Fallout New Vegas or Morrowind?

[glorz]

TLDR
Morrowind lets player off leash quickly and encourages them to explore and adventure.
Fallout New Vegas has a much more explicit path to follow in the opening hours of the game.
Which do you prefer and why?

LONGER VERSION

Morrowind: you go from Seyda Neen to Balmora where you're told explicitly to go and adventure (level up) before continuing the main quest.

Fallout New Vegas: you are encouraged to go along the path of Goodsprings -> Primm -> Outpost > Nipton > Novac > Boulder City > The Strip. There are interesting and consequential side quests at each location (fate of Goodsprings, fate of Primm, Helios One, Boone Companion quest, ghoul rocket quest) but the game doesn't really "open up" until you get to The Strip (at which point you're more encouraged to roam around and explore).

On one hand, I found the experience of Morrowind to be magical. Being told to just figure it out in this giant, interesting world was awesome.

On the other hand, I also found the experience of Fallout: New Vegas to be incredible... I felt like I was really getting to know each town, and making consequential decisions along the way.

Which do you prefer and why?

FICTIONAL EXAMPLE

Setting: in the year 3665, the colonists of water planet XB1375 survive by exploring the endless depths of the ocean and harvesting resources to build their underwater structures. There are various settlements at different depths, different factions, some rogue pirate faction that broke off from the main colonists 500 years ago and steals stuff. The planet is a million times the size of earth (so the oceans are a million times as deep and mysterious).

Fallout New Vegas Approach

Protagonist: you are a deep sea miner who pilots a small vessel for a mining "town" (underwater settlement) on the outskirts of civilization.

Inciting Incident: during a routine expedition to recover minerals, you return to "town" to find a giant sea monster has come up from the depths and destroyed it.

With limited fuel and supplies, you now have to get back to the capital city which takes ~5 to 10 hours. Along the way, you encounter settlements of various sizes dealing with various issues and dilemmas that you can help resolve... doing so teaches you about the various factions and major conflicts in the world. Eventually, you get back to the capital city then we go into Act 2 where things open up and you are sent on various quests all over the map.

Morrowind Approach

Protagonist: spaceship trader pilot guy who just happened to be flying over this planet when he needs to eject.

Inciting Incident: your spaceship trading vessel had some emergency and you had to eject. Your escape pod ends up on this water planet. You are rescued by some local people and told to report to the capital city. You do so (takes <1 hour) and you learn there's some big conflict going on but you're too useless right now to participate so you're told to go adventure and get stronger. You are now free to join various groups, take quests, roam around and explore.

 

[Beans00]

TLDR
Morrowind lets player off leash quickly and encourages them to explore and adventure.
Fallout New Vegas has a much more explicit path to follow in the opening hours of the game.
Which do you prefer and why?

LONGER VERSION

Morrowind: you go from Seyda Neen to Balmora where you're told explicitly to go and adventure (level up) before continuing the main quest.

Fallout New Vegas: you are encouraged to go along the path of Goodsprings -> Primm -> Outpost > Nipton > Novac > Boulder City > The Strip. There are interesting and consequential side quests at each location (fate of Goodsprings, fate of Primm, Helios One, Boone Companion quest, ghoul rocket quest) but the game doesn't really "open up" until you get to The Strip (at which point you're more encouraged to roam around and explore).

On one hand, I found the experience of Morrowind to be magical. Being told to just figure it out in this giant, interesting world was awesome.

On the other hand, I also found the experience of Fallout: New Vegas to be incredible... I felt like I was really getting to know each town, and making consequential decisions along the way.

Which do you prefer and why?

FICTIONAL EXAMPLE

Setting: in the year 3665, the colonists of water planet XB1375 survive by exploring the endless depths of the ocean and harvesting resources to build their underwater structures. There are various settlements at different depths, different factions, some rogue pirate faction that broke off from the main colonists 500 years ago and steals stuff. The planet is a million times the size of earth (so the oceans are a million times as deep and mysterious).

