now that we're back to the world of the living I'm looking through some screenshots and thinking... wow. this mod project is more canon to me than actual oblivion or skyrim is, if that makes any sense at all. like I trust the many collaborators to TR to care more about TES lore than anyone who's making the elder scrolls now, because all they're putting time into now is a mobile game cash grab and god knows what else.
TR feels like what they wanted to have done in 2003 if they had the memory, processing power, all the time in the world to develop the world, the clash of cultures between the empire and the dunmer of morrowind and all their eccentricities, it's truly something special. Old Ebonheart, Necrom, Firewatch, Androthren, there's so many incredible architectural styles now being out in the world for you to marvel at and explore that it's a little overwhelming, the land of mainland morrowind is incredible too, each region has its distinct identity like the regions of vvanderfell, different trees, hills and pretty rock formations, there's more Classic Elder Scrolls going on in TR than in Oblivion and Skyrim combined, sure Cyrodiil and Skyrim are pretty landscapes, but nothing, and I do mean nothing in those games compare to the sense of culture that's established in vanilla Morrowind and that sensibility got carried through over the years by everyone working in Tamriel Rebuilt, I just can't emphasize it enough that the Imperials finally feel like a proper people, because the contrast to the people's of morrowind matters and makes that tangible. Skyrim Nords are a bit of a joke in Vanilla Morrowind, being tricked by witches and standing around naked, except for the joke in Tribunal that plays with your expectations where the Nord is naked on purpose cause it's hot out, he wasn't tricked by any witch, but I bet that in a project like Tomb of the Snow Prince or Skyrim Home of the Nords, the Nords are going to feel more like a proper culture than they do in 2011 Skyrim too, because all I can think of the Nords when I think of Skyrim is they're boring, bland, drunken racists? Hell even vanilla Bloodmoon had something going on with the Skaal being hippie nature worshippers, skyrim had blandness and blandness, and a few little songs.
I don't mean to just shit on the official stuff but after 230 hours in Oblivion and 560 hours in Skyrim across both versions (before anniversary added in bizarre paid mods), less than 100 hours in Morrowind with Tamriel Rebuilt reminded me of why I fucking love the elder scrolls so much. the base game holds up super well, then there's a whole 2 or 3 Vvanderfells worth of world for you to explore and indulge in with the new stuff, and all those fans get it. they don't see the imperials as just generic fantasy dudes, and the dunmer people are made to be one of the most beautiful cultures in all of the world. they even make sure to represent khajiiti culture with all the different khajiiti forms and even obscure turbonerd shit (I say this with nothing but love and respect) like the Quey people, which are like.. ocean elves? again I fucking love the elder scrolls, this part of the elder scrolls where the world is filled with wonders, fascinating cultures and pretty waterfalls. oblivion and skyrim only have the pretty waterfalls.

