The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Been a while since I wrote a review, and writing one for this game is rather daunting. Yes this review does ramble on somewhat. But I've always done stream-of-thought reviewing.

The Specs:

While the Recommended Specs are a 800mhz Processor, 256 MB RAM, 1 gig of HD Space, and a 32 mb videocard. I'd have to say, it should run on something larger. This thing really is a processor and RAM hog.

On the plus side, it's coming out for the X-box within a couple weeks, which will open it up to all those who don't have mid-range on up computers.

Basics of the Game:

Morrowind is a single-player, single-character First Person (or Third Person if you prefer, but no above the character's heads view) non-linear RPG.

In it you play a prisoner, recently released on the Island of Vvardenfall. You are one of ten races (4 of which are Human, 3 'Elven' (They don't look too Tolkienish either, especially Wood elves), and 3 'beast' races (Orcs, a Humanoid Feline race, and a Humaniod Lizard race). Each race has special abilities, like the Breton's powerful shield spell (once a day use) and the Orc's ability to Berserk once a day.

There are 21 premade character classes, but you can easily create your own. Classes are just a set of skills. Each class has 5 Major skills, 5 Minor skills, 2 favored Attributes, and a specific specialty (Combat, Magic, and Sneak).

There are 27 total skills, ranging from 4 different armor types, 7 different weapon types, 6 different magic schools, and 10 others. Major skills start out higher than minors, and are easy to raise. And Minors start out higher than Misc skills (which are the 17 skills that aren't in a classes Major/Minor list), and are easier to raise. Also each race gets a bonus to certain skills to show their culture.

There are 8 attributes: Strength, Intelligence, Willpower, Agility, Speed, Endurance, Personality and Luck. Each skill is linked to one of these Attributes. Except Luck has no skill linked to it, it has a small effect on everything. Your attributes depend on your race, and your class a bit. You get the chance to raise your attributes everytime you gain a level. Every ten skill raises, you gain a level.

There is also Health (of course), Fatigue, Magicka (Think spellpoints), and Encumbrance. Fatigue is how tired you are. If you run for a while and then get into combat, you'll find yourself failing at spellcasting more, or connecting with your sword thrusts less.

Also, there are Birthsigns. Starsigns your character was born under. Think zodiac signs. Except these give your character a special ability, or huge stat raise.

There are over 50 different spell effects, which can be combined in spells. (Think of casting one spell, which causes Fire damage to the target, blinds them, and frightens them.) Also, you can enchant your own items with the effects you wish. Can't find that sword that does 40 points of Frost Damage to a target? Enchant one yourself.

Each weapon has 3 different damage ratings. There are 3 maneuvoures in combat. Slashing, Thrusting, and Chopping. Depending on how you move, your swing will be one of the 3.

Non-Linear?:

When they say non-linear, they mean you can ignore the main quest. You don't have a time table. If you want to blow off the main quest, and just join a guild, a house, or a secret organization and rise in its ranks, go ahead. You're entirely free to do so. In fact, the game encourages joining other guilds or political factions.

Quests for a guild usually are selfish on behalf of the guild givers (Or so I've found with my Mage anyhow. Might be different in the Fighters Guild), but doing them will cause the guild to like you more. Which can cause price breaks, more people to buy things from, or free stuff.

The Editor:

I won't say to much about this, since I haven't really messed with it. The game comes with an editor, so you can make your own mods. It came with no documentation, but so far there are dozens of player created mods out already. And since the entire game was built using the Editor, it is obviously usable.

My feelings:

I've tried to be objective up to this point, but since this is a Review, it's time to be subjective.

First off, graphics. They are extremely beautiful. Even on my GeForce 2 (The game supposedly looks better on a GF3 or 4) I was stunned when I first got in.

Sound: I do love the sound. Granted, hearing several Ordinators saying "We're watching you scum" every few minutes can get annoying. The music is also great, but considering my computer, I don't have it playing so I can boost FPS.

Playability: This is a bit of a problem. Not for me as much, but others have experienced the game crashing several times while playing. I even get pretty good FPS. Though, for some reason, in a lighthouse early on in the game, while walking up it's stairs, the game gets choppy.

Also, there are loading problems. Every few minutes, the game'll freeze for a second to load something. That can get annoying, but it so far has never happened in Combat.

Fun: I have rather enjoyed the game so far. I've currently done some of the main quest, and lots of quests for a Political House, and the Mages Guild. Some of these are easy little chores. "Go find and get this for me." Others are tougher. I find myself saying, quite often, "Oh, This will only take me a little while longer." It can suck me in quite quickly.

The only real annoying thing I've found, is how dangerous exploring can be. Just a few minutes off the road, and you may find something you aren't ready for.

Replayability: This seems to be highly replayable. There'll always be new quests for different character types, especially since a given character can only join one political House (Though he can join every other guild).

In Conclusion, If you have the computer capable of playing it well, or an X-Box, this is definitely a must-buy. It's rather refreshing to control only one character in a single player CRPG, and have the freedom to do so much.

