Skyrim: Dark Brotherhood thoughts

[])rStrangelove]

The problem with Oblivion's DB story was that it ended. I rather have randomly generated quests than nothing at all.

 

[Ectoplasmicz]

I thought all the faction quest lines(apart from Stormcloak/Imperial, haven't done those yet) were extremely underwhelming. Every time they ended and I got appointed the new chief I couldn't understand why they made that choice. Didn't feel like I had proven myself.
Don't remember how long the quest lines were in Oblivion, but here they seem to average on about six quests. Feels really dull.

The stormcloaks was enjoyable, a bit repetitive in the bits where you went to a fort, killed everyone etc.

Alhtough not as much as the DB, the thieves guild also left me wanting. I remember the end of the thieves guild in oblivion and how awesome it was, with the whole blind monks bit, and that it was also quite difficult.

Maybe they have put more focus into the main story this time around, seeing as Oblivion main quest was dull and repetitive. Consequently, the factions got a little less attention?

 

[Headdrivehardscrew]

Loving Skyrim, but i can't help but feel that the Dark Brotherhood quest line was a bit...underwhelming.

For me the Dark Brotherhood quests in Oblivion were far more enjoyable.

What are your thoughts?

Not too long after I miraculously escaped my own beheading, some lizardman jumped me and tried his best to kill me. When I looted his corpse, he turned out to be an assassin working under a Dark Brotherhood contract, so I did take it personal and eventually ended up killing them all... that was quite satisfactory, and gave my blade-conjuring rogue some sweet loot.

So, while I have not felt like siding with the Dark Brotherhood during my first playthrough, all I can add to the subject is this: Killing them all felt very, very good, and I haven't felt like I missed out on something.

 

[The_Blue_Rider]

I thought all the faction quest lines(apart from Stormcloak/Imperial, haven't done those yet) were extremely underwhelming. Every time they ended and I got appointed the new chief I couldn't understand why they made that choice. Didn't feel like I had proven myself.
Don't remember how long the quest lines were in Oblivion, but here they seem to average on about six quests. Feels really dull.

Well heres why:

Spoiler: The Companions

You prove to Kodlak that you clearly have the biggest balls, and are the most competent

Spoiler: The Dark Brotherhood

You prove to Sithis/The Night mother that you have the biggest balls and the most competent

Spoiler: The College of Winterhold

Havent finished this one yet but you probably prove to someone that you have the biggest balls and are the most competent

Spoiler: The Bards College

Havent finished either but you probably prove to Bard Jesus that you have the biggest Bongos and you're the only one that can play Through Fire and Flames on Expert

Or at least thats my reasoning

 

[Ectoplasmicz]

I thought all the faction quest lines(apart from Stormcloak/Imperial, haven't done those yet) were extremely underwhelming. Every time they ended and I got appointed the new chief I couldn't understand why they made that choice. Didn't feel like I had proven myself.
Don't remember how long the quest lines were in Oblivion, but here they seem to average on about six quests. Feels really dull.

Well heres why:

Spoiler: The Companions

You prove to Kodlak that you clearly have the biggest balls, and are the most competent

Spoiler: The Dark Brotherhood

You prove to Sithis/The Night mother that you have the biggest balls and the most competent

Spoiler: The College of Winterhold

Havent finished this one yet but you probably prove to someone that you have the biggest balls and are the most competent

Spoiler: The Bards College

Havent finished either but you probably prove to Bard Jesus that you have the biggest Bongos and you're the only one that can play Through Fire and Flames on Expert

Or at least thats my reasoning

THIS made me laugh

 

[AlternatePFG]

I really would have liked for some of them to survive. Arnbjorn was badass.

Yeah, it was actually one of the few parts of the games that actually had some somewhat interesting characters. (Arnbjorn and Veezara were pretty cool, Nazir was pretty funny)

As far as the rest of it goes, it was alright. I liked the quest involving the cook though, that was fun.

