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I'm trying to figure out why I'm playing Daggerfall instead of Morrowind or Skyrim?

There are so many added, non-essential elements included in sound, textures and items that really gives the atmosphere depth. It's a depth that I just don't get with Morrowind or Skyrim -- even with all 80 mods installed.

There's obviously some real flaws here that have sent me looking for some alternative from time to time -- but I just haven't gotten into anything else. Gothic was pretty cool for a while. So was Arx Fatalis. Those games seem to have really painted a depth in character and atmosphere that seem missing in the later Elder Scroll titles. And I'm definitely a fan of UU.

But I really appreciate Daggerfall's leveling system based from skill usage. I realized Morrowind picked some of that up. But when I go explore Morrowind, I just don't get the same feeling of danger and immersiveness as I do in Daggerfall's miles of randomized map. Who care's about the random nature of tree placement anyhow? Nature is sort of like that anyway. What if you get stuck in a dungeon because of the design? Spelunker's get stuck all the time. I suppose that adds a bit to the fatal nature of the trade.

In any case, apart from the flaws, there's some edge here that's missing in most of Daggerfall's modern contemporaries. I really don't know what it is. Visually Skyrim is quite impressive; but so is Daggerfall. It's like turning on an older black and white movie. About thirty minutes into it the plot pulls you in and you forget that there's no color. You're running past that Skelly because you know just about everything in that dungeon owns you. That frantic moment of trying to find a quiet corner to pass a few hours because your down to 1 hit point and everything -- even the rats can see through walls.

I usually breeze through the dungeons braining enemies in 1-3 hits, but even so there are some tense moments. And good strategy still pays, if only in reducing the time and resources you spend killing foes.

I feel there were some things in Morrowind and Oblivion that were clear improvements (non-player character identity and enemy intelligence, for example) Daggerfall is a lot of fun to me for how much more open it is. There is a lot less 'YOU ARE THE CHOSEN WUN', it reminds me a lot of AD&D.

On the other hand, I really wish Daggerfall had a lot more going on outside the dungeons besides shops. The sheer scale, and hyper-feudal setting, invites Mount & Blade antics. Of course, it was released almost a decade ago, so them's the breaks, but I really hope we see some RPGs in the future inspired by Daggerfall's expansiveness and better bits (combat and magic).

I love the books in Daggerfall, the quality of the texts in the game is really high, and helps convince the reader he's in more than Diablo 3D.

Daggerfall is what I've heard call a 'beautiful wasteland'. It's world is empty and vast and you can get lost for hours. The graphics are rudimentary... and yet, somehow, Privateer's Hold is one of the few video game dungeons I've ever been in that still terrifies me. Nothing I've encountered in Skyrim has terrified me, yet. I have to play Daggerfall with the sound off because of the amount of atmosphere. Skyrim has amazing music, but Daggerfall has ambiance.

I love that.

The fear factor. The dungeons are hair-rising places, unlike in any of the later installments. Only Morrowind's Sixth House bases are nearly as chilling as any of Daggerfall's random dungeons. You never know what to expect, and not even if you are able to find the way out (without Mark & Recall). Something akin to claustrophobia starts to kick in when you suddenly realize that the exit is behind a million bends and stairs and that you are hopelessly lost.

Also, genuine difficulty. No hand-holding of any sort, and failing quests is a real possibility. Completing even the random quests feels really good, because those rewards are well earned. I actually started to play Daggerfall again because I was in the middle of Oblivion playthrough and got bored by the ease of that game.

Thirdly, the vastness of the world, especially cities. I absolutely love the big cities of Daggerfall. They feel so much more real than Oblivion's or Skyrim's, because they actually have big populations, multiple taverns, shops, streets and alleys and generally a more authentic urban atmosphere.

Fourthly, historical interest. It's nice to remind oneself now and then how far the series has come from DF's days. Also, it's quite enjoyable to find things in the later games that reminds one of DF. In Skyrim, for instance, there are surprisingly many little touches that hark back to Elder Scrolls II, no doubt intentionally.

Granted, Daggerfall is best enjoyed in small doses, because the repetitive world and confusing dungeons start to get on one's nerves after a while. But while the spell lasts, the game is an absolute blast.

I remember the first time I finally taught myself Mark and Recall and used it in a dungeon, I got my quest item by the skin of my teeth and was trying to cast Recall before something killed me, but I didn't have enough MP to use it... and there were enemies around so I couldn't rest!