How do I play Morrowind?

[Akratus]

Locate the "Morrowind.exe" (no paranthesis) and double click on it, to play.

 

[Frozen]

I am about to play Morrowind (not for the first time, but first time for serious) and I have few questions:

How does one roleplay in Morrowind? I've read many threads on codex, but didn't catch what does it actually mean, especially when there's much talking about larping and I don't see a diffrence. Can I go exploring the island if my character doesn't have actual reason to do it?

Do I have to play with right mindset? I've read that Morrowind is first RPG, then Action, unlike oblivion and skyrim, should I then focus on plot and world instead of actual character progression?

Are there improving game mods beside of graphic mods? I've seen many mods, but most of them change game too much and are not lore-friendly.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

Eventually I found strider and went back to balmora. I have to find mage who can teach me charm, nobody likes me.

You should already have found two mages who teach spells with the charm spell effect. Though you might also consider the fortify personality and fortify speechcraft effects.

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

jarmaro

Get the teleportation spells ASAP, namely Mark and Recall, Almsivi Intervention and Divine Intervention. The first two let you mark a location (anywhere at all, like your home base for example) and then later teleport to it whenever, and the last two get you to the nearest temple of either religion. These help a lot when you're about to die somewhere in the wild, or when you're over encumbered and can't move. Just mark the location near Creeper (that scamp seller in Caldera) and you're good, you can even make that house your home base like many players did.

BTW, I really enjoy reading this kind of threads about someone's first anal experience with a retro game. Keep it up, bro!

 

[Jarmaro]

I have two questions, but first, please, stop spoiling things in game. You can tell me about mechanics or way game works, but no things in game and where what is.

1.Can I buy home? Or at least have place where I can store my items?
2.Is it bad I randomized my birthsign? One can choose his skills, but not when he was borned.
3.Should I make more screenshots? It would show more, but so many big photos and little text between them looks weird.

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

I have two questions, but first, please, stop spoiling things in game. You can tell me about mechanics or way game works, but no things in game and where what is.

1.Can I buy home? Or at least have place where I can store my items?
2.Is it bad I randomized my birthsign? One can choose his skills, but not when he was borned.
3.Should I make more screenshots? It would show more, but so many big photos and little text between them looks weird.

1) You can build your own mansion by joining and advancing thru some factions. Or you can just claim somebody else's house. You don't even have to kill the owner, just start piling your shit in their house, they won't touch it.
2) Yes, as other posters have noted magicka (mana) is very limited in this game, so it's crucial to choose a race or a sign with bonuses to it. Besides, Altmer Atronachs are tons of fun to play.
3) Don't bother unless it's something unexpected. We've all played the game and know how it looks. On the other hand, I like your weird prose, please write more.

 

[anvi]

You should get some mods imo. Just run speed and graphics.

 

[Invictus]

Yeah man if you want to play the game the way it was meant to be played thenngo ahead but dont gimp yourself for thr sake of it, choose a proper sign for your build since those signs are there to help you play the way you want to play, for example the Shadow can be extremely helpfull throughout the game by not only helping you steal stuff like crazy but braving higher level areas and avoiding enemies way up your level.
Frankly you got the WORST sign by far, extra speed is hardly needed so pick a decent sign and enjoy yourself
Btw you really need the Morrowind Code Patch, it adds a lot of much needed fixes plus more modern functionalities like toggable stealth, auto loot and various optional tweaks to the economy and enchantments

 

[Projas]

One can choose his skills, but not when he was borned.

You need to stop with this larping shit bruv.

 

[Cadmus]

Imo you should stop reading anything about the game at all. It's a wonderful first time experience but you will fuck it up for yourself by hanging around here and talking about it. Even DraQ who gave you some good advice at start now can't help himself and gives you more advanced advices. The game is easy to win, just shut off the dex and play as you like and take in as much as you can completely on your own because it's your only shot at enjoying Morrowind.

I can't even play it anymore because no matter what the fuck I do I just become overpowered and know where everything is and how to exploit it even if I don't want to.