 

[DanielBrown]

Well heres why:

Spoiler: The Companions

You prove to Kodlak that you clearly have the biggest balls, and are the most competent

Spoiler: The Dark Brotherhood

You prove to Sithis/The Night mother that you have the biggest balls and the most competent

Spoiler: The College of Winterhold

Havent finished this one yet but you probably prove to someone that you have the biggest balls and are the most competent

Spoiler: The Bards College

Havent finished either but you probably prove to Bard Jesus that you have the biggest Bongos and you're the only one that can play Through Fire and Flames on Expert

Or at least thats my reasoning

Oooh, I accept those explanations.

Maybe they have put more focus into the main story this time around, seeing as Oblivion main quest was dull and repetitive. Consequently, the factions got a little less attention?

Possibly, if not that then they still put enough effort into the world to make it excuseable.
I haven't gotten very far in the main quest yet, though I'm about to finish it off so I'm holding my thumbs!

 

[JMeganSnow]

I actually find just wandering around doing dungeons to be far more fun than any of the storyline quests.

 

[FalloutAl]

I actually find just wandering around doing dungeons to be far more fun than any of the storyline quests.

Must say I totally agree with that, but on the subject of the dark brotherhood I do like how they have changed now that the old traditions are unavailable even if it isn't like the old dark brotherhood.

But I doubt "Assasins 4 Free" was as catchy.

 

[ultrachicken]

I thought all the faction quest lines(apart from Stormcloak/Imperial, haven't done those yet) were extremely underwhelming. Every time they ended and I got appointed the new chief I couldn't understand why they made that choice. Didn't feel like I had proven myself.
Don't remember how long the quest lines were in Oblivion, but here they seem to average on about six quests. Feels really dull.

The stormcloaks was enjoyable, a bit repetitive in the bits where you went to a fort, killed everyone etc.

Alhtough not as much as the DB, the thieves guild also left me wanting. I remember the end of the thieves guild in oblivion and how awesome it was, with the whole blind monks bit, and that it was also quite difficult.

Maybe they have put more focus into the main story this time around, seeing as Oblivion main quest was dull and repetitive. Consequently, the factions got a little less attention?

I felt like the end of Oblivion's Thieves Guild quest was far more underwhelming than Skyrim's. Maybe that's just because I had maxed out sneak and 50% chameleon, but it was a total cakewalk, and they failed to instill the importance of the fact that you stole a freaking elder scroll.

Skyrim's had a wonderfully epic boss fight with a cool dungeon, and then another interesting dungeon culminating in a meeting with Nocturnal in a dark shrine. It was very well done, and felt like the most climactic of all the Skyrim quests I've completed (haven't resolved the civil war).

Anyways, the Dark Brotherhood needed more creative assassinations, especially in the last mission. They didn't set the quest in a unique location, it was just a typical room-to-room murderfest. Hell, you don't even have to stay hidden. Other than the character models, they might as well have been bandits, not the fucking [REDACTED] and his guards.

 

[SonicWaffle]

For me the Dark Brotherhood quests in Oblivion were far more enjoyable.

Yeah, I felt that there was much less elegance in Skyrim. It was more about cracking heads than finding stealthy and creative ways to off people and get away clean, like dropping the stuffed head on the old guy in Oblivion.

However, I also felt that this was justified in the game since the Brotherhood's style has changed. The modern Brotherhood aren't a quasi-religious group with a strict heirachy and a set of rules, maintaining an invisible grip on Tamriel through fear and their own power - they're just thugs, who seem to enjoy the violence and only care about getting paid. The DB is, if you'll pardon the pun, a shadow of its former glory, and I thought this was reflected in the missions.

 

[DEAD34345]

And I felt that the quest to get into the Brotherhood (Innocent Lost) was really railroaded. It's impossible to role-play an interested yet good character in it.

What? In what situation would a "good" person ever be interested in joining the Dark Brotherhood anyway? The reason it's impossible to role-play an interested yet good character is because a good character would never be interested, unless I'm missing something.

