Longing for The Elder Scrolls VI; here are our wishes for the upcoming The Elder Scrolls installment from Bethesda Game Studios. Based on the strengths of Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim, and some inspiration from Starfield.
A mixed selection of wishes. We're not referring here to the backstory or lore (the disappearance of the Dwemer), nor to technical aspects like engine choices in the sense of "this or that engine," but rather to game design aspects and gameplay.
Maximum Replay Value Through Skills and Leveling
Source: Screenshot from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition © Bethesda Softworks
As much replay value as possible by bringing back schools of magic like Mysticism; the hand-to-hand combat skill; but also the "Unarmored" skill that existed in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, or specialized weapon type skill trees for spears (which need to return as weapon types), other weapon types like throwing stars (or shurikens), two-handed weapons, one-handed weapons.
The learning-by-doing leveling system should be retained. It's simply an unchangeable design.
We also wish for birthsigns to play a bigger role again in character creation and possibly a new way of class selection (like in Morrowind and Oblivion) to return.
A Survival Mode for More Immersion and Difficulty Levels
Source: Screenshot from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition © Bethesda Softworks
Source: Screenshot from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition © Bethesda Softworks
Source: Screenshot from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition © Bethesda Softworks
Gladly as tough as possible. I think the survival mode in Skyrim (Anniversary Edition), which was added via these Creations DLCs and became part of the game settings with the Anniversary Edition, is brilliant.
It adds so much more immersion to the game. Through positive and negative effects. Take Skyrim: It suddenly becomes much more immersive through this warmth-cold system, where moving through icy regions or swimming through ice-cold waters has consequences (without preparation).
But also the eating and drinking that's in the game is no longer obsolete. You can craft it, get temporary bonuses from it, or heal yourself; and at the same time, it satisfies hunger.
I think, similar to Starfield and Fallout 4, eating and drinking should be separate things. You have to eat and you have to drink. (In Skyrim's survival mode, it's all thrown into one pot.)
Sleep becomes important as a result and makes the whole thing more immersive.
Diseases existed in Morrowind, Oblivion, but also in Skyrim; and in survival mode, they have even more impact and consequences; and Starfield (which I mention here because it's also a game from Bethesda Game Studios and an ARPG) has, in my opinion, the best balance so far in how diseases but also injuries are presented and how healing them works.
Regarding difficulty levels: Please lots of choices, from "super easy" to "extremely hard"; for every playstyle; personally, high difficulty levels appeal to me a lot. But on higher difficulties, make it modern so that enemies aren't perhaps "bullet sponges," but there's a kind of balance.
Extensive Repertoire of Magic
Source: Screenshot from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition © Bethesda Softworks
Significantly more selection of spells. Skyrim's (at launch) magic was a bit disappointing compared to Oblivion (e.g., with Mysticism, touch spells) and Morrowind (e.g., teleportation magic, flight magic).
Bringing back Mysticism and newer, other schools of magic, or further dividing existing schools of magic, such as Conjuration; there you could expand it into necromancy, atronach summoning, or specific weapon-and-armor summoning; in the Destruction school into fire magic (pyromancy), ice magic (cryomancy), lightning magic, drain magic/absorption magic, etc.
In the Restoration school into healing magic, reverse healing magic, anti-undead magic; and so on.
This not only brings replay value for different character creations and playthroughs, but also choice.
Creating Custom Spells and Crafting
Source: Screenshot from The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered © Bethesda Softworks
Source: Screenshot from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition © Bethesda Softworks
Source: Screenshot from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition © Bethesda Softworks
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered showed and reminded us again how much freedom and also replay value the creation of custom spells offers. How you create them — this can of course be balanced —; but that it's possible is important.
Enchanting, i.e., enchanting weapons, armor, and other wearable items must absolutely be included; likewise, alchemy and smithing should be included again as craftable things; crafting your own equipment not only provides occupation but immersion; adapting and playing different character styles.
Weapon degradation — yes, what I know from the predecessors to Skyrim, so Oblivion and Morrowind, must also be included again and with a weapon smithing skill tree. This skill tree could be further expanded into additional subdivisions for even more choice.
Faction Quests and Endless Quests
Source: Screenshot from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition © Bethesda Softworks
Source: Screenshot from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition © Bethesda Softworks
These countless types of faction quests that exist in Skyrim (but also in Starfield); that send you to random places in the game world; involve NPCs, different repeatable — but differing due to randomness — quests; there were those through the Companions, through the Dawnguard expansion (with vampire quests and vampire hunter quests), these random mercenary quests (kill bandit leader XY, kill giant, kill dragon, etc.), which you can pick up in taverns; I unfortunately enjoy that kind of thing a lot.
To pick up a newer game: Starfield also had this, with the many such repeatable — but also random — quest types. So to speak, also "endless quests," which I personally like a lot, let you explore the world, experience your own adventures, and can involve NPCs etc. and sweeten the endgame even more fun.
Housing, Family, and Children
Source: Screenshot from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition © Bethesda Softworks
Source: Screenshot from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition © Bethesda Softworks
Housing; I'm not a huge fan of the settlement building mode that came with Fallout 4 (let's cheekily just leave out Fallout 76) and was further expanded in Starfield. I think that would be great; but I'm satisfied if there were a kind of housing system WITH customization mode like in settlement building. For hanging up trophies, collectibles, armor stands, weapon racks, and so on, if you like that.
Adopting children in Skyrim I found brilliant, also with the different backstories of the adoptable children; you'd like to adopt all of them, but the game limited it to 2.
Less creepy-looking children — starting from Skyrim there were visually children, and they all looked somehow the same; and somehow there were no children of different races except Nords or Imperials. No monotonous appearance is wished for, in the direction of Starfield, and on the other hand, that there are also children of different races/peoples, like those of the elven peoples, Khajiit, Argonians, and so on.
Speechcraft
Source: Screenshot from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition © Bethesda Softworks
Source: Screenshot from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition © Bethesda Softworks
Speechcraft — gladly subdivided again into mercantile and persuasion — must absolutely be included again. The merchant gameplay can be fun, especially in combination with a kind of charisma or reputation system. Investing in businesses; I think this aspect can be even more brilliant when expanded.
Vampires and More Hardcore Gameplay
Source: Screenshot from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition © Bethesda Softworks
Source: Screenshot from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition © Bethesda Softworks
The look of vampires in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim leaves a strong impression. It's this "dark fantasy" look, for example with the vampires' eyes, that appeals to me a lot.
The gameplay design can gladly be a bit more hardcore. That means, depending on the spread of vampirism, you should take sun damage or other interesting aspects, for example from The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.
More Freedom of Choice and Character Backgrounds
Source: Screenshot from The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered © Bethesda Softworks
Source: Screenshot from Starfield © Bethesda Softworks
Source: Screenshot from Starfield © Bethesda Softworks
In the main quest, but also larger faction quests and side quests — more freedom of choice for different playstyles; for good, lawful playthroughs up to dark, more evil characters, there should be something for everyone.
This was particularly noticeable in Skyrim. There you can essentially destroy the Dark Brotherhood, but not the Thieves Guild? There was the choice between Imperials and Stormcloaks in Skyrim, but not for the Thalmor? There was a bit of a lack of continuity in the playstyle freedom for good as well as evil playthroughs.
In addition to the existing races, also character backgrounds, curses, advantages — like in Starfield — I find strong. This not only gives more replay value through the choice of many options to create different characters, which can also influence the difficulty level and playstyle.
Also in Oblivion Remastered, there was suddenly more detailed backstory in character creation; and for The Elder Scrolls VI, I wish that this influences the playstyle even more.
Much More Choice in Weapons, Companions, and Transportation
Source: Screenshot from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition © Bethesda Softworks
Source: Screenshot from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition © Bethesda Softworks
Source: Screenshot from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition © Bethesda Softworks
Another such cherry on top: Lots of choice in weapons and armor, unique looks. More choice in companions (gladly also selectable in the options how many, since this affects the difficulty level), in mounts (whether in the direction of horses, flying creatures, or others); different means of transportation, to use fast travel as little as possible.
I think this was best solved in Morrowind, with boats, with silt striders (a kind of flying creature), portals, wayshrines, spells; in that direction. In Skyrim, there were only the static-looking carriages (even if it seems that truly functional driving carriages were once intended as part of the game and then cut out), horses, and boats.
Transformations / Shapeshifting
Source: Screenshot from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition © Bethesda Softworks
Source: Screenshot from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition © Bethesda Softworks
Werewolf, Vampire Lord, Werebear, Werebat, Mermaid/Merman, Were-creatures — more variation in the options to transform, gladly linked with quest lines; that provides so much fun and replay value.
Gameplay Options and Dialogue System
Source: Screenshot from Starfield © Bethesda Softworks
Gameplay options, for every taste; similar to Starfield. (Or for the respective taste, there should be setting options.)
The dialogue system like in Skyrim or Starfield; in Starfield, I think this is best solved, that you can select in the settings whether you want the closer zooming dialogue camera or not. That the environment doesn't pause during it, I personally like better, but it should be a setting option.
What Else Comes to Mind?
Source: Screenshot from The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered © Bethesda Softworks
Source: Screenshot from The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered © Bethesda Softworks
More romances with characters? Or a kind of system to turn every conceivable NPC into a vampire and seize world domination in the Tamriel world? Or the possibility to become ruler of a city/region? Or lead an army? Or more crafting? Or more underwater worlds?
Whatever it is, we'll see it as soon as The Elder Scrolls VI hopefully appears sometime in the near future.
We'll keep you updated on that. Feel free to follow us on X, Game Jolt, and on Trovo!
Advertisement: Buy The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind*, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered* and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition* over on HumbleBundle* and support us with that with no additional cost for you!
