Ok so dragon shouts are going to give us some cool extra powers in Skyrim. Right? So what is Bethesda going to do for future ES games? There probably won't be any dragons, if they are all killed off in skyrim. So will dragon shouts (or similar power) be removed from elder scrolls games after Skyrim, possibly disappointing the fans? (especially new ES fans created from the Skyrim release)

What are your thoughts?

I hope they wont make it into future TES games. Let then remain unique for Skyrim.

Besides, look at the lore! To get a shout ability you need to:

1. Be a dragonborn.

2. Obtain the soul of a dragon by killing it... or by other means.

3. Find the words in the dragon language.

Will every one of future TES player characters be dragonborn? I don`t think so.
Will there be available dragon souls simply lying around? Doubt it.
Will the locations where the future TES games happen have dragon language simply lying around? Maybe. Just maybe. Probably not.

If there's no dragons in future games, then it'd be a bit difficult to have dragonshouts.

I'm not sure how that's a bad precedence, though.

I'm guessing one of the following:
1) The Hero of Skyrim was the only dragonborn and thus the only one capable of the Dragon Shout magic.
2) The events at the end of the Skyrim storyline cause DragonShout magic to not work anymore (similar to how Almsivi intervention ended in Morrowind).

This is one of the things I'm LEAST hyped about, to be honest, mainly because they seem to be peripheral. I'm sure they're a fine addition, but the core gameplay is the most important thing, and I'm always concerned when devs talk more about flashy peripherals. Seriously, who will look at the perk constellations after the first two weeks of playing?

I think the point is, if you give people super powers in Skyrim are they going to expect them in the next elder scrolls but just themed differently. Like instead of being dragon born, you are nature bound in the forests of the pointy eared freaks.

Me. I'm sure i'm not the only one either.

Great point OP, I had not thought of that yet. Indeed if we get amazing powers in Skyrim people will expect something even more "Shiny" for the next instalment in the TES series. This could turn out to be a big problem.

The next game might not have shouts, but it could have something new and "shiny" as well.

Pretty much this. Dragon shouts are rare. Just being dragonborn is extremely rare, but you also have to obtain the soul of a dragon and find special words in the dragon's tongue. All of that together would make this a very rare ability to use and possess. Every TES game is unique from every other TES game in a lot of ways. Dragon shouts are one of the things that will make Skyrim unique, and shouldn't be implemented in future games because of that.

Thats a good point to make. Dragon shouts are going to have a big effect on the game, and people don't like when you take that stuff out.
But at the same time, I think it might feel a little cheesy or unnatural for them to add dragon shouts into every Elder Scrolls game after Skyrim.

There will always be Greater powers. But not necessarily Dragon Shouts.

Perhaps, but it will get harder and harder to find new original ideas for such powers. Eventually making them very cheesy.

Just one word: Levitation.

Dragonshouts? Probably not. Thu'um? I don't see why not.

Well... when you actually think about it the King of Skyrim is dead - potential for you to take his place as a Septim. With that in mind Dragon Shouts were taught by the Grey beards but much of them are dead due to what happens in OB (family line is dwindling).

That said, Dragon shouts could just as easliy be taught to the future dragonborn of skyrim - now that we will be figuring out how to speak their language. According to the Lore the language is all but forgotten - our character absorb the ability to read their language.

Moving forward TES can go anywhere it wants to by adding a new twist to future games; being able to dragon shout does not make you a god, as does the ability to build your stats.

Sorry if I no mak cence....

daggerfall was the only elder scrolls with that complex plusses and minuses charagtcer system...

Arena was the only one without skills..

I expect dragon shouts are to skyrim what becoming the whatzit of morrowind was to morrowind... A one off thing.

BUT they might have something else pop up in later games.. a new form of combat based on the shouts but usable by non dragonborn.

I don't think there will be any problems. Dragon Shouts are nothing but yet another type of spells (arguably powerful and hard to find spells) available to all characters regardless of their class. I don't see how "Breathing Fire" will be any cooler than a standard fireball spell. In Oblivion there was standard Magic for fighters and mages, in Skyrim there will be Shouts for fighters and mages, in the next TES game there will be something else for fighters and mages. No big deal.

Im not a big fan of the dragonshout mechanic, so I wouldnt mind not seeing them again

I suspect you mean precedent.
Precedence means something quite different.

And the answer to the question is no, they're not creating a precedent. Dragon Shouts are particular to this story and theres no reason why they should affect future games in TES series IMO.

They have established enough lore to get ideas for a few more games.
In Hammerfell, the events that lead to Yokuda's destruction could be repeating, and it is your job to find and stop it (while also bringing back the abilities of the Sword-Singers (though it could be modified to encompass more weapon types))
In Black Marsh, the Lilmothiit could be returning, or the Sload could be invading again, this could reintroduce some particularly advanced necromancy for the character to learn, even if it isn't for evil purposes. The Lilmothiit had some notable stealth abilities, being almost unheard of by those within the empire. Their disappearance is a mystery, and the only mark they left was the city of Blackrose. I'm not entirely sure what happened, but black marsh could include the ability to 'command' nature to a degree through the hist.

They will probably replace it with a new mechanic that reflects the new location/lore/enemies. Remember each game is supposed to be different and not just a new coat of paint.



Ofcourse people will complain and say the game is being dumbed down, even though they are simply replacing not just removing.

They're the same thing...

I don't remember absorbing dragon souls being a prerequisite for Thu'um.