User blog:Madman97/Madman Tonight with Three Masters of Horror (And One Unexpected Guest)

Introduction
(Madman Tonight is filmed in front of a live studio audience)

(Applause)

Madman97 (brooding in his chair, folds his hands): Forgive me, everyone. I find myself rather torn. I have been lazy to write a new interview. Work is only so much of an excuse. I've managed to find time to go on chat and think back to a darker time in our community. It's...given me time to reflect. A user I had not seen for some time came back on the other day and we told each other stories about what was happening in our lives. I told him how much this community has changed for the better but doing so reminded me of what I was back in the day. How much I criticized the Elder Scrolls games with a zany property. It was bonkers! Until I reached a point where everything that could be said, I've said it and so have a hundred others. And we made a very lo-o-ong list, didn't we, Dave?

Dave: No doubt. But we loved the games anyway, right?

Madman97: Of course. But now that one of our administrators has asked us to take up an opportunity that would allow us to actually talk to developers of a mainstream property...It might be time to put on the boots once again, wouldn't you say, Dave?

Dave (shrugging): We already said it in our Star Wars retrospective. What haven't we bashed--excuse me--offered constructive criticism towards?

Madman97: Lack of consequence within story, dear Davey, lack of consequence within story. And today, we are reaching far beyond the Elder Scrolls to all Bethesda games, just as we are reaching beyond this Wiki to a place built upon storytelling. A place where they celebrate the chill in your spine...

Dave: You don't mean...

Madman97: From this malignant saraband of fantastic nightmare, we shall draw three users. Old dogs like us may not have much more to say on the subject, but perhaps these purveyors of all things literary and creepy can set Bethesda on a straighter path. So please welcome users HumboldtLycanthrope, Blacknumber1, and Banningk1979 (Matthew Brockmeyer, Michael, and K. Banning Kellum, respectively). Matthew Brockmeyer is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Pulp Metal Magazine, Homeless Romantic Magazine and The Independent. He also writes extreme horror online and deals with NSFW themes under the pseudonym Humboldt Lycanthrope, as seen above. Michael has written stories for CreepyPasta such as Pasta Noir, Chago, and The Salt and Pepper Lady-All cool stories, be sure to check them out and is actually a martial arts trainer. Kickin' ass and writing stories, just like us, right ladies and gentlemen?

(Uproarious applause)

Madman97: Our final guest here today is Mr. Kellum, who is actually an Admin on the CreepyPasta Wiki, has written the well-received Tobit series (a favorite of the user who recommended all three of these guys, Shawn Howell--Shout out to you, mate! Thanks for all your help) and from what I hear, is an excellent artist. Ladies and Gentlemen, these are the guys you want to ask when it comes to telling a story and since the Elder Scrolls and the Fallout series were built on this idea I can't imagine a better trio of users to have here tonight on...

MADMAN TONIGHT

The Interview
(Applause)

(Two thirty-something men walk on stage. Matthew--as I imagine him to look like--looks vaguely like Bam Margera with a CreepyPasta tattoo on his arm. Michael is a Kevin Smith-looking guy if Kevin Smith had greased back hair and was an MMA fighter. Mr. Kellum is not actually present, but there is a telephone sitting in the chair he would occupy. They all sit down and look ready to do this. So does Madman and Dave. A five person discussion has never been blogged on the Elder Scrolls Wiki before. Perhaps not on any Wikia. History is about to be made).

Dave: Think we're like one step down from a podcast...

On Matthew and Consequence
Madman97: Thank you, thank you. Now, for people who know me, they know I like to personalize my questions, so I chose specific ones based off of what I knew about these three guys and luckily, two out of the three actually played Skyrim so this will be a lot easier for everyone. We have a lot to go through and not much space to cram it in, so we're going to start off with Mr. Brockmeyer. Matthew, you excited to be here tonight?

HumboldtLycanthrope: I am delighted Shawn has recommended me to you as a writer. I find it quite the compliment and am flattered. I am not a gamer, but I will take the time to try and answer your questions from the perspective of a writer.

Madman97: Excellent. It's funny, this is something that should've been the first thing to talk about, and I fear we might be preaching to choir by now but with the release of Fallout 4, you start to realize maybe Bethesda hasn't learned from all the nagging that came their way when Skyrim was released. So I think it's necessary to come back with new vigor. One of the most appealing factors of a Bethesda game is its open world that takes hundreds of hours to completely explore and with more than enough quest lines to nudge you into it. No one can deny it's a vast ocean waiting to be explored.