Fallout New Vegas Approach

Protagonist: you are a deep sea miner who pilots a small vessel for a mining "town" (underwater settlement) on the outskirts of civilization.

Inciting Incident: during a routine expedition to recover minerals, you return to "town" to find a giant sea monster has come up from the depths and destroyed it.

With limited fuel and supplies, you now have to get back to the capital city which takes ~5 to 10 hours. Along the way, you encounter settlements of various sizes dealing with various issues and dilemmas that you can help resolve... doing so teaches you about the various factions and major conflicts in the world. Eventually, you get back to the capital city then we go into Act 2 where things open up and you are sent on various quests all over the map.

Morrowind Approach

Protagonist: spaceship trader pilot guy who just happened to be flying over this planet when he needs to eject.

Inciting Incident: your spaceship trading vessel had some emergency and you had to eject. Your escape pod ends up on this water planet. You are rescued by some local people and told to report to the capital city. You do so (takes <1 hour) and you learn there's some big conflict going on but you're too useless right now to participate so you're told to go adventure and get stronger. You are now free to join various groups, take quests, roam around and explore.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

I have to say, I prefer the Fallout: New Vegas approach. The structured path in the opening hours is something I really appreciate. It ensures you get a deep understanding of the world, its characters, and the major conflicts before you're let loose. This method of slowly peeling back the layers makes each new discovery feel earned and consequential. It creates a sense of continuity and connection with each town and its inhabitants, making your decisions feel impactful.

While the open-ended nature of Morrowind is appealing to some, I find it can sometimes be overwhelming. Being told to just "figure it out" can lead to aimless wandering and a less cohesive narrative experience. Plus, let's be honest, Morrowind isn't even as expansive or rich in content as Daggerfall.

So, for me, Fallout: New Vegas strikes the perfect balance between guided exploration and open-world freedom.

How about you? Which approach resonates more with you and why?

 

[SpaceWizardz]

Following Highway 95 to Vegas isn't any more necessary than going straight to Balmora to see Caius Cosades.

 

[Butter]

It depends whether you want people to do your main quest or not. The experience of New Vegas is largely one of doing quests. The experience of Morrowind is probably less than 50% doing quests, mostly exploring and fucking around.

 

[Losus4]

The bizarre cult-like menality around FNV is why I would pick Morrowind. Invisible walls alone killed FNV for me, it's like, don't create an open world if you're just going to put invisible walls everywhere. It's somehow developed a reputation as a top tier RPG because of a few decent speech checks which did a half decent job at factoring in your chosen skills, but meh... doesn't matter if I can't cross terrain because of a fucking arbitrary path developers want me to follow. Sans writing, F3 is better in every way, but Morrowind is better still. I've played Morrowind since 2009 and still finding new stuff, and no doubt there's dozens of dungeons I've never been to and potentially never will. Factions I've still not done, classes not played, books not read (gonna read the 2920 series one day) then when you throw in Tamriel Rebuilt, you have a game you could be playing for decades and not even come close to seeing everything. Morrowind is the definitive open world RPG. Nothing even comes close to it except maybe STALKER: Anomaly.

 

[Butter]

The bizarre cult-like menality around FNV is why I would pick Morrowind. Invisible walls alone killed FNV for me, it's like, don't create an open world if you're just going to put invisible walls everywhere. It's somehow developed a reputation as a top tier RPG because of a few decent speech checks which did a half decent job at factoring in your chosen skills, but meh... doesn't matter if I can't cross terrain because of a fucking arbitrary path developers want me to follow. Sans writing, F3 is better in every way, but Morrowind is better still. I've played Morrowind since 2009 and still finding new stuff, and no doubt there's dozens of dungeons I've never been to and potentially never will. Factions I've still not done, classes not played, then when you throw in Tamriel Rebuilt, you have a game you could be playing for decades and not even come close to seeing everything. Morrowind is the definitive open world RPG. Nothing even comes close to it except maybe STALKER: Anomaly.

Somebody didn't read the OP. Also L O L Fallout 3 isn't "better in every way" than literally anything.

 

[Sordid MCA/Prosper Hybryd]

Gothic 1

 

[VerSacrum]

Morrowind also encourages you to take the Silt Strider or Elone's Directions to Balmora, perhaps not as insistently.

Obviously the less handholding the better, and Morrowind's natural breaks within its main quest line where the important NPC's tell you to fuck off and work on your skills and explore was something severely lacking in later Bethesda games.

 

[Cat Headed Eagle]

New Vegas made a more consistent world, everything is connected and fits nicely. It's the only time where I've truly felt I lived in that same world.

 

[Tyranicon]

OP, your title not actually matching your question is going to skew results of the poll. People are just going to pick the game they like more.

 

[SmoothPimp]

Josh Sawyer is what makes our hearts still beating. FNV forever.

 

[mondblut]

Kenshi (what short intro?)

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

On one hand, I found the experience of Morrowind to be magical. Being told to just figure it out in this giant, interesting world was awesome.

On the other hand, I also found the experience of Fallout: New Vegas to be incredible... I felt like I was really getting to know each town, and making consequential decisions along the way.

Which do you prefer and why?

One difference is that there should be more urgency in Morrowind's main plot since it's a single sided antagonist, Dagoth Ur, whereas New Vegas has a series of factions building up to a final conflict. Dagoth Ur is working on that singular at his own pace towards the conflict whereas the factions in New Vegas are presumably feeding off the actions of the other factions, and the player is the catalyst for the final conflict. Of course, I'm making the assumption that Dagoth Ur isn't just dragging his heels because he anticipates the player being the Nerevarine but instead the plot just happens to line up with the events. It could be possible that Dagoth Ur has completed all his testing, knows how long things will take, is aware that he's basically trapped in the bubble and waiting for the player to show up.

Morrowind should be the one that ushers the player along, but doesn't. But as others have pointed out, there's nothing saying you have to go to Primm after Goodsprings. That's just where the road to the most visible stuff goes. It's clearly a carrot, but you can head North first, and they'll send you back South. You can also head East, though.

 

[glorz]

OP, your title not actually matching your question is going to skew results of the poll. People are just going to pick the game they like more.

You're right. Whoops.

 

[glorz]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

I have to say, I prefer the Fallout: New Vegas approach. The structured path in the opening hours is something I really appreciate. It ensures you get a deep understanding of the world, its characters, and the major conflicts before you're let loose. This method of slowly peeling back the layers makes each new discovery feel earned and consequential. It creates a sense of continuity and connection with each town and its inhabitants, making your decisions feel impactful.

While the open-ended nature of Morrowind is appealing to some, I find it can sometimes be overwhelming. Being told to just "figure it out" can lead to aimless wandering and a less cohesive narrative experience. Plus, let's be honest, Morrowind isn't even as expansive or rich in content as Daggerfall.

So, for me, Fallout: New Vegas strikes the perfect balance between guided exploration and open-world freedom.

How about you? Which approach resonates more with you and why?

It's hard to say, because I played these games at different times in my life with different levels of experience and familiarity with the genre.

Morrowind was my first TES game, and my first open world game. So the feeling of "you can go anywhere and join whatever you faction you want" was novel and exciting.

I have to say that although plenty of other games have taken a similar approach (Skyrim, for example)... it has never felt like I was in a foreign, exciting world free to make my own adventure. It's always been... here's a Bethesda Open World (TM) with X number of caves, X number of factions, etc. But I don't know if that's the fault of Skyrim or if it's just because I'm more familiar with how games are made, and how open world games are generally structured. In other words, if I played Morrowind today for the first time, I may get the same dull feeling I get when I try any generic open world game. The world of Morrowind is definitely more exotic than most, so maybe I would still have that feeling of excitement... not sure.

As for FO:NV... I would say I definitely felt a lot more invested in the world and its factions. I felt like I was making choices that mattered. A lot of the choices didn't end up transforming the world in any dramatic way, but I saw them more as a case of me making a statement on what I thought was good or just... seeing faction reputation changes and minor things like the Sheriff move to Primm and hearing about how NPCs thought he was tough but fair was enough for me.

Interestingly, I would say that World of Warcraft follows the FO:NV model as well (although its a different genre). Let's say you're playing a Dwarf. The typical route is Coldridge Valley > Dun Morogh > Loch Modan... of course you CAN go to other lowbie zones like Teldrassil but most new players won't do that. After Loch Modan and maybe Wetlands, things open up a lot more in the sense that there are a lot more quests sending you all over the place. The game becomes a lot more about doing some quests in STV but then being too low to finish the higher level ones, so going to Desolace, then to Scarlet Monastery, and so on. I think WoW would have been a lot harder to get into if you were just dropped in Coldridge Valley and then told... "Go wherever you want then come back when you're level 10" and then given portals to 20 different zones.

So I don't know which one I prefer to be honest; they both have strengths and weaknesses for me.

Maybe the ideal for me is the Morrowind open world with the quest structure of New Vegas (lots of ways to complete quests, more characterization of NPCs, and so on).

 

[glorz]

It depends whether you want people to do your main quest or not. The experience of New Vegas is largely one of doing quests. The experience of Morrowind is probably less than 50% doing quests, mostly exploring and fucking around.

Great point.

I also think that the themes of the games are very different.

New Vegas, thematically, was a lot to do with: how should society be arranged/governed? Whereas I see Morrowind having much less explicit themes... it's more about a strange foreign world with ancient cultures and how mythology, religion, and imperialism (with the legion's arrival or custodianship or whatever). Perhaps the New Vegas directness merits an approach where you ask the player to make decisions at each of these little settlements you visit. Whereas Morrowind is more about encouraging you to fuck around and explore the world because the real point of the game is exactly that.

 

[Cat Headed Eagle]

Kenshi (what short intro?)

Start as a slave and you're immediately killed :D

 

[mondblut]

Kenshi (what short intro?)

Start as a slave and you're immediately killed :D

Endure. In enduring, grow strong.

 

[Drakortha]

I'd like to see a combination of both..

For everything that New Vegas did right it still had base decline features such as quest markers. Though some of the NPC's in goodsprings do give specific directions, such as what highways to take and which routes to avoid.. which is what really took me by surprise when I first played it. That was the moment I realized this game was different than Bethesda's slop. The gameworld had actual logic and the NPC's more aware of their surroundings, enough so you could engage with them in conversation about their region.

 

[Vic]

I prefer NV:

- exploration is more streamlined and there are more unique locations to explore IIRC
- dungeons are more interesting, specifically the vault stories
- it has interesting characters and good writing, specifically the factions
- good quest design. "beyond the beef" is potentially the most complex RPG quest ever made.
- the radio is great
- Old World Blues is a very strong DLC, Dead Money is good too especially on harder difficulties
- more weapon variety and playstyles/builds
- more enemy variety
- doesn't require mods to be playable (morrowind's fog of war is way to close)
- more RP options

 

[glorz]

I prefer NV:

- exploration is more streamlined and there are more unique locations to explore IIRC
- dungeons are more interesting, specifically the vault stories
- it has interesting characters and good writing, specifically the factions
- more factions
- good quest design. "beyond the beef" is potentially the most complex RPG quest ever made.
- the radio is great
- Old World Blues is a very strong DLC, Dead Money is good too especially on harder difficulties
- more weapon variety and playstyles/builds
- more enemy variety
- doesn't require mods to be playable (morrowind's fog of war is way to close)
- more RP options

I was specifically asking about the introduction sequence

 

[Vic]

I was specifically asking about the introduction sequence

maybe you should request to change the thread title then

as for the intro sequence... who cares? It's like 5 minutes in Morrowind and maybe 10 in New Vegas because you have to sit through the annoying psychology test, after that you're free to go wherever, even straight to benny in new vegas

 

[glorz]

I was specifically asking about the introduction sequence

maybe you should request to change the thread title then

as for the intro sequence... who cares? It's like 5 minutes in Morrowind and maybe 10 in New Vegas because you have to sit through the annoying psychology test, after that you're free to go wherever, even straight to benny in new vegas

Maybe intro sequence is the wrong word. This is what I mean:

Morrowind: you go from Seyda Neen to Balmora where you're told explicitly to go and adventure (level up) before continuing the main quest.