 

[Jarmaro]

I was preparing to another journey, but first went to Ajirra to give her flowers. She wanted me to bring her ceramic bowl first. Definitely mage worthy task. Bought bowl and went back. Now she's crying beceause someone stole her research notes. She said it was Galbatorix. So I went to Galbatorix but she disclaimed. Too bad that high rank dunmmer woman saw her hiding one note around sacks. Guild guide told me second note was under wardrobe. Overall quest was simple. Ajirra was happy and gave me some potions, she told me I should now go to Ald'ruhn beceause person who wants me to work for her here is a bitch.

It was time to travel. I went to guild guide and teleported to Ald'ruhn. Interesting place. Got quest from lider, she wanted me to find her a book. Another quest to collection. Anyway, started wandering around city. Chatted, talked, nothing special. However, I think I found haunted house. Everything was dark and I heard ghosts' noises, couldn't open high level lock to fight them though. Then I went to big shell. Someone told me this was ancient imperial mudcrab. Inside I didn't find anything interesting except enchanter's shop. I stole nice dwarven enchanted blade from him, thanks to my invisiblity ring.

Didn't want to do quests for then, so I looked at my map and decided to go to Maar Gan. Soon I saw woman. She said nix-hounds attack her and her husband, wanted my help. I accpeted hoping for reward. Soon I found him and took him to her. They gave me only book which raised my block. Usless. So I continued my travel (fought many cliff racers in the meantime of course) got attacked by tainted nix-hounds, much stronger than their usuall type.
I was wounded so I looked for some safe place to rest, found ash tent. Inside was Ashlander and pilgrim. Pilgrim told me he was caught by ashlander and he wants me to free him. Isn't it illegal? Talked to ashlander, he told me that this pilgrim is famous noble and wanted 5000 drakes for him. Talked with pilgrim, he said he lied about being famous only to save his life. Taled with ash again, he said I can buy him for 5 drakes then. Deal of my life.
Pilgrim was happy for freeing him. I wonder if it was pilgrim or he really was noble. Maybe he tricked us both? I left them and continued my travel.

Those red storms are annoying. By the way, I don't remember people in skyrim covering their faces against storm, in Morrowind it's common practice. Eventually I reached Maar Gar. Shithole except shrine where lays saint stone. And mean dremora next to it. In shrine I priest taught me precious Mark spell, now I can place in Balmora and teleport with my amulet of recall. Pirest here told me that pilgrim really wasn't noble. Fortunately there was silt strider, I was afraid I have to back all the way by my feet. Traveled to Gnisis and visited dunmmer temple here. Another holy place, Vivek mask was there. Good guy Vivek, ploughing field like animal, healing poor for free and of course raping Daedras.

I have to figure out what do I do now. I was supposed to bring that woman near Cladera her things which were stolen by bandits. Dammit.

 

[Jarmaro]

Spoiler

I think I went too far with specificity in previous post

Decided to explore Gnisis. First, the house in the hill. Looked as if it was abandoned. Some skeletons, rats and firendly deadroth. However, on the platform in the last room I found tellvani mage. He didn't want to talk about anything, so I was about to leave when I noticed there are master alchemist's equipment. I didn't steal from my guild in Caldera, but didn't have scruples to steal from Telvani. Then roamed a little in town, talked with people and Recalled to Balmora. Next, I went to Caldera to finish bandit quest. Didn't find their cave, found deadric ruins instead. Coudln't kill fire atronach, too strong for me. Decided to stick with the canion. Killed many cliff raers while traveling but didn't complain, I am making levitation potions from their guts.

Eventually I reached Ghostgate. I must say I am little dissapointed with dialogs at this point. Yes, there's many of them but spoke about 4 or 5 new topics in Ghostgate. Anyway, in the Tower of Dawn I found parts of Indoril's armor. Again, thanks to my invisiblity ring, I stole them. They were so expensive I didn't know where to sell them. I looted ebony pieve of armor form the vault, invisiblity OP. Second tower was full of glass armors, but I didn't have place in inventory to take anything. Maybe will come here once again. Eventually I left Ghostgate and went back to find bandits, but got distracted by ebony mine. Would take some ebon if only had place in inventory. It's a pity Bethseda decided to remove level-up messages. I really like them. They stick with "learning" philosophy of the game.

