. To be honest, I'm tired of constantly modding PC games. Unless it's broken to the point of unplayable, I just want to play the damned thing as it is for once! BUT MORROWIND IS OLD AND UGLY It's a 12 year old game running on a 3 year old notebook with a discontinued chipset, and you're expecting it to bedazzle you? Still, I cranked up the graphics settings as high as they would go and it looks pretty good. Here's a test shot from my main save file:  BUT I KNOW THIS REALLY GREAT MOD ON NEXUS THAT... No, I don't care what mods you recommend, this is totally, utterly, and without exception A MOD-FREE GAME and besides, LizardWizard says you're supposed to let me suffer. Besides, a lot of people are unaware of just how utterly broken the game mechanics truly are. Skyrim may be riddled with bugs and memory allocation issues, but it was built on the shoulders of hideously deformed, brain-damaged giants fuelled by the bitter tears of Michael Kirkbride. As is customary for my LPs, the input of my viewers is greatly appreciated. It lets me know people are interested and thus keeps me motivated. Please choose the following for my Morrowind character: Gender Since there's no transgender/intersex mod installed, you're stuck choosing between male or female. Name I'm not going to spend this entire LP calling my character "Hey You" or "That Dickhead With The Sword". Please give them a suitable name. Race There are ten races to choose from: Breton (Human): Though technically half elven according to lore (Nedes getting jiggy with Aldmer), Bretons are generally regarded as human. Hailing from the Northwest province of High Rock, they make good Squishy Wizards thanks to magical skill and resistance bonuses combined with subpar endurance and agility. Equivalent to Celts in real life. Imperial (Human): Cosmopolitan folks from the Imperial seat of Cyrodiil, Imperials are endowed with speech and mercantile bonuses. Combined with their Voice of the Emperor ability, they can pretty much charm their way out of most tight spots. Imperials who fail to talk or bribe their way out of trouble can fight their way out with boosted melee skills. Equivalent to Romans in real life. Nord (Human): Descendants of the original Atmoran refugees fleeing to the northern province of Skyrim, Nords are hard-drinking, hard-working, wild and woolly warriors who will happily beat anyone into the ground for insulting them. They suck at stealth, magic and other abstract skills, but the generous bonuses in melee, armour, endurance and frost resistance make Nord characters worthwhile. Equivalent to Vikings in real life. Redguard (Human): Hardened fighters and mercenaries from the desert province of Hammerfell, the Ra Gada are blessed with resistance to poison and common disease and enjoy bonuses to speed, endurance and agility. Their Greater Power, Adrenaline Rush, allows these attributes to be even further enhanced temporarily. Like the Nords, however, Redguards fare poorly in magical classes. Equivalent to Spanish Moors in real life. Altmer (High Elf): Like the Bretons, the natives of Summerset Isle make great Squishy Wizards as a result of their enhanced magical skill and stat bonuses. Unlike the Bretons, though, Altmer have a much wider range of magical resistances and their Greater Power allows them to temporarily expand their magicka (spell power) reservoir. Bosmer (Wood Elves): A nature-worshipping offshoot of the Altmer, Bosmer have remarkable stealth and marksman bonuses and a greater diseases resistance than Redguards. They come undone in melee combat, though, and their magical skills fall way behind their high elven cousins. Their Beast Tongue skill allows them to bend wild animals to their will. Dunmer (Dark Elves): Native to Morrowind (the game's setting), Dunmer used to be an Aldmeri offshoot called the Chimer (Changed Folk), until they were cursed en masse by the Daedric Lord Azura for trying to become gods. Dunmer enjoy hefty resistance to fire damage and the Ancestor Guardian ability, which in Morrowind reduces the likelihood of physical damage (changed in later games to inflict melee fire damage). In terms of skill bonuses, Dunmer are in the middle of the road: bonuses to stealth, melee and magic skills allow them to fit into almost any character class. Orsimer (Orcs): Former elves turned humanoid beasts, Orcs surpass even the most battle-scarred Nord when it comes to raw brute strength. In addition to generous melee and armour bonuses, Orcs have the Berserk ability, allowing them to supercharge themselves in the heat of battle. If you want an overpowered blunt trauma specialist with personality and looks to match, look no further. Khajiit (Cat Folk): Even though Khajiit primarily excel in stealth skills (making them ideal thieves and assassins), they can also make decent wizards with the right training and the right spell complement. The biggest problem is the armour restrictions: Khajiit in Morrowind can't wear any kind of footwear and certain kinds of helmets won't fit them. If you want a character that can go anywhere and take on anything, you want a Khajiit. Argonians (Lizard Folk): The best part about playing an Argonian is the ability to breathe underwater. They also have total resistance to poison and a hefty resistance to disease. Their skill bonuses don't help when you're trying to choose a class, though: they're good at some of the more abstract magic schools like Mysticism, but combat magics will require some powerleveling (If you really want an Argonian battlemage, I'll do it, but be prepared for a long hard slog). Like the Khajiit, Argonians are limited on what armour pieces they can wear (which can nerf their Medium Armor bonus somewhat). Class Choose from 21 preset classes, all with their own distinct advantages and disadvantages. Birthsign The Elder Scrolls universe has its own zodiac of 13 star signs, as described in the in-game book 'The Firmament'. What sign will this character be born under? GrandTheftAutism fucked around with this message at 02:24 on Oct 9, 2014 |
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Oct 2, 2014 01:50
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 06:40 |
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Going off of the thread title, we are a Pilgrim named Joe Wane. Also I guess we're an orcish dude born under the sign of the atronach.
