Thoughts & Things

Inspired by Video Games

I actually can't recall the first time I played video games or saw someone else playing them. My parents played them when I was little, and my uncle was a big gamer when he lived with us for quite some time. I gamed very regularly as a source of entertainment, but I wasn't hardcore into games at the time. There were things I could play for hours on end, but I didn't realise there was something missing for me at the time.

When I was about ten years old, my uncle had a copy of a game I thought seemed interesting. It had a fantasy setting, with a highly artistic design, and an incredibly large, fleshed out world. I had never seen a game that felt so real, that felt so open. It was like the fantasy books and movies I enjoyed so much, but something I could participate in. The game was Morrowind. It's a little bit dated now, but it's still my all time favourite game, and I still play it.

As a reader and writing, this game speaks to me on so many levels. Artistically it has a beautiful design. The graphics may be dated, but the art style never could be. Many fantasy games and films tend to have that standard medieval type of setting, something you could imagine equally as well in a period drama. Morrowind has a diverse spread of regions, each with its own distinct style and feel. Swampy coasts, rolling hills, barren rocky land, large sand dunes, volcanoes, and cliffs count among the different geographic styles that cover the lands. Even the buildings look different, depending on what groups reside in the area. You might see a standard medieval fortress, a city built on canals, or mage towers built out of plant life. The flora and fauna can vary depending on which area you are in.

The game has multiple methods of transportation. You can be teleported by the mages guild between guild locations, ride in the shell of a tall creature, cast your own spells to head to specific locations, or take a boat along the coast. You can affiliate yourself with multiple groups. You can actually affiliate yourself with multiple religions. The game has an incredibly rich, textured world. There are different races, different backgrounds, different religions. There is an entire political system within the province, and within the country. The game deals with political turmoil, religious differences, racism, slavery, and more. There are centuries of history built up, and the game has dozens, maybe hundreds, of books you can read on history, and even just fictional stories.

It feels like every aspect of Morrowind has been thought through to provide a richly textured experience. As someone who enjoys writing fantasy, I think this game has a lot to teach. There are ways to create and introduce a world that feels believable and fantastical all at once. There are so many aspects to think of when it comes to world building, and I think this game taught me a lot about the things I need to consider when I write.

Morrowind is actually the third game in the Elder Scrolls series, and more people are familiar with games four (Oblivion) and five (Skyrim). While I enjoy the entire series immensely, I think Morrowind has the most to teach. That said, I think that any game that is focused around a story can be an excellent learning tool for most writers. Being a good storyteller isn't just about reading a lot (although that certainly helps), it's about consuming stories in all of their wonderful formats.