But first impressions matter a lot, no ?
Now - of course - THERE ARE SPOILERS following - you've been warned.
First off to say I was very positively predisposed - as the german mods I've played were good and had this special character I liked.
So I was immediately stricken by the changes in the UI - especially the map. A very good move ! All of it actually - was using Darn in TESIV but this one is really good also and the option to view full screen is really really nice.
The mine was a very refreshing change from the too clean Oblivion ones - where one can eat from the floor. It looked dirty enough, dangerous enough, big enough and dark enough to qualify as a mine. And one had this impression of tunnels getting by as one rushed to avoid the trolls. And it made sense - falling == dying, and you had to actually use your brain to get away - nice change from Oblivion. On the downside - there is a function called setGhost which will disable the hand/container icon on activators, containers etc - use it on trolls (onDeath) and on containers etc not meant to be activated - it is rather awkward as it is.
There were many details that I liked actually - using a pickaxe as a weapon or - as a pickaxe (at last), the note saying torches are rare (one wondered in oblivion where all those torches came from) and many other little details like that which made the world more believable but no less magickal.
Again on the downside - I am afraid I was not really convinced by the way the MQ starts - I know one has to start somehow and I know I am a perfectionist but, see, there is not enough reason for a guy to get to a mine after having received a letter half begging and half rude. Alternatives - have the letter being sent by a long lost love/child/relative that would make one go to the meeting - or threaten by having kidnapped someone dear. Or make it a forged letter sent by a superior. I don't know - it may sound better auf Deutsch
A pity though - I still have to see a good start (apart from Oscuro's quest which actually avoid the start). On the same vein - the quest messages telling me to look for the key at the Black troll's nest are not needed - I understand you are trying to justify it but this usually brings the opposite result - one just searches the body, finds the key and that's all - the quest notes just point out how unlikely it is to actually find the key there.Overall don't be fooled from the last paragraph - I very much liked it and looking forward to playing it (I have a very slow PC here at the mo). But if I start playing and be swept away I wouldn't ever sit down and write anything like this.
thanks and kudos
and i'm still at the 2/3 of the MQ.