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Oct 2, 2014 02:03
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ScreamingLlama posted:LizardWizard says you're supposed to let me suffer. Mod-free vanilla Morrowind? Make you suffer?  Don't care about the race (imperial), gender (male), or name (Suenoymous Wrex). You're making a mage spellshooter type with the Atronach sign.Edit: Not even one exception for the worst mod ever? Ulvirich fucked around with this message at 02:28 on Oct 2, 2014 |
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Oct 2, 2014 02:07
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Name: Bjorc Gender: Any! Bjorc works for everyone. Race: Orc Starsign: Atronach Class: Sorceror
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Oct 2, 2014 02:14
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Ulvirich posted:Mod-free vanilla Morrowind? Make you suffer?  I have no input on name or gender, but purely because I want you to try being charismatic, I suggest an Orc Bard born under the sign of the Atronach. e: If this is chosen, you must also acquire and keep the Fat Lute. Dareon fucked around with this message at 02:25 on Oct 2, 2014 |
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Oct 2, 2014 02:21
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Oh Morrowind. The only thing I remember about this game was crafting a maximum strength leap spell with a one second duration as a method of fast travel, along with a maximum strength slow fall with a short duration. Sure I had to quick load a few times to get where I was going, but the leading lizard was king!
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Oct 2, 2014 02:22
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Edit: woops!
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Oct 2, 2014 02:27
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An Orcish spellcaster born under Atronach?   I know goons can be sadistic cunts sometimes, but REALLY?*sigh* All right then. We'll have an Orc sorcerer named Bjorc. This is going to get interesting, to say the least. quote:Not even one exception for the worst mod ever? 
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Oct 2, 2014 02:47
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ScreamingLlama posted:*sigh* All right then. We'll have an Orc sorcerer named Bjorc. This is going to get interesting, to say the least. Well, you did give us a open invitation! There also had better be mysticism in the skill picks, and what spell caster needs blade, blunt or any other type of weapons training?
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Oct 2, 2014 02:54
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Sorceror's aren't the worst of hard mode. They do get short blades, marksman and 2 armor types. Is Morrowind the game where you can buy slaves for your house? I distinctively remembering doing that.
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Oct 2, 2014 02:58
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Ending character suggestions already? I was gonna suggest Dunmer Crusader. Anyway, Atronach Sorceror should be ultimately quite powerful regardless of race.
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Oct 2, 2014 03:02
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Lord Windy posted:Is Morrowind the game where you can buy slaves I remember the Telvanni having a slave auction, yeah.
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Oct 2, 2014 03:06
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Mountaineer posted:Ending character suggestions already? I was gonna suggest Dunmer Crusader. I've never heard of anyone playing an Orc spellcaster before, so it's something totally new for me.
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Oct 2, 2014 03:09
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Any race can be a decent caster with Atronach. You might want to go for a female Orc, though, since their intelligence isn't as bad as males. And, yep, there's slavery in Morrowind. There are slave markets, plantations, abolitionists and everything. It's terrible, sure, but you can go around freeing slaves if you want.
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Oct 2, 2014 03:13
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Yeah, go a girl orc. Alchemy is important for Atronach, so make sure you keep up with that. Making potions will be very important.
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Oct 2, 2014 03:16
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Ulvirich posted:Edit: Not even one exception for the worst mod ever? So this is what hell is like...
