The lackluster Combat. (the most criticized thing of Skyrim)

-player based dodging (double tap to direction, uses stamina)
-actual moves/combos (I.E: two forward power attacks with hammer for a 3rd devstating aoe stun ground slam)
-kick function
-jump attacks (seriously why can't we jump and attack in Skyrim)
-completely revamped melee DW. The current system seems tacked on and very clunky.

• Able to move while using DW power attack.
  
• Independant DW attacks, not linked. (like DW spell casting
  
• Able to parry and/or kick while using DW.

-Locational Damage (again,...how the heck was this not in?)
-Give AI the ability to do everything I just listed.


I was really surprised these simple and common place things are still not in TES combat mechanics...it just truly boggles the mind.

that whole idea of "an open character development with progression" is a tad bit too undefined, for me.

leveling is a way of defining. i'm not saying, however, that advancement can't occur. but, i need quick, to the point, examples. no paragraphs.

1. I would like to see actual damage to opponents. Like when I swing my swords, I want it to cut their flesh, and the stronger I got, the deeper the wound until I can amputate it. Then the opponent would limp or whatever according to the injury i caused. The same would happen to me. And of course recovery magic or potions would magically heal the wounds. This would also make armor more realistic, having to break through the armor to get to the flesh.

2. Another cool improvement would be as you level up your one handed skill, your sword swings become more fancy and technical. At low levels, you look like an amateur swinging a sword in a clumsy manor. But as you level up, your sword swings become more professional, leading to more kill animations and more combo type attacks against groups of opponents.

I would like the magic system from Master of Magic put in. Where spells are common, uncommon, rare, ultra-rare and the more dedicated a mage is in that school the more spells in the school can be cast. Example mages who put 100% into Destruction can cast Destruction spells unlearnable to a mage who is 50% destruction and 50% illusion. This would allow to come across mages that are very different from the player... even some have a distinct advantage or disadvantage based on the school... and also allows for specialized class base mages.

I understand my idea wouldn't be popular since so many TES players love spell making and take from any and all schools.

Well for one thing the A.I. wouldnt be doing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CbxMDRcjoY&feature=channel_video_titleIf

MINI GAMES. mini games for cooking, mini games for blacksmithing, mini games for enchanting, and just more mini games like lockpicking. and GAMBLING.

yes, mini games are perfect for non-important skills and should be added.

important skills need trees and more development.

ie. lockpick= no mini. cooking= mini.

edit- or any kind of creative combo

Everquest Alternate Advancement system (AA)

Instead of "levels" you accrue AA points (akin to Perk points). The AA system is a hierarchy based progression system, meaning you have to invest X amount of points in Y tree, before you can move on to the next trees. The further you go, the more specialized the AA skills/abilities/modifiers are. For example, there would be a General Tree. In the case of Skyrim, all players would have to invest a certain amount of AA points in this Tree before they can move on to the next. The next tree might be Thief, Warrior, Mage with General AA abilities that help anyone playing any of these roles. Once a certain number of points are spent there, you might boil down into "Types" of Thieves for trees. Assassin, Ranger, Dirge, etc. You can take it even FURTHER and create another level, one that defines specific Skills or Abilities and modifies how these work.

The idea of the "Open System" is that there essentially is no cap to this. Characters seeking to make Hybrids would then invest in both and they might never reach the "final" AA tree but rather have points in 2 or even 3 of the second to last AA trees.

What this does is help give you specialization as you are really drilling down "what" and "who" your character is. Levels are not a factor in this equation and instead "attributes" are fixed. This gives way to Race possibly playing a larger role (as they could have varying attributes). I say possibly, because I am not entirely sold on this traditional RPG concept as it applies to TES.

Skyrim likes to put you in dungeons and dark and dreary caves a lot, which have a relatively same-y vibe amongst themselves. After a while, I have become indifferent to the dark and dreary atmosphere that Beth has created. I find myself reveling in my outdoor adventures, and dreading having to go anywhere that would require a loading screen.... It seems that the solution to too many quests is to go into Dark Cave "A" do task "B" and then claim reward "C." Which is alright sometimes. But if you go to Disney world everyday you start to realize that dropping down splash mountain is a hell of a lot like any other drop any other ride can provide for you.

That being said, I like the idea of the suggested innovations regarding exploration.

Seafaring? sicknasty. Other means of exploring new environments would bring an interesting dynamic to the game.

Islands, volcanos, tropical rain forests, and all the like. I'd like to be able to do more things outside the confines of a dungeon.

The biggest innovation would be incorporating stealth and interaction similar to Metal Gear Solid series. This includes adding locational damage, sleeping poisons, and coordinating sweeping if you're hiding from them.

By innovation I assume you mean something new, not just re-treading of old ground?

So hard to come up with new ideas, even moreso for the gaming public to acclimate to them. People aren't very receptive to change, though these things are inevitable.

