The Elder Scrolls Should Bring Back Custom Backstories

thegamer.com:

Morrowind had a neat feature where you could fill your class’ text box with your own description, letting you write up a backstory for your characters or group. It really puts the R in RPG. You could get into the story even more by laying out your journey before the game’s opening splash card - I had Jar’go the skooma smuggler from Kvatch, Bernard the Imperial noble turned necromancer, Brute the dimwitted Nord who got caught pissing on Gildergreen in Whiterun: the list goes on. Tamriel was your oyster.

But if you wanted to stick to what the box was for - that being classes - you could. And I did. There were the Si’th, a branch of the Dark Brotherhood dedicated to destruction magic, specifically lightning; the Auridon Elite, a group of nobles and politicians taking backdoor dealings to line their pockets; Molag’s Chosen, a vampiric cult of necromancers, etc. Not only was Tamriel and its world packed to the brim with intricate, detailed lore, waiting for you to sift through it, but you could also add to it with your own personal touch.

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That was lost in Oblivion. You still had classes and custom ones, but you were limited to naming them. Skyrim ditched the class system altogether while your journal was automated - the Dragonborn doesn’t stop to write about how Lydia’s eyes sparkled or how Faendal is such a bitch for showing them up at High Hrothgar in front of Arngeir. It’s a shame because roleplaying is about far more than skill trees, dialogue choices, and open-worlds. It’s about getting into character and adding your own flavour to the mix.

Take Dungeons & Dragons, arguably the archetype on which all RPGs are based on. You have the Dungeon Master who lays out the world,