How should the next Elder Scrolls Game be handled?

[Misterian]

Okay, with Skyrim, you get to play as a Dragonborn for, perhaps, the first time ever in an Elder Scrolls game (though I remember hearing somewhere that they protagonist of Morrowind was labeled as a Dragonborn despite not being able to use Dragon Shouts.) You got The Dragonborn's main story consisting of saving the world from Alduin and fighting other dragons. Plus it is hinted that Skyrim's Dragonborn is the last Dragonborn.

But should Bethesda really go that route?

If you might be doing a sequel to the Elder Scrolls franchise, I think it might be a step backwards to remove Dragon Shouts and/or fighting Dragons, which were 2 of the best parts of Skyrim.

But I think I know a way around it.

Previous Dragonborns like Reman Cyrodiil and Tiber Septim became Emperors of Tamriel, right? Bethesda could make a Skyrim DLC that give a questline that allows you to become Emperor of Tamriel's Fourth Empire with Skyrim as the capital province (so they won't have to open up other provinces).

From that point on, you could have the Skyrim Dragonborn's descendents be the next Elder Scrolls protagonists, make it so the rest of the royal family is busy competently running the empire while you ( as in, the next Dragonborn protagonist) end up having to partake in the next world-saving quest common in Elder Scrolls games. Plus you can delibrately keep the canon Skyrim Dovahkiin's race strictly ambiguous (possibly with end most of the citizens in the sequel not even knowing for certain) to keep open the option of picking the race you want (I can only imagine the Fourth Empire having a royal family consisting of Khajiit).

But what do you think? How should Bethesda deal with making the next Elder Scrolls game?

 

[Ruedyn]

I think having another Dragonborn wouldn't make sense, unless you kill your father or other dragons you won't be able to shout, making the title useless.

I think it should just be; You're a mercenary, take odd jobs at guilds or from civilians themselves.

The main story can involve something politic-y, so long as your character remains in the shadows of the whole thing so guards don't have to mention you're the hero of the land. Plus then people being utter dicks towards you makes sense as they think you're nobody, instead of the Archmage-Fighter-King-Master-Thief-Grand-Lord-of-Everything.

 

[Misterian]

I think having another Dragonborn wouldn't make sense, unless you kill your father or other dragons you won't be able to shout, making the title useless.

I think it should just be; You're a mercenary, take odd jobs at guilds or from civilians themselves.

The main story can involve something politic-y, so long as your character remains in the shadows of the whole thing so guards don't have to mention you're the hero of the land. Plus then people being utter dicks towards you makes sense as they think you're nobody, instead of the Archmage-Fighter-King-Master-Thief-Grand-Lord-of-Everything.

I was actually thinking to keep the Dragons around so the next Dragonborn protagonist can use Shouts. (sorry I forgot to add that).

Consider, we got more than 3 Dragonborns (especially if you count the Septim Bloodline after Tiber Septim) during 3 eras, plus the Blades spending a good chuck of their time hunting down dragons. yet it's been made clear that even before Alduin returned to revive the already dead dragons that there have still been Dragons that were still alive, heck, Tosh Raka, leader of the Akaviri race known as Ka Po' Tun revealed it is possible to become a dragon, so it might make sense if dragons are still around in the sequel.

 

[Helmholtz Watson]

Make it the land of the High Elves with the ability to visit the land of the Tsaesci, Kamal, Tang Mo, and Ka Po' Tun.

EDIT: Improved combat, emotional AI, better magic, and a well written story.

 

[Applejack]

Complicate it back up. Skyrim was dumbed down too much.

I want to create spells.
I want races to have meaning beyond a palette swap.
I want a more interesting level mechanic than vanilla levels/ perk.

As for dragons, they were so poorly implemented that it doesn't matter to me if I never see them again. Sorry, but 100 generic dragon battles is not my idea of fun. If an Ancient dragon is essentially identical in all respects but HP as a Blood Dragon - that is just lazy programming. The mark was sure missed there.

As a storyline, there's enough Daedric lore for the writers to muddle there way into some kind of "lone hero saves the world" story.

I agree with all of this. I don't think Bethesda is capable anymore. I like the worlds they create and their artistic ability inspires wonder but sadly that cannot be said for their game mechanics. Everything from their script to the combat is very stale and dated. The writing isn't there anymore either and the sand box appeal only lasts for so long. They really need new talent and ideas. I think something must be very wrong with a company when each game they create is worse than the previous title.

 

[KoudelkaMorgan]

Honestly I'm over the series, and Bethesda in its entirety. If I had a list of things I'd want in another game it would have to operate on the delusion that they will ever NOT deliver a cluster fuck on the PS3/whatever non-M$ based console of the future and without the same bugs that have plagued EVERY one of their games thus far.

But lest assume for a moment that they do deliver on the technical side of things for the first time. This is what I would want:

Quests for the Aedra. I'm sick of all the cool crap being reserved for committing vile acts for asshole daedra even when I'm the heroine of the land or just not playing an evil asshat on that toon.

I liked knights of the nine, but I'd rather have a quest line for each aedra, or limit me to just one to worship if they want to be petty. Or lock me out of doing both aedra and daedra quests on the same toon. Or don't I don't care.

It would be refreshing to actually hear from some of the so called gods of Tamariel especially when the daedra tend to just pawn off their artifacts on the first person to wander up and amuse them.

I imagine that all the people ALREADY worshipping them must get pissed off when some stranger walks up and recieves the favor of their daedra just for running a damn errand.

Most of the aedra are pretty well estabolished, but I don't know much about