Question Next Elder Scrolls game Wishlist??

[BornAgainPCGamer]

Hi everyone, i just am wondering is your most hoped for features, mechanics etc in the next Elder Scrolls game.

I have so many ideas I'd love to see them have in the game but I'll keep it short just to get the ball rolling.

I'd love to a much more advanced crime and punishment system in the game. Especially because the Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood questlines are such a beloved part of ES games.

I'd also love to see more unique abilities and skills for your character, depending on various differen things. Like if you focus on building a stealthy acrobatic character. Have unique mechanics to showcase this better. Such as climbing and scaling high walls easier. I want each different build of a character to play and feel completely different, not just slight variations of the same things.

There are others but I'll leave it at that...

Looking forward to hearing what you all have to say though.

 

[Dan]

So many thing, mainly items that were mods in Skyrim that I would love to be fully fledged, polished systems in the base game.

Frostfall, realistic needs and diseases, cloaks - (with the option to opt in/opt out of these, like a hardcore mode)

Better combat. I have mods that mean I can kill in one hit, but I can also get killed in one hit. blocking and dodging is a must.

Much bigger towns. Base skyrim always lacked when there were quite a few people in a town, but only 5 houses.

More in-depth quests, like in Morrowind, without a quest marker telling you exactly where to go. Let people explore and work things out.

 

[BornAgainPCGamer]

So many thing, mainly items that were mods in Skyrim that I would love to be fully fledged, polished systems in the base game.

Frostfall, realistic needs and diseases, cloaks - (with the option to opt in/opt out of these, like a hardcore mode)

Better combat. I have mods that mean I can kill in one hit, but I can also get killed in one hit. blocking and dodging is a must.

Much bigger towns. Base skyrim always lacked when there were quite a few people in a town, but only 5 houses.

More in-depth quests, like in Morrowind, without a quest marker telling you exactly where to go. Let people explore and work things out.

Great suggestions there. Thanks for the reply.

I would definitely love to see mass improvement in the combat mechanics. I'd like the mechanics to change majorly depending on your character build. Like if i spec a warrior swordsman type, i want to feel like a bad ass with a sword once i level up a bit. Likewise if I'm a sneaky thief-type, i want to be light on my feet and evasive in combat. Mages should feel powerful and dangerous but vulnerableas well. All types should be catered for but play and feel completely different with deep mechanics for each style.

 

[mkultrafanboy]

So many thing, mainly items that were mods in Skyrim that I would love to be fully fledged, polished systems in the base game.

Frostfall, realistic needs and diseases, cloaks - (with the option to opt in/opt out of these, like a hardcore mode)

Better combat. I have mods that mean I can kill in one hit, but I can also get killed in one hit. blocking and dodging is a must.

Much bigger towns. Base skyrim always lacked when there were quite a few people in a town, but only 5 houses.

More in-depth quests, like in Morrowind, without a quest marker telling you exactly where to go. Let people explore and work things out.

Removing quest markers should be optional. If you force remove it for everyone then 90% of players will quit

 

[jpishgar]

I have one major, critical item on my wish list for the next Elder Scrolls game - and it's a deal breaker if it ain't. It's not even a mechanic or a feature, so much as it is a component of the product release. And that is...

Reviewer copies sent out 1-2 weeks prior to release.

At this point, based on consumer expectations and recent history, it is of utmost importance to vet any game of that size or expectation well advance of release day sale. This is particularly true where pre-orders, collector's editions, and other concerns may arise in light of any mounting hype. Gamers would be well-served by having some kind of rough consensus on performance and quality before making the decision to purchase.

Outside of that, for in-game features I'd love to see kind of empire-building baked in, ala Fable 3. A little village run by the player that you can grow into a town, or later a city, through the efforts of your adventuring.

 

[Zloth]

Well, first and foremost, it should EXIST. The game seems to be a long way off yet and I can't imagine how much money is getting lost on Fallout 76 so, right now, I'm just hoping they will put something out there that isn't a cheap cash-grab to keep themselves solvent.

 

[BornAgainPCGamer]

Removing quest markers should be optional. If you force remove it for everyone then 90% of players will quit

Yes, i agree. A simple option to toggle quest way points on or off would be very welcome. While the in-game standard option, would just be directions to the location written in your journal, just like in Morrowind.