At last I reached bandit's cave. I could handle them, although nord with hammer was pretty tough. Guy I was looking for was at the end of the cave. He talked to me like if he didn't notice deadh of his friends. Game dissapointeds me sometimes with situations like this. He offered me a deal about jewelery and I accpeted. Went to lady and back to him to share money. Decided to go back to Caldera to sell stuff. Stole rest of artiffacts from merchant, they could be useful in future.
Continuation soon.

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

jarmaro

Very cool, please continue.

BTW, what are you finding most hard/frustrating about this game? If you ever played Oblivion or Skyrim, what do you feel they did better/worse in comparison to Morrowind?

 

[Jarmaro]

jarmaro

Very cool, please continue.

BTW, what are you finding most hard/frustrating about this game? If you ever played Oblivion or Skyrim, what do you feel they did better/worse in comparison to Morrowind?

I haven't really started exploring, but worlds feels a little empty and speaking of views except cities there's nothing to remember, outside towns everything looks the same. But mostly I was walking on vulcanic areas, so I it may change as I want to travel by the coast. It's hard for me to get into the books, they feel boring. But maybe I didn't find interesting book yet. Guild advancment works strange, why didn't they make me go for promotion everytime I am ready instead of coming once and be advanced 2 or 3 times in a row? I hoped for really magic quests in mage guild, but felt more like thug when they wanted me to kill someone or collect gold from disobedient members. Looking forward with optimism however. Combat didn't feel as bad as I thought, although I kill mostly thrash or cliff racers.
I haven't played much oblivion, tried but after a few hours it just threw me away. Will play it after Morrowind to form my opinion though. I've played skyrim however and I can tell that it didn't change as much as I thought. For me, the biggest skyrim sin is not going forward. There's 9 years diffrence between them but except technicals and graphics everything stayed the same or even went backwards. Skyrim is more loot and dungeon oriented too.
About quests, they little dissapointed me. They seem simple and not absorbing.
Maybe I underestimate morrowind beceause I am new generation player. If Morrowind works in concept similarly to skyrim and they are that alike, it means Morrowind must had been incredibly outstanding in time it was released.

 

[Lazing Dirk]

But mostly I was walking on vulcanic areas

Make sure you don't get nerve pinched

 

[Jarmaro]

I forgot to mention dialogs. There's ton of text, but way people speak is ludicrous. You see someone first time and he start with "I am thief. I was BORN to be thief." and starts monologue about what does it mean. When they are describing their proffesion they go full ecyclopedic, why didn't they have diffrent anwers depending on why me ask, if it was noble warrior or poor warrior?
I can't remember any chracter, as well, noone distinguished from others

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

Here's a scan of the Morrowind map Elwro been talking about.

As you can see, Morrowind has several different regions each with unique terrain types. Personally I like Azura Coast the best, you probably haven't been there yet, it's the Telvanni area, the Telvanni are a magical great house, their area is full of mushroom houses and weird stuff like that. And then there's Grazelands and Bitter Coast which are pretty awesome too. The second expansion, Bloodmoon, adds a huge snowy island that is also very fun to explore (and similar to Oblivion terrain and monsters wise, if that's your thing), but it's very high level, don't go there yet.

But yeah, most of Morrowind is ashlands, it's the home of the Dunmer (dark elves).

 

[SmartCheetah]

(...)

 

[Jarmaro]

I forgot to mention orc I met when I was going to Gnaar Mok. He asked me to give a letter to his friend in Caldera beceause he has problems and needs help. So in Caldera I looked for her, but first I found strange house full of half-naked orc barbarians where everything was scattered around and in fireplace instead of wood was book. On the second floor I found friendly scamp who's merchant. Noone wanted to explain what happend here, so It must have been extreme. Sold some stuff to creeper. By the way, storms in morrowind feel better than those in skyrim, I can't remember hearing a real, scarry lightning, like one I heard during rain in Caldera.

