Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

Bethesda General Discussion Thread

Curious_Tongue

Larpfest
Patron
Joined
Mar 2, 2012
Messages
11,728
Location
Australia
Codex 2012 Codex 2013 Serpent in the Staglands Codex USB, 2014
Some of their recent published games are actually ok, such as Prey. But their own games...how the hell do their elder scrolls games have so much bugs even after so much unofficial patches?
25+ year old engine that is held together by tape and everyone who wrote it is probably long gone. Zenimax needs to either buy a new engine and hire developers who know it or clean house completely and invest in people who can build a new engine.

1 They have decades worth of proprietary tools to work with gamebryo/creation.

2 They have a team with decades worth of experience using gamebryo/creation.

3 They've been hiring engineers to work exclusively on the engine for years.

4 Only a minority really get upset with gamebryo/creation. Most people are fine with it, even like it.

It'd be insane to change engines.
 

Late Bloomer

Scholar
Joined
Apr 7, 2022
Messages
2,817
Some of their recent published games are actually ok, such as Prey. But their own games...how the hell do their elder scrolls games have so much bugs even after so much unofficial patches?

You are just parroting what you hear. The main dude on the unoffical patch just recently figured out that -not- cleaning the dirty edits of the offical files is for the best after 15 years of saying otherwise. Those guys are clueless. There is a reason Bethesda didnt invite a single one of them to work on their Creation Club mods. I have more crashes and issues with the unnofical patches on Skyrim and Falllout 4 than without. I played Skyrim a couple years back umodded to get a dose of nostalgia. Played for 150 hours, no fast travel anywhere, completed damn near everything, not one crash. I had to reload once on the quest Blood on Ice when Calixto ran into a wall and wouldnt stop. Oblivion is in need of patching, quite a bit actually. New Vegas was made by Shitsidian and was easily the worst of the bunch. Its the only "Bethesda" game I had unmodded that had the save corrupt. The fact you like Prey confirms my words will fall of deaf ears. Seriously though, name the first bug that comes to mind without using google in an Elder Scrolls game.
 

Butter

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Oct 1, 2018
Messages
7,523
Player: What, normal people can't figure out your decoder ring out front?
Deacon: These days being able to even spell "Railroad" is cause for celebration.

That's how Bethesda handwaved the braindead Railroad password. Never mind that it's spelled out along the Freedom Trail, or that the Institute probably has a 100% literacy rate (including synth coursers), or that the illiteracy argument would be just as valid if they chose a proper password that wasn't their own name.
 

Bad Sector

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Mar 25, 2012
Messages
2,223
Insert Title Here RPG Wokedex Codex Year of the Donut Codex+ Now Streaming! Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
It's true, it's the same exact engine used for the first Unreal Tournament game in 1999!

As if, the engine is in fact the same as that leaked woman+wizard+dragon demo from 1995

BqOZN0q.jpg
 

DY050503

Educated
Joined
Jan 22, 2022
Messages
58
Some of their recent published games are actually ok, such as Prey. But their own games...how the hell do their elder scrolls games have so much bugs even after so much unofficial patches?

You are just parroting what you hear. The main dude on the unoffical patch just recently figured out that -not- cleaning the dirty edits of the offical files is for the best after 15 years of saying otherwise. Those guys are clueless. There is a reason Bethesda didnt invite a single one of them to work on their Creation Club mods. I have more crashes and issues with the unnofical patches on Skyrim and Falllout 4 than without. I played Skyrim a couple years back umodded to get a dose of nostalgia. Played for 150 hours, no fast travel anywhere, completed damn near everything, not one crash. I had to reload once on the quest Blood on Ice when Calixto ran into a wall and wouldnt stop. Oblivion is in need of patching, quite a bit actually. New Vegas was made by Shitsidian and was easily the worst of the bunch. Its the only "Bethesda" game I had unmodded that had the save corrupt. The fact you like Prey confirms my words will fall of deaf ears. Seriously though, name the first bug that comes to mind without using google in an Elder Scrolls game.

So basically you mean the bugs fixed by those patches are better kept in gaming experience, which I don't agree. And since it's hard to self-prove whether having used google or not your asking is meaningless. Seriously do you have 'more bugs in patches than original game' examples and can prove not using google or parroting from 'the main dude'?

However I did remember in Obvilion there is a NPC not talking to the guard bug and in another quest meeting a NPC in a inn after maybe two hours but he never shows up. I have to use console command to kill/move the NPC, though both bugs have been claimed fixed by the patches. For Morrowind it's long time ago and it's better than Obvilion so can not remember much. Also I used patches. So I can only say gaming with patches are not bad at least.

I finished playing Prey and Morrowind, quit Oblivion for its total unreasonable combat balance. I met almost no bugs in Prey, but for Morrowind/Obvilion, even with patches there are still annoying problems always around.
 

Konjad

Patron
Joined
Nov 3, 2007
Messages
3,930
Location
Strap Yourselves In Codex Year of the Donut Codex+ Now Streaming! Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
There I was, sweating in my uncomfortable seat, surrounded by the sounds of obnoxious unsynchronized clapping. Todd Howard had just made his usual appearance on the annual E3 gaming expo stage. The crowd was anxious, awaiting their anticipated announcements, ready to possibly be disappointed. Myself? I wasn’t at the expo enduring the claustrophobic mania for some video games. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a good RPG every once in a while, but that wasn’t my intentions on the day in question. I was focused on Howard’s body language, the glare in his eyes, looking for any subtle off-movements, even his choice of dialogue. There’s been something bugging me for some time now that I have a firm and dedicated belief for. Todd and the company of Bethesda are in fact a part of a secret cult. I know how crazy it sounds, but please just hear me out. Allow me to take you back to the traumatizing experience that started all of this.


Orange, red, yellow – the leaves brought an offset of color to an otherwise gloomy autumn day. The season also happened to be the prefix to the disc that was held in my hands; Fallout 4. I was a little late at having my try at the game, as I picked it up around November of last year. Still, I was pretty excited to give it a go. It has gained a lot of popularity, after all.

With the game in my PS4 console, I recall myself sitting on my bed for hours on end. I was fully absorbed into the wasteland-filled virtual environment, forgetting about the spilled cup of cola on the floor next to my feet and the fallen slice of pizza on my bed sheets. The real world around me was ultimately non-existent. It wasn’t until my controller died that reality peeked through again. I, however, only used this moment of clarity to freak out and quickly plug in a charging cable between my system and controller. I had to hurry and jump back into the Fallout universe. This is where I felt like I was worth something. This is where I didn’t feel alone.

Fallout 4 was a game where I could build, fight, and help people in need. The settlement crafting system pulled me in, allowing me to create houses out of resources I worked so hard for. Enemies that got in my way, I would fend off, using practical weapons I made myself. On quests I found mutants and irritated hostiles, the likes of which led me to achievements. These accolades made me feel great and wanted in this made-up reality. Finally, something made life livable that didn’t happen to be prescription or recreational drugs.

My virtual ecstasy, however, came to an abrupt halt. I began noticing some things out of the ordinary, even for a game of fantasy. I’d come up to these electronic terminals in the game and noticed some patterns. Whether I was in a shopping mart, a library, or a museum, the same word would pop up on the terminals, along with the rest of the text. I never really noticed, until I saw it appear even in multiples on some of the screens. The word that struck my attention was “end.” Most wouldn’t bat an eye at this. I mean, the game IS set in a post\-apocalyptic world, so the word “end” is rather fitting. For one reason or another, it didn’t feel fitting to me at all. I see this word pop up all the time throughout my life. Everyone has that magic “number” that seems to follow them everywhere they go, whether it’s the lucky number 7 or unlucky 13. Well, mine is the word “end.” I see it inside gas stations, grocery stores, the daily newspaper, even on cereal boxes. This word is constantly being thrown at me.

As soon as I started noticing this, I decided to look at one more terminal in the game. I came across one that was fairly easy to get to – there wasn’t much disturbance, just some destroyed cars, no enemies in sight. This terminal didn’t seem unusual at first, with the same common words lit up on the monitor. Then, something obstructed the screen. The entire thing filled up with my least favorite word, typed over and over. It sped up gradually, eventually to the point that my eyes couldn’t keep up. I was wildly confused, wondering if this was just part of the video game. It was then that I turned off the game, not caring about where I was or when I last saved my progress. I was far too spooked to continue.

Later that evening, I shared the experience with one of my close friends while hanging out at his house. I told him I finally gave the game a shot and mentioned what happened, hoping he wouldn’t judge me and perhaps would know what I was talking about. My questions, to my dismay, were not answered.


“I’ve put hundreds of hours into Fallout 4 and that isn’t anything I’ve witnessed in my playthroughs,” he stated.

This led me to believe that I had simply played the game for so long, that it had taken a toll on my mental state. Somehow, this theory just made me feel worse.


Walking back home that day, my phone kept ringing from all sorts of numbers, all of which I assumed were telemarketers, considering I didn’t recognize the numbers. I ignored them for a while, but there was one I decided to finally answer.

“Hello?” I questioned in a cautious tone.

“Hey, this is GameStop. Your copy of Fallout 4 you ordered, has arrived from the warehouse. You can come by and pick it up anytime. We’re open till 9pm today.”

“Ah thank you…” I responded in a confused fashion.

I started answering more calls, my cellphone being bombarded with one new number after another. Perplexed would be an understatement of which to describe my mind at that point in time. Each phone call was from a different GameStop, at least a dozen or so from across the country, calling to tell me I had a copy of Fallout 4 ready for pick-up. At this point, I was more so frustrated than confused. I assumed my friend was playing some sort of prank at my expense. I eventually began blocking the numbers as they came in.

Despite knowing where the calls were more than likely coming from, something about the ordeal wasn’t sitting well with me. To make matters worse, something far more peculiar happened upon opening the door to my home. I didn’t walk through the doorway, no not in the slightest. As soon as the front door opened, I found myself sitting on my bed, controller in hand, looking directly at my TV screen. It’s tough for me to explain, but it felt as if I never left the house. The game itself was still running, stopped right where I left off, the word “end” plastered across the terminal screen and yet again multiplying rapidly. I shot up from my bed and unplugged both my television and Playstation. I looked up and noticed something – everything in the room was just how I left it, but the walls… they were undoubtedly different. The word “end” surrounded the perimeter of my bedroom, written in all different colors and sizes. At first, I was outraged, wondering who had broken into my home and vandalized my room. I thought it might have been my friend, pulling out all the stops to severely spook me. If so, it was working. This explanation fell flat when I realized that the word painted across my room was written in my own handwriting.

But hold on, how does this make any sense? A harmless glitch, hallucinations, and writing on the walls? What does it all mean? Well, at this point I wasn’t sure, but I knew I had to get to the bottom of it. Without a better plan in mind, I decided to go directly to the source – Todd Howard himself.

And this is what brought me to a room full of boisterous clamor, waiting for the presentation to be over. I grew anxious sitting there, hoping I could speak with Mr. Howard. I didn’t know what he’d say or if he’d even believe me, but I was a slave to my own wishful thinking. Perhaps he could explain all my worries away and put my mind at ease once and for all. Unfortunately for me, my issues couldn’t be fixed with a patch or update.

My heart racing, there finally came a time everyone left their seats. My legs were shaking, but that was mostly from sitting for such a long period of time. Just as I was about to stumble through the exit and head backstage, a man grabbed me by the arm and pulled me aside. It was none other than Todd Howard, an answer to my prayers.

“About time, sir! We’ve been expecting you,” he exclaimed.


“You…have?”


“Of course, I’ve been waiting for you to get the hint. To finally come join us. Just, please don’t tell anybody,” he replied.

“Join you for what?”

“I’m gathering a number of people to help us at Bethesda to start a doomsday plan. I’m not at liberty to say why you or any of the others were chosen, but I can tell you that we are using Fallout as a net, to capture those that can be of use to us. It also foreshadows what the world will look like in the near future. That’s if, of course, you and the others are willing to join us. We can’t do it on our own.”

“What would happen, hypothetically speaking, if I don’t join?”

“Well, you’re free to do whatever you’d like, but the end has already begun. If you don’t help us, someone will take your place, and I just know that you’ll regret it. The clock is ticking.”

Mr. Howard handed me a business card, upon which was the text, “Preregister for your spot on the end list, today.” along with a 1 800 number. I took the card and went back to my hotel room to get some rest and process everything. It’d be a nice way to relax and hopefully cope with the strange events occurring in my life. I would soon find that relaxation was nowhere within reach.

Entering my room, anger and disorientation came over me. The TV in the hotel room was lit up with a copy of Fallout 4 playing. It was stuck on the same screen with the word “end” typed up all over it, just as it was back on that November day. As if this wasn’t enough, my phone rang, though this time a number I recognized.

“Hey Dad, what’s up?” I answered with, as I normally did when my father called.

“Hey, I’m sorry to bother you during your trip, but I have some upsetting news to share with you. Your brother, he just passed away moments ago…”


“Wait, what? How?!” I shouted out of shock and despair.

I was never close to my brother, with him always being away at war and what not. It sounds horrible, but it felt like he was more of a distant relative than a sibling. Even still, my heart sunk.

“The nurses aren’t completely certain, but they claim radiation poisoning was at fault. I find that questionable, because no bombs have been dropped near his location. They’re going to do a further analysis in the coming week to let us know.”

“I’ll be back in town as soon as possible, please keep me updated if any other information comes up. I’m not sure how to handle this, I was just talking to him a couple days ago…” I let out, along with a single tear of pure grief.

“I will, son… this is just as hard for me, and I’ll be devastated for as long as this world lasts. He’ll be looking down on us, smiling. At least he’s in a better place.”

My father said this in a tone of hurt and heartache. He then changed the subject, probably to lighten the mood a bit; something he awkwardly did to avoid dealing with more serious issues.

“Hey, by the way, I have a piece of mail I found stuck in my door tonight, pretty odd for a Sunday. It has my name on it, but I think it’s for you. Says something about a “Fallout 76 Beta invitation” and has the word “end” written all over it. Do you want it?”

I hung up on my own father. I’m not sure why or how I found myself in this ongoing nightmare, but it feels like I’m trapped in my own apocalypse. Take these words however you’d like, believe what you want, but Bethesda is not a game company. Todd Howard is up to something and this is the start of the end.
 

LESS T_T

Arcane
Joined
Oct 5, 2012
Messages
13,582
Codex 2014


Well they updated these to include reference materials and adjust some configurations.

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1812290/view/3325358588168076895

The Elder Scrolls: Arena - Update Patch Notes
A small update has been made to The Elder Scrolls: Arena. Please find the list of patch notes below.

Added the following reference materials:
  • Codex Scientia
  • Game Manual
  • Player Guide
  • Quick Reference Card
Adjusted cycle timing to smooth out animations
Updated game to Deluxe CD Version
  • Adds VO to cutscenes
  • Adds a few CGI cutscenes


Interestingly, they directly mention Daggerfall Unity here: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1812390/view/3326484488073970232

The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall - Update Patch Notes
A small update has been made to The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall. Please find the list of patch notes below.

Added the following reference materials:
  • Game Manual
  • Reference Card
Adjusted scaler to smooth out graphics
Updated game to Official Patch 1.07.213
  • Various bug fixes
  • Better support for Daggerfall Unity mod -
    Does not include CompUSA expansion patch

I wouldn't be surprised if Daggerfall Unity got an official Steam release like other mods for Bethesda games.


https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1812420/view/3328736287878246080

An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire - Update Patch Notes
A small update has been made to Battlespire. Please find the list of patch notes below.
  • Added the Game Manual
  • Adjusted default resolution and scaler
  • Fixed a crash with multiplayer map "Capture the flag 2"


https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1812410/view/3330988087703475111

The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard - Update Patch Notes
A small update has been made to Redguard. Please find the list of patch notes below.

Added the following reference materials:
Comic Book
Game Manual

Adjusted default resolution and scaler
 
Joined
Jan 14, 2018
Messages
50,754
Codex Year of the Donut
basically the entire world had(and has, for the vast majority of states) more strict abortion laws than USA, weird how they didn't speak out about that "human right" until now

countries with unrestricted abortion like USA include nations like china and north korea, well known human rights respecters for sure.
 

Bliblablubb

Arcane
Joined
Mar 1, 2014
Messages
2,925
Location
Copium Den
Bethesda probably had to analyze their collected data first, cross checking how xbawx users in the US think about that issue, like, by posting something in a forum or talking to connect.

Apparently they came to the conclusion that the amount of religious wackos among that group is low enough to ignore them and make some half-assed statement for quick PR, they can always remove later if some other company gets flak for it.

Bethesda. Bethesda never changes.
 

Maggot

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Mar 31, 2016
Messages
1,243
Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire
https://www.wired.com/story/dark-brotherhood-skyrim-most-beloved-faction/
“In Skyrim, we delve into some of the cultural stuff, we deal with marginalized groups, so the stories all over the game were deeper as far as the struggles each faction had,”
“For obvious reasons, Todd is very protective of the lore. It just goes to show how much he appreciates the players’ experience and his trust in me and all the designers to pull it off.”
 
Joined
Jan 5, 2021
Messages
403

The article is updated. Migration starts on April 27.

With that they will release several titles that was previously unavailable on Steam, including TES: Arena, Daggerfall, and Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory.


