10 Features That Will Ensure The Elder Scrolls VI is an Amazing RPG
Veteran fans who’ve played The Elder Scrolls since the times of Daggerfall and Morrowind know what makes the series special. And new fans who were awed by dragons and breathtaking graphics can’t wait to see more groundbreaking ideas in the next installment. No matter which ball park you come from, we all want The Elder Scrolls VI to be an incredible role-playing experience.
These 10 features and improvements will ensure we get the best Elder Scrolls game yet.
10. Spell Crafting
"Mmm. Draugr jerky..."
Customization is important in any RPG. And the ability to create your own spells in Morrowind and Oblivion really brought magic to life. You could create unique spells, such as an icy paralysis spell that both hurts and freezes your victim. Or a fiery burst of mass destruction, covering the entire area of a field or city. (Add a frost effect to make a mighty fusion of fire and ice!)
Spell crafting was axed from Skyrim. Now we want it back! The thinking behind the decision was most likely that it allowed people to create broken spells that made the game too easy. But this is easily rectified by limiting what you can create to your skill and the amount of magic you have.
Bethesda, give us spell crafting to make mage files more creative and exciting!
9. An Epic Setting
Dive on in, the water's great!
The alien mushroom forests of Morrowind’s marshes. The golden fields of Cyrodiil. The snow-capped mountains and wild forests of Skyrim. Without a doubt, every Elder Scrolls game has taken place in an amazing world that whisks us away on a grand adventure.
The Elder Scrolls IV must continue this trend. We need a setting that’s both exciting and entirely unique. Such as the blazing deserts of Hammerfell. Or the elegant beauty of the Summerset Isles.
The story and conflict needs to rival that of Dagoth Ur, oblivion gates and daedric invasions, and massive death dealing dragons. That’s no small task! But Skyrim alluded to increased tensions between man and mer in the future. An all-out war with the high elves, nords, imperials, and whoever else gets pulled into the battlefield would make for an epic playing field.
8. Smarter Companions
A friend to the end.
Let’s face it. As awesome as is having a stout friend fight alongside you, such as sworn-to-carry-your-burdens Lydia, companions in Skyrim can be mind numbingly stupid. Be it running against a rock, somersaulting into a dragon’s gaping maw, or vanishing entirely until you get a letter from an apologetic courier informing you of Lydia’s demise and the small stipend of 81 gold coins she left you in her will.
So how can companions be handled better in the next elder scrolls game? For starters, give them a smarter AI that allows them to battle in a way that’s appropriate to both your playstyle and the kind of enemy you’re fighting. Ranged attackers should know to keep their distance and dash away if they’re caught up to. And if there’s already distance between a warrior and his target, he should fight with a bow as he closes in.
When in doubt, sic your puma pal on 'em.
If an enemy is stronger, companions shouldn’t just charge in blindly shouting, “Your mother was a milk drinker!” They should employ tactics such as taking cover and using appropriate resistance spells and buffers (if they have them). Being able to teach spells or train companions in certain fields you excel at would open up what you can do with your favorite travel buddy.
Allowing the player to assign tactics to companions will ensure they will mesh with a specific playstyle. You should be able to set up your companion so that they’ll target specific enemy types (such as mages) or focus on enemies that target you. If you want a cleanup crew backing you up, you should be able to order your companion to take out the weaker enemies while you focus on the head honcho.
You’re not a babysitter. Your companions should support, not hinder you.
7. Armor and Weapon Customization Options
It's cool until you realize the guy down the street has the exact same thing.
The smithing skill isn’t all that exciting when you can pick up the exact same armor piece from a rotting bandit’s corpse. In Skyrim, the only benefits to smithing are stat upgrades and the ability to make anything without having to buy or search for it. It’s a useful skill for sure. But it could be so much more!
The Elder Scrolls VI would be leagues better with in-depth customization options. Imagine if you could tweak and modify individual armor pieces. Mix and match sets? Dye cloth and blacken leather? No two characters would look the same!
In addition to changing your appearance, each upgrade type could have unique benefits. Pockets to increase carry weight. Fur to protect yourself against frost spells. Iron shoulder pads to up that damage resistance. A sword grip that increases swing speed. An axe edge that pierces armor. So on and so forth.
Having these options lets us be creative with our characters. And that’s exactly what RPGs are all about.
6. Enemies That Scale in Difficulty as You Level Up
"Higher levels, my precious!"
Skyrim is an amazing game, but even great things have flaws. The leveling system bogs late game experience in two ways. The first is enemies have a level cap. The second is magic spells don’t level with you.
Once you hit level 35 or so, many enemies stop leveling up. This means once you get to 40, 50, 60, and beyond, they don’t stand any sort of chance against you. Even on harder difficulties enemies become weak and boring to fight.
Mage files really took a hit in Skyrim. Not only did we lose spell crafting, we lost a lot of the oomph high-level destruction spells dished out. Since spells don’t level up with you (whereas a warrior’s damage output does), you wind up stuck with weaker spells that can’t compete.
Fixing these issues will ensure the Elder Scrolls VI stays fun and adrenaline-pumping far into the late stages of the game.
5. Better Character and Movement Animation
"Now with 50% more bloodspray!"
