Climbing would be great, a climbing skill or some climbing perks in a larger acrobatic perk tree would be nice. I miss the days when I could build an Acrobat character, and I think if they re-implement this to further differentiate the athletic skills of various characters, the world design, especially in cities, should offer some opportunities to shortcuts and breaking into buildings via acrobatics and roof climbing.

I'd be really surprised if climbing and some extent of parkour/acrobatics didn't come into play for the next TES game. Especially considering they could probably easily get some help from the people who made Dishonored (Arkane?).

It's something that's thoroughly needed, and if many dungeons had more verticality and more platform-esque traps, puzzles, and obstacles, then I think it would only make dungeons more multi-dimensional and interesting, although I've seen a few here who seem to loath the idea of any dungeons having any sort of platformer approach.

I personally think that the more systems in the game that are multi-dimensional, require a tactical approach, and provide strengths and weaknesses to different playstyles, the better. Just as, in my opinion, some dungeons should also require more brute force approaches and some more puzzle/riddle-oriented approaches.

Agreed. The inclusion of climbing could also make it safe for levitation to return. It would have been pointless in most of Skyrim because none of the areas were really designed with vertical movement in mind. I think it would add a lot of space for more interesting level design, plus it's just fun. Maybe just turning levitation into a channel spell that constantly drains mana, though, to keep it from being so easily abusable as it was in Morrowind.

As for the journal thing, I wouldn't be terribly opposed to it, especially if it included a paper map. At the very least I would like it much more than our satellite view of Skyrim. That bugged me to no end. It may be an overused trope, but I don't think it's a particularly bad one. I could see it maybe hampering role play a bit if you wanted to be a barbarian who never learned to read or write, but at the same time, reading and writing in Tamriel are fairly ubiquitous. Even some of the most uncivilized groups of people in the games tend to have books or journals or notes lying about or on their person, so it wouldn't really be inappropriate for the setting.

Also +1 to spellcrafting returning. I know it had it's issues, but it was damn fun. Just maybe give us a wee bit less control over the spells we make, so it's not quite so broken .

One of the things that complicates climbing/levitation is how it all plays into NPC pathfinding. Level design plays a part, too - one look at the realms of Oblivion in, uh... Oblivion, will tell you why Bethesda decided to cut levitation.

I'm all for bringing that stuff back to some degree, I'm just torn on how it should be handled. Dishonored-style clambering and climbing should be okay, but things like levitation, parkour, and Dishonored-style Blinking will really inform the level design - and I don't think they should make our range of motion highly scalable to a skill or attribute. Maybe some faster movement, reduced fall-damage, and double jumping.

Oh, definitely. Levitation and climbing have issues, especially if they try to give them to NPC's. I think assassin's creed level parkour is unnecessary, but Dishonored did a pretty decent job of a slightly more realistic climbing system that I would be ok with in TES. The blinking too, actually. Whirlwind Sprint was basically just Blink, after all, just with a different aesthetic. I think they just need to limit the spells pretty hard, rather than letting us do whatever we want with them like Morrowind. Levitation being a channeled spell like Flames in Skyrim with a constant mana drain would help balance it out a bit (well, in theory; maybe not if you can get a billion potions and chug them all day like Skyrim), but limiting how high we can go is probably a good idea, too. The spell is Levitate, after all, not Fly.

In Oblivion it wouldn't have worked well if it was just the same spell as it was in Morrowind, but if they restricted it like I'm talking about it would have been fine. I think it would also lead to far more interesting level designs with levitation and climbing than without them.

I do agree that having motion based too much on a skill is weird, though. Just an athletics skill that increases the speed at which you do stuff would be fine, I think. Or maybe just tie it into a broader Wayfarer skill, even. Nothing along the lines of the silly height and speed gained from leveling acrobatics and athletics in past games, though.

I'd be totally fine if they combine Acrobatics and Athletics in a skill governed by Agility. This skill can include some perks like special combat moves (finesse attacks, dodge, speed, acrobatic kills, speed and precision in climbing, jumping height...)

They might bring Levitation back. Fallout 4 has a jetpack for the Power Armor and there are places with loot that can only be reached by using one. It also works by draining ma-, I mean, Action Points, like you suggested.

IMO, all that would be necessary to solve any issues with attributes and acrobatics/climbing/etc. would be making perks that control those movements, their fluidity, and special things that go with them, then making the attribute level increase the effectiveness of the perks associated with it.

So, having high Dexterity for example would increase the effectiveness of all of the perks that the player has chosen that are linked to Dexterity. Instead of having ranked perks, this approach would make the effectiveness of particular perks depend on the attribute level. I also don't think there should be any hard cap, either. This would ultimately defeat monotyping for attributes, and instead of making attributes seem pointless, they'd be directly tied in with individual perks and the magnitude those perks have on playstyle. If you want to be insanely acrobatic with AC-esque parkour abilities, then pick the necessary perks and level your Dexterity up to 100+.

I really think this is the best solution for attributes, since it would perfectly compliment the perks by making them more potent at higher levels, with the perks also giving meaning to the attributes, themselves.

The only question that's up in the air, are what attributes would actually be worth including? My own thoughts on this are:

• Charisma


• Luck


• Awareness (or Perception)


• Swiftness


• Strength


• Intelligence


• Constitution


• Wisdom (or Willpower - couldn't think of a way to perhaps make Luck auxiliary and tie in Wisdom/Willpower with something that starts with an L)

I think each of these would hit a valuable mark towards meaningful RPG stats, without any in particular being too redundant. I'd like for them to take a Fallout-esque approach with tying perks directly towards these attributes, although for them to of course be much different and more fitting to TES.

As for skills, I've come to like the proposed idea of techniques, with techniques being more of modifications or bonuses towards skill-oriented abilities. Where I differ, is that instead of being something that should be picked at level-up, I would personally prefer to be available from teachers, skill trainers, guilds, quest rewards, technique books (would love to have dungeon crawls bent around finding some unique modification for a spell, sort of like what some of the black book rewards in Dragonborn were), etc.

In addition to the above methods for acquiring techniques, I could also see the ability to select a new technique every 5 - 10 levels that a skill is increased. With this, you'd have techniques that you pick while leveling up specific skills, while also having trainer/guild/quest/book-learned techniques that you could hunt.

My thoughts on levitation/parkour/acrobatics/blinking, is that while there would be challenging issues associated with these things, I don't think they're too challenging to where they shouldn't be attempted. Each of these things would be very rewarding and would, as I mentioned above, add multi-dimensionality to combat, dungeons, and many more things. I'll go into more detail on some of the other stuff in my next post.

EDIT: I should also note that in the above model, not all acrobatics/athletics-related perks would be impacted by Dexterity. Some could be impacted by Constitution, others by Strength, others by Awareness, and maybe even a couple by Intelligence, and so forth.

That's a good observation, after reading your comment I just remembered in the Bethesda Softworks E3 2015 conference YouTube video that Todd Howard showed off the Player Character (PC) in Power Armor flying or hovering with a jet pack.

So yes levitation spells should now be possible in The Elder Scrolls VI. Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) pathfinding will be greatly improved as well.

I actually have a feeling it will be so and that Bethesda Game Studios will bring back levitation spells in The Elder Scrolls VI. Unless they make levitation spells only for the Player Character (PC).

I also agree that levitation spells would no doubt be possible. I'm hesitant that BGS's AI will improve, although I'd very much love to see them do so, at least to modern capabilities. Would be neat to get some enemy behavior like in Mordor, with some of the things that they do.

As for spellmaking, I can see many ways in which it could be included as well. Lach posted a pretty nice example of how it could be done awhile back. All you'd need is just something that alters the characteristics of spells, and would allow you to augment them with certain modifications.

I'd personally be up for spellmaking to be included in an enchanting skill but I've seen a few who are against that. I do think that spellmaking would require a different level of knowledge than enchanting, but IDK if spellmaking would be sufficient enough to be a skill on its own.

I very much hope we get levitation spells back in The Elder Scroll VI.

Also I very much hope we get back guilds with teleportation like the Mages Guild in The Elder Scrolls VI.

We really need to get a lot of these features added back into The Elder Scrolls VI.

Throwing knives

Throwing stars

Spellmaking

We got the layered armor system in Fallout 4, which is similar to the separate armor pieces in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind.

All of these features to get added back and with decent written main quest storylines and side quest storylines and no dialogue wheel. I think The Elder Scrolls VI has the potential of being the best The Elder Scrolls video game again.

I'm just dreaming of going into combat fighting enemy NPC's with a axe or sword in one hand and throwing knives or throwing stars in another hand. Or a bow in one hand and throwing knives or throwing stars in another hand.. Or spells in one hand and so on, etc. All with improving the combat system some more from Fallout 4.

Todd Howard said he got help from iD Software with the combat system for Fallout 4 didn't he? There was a article on some website where Bethesda Game Studios said they hired a employee from Bungie to develop it from scratch.

I'm just getting excited for the potential of what The Elder Scrolls VI can be, even though I'm disappointed with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

First, let me apologize in advance if this suggestion resembles anyone elses. Not trying to steal any thunder. My suggestion for a future ES game revolves around a Dwemer-centric story set in Hammerfell; home of the Redguard.

The Elder Scrolls VII: Hammerfell

Set up: The player starts the game as a slave; one of many being forced to ecscavate the site of a newly discovered dwemer ruin at the edge of Hammerfell's massive desert. The ecscavation being over seen by a Thalmor scholar with a pronounced interest in Dwemer history. The player finds theirself sudden trapped within a previously sealed chamber when the roof collapses beneath their feet. As they attempt to find some means of escape from the silent labrynthine halls they happen upon a curious Artifact that appears to be some sort of gauntlet (think Wraithguard from Morrowind) laying unclasped and open on some sort of altar. The player finds theirself uncontrollably compelled to reach out and touch it and the device suddenly springs to life and closes around their outstretched hand. Unable to remove the artifact they begin to panic when they hear a contigent of Thalmor guards approaching from the corridor behind them. They are then forced to fight their way out to freedom and thus begins the story.

Gameplay device: The Gauntlet functions as a key of sorts to reactivating and eventually even controlling long dormant Dwemer technology. During their journey they will use the gauntlet to uncover long buried dwemer ruins, in an effort to uncover the truth of its purpose and ultimately free themselves of it. They are pursued by agents of the Thalmor Scholar; who intends to claim the device and use it to enact their sinister plan of using the technology of the dwemer to conquer Tamriel.

So yeah. Thats the idea. I thought it was interesting enough to post. Thanks for reading.

I'd love teleportation stuff in mage guilds as well, although I think in a Hammerfell game, we'd be likely to see only one mage guild/building, just like in Skyrim. I think once we get to elven provinces, we'd probably see numerous locations, but yeah. I'm definitely pro-blink spell, though, although I think it should operate as it does in Dishonored.

I'd like to see throwing knives get brought back as well, although I'm unsure of what skill they could go under. Right now, I'm for the idea of blunt, blade, axe, and polearm being the primary melee skills, rather than one-handed and two-handed.

I agree that the pieces are there for TES VI to be a strong candidate for greatest TES game. Skyrim definitely has a nice template to start from. If they can expand on its foundation in a meaningful way, while balancing character vs. player skill/agency and expanding the scope of RPG features, such as attributes, factions, consequences, tactical decision-making towards dungeons and creatures, and dialogue, then I have no doubt that it would be, at least in my opinion.

The trouble is that their obsession with streamlining things and starting over from scratch, which traditionally has been a strength of the series, could act as a detriment towards the above. At least, IMO.

And yes, they did get help from id software. They've stated before that they're not afraid of getting help from other studios under the Bethesda Softworks label.

I like the idea, although this would probably fit more in the Setting Discussion topic. I like most of what you put in, although I don't think most here would be fond of the non-removable gauntlet idea. Mainly because it might seem forceful towards the main quest for some people who would prefer to ignore it with a particular character. The slave thing could also generate some resistance, since most people prefer a fairly open background, although I wouldn't mind it if the slavery thing were something that was forced upon the player at the point of the game starting and wasn't a written backstory.

There's also the lore issue of... slavery perhaps not having existed in Hammerfell. I don't actually recall anything that has ever mentioned that it has, although I could be totally off the mark here. This being said, it could be something introduced in TES VI, perhaps as a consequence of Hammerfell becoming independent, but yeah.

They should make quivers a required item to be able to equip arrows, and then you can only hold so many in it. Have multiple types each allowing different amounts.


Also special arrows please! Fire, frost, and shock arrows. Distraction arrows, rope arrows, oil arrows, ect.

I still don't like how Oblivion had daggers and greatswords governed by the same skill, but if throwing knives are ever brought back, either marksman or whatever skill daggers are under would be the most obvious choices.

As for levitation, the reason Oblivion cut it was that Oblivion used more RAM than Morrowind (about twice as much on PC, at a minimum) and the consoles only had 256MB available. Consoles tend to be better optimized, but there's only so much you can do. They had to move cities out of the overworld to keep RAM usage down which made levitation no longer viable. Even the TR team had this problem before they decided to just recreate Mournhold in the overworld. As long as the PS4 and Xbox One can handle cities being in the overworld, then yes, levitation should return. If they can't (and they really should be able to handle it, they both have plenty of memory), then levitation should stay out simply because there's no good way to handle the logistics of what happens when your levitation runs out over a city.

Well, maybe. I don't think it makes a lot of sense in the context of how Oblivion handled Skill all together, but I think with the idea of a Blade Skill tree, its more justifiable. But yeah, if throwing weapons were to make a return, Marksmanship making a comeback would be my first bet.

Regarding levitation...eh. Given how Bethesda's AI's are, I can more easily imagine it being something that the player can use to cheese most anything given...well, Bethesda. Frankly I find almost anything to do with the player being airborne pretty horrible across the board, be it flying dragons or using Vertibirds in Fallout 4. I'd rather see a Climbing mechanic make a return for vertical dungeon designs then levitation.

As for greatswords and daggers, I think they could be differentiated through different technique trees/modifications, as well as perks associated with different attributes that could give specific bonuses to lighter or heavier weapons or change the "feel" of using them.

Throwing knives going into marksman could work well.

What is the likelihood that the new consoles could handle it?

What, levitation? Well enough, since flight is possible to some extent in both Skyrim and Fallout 4.

I'd just be thrilled to have vertical exploration back either way. I think that's one of the reasons why Morrowind is my favorite currently- because it's the most 6 dimensional of the TES games I played, those two extra dimensions being up and down. I move in 4 dimensions every day, and the only time I move vertically is with stairs or elevators for the most part. Hence vertical exploration is more unfamiliar, and more exciting to me.


Skyrim went back to a more unique art style than Oblivion, and the world design I think was quite well, but a lack of vertical exploration really watered down the experience. I'd love to go somewhere like Valenwood climbing vines that go up thousand of feet- and a bunch of stuff very high off the ground level, climbing to heights I'd never dare in real life. As well as descending down the vines into caves and such. I also liked the world design of Dishonorered and it's blink mechanic a lot also, I found it more engaging and strategy based than levitation itself to be honest.


I mostly like the idea... So long as it doesn't involve the actual Dwemer coming back, don't want the Dwemer mystery ruined.


I agree with Dargor- I think climbing is the perfectly well balanced option. On one extreme no vertical exploration makes a TES game too 4 dimensional, and consequently a lot more boring and less interesting, but on the other extreme literal levitation makes game design incredibly difficult, and the artificial intelligence is either too easy to exploit IE Morrowind, or too unfun and frustrating to fight against- IE Skyrim Dragons... Maybe some people liked fighting dragons but I found them unpleasant to have to fight over and over again, and cliff racers didn't annoy me as much for a lot of reasons. Cliff Racers weren't important to me either really but... They bugged me less cause I could eventually one shot them and take valuable alchemy stuff off them- and they didn't kill named NPCs.