Recalled to Balmora guild, decided to complete question with member payment. This time I had little levitation potions so traveling was much easier. I hit on another ancestral tomb. Frost Atronach was hard enemy. Scamps were easy. Didn't find anything useful. Continued was journey, reached ex-member of mages in cave full of daedras. Little charm spell and she gave me 2k drakes I wanted. Recalled, got half of the money for mysel as reward. Good. I thought it's right time to try kill Commona Tong at club, but wasn't enough strong to do that. Guild gave me quest to bring some mage's notes.

I had to escort him so he would give it to me, but it bugs me that when I talked to him first thing he said when asked him about it was question when we go. Just like that, for no reason he would go with stranger. Anyway, took him to pelagiad, but looking on his powerful spells he didn't need my escort at all. By the way, he was pretty tall. Much taller than me. During our travel we found cave. Told him to stay outside. This time ash mages were much easier. Second level was tough. Large bonewalker and his permament strength and endurance damage nearly killed me. Survived, but couldn't move. Luckily I could make Restore Strength potions. Saw powerful hammer, 75.00 heavy. Game breaking weapon for warriors I suppose. Further I fought Dagoth someone, looted 6th house amulet from him. Useless but worth much. Back on the surfice, continued travel.

Reached Pelagiad, mage gave me his notes. Talked with people adn then... I met Ahnassi. First really friendly person on this fucking island. Talking to her showed real diffrence between her and all other persons, others felt like text messages. She gave me presents. Then, she asked me a favour. Commona Tong member was harrasing her. She said she doesn't feel okay with it. Ok, I had hard time with Cammona anyway. I shall erase him from the face of Vvanderfell. He was in Gnaar Mok (that was strange, why would he be so far away?) so I recalled and took strider to Vivec, then went to Ebonheart and then to Gnaar Mok. Found him, he was unfriendly and attacked me. His friends too. Killed all, no remorse. Recalled, teleported to Vivec's mage guild. Arch-mage is funny guy, he gave me quest to find out what happened to Dwemers. I stoped for a moment to try some new spells.
After that moment nothing was the same.
Made little ice spell, tried it on spellmaker. Pretty weak. Reload, saw that "area" bar. It didn't take much spell chance nor mana, so I increased it to maximum. Then increased durations for 2 or 3 seconds and little incerased damage size. Spell had cost of 4/5 my magicka. I gave it a shot. I anihilated entire guild in one big white explosion. Noone survived, including arch-mage. I was ignorant, but now I know. I was blind, but now I see. Magic is the only way. Barely 60 destruction but I can purge entire cities in few second. Possibilities are infinite.

Now I am going back to Ahnassi. It's time for payback on the world.

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

jarmaro

That scamp, Creeper, is the best* merchant in the game to sell stuff to. He's a monster, so his disposition towards you is always neutral, meaning his prices are the best. He also has 5000 coin in cash every time his inventory restocks. You'd be wise to mark this house and recall to it to sell stuff once you clear a dungeon. I'd even suggest you make this your home base.

* Yes, there's a better merchant, also a monster, but with 10k coin in cash. He's very hard to find tho without spoilers since he's way out there in the sticks and looks just like another one... of those disgusting creatures.

 

[Jarmaro]

So I went back to Ahnassi, she was very happy and said I am her true and good friend. That's nice. Now she wants me to help her mate to put down skooma addiction. Ok, everything for my kitty. But first I am going to explore some around Pelagiad. Found cave, probably with smugglers. A lot of people to kill, a lot of grand soul games. Dungeon was pretty linear but that underwater passage from beggining to the end was nice. Killed everyone, took loot and decided to help Ahnassi's friend.

