If these games had that degree of differentiation between characters then you might have a point, but they don't. In Oblivion my only option at character creation was appearance and race. And everytime I played a Breton, my attributes were exactly the same each time. It wasn't until I chose my class and birthsign that there was any differences if I wanted to play a Breton Spellsword with the Warrior birthsign or a Breton Mage with (insert appropriate birthsign here). And we already know that won't change in Skyrim other than the lack of classes and birthsigns. The only real differences were with the races themselves, and those differences were more clearly defined by their Powers and innate abilities than through their attributes.
For first thats in Oblivion and Oblivion has worst character generation out of all TES games, great luck there is mods what fix this simplified chargen,
for second you are not born as spellsword its class its profession profession need training, Battlemages and spellsword even have special training facilities like Battlespire, so there is two ways make it good allow at chargen take background with class or aalow later in game join to appropriate organizations and receive special training bot are valid, unlike in previous games classes can really be enhanced by skill perks in Skyrim, taking class allow for example redistributed more free points at the beginning of game in certain skills or specialization path, as well there can be special perks what hard to receive later in game but they can be available at beginning if you take class way.
But also TES games really lack of checks badly, and Oblivion is most horrible example of such lack, checks in dialogues with larger number of choses, check for events like try to bash door or deduct work of mechanism, guild and quest requirements, saving throw almost not used thats all make RPG mechanic dull and flawed.
But many of such checks was added by mods because easy to manage attributes was here even if devs not use them properly by self.
Strange bel....I did not look at my Attributes section excessively...all that mattered to me was my inventory, and spells.
I knew what my character could do from seeing the racial descriptions, the only time I nursed my attributes menu was when I was infected by a disease or had a mod that made my attributes Matter.
Well sometimes disease can be explained literally no only by numbers in stat screen, well explained diagnose is better then few red numbers, but also invisible to player effect powers of diseases can be really good for roleplay fro example like in Daggerfall where diseases was much more fearsome then just few reds in stat from Oblivion, about stat improving mods you right having even flawed but editable and easy manageable system is better then not having such system at all or having difficulty changeable and hardcoded.
How so Dragonborn....with a straight face say how they were restrictive....when its likely you barely paid them any attention? in Oblivion you where no barred from anything for having low attributes...so I'd love to see your -thought out- explanation.
Restriction define role as scenario in theatre so I agree with you
And what difference is that going to make? In Oblivion I never got any sort of recognition for being a Spellsword, it was just a style of play that had no other ramification other than the way I engaged an enemy. That won't change at all, except for the fact that I won't be able to max out my abilities any more, but will be limited by the perk choices I make during a game. That's a good thing as far as I'm concerned. In my last play through, I was only level 14 but I was already getting close to maxing out a number of my attributes. How does that make for good character development?
Exactly thats problem of implementation is thats was hard add some checks into game, but not better make absurd decision and allow barabarian thats not cast spells be Archmage of Mage Guild, being spellsword mean thats you acquire special training in certain facility or study hard arcane and warrior paths by self from books and constant training, skill perks really will help to decide class, fast advance to all attributes maxed is also problem of flawed implementation.
A D&D or Fallout clone in other words. Why not try a different approach instead?
Thats are not right there is no clones its just way improve attributes system of TES
I just don't see how having more Intelligence makes my spells any more powerful than yours. Either I know it or I don't.
For example by increasing magnitude of spell at certain percent, increasing chance of successful cast decrease magicka usage.
But I don't need a number to determine those things, either I can bash down the door or I can't. There's certainly no stat on the door telling me how much of a Strength value I need in order to bash it down.
Ok if such feature will be added to game by devs, but if not?
Modders need easy manageable and understandable by player mechanic, but there can be out even out this situation if there will enough fundamental details to determine model features.