Chances are, Elder Scrolls 6 players will have been arrested at the beginning of the game and the similarities will continue from there, yet how deep those goes really depends on Bethesda. With that in mind, though, here are 5 things Elder Scrolls 6 should learn from Skyrim and improve upon.
More RPG elements
This is a big ask, as Skyrim is already filled to the brim with RPG elements, but where something new can’t be added, something can be improved. Dialogue options, for example, don’t really have the sway in Skyrim, despite being one of the biggest games of the decade, that other Bethesda titles do. In other words, it sometimes feels like someone is saying a whole lot of nothing or that every NPC basically says the same thing. Offering more dynamic and reactive dialogue options would be one good way to improve upon this, but even the mundanities of Skyrim could be expanded. Players could craft, smith, brew potions, and more, but that could be taken even further to include other notable professions and skills that could benefit players. Expanding this system, however slightly, would go a long way for Elder Scrolls 6.
Companions
To be clear, Skyrim has followers, not companions, with the primary difference being that followers aren’t really that involved. There are some notable differences such as how Serana is tied to the Dawnguard DLC, but for the most part, they don’t really have depth to them. Instead of random followers, Elder Scrolls 6 should learn from Skyrim’s misfortunes and include a Fallout 4-esque companion system, where those joining the player can be more interactive (thus also adding more to the RPG elements of the game).
Notably, there’s also the idiom of Bethesda games being so bugged that, “it’s not a bug, it’s a feature.” Expecting Elder Scrolls 6 to break from this is a longshot, but the follower related bugs were at the top of the list of annoyances. Lydia may be sworn to carry the player’s burden, but she could move out of the door way, with that door hopefully leading to a better position for the next game.
Hearthfire, But More
The Hearthfire expansion allowed Skyrim players to purchase a homestead, build a unique house, and move in a family. While it’s mostly just flavor to be added to the game, Elder Scrolls 6 should take this mechanic and run with it, expanding upon it in a manner not unlike the Fallout’s Settlement system (though perhaps limited to just 1 full settlement). Hearthfire added a ton of fun features to Skyrim, so it would make sense for Elder Scrolls 6 to include this at launch but expanding the size of it beyond a house would be a nice addition. Of course, the logic of such a feature likely has to do with Elder Scrolls 6’s story, so if it wouldn’t make since for the player to lead a settlement or town, it is what it is. But it would be cooler if this was worked in.
Improved Radiant Quests
In theory, radiant quests are a good feature, but they’re less than stellar in practice. In theory, radiant quests are meant to add more playability to completed questlines in Skyrim, and it’s near impossible to repeat the same exact radiant quest twice. But that’s because nearly every radiant quest formula is basically the same: go to quest giver, go to X location, do X objective, and rise and repeat. The specifics are different, but the core experience is not.
Therefore, Elder Scrolls 6 could learn from Skyrim’s radiant quests by expanding upon the possibilities - instead of basic fetch quests and tasks, perhaps there could be procedural elements, NPCs to question, events to explore, and more. This would require more development time on these, but it would seemingly pay off, at the very least being better implemented than Skyrim’s.
Less Mountainous Regions
Skyrim does a good job of not making completely wide-open and empty expanses for players to cross, but it does include a lot of mountains. And when players see that the shortest distance, no matter if it’s the shortest time frame, as crossing that mountain, they’re going to jump right up. It’s practically a meme with Skyrim at this point, and obviously mountains cannot be eliminated altogether, but Elder Scrolls 6’s landscape design could make the road from A to B include less mountains from time to time.
The Elder Scrolls 6 is in development.