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Oct 2, 2014 06:35
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ScreamingLlama posted:Altmer (High Elf): Like the Bretons, the natives of Summerset Isle make great Squishy Wizards as a result of their enhanced magical skill and stat bonuses. Unlike the Bretons, though, Altmer have a much wider range of magical resistances and their Greater Power allows them to temporarily expand their magicka (spell power) reservoir. Wait what? Altmer are weak to everything. And the greater power is just a base magic boost. Man this is going to be a blind run isn't it?
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Oct 2, 2014 07:14
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Argonian Battlemage, please. Other stats are unimportant as long as you are an Argonian Battlemage.
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Oct 2, 2014 07:16
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Chapter I: Welcome To Morrowind, Try Not To Get Eaten    The dread voice fades from my mind as I am shaken awake by Jiub, the battle-scarred Dunmer who has been my constant companion aboard this shithole of a prison ship.  Wake up, we're here. Why are you shaking? Are you OK? Wake up. Huh? Stand up... there you go. You were dreaming. What's your name? Since you requested a female orc, I altered the name slightly to make it a little more appropriate. Well, not even last night's storm could wake you. I heard them say we've reached Morrowind, I'm sure they'll let us go. By Malacath, they'd better. I didn't even do anything wrong. You put one foot in the wrong part of Cyrodiil and suddenly you're a target. Quiet, here comes the guard. Sure enough, an Imperial guard comes clomping into our little room and tells me to GTFO. Jiub stays behind; it's the last I see of him.  Up on deck, a second guard points me towards the gangplank for disembarking.  I haven't even reached terra firma when a third guard accosts me on the wharf and asks to see my identity papers...   Here, I think you'll find these in order. Finally, my feet hit dry land and I enter the Census and Customs Office of Seyda Neen. I'm greeted by Socucius Ergalla, who has some paperwork to fill out before I can go on my merry way.  This is the easiest way.     My release papers. All right, time to blow this joint.  Through the door on the right, down the hall and to the right, I find a room full of stuff just begging to be taken. No, seriously. "Take us with yooou, Bjorca! Look, I'm a nice sharp dagger! Wouldn't you like to get all stabby with me?"  Sure, if I had something to stab. But I don't, so I'll probably end up selling the drat thing.  I try out the lockpick on the chest on the bookshelf behind me.  Half a dozen attempts later...  Further down the hallway and down some steps there's a storage room full of sacks containing food and alchemy ingredients. I think I'll just help myself.  I have to go through the rear courtyard to get to the main office. Seems a rather odd building design to me.  I do, however, find a nifty magic ring, some gold and a bottle of something in the bottom of the barrel near the door. Honestly, who leaves stuff like that in barrels out in the open?  There's a more senior Legion muckety-muck waiting for me in the office. As a condition of my release from jail, I have to go see a fellow named Caius Cosades and give him a package and letter. There's gold in it for me courtesy of  Finally, I stumble back out into the daylight and into Seyda Neen proper. It's not much to look at.  The first local I try talking to shares my disdain for Imperial twatwaffles and asks me if I've seen a magic ring anywhere. Turns out the one I found was taken from him by some crooked guards. In exchange for its safe return, Fargoth scores me some sweet deals at the general store in town. Which is good, because that's where I'm headed next.  Arrille, the proprietor of said general store, is happy to relieve me of my loot and gold in exchange for some decent clothes, some herbs...  ...and a VERY useful piece of equipment I shall put to good use.   He sells spells, too, which is just what I need. I don't think Fire Bite is really going to cut it here.  My shopping spree finished and my purse nearly empty, I explore the town for a bit, hoping to find some more free poo poo.  Inside the local lighthouse, I find some more reagents in burlap sacks.  Unfortunately, those weren't mine to take.  ORCISH SORCERESS POWAAAAH     While looting the rest of the lighthouse, I come across a skill book! AW YEAH  I'm reviewing my inventory when I realized my new clothes didn't auto-equip after I sold the old ones. I just walked right through Seyda Neen butt naked.   That's much better.  Exiting the lighthouse, I happened upon some gold and silver inside a hollow tree stump. Not even an hour into this LP and the game is practically pouring money down my throat.  As the sun begins to set, casting a pinkish tinge over everything, I go hunting for some more magic plants when OH DEAR GODS WHAT IS THAT THING  Two zaps later, I find out that's a goddamn mudcrab. They look a lot less threatening in Oblivion and Skyrim.  As the light fades and the stars begin to appear, I check the crossroads signage to make sure I'm going in the right direction, pick a few more plants and then decide it's not worth the risk sleeping out in the open. Fortunately my escapades thus far have gotten me more than enough gold to buy a ride to Balmora.  As the siltstrider clears the platform and lumbers away from Seyda Neen, I curl up on the deck and try to get some shut-eye. Will Bjorca be able to mix potions? Will she get the goods delivered to Caius Cosades without getting too lost? What's in the package? Tune in next time for another chapter! GrandTheftAutism fucked around with this message at 09:18 on Oct 2, 2014 |
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Oct 2, 2014 08:48
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 You said vanilla all over the OP, but I was still not expecting those faces. I just... never played without Better Faces/Bodies, apparently.
