Elder Scrolls VI - What Can be Improved From Skyrim

Final Boss writes what they want to see from The Elder Scrolls VI and compare to what was great in Skyrim.

Unfortunately, there's very little reason to play through twice -- even if you're a completionist, you'll get the same set of achievements, regardless of your choice, and the quests are largely the same, except that you'll target different forts depending on whether you're "liberating" or "reunifying" Skyrim. Even after you've completed the storyline, something seems off. There's no finality to it -- many NPCs will still talk about the war as if it's ongoing, which makes it all feel a bit… pointless.

In TES 6, we'd love to see something a little more polished. Now, we know that adding completely alternative questlines is a huge workload, but it would add even more to the replayability of the series, especially if, like with Skyrim, it keeps the perks system, rather than the more rigid class system we saw in Oblivion. Plus, since Bethesda has admitted we won't be seeing TES 6 until after Starfield, they have plenty of time, right?

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I'd like fewer companions but with more depth and personality.

Better writing, fewer companions, no base building, your choices matter, more skills, be an RPG not a fantasy simulator, & no more three choice audio options in conversations.

Still most of all release the game on Steam and not just your own service like Rage 2.

(I was going to say develop a new game engine but it wont happen.)

There is a whole bunch of stuff I would like to see. Most of it is pie in the sky stuff through.

- I would like the Elder Scrolls 6 to feature some unique ecology. Go wild with the aesethics and surprise me with your creatures, fauna and geography.

- I would like the culture of wherever it is represented as distinctly as possible and the factions interplay to be prominent. It would be cool if there was a diplomacy angle like with Babylon 5 where events behind the scenes played out in unexpectedly large and tragic ways.

- I would like to see the combat system be more evolved with timing and tells involved for a thrust and counter thrust style system. Anticipation and reflexes should matter and be able to be improved with skills and abilities. No more going to inventory and eating 20 cheese wheels.

- Give me ropes and grappel. Make verticality a factor in the city design and for Pete's sake have cities be larger than 12 individuals. While we are on the subject they could hire more than 3 voice actors.

- Make the world smaller but more detailed and full. Breadth is fine but I don't want another shallow Elder Scrolls game.

*Having said all that I'm sure all my desires will be ignored as representative of the elite gaming segment. Basically Bethesda will note said desires and do the opposite to appeal to the mainstream. Prove me wrong Bethesda - I triple dare you!

Without a new engine (which we aren't getting) I'd say there's very little they can improve upon. I don't mean that as in the game is already perfect. I mean that as in I really lost interest when they announced there'd be no new engine.

- An option to turn off all scaling
- Mutually exclusive options, C&C
- Remove "Chosen one gameplay", saving the world is all nice and good, but enough with the prophecies already…

Won't happen though.

Nothing. The only improvement here is a bankrupt. Then we can die all happy.

Originally Posted by TomRon
- Remove "Chosen one gameplay", saving the world is all nice and good, but enough with the prophecies already…

Well.. the game is called Elder Scrolls, so it should be about prophecies

Lol, demanding for a game that takes well over 100 hours to 100% to have re-playability.

Weird stuff, all those players who can not come to terms with products not meant for them.

Skyrim is as replayable as the willingness and capability to think of a character and ways to install it into the Skyrim settings.

Type of players who would declare there is no point in replaying Rimworld once you completed a run.

Usually, recommendations from those players end by degrading the core product.

They do not like it and can not live with the thought the product exists without having been made to suit their tastes.

01/ Make NPCs feel more alive by implementing daily routines and activities.
02/ Improve quest design and world reactivity.
03/ Meaningful choice and consequence system, including class/guild choices to disallow
training of jack-of-all-trades in one playthrough characters.
04/ No level scalling.

I agree with Chien on this one.

Obviously I disagree with the authors comment on lack of replayability considering the number of times I have replayed it as well as numerous side adventures. Thousands of hours.

There are some things I would like to see though:

- Updated effects for weather (better rain and snow)
- Much better companions (I know they can do it as the companions in FO4 are awesome. Just do that and continue to improve on it). The Skyrim companions, outside of Serana, are pretty lifeless.
- More choice and consequence options (like Kingmaker). Also agree with Andrew to make factions more restrictive. Totally hate the "be everything" mindset in games that let you join every faction, be friends with everyone, and so. You should have to make choices that then lock your out of other choices. Otherwise your choices have no meaning outside of applying your own role playing ruleset.

I go in and out on level scaling but in general not a big fan of it. A little here and there maybe.

1) Make a compelling story
2) Add some interesting skills; X% on sword/mace/axe damage is really not that inspiring or interesting
3) Make skill decision actually matter! Get rid of that jack of all trade shit; You can't have every skill one character, that's boring and makes solving quest rather boring
4) Improve combat; Timed attacks, dodge-ing, less sponge enemies
5) Improve weapon variety
6) Add interesting tools for combat; like bombs, caltrpos and that kind of stuff
7) New engine
8) Less companions but more developed
9) No base building
10) Make adventuring in the open more interesting with tents, bedrolls and that kind of stuff (optional way of playing)

@wolfgrimdark, first you say you agree with Chien and then you go on to mention things you would like to change, that pretty much shows you don't agree at all?

Anyway, I agree with you! (and the rest of the posts in the thread. Except one.)

The article claims something is off with Skyrim, making it barely replayable.
This signals that the writer can not accept what Skyrim is about. Players who accept the basics in Skyrim usually find it quite replayable.

Therefore the direction the article sets to improve the product is a way to adjust Skyrim to his tastes.

This remark does not mean that there is not room to improve Skyrim.

Just that this writer is not interested in improving SKyrim because he can not take Skyrim was not designed to fit his tastes.

Todd Howard once said “We can do anything. But we can’t do everything.”

I would love to see more added to the next Elder Scrolls, but it does a lot already for what it is. If they keep the traditional core I’m happy. But if they add more story detail and character personality, I’ll be happier.

By the time this comes out, Skyrim will be a decade old!

* Include VR mode
* Level scaling is good in Skyrim, best not touch it
* For pity's sake, let me go to one of those moons!
* Give M'aiq the Liar his own cult.

Originally Posted by Zloth
By the time this comes out, Skyrim will be a decade old!
* Give M'aiq the Liar his own cult.

Psst! Here is the pass phrase
"I maybe lion but I ain't lying!"

Make the game harder. Make gear more meaningful and impactfull throughout the course of game play. Half the fun of open world sandboxes is finding useful gear. Skyrim became easy almost right away.

Originally Posted by Silver
There is a whole bunch of stuff I would like to see. Most of it is pie in the sky stuff through.

- I would like the Elder Scrolls 6 to feature some unique ecology. Go wild with the aesethics and surprise me with your creatures, fauna and geography.

- I would like the culture of wherever it is represented as distinctly as possible and the factions interplay to be prominent. It would be cool if there was a diplomacy angle like with Babylon 5 where events behind the scenes played out in unexpectedly large and tragic ways.

- I would like to see the combat system be more evolved with timing and tells involved for a thrust and counter thrust style system. Anticipation and reflexes should matter and be able to be improved with skills and abilities. No more going to inventory and eating 20 cheese wheels.

- Give me ropes and grappel. Make verticality a factor in the city design and for Pete's sake have cities be larger than 12 individuals. While we are on the subject they could hire more than 3 voice actors.

- Make the world smaller but more detailed and full. Breadth is fine but I don't want another shallow Elder Scrolls game.

*Having said all that I'm sure all my desires will be ignored as representative of the elite gaming segment. Basically Bethesda will note said desires and do the opposite to appeal to the mainstream. Prove me wrong Bethesda - I triple dare you!

I'm onboard with everything except the combat idea. I don't want to twitch when playing an RPG. I like the simplicity of Elder Scroll combat. It's a big part of the reason I have over 5000 hours of my life in this series. I'm mildly okay with melee being a little more twitchy, but leave magic and ranged as is.