I have the impressions that many of bethesda latest choices are due to a lack of ambition that wasn't present while developing the other games of the series.

From what I have read here are some explanation of why some features (only the one I really care about) are not present in the game:

1) Attributes
My understanding of Bethesda choice: You don't really need them as they are used only to calculate Health/Stamina/Magicka
My reaction: Ehh, I must be dreaming???? Really??? What about some sensible way to roleplay? What about having more dialogue option for intelligent character or wise ones? What about having a quest only if the character luck is over 80? What about a dice minigame based also on luck? What about swords/greatswords that you cannot use as your strengh is not enough?....It seems to me that 30 years of good RP mechanics are a bit too easily dismissed as irrelevant. Sure perks can do some of these things but it seems really odd.

2) Mark/ recall
My understanding of Bethesda choice: They break the game
My reaction: Well...they are supposed to!! Apart from that it doesn't seem so difficult to change these spells so that they can be activated only if certain conditions are met. For instance, in a dungeon I would make them castable only if there is a light coming from outside (like in the game trailer) and no enemy in sight. May I miss some part of the game by using them? Maybe but that's is the beatiful part of it...do I use them and risk loosing something cool or I don't and explore everything?

3) Levitation
My understanding of Bethesda choice: it breaks the game
My reaction: Again...come on...what kind of answer is this? You can implement levitation the way risen has done it and it wouldn't break any game mechanic, or you could do it the Oblivion way and have some forcefield/whatever guard the major cities and prevent you to fly in (which would make sense due to the presence of dragons). Inside dungeon you just have to make the ceiling low where you don't want the player to take off of invent some other ways to do the same trick (Poison gas/spikes/moving part...) For intelligent people like bethesda folks it doesn't seem a major challange.

4) Spellmaking
My understanding of Bethesda choice: it breaks the game and it's not needed because you can use your hands to change the power of the spell.
My reaction: mehh...??? Spellmaking was never about only power (aside from the occasional super fire spell we all are found of), was always about smart ways to combine spells and train you. To me it was the essence of roleplaying a mage.Can it really be so difficult to limit the OP spells available in spellmaking?

If Morrowind was created by 20 people, Oblivion by 40 and in Skyrim the team has balloned over 100...I wonder what are these guys doing? They seems to have so many things less to do (Spears/Crossbow/Greaves/...) are they all sweating on the PS3 conversion or do this figure include translators in 6 languages?

Come on Bethesda...challange yourself!

This is a pretty low blow on your part saying they aren't trying hard. Just because there are some features that haven't gone your way, it doesn't mean they aren't trying. I'm sure they're working hard to compete with all the other big releases coming out this year.

Skyrim doesn't have arm hair physics, they aren't trying hard enough.

Yeah I agree. 3-4 years of development isn't enough.

:facepalm:

Maybe to make space for new stuff they have to remove some of the old stuff

only so much stuff can fit on a single disc and I doubt people wouul want to install 8 or more disc before being able to play

I don't think a lack of effort or ambition is the problem here. I think the problem is quite simple - poor direction.

What's causing the poor direction could be a number of things:

It could be that someone at BGS is completely delusional and under the wrong impression that their previous games were far too complicated and difficult for people to get into (even though many current TES fans played Morrowind when they were 11-13, and even though Oblivion is one of the most mainstream and accessible RPGs out there).

It could be that someone at BGS just loves gimmicks... and when they introduce certain gimmicks, they may end up having to make a choice between the new gimmick - or an old feature. Often, it's the old established feature that loses out.

It could be that someone at BGS prefers casual, linear RPGs; or action-adventure games with RPG elements, and is slowly trying to edge the series more and more in that direction.

It could be that the series is becoming so popular that someone at BGS is trying too hard to please too many people instead of just making the best open-world RPG possible.

Or it could simply be that someone at BGS wants to sell the series out and make a [censored]load more money. :confused:

My guess is it's a mix.

I think "poor direction" is something you figure out after you play the game. Until then, just assume Bethesda knows what they are doing. They are the ones making the game after all.

It does not BREAK the game, it simply severely limits design to things that function well with Levitation or M&R. Without those things, they lose about 10% of their options when designing an area, but get like 80% in return. Kudos to them for making the right choice.

These are some of the features that defined the series...and I don't see how they would have to delay the game to have them included.... games like gothic 3/ Risen and others have these features and they haven't had any major problem to be on the shelves by that,

Besides I can accept that they want to do it some other way but why not having the guts to say the real reasons?

No. I hate try hards.

Or it could be that they actually know what they are doing, the game they wanted to make required some big changes, and people's expectations based on previous mechanics just have to take a big hit.

It's not about not trying hard enough, it's about trying to make a game that's more refined, balanced, and interesting. They've restructured a lot of things to eliminate some redundancies and improve game balance.

The only things I'm really peeved about is the removal of spell-making. There's no reason this shouldn't be in; it's a crafting ability that goes along with the other crafting abilities: smithing, alchemy, and enchanting.

And the logic that Mark and Recall breaks the game is misplaced...if this breaks the game then instant no-cost fast travel definitely does.

I wouldn't say the direction is poor either, rather it's different to want a proportion of the existing fanbase wants.

I'm not particularly impressed by the removal/change in attributes and certainly think that more effort could have been put into another solution that made them more meaningful rather than 'intelligence=magicka, so let's take them out'.

I hope i'm wrong, and end up pleasantly surprised by Skyrim... I really do. I've seen too many games ruined by similar mistakes though to simply await the game with blind faith and optimism.

Honestly, if it were any series other than TES, I really wouldn't care. If the game turned out great - awesome. If it turned out to be disappointing - oh well. I wouldn't even waste my time complaining. But because I care about TES, and because Bethesda are currently the only developers I know of who are producing first person open-world RPGs, I become very critical.

Sure levitation means LESS option in creating a dungeon....

Did you read the entire sentence?

Lets attach numbers to it so you can understand. Adding levitation to a dungeon might add 10 options for good level design, however, it will remove 50 options for good design by being present. So, would you rather have a dungeon that utilizes 10 concepts, or 50? I would think more, as it provides more diverse and continually interesting areas...

To do what is right sometimes takes unpopular decisions.

I'm not even part of Bethesda and I'm still insulted.

They're saints for not telling some of their fans off for topics like this. How about you sympathize with them for 5 seconds and actually listen to any of the recent interviews?

They aren't trying hard enough? Then you do better.

kind of...if they still had levitation it might cause some very interesting "obstacle courses"/traps ideas to be omitted.

Thank you....People need to see that if it isn't one thing...They will be [censored]ing about another. If you dont like then dont play.

So you're pissed off because Bethesda wants to try new things, instead of giving us the same game over and over again, except with prettier looking trees?

:facepalm:

Wow...just....wow.

You pessimistic brats just go too far sometimes. If I was a game developer I would kill myself. Not a beth dev, but just in general. People like you are terrible. You COULD just make your arguments and NOT be a total fetcher about it and take stabs just cause lil' baby darling doesn't get what they want.

I'm sure your VAST and intimate knowledge of everything about the development of skyrim as you are yourself a developer really allows you the judgement over whether they are "challenging themselves". Oh wait, you don't have that at all.

Sorry but I'm not convinced: You can have 200 ways to prevent the player to levitate off when needed for design choice. Some of these includes:

1) Anti magic crystal (All magic off)
2) Low ceiling
3) Magnetic/attractive floor (or wall for what it matters)
4) Traps on the upper part of the room (I.e. continuosly fired arrows until you have properly deactivated it)
5) Forcefields

If you want to see some of these implemented play Risen.

DaVinci: Okay, I just completed the Mona Lisa, it's a masterpiece.

Critic: Why isn't she blonde? You aren't trying hard enough!

i wouldnt say lack of effort at all. you may not agree with some of the choices but they have their idea of what the game should be like and they are sticking with it.

i have to say that i kind of wish they were a bit more like eidos montreal where they are going out of their way to please the fans and they have acknowledged several criticisms and in fact have made numerous changes based on feedback from forum members. im very very impressed with how they are running the show over there. i dont see that kind of feedback from bethesda on these forums except for the occasion post by a character designer or something. i kind of wish they would take a more active role in these forums now that crunch time is over and explain their decisions. at the very least that might allay some fears and even if people dont like the decisions they could get an explanation for why they went that route.