I think it would add more variation and increase the fun factor to create different fighting animation and mechanics for each race. Maybe a Nord might use more charging attacks and more simple but forceful sword strokes while an Elf might be more graceful and use more fancy swordsmanship moves. And maybe each race could use a different way to implement the sword attack. Like a Nord might be a point and click, while the Elf would require timing swings to make combos.

Same with spellcasting. Maybe one race would require certain key combos to be timed just right. But at any time during the key combos you could press the left mouse buttton to send the spell. The more experience you earn in spellcasting gives you more levels of spell preparation before actually casting it.

For example, pressing a certain direction key would prepare the first level, which might be a fireball spell, then you are presented with a small window of time to press another direction key to include a level two spell. It might be a more powerful fireball, or maybe you add a burden spell. The more experienced you are the more levels you can add. But at anytime you can choose to press the left mouse button to release the spell you have been perparing.

So if you are good at dodging while preparing the spell or have enough time/distance from being attacked you could unleash a more powerful spell. This would also make it more interesting to cast spells. Maybe each race would use different variations of this method with a weaker spellcaster/race maybe only doing a point and click.

I think having different fighting animation/moves at least for melee would make for some interesting battles since attacking and defending would now change based on who's fighting who and at what level.

So what about the bow skill, could something like this be done for that ?

I'm all for different (racial) combat animations. It would add diversity and I'm all for that. Not so much about actually having to adopt different buttonmashing for each race though; but different animations would be cool

They are all humanoids I dunno why they would have to fight much different from eachother or why that would be a good idea rather...

Different races/cultures often had significantly different fighting styles; often due to also having different style weapons and armor.

Maybe different shared animations for Man, Mer, and Beast races, and different things like a Bosmer would attack faster than an Orc, but two races with the same skills and attributes should do the same amount of damage with the same weapon no matter what.

Wow, I really love the concept of different fighting animations for different races. It gives a deeper sense of cultural and racial diversity. I know this is waaaay off topic but I would just like to point it out for sake of making a point - In Lord of the Rings movies, each race had their own unique style of fighting. Gimli the dwarf was a brute strength kinda guy that just hacked and slashed. Legolas the elf was a very cunning and agile marksman. Aragorn was balanced having skill in both sword and bow. Gandalf was something of an illusionist or alterationist, he didn't really wield any kind of harmful magic. Again way off topic but just an example of cultural and racial differences.

The spellcasting system mentioned would definitely be cool and would add much more depth and make it way more fun!

Was mostly weapon based.. I couldnt imagine any race using a bow differently than another.

I wish they would just add more animations. I hate the fact that they used the same animations for swinging a hammer as a sword. It would be great if you could chain your attacks when you hit successfully. But there's a lot I wish they would do...

Animations, okay, different button-mashing, no.

Actually, there are several different styles in which people can fire a bow. Oblivion already featured two such styles (vertical and horizontal shooting)

Word.

Were they race specific though? Just askin... I think that if a certain tribe or clan trains their warriors to fight specific way then it makes sense that they would have more specific styles but that doesnt mean a certain race just by being that race would fight a specific way.

animations = yes; different controls etc = no