This is a question that has no doubt crossed the mind of many a visitor to this site; and so I thought it appropriate to offer a brief explanation, especially for those unfamiliar with video games and computer Role Playing Games. You’ll also find this among other Further Insights on the ever lengthening About Me page. So…
Just what is it about this Morrowind game anyway. My favorite game of all time perhaps? Am I affiliated with the design team? Do I have some sort of financial arrangement with the publisher? In fact, none of these is the case. Maybe we should start with the basics to give you a better idea of what it’s all about…
Back in 2002 Bethesda Softworks (a game company) released the third installment in a series – The Elder Scrolls, called Morrowind. It’s a fantasy themed Role-Playing Game which came out for the PC (then later for the XBox). In or around 2005 I discovered this game and was immediately hooked. Now, if you don’t already know I’m an avid ‘gamer’ who grew up playing, and still very much enjoys playing video games. And as you’ll find out in future postings I enjoy quite a wide range of games. But there was something about this particular game that had great appeal for me. Actually, it was two things. First, Morrowind was designed as an open-ended world meant to give the Player Character virtually unlimited freedom to explore, engage NPCs (Non-Player Characters), and follow (or not follow) the main storyline. Furthermore, the game world is populated with a broad range of factions, each with their own agendas. The disposition of faction members shifts relative to your character’s relationship with each guild – and it isn’t always obvious to which faction a given NPC belongs…which makes for an interesting dynamic. The second, and probably most significant, thing about Morrowind is that the creators included a built-in Construction Set, enabling players to create their own content for the game. It was around this feature that a vibrant and active community quickly evolved into something quite remarkable. Modders, as they were called, were able to upload their creations to a central repository where they would remain freely available to other players – who could then download and add the new content to their own game. This model opened up immense possibilities for virtually limitless variations (and expansion) of the already expansive core game. Given the previously mentioned nonlinear way in which your character is engaged with the game world this made for an amazing degree of potential customization. And that, for me, was the true appeal of the game.
In a way it became a kind of exercise in crafting (through the work of so many talented modders) my own idealized version of what the Morrowind world should be; the result being a near fully realized virtual fantasy world. As it turned out I spent far more time browsing through, downloading and testing user created mods than actually playing the game. All along the way I kept thinking that once I’d assembled just the right combination of mods the game would be ‘complete’ and I could finally embark upon the main quest. But in reality it was the process itself that held the greatest appeal.
And so my own version of the game continued taking shape. Along the way I had spent many enjoyable hours cataloging various well made user created mods, quests and other custom content that I soon felt compelled to share it with others. The “Morrowind” folders you see here are the fruits of that energy – and hopefully a small but worthwhile contribution to the community spirit of fellow gamers who have enjoyed the same fascinating game world.
While it may seem so when you first arrive at this blog, Morrowind isn’t actually my favorite game – or a significant part of my life. In fact, I haven’t played it in some time and probably wouldn’t even recommend it for most gamers. For more insight on why see my post On the State of User Created Content. But it was, for it’s part, a special game that for a brief time became a whole hobby unto itself, and one example of what makes video games such an enjoyable pastime for me.
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A Special Note to Parents and Casual Gamers:
While Morrowind does, in my view, deserve a place among the more innovative titles in video game history I am reluctant to recommend it to newcomers for the following reasons.
1) The game is technically challenging, even for those accustomed to tweaking a computer game installation. For this reason many have recommended the Xbox version of the game, but for me this defeats the purpose entirely as it is the player created content of the PC version that so sets this game apart. By ‘technically challenging’ I mean that to play a fairly stable version of the game requires much more than the usual download > patch > play routine of most modern PC games. And to get the user mods working properly and in relative harmony requires a great deal of study, trial & error (something best left to the geekiest RPG aficionados among us – yours truly included)
2) Morrowind bears a “Teen” ESRB rating for mild violence, a common aspect of Fantasy Adventure games. The manner in which it’s implemented is acceptable (in my opinion) for sufficiently mature gamers. What I would draw your attention to are some other aspects of the game that I personally try to avoid. These include things like deliberately pursuing a path of evil or engaging in vampirism (which was introduced in the Bloodmoon expansion). Being a fan of Fantasy Fiction it can sometimes be difficult to discern the point at which a game, novel or movie crosses over a certain line in terms of content or emphasis. In these cases I’m usually left to follow my gut. With Morrowind, it comes down the core of the game itself. Being ‘open-ended’ means a player can choose how to engage this fictional world given certain constraints, and opportunities…as in real life. With the Moral Imperative shifted to the player one must then try to discern the intent of the game’s producers, to see if they have focused primarily on elements that are ‘fantasy by nature’ or whether they’ve chosen to promote things that are morally objectionable such as obscenity, extreme violence or occultism. In my view Morrowind passes this test. Though sadly, one can still find plenty of this with some of the user created mods out there. Fellow Christian gamers, or cautious parents needn’t be shy about passing on Morrowind, if only to avoid some of the third party content floating around – or even the game’s core content if it doesn’t pass muster with your own values.
3) In reference to the above mentioned rating for Morrowind, Bethesda made the unfortunate decision to release the sequel (Oblivion) with content that earned it an “M” rating for heavy violence and hidden nudity. Given that I do not believe any game ever needs to contain M-rated content, I cannot endorse the Elder Scrolls canon beyond the specific installment that is Morrowind – and only then for experienced and mature gamers. Consequently, if your kids are playing any M-rated games (Bioshock, Mass Effect, Bully, Grand Theft Auto, Oblivion, Fallout 3, Fable II, Metal Gear Solid 4, Gears of War) they really shouldn’t be. And you might consider paying closer attention to their hobby.
I hope this post answers the question about this Morrowind game (and why it occupies such a large space on this blog). If you have further questions or comments please don’t hesitate to post them below. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
