The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind was arguably the greatest RPG of its time. Released in 2002 for Windows and Xbox, Morrowind is an open world 3D RPG with countless hours of content, set on Tamriel’s most diverse continent, Vvardenfell.
Many Elder Scrolls fans consider it the best looking title in the series. However, 17 years after its debut, it is sadly outclassed by almost everything else.
Fight
Let’s not sweeten it. Morrowind’s combat system is very poorly designed. Those who have played the new Elder Scrolls games are probably familiar with what to expect. Both Oblivion and Skyrim feature action-packed first-person hand-to-hand combat, now standard. Click a lot of left mouse button clicks, occasionally heal and things will eventually die. Not overly engaging but certainly functional.
This is not the system implemented by Morrowind. Instead, combat is based solely on calculating RNG using various stats of your skills and weapons. Think about how the dice rolls in Dungeon and Dragons determine each action. This means that if you are low in a specific fighting skill, you simply won’t reach your goal. In fact, you won’t hit anything. Of course, the distancing and training skills will technically make this more tolerable.
Progression
Progress in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind isn’t fast. Since leveling through combat is out of the question, as you won’t hit anything, you have to use Trainers instead. These NPCs will train your skills for a price. The cost per level to train skills is influenced by how high your next level is, your personality level and your disposition.
The start of the game is a colossal grind fest to make the combat segments playable. You have to train your fighting skills to really hit things. This requires money, however. To keep prices low, you should also train support skills. This process is monotonous and slow.
Trying to play without doing all of this first is even worse. You won’t be able to do anything without hitting several progression walls. In most games, you start out as a capable but not very powerful individual and eventually become powerful. At Morrowind, you are an inept individual who may eventually become competent. Not a fun concept to play.
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