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Oct 2, 2014 09:30
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And just how are you going to "suffer" when you're playing a race capable of wearing shoes? I mean, it's MUCH worse when the mud and who knows what else gets squished between your toes. Ah well, the main quest is nothing but pure torment towards the end, so that'll have to do.
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Oct 2, 2014 09:50
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There are no quest markers in Morrowind, which means I'm going to be traipsing through the Ashlands for miles in the wrong direction, or traversing the length of a foyada because I can't find that one bloody door hidden behind a bush. You just watch. Besides, shoes and boots don't last forever.
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Oct 2, 2014 10:34
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I'm kinda confused about all of you people thinking Atronach is a bad thing. It's by far the most broken sign in the game. edit: VVV Yeah, there's the Morrowind inexperience talking. Here's a tip: learn to summon ghosts. Then hit them. Watch magic happen. Literally. Mind you, I'm not trying to get you to use exploits or anything, but treating one of the most ridiculously overpowered things in the game as a challenge is kind of off-putting. anilEhilated fucked around with this message at 12:24 on Oct 2, 2014 |
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Oct 2, 2014 10:42
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It's a bad thing if you're playing a purely magical class, given that it prevents you from regenerating your magicka when you sleep, which means you're completely dependent on magicka potions to save your rear end in a fight (unless you have magicka regen enchantments on your clothes or armour).
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Oct 2, 2014 11:01
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ScreamingLlama posted:It's a bad thing if you're playing a purely magical class, given that it prevents you from regenerating your magicka when you sleep, which means you're completely dependent on magicka potions to save your rear end in a fight (unless you have magicka regen enchantments on your clothes or armour). Alchemy solves that problem for you, and in the long run the huge reserve of magicka works out well for you. As time goes on, you will be enchanting various regen and whatnot to solve the problem for good, but past the first few levels the problem is negligible.
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Oct 2, 2014 13:27
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Technically, Alchemy solves every problem. Potentially for days on end.
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Oct 2, 2014 14:30
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Technically, you don't even need to touch it to break the game in half: arguably the most ridiculous potion, Sujamma, is freely available. And honestly, if you think you have to rely on potions as an Atronach player, you've probably been playing as an Atronach for less than an hour. Even loving can shrines recharge you, not to mention roughly half the enemies. e: But yes, alchemy is a beatiful, beautiful science in the land of Morrowind. I'd say that was the reason why they hosed it up in the sequels if not for, well, them loving up everything else as well. anilEhilated fucked around with this message at 14:37 on Oct 2, 2014 |
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Oct 2, 2014 14:34
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ScreamingLlama posted:There are no quest markers in Morrowind, which means I'm going to be traipsing through the Ashlands for miles in the wrong direction, or traversing the length of a foyada because I can't find that one bloody door hidden behind a bush. You just watch. Really? If it lacks such basics as fast travel, quest markers, and, from what I've heard, has otherwise extremely clunky mechanics, why were there so many people whining that Skyrim was "dumbed down"? Are they just so enamored with wrestling inconvenience that they mistake it for skill?
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Oct 2, 2014 16:08
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Geostomp posted:Are they just so enamored with wrestling inconvenience that they mistake it for skill? Well on one hand you've got advocates who want a game to make you think which is all well and fine, on the other hand, what you said.
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Oct 2, 2014 16:19
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Geostomp posted:Really? If it lacks such basics as fast travel, quest markers, and, from what I've heard, has otherwise extremely clunky mechanics, why were there so many people whining that Skyrim was "dumbed down"? Are they just so enamored with wrestling inconvenience that they mistake it for skill? The game tries to provide directions as best it can and it kinda assumes you can follow them without aid. Modern games, even Oblivion just omit telling you where something is, because they can just put a marker down and know you can't get lost. Mind you, what Morrowind was doing at the time was still very new an innovative and people weren't sure where it was going at the time, so people got accustomed to this world where you had to use the real-life skill of being able to follow directions and navigate properly. The problem was that too much of the time it was super vague and often you could mistake directions and end up missing the vital path entirely or they would omit important details. It was imperfect, it was dumb, people didn't know any better at the time, but it was at least nice as an option. There is a thing about simplifying too much.
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Oct 2, 2014 16:37
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Geostomp posted:Really? If it lacks such basics as fast travel, quest markers, and, from what I've heard, has otherwise extremely clunky mechanics, why were there so many people whining that Skyrim was "dumbed down"? Are they just so enamored with wrestling inconvenience that they mistake it for skill? It also has a well-developed and interesting world, an involved plotline, hand-crafted dungeons and loot as well as stats that actually, y'know, mean something, rather unlike the FPS sequels. Yes, the combat is clunky - but the interface, for example, is much better than any of the developed-for-console poo poo that followed. And that's not getting into all the features Oblivion and Skyrim removed. Also the exploration doesn't consist of running into the same level-scaled enemies and items the entire time. edit: It's not all nostalgia - to my knowledge, there's literally no other game out there that does what Morrowind does with its open-world gameplay. Skyrim is a somewhat fun action romp to go through once but drags on, Oblivion is just a steaming pile of poo poo. anilEhilated fucked around with this message at 16:42 on Oct 2, 2014 |
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Oct 2, 2014 16:38
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An orc with Atronach is actually pretty solid in terms of defense. With their Resist Magicka bonus, spells have to go through two layers of protection! That having been said, Bjorc would have been a perfectly fine name for a lady.  EDIT: Whoa, going straight to Balmora? That's kind of surprising. Scaly Haylie fucked around with this message at 23:02 on Oct 2, 2014 |
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Oct 2, 2014 17:35
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Geostomp posted:Are they just so enamored with wrestling inconvenience that they mistake it for skill? With what others are saying, the game didn't always hold your hand. I loved the lack of quest markers as it helped me learn as a young teenager how to read maps and carefully read the quest information. I think early WoW did something similar. But more importantly, it really helped with learning the world. It's been awhile since I've played (bought and downloading the game now :3) and I could still probably navigate my way around the entire southern portion of the map without needing to even look where I am going.
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Oct 2, 2014 23:23
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Lord Windy posted:With what others are saying, the game didn't always hold your hand. I loved the lack of quest markers as it helped me learn as a young teenager how to read maps and carefully read the quest information. I think early WoW did something similar. The issue with early WoW, and yes, it had you go across the drat continent to get a drat quest item....screw you Fandral, Most people just downloaded Quest helper, which gave an arrow pointing to where you needed to go. So, yes, people are just too lazy to read text.
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Oct 3, 2014 01:22
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My issue with Morrowind is less that they gave you directions, but that it was more often than not impossible to ask for the directions again if you forgot them, and your only hope of seeing them again in that case is the journal, which I found infuriating to try and use.
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Oct 3, 2014 01:27
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anilEhilated posted:I'm kinda confused about all of you people thinking Atronach is a bad thing. It's by far the most broken sign in the game. Oh god yes. I saw us pick up Atronach and was like "Well this is gonna be easy mode now." That sign literally does all the work for you. You can shrug off pretty much anything; including enchanted weapon hits and the downsides of some enchanted items such as the Boots of Blinding Speed. And you can recharge your magic really easily by praying at temples. Also Alchemy is stupidly strong and you should always pick it up. Mixing drugs is the way of the future.
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Oct 3, 2014 01:32
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Geostomp posted:Really? If it lacks such basics as fast travel, quest markers, and, from what I've heard, has otherwise extremely clunky mechanics, why were there so many people whining that Skyrim was "dumbed down"? Are they just so enamored with wrestling inconvenience that they mistake it for skill? Those whining about Skyrim being dumbed down are gaming masochists who like their games Nintendo Hard. My main beef with Skyrim is the stuff that wasn't carried over from Oblivion, like the Hand to Hand and Acrobatics skills. I have Skyrim on PS3, which means I can't just mod those skill classes back in. (muttermutterbloodyconsolegaming) anilEhilated posted:Oblivion is just a steaming pile of poo poo. You've obviously never been to Shivering Isles. Will update soon.
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Oct 3, 2014 06:17
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ScreamingLlama posted:You've obviously never been to Shivering Isles. Whoa now, let's not go saying Oblivion isn't poo poo.
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Oct 3, 2014 06:25
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ScreamingLlama posted:You've obviously never been to Shivering Isles. Fine, a steaming pile of psychedelic poo poo.
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Oct 3, 2014 06:28
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 06:40 |
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ScreamingLlama posted:Those whining about Skyrim being dumbed down are gaming masochists who like their games Nintendo Hard.
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Oct 3, 2014 07:08
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