It has already been confirmed that we will be able to choose any of the ten races from the past games in Skyrim, witch is quite a lot. For Skyrim I really hope each of those races offer an unique way to play the game. Todd said they were working toward this during the Game Informer coverage in February, witch I found a really good thing.

However (because there is always a however), in various interviews and previews from the last few days, like thishttp://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/previews/8797-Skyrim-Preview, Todd stated that he didn't really want your choices in the beginning of the game to matter. My concern is that this will also effect the races as well, and that the effect of your race will be largely cosmetic.

In Oblivion, your race of choice had little effect on the game. The skill and attribute bonuses were really unimportant later in the game, much like the greater and lesser powers. The constant abilities were the most important to take in consideration when picking your race. And, as I said earlier, it seems to me the difference between the races will get even smaller in Skyrim.

Of course I could be horribly wrong. Several ways races could be made of any importance in Skyrim I've thought of are:
- Giving each race an different set of hidden attributes (mainly because Todd stated that attributes are still in the game, just somewhere else) beyond player control, much like the SPECIAL system of Fallout.
- Giving races sets of unique abilities and/or perks at the beginning of the game.
- Giving races access (via picking a perk) to different sets of unique abilities and/or perks over the course of the game.
- Increasing the power of the lesser and greater powers as you level.
- A combination of the above

Things I didn't think of:
- Making different races level specific skills more quickly than others.

Another suggestion would be to allow different races to level specific skills more quickly than others.

Good one, I will add it. Although It seems quite hard make 10 races effectively different from each other with just that.

The races in all TES games always felt different to me because of their vastly different cultures
Even if they had similar/identical class and skills I couldn't imagine playing a Nord and Orc the same
That said I would like some differences between them
I'd keep the starting racial powers fairly minor but give each race a set of perks they could choose from that would fit them if the player chose to
I don't want the races differentiated to the point where playing an Orc as anything other than a warrior and an Altmer as anything other than a mage is useless

I'd prefer stats not to be too different for different races, to reduce the impact on a race's viability for specific roles (though difference should be there for lore reasons, just not too big)

Imo biggest difference for races (apart from looks ofc), and on a sidenote also for different genders, should be dialogue. For gameplay reasons, keep the same quests and progression available for each race and gender, but still have NPCs talk to you and react to you differently based on your race and gender would be cool imo

I would really prefer that option over the Morrowind/Oblivion way, increasing some skills from the start. The bonus was meaningless after a few hours of gameplay, and in fact lowered your max level because you had less skillpoints to gain.

I agree that the Race Perks would be a good way to go, and there are various ways to implement this

Have 5 which are automatically added to the character every 10 levels.
Have 12-20 like all other perks and are chosen instead of skill perks
Have 10 race perks where 1 can be chosen, along with Skill perks every 10 levels (so a max of 5 can be taken, this would add replayability with the same race)

Ohh this perks system opens up a whole new game for me.

I also mentioned the skill leveling speed being slowed down on certain skills for certain races (not speeded up like was suggested here) on another forum recently

For example:

Orc's and Nord's would level sneak slower than all other races, but a Bosmer would level sneak faster than all other races, this would add to the good and bad effects of race selection.

I just want Dark Elves to look and sound cool again. Bring back more sandpaper eroded voices! Make Khajits sound more aggressive and look more fierce! In oblivion Khajits had a uniform thin raspy voice. Put a little bit of diversity in there. And for gods sake make some fat NPC's! Not everyone should be a fitness model. Other then that, I don't really care how they play, since the perks determine whatever combat differences the individual has.

This brings back memories. IMHO the only truly well-implemented races since MW were Altmeri and Bretons. They had their unique racial advantages and disadvantages and picking one of them felt really different. Everebody else was largely cosmetic.
IMHO, all racial traits should be along the same lines - no crappy once-a-day powers, please.

Kahjit should have constant Night Sight that they can activate and de-activate at will as well as drastically reduced fall damage.
Argonians should have constant water-breathing in addition to their resistance to poison and disease.

There should be health/stamina modifiers along the lines of magicka modifiers for Altmeri/Bretons and possibly even slow health regeneration. There should be Berserk Rage/Adrenaline Rush powers that activate automatically once the character has low % of health. Etc, etc.

None of it would make a race the only reasonable choice for playstyle X, but it would provide a slightly different experience for different races, which, outside the 2 races above wasn't at all the case in MW and Obl, sadly.

How so? It's not so different from past games, where most differences (gender, race, class) were nothing but "headstarts" on skills or attributes that all ended up the same if maxed. :shrug:

I'd like them to have unique differences that can't be easily made obsolete. Who cares if Argonians can breathe underwater when it's such a cheap and easy spell to cast? What advantage is disease resistance when the afflictions are mostly harmless and cures are plentiful? Most of the daily powers can be replaced easily enough with potions and spells.

It's generally best kept to advantages to prevent races failing at certain classes, but fairness doesn't have to mean being identical. I'd rather do away with massive advantages like the Altmer magicka boost that made them better mages than everyone, always, or obnoxious imbalances like Breton magicka resistance. I want things that make them feel different more than over/underpowered in various fields, which can't be co-opted by other races but don't ruin your experience with a character type by doing so.

For example, Argonians not only breathing underwater, but say pressure and murkiness make it harder to swim/see the deeper you go, and they have a significant advantage in that. Maybe a tail whip attack would make them more resistant to attacks from behind. Things like that.

I almost think it would be neat if they made a list of possibilities for each race and you can only select like one or two benefits from the list for your particular character. for example: argonians might have like immune to poison, breathe under water, etc. But you can only choose one or two from a list of many. As long as this would not be game breaking I would love to see how much more depth it would add to your specific character.

Race specific swimming motions.

I like these ideas, apart from the slow health regeneration. No health regeneration thanks. I think the stamina of redguards should restore faster. Orcs should have their usual slight resistance to magicka as well e.t.c.

It makes me wonder if he is going to attach the "Birth signs" to each race. Anyone remember how many there were in Oblivion? Obviously they wouldn't be called birth signs in this but it is quite possible me thinks.

exactly. this definitely.

also, i think having NPCs react and treat you differently depending on your race would go a long way to helping differentiate the races from one another.
race specific perks that you can choose throughout the game is another great idea. i just dont want to feel like after ten levels in, my race is basically the skin i chose. IMO it sort of lessens replay value from a gameplay standpoint. there are plenty of quests, and radiant AI/story will always help... but if it feels like i'm playing the same mage whetherf i'm a Redguard or a Dunmer... well thats a little lame.

I always thought having races have different 'attributes' would work too. i mean an orc is generally stronger than a bosmer, right? so have orcs have larger encumbrance to start, and bosmers be a bit faster. then make it so if you max out encumbrance or speed via perks, that the orc is still stronger, and the bosmer till faster.

I hope racial powers make a big difference. Maybe through perks. For example, an orc could perk up his berserk, to make it last longer, and give him greater damage.

While a dunmer could perk up his ancestry guardian. It could start as a ghost, but by the end of the perk tree it would be a super powerful lich.

Making the racial powers more generally useful for all kinds of characters would be a nice idea. As far as I know World of Warcraft did this too, so I think it's not impossible.

Im hoping Altmer will get a magicka multiplier again, instead of the bonus in Oblivion.
So that they have maybe twice normal magicka reserve, instead of just +100.
Also disease resistance.
Offset of course by elemental weaknesses.

All races slightly unique so they provide a slightly different playstyle is a good idea.
I also like the one about no more once a day powers, but something that matters.

I only play Altmer, sometimes an Argonian, but Id like it if Orcs for instance had a race specific beserk perk straight from the start, if Imperials were better at whatever goes for speechcraft and mercantile now, etc.

Some race specific animations not only swimming, but also walking and some racial movements in combat.