Fallout New Vegas: you are encouraged to go along the path of Goodsprings -> Primm -> Outpost > Nipton > Novac > Boulder City > The Strip. There are interesting and consequential side quests at each location (fate of Goodsprings, fate of Primm, Helios One, Boone Companion quest, ghoul rocket quest) but the game doesn't really "open up" until you get to The Strip (at which point you're more encouraged to roam around and explore).

On one hand, I found the experience of Morrowind to be magical. Being told to just figure it out in this giant, interesting world was awesome.

On the other hand, I also found the experience of Fallout: New Vegas to be incredible... I felt like I was really getting to know each town, and making consequential decisions along the way.

 

[Vic]

I was specifically asking about the introduction sequence

maybe you should request to change the thread title then

as for the intro sequence... who cares? It's like 5 minutes in Morrowind and maybe 10 in New Vegas because you have to sit through the annoying psychology test, after that you're free to go wherever, even straight to benny in new vegas

Maybe intro sequence is the wrong word. This is what I mean:

Morrowind: you go from Seyda Neen to Balmora where you're told explicitly to go and adventure (level up) before continuing the main quest.

Fallout New Vegas: you are encouraged to go along the path of Goodsprings -> Primm -> Outpost > Nipton > Novac > Boulder City > The Strip. There are interesting and consequential side quests at each location (fate of Goodsprings, fate of Primm, Helios One, Boone Companion quest, ghoul rocket quest) but the game doesn't really "open up" until you get to The Strip (at which point you're more encouraged to roam around and explore).

On one hand, I found the experience of Morrowind to be magical. Being told to just figure it out in this giant, interesting world was awesome.

On the other hand, I also found the experience of Fallout: New Vegas to be incredible... I felt like I was really getting to know each town, and making consequential decisions along the way.

that's true, I still prefer NV tho

 

[Beans00]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

I have to say, I prefer the Fallout: New Vegas approach. The structured path in the opening hours is something I really appreciate. It ensures you get a deep understanding of the world, its characters, and the major conflicts before you're let loose. This method of slowly peeling back the layers makes each new discovery feel earned and consequential. It creates a sense of continuity and connection with each town and its inhabitants, making your decisions feel impactful.

While the open-ended nature of Morrowind is appealing to some, I find it can sometimes be overwhelming. Being told to just "figure it out" can lead to aimless wandering and a less cohesive narrative experience. Plus, let's be honest, Morrowind isn't even as expansive or rich in content as Daggerfall.

So, for me, Fallout: New Vegas strikes the perfect balance between guided exploration and open-world freedom.

How about you? Which approach resonates more with you and why?

It's hard to say, because I played these games at different times in my life with different levels of experience and familiarity with the genre.

Morrowind was my first TES game, and my first open world game. So the feeling of "you can go anywhere and join whatever you faction you want" was novel and exciting.

I have to say that although plenty of other games have taken a similar approach (Skyrim, for example)... it has never felt like I was in a foreign, exciting world free to make my own adventure. It's always been... here's a Bethesda Open World (TM) with X number of caves, X number of factions, etc. But I don't know if that's the fault of Skyrim or if it's just because I'm more familiar with how games are made, and how open world games are generally structured. In other words, if I played Morrowind today for the first time, I may get the same dull feeling I get when I try any generic open world game. The world of Morrowind is definitely more exotic than most, so maybe I would still have that feeling of excitement... not sure.

As for FO:NV... I would say I definitely felt a lot more invested in the world and its factions. I felt like I was making choices that mattered. A lot of the choices didn't end up transforming the world in any dramatic way, but I saw them more as a case of me making a statement on what I thought was good or just... seeing faction reputation changes and minor things like the Sheriff move to Primm and hearing about how NPCs thought he was tough but fair was enough for me.

Interestingly, I would say that World of Warcraft follows the FO:NV model as well (although its a different genre). Let's say you're playing a Dwarf. The typical route is Coldridge Valley > Dun Morogh > Loch Modan... of course you CAN go to other lowbie zones like Teldrassil but most new players won't do that. After Loch Modan and maybe Wetlands, things open up a lot more in the sense that there are a lot more quests sending you all over the place. The game becomes a lot more about doing some quests in STV but then being too low to finish the higher level ones, so going to Desolace, then to Scarlet Monastery, and so on. I think WoW would have been a lot harder to get into if you were just dropped in Coldridge Valley and then told... "Go wherever you want then come back when you're level 10" and then given portals to 20 different zones.

So I don't know which one I prefer to be honest; they both have strengths and weaknesses for me.

Maybe the ideal for me is the Morrowind open world with the quest structure of New Vegas (lots of ways to complete quests, more characterization of NPCs, and so on).

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the evolution of open-world games and how your experiences with them have changed over time. Your reflections on Morrowind, Skyrim, Fallout: New Vegas (FO), and even World of Warcraft (WoW) offer a fascinating insight into the nuances of these expansive game worlds and the impact they have on players.

I can relate to the sense of wonder and excitement you felt when first diving into Morrowind. There's something uniquely magical about your initial encounter with an open-world game, especially one as rich and detailed as Morrowind. The freedom to explore and join different factions without clear, rigid pathways was groundbreaking for many gamers at the time. It’s understandable that the novelty of this experience made a lasting impression on you. The world of Morrowind, with its exotic landscapes and intricate lore, certainly set a high bar for open-world immersion.

Skyrim, while also a phenomenal game, perhaps suffers a bit from the familiarity you’ve developed with the genre. The "Bethesda Open World" formula, as you aptly put it, does tend to reveal its patterns over time. The repeated structures of quests, factions, and exploration can sometimes strip away the initial sense of boundless adventure. It's an interesting point you make about how your deeper understanding of game mechanics and design might color your perception. If you were to play Morrowind today for the first time, it might not evoke the same awe simply because you now recognize the scaffolding behind the experience.

Fallout: New Vegas stands out for its emphasis on meaningful choices and player agency. The way you describe feeling more invested in its world and factions highlights one of the game’s strengths: its ability to make players feel like their decisions matter. Even if the changes are subtle, like the reputation shifts and the influence on minor NPC actions, they contribute significantly to a sense of immersion and personal impact on the game world. This kind of engagement makes players feel that their playthrough is uniquely theirs, shaped by their values and decisions.

Comparing FO to WoW is an intriguing analogy. While the genres are different, the progression style in WoW does mirror the gradual opening up of possibilities that you find appealing in New Vegas. Starting in a more guided, linear fashion before gradually expanding into a more open, choice-driven experience can make the world feel both manageable and vast. WoW's approach of slowly introducing players to new zones and quests helps prevent the overwhelm that might come from too much freedom too soon.

Your idea of combining the open-world freedom of Morrowind with the quest complexity and character depth of New Vegas is a compelling one. Imagine a game world where you can explore vast, exotic landscapes at your own pace, but also encounter quests with multiple solutions and deeply developed NPCs. Such a game would offer the best of both worlds: the thrill of discovery and the satisfaction of making meaningful choices.

Ultimately, both styles of game design have their merits, and your preference might shift depending on what you’re seeking from your gaming experience at any given time. The beauty of open-world games lies in their ability to offer diverse experiences to a wide range of players. Whether you’re in the mood for the unfettered exploration of Morrowind or the intricate decision-making of New Vegas, there’s a world out there waiting to be discovered.

I’m curious to hear about other similar games you’ve enjoyed. Have you found any other open-world or role-playing games that captured your interest in a similar way? Perhaps titles like The Witcher 3, which is known for its rich storytelling and immersive world, or games like Red Dead Redemption 2, which offers a vast and detailed open world with a strong narrative focus. Maybe there are some indie gems or lesser-known titles that have also left a lasting impression on you. I'd love to hear your thoughts on what other games have stood out to you and why they resonated with you.