This is the standard cycle:

1. Use Steam.
2. Get annoyed at the 30% cut
3. Make your own platform
4. The work to maintain said platform costs a LOT more than what you were losing from the 30% cut
5. Cut corners
6. Get to a point where everyone hates your launcher and refuses to use it
7. Abandon it and go back to Steam

Bethesda and EA are at stage 7, Epic is firmly in stage 6. Rockstar and Ubisoft are between stages 5 and 6
 

FreshCorpse

Arbiter
Patron
Joined
Aug 23, 2016
Messages
692
Strap Yourselves In Codex Year of the Donut Codex+ Now Streaming!
This is what too much Skyrim does to a man, folks.

https://www.gamingbible.co.uk/news/...der-of-wife-could-face-death-penalty-20211027

"Skyrim IRL" TikTok Star Arrested For Murder Of Wife Could Face Death Penalty

resize


Ali Nasse Abulaban, the Tik Tok star accused of fatally shooting his wife and another man in an East Village apartment last week, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges.

Abulaban was reportedly arrested and charged for killing his wife, 28-year-old Ana Nasse Abulaban, and 29-year-old Rayburn Cardenas Barron at the Spire San Diego luxury apartment complex.

As reported by Times Of San Diego, Abulaban is alleged to have used a handgun to murder the pair. Being charged with multiple murders also means he could face the death penalty if convicted and prosecutors opt to push for capital punishment.

According to the San Diego Police Department, officers were called to the apartment around 3:10pm last Thursday (October 21). The victims were found lying dead in the living room. Abulaban was stopped by police later that day with his five-year-old daughter in the car.

Deputy District Attorney Taren Brast claims that Ana Abulaban was pushing for a divorce, alleging that a prior incident of domestic violence with her husband in which he pushed her was part of the reason behind the attempted split.

Ana Abulaban is said to have asked her husband to move out of the apartment they shared together on October 18. However, Brast believes he made a copy of the apartment key without her knowledge. Brast also alleges that Abulaban used the copied key to get into the apartment on October 21 to vandalise the place and install an app on his daughter’s iPad that would allow him to listen in on his wife’s conversations

Upon hearing his wife with another man in the apartment via the app, Brast says Abulaban drove back there from the Mission Bay hotel where he was staying and shot both victims.

Abulaban fled the scene and picked his daughter from school, according to Brast. It’s believed he told her that he “hurt Mommy" at some point. He also allegedly confessed to the shooting to his mother over the phone, and then again to detectives.
 

Late Bloomer

Scholar
Joined
Apr 7, 2022
Messages
2,817
https://www.wired.com/story/dark-brotherhood-skyrim-most-beloved-faction/
“In Skyrim, we delve into some of the cultural stuff, we deal with marginalized groups, so the stories all over the game were deeper as far as the struggles each faction had,”



I couldn't roll my eyes more. I seriously doubt they were thinking of "marginalized groups" back then. This bizarre way of talking with jargon that is so easily identifiable which marks someone as being an disingenuous opportunist. Disgusting.
 

Funposter

Arcane
Joined
Oct 19, 2018
Messages
1,773
Location
Australia
Skyrim's most beloved faction is the Stormcloaks because it allows you to be a fantasy racist. This is also why people love the Telvanni so much.
 

tentanz

Educated
Patron
Joined
May 8, 2022
Messages
222
Codex Year of the Donut
Some of their recent published games are actually ok, such as Prey. But their own games...how the hell do their elder scrolls games have so much bugs even after so much unofficial patches?

You are just parroting what you hear. The main dude on the unoffical patch just recently figured out that -not- cleaning the dirty edits of the offical files is for the best after 15 years of saying otherwise. Those guys are clueless. There is a reason Bethesda didnt invite a single one of them to work on their Creation Club mods. I have more crashes and issues with the unnofical patches on Skyrim and Falllout 4 than without. I played Skyrim a couple years back umodded to get a dose of nostalgia. Played for 150 hours, no fast travel anywhere, completed damn near everything, not one crash. I had to reload once on the quest Blood on Ice when Calixto ran into a wall and wouldnt stop. Oblivion is in need of patching, quite a bit actually. New Vegas was made by Shitsidian and was easily the worst of the bunch. Its the only "Bethesda" game I had unmodded that had the save corrupt. The fact you like Prey confirms my words will fall of deaf ears. Seriously though, name the first bug that comes to mind without using google in an Elder Scrolls game.
What's worse were all the mods that REQUIRED the unofficial patches. At least I can filter mods better by avoiding all unofficial patch requirements.
 

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom