First off, a disclaimer....I'm not bashing or putting anything down, just calling things like I see it and would like opinions on it. Please be respectful.
I've played TES games since Arena. The series has obviously taken a turn since then. There are many things that Beth has improved on and numerous things that they have changed in order to evolve this series from an RPG to an action game. With the changes to Skyrim being what they are, it's hard to disguise that this series has now evolved from an RPG series to an action series. I'm not putting Beth down, they are doing what they need to in order to make money. What I get frustrated with are folks trying to fit Skyrim into an RPG box. It's not an RPG. Beth is evolving, along with their customer base, and marketing their game to folks that can button push to accomplish their goals. The lore, the depth of play is officially over. It was going that direction after Oblivion and after seeing the changes for Skyrim, I think the transformation will be complete. Again, not saying anyone is wrong here, I just think people should call it for what it is. Skyrim is an action game, not an RPG. Accept that fact and a lot of the short comings, will be easier to swallow.
I read this post when it first went up, and just left. I figured it would've been locked by now, just because, even with your disclaimer, it was certain that you were going to get flamed relentlessly.
But since it's still up and I've been pondering, I'm going to respond, though I haven't and have no intention of reading any of the rest of the thread. I can already well imagine what's there.
I think you're a bit heavy-handed in your anolysis, which is most of why it's certain it turned into a flamefest. I wouldn't go so far as to say that Skyrim is an action game and is not an RPG. However, the underlying point is unmistakably correct - with each new installment in the series (at least since Daggerfall) the overall course of the games has been the same - they've removed RPG elements and added action elements. That's not to say that that's what's been done exclusively - even with Oblivion, they added some RPG elements (at least I'm assuming so - I can't think of any examples right off). But overall, the tendency has been consistent - more RPG elements are removed and more action elements are added.
But it is still, to at least some degree, an RPG. And as long as even one RPG element remains, people will continue to assert that it is one. And maybe, at least in some sense, they'll be right to do so. But that doesn't alter the underlying fact that the progression has consistently been toward action and away from RPG, and that certainly appears to be the case with Skyrim as well.
I see a turning point coming in games myself. Somewhere along the way here, probably in the not terribly distant future, some indie company is going to put out a game that will do to the RPG genre what Daggerfall did back in its time. I'm just keeping my eye out for that game.....