Just bark like Barbas? Not push the player off ledges? Even so, no followers. I can roll without 'em by just being a Conjurer (#bretonmasterrace). Barring even that, I'd just focus on stealth, which is harder with followers anyway.
If you were reincarnated with your current intellect and a magical ability to speak, would you rather end up as a mudcrab or a slaughterfish?
That I took the time and initiative to play on my own, yes. I actually avoided the game for a few years because I knew it was going to completely suck me in. I hung out and watched my brother play countless hours of Morrowind when it came out in '02, so I knew what I was getting myself into.