Bethesda, you’ve come a long way since the days of Oblivion and Fallout 3. Where running models looked like janky wooden puppets with stiff joints. But boy oh boy is there room for improvement.
Walk and run cycles have improved drastically. But actions during cutscenes, confused half turns, unsure pathfinding, and mismatched lip syncing jolt you right out of the moment. When you’re ducked over your computer, fully immersed in fighting dragons, awkward animation during what should be an epic moment damages the experience.
At least dragons look absolutely amazing! Well, so long as you don’t fight them from horseback. Running into them slides them across the plains of Skyrim like a deadly game of air hockey.
4. Dynamic Factions That Impact the World
"Maybe we should try pointing the trebuchets at the city?"
The conflict between the Stormcloaks and Imperial Legion in Skyrim was a step in the right direction, but the dynamic wasn’t deep enough to breathe life into the world around you. Faction interaction creates a sense of intrigue that makes us want to splash around in the world’s politics and make ripples. Choosing sides, influencing the influential, and ultimately deciding who’s in power should shape the world in marvelous ways.
All factions in the next Elder Scrolls game should have a relationship with each other, be it good or ill. Similar to the Houses of Morrowind, the groups you can join should be limited by these relationships. For example, you can’t join two rival guilds. Joining one makes an enemy out of the other.
Den of thieves and ninja turtles.
But this should go beyond just the Stormcloacks and Imperials. Imagine assassins of the Dark Brotherhood facing off against the Fighters Guild (or a new lawful faction). Vampires or werewolves fighting tooth and nail against a hunters guild. A prince and a princess competing for the throne of their fallen father—the person you choose to support decides the next ruler.
Guild skill requirements would further specialize your character. After all, an orc barbarian probably shouldn’t be able to bash his way to the Arch-Mage rank in the Mages Guild. It doesn’t make sense for you to be able to join every guild. And an interwoven dynamic between the many organizations vying for power creates a malleable world you can mess with like silly putty.
3. Stories with Complex Characters That Have Their Own Personality and Motivations
Contemplating complex character things.
While exploration, combat, and quests are important, nothing will pull you into an RPG’s story like good characters. Characters we relate to, admire, and enjoy getting to know. While Skyrim has plenty of interesting folk and a plethora of companions to choose from, its story lacks deep characters.
The closest we got to dynamic characters was during the Thieves Guild questline and Serana in the Dawnguard DLC. When a quest’s story is spurned by a character’s motivations, we find ourselves that much more invested in the conflict. When we empathize with what’s happening, such as Serana’s struggle with her parents and desire to stop her father, it makes us want to involve ourselves and commit to the quest. Not just tick off another quest completion on the checklist.
Characters with depth, personality, and relatable motivations will undoubtedly make the story in the next Elder Scrolls game a compelling treat.
2. A Survival Mode That Requires Players Eat, Sleep, and Rest
Ripe for the harvest that no one will get to enjoy.
Why is there so much delicious food in Skyrim if eating is utterly pointless? How can even the dragonborn travel and fight for days, weeks, months on end without rest? If Skyrim's blizzarding wilderness is so treacherous, why are we able to climb mountains and swim in frozen waters while stark naked?
A system where you have to take care of your needs would add another layer of realism. Hunting and foraging for food in the wilds. Preparing for harsh weather conditions. Camping to rest and warm yourself by the fire. It's a survivor's dream.
All video games require a certain amount of suspension of disbelief. And not everyone wants to worry about having to tke care of their needs. But having the option for a realistic hardcore mode in an Elder Scrolls game is a long time coming.
1. A World That's Shaped by Player Choice and Action
"What a pretty city... Let's mess with it."
Imagine a sleepy town in the middle of a forest. A trader named Stan sells goods at the market. Everybody loves Stan. He’s good natured, he’s improved the local economy, and he brings sweet rolls for the children.
One day, you decide to stab Stan in the face.
What do you think would happen to the town after that? Would everyone just go about their day to day? As though Stan never existed to begin with?
In Skyrim, yeah. That’s pretty much what would happen.
But in a reactive world, the locals would mourn Stan’s untimely demise. The economy would change. The market dynamic would shift. The children would complain about not getting sweet rolls anymore.
You can shift Ulfric from one throne to another, but that's only scratching the surface.
The Elder Scrolls VI should allow us to affect the world with our actions. Killing or helping influential people should incite gossip or, in Stan’s cause, spur gameplay changes. If a new ruler comes into power in a city, the area should morph accordingly. From the aesthetics, such as flags, symbols, and guards, to dialogue—both key and insignificant.
The factions you join, the people you kill, the characters you help, even your moral alignment—it should all affect how the world reacts to you. If you’re a hero, people will sing your praises. If you’ve caused trouble, they’ll flee, refuse service, or fling disgusted comments your way.
Convicted thieves will be shooed. Murderers will be shunned. Unless, of course, nobody catches you.
If the world responds to your playstyle and choices, it’ll launch the character you’re role-playing straight from your imagination into the game's reality. The world will develop differently in every playstyle. And you’ll never tire of pulling and cutting strings of fate to see what happens next.
There's little doubt The Elder Scrolls VI will be an amazing game. What new or upgraded features do you want to see in Bethesda's next installment? Share your thoughts and predictions in the comments below.
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