But once you begin to explore and it turns out its a shallow bank, what do we blame? A lot of things (link to profile) but most of those can be summed up to minor nitpicks than actual criticism, though I really am still angry about not being able to shove Braith off of a cliff...So what happens when something as major as the story falters, not because of how its written, but because of the open world? Hear me out. You can completely ignore the campaign if you want. In the case of Skyrim, where a soul-eating dragon threatens to destroy the world and the Dragonborn's off picking flowers, what happens? Nothing. You can murder the Emperor. What happens to you? Nothing. So, the first question I want to ask you is, in such a big world that caters to the player's choices, what about the consequences?

HumboldtLycanthrope: Yes, there should always be consequences. One of the first rules of fiction writing is that every action should have a consequence, and how your character reacts to them is what defines them as a person. In the case of killing the Emperor, the consequence should either be becoming the new Emperor or being imprisoned or gaining an army of loyal followers or being hounded by an angry mob. When it comes to flowers, I suppose some could be poisonous and used as weapons others could be hallucinogenic and take one on a vision quest, and some could have some sort of healing power.

Dave: Well, there is the alchemy system for that last part, but goddamn, how cool would it be if you could go on trippy vision quests whenever you wanted? But you both bring up interesting points. If a game strives to be played "your way" and it refuses to acknowledge the consequences of your actions, then in essence, it's denying what it's striving to be. Want a game that does that? Witcher 3. Mix in the storytelling elements of that game with a reworked gameplay system from Bethesda, boom. Perfect RPG.

Madman97: This actually brings up a big problem about the game's little moments of storytelling, and not just Skyrim, but Fallout 4, Fallout 3, New Vegas, Oblivion, ect. Skyrim is the biggest offender of course and it's not so bad in New Vegas or even Oblivion, but a glaring flaw is the way exposition is presented between quests. NPC's tell you everything the developers think you need to know but people often skip the dialogue to the end because they know it's going to end with another brain-dead quest: Go to the cave, kill the thing, talk to the guy, next quest! The repetitiveness of the task overrules the story, so Bethesda needs to step it up by having a good enough quest line to supersede those flaws. But the Witcher 3 did something like this, and I was way more invested in what happened to characters than in Skyrim? What went wrong here?

HumboldtLycanthrope: This is an area where I do believe I could offer some real insight. While dialogue can serve to offer exposition it should never be passive. It needs to be active and filled with tension. When studying creative writing you are taught to think of dialogue as an actual action, like movement--a duel between characters--that serves the purpose of the one talking. Good dialogue should feel like a sword fight, back and forth blows, blocks, and retaliation. Conflict and tension is the key. Often creative writing teachers will instruct you to write out the agenda the character wishes to serve with his dialogue. What is it they want to accomplish? What is the goal of their speech? What is it that they want? If dialogue is used simply to serve as backstory or reveal a quest it will certainly be boring and players will definitely skip over it.

Madman97 (slapping his face with his palm): Oh my lord...Dave...I had just thought of one area of Skyrim that fails so hard at mixing emotional moments with dialogue.

Dave: The Marriage Syste--

Madman97: THE MARRIAGE SYSTEM! Oh-ho-ho GOD! The...only...emotion I ever got from that was amused horror, because the Companions sent me to quell a troublemaker which turned out to be my in-game wife (who glitched and could no longer wear anything), so I had to beat my naked spouse into submission while my children and servants watched...

Dave: That should be a Just Girly Things meme: Relationship Goals/ Picture of a Nord punching his wife.

Madman97: It was a very difficult time for my virtual family. Literally, after any dumb task, you can ask an able AI to marry with THE PRESS OF A BUTTON. No build-up, no emotional attachment, you just want to see how many people show up for the wedding...I can almost see that guy from Prince's Bride at the altar.

Dave: Mawwage. Mawwage is what bwings us togever...too-day...

Madman97: Mr. Brockmeyer, you deal with mature themes. Thoughts?

HumboldtLycanthrope : Mawwage. Well, that’s a handful there. A marriage can serve many purposes. If the wife is rich and brings a large dowry, or is of royal blood, this could make you very wealthy and powerful, giving you lots of connections. If she is wise and you take heed of her counsel, this can give boon to your struggles. If she is a terrible nag or gives selfish or bad advice this can adversely affect your character. If she is scheming and dishonest, waiting for a chance to leave you for something better, this could really fuck you up, she could even be a murderess waiting for the right moment to put a knife in your back or sprinkle poison on your food. All of this should be a part of the marriage system in the game. They say behind every great man is a great woman and this should certainly be reflected in the game.