OT: I did like the quest-line, but yeah, I preferred Oblivion's too. It's the one thing Skyrim didn't pull off as well as Oblvion in my opinion. I thought the characters were much more interesting this time around, but we never really got a chance to find out much about them, and the quests themselves never involved doing cool unique things like the ones in Oblivion did.

 

[SonicWaffle]

(Arnbjorn and Veezara were pretty cool, Nazir was pretty funny)

I got really pissed off with the Argonian. I was on the mission where you need to assassinate a woman during her wedding toast. I got up onto the balcony, hid, and one-shotted her with the bow. Managed to remain hidden and was sneaking away when Veezara comes running up to me, tells me that Astrid sent him to watch my back and that he'll "hold them off" while I escape, then goes running at a guard with his sword drawn. My stealthy escape is ruined, I end up sprinting for the gate (I'm not the guard-killing type and I hate paying bounties), and while I'm running Lydia apparently kills a guard or something and gets me a 1000 bounty in one of my favourite cities. If that fucking Argonian hadn't come along it would have been a clean getaway, sweet as you like.

 

[The_Blue_Rider]

For me the Dark Brotherhood quests in Oblivion were far more enjoyable.

Yeah, I felt that there was much less elegance in Skyrim. It was more about cracking heads than finding stealthy and creative ways to off people and get away clean, like dropping the stuffed head on the old guy in Oblivion.

However, I also felt that this was justified in the game since the Brotherhood's style has changed. The modern Brotherhood aren't a quasi-religious group with a strict heirachy and a set of rules, maintaining an invisible grip on Tamriel through fear and their own power - they're just thugs, who seem to enjoy the violence and only care about getting paid. The DB is, if you'll pardon the pun, a shadow of its former glory, and I thought this was reflected in the missions.

That.. that is some of the most clever stuff ive read all night.

Although to be fair the quest where you drop the head on the guy in bruma was pretty much the only creative quest, barring the one where you kill off an entire party one by one, apart from that most of the quests for the DB in Oblivion were somewhat forgettable.

And I felt that the quest to get into the Brotherhood (Innocent Lost) was really railroaded. It's impossible to role-play an interested yet good character in it.

What? In what situation would a "good" person ever be interested in joining the Dark Brotherhood anyway? The reason it's impossible to role-play an interested yet good character is because a good character would never be interested, unless I'm missing something.

Uh I guess it could be just their religion? I mean some of the people in the DB actually seem like decent guys, its just that they happen to kill people in the name of their god.

Although not the DB in skyrim, theyre all crazy as hell, with the exception of maybe Veezara, he seems relatively sane.

 

[AlternatePFG]

I got really pissed off with the Argonian. I was on the mission where you need to assassinate a woman during her wedding toast. I got up onto the balcony, hid, and one-shotted her with the bow. Managed to remain hidden and was sneaking away when Veezara comes running up to me, tells me that Astrid sent him to watch my back and that he'll "hold them off" while I escape, then goes running at a guard with his sword drawn. My stealthy escape is ruined, I end up sprinting for the gate (I'm not the guard-killing type and I hate paying bounties), and while I'm running Lydia apparently kills a guard or something and gets me a 1000 bounty in one of my favourite cities. If that fucking Argonian hadn't come along it would have been a clean getaway, sweet as you like.

Heh, that never happened with me. Well, mostly because I just decided to go into werewolf mode for the hell of it and kill the people, and then ran right out of Solitude. I didn't even notice Veezara was there.

 

[SonicWaffle]

And I felt that the quest to get into the Brotherhood (Innocent Lost) was really railroaded. It's impossible to role-play an interested yet good character in it.

What? In what situation would a "good" person ever be interested in joining the Dark Brotherhood anyway? The reason it's impossible to role-play an interested yet good character is because a good character would never be interested, unless I'm missing something.

