Binary Swan

I feel that there are some open world style games that allow me to have alot of fun whilst being a Pacifist Gamer. The Elder Scrolls series is definitely one of them where there exists a multitude of quests and activities that do not require any violent action to accomplish. In addition to this the player can also advance through the games levelling system by practising skills that will have no negative effects upon the denizens of Morrowind. I chose Morrowind because I had previously spent many many hours in this world and therefore know that what I propose will be possible but also fun to boot.

So begins the story of Hid, a Breton who has undertaken a lifelong profession as a Pacifist. This is a custom class which I generated for my playthrough which involved specialisation in the following skills.

Major Specializations:

Athletics – because when Hid realized that not everyone was like him, he learned a valuable lesson that running was the key

Acrobatics – like Athletics, this for avoiding attacks which sometimes requires getting to places your foe cannot

Restoration – Hid doesen’t like to fight but he has found that sometimes his efforts to escape are not good enough. Restoration magic allows him to live until he can escape

Security – Hid noticed that alot of his friends were making a quick buck looting the corpes of the bandits that would unsuccessfully attack them. Hid was tempted by the material gains he saw his friends accruing, but not enough to kill for them. As a result he found out other ways to gain the items he wanted.

Unarmored – Hid doesen’t like to fight and therefore does not wish to appear like he might be able to. Armor gives off the wrong message and weighs Hid down as well

Minor Specializations:

Alteration – This school of magic has enabled Hid to bolster his ability to move around Morrowind and avoid his enemies. It also lets Hid erect magical barriers that defend him from physical attacks

Illusion – Hid found that when running away is not good enough he needs to simply disappear or make those around look for other things. Illusions provide Hid with a varied toolset with which to do so

Mysticism – Harnessing this variety of magical energies allows Hid to teleport around the world which cuts down travel time as well as providing a quick escape from danger.

Speechcraft – Hid is a firm believer in talking things over, not fighting to solve his problems

Sneak – Hid needs to have a backup ability to stay hidden should his magic fail him.

The Pacifist class is a combination of magic and stealth. The magic choices provide alot of answers to the problems that will be faced by Hid that would usually need a sword. Therefore being a Breton, with a natural affinity for magic, helps Hid alot. Combined with his birth under the Steed starsign, Hid is able to be a pleasant citizen of Morrowind and explore the world around him with little danger to himself or others.

A journey begins…

Fresh from his release from prision (most certainly not for a violent crime) Hid finds himself in Seyda Neen, a small seaside town in Morrowind. He is told that there is work for him in Balmora, a part of his duty to the Emperor that pardoned him. Seeing no reason to be difficult about the request Hid decides to head to Balmora on foot, his preferred mode of travel. After a quick stop to purchase more suitable travelling clothes it is time to leave. He heads off North, the coastal route to Balmora and is soon attacked by a vicious Mudcrab. Hid, feeling quite uncomfortable at the sight of the charging crustacean, runs away. He easily outpaces the lower order animal and quickly forgives the beast, for it is only acting on instinct. He also notices that the shoes he has chosen for his journey are woefully inadequate when used at higher speeds as his feet hurt quite a bit.

Hid then moves to the safety of the path through the Bitter Coast, enjoying the sights and sounds of the region. What happens next is quite distressing for Hid as a Bosmer literally falls from the sky to his death. Hid is upset at such a loss of life but also notices that the elf has a more robust pair of shoes. Overcoming his deep respect for the dead elf Hid takes the shoes, rationalizing that it will help him survive and therefore would not bother the elf were he alive. Hid also steals some magic scrolls which seem to give a reader the ability to jump great distances, the obvious cause of the elf’s recent demise.

Hid then moves inland and uses his water walking spell to escape the pursuit of two very angry Kwama foragers. Hid arrives in Balmora and makes contact with Caius Cosades who sets him up as a member of the Blades. Whilst the name of the group is quick aggressive Hid’s fears are allayed when he is informed that they are an information gathering arm of the Empire and thus would not require him to kill anyone. With the recent pursuits still clear in his mind, Hid also ventures to the local Mages Guild to join up, hoping to make some friends and learn more magic that would let him travel unharmed in Morrowind.

Hid the Pacifist has arrived in Morrowind and learned that whilst it might not ideally suit his lifestyle it does allow for it. Soon he will approach his contacts in both the Blades and the Guild for some work. The jobs he will be given will surely provide a challenge and possibly some obstacles that Hid will be unwilling to overcome.

Pacifism:

“the opposition to war or violence as a means of settling disputes or gaining advantage”

I am proud to introduce The Pacifist Gamer, an experiment in alternate gaming styles. Hopefully this will be a series that I can continue over the course of a few games so as to explore how deeply violence is embedded in games and their structures of reward and progress. My main aim is to play games that usefully require some amount of violence in order to achieve their goals but have the ability to be played at some level without directly fighting or killing any opposition. I don’t mean games such as Thief 3 or Splinter Cell where such practices might be encouraged but rather games that provide the opportunity but don’t actually expect anyone to take that path.

For this exercise I have a few rules that I will adhere to:

1. As a direct result of my actions in the game I will not cause harm to anything or anyone
2. If something inherent in the game/level design leads to the harming of something I will try to prevent it if at all possible
3. Others around can act as they please and I will not impede their progress

Those are the three for the moment and I already have a couple of games planned for this exercise with the first being Morrowind,  and the second a choice between Plants vs Zombies and Left 4 Dead. If anyone has any other suggestions for games that might be fun to undertake as The Pacifist Gamer please let me know.