You know, I don't think underwater combat is even necessary for this. Just add some manner of absolutely terrifying sea beast, just make it quite uncommon. So if you do encounter one of these things, it's genuinely terrifying... you can't fight back, all you can do is swim and pray to Talos. It would need to be uncommon enough that touching the sea wasn't a death sentence, but the thing should be there occasionally. Bonus points for making it mostly stay deep below the surface until it's in scare range, for maximum scream factor.

Like many people I also experienced dread in the seas, and was perpetually convinced that all manner of terrors were waiting inches below me at all times. Imagine my disappointment when I discover there's nothing like that! Even Oblivion had that giant slaughterfish, which if you weren't expecting it (me) was pretty dang scary at the time.

If I had a bit more experience with Papyrus right now I'd mod one in myself. Someone else should do it in my stead.

Oh, one other thing... is there any mod or anything that allows Draugr to spawn randomly/wander around in the open world at night? As it is now, they're far too un-scary down in those crypts when you're constantly waiting for them to stand up so you can cut them down again. I think adding a pack of them occasionally to the night world would at least add some variety and an unexpected encounter. These types of things are coolest unexpected.

Water in Skyrim seems to have been almost shunned as an environment in Skyrim, the land is wonderfully detailed and rich, it would have been great to find an equally(although would have probably doubled production cost/dev time!) rich underwater environment, loved how Morrowind, although weak by modern standards , as imseeingred mentioned really allowed underwater exploration for the first time.

Caves & Caverns have been really developed in Skyrim since Oblivion(there is a stunning cave called that really showcases a real understanding of how to develop a sub-environment into it's own right.

.....maybe the lack of underwater gameplay is chance for someone to work an a Skyrim underwater mod, and fill the world with creatures, quests and gameplay!

Yeah I can image the Northern sea of skyrim having a boss battle in the sea.

That would be very cool. It's make you think twice about having your character just charge across a lake... lol

"The Dovahkiin would have shown up, but Nessie got him..." lmao

You mean WereSharks. They are in TES Lore

That would be pretty awesome, they should also bring underwater combat back.

Who's scared of big things biting you under the water? I'm not. Well in Gothic 2 I kinda was becasue I wanted to explore and the beast kept killing me from the deep.

I was thinking about something similar last night, more on about oceans/ports. I love the port in solitude. Pretty big and sits nicely below the city. But theres a port in Riften too... for a really big lake? Idk I just think its funny. Like what's the point. But a sea monster on the northern rim would be fantastic. It should be around the shipwreck I found, that could be interesting. Winterhold quest maybe since it's up that way. But all throughout Skyrim, the water is just there. Aside from a few waterwheels its just nice to look at. Idk SOMETHING could have been done with the beautiful water. Like the thieves guild mission where you go to the solitude port was awesome. reminded me of an Assassin's Creed mission. I had to use my philter of waterbreathing and I would peek outside the water and snipe people. great fun.

Realistically, you cannot forcibly swing a sword underwater...
Perhaps some harpoon crossbow or special spells for underwater?
Idk, just brainstorming.

yeah, it should've had water combat too

Every game should have sea monsters, even if the game doesn't have a sea.

how are you supposed to use a weapon underwater? or even punching someone?


go swim and try it for yourself. you lose a lot of power underwater.

if seamonsters existed, they could only exist to KILL you, because underwater it is impossible to fight them.


they could have implemented creatures that live in the deep water and instantly kill you, but that's all.

how are you supposed to drink a potion that lets you breath underwater?
how can you use magic?
how can khajiits and argonians exists?
etc.
etc.

has nothing to do with that.

it's a different world, so magic and other creatures exist. no answer to my post. if you act like there are different physics, i have to say somehow their way of swimming is very close to ours. why don't they just run underwater? or... run on the water?

it's a different world, so they could've let us fight underwater...
(it happens in some other games, so I don't see it really out of this world)

Definitely. This was one thing that I was really looking forward to finding out about. I was thinking what everyone else was. Will there be a Kraken? Will there be sea serpents? Will there be Leviathons? But no there were just boring slaughterfish that you can't even kill underwater.

Well, you can - it would just move really slowly. Easy enough to code a speed reduction when the water shader is applied. Besides, this is a fantasy game where you can do fantastical things, like magic. Magical weapons can move freely through water - if that's what the devs wish.

I don't see why Beth removed underwater combat when it was in the previous games. I loved the scary giant slaughterfish lurking in a cave in Oblivion, and the dreugh in Morrowind.

You have not seen Beowulf, or played previous elder scrolls.

Well technically you'd drown underwater (if you aren't an Argonian) if you were wearing armour as well.

If you swam in armour you would drown. Why don't they implement that? Plus, past elder scrolls had underwater combat.

They should bring under-water combat back, for serious. But the attacks should be slower and spells less powerful. Perhaps, there could be special swords and spells for underwater.

I was really hoping for a water-type dragon to be in the lakes and oceans (no, not Kingdra).

Like werefishes? Or weresharks, Werewhales, werepiranha?

it also would be nice for an argonian build, a reason to have breath underwater skill

still i think seacreatures shouldn't be something to fight with. even know i am scared in skyrim, if i swim in dark water and this happens here and there. if there is something it should be huge and kill me.

cmon, man.

enough of these ridiculous 'real-life' comparisons.

the premise is faulty and fails.