One issue that I hadn't been able to place my finger on for awhile now has been crime in Skyrim; there are plenty of options, basically the same amount of options (if not more) that there have always been for committing a crime. The separate bounty for each hold was a very clever and much needed addition that generally works well. But something always seemed off.

And what's off is that the fees for crimes are terribly low. In Skyrim (or even in Oblivion, haven't played Morrowind in awhile so can't attest for that) I'm never in threat of going to jail, it's simply too easy to tens of thousands of gold now, while the fees remain as they have been. It's perfectly plausible for me to start slaughtering people, yield to the guards, and then pay the meager fifteen thousand or however much gold bounty I've racked up, as I can make that money back quite easily by going and exploring caves and selling all that's in there.

Without any real gold sinks, and ridiculously low fees for crimes, there's simply no reason for me to choose an option that isn't paying my fine.

yes, or you could argue that it is to easy to make money and therefore it becomes easy to pay your fine.

I'd say we need a bigger punishment first. There's no penalty for going to jail (that is worth mentioning).

As for the fees being low, indeed they are.

So currently, you can either pay a ridiculously small amount of money from a murder, or sit in a jail that has no consequenses. And some say crime doesn't pay..

what I dont like is that the only other thieves are in Riften... this might change after returning thieves guild to glory I dont know, and yea the punishments aren't great but the morrowind style punishment was abusable so maybe higher fines and if you lost equipment for going to jail... not just stolen goods

The crime system has made me terrified of accidentally killing a chicken.

But I agree with Warlycan - they should seize your weapons. You'd think twice if they were going to strip you of your mace of Molag Bal.

I picked the Perk that lets you Bribe a Gaurd so that they ignore your crimes. Well, something happened somewhere and a guard tried to arrest me. I offered the bribe, it was 463 Gold. The guard took it. I then went and looked at my Bounty, it was 1 Gold.

So, the guards already seem to be on board with making crime expensive, now we just need the game to do the same thing. However, some balance needs to be in place so that people are almost given no choice but go to jail because the fines are so high.

Only in Skyrim. Mass murder? Pay your fine.

Strike a chicken? YOU. WILL. DIE.

Not really I would just reload before they put me in jail. Save/Load bypasses most challenge in the game. Can't say I am really against it however because there is a lot of annoying stuff I use Save/Load for.

I think the fines should be: 7X the amount of gold/value you stole; 10K for murder of normal NPC, 15K for guard, 25K for noble, 100k for jarl; 1K for assault (again scaled up for who is assaulted); 100 septims for trespassing. That would make crime hurt the pocket book. Your gold taken to pay the fine once arrested (only gold/goods hidden in special places or in another region safe from seizure). Your nonstolen goods taken to help pay the fine; to include your house if necessary. Have to include an option to send for money (sell house) to pay for fines if money is in another region. Further punishment should be loss of thaneship (right to buy property and loss of property) if you reach x amount bounty in a region. It is lost until you do something for the jarl.

If you can't pay the fine, you pay in blood or time. Permanent loss of hit points or skill points. Murder would require blood; which could mean death. Ten hitpoints per 1000 septims. Skill points loss at about 10 points per week in jail. One day in jail for every 10 septims of fine to be payed. Prisoner has one week to escape before execution or punishment. To regain hitpoints have to level up or pay for expensive healing. Regain skill points normally or by paying for expensive healing.

I think other than the fines thats a bit too damaging for playability but maybe not and thaneship should only count up too a certain crime level