Dave (nodding): Once again, Triss. Witcher 3. Awesome. I developed a crush on a video game character and my girlfriend actually doesn't mind because she likes her too. You're allowed to grow to like these characters and that's the double-edged sword of creating your own character. You're role playing as you and you already know pretty much everything about your character and you are still going to act the same way from beginning to end. Geralt will do what you want him to but he has opinions and a code. He is allowed to develop as a character, something literally no character in an Elder Scrolls game has been able to do. There are likeable ones, sure, Serana is great, Nelar is great, Sheogorath, Haskill, Ma'aiq, J'zargo, Sanguine, ect, but they all stay the same. They don't change! Well...except when Sheo changed into Jyggalag that one time but that's besides the point.

It's something you notice within the Fallout games too. You can convince others to not do something evil or whatever but they never land on that decision themselves. What if how you played the game up to that point played a factor in their decisions? How cool would that be? That's why I didn't hate the whole companion liked/disliked that system as much as everyone else in Fallout 4. Your companion had morals and judged you by their code. Could it have been done better? Loads. But I think they're on the right track. Want to know something else that's underdeveloped though, let's take a look at the Civil War in Skyrim. You go and choose whatever uniform seems coolest to you and kill some dudes. Done. Next quest. This isn't a war, it's a chore list! Blacknumber1, you're a martial arts guy. What do you think is the most essential element of writing a war story? Is it the characters? The setting? Tactics, weapons, ideology behind it all?

On Michael and War
Blacknumber1: In general, (regardless of whether or not it's a war story) superb character development is crucial in really captivating an audience. What are some of your favorite films, books or stories?

Madman97: Dear me, where to start? Movie: Big Trouble in Little China. THE CHEESE. To die for. That, or Road Warrior or Mad Max: Fury Road, because its Mad Max: Fury F*cking Road. Favorite book? Even tougher question. Probably a cross between the compiled works of H.P. Lovecraft and the novelization of Spider-Man 3...I like it, shut up! But I will bow down to Tarentino movies. Looking forward to seeing Hateful Eight. Actually, I think his films do the best job at developing interesting characters. Specifically Kill Bill, Django Unchained, and Inglorious Bastards.

Dave: Favorite movie? Octopussy.

(Boo!)

Blacknumber1: Character development is a large part of why a great story pulls us in. Look at what Quentin Tarantino did in Deathproof. He spends half the film pulling you in by using character development. You think the film will be solely about the group of girls in the first half, only to see them die horribly before your eyes. You're kinda crushed. By then, you are so wrapped up in it, you want this baddie to get what's coming to him. It's like losing someone close to you or you have become fond of. I have found when this happens in other games, this is a very effective motivator.

Dave: So not the kind where you're annoyed because you need to reload a save because your dipsh*t companion got themselves killed.

Blacknumber1: One of my favorite films as far as atmosphere and historical setting and look of old world is the original Conan the Barbarian (1983). It was popular when I was a kid. We even had Conan's Pizza. I recall going there and walking into a cave. Yes, the owner actually had the walls made to look like cave walls. You had rope everywhere, torches lit, you felt like you were in the times of the film (supposedly about 10,000 years ago or so.) Skyrim does a great job of this. This was one of my favorite things about the game. I felt like I was in that world with the setting and the soundtrack.

As far as the weapons for the game, I thought it was a good selection. I wanted to see more but overall, I was happy with what was in the game. It would be cool to have more eastern style martial arts weapons in the game. It would also be nice to see a training session as with the classic ps2 game Kengo: Master of Bushido.

Madman97: Oh sh*t, that game's awesome. I would love more of an Akiviri presence in the games as well. I think it would definitely be a great choice to explore another continent on Nirn besides Tamriel and you could have all sorts of samurai stuff going on. You could have a bunch of sparring sessions...Actually, that brings me to another topic. This isn't strictly story-based, but since the repetitive nature of the quest gameplay impacts the story in a negative way, I think this does as well. Since you are a martial arts trainer, I think you can appreciate good combat mechanics within a game. Obviously since Skyrim is fantasy, we are allowed to suspend our disbelief and ignore that fact a sword went right across our faces and keep fighting or, if necessary, pop a health potion. But frankly, the most interesting thing about combat in any Bethesda game is, well, nothing actually. You press a button and you swing. You press the R2 button, and you shoot something. I'm not asking for a step-by-step how to fix this, but how would you improve upon the redundant mechanic so its actual combat, not pressing a button and winning?

