Let me start by saying Oblivion on the PC is by far my alltime favorite game. Morrowind was one of my three most favorites before that. I have no doubt that Skyrim will be even better than Oblivion. I played though Oblivion at least three times. I played through Fallout 3 twice and I am about 75% of the way through New Vegas for the second time now. I know I am woefully late with this suggestion for Skyrim but I just want to put this idea out there.

In my opinion New Vegas is a great and highly entertaining and engaging game although it lacks the character-building depth and complexity of Oblivion. Thats fine though because New Vegas is meant to be a different experience from the Fantasy-RPG that Oblivion was. It seems that New Vegas carried the player along quite nicely. Staying disciplined enough to follow the missions in a relatively linear order and take what the game gives you without jumping forward and venturing outside the linear path of things was a clever way to funnel to the player better equipment. In fact, following that path would reveal equipment very much needed for the next set of major missions in the game. Nice job by the developers. That kind of framework opens up just enough side missions along the way that allows the player to use as a means of getting those last few hundred experience to reach that next level just when you need to and get those skill points you need to open some locked door or complete a tough mission objective along your way. This allows the player to plan a few steps ahead, juggling things in his head and keep going along his own path. Very well done by the developers.

I found that Oblivion's best items remained a secret through most of the game. I found that I would happen upon secret items merely by chance most of the time. After playing through Oblivion for the second time I began to develop an "Indiana Jones" idea. I thought, "How fun it would be if there was an underlying treasure-hunting thread thoughout the game, where NPCs would indirectly and directly reveal subtle hints about where to find clues as to the existence and/or location of rare, valuable, unique, or much needed items". Its fine for there to be secrets but there should be a balance where there is a method for the player to find out the about the secret through rumors, books, unusual events, or some other such means. This way the player can decide for himself whether to pursue the truth behind the secret further and uncover great treasure and not need to research online for answers or stumble upon the great items by pure chance. These great items can be deeply buried inside of mysteries hidden by enigmas wrapped in riddles. The layers and levels on the way towards discovery of these items are limited only by the imaginations of the developers. This way the player does not merely stumble upon the best and most rare items, he is not held by the hand towards these items, but is given a structure in which to use his own powers of deduction to decipher clues and decide the path to follow towards discovery of much needed rare items.

(I am very much a non-cheater, to the point where I find that I don't even want to read forums because so often people sometimes unintentionally reveal information about locations and such. I would prefer that everything needed to complete the game 100% can be found within the game itself, but that these things can be discovered through a path independant from the main storyline.)

I very much agree that the 'treasure hunter' feel of picking up on little clues here and there, and then finding some great piece of gear, not through sheer dumb luck, but rather through observation and critical thinking, is much more rewarding. Unfortunately most games that try to implement something like this end up turning into puzzle games, rather than adventure games.

Most of New Vegas was made by Obsidian, not Bethesda.

Fixed. Bethesda distributed and tested.

You want to compare apple to apples, stick with Fallout 3- Bethesda actually made that one.

Bethesda co-workers share all there secrets
(atleast let's hope)

I do not mean to compare the two games really, but instead I am trying to point out that games like Oblivion, Skyrim, Fallout 3, New Vegas and the like could benefit from implementing in-game what many fans of these games already do. That is, we all inevitably search the web for something like "what is the best one-handed sword in the game," and then we do a web search for "where is that best one-handed sword located" and even "how do I beat that enemy or complete that mission". Whether intentionally or unintentionally, RPGs eventually create a desire in the gamer to find the best equipment and find the right way to complete goals. Gamers fill in this natural desire for treasure hunting and ease-of-accomplishment by communicating with other gamers outside of the game in various gaming forums. Gamers also quick-save and quick-load to see what happens and decide on an outcome. It is an abstract form of cheating because we are going outside the game but it makes the game a more fully realized experience for the player, and isn't that what all developers want for their games in the end?

What I am suggesting is for developers to use this player behavior to their advantage. Create an in-game system where the player can communicate with NPCs to replace the forum search, asking such things like "Oh, by they way, you wouldn't know anything about any really good weapons or armor, would you?". Asking the right NPC reveals clues, points the player to ask a certain other NPC, and starts the player on a path towards discovery of more clues. Having a journal where the player can actually type in his own comments and having a map where the player can create and save an unlimited number of his own markings and comments would only be a natural addition to the adventurous nature of such RPGs and would add a more organic feel to the gameplay. Of course there is no reason to limit this to just treasure hunting. Giving dialogue to select NPCs regarding which NPC the player should speak to for hints on how to defeat a creature or accomplish a mission would also keep the player out of message boards and takes the player deeper into the game itself. The player could discover for himself in-game all the information he needs so that the player can decide his own course of action. The player could be capable of making an informed decision and know the immediate outcome of an action with enough acquired information in-game. No longer would it be necessary to "quick-save, quick-load" to see the different outcomes. Allowing the player to remain within the game and creating the means for a player to become intertwined in the content makes for a much more immersive total experience.