I can't seem to figure this one out, and nobody I've seen has explained it well enough for me to understand. It seems to be focused on Melee combat.

Based on my experience, here are my options.

Magic - Plenty of options. I don't see anything wrong here.
Archery - Allows you to be stealthy and strategic. With perks, using the bow and arrows all the time is viable.

Melee:
- Can be played offensively or defensively.
- Gives you the ability to interrupt your opponents.
- Allows you to break through their block.
- With perks, your options grow even greater.

Now I've looked at *and* played previous Elder Scrolls games, and I must say that the combat system was much worse in those titles.

If you were to play games such as God of War or Bayonetta, of course the combat system is going to be better in comparison. Those games were designed around the combat system, offering much less content than Skyrim has to offer.

Don't get me wrong, the combat system could be better, but what is so wrong with it now? Please be specific.

Combat has never had any complex mechanics through all TES games, primarily because it has never been a focus for the series. Skyrim most definitely improves upon predecessors, but it's still not an aspect of the game to be praised compared to the likes of more combat focused RPGs like say, Dark Souls.

The added features in Skyrim like duel wielding offered various ways to perform in combat, but the combat was still like a TES game. You would just keep mashing a button to hit someone, block, then continued mashing away again until they died. The various schools of magic have always offered different ways to play, but arguably, Skyrim probably has the most disappointing magic of any TES game for how lacking it is compared to how much depth it had in previous titles. Archery, well, archery has never really been that complex in a lot of games. You just kite the enemy until they're dead. For the most part, combat in TES has never required a lot of strategy. Which doesn't mean its bad, just nothing to write home about.

Granted, Skyrim isnt a combat-based game, but considering 95% of the tasks you'll need to complete will involve violence in some way,shape or form they could have dressed it up a bit.

Thing is I only started really noticing it when Legendary came out, and I decided to go 2 hand - when you're whittling down a dmg sponge you really have time to notice things, like how you're only swinging left, right and overhead chopping, something you wouldnt notice / pay attention to if you're opponents drop in 2-3 swings.

It doesnt even need a total revamp, just maybe a dodge and a 2ndary *stationary* power attack would do.

Well, I don't really agree with your basic premise here. Magic in Skyrim has woefully too few options IMHO.

As for combat, I think it is fine as is. I don't want to see TES move to a dark souls model, and having played God of War and Street Fighter, I found all the weird button pressing combinations to be annoying as hell and hope Beth never goes down that path.

Having said all that, I don't play TES for the challenging combat but for the roleplaying. So I imagine others who are more into the action aspects and less into the roleplaying might have a different opinion.

They should at least bring back the stamina importance. Stamina goes down - you block poorly and swing weapon slower/do less damage.

Agreed. Stamina should count for more than just power attacks.

What would make the combat system better is simply more options for completing quests other than fighting through them, no?

I have absolutely no issue with the current set up - other than the lack of options for magic - as, like others here, I play for the role playing side of things. Would just sometimes like a few more alternative routes, more use of speechcraft etc.