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind Playtest Review by Alan DeHaan on 15/05/02 Style: 5 (Excellent!) Substance: 4 (Meaty) A fun, addictive non-linear CRPG Product: The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind Author: Todd Howard (Project Leader) Category: CRPG Company/Publisher: Bethesda Softworks Line: Elder Scrolls Cost: 49.95-59.95 Page count: n/a Year published: 2002 ISBN: SKU: Comp copy?: no Playtest Review by Alan DeHaan on 15/05/02 Genre tags: Fantasy Other	Been a while since I wrote a review, and writing one for this game is rather daunting. Yes this review does ramble on somewhat. But I've always done stream-of-thought reviewing. The Specs: While the Recommended Specs are a 800mhz Processor, 256 MB RAM, 1 gig of HD Space, and a 32 mb videocard. I'd have to say, it should run on something larger. This thing really is a processor and RAM hog. On the plus side, it's coming out for the X-box within a couple weeks, which will open it up to all those who don't have mid-range on up computers. Basics of the Game: Morrowind is a single-player, single-character First Person (or Third Person if you prefer, but no above the character's heads view) non-linear RPG. In it you play a prisoner, recently released on the Island of Vvardenfall. You are one of ten races (4 of which are Human, 3 'Elven' (They don't look too Tolkienish either, especially Wood elves), and 3 'beast' races (Orcs, a Humanoid Feline race, and a Humaniod Lizard race). Each race has special abilities, like the Breton's powerful shield spell (once a day use) and the Orc's ability to Berserk once a day. There are 21 premade character classes, but you can easily create your own. Classes are just a set of skills. Each class has 5 Major skills, 5 Minor skills, 2 favored Attributes, and a specific specialty (Combat, Magic, and Sneak). There are 27 total skills, ranging from 4 different armor types, 7 different weapon types, 6 different magic schools, and 10 others. Major skills start out higher than minors, and are easy to raise. And Minors start out higher than Misc skills (which are the 17 skills that aren't in a classes Major/Minor list), and are easier to raise. Also each race gets a bonus to certain skills to show their culture. There are 8 attributes: Strength, Intelligence, Willpower, Agility, Speed, Endurance, Personality and Luck. Each skill is linked to one of these Attributes. Except Luck has no skill linked to it, it has a small effect on everything. Your attributes depend on your race, and your class a bit. You get the chance to raise your attributes everytime you gain a level. Every ten skill raises, you gain a level. There is also Health (of course), Fatigue, Magicka (Think spellpoints), and Encumbrance. Fatigue is how tired you are. If you run for a while and then get into combat, you'll find yourself failing at spellcasting more, or connecting with your sword thrusts less. Also, there are Birthsigns. Starsigns your character was born under. Think zodiac signs. Except these give your character a special ability, or huge stat raise. There are over 50 different spell effects, which can be combined in spells. (Think of casting one spell, which causes Fire damage to the target, blinds them, and frightens them.) Also, you can enchant your own items with the effects you wish. Can't find that sword that does 40 points of Frost Damage to a target? Enchant one yourself. Each weapon has 3 different damage ratings. There are 3 maneuvoures in combat. Slashing, Thrusting, and Chopping. Depending on how you move, your swing will be one of the 3. Non-Linear?: When they say non-linear, they mean you can ignore the main quest. You don't have a time table. If you want to blow off the main quest, and just join a guild, a house, or a secret organization and rise in its ranks, go ahead. You're entirely free to do so. In fact, the game encourages joining other guilds or political factions. Quests for a guild usually are selfish on behalf of the guild givers (Or so I've found with my Mage anyhow. Might be different in the Fighters Guild), but doing them will cause the guild to like you more. Which can cause price breaks, more people to buy things from, or free stuff. The Editor: I won't say to much about this, since I haven't really messed with it. The game comes with an editor, so you can make your own mods. It came with no documentation, but so far there are dozens of player created mods out already. And since the entire game was built using the Editor, it is obviously usable. My feelings: I've tried to be objective up to this point, but since this is a Review, it's time to be subjective. First off, graphics. They are extremely beautiful. Even on my GeForce 2 (The game supposedly looks better on a GF3 or 4) I was stunned when I first got in. Sound: I do love the sound. Granted, hearing several Ordinators saying "We're watching you scum" every few minutes can get annoying. The music is also great, but considering my computer, I don't have it playing so I can boost FPS. Playability: This is a bit of a problem. Not for me as much, but others have experienced the game crashing several times while playing. I even get pretty good FPS. Though, for some reason, in a lighthouse early on in the game, while walking up it's stairs, the game gets choppy. Also, there are loading problems. Every few minutes, the game'll freeze for a second to load something. That can get annoying, but it so far has never happened in Combat. Fun: I have rather enjoyed the game so far. I've currently done some of the main quest, and lots of quests for a Political House, and the Mages Guild. Some of these are easy little chores. "Go find and get this for me." Others are tougher. I find myself saying, quite often, "Oh, This will only take me a little while longer." It can suck me in quite quickly. The only real annoying thing I've found, is how dangerous exploring can be. Just a few minutes off the road, and you may find something you aren't ready for. Replayability: This seems to be highly replayable. There'll always be new quests for different character types, especially since a given character can only join one political House (Though he can join every other guild). In Conclusion, If you have the computer capable of playing it well, or an X-Box, this is definitely a must-buy. It's rather refreshing to control only one character in a single player CRPG, and have the freedom to do so much.

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind