This is a single player game. There is no need to balance it; the devs should do what makes the game more interesting and fun. Area damage to enemies allows you to think more tactically about situations. But if the player wants to keep their helmet off them let them. Make location damage only affect enemies. There’s no reason not to do this, since its only a single player game.

As a roleplayer I would never go into battle without a helmet on, but that’s my choice. I survived Morrowind and Oblivion without locational damage to myself, and I’m sure I'll manage the next game. But add it to enemies and it'll put a smile on my face. ^_^

one shot headshot arrow kill would be.... hmm... kinda strange .. but I really hate it that you can't hit anyone in the head with an arrow (oblivion).

perhaps they could add magic enchantments to the arrows that help boost the chances of successfully penetrating, or like ice arrows that weaken the armor temporarily, limiting you to a time limit where if you could get another shot in time you could shatter the armor, or maybe something a little less extreme.

well actually you can but it has to be the kill shot

I definently think this would be great for things such as the choice for light armor and heavy armor.
Heavy armor is far harder to penetrate then light armor. Ex: What would be easier to cut into, leather or steel?
Also, limb crippling would be greatly appreciated for that would make a fight less of a hack and slash and give it more of a tactical approach. (Unless you're an orc, of course)

This isn't really true. Poor balance can lead to even a single player game feeling uneven and (at times and in certain ways) excessively easy or unfair. Particularly in an RPG with a decently broad range of different character archetypes, balance is very important - bad balance means some classes are completely impractical and others are so good that everything else is worthless in comparison.

With the particular kind of balance you're talking about - making it so that location-based damage only impacts the NPCs - that leads to the sort of unevenness that I was mentioning. It's also a pretty serious issue of believability when you're struck between the eyes by an arrow and it does the same as being struck between the toes, when your opponent being struck between the eyes drops like a sack of potatoes but can shrug off hits elsewhere.

well for crippling effect you could have heavy arrows like in oblivion daedric arrow weighs what like less than a pound while dremora barbed arrows although their weaker are up to three pounds heavier and getting shot with that would be like taking a sledgehammer to the knee at high speeds, and also it would be cool if you could acquire flaming arrows ,magic or not and shoot non-armor wearing players like mages necromancers and lichs and watch them go up in flames increasing damage, well i am a robe and gauntlet wearing player so id better douse my robe in flame retardant chemicals.

I think that the bow should have some kind of an critical hit whenever you take a headshot. It doesnt have to be overpowered, but fighting monster with a bow alone is hard. Being skilled enough to take a headshot should be more rewarding.

then, my dear friend, I fail at the marksman skill

Those are the type of little mix and match things that could really make combat amazing. I would love to have some temporary enchantments as well as the permanent ones. It would be cool to have some spells to give certain elemental effects to the weapon you are using at that time which would allow to boost effects for damage or stat effects.

I voted candy. I am guessing that would mean, It would be sweet if we had it. I would like a system that if an enemy attacked us, my right arm is gone, I can't use my sword, if equipped in the right arm.
Head shots go both ways. Do you want to die from a head shot? One arrow, and there goes your 300 HP? Yes it's nice to do it to others, but I guess peopel would be Screaming that it's done to them.

As I said in onther thread, it gets tiring, that for 20 years we still play with 300 health points. Something needs to be different now. So we should be able to equipe our swords in what ever hand we want.
If a two handed sword and one arm is damaged no longer can use 2 handed swords. Do we need hands to cast magic? Then no magic spells can be used then. Maybe head wounds can't use magic
spells as well. Leg damage, slower movement, no jumping. Body damage less dexterity, so not be able to dodge so much.

Hell maybe even have a sword be able to slice your arms off. This way you need magic or Skyrims version of New Vegas Doctor's Bag to reattach your arm back.

But I agree, it would be nice that limb damage does mean more things than Toe damage is just like head shot damage.