Some entirely new concepts I would enjoy seeing are :

I'd like to see the trainer dynamic improved upon by being less about money and more about actual training. I'd like to see skills learned outside of trainers be less about spamming and more about benchmarks or time using them. Which brings me to the next one...

Benchmarks would require localized damage, not necessarily headshots but vital points and such. I'd like to see players and mobiles lose limbs, fingers, an eye, etc... Imagine first person with only one eye.

I'd like to see an implementation of an environment that more accurately responds to the player. Casting a fire spell in a grassy field should cause a wildfire that spreads, or if a tree or house gets nailed by collateral fire damage they should burn as well. Basically a more literal representation or the names of spells. Ice actually freezing things and making them brittle... metal holding an electric charge from shock spells or melting from fire, etc.

I'd like to see the player's character have an inner monologue, easiest way to do this would be through text I'd imagine because people aren't going to enjoy hearing voices. I personally would provided there were enough ways to alter the voice, or choices to pick. Could either be a subtitle on the bottom of the screen, journal entry or actual comment. i.e :

"Stupid kids, always trying to play tag." - "This mead tastes like garbage." - "Some may call these junk, me?"

This would require an extra step at character creation, a background dynamic. One that I think is sorely missed in the modern generation of games, and one that was actually required for many text-based games. There were some games you couldn't even create a character in without submitting a background on them, and what you wanted for them. It's not that it would be a decisive biography, but certain hallmarks would be nice. Where one grew up, how the family is doing, age, other items that could more cohesively tie the player's character into the world. Not that this should be required, but more of an addon with no other benefits than conversation topics and such.

Well at the risk of running a little long, thats enough for now. I don't want to see old features implemented with minor tweaks, I've seen those before, I want something new and its about damned time RPG's did something new.

Mounts for followers, nuff said.

What about followers for mounts?

And who's nuff?

His name is nuff... http://goo.gl/AlklQthat is

Oh snap!

My face, it is burned.

LOL. That's a funny video.

I think one can sum it up like this: Bethesda are falling short in many areas and are harvesting the fruits of Morrowind, still.

Here are two videos on how to do a combat system:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtEI9aWBTZI (part 1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUlk7XCaqv4 (part 2)

Right now, the only effect of leveling is that I get to raise magicka, health or stamina by a set amount and I get to pick a perk, and behind it all is a rather obsolete mechanic of having an automatic level-progression whenever I raise enough skills. So basically I can grind a bunch of levels by enchanting equipment, which is a bit backwards to me. The skills already progress on their own, through use, without any influence from leveling. So I would instead make magicka, health and stamina develop naturally through the skills, better skills means less drain on the attributes. I would put perks as special abilities achieved through training (some can be taught by generic trainers, others only through advancement in factions) or by completing special tasks or finding certain artefacts (an ancient book of long forgotten arts unlocking a new perk in the conjuration tree).

I don't think the game really needs levels to function, it already has a progression system which is unique to TES and more interesting than the level-system that all other games use.

trainer mini game?

more dialogue and speech means more character decisions: racism, preferences, prejudices, i want choices to mean more. not a bs biatch.

yes, the game is the most simplest i've ever seen in my life.

Like how Obvlivion handeled it? Horrible idea


I don't know what game you've been playing, but I often run into 4+ enemies at a time.


Also a lot of the things you listed are just "make this better" but you really don't explain how they can be made better. Please only suggest innovations.

Must it all be about combat? I'd like to see some challenges that take imaginative usage of the world. From small things like stacking boxes to climb up over a wall to using fallen tree trucks or boards to make a bridge over a ravine. A door is blocked by rubble? Can you put rocks in a stream to direct it to wash the obstacle away? Bandits in a cabin? Can you put a basket over the chimney to make them run out? In a cave with a stream and an opening you need to reach up on the wall? Block the stream outlet with rocks and climb on that wooden table in the corner.

I totally agree.

Add an injury system kinda like fallout 3's instead swords and daggers would cause cuts where the player would lose health over time if not healed, maces and hammers would break bones and decrease stamina and axes would do a little bit of both.

This is what they say they have done with each Elder Scrolls, but they still follow some of the same basic principles.

What do I reallistically think will be in the next game?

Given the timing of the next generation of consoles, which I'm sure they are paying close attention to, and the rate at which BSG has produced games it could be at least 5-6 years before we TES:VI title.

I feel that Betheseda will stay in their style of RPG like they've done with Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim which to me means it will take a lot of work to greatly improve the combat/magic system. If they could focus resources in a single aspect of the game it would be to put everything at their disposal into a more realistc combat system that works from a first-person perspective. I think that is their biggest challenge and is what willreally set TES apart.

Personally, I've always been a fan of JRPG-style strict classes types. Adding more skills and rewards for specializing in a class/type would provide incentive to focus your time and develop a class.

Crafting was obviously a wiff.

+More armor/weapons options! I don't care, just add more to look at!!

There needs to be more spells. A LOT more.