If you've never played Morrowind before, let me attempt to convince you to do so!

Yes, the GRAPHICS are dated. Even back when the game was released, I remember discussing with friends how the huge game world seemed ... barren, in comparison to other 3D role playing games of the time. Of course there are mods for high-res textures, denser vegetation, 'beautiful faces', and so on ... but I'd always recommend keeping the original graphics. In my opinion the rough edges and the, in parts, inhospitable environment add to the atmosphere of exploring a truly foreign, strange, exotic land—and changing textures and meshes bears the risk of watering down the original vision. But that might be personal preference or even nostalgia speaking. To me, the graphics contribute a very ragged, down to earth, somehow convincing charme.
The PACING of the game also plays a big role in creating this immersiveness. The progression of the main story line and the development of the main character strongly differs from more modern Bethesda titles. (Slight spoilers for the beginning sequences of Skyrim, Oblivion, and Morrowind ahead.)
The game actually gives you a chance to familiarise yourself with the strange land and the culture of its inhabitants, and to grow your character, to slowly build a name for yourself. You'll find yourself drawing maps and taking notes. The CULTURE of the Dunmer is what really makes this game unique. You don't NEED to dive into it to enjoy the game, but the depth of the lore in the background is fathomless. Much of what I enjoy about the Dunmer and their homeland was contributed by Michael Kirkbride. His concept art and his writing have influenced much of my own creative work, some of which you can see on this page. The mythology he created literally bridges fiction and reality. I'd love to find—or found—a community of Dunmer-enthusiasts I can create and discuss Dunmer culture with, so please contact me if you're creating your own Dunmer art and/or literature! The three digital artworks shown on this page where created by me, and below you'll find my contemplations on the Dunmeri language.

My advice for new players During character creation, really think about what weapons/armour you'd like to use. Choose your major skills accordingly, and don't try to use anything else in the beginning. Hitting enemies, for example, is entirely dependent on your skill value. You can literally be slowly slimed to death by a worm while flailing your sword about for half an hour, reticle aimed directly at it, without hitting it once. Also choose Athletics and Acrobatics, because these actually determine how fast you run and how high and far you jump. Controversially, I'd recommend: don't be afraid to use the console (within reason). Bethesda games are glitchy. Use /tcl (toggle clipping) if you get stuck behind a rock ... or even if you can't get up an obviously very climbable little hill. For me, using the console in this way doesn't break immersion, because the game is designed to be a true open world. There are no invisible walls and you could also fly using magic (or alchemy, potentially?) ...

Morrowind Discussion (No spoilers!)