Morrowind Overall Rating: 18/20
![Picture](/uploads/4/9/3/6/49361479/2711677.jpg?464)
Visual Design Rating: 4/5
Morrowind relies on spoken word to impart directions, which is a nice change of pace from Arena and Daggerfall. Unless you’re somewhere that doesn’t allow sound, that is, in which case, the use of subtitles is a lifesaver. Since that was my situation, I’d like to comment on how nicely the color scheme worked for the subtitles. The off-white text with the dark background set up a contrast that was easy on the eyes and, unlike its predecessor, Morrowind utilizes brief spurts of text to convey instructions. This is true for both the initial dialogue and the coaching blurbs that directed the player through the gameplay introduction.
Instructional Clarity Rating: 4/5
The instructions were short and to the point, which resulted in a much shorter, less confusing introduction. Most of the time, instructions appeared in little two to three line blurbs at the bottom of the screen. At one point, however, the player holds a conversation with a man so that the character may receive a quest. This conversation – a template for all the conversations to come – allows the player to elicit more information about the game, but only on a voluntary basis. The player is not forced to sit through the paragraphs of back story; instead, if the player wants to know more, he or she can click on blue keywords to compel the NPC (non-player character) to give more info. It’s an almost faultless way of creating an immersive storyline without weighing down the returning player (or the player who just doesn’t give a damn).
Morrowind relies on spoken word to impart directions, which is a nice change of pace from Arena and Daggerfall. Unless you’re somewhere that doesn’t allow sound, that is, in which case, the use of subtitles is a lifesaver. Since that was my situation, I’d like to comment on how nicely the color scheme worked for the subtitles. The off-white text with the dark background set up a contrast that was easy on the eyes and, unlike its predecessor, Morrowind utilizes brief spurts of text to convey instructions. This is true for both the initial dialogue and the coaching blurbs that directed the player through the gameplay introduction.
Instructional Clarity Rating: 4/5
The instructions were short and to the point, which resulted in a much shorter, less confusing introduction. Most of the time, instructions appeared in little two to three line blurbs at the bottom of the screen. At one point, however, the player holds a conversation with a man so that the character may receive a quest. This conversation – a template for all the conversations to come – allows the player to elicit more information about the game, but only on a voluntary basis. The player is not forced to sit through the paragraphs of back story; instead, if the player wants to know more, he or she can click on blue keywords to compel the NPC (non-player character) to give more info. It’s an almost faultless way of creating an immersive storyline without weighing down the returning player (or the player who just doesn’t give a damn).
![Picture](/uploads/4/9/3/6/49361479/1462207.jpg?474)
Appeal Rating: 5/5
The introductory storyline was believable, which gives it some major points in terms of appeal. Many times, games have done away with character creation punctuated by dialogue and instead have you create a character prior to the gameplay introduction. There is nothing wrong with that. However, whenever we do see a well-put together introductory storyline that incorporates the character creation in a plausible way, it is definitely impressive.
Morrowind’s introduction takes place right as the character is being released from prison. Thus, the player is taken through several checkpoints: chatting with a fellow prisoner, following a guard, presenting papers to a noble, and receiving a quest from a captain. All of these set the player up to answer intimate questions, such as, “Where are you from?” which translates to, “Which race are you?” and what class you will play as. They offer a quiz, just like the last two installments, to help the indecisive player find a class to play. However, unlike the recycled quiz format in Arena and Daggerfall, Morrowind is suited with its own system. Even though the previous system was intriguing, the new system quizzing is much better suited for Morrowind’s introductory theme. Though the previous was artful, the newer holds a cleaner aesthetic appeal.
Length Rating: 5/5
The introduction was surprisingly short. It executed everything with lightning efficiency and then pushed the player into the real world to master the established baseline of skills. The length was superb – short and to the point, though with room for expansion if the player wanted (i.e. highlighted blue text). It didn’t feel rushed, nor did it drag on. There were also no trials that required intermediate skills (see Arena and Daggerfall), which allowed everything to be executed efficiently and without frustration.
Conclusion
Morrowind’s introduction stands leagues above its predecessors. The developers took a lot of the unnecessary and confusing features and boiled them down into something that was easy for the player to understand and use. The directions were brief, but to the point, and their delivery was simplistic. The absence of overdone flare that plagued the past two installments was not missed. The simplicity of the game’s introduction was probably its strongest feature. It was a breath of fresh air. Even the storyline is beautifully crafted to show the player the vast world of Tamriel without drowning them in details.
The introductory storyline was believable, which gives it some major points in terms of appeal. Many times, games have done away with character creation punctuated by dialogue and instead have you create a character prior to the gameplay introduction. There is nothing wrong with that. However, whenever we do see a well-put together introductory storyline that incorporates the character creation in a plausible way, it is definitely impressive.
Morrowind’s introduction takes place right as the character is being released from prison. Thus, the player is taken through several checkpoints: chatting with a fellow prisoner, following a guard, presenting papers to a noble, and receiving a quest from a captain. All of these set the player up to answer intimate questions, such as, “Where are you from?” which translates to, “Which race are you?” and what class you will play as. They offer a quiz, just like the last two installments, to help the indecisive player find a class to play. However, unlike the recycled quiz format in Arena and Daggerfall, Morrowind is suited with its own system. Even though the previous system was intriguing, the new system quizzing is much better suited for Morrowind’s introductory theme. Though the previous was artful, the newer holds a cleaner aesthetic appeal.
Length Rating: 5/5
The introduction was surprisingly short. It executed everything with lightning efficiency and then pushed the player into the real world to master the established baseline of skills. The length was superb – short and to the point, though with room for expansion if the player wanted (i.e. highlighted blue text). It didn’t feel rushed, nor did it drag on. There were also no trials that required intermediate skills (see Arena and Daggerfall), which allowed everything to be executed efficiently and without frustration.
Conclusion
Morrowind’s introduction stands leagues above its predecessors. The developers took a lot of the unnecessary and confusing features and boiled them down into something that was easy for the player to understand and use. The directions were brief, but to the point, and their delivery was simplistic. The absence of overdone flare that plagued the past two installments was not missed. The simplicity of the game’s introduction was probably its strongest feature. It was a breath of fresh air. Even the storyline is beautifully crafted to show the player the vast world of Tamriel without drowning them in details.
Images belong to Bethesda Softworks, LLC