That all said I think climbing is the PERFECT BALANCE between both extremes. And while marksman for throwing weapons would be nice, I'd just be delighted to see throwing weapons return in the first place.

I like that having the throwing weapons being under the marksman skill. You just gave me a idea with your comment.

We should also be able to lets say "Aim Down the Sights (ADS)" to point where to throw the throwing weapons, more improved than the way The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind has it where you just point and throw.

Yeah. Verticality is an issue that AI still has trouble with across the board. It's something i really, REALLY want to see return, but Bethesda's pathfinding is problematic at the best of times, i'm not sure they could handle even trying to do climbing or Levitation. They can't even do ladders.

I'd personally rather they not have any skills governed by Attributes. That's part of what created the problem that led to Attributes being axed in the first place. Total detachment, or multiple optional interactions are a far better dynamic. They keep both Skills and Attributes relevant, don't mono-type, and don't cause impact-competition.

They need to improve on their use of the Dialogue Wheel, not abandon it. While the showing in Fallout 4 is lackluster at best, the wheel offers the potential to be their best interaction model to date. It offers snap-conversation potential and easy categorical organization without sacrificing options. It's only real limitation is in it's easy upper-limit, but it's functional limit already exceeds what we see in RPGs by a rather large margin (not even Planescape;Torment offered 16 dialogue chocies). Smarter use of the mechanic is crucial to making it shine, of course, but it's not something that should be thrown out the window simply because some people are short sighted or adverse to change.

My only complaint (I like the overal concept) is that it is more a feature on the Dwemer, rather than the Redguard. The Main Quest of the game should focus on a cultural and mythological aspect of the inhabitants of the province, in this case the Redguard. The Sword Saints, the Celestials, the Lefhanders, Satakal... Those are more appropriate things to explore than more Dwemer.


I do think, however, that the presence of the Dwemer in southern Hammerfell offers some grounds for exploring the causes behind the Great War and the motivations of the Dominion.

So long as they can run cities in the overworld, it should be fine. The PS4 has 8GB RAM shared between the system and GPU, and the Xbox One has 5GB system RAM for games. By contrast, the PS3 had 256MB system RAM and the 360 had 512MB shared RAM. The original Xbox, which did run Morrowind (poorly), had just 64MB RAM. Fallout 4 takes 8GB RAM on a PC and Morrowind takes 256MB RAM on PC so clearly the consoles are using that memory more efficiently and, as a result, need less; just a quarter in Morrowind's case. If Fallout 4 has open cities, then it should be doable, but I haven't played it and don't know if it has them or not. Does anybody here know?

Back on levitation, I know it could break combat pretty bad in Morrowind. 1pt levitate on target, anyone? Land bound enemies didn't seem to know how to handle a flying PC, either. It's a relatively simple fix, though. Just make it so that levitation effects must be on self and have characters in combat with a flying player switch to bows or spells or run away if they can't do that. If PC_levitating == 1 isn't exactly a difficult check to program into the AI.

Fallout 4 has only one 'City'. Diamond City. And it does not seem to be open, though i can't for the life of be identify why. It's probably more of an AI tracking and combat thing than an actual hardware issue. \

*edit* I suppose Goodneighbour could also be considered a 'city'... But it is also an enclosed cell, presumably for the same reason.

I'd love at least one of the big cities to be open and of http://pre15.deviantart.net/ce65/th/pre/i/2012/083/e/4/balmora__aerial_view_by_lelek1980-d4to7sw.jpg

No there is no improvements to be made in a dialogue wheel it only has 4 choices and is very limiting.

Bethesda Game Studios needs to go back to the The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim text dialogue lines, which are better and I like more and I want to see forever in RPG video games.

Bethesda Game Studios needs to just get rid of it. I'm not short sighted and some changes are very bad for some video games.

The dialogue wheel is ok in the Mass Effect video games, it is not ok in the Bethesda Game Studios developed video games.