Every RPG developer in the last 10 years has been trying to broaden the audience for RPGs while still pleasing the hardcoe fans. Skill-based combat has replaced turn-based and stat-driven combat. Leveling and character creation has been simplified. We all know this stuff.

I thought Oblivion was too simpified, as did many hardcoe RPG fans. Skyrim though... Skyrim I am getting into. And I don't just mean exploring the world and stuff, I would like that either way. What I mean is that Skyrim, despite being streamlined and made more accessible, still feels deep to me. I can really create the character I want to from a bunch of options and arguably you end up with a more roleplaying NPC than ever before in TES, due to limited perks. Every time I level-up I feel an agonizing choice put upon me for which perk I want to pick, and while I play I feel like I have to focus on the right skills so when I do level I can get the perks I want.

It's a marvelous combination of streamlining HOW you are doing something while keeping WHAT you are doing deep and complex. Anyone agree?

But no spellmaking!!1!!!101!!11!



I agree, Skyrim has much more depth than oblivion and even though it clearly has 'less' skills than any other TES, it's more than ever. Daggerfalls skills were like 1 perk in Skyrim and each skill is worth 1-3 of oblivions skills due to specialization within the skills.

I completely agree. While the stats/skills have been simplified, there seems to be MORE options to make my character unique with perks. And the depth of detail in the world is incredible.