R8V9F5A2: Me too, on one hand the huge open worlds of Fallout and Scrolls appeal to me, on the other hand I feel that there's not enough interesting stuff there to keep me playing for very long.
SaraB123: You know, I think it may be due to the lack of a real feeling of direction. I mean, you get so many quests accumulated you lose your direction and feeling of engagement. Maybe I'm just too goal-oriented for those types of games, although I have played Fallout 3 through to the end at least twice. Even Gothic 3 couldn't keep me to the end (whatever that is), and I'm a huge fan of the Pirhana Bytes games. Just a litte TOO open-ended for me apparently.
Yes, having a degree of linearity can actually be good in an RPG, it gives you a direction like you say.
I also think that a strong narrative, present throughout the game, helps keep you engaged.
Which was another thing that bothered me about Skyrim, the narrative got lost on me quite easily.
Perhaps because you accumulate so many quests all over the place.
However I thought Fallout 3 had a good narrative, the premise was interesting.