I hope in Skyrim we will get different weapons, meaning every weapon looks different, even If it is the same type of weapon.

For example:

If you pick up a steel sword it could have mud on it or glitches or look used etc.. But If you would pick up the same sword in another dungeon, maybe it has also all the mud on it and the used look as the other sword, but then it should have other carvings or engravings or another handle, or the material is rusted or looks slightly different. I think this could easily be achieved by different shaders etc. and it adds A LOT to the experience as every item looks different. Depending on the look of the weapon you could also draw conclusion on the weapons conditions etc.. Maybe therefore you don't neccessarily need a scale for the condition of a weapon?

ANOTHER REMARK: Maybe Bethesde should introduce towels in Skyrim, so that you can clean and polish your weapon make it look better. It would also come in handy If it would be possible to sharpen your weapon when your PC has a good forging skill, therefore there should be sharpening stones available.

Just my two cents regarding weapons...

maybe what you're asking for is a bit much, but it would be cool if Beth made noticeable changes based on weapon condition. They did so in both fallout games after all.

In regards to cleanliness, I remember seeing blood on swords and clothing every once in a while. Hopefully this is stepped up and mud/dirt is included.

While that may be fun, it'll be processor and RAM heavy. I'd rather go for better FPS with smae looking weapons than some Processor and RAM hungry game that only a rich geek would be able to play (If you think of how many weapons with random designs that would need to be kept track of, compared to one model being constantly used for them all you'll know what i mean).

I would prefer for them to just add spears

Yes, that was great. But the blood disappeared magically after a few seconds. I think on Fallout it was made good.

I think the shaders could be applied random at the time of pick up or if you are in view of the iten. I don't think you need different type of models for that. I also don't think that it is heavy on the hardware...

It would be nice if there were a few different models for each type of weapon, then varying levels of quality for each type also with its own set of models. You can either find weapons of a higher quality in the field or obtain different ores and upgrade it with said ores and some money at a black smith, or do it with just ores yourself if your skills allow

Even in FO it wasn't enough..I think mud, blood etc...should remain until you go into a lake or something, or use a restore health spell or maybe even a potion.

The future in texturing lies in making textures unique, and to do that in a way that is as fast as possible. Many newer games have included features in the their game engines, that allows them to hainpaint every single item without altering the "base texture" quickly and rather easily. No RAM of precessor heavy side effects come from this, only pure and utter awesomeness and uniqueness, not only for weapons, but for every single texture in the game. It's something really great and I hope has already been implemented

Only then can we achieve something as you described wholly.
The only other, simpler way, is to greatly improve how the weapon degadation/condition is visualized. This would neither be RAM or processor heavy.
If Bethesda combine these two features we got some pure awesomeness right there

If very common weapons like steel swords had 2 versions just for variation, well it might break the copy paste effect a bit. It's at least a start towards that.

they did this in Fallout, every item had a set of textures instead of just one, so it could be dirty or clean and whatnot

So mainly more detail on weapons and a more detailed Condition look to the weapons?

Example: I hit a training dummy with a steel sword alot than depending on my condition it can look slightly worn or even alot worn where you can see a crack in the blade..?

I like this idea - I hope they do break the "stale" feeling that morrowind and oblivion had to weapons

If we get better loot list mgmt maybe I'll have a job providing weapon mods when ESV comes around. :whistling: Seriously though there needs to be more variety and I especially would prefer more varation for enchanted/named items. I recall BGS devs actually discussing this topic as a time/resource issue in the making of OB documentary.

I think Oblivion's weapons are great how they are but if the guys at Bethesda want to change them though, I'm fine with it.

Exactly!

Never said different models, but if you did have some swords covered in blood/mud that had to be cleaned then those shaders would have to be permanently applied. Keeping trak of all those would be the drain. Say you only applied them temporary for instance, then you'd get realism people complaining the blood wasn't there when they came back a few days later (It's trite but people would do this), now the game has to keep track of all these to shut them up. Now they complain that only they have bloodied swords but the enemy doesn't, now the game has to keep track of every weapon held by an enemy to keep them happy. You get blood temporaryily on your sword while you fight, so you see it's already there, anymore would cause the above to happen.

Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul had the right idea. One could could find worn or rusty versions of weapons, as well as fine versions of them. The weapons found in a centuries old dungeon would mostly be worn or rusty.

Actually that could solve the poster's problems if you also included an option in dialogue for blacksmiths to polish weapons, turning them from rusty weapons into normal weapons then into fine weapons.

I actually prefer weapons always looking the same. Some small details maybe you should use your imagination for, such as your character once in a while cleaning off his blade.

I just hope they don't sort weapons so predictably as in Morrowind and Oblivion. Steel short sword, long sword, claymore, battleaxe etc, then ebony short sword, long sword, claymore...
They kinda had the right idea when including fine steel long sword, but no nearly enough. Maybe hybrids, like steel with ebony inserts, or impure materials, but just stop using sets for everything as it makes everything predictable and boring, not to mention the stupidity of making steel, ebony and glass bows...

I would LOVE to see more variety in weapon design. In other games it always looks as if a single blacksmith supplied the entire world with a weapon; almost as if he was working in a production facility with only one mould to work from. If Bethesda would create different models for the same type and then supply them with a variety of texture maps (cracked, rusty, clean, polished) it would add a ton to diversity!

Check out this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4d7M9lwCDZw. It would be awesome if the Sons of Skyrim would walk around with a more diverse variety of weapons like those.

Such add very little to the game compared to system/ressource consume it would take, it s too much uniqueness,but it would be nice if an open way is let to modders. like a pool of shadders/gif/whatever where the program ramdomly choose when you drawn the weapon fist time.

But for the same amount of work i d rather see cursed/inteligent weapons that ask for money or quest so they free you, this would be refreshing.

That's what I'm talking about. This mod is nice, didn't know it...
The weapons look really nice, well made textures!

In vanilla? No they didn't.