Response: TESO Developer Question of the Week 7

Post is in response to this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FwfCPaj5RJc

"What is your favorite memory from Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall?"

When I was very young and Daggerfall was fresh, I was not a gamer. My parents were adamant that their children would never play video games. Naturally, that meant that it was my mission to get my hands on video games whenever I had the chance. My neighbors, a family of gamers, became close friends and I would always scurry over after school or on the weekends to sit on the floor watch them play the all the video games my parents forbid. This was my introduction to Daggerfall and to the Elder Scrolls universe. As I watched them cut through hordes of enemies I would always cheer them on and try to be a little back seat gamer. Of course, I had no idea what I was talking about, so eventually they sat me down and gave me my very own brand new character to play. I was so excited and leaped into the game, flailing around with a one handed sword, easily killing my very first giant rats and bats. 

Then, I encountered my first skeletal warrior. 

Like I said, at the time, I was not a gamer. I had zero game sense and generally just flailed around until something died. The skeleton wrecked me. It easily cut me down and I was stunned. I had no idea what to do against an enemy with a shield and I distinctly remember trying everything I could, but still, dying every time. Looking back, it is a very easy fight, there isn't much to it. I was just bad. That skeleton, bless his soul, made me actually shape up and think about what I was doing in-game instead of just wildly swinging at air. I finally figured out how to kill it and could move on and that was incredibly satisfying. Ever since, in any game, although Elder Scrolls in particular, whenever I see a skeleton with a shield I charge at it with great gusto just to relive that satisfaction of rattling some bones. This one enemy has been pretty much a staple of almost every RPG….ever…so, this was something that always sort of stuck with me. Despite a huge range of diverse enemies, Elder Scrolls games always make room for some sort of skeleton with a shield for me to happily take down with a big smile on my face. For all that Daggerfall had to offer, my favorite memory of the game is still just overcoming that first difficult enemy which paved the road for all the bigger and badder enemies to come.

-Jay