Blacknumber1: Real fighting takes skill. Skills learned by practice. Some people are just very skilled at hurting and murdering others. They don't see it as any special skill. It's just killing. If you wanted to use some sort of skill to fight by using a controller, well, I don't know what to say except that I've found that the controls for UFC games (using the 2 small joysticks as a means of using specific skills) proved to be somewhat difficult for me. Perhaps try that style. Personally, I always loved Mortal Kombat style controls. Use fighting game controls that matches the Mortal Kombat style during gameplay or at least have an option for it.

Madman97: I admit, this is a difficult question to answer. How would you give something like the Elder Scrolls a better combat system? Personally, I always thought this system would work. You would have your left slice with the A button, the vertical slice with the Y button, and the right slice with the B button. Mix it up and create your own combos and rope some of the minor functions usually attributed to the buttons to another. Make it so a counter attack system would be swinging the same direction of the enemy. This way you would have to be constantly on your toes and require a bit of skill. Another system like this would be for the upcoming game For Honor. Check it out on YouTube when you get the chance. I think you would like it.

Dave: I'm definitely checking it out. Alright, so we've covered how the games actually restrict our personal style of playthrough by lack of choice by consequence, so Mr. Michael, what would you do if given the choice between Stormcloaks, Imperials, or really any faction?

Bluenumber1: So, I have to choose the shiniest turd huh?

Dave: One way of putting it!

(Laughter)

Bluenumber1: Regardless of what I chose, I would personally lead an underground movement to change what is wrong. Throw me to the wolves and I will return leading the pack.

Dave: Honestly, the closest Bethesda has ever come to a f*ck all factions faction is Yes Man from New Vegas but you never really get to f*ck EVERYONE over on your own. Seriously, that should be in there!

Madman97: Well, let's see what our last user has to say about the matter...Not this matter specifically, but what we have for him based on his talents.

On An Unexpected Guest
(Madman97 picks up the phone and dials the number. The rings can be heard over the speaker. Someone answers but does not say hello).

Madman97: Yeah, hi, is this the guy who wrote the Tobit series? The artist? Shawn recommended I speak with you.

EmpyrealInvective: Banningk1979 actually wrote the Tobit series. There must have been a crossing in the wires. For example, I am hilariously lacking in the visual arts department and would be hard pressed to describe the visual effects from a scholarly/learned perspective.

Madman97: How did you know I was going to ask you about visual effects?

EmpyrealInvective: ...

Madman97: Uh...Alright, well, since I've got you on the phone, have you ever played any Bethesda games?

EmpyrealInvective: I have only played Skyrim and that was mainly following the side quests and not really focusing too much on the overall lore/history, although I have played (almost) every Fallout game in the series. (1, Tactics, 2, 3, NV, with 4 in the near future).

Madman97: Great!...Ahem...Well, what would you like to improve about those games? What you hate most about them?

EmpyrealInvective: I would say one of my biggest issues also happens to be one of its greatest strengths. The character customization/creation aspect and its lack of major effects on the character and story. For example, any race other than the Nords really seems out of place in the Stormcloak rebellion due to their ideology and it really isn't mentioned or discussed much. So a/an Argonian/Khajit/Wood Elf/etc. can participate in this rebellion that seems to have these racial ideologies and no one really bats an eye at the inconsistency. It feels like there's a wide selection but very little impact overall in the story.

Madman97 (nodding): Right, right, well, thank you for sharing with us today but we have to move along. Could you give me Mr. Kellum's number?--

EmpyrealInvective : A Fallout example, I played through Fallout 3 as a good guy, a bad guy, and neutral and while being the worst person ever to exist; I think the only thing that really changed in the overall storyline was the Lone Wanderer's Dad scolding him about obliterating a town. This raises an odd question as to why a morally corrupt character is even going through with the water purification project if their--

Madman97:--Yes, alright. We really need to move along--

EmpyrealInvective:-- actions are self-serving up to that point. I think FO:2 really handled this excellent degree of diversity best with a wide range of possible dialogue options and separate reputations to uphold.

Dave: Ask him if is refrigerator is running.

(Madman97 hangs up the phone and through an ill-conceived plot twist, Dave had the number to Mr. Kellum the whole time. Shock and awe. Madman97 promptly backhands Dave and calls the correct number).

On Banningk1979 and Visual Horror
Madman97: I assume this is Mr. Kellum. Nice to meet you, old bean. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions today...Uh-huh, uh-huh...Yes...Thank you...Uh-huh...................Uh-huh....Yes...........

Dave, the phone's not working. It's just fuzz.

(Dave takes the phone from Madman97 and wills it to work through sheer power of those fabulous cheekbones. He hands it back to Madman97).

Madman97: Ahem, so like I saying before, you are an artist of sorts, and while the others answered things on a gameplay and a storytelling level, I would like to ask you some questions about the visual side of the games. Video games are a visual medium. They're unique. But while Fallout seems to capture the horror of its setting in some sequences, the Elder Scrolls fall short of its implications. There's never really a "Holy sh*t, we live in a world with zombies and evil wizards" moment. How would you go about visually improving the tone and feel for games that gloss over things like there is a dragon who literally wants to eat the world flying around? How would you convey the horror of that these games so often miss for the sake of expanding their audience to kids?

Banningk1979 (over phone):...I think the first thing we need to address here is the very simple and perhaps fact that video games are games, not movies. Back in the 80's, video games ranged from titles like Pac-Man or Donkey Kong, and involved nothing more than simple, linear goal accomplishment. Get to the end of the level, kill the bad guys or figure out a puzzle. That was really about it, and no one really complained. This was largely due to the relative newness of video games to mainstream life, as well as the already established television and movie industry being the main outlet for entertainment. In other words, people had no expectations of video games being anything other than simple time wasters that granted a small amount of personal satisfaction when said tasks were completed.

Now, over the decades, games have gotten bigger and far more in-depth. Advances in technology have allowed video games to evolve from simple side scrollers to extremely complex interactive media sources. Which brings us to the issue at hand: Do I feel that the characters from games like Skyrim or Fallout need more human depth? Honestly, no. The satisfaction from those games for me still comes from building up the character from a weakling to a near god-like being. Seeing the story through until the end and basking in the satisfaction of a job well done. Now, with that said, there are quite a few examples of video games that took on cinematic concepts and did very well. Pretty much any of the early Final Fantasy games did an amazing job of combining a story with game play. Silent Hill and Resident Evil are also two very successful franchises when it comes to mixing story and action. However, at the end of the day, I think we've come far enough. A lot of video games have become more of a chore than a pleasure when it comes down to game play. You damn near need to be a savant critical thinking to get through some, like Mist or Riven. Others became so overly cinematic that there is almost a severe lack of game.

Dave: So Beyond Two Souls from (in a cooky French accent) Daivid Caige.

Madman97: Oh, I so wanted that hobo's baby to have his face on it.

(Laughter)

Banningk1979: Cut scenes that go on too long and can't be skipped, games that take far too long to get into, overly complicated gaming mechanics, (how many damn buttons do we really need?) and of course the unwanted tutorials that became needed because game developers have tried to cram more into a video gaming experience that ever really needed to be there. Bottom line, while there have been some amazing games to come around since "next gen" became the big thing, I do believe that game developers need to realize that there is still a large divide between the type of entertainment sought in video games and the type of entertainment sought from television and movies. People watch shows for different reasons than they play games, and to try to merge to two platforms into one may be defeating the purpose of having two such different venues in the first place. Honestly, I don't really care how the Dragon Born feels, I just want him to grab a sword and go kill stuff.

(Gasp)

Banningk1979: Maybe that isn't the most elegant opinion, but it is mine.

Madman97: Oh-ho contraire, Mon'Amie. We always love different opinions here, especially ones as detailed as yours. Will the users complain about us going on too long? Maybe, but eh, we'll divvy it up into sections in post. That's what people say, right? We'll fix it in post? But nicely phrased, sir. Maybe a simpler game is all we really need. However, do feel like some games can be grand epics? Of course, if the stars are right. But I am biased towards horror. It's my favorite genre! Mr. Kellum, you dabble in nightmarish visuals and settings. What do you think can be done to make these games a little scarier?

Dave: Honestly, I've screamed sometimes when I didn't hear a Ghoul or a Draugr coming from behind and it hit me.

Banningk1979: There was a game that came out about a decade and some change ago that I remember reading about in a magazine. Clearly it didn't catch on, because I never heard about it again, but it was supposed to be the most horrifying video game ever released. It was a computer game that involved giving the game your cell phone number and email. The game would then actually call you and email you information. Some of it would be in the form of useful hints, but I do believe that the majority of it was intended to scare the player by sending cryptic threats. Now, I think this failed because of the time it came out. In the early 00's, high speed internet was still rare in most lower-middle income houses, and didn't exist at all in many low income homes. Cell phone plans were still minute based, and just receiving texts and calls could cause phone bills to sky rocket. I think those elements lead to the game failing to take off, as it was just too expensive and elaborate an idea for the time.

