» Sun Feb 22, 2015 7:20 am I usually don't come on the official forums from game companies, but as a fan of the Elder Scrolls series dating back to Morrowind, I sort of feel like I need to write this. Please bear in mind I know there are mods which can change/alter/enhance the game, but I really feel like this is more of a core issue.
Back in 2002, I started playing Morrowind on the Xbox (and later for the PC). The game blew my mind. It was open world, you could go anywhere in the game you want, you could kill anyone and face the consequences.. The game was just to me very revolutionary in a way. But what intrigued me more, was the idea that the fantasy world of Vvardenfell; was so different from your typical fantasy tropes. It was a very diverse and well-crafted landscape with so many places that are very unique. I remember flowing from Balmora on a Silt Strider to Vivec, and then taking a boat to Tel Branora and being excited how there was this surreal and different looking town/city. The game was just full of wonders.
So here is my plea: I would really love it if the next Elder Scrolls game brought in the following things:
1. Bring back Levitation. (How could this magic get removed? It was so fun to levitate to higher grounds and find secret treasures!)
2. Remove levelled world items. (Why does it seem strange that at level 1, I see iron armor everywhere; but at level 50, I see ebony and daedric armor now??)
3. Remove levelled NPC's. (If some dremora is wearing full daedric armor with a giant sword, you may rethink about messing with him.)
4. Remove fast travel and incorporate the usefulness of wagons and boats. Does anyone remember the guild guides in Morrowind? Just saying. (Depending on location..).
5. Give the player an option to shut off quest markers. (I like to navigate and find things on my own! Stop handing it out to me.)
6. Bring back Mark and Recall spells. (Who needs fast travel when you have wagons, boats, guild guides + these spells?)
7. Drop the essential count! (Essentials should still be mortal like in Morrowind, at the expense of the player's ability to complete quests.)
8. Place highly valued treasures in many parts of the world that are powerful. (Make them hard to find or get to them to counter it.)
9. Make thievery a much more enjoyable thing. (Levelled world items has a lot to do with this...)
10. Bring back the older way of disposition. (Persuasion, Intimidate, Taunt).
11. Allow the player to taunt someone into fighting. (Who cares if it can be exploited? If people are enraged by your taunts, its their problem.)
12. Don't make the guard so overpowered. (Mass Re spawn of guards swarming you at a seemingly comical manner is not a great way for them to fight you.)
13. Use Dark Messiah style fighting system. (If we get Hammerfell, this would complement the culture of the Redguards and their Swordsingers.)
14. Bring back deviations of assassin weapons. (Throwing Knives, Throwing Stars, Throwing Darts..)
15. Bring back pole arms. (Spears, Halberds, Staves with attack moves.)
16. Make the landscape of the next game diverse with plenty of refreshing changes. (Hammerfell is my case, because many fantasy games lack Persian/Indian style worlds.)
17. Bring back Medium Armor Class. (Medium armor is the perfect balance of light and protection. It also makes Heavy and Light armor stand out more.)
18. Bring back Pauldrons and greaves. (People love to wear armor in different ways, less monotony if you will.)
19. Allow armor to be asymmetric. (1 left pauldron, no right pauldron. Steel left Pauldron, Iron right Pauldron, etc.)
20. Introduce more higher number of guilds. (Fighter's guild, Mage's guild, Imperial Legion, Cult, Elsweyr Merchants, whatever comes to mind in place.)
21. Make rare armors like Daedric an actually rare armor set.
22. Create new artifacts that are not found in previous titles to freshen up the artifact world. (Maybe include some original ones too I guess.)
23. Give NPC's better recognition of your actions and reputation. (Guards throwing insults at a Jarl's Thane? Even after told that they will show respect?)
24. Bring less annoying airborne enemies in. (I was never a fan of the Cliff Racers, but at least I could kill every one of them.)
25. Make enemies that levitate or interact with their environment more. (Levitating highway bandits who swoop down to strike you could be a thrilling experience.)
26. Add books in the world that are mysterious and unreadable; but worth tons of gold. (Egg of Time, am I right? [Pictures illustrate the implications of that book of course..])
27. Redesign the menu system so it isn't so simpleton. (Allow more control over items in your inventory for sorting, etc.)
28. Use Jeremy Soule as the music guy again. (I love Jeremy Soule!)
29. Overhaul physics engine to prevent random world props spazzing out all over the place from sitting in a chair. (Where did that sweet roll go? Oh no... It went into the floor!)
30. Make Attributes govern skills again. (This made the game more Roleplaying to me.)
31. Smithing has no restrictions except how good you are at making a item. (You can try to make ebony, but it may be shoddy quality and durability compared to if you were an expert smith.)
32. Add item breaking/wear back. (Battle damage will occur and thus make repair a recurring chore, but one that rewards your Smithing skill without the need to grind on item crafting.)
33. Add hand-to-hand combat skill. (Martial arts anyone?)
34. Make Daedric Artifacts have unlimited charge. (There is a reason they are Daedric Artifacts..)
That is my list. I am sadly expecting it to be ignored or just not looked on much, but it is worth a try. What do you guys think?
Leaving you with this:
"You are walking on a road in Hammerfell. In the desert region, on your way to visit a castle there. The sandy wind is picking up and blinding you in some ways. All the sudden, you hear a sword draw from its scabbard, and there is a bandit swooping 15 feet above you, levitating towards you are a fast speed ready to kill you. You have just a moment to draw your weapon and defend yourself, or dodge his move. He misses you by a inch, and swiftly flies out for another run. You cast your levitation spell and fly above the sandy wind; to meet him in the air. You guys swing at each other, sometimes parry, sometimes levitating back. You cast a dispel on your foe, and he drops down to the ground, injured. You levitate down to him and put a scimitar right in through him, before you take his coin purse and move on to your destination."
Just think of how thrilling that experience could be?