But first went to shop and sold stuff of course. Recalled to balmora, went to vivec through teleportation. I must say city is pretty big. I can't remember last time I've seen such a big city in game. So I went to St canton looking for J'Dhannar, found him in the canals. He complains beceause Ahnassi left him, he is addicted and overall everything is shit. I didn't know how to help him, so I leave it for now. I explored canals, first some storage with rats and a lot of chests&crates, nothing important. But futher... I hit on group of Bonewalkers, like 6 of them. Magic wasn't very good vs them, but my nuclear spells eventually killed them. Didn't find anything interesting at the end.

Back to the main canal, then went down to sewers. Looks interesting, rat and someone standing on the other side. Unfortunelly a enemy. Tough enemy. Killed her thanks to my paralyze ring, much useful. Turned out she was guarding a door to some Daedra Shrine. Inside were 3 guys, one easy, second was unbelievable powerful and 3 was guy spamming crossbow. That second guy, full bonemold armor with shield and long blade. He could kill me in 2 hits. After many attempts I killed him with paralyze ring and paralyze spells, beceause one ring wasn't enough. Then got killed by crossbow man. Some attempts later, I killed them all. Turned out powerful guy had Long Deadric Sword, 40k drakes worthy, 60.00 weight. He had some constant effect thnigs, but useful only for warrior. I'll sell it all.

Used artifacts to get some strength so I could move with all of this and recalled to Balmora, then traveled to Caldera and to Creeper, sold stuff. Recalled, decided it is time to kill those Commona in Balmora club already. One nuclear spell and everyone died. Progress has been achieved. Used invisiblity ring to get out of city and went to guard in moonmoth who told me to kill them. He was happy, erased bounty on my head and gave me good ring.
It was time to continue Mage guild quests. My mentor told me to kill necromancer in Maar Gan. Found her, she said she isn't necromancer and my mentor wants her death beceause she didn't want to join Mages guild and she's only a healer. Asked people in city, everyone confirmed that. So I let her go, she escaped to mainland. Recalled, I lied to mentor, she was gratified.

Mentor gave me another quest, I have to find Telvani spy in mage guild. Kind of funny that my only option to find Telvanni spy is to ask evryone about him. Wouldn'y he just dissapear when he heard about it? Anyway, Archmage in Vivec gave me papers of his assistant which were obviously false, but he didn't want to accept that his assistant is spy so I went back to mentor. She was pleased and gave me good blade to catch souls, may be useful. In the meantime I talked with people about skooma addict, they said I should read Skooma Addict Confessions in Rare books shop in Vivec. Went there, found that book and Chronicles for Ald-ruhn mage I had to find for her. Nice. Gave J'Dhannar book, he was thankful. Went back to Ahnassi.

She was VERY happy beceause my help made me TRUE friend. Ahnassi nvited me to her home. Cosy place. She wants me to visite her often, no problem, I like her. She asked me to find flower for her. Maybe I will find during my travels. Left city and found Ancestral Tomb. Many skeletons, bonewalers and other trash. Interesting, there was possibility to went all way down without fighting If I had levitatation. But it wasn'y much helpful actually.
Now I am going to give Ald-ruhn mage her book and continue mage quests. I feel it comes to an end.

Spoiler

I think I will make larger time cuts, beceause I am getting much faster in travelling and reading much about details may be boring.

 

[anvi]

Do you like it more than Skyshit and Oblividumb?

 

[Jarmaro]

Do you like it more than Skyshit and Oblividumb?

I played oblivion long ago and only for few hours, but will after morrowind to check. I dunno if I can judge skyrim like that, beceause I played skyrim for lulz and didn't care about plot or guild quest quality, but as it is morrowind may be more enjoyable, sometimes I enjoy morrowind more than skyrim. I will play skyrim as well after oblivion so I will have full opinion.

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

Make sure to join at least one of the great houses (there are 3 in total), their quest lines are pretty long and you get to build your own mansion/fort.

Since you enjoy stealing stuff, you can also try joining the thieves guild.

And maybe you should try doing some main plot related quests, some of them are very good and unlock more locations.

 

[Jarmaro]

I'll do main plot and hlallu after mage guild, I am close to being Archmage. I think it locks thief guild for me.