Dave: Oh God, that is horrifying. I remember that! Now though, with high speed internet being the rule and not the exception, and unlimited data plans being quite common on phones, I think such a game could work. The idea of the player still be tracked and harassed by the game, even when the game was turned off, could certainly add a new element to gaming that has never been seen before.

Madman97: Ooh, well I don't know about that. That just seems awfully dangerous. Call me chicken, but I would like to tell the difference if I am getting harassed by a person or a machine...Actually, a game like this would seem illegal...But it is an interesting concept...Speaking of which, I have one last question for you, Mr. Kellum. Do any games meet your standard of horror? What style would you visually incorporate into one if you needed it?

Banningk1979: Honestly, graphics have never been a huge deal to me. I can still warm up the old Nintendo and spend hours delving into the 8-bit era. The old Final Fantasy titles on the SNES are still among my favorite games. I think Chrono Trigger did more visually with just 16-bits than a lot of games have done even recently. As far as games that meet my standard of visual play, I guess it all depends on the quality of the game. Like I said, I still love my NES, and a really fantastic game like Dragon Warrior or Rolling Thunder will keep me engaged all night, regardless of the poor graphics.

(Applause)

Madman97 (nodding): Yeah, I don't really care about graphics either. People have come to me asking for me to complain about the character models of the engine Bethesda uses, and while they have improved exponentially by the time Fallout 4 came around, I never really cared.

Banningk1979: We can all agree that the original Playstation had some of the ugliest graphics for a next gen system, especially compared to systems like the Dreamcast. However, a game like Silent Hill or Resident Evil on the PS1 could pull me so hard into the game that I really didn't care about the graphics.

As far as games that really out did themselves on style and art though? I would have to say Chrono Trigger again. Devil May Cry was also ahead of its time with the style it brought to the table. Most Wii games are pretty incredible with graphics as well. Hell, Mike Tyson's Punch-Out on the NES brought some of the most arcade accurate graphics to the home television way back in the late 80's.

(Laughter)

Banningk1979: In closing, to me, the quality of a game will always be in the game play. I really don't care how good a game looks. If it sucks, it sucks. The new WWE games all look amazing, but the damn controls are so overly complicated that it defeats the purpose of even playing a game, so to me, the graphics do nothing for the game there. Dave: Well, when all you have to do is have two guys in a room, how incredible can the graphics really get before they stop improving? Like racecar games.

Madman97: You and Michael seem to be in agreement with the difficulty in the controls of MMA games, Mr. Kellum. Though isn't it satisfying to finally deck the other guy in the face?

Banningk1979: All I ask for in my gaming is a good experience that is fun and worth the money I spend. I don't open a game case thinking the next Shawshank Redemption of Citizen Kane is going to load up on my screen. I just want something that is enjoyable.

(Applause)

Madman97: I agree, Mr. Kellum. Why do we play games? To have fun. But I suppose this means something different for everyone. For me, a fun game can vary as long as it's done well. I really have no preference of genre as long as it captures my attention.

Dave: I usually prefer the usual shoot-em up games but I do like to pop in Elder Scrolls every once in a while. I think that's also what you have to look out for, Mr. Kellum. Story and Bethesda games are a package deal, so you're going to get it whether you're not looking for it or not. And while I agree not every game doesn't have to be a cinematic masterpiece to begin with, these are Elder Scrolls and Fallout games. Your actions dictate the gameplay and the world is yours to explore. That is what Bethesda advertises this as and that's why we want it improved in any way they can because these games are fun and great, but there is so much more that can be done! But so far, I think the Witcher 3 has them beat!

Madman97: And what do you think, dear audience? Do you agree or disagree with these masters of horror and the one guy on the phone? To me, the most horrific thing they can do is make a player responsible for their actions, but others may feel differently. I'll take my answer off the air. Once again, I would like to thank the audience for staying with us and we have reached the end of the biggest interview to date. We'll be back to simpler form soon, but for now, you should all check out these guys' pastas when you have the time. I gave them a read and I liked all of them. Hell, if you're feeling especially daring, check out mine (http://creepypasta.wikia.com/wiki/Thread:518100). Until then, we'll see you all back here soon.

(Applause)