A "good" person might be interested in helping out the emotionally disturbed orphan seeking revenge on his tormentor. Whether that extends to murder (for the greater good - remember how the orphans celebrated when you killed her?) depends on your own morality and definition of a "good" person, I suppose.

I think what the first poster meant was there's no way to find out any more details, or take a third option; you talk to the boy, you get the quest, and that's it. You can't try to help in another fashion, you can't try to talk to Grelod the Kind about her behaviour or have her replaced by someone better, it's kill her or nothing. A good character would want to improve the situation, but maybe not want to become a murderous assassin, but you don't really get the option.

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

Just started the Dark Brotherhood quests yesterday. All I can say so far is Cicero is really pissing me off. He'd better not be important later on, because I have the Assassin's Blade perk (sneak attacks with daggers do x15 damage) and an enchanted Orcish dagger with his name on it (really - it's called Cicero's End) ...

And I couldn't figure out the starting test so slaughtered all three of the helpless buggers; which went down surprisingly well. I was expecting some lecture about learning control, not a pat on the back.

 

[Ectoplasmicz]

Not as good as oblivion dark brotherhood but the fact that the current DB have fallen so low in the worst of times makes me forgive it a bit. The contracts were not exactly the famous dinner party quest oblivion had but it was still really fun and the overall story of it was actually better then oblivion IMO. The characters also fall short a bit except for the argonian who is full of awesome sauce. And Astrid who is a total babe XD. However again, the contracts is not as fun, and we hardly got a chance to get to know the characters. Otherwise, it was still the Dark Brotherhood.

The only faction I have not done yet was Bards college but otherwise, I have done all the rest. And if I had to rank them, heres what I would put them in.

1. Thieves Guild (Bethesda did an incredible job with this guild IMO. Great story quests, unlimited jobs like hiests, burglary, pick pocketing people, etc. Awesome armor from not only the Thieves Guild but

Spoiler

the nightingale light armor is the best looking armor I have ever seen in an Elder Scrolls game. Seriously I have a cape, a hood with a full face mask, light armor...I'm the freaking Batman! I trained in light armor just because of this one, it is that COOL!

Characters were great. IMO, easily the best guild in the game and best Thieves Guild in all of the Elder Scrolls series.)

2. Companions (I had a lot of fun with this guild, mainly because of the Wolf ability you gain in the story. That and the fact that in the end, you can later decide if you want to get rid of it for a while if you choose too just in case you don't want to be stuck with it.)

3. Dark Brotherhood (already mentioned)

4. College of Winterhold (I was not really fond with this one really. Little to no interaction with the students, very short storyline, but at least in the end you get a baddass archmage robe and

Spoiler

kick the crap out of that ***** Thalmer who tries to blow up the freaking school in the end for no apparent reason. Which is also the problem with the story, from the very beginning of the storyline, the bad guy WAS SO FREAKING OBVIOUS. He was a Thalmor, he acted cocky, arrogant, and hated the college, was very suspicious and nosy into other people's business when he was not supposed too. I was hoping he would be like a professor snape from Harry Potter type of character, you know, basically being all those things but you love him for it because he is a good guy. But it was certiantly not the case.

It was very predictable, no twists, no deep plot, and the characters besides the main teacher might as well have not existed.

That's pretty much the way I saw it, I only did the first mission so far with the Bards college but so far I actually really like it...out of all the guilds too lol.

i have got to agree, nightingales armour is the BEST looking armour in any TES game, BY FAR.
i feel so badass wearing it.

 

[])rStrangelove]

I actually find just wandering around doing dungeons to be far more fun than any of the storyline quests.

Thats actually true, its like writing the adventure while playing it.

On my last run i came out of a dungeon and was greeted by a bear. Hiding wasnt an option so i fought him for a bit until i realized he was gaining the upper hand (veteran bear?). I used some shouts while climbing around on some rocks so he couldnt get to me so easily when suddenly he was on fire.

One of the dragons came by and killed both of us. There's always a bigger fish i guess.