 

[BornAgainPCGamer]

I have one major, critical item on my wish list for the next Elder Scrolls game - and it's a deal breaker if it ain't. It's not even a mechanic or a feature, so much as it is a component of the product release. And that is...

Reviewer copies sent out 1-2 weeks prior to release.

At this point, based on consumer expectations and recent history, it is of utmost importance to vet any game of that size or expectation well advance of release day sale. This is particularly true where pre-orders, collector's editions, and other concerns may arise in light of any mounting hype. Gamers would be well-served by having some kind of rough consensus on performance and quality before making the decision to purchase.

Outside of that, for in-game features I'd love to see kind of empire-building baked in, ala Fable 3. A little village run by the player that you can grow into a town, or later a city, through the efforts of your adventuring.

Yes, Bethesda games tend to be notoriously buggy upon launch and usually always get a free pass on this, by both critics and consumers. They are sprawling games with a vast amount of moving parts but its not too much to ask, to get them release it in a decent state.

I could also see them adding the town or settlement building feature into the game, it seemed to an enjoyef feature of Fallout 4 by most.

 

[BornAgainPCGamer]

Well, first and foremost, it should EXIST. The game seems to be a long way off yet and I can't imagine how much money is getting lost on Fallout 76 so, right now, I'm just hoping they will put something out there that isn't a cheap cash-grab to keep themselves solvent.

Well we have their space game to look forward to first and then its the next ES game, I believe. Although not developed by them, the ES online game seems to be doing rather well. I'm sure they are doing fine financially, you may be surprised about Fallout 76. It could be making money. I've no experience with though, never played it at all.

 

[Dan]

Removing quest markers should be optional. If you force remove it for everyone then 90% of players will quit

I agree. I think if the people new to the The Elder Scrolls series who started with Skyrim would have a big shock if they played Morrowind,

 

[Frindis]

• No microtransactions
• No removed content later to be put in a DLC
• Above IQ 50 A.I
• Pitch dark dungeons
• Deep lore, combat & profession
• Being able to make insane potions, like jumping over the whole map
• Weapons&Armor that gives your character interesting/funny/crazy/dangerous advantages
• Mythic creatures that will rip you to shreds
• Random encounters that actually feels random

@Dan Well said!

 

[Mr.Vic20]

Since the next ES game will launch after the arrival of the next consoles, My wish list includes:

1.) A seamless world (no loading towns or houses), and therefore...
2.) Flight or at least levitation returns to ES! Which means...
3.) More vertical world design considerations, which might mean...
4.) Dragon based mid air combat?!
5.) More character customization
6.) How about we give the "Creation engine" a break, hmmm? Kidding, we know you won't!
7.) Co-op with the option to siege towns or at least influence dominion on the world map?
8.) Better combat, its just time guys!
9.) destructible environments
10.) Actual, in game, no DLC, Horse and other mounts armor that's worth a damn and can be customized!
11.) Better textures, please good lord, better textures!
12.) Much greater weapons and armor diversity, or the ability to forge truly custom weapons
13.) An improved version of Shadow of Mordor's "Nemesis" system for the world's more intelligent baddies

And of course (but the least likely to happen) LESS BUGS!

 

[PCG AndyC]

Set it someplace interesting, instead of recycled Lord of the Rings or Vikingland Theme Park. One of the reasons Morrowind is so memorable is that it's a legitimately interesting, exotic fantasy realm with all kinds of weirdness everywhere you turn. Oblivion and Skyrim don't even approach it - they're formulaic checklists of features that are noteworthy because of their sheer size. (And yes, I played the hell out of both of them.)

I'd also like to see something smaller and deeper. Warren Spector has talked about a "one city block" RPG that's restricted geographically - you're not going to travel to strange and exotic lands - but tremendously well-realized. The Consortium games sort of took a shot at that, but were limited by indie budget and scale. I'd love to see a full-blown Bethesda take on that style of RPG.

 

[BornAgainPCGamer]

Set it someplace interesting, instead of recycled Lord of the Rings or Vikingland Theme Park. One of the reasons Morrowind is so memorable is that it's a legitimately interesting, exotic fantasy realm with all kinds of weirdness everywhere you turn. Oblivion and Skyrim don't even approach it - they're formulaic checklists of features that are noteworthy because of their sheer size. (And yes, I played the hell out of both of them.)

I'd also like to see something smaller and deeper. Warren Spector has talked about a "one city block" RPG that's restricted geographically - you're not going to travel to strange and exotic lands - but tremendously well-realized. The Consortium games sort of took a shot at that, but were limited by indie budget and scale. I'd love to see a full-blown Bethesda take on that style of RPG.

I agree, as a world unique and fun to explore, Morrowind is pretty hard to beat. I enjoyed Oblivion's high fantasy towns and forests and thought it looked good for its day. I really enjoyed Skyrim but will agree its map wasn't its most amazing feature but was more than serviceable,for the setting of the story they had to tell.

However, reading about some of the other provinces and their unique environments, it seems we could well get a setting just as interesting as Morrowind. From the descriptions i read of Black Marsh and Elsweyr, those two would be my top picks for the next game.

While i would also be interested to see how Bethesda would handle a more geographically restricted map size, that for me personally dont think it fits with the ES games. Maybe as a spin off game or as DLC, were we play as a specific predetermined character on a specific quest, might suit the smaller scale game. Was an interesting suggestion though. Thanks.

 

[Slasken]

My top things I want for TES VI:

1. I don't want loading screens when I enter anything, be it a house, cave, city, or whatever.

2. I want handcrafted quests. I have no need for automatically generated quests, as they are ****.

3. I want NPCs that have their own personality.

4. I don't want level scaling.


Look to Witcher 3 for clues on how to make a good game.

 

[Lauren Morton]

Would it be considered stirring the pot if I said a gamified conversation system evolved from Oblivion's? I'm not even sure if I actually want that, I just just be amused by it.

Honestly though I don't think the things I want from TES6 are things that could survive in a product that will be as widely marketed as Bethesda's next ES game will have to be.

Did anyone play Outward last year? I got into it purely because Chris L wrote a great preview (the man can talk me into any game, guaranteed) and wow. I want exploring to feel like I've actually explored. I want it to feel dangerous and exciting to go someplace new. I want arriving in a new town to feel like a reward. Outward achieves all that by having punishing failure states, physically represented inventory, weightier combat, and no quest markers.

I'm well-aware that TES6 just will not go for such an unapproachable, dangerous world. The Elder Scrolls lore deserves to feel that magical but its smooshy combat and goofy AI and everything that makes an ES game are just incompatible with that.

So what do I want from TES6 that could actually be in it? I'm with @Mr.Vic20's last point.

13.) An improved version of Shadow of Mordor's "Nemesis" system for the world's more intelligent baddies

I think procgen and emergent narratives are two very cool technical directions for game storytelling over the next decade. A team Bethesda's size could actually brute force enough story content to make a system like this sing. I think ES excels in its micro storytelling. One-off quests with funny hooks or great characters. An adaptive system where you have evolving relationships with generated characters would be cool to see them attempt.

Warren Spector has talked about a "one city block" RPG that's restricted geographically - you're not going to travel to strange and exotic lands - but tremendously well-realized.

This is actually what I'd like to see from the next Dragon Age game.

 

[I Will Haunt You]

This is actually what I'd like to see from the next Dragon Age game.

Isn't that almost what Dragon Age 2 is? Takes place in one city and a few areas just outside the city. The greater RPG community slightly disliked it.

 

[Lauren Morton]

Isn't that almost what Dragon Age 2 is? Takes place in one city and a few areas just outside the city. The greater RPG community slightly disliked it.

I knew someone would call me on that Yes, it was. I genuinely liked a lot of things about DA2 and I think they were onto something with that structure, had they more time to develop it. Given how likely it is that DA4 is headed to Tevinter, an entire game set in a super detailed, changing and evolving Minrathous would be cool as heck, imo. Equally as steeped in local politics as DA2 but with, you know, a few more bespoke environments.

 

[BornAgainPCGamer]

Did anyone play Outward last year? I got into it purely because Chris L wrote a great preview (the man can talk me into any game, guaranteed) and wow. I want exploring to feel like I've actually explored. I want it to feel dangerous and exciting to go someplace new. I want arriving in a new town to feel like a reward. Outward achieves all that by having punishing failure states, physically represented inventory, weightier combat, and no quest markers.

This.

I think it would absolutely be the shot in the arm the series needs to drag it forward. Bethesda creates some of the most sprawling and beautiful worlds in gaming, marrying that with similar mechanics to what you mention would be brilliant. Great suggestion.

I'd also like to add, I really, really want my choices big and small, to have visable consequences and effects on the npcs involved and the game world.

I also want it to be tough to become the head of even one guild never mind the leader of all of them. For example, to become Archmage, the player should be required to be highly proficient in the arcane arts and have gone through the magical crucible, so that when you become Archmage, it really feels earned. It should be a major achievement and feel as such.

 

[BornAgainPCGamer]

Isn't that almost what Dragon Age 2 is? Takes place in one city and a few areas just outside the city. The greater RPG community slightly disliked it.

Funny thing is, I loved Origins but for some reason completely skipped DA 2 and Inquisition. There in my backlog but so far, untouched. I will play them both one day and see what all the humdrum was about.

 

[BornAgainPCGamer]

My top things I want for TES VI:

1. I don't want loading screens when I enter anything, be it a house, cave, city, or whatever.

2. I want handcrafted quests. I have no need for automatically generated quests, as they are ****.

3. I want NPCs that have their own personality.

4. I don't want level scaling.


Look to Witcher 3 for clues on how to make a good game.

A seemless world would be very welcome indeed.
I dont mind radiant quests being included, as long as they are a lot more varied and complex, so that it never really feels like rinse and repeat.
I still absolutely agree there should be handcrafted quests as well though. Big and small, all with huge variations on how they can be completed and realistic and noticeable results depending on how they're resolved. I want to feel like my actions have some real consequence on the world. Not just be superficial.

 

[I Will Haunt You]

an entire game set in a super detailed, changing and evolving Minrathous would be cool as heck, imo. Equally as steeped in local politics as DA2 but with, you know, a few more bespoke environments.

There is a lot of potential but you have to avoid making it feel like a management sim when you talk about politics or owning a business or trying to keep your neighbors form reporting your 4 Mabari hounds residing in your pet free tenement building. I was hoping the Thief series would evolve to where it had light management like that in a open city setting.

 

[BornAgainPCGamer]

Since the next ES game will launch after the arrival of the next consoles, My wish list includes:

1.) A seamless world (no loading towns or houses), and therefore...
2.) Flight or at least levitation returns to ES! Which means...
3.) More vertical world design considerations, which might mean...
4.) Dragon based mid air combat?!
5.) More character customization
6.) How about we give the "Creation engine" a break, hmmm? Kidding, we know you won't!
7.) Co-op with the option to siege towns or at least influence dominion on the world map?
8.) Better combat, its just time guys!
9.) destructible environments
10.) Actual, in game, no DLC, Horse and other mounts armor that's worth a damn and can be customized!
11.) Better textures, please good lord, better textures!
12.) Much greater weapons and armor diversity, or the ability to forge truly custom weapons
13.) An improved version of Shadow of Mordor's "Nemesis" system for the world's more intelligent baddies

And of course (but the least likely to happen) LESS BUGS!

Some absolutely great suggestions here, thanks for posting.

 

[I Will Haunt You]

I'd also like to add, I really, really want my choices big and small, to have visable consequences and effects on the npcs involved and the game world.

I also want it to be tough to become the head of even one guild never mind the leader of all of them. For example, to become Archmage, the player should be required to be highly proficient in the arcane arts and have gone through the magical crucible, so that when you become Archmage, it really feels earned. It should be a major achievement and feel as such.

Yep.

 

[BornAgainPCGamer]

There is a lot of potential but you have to avoid making it feel like a management sim when you talk about politics or owning a business or trying to keep your neighbors form reporting your 4 Mabari hounds residing in your pet free tenement building. I was hoping the Thief series would evolve to where it had light management like that in a open city setting.

I'd love Arkane to get a shot at the Thief series. I think it could be a fantastic addition to the series. The Dishonoured series has Thief D.N.A all over it and i love that series. For me it be a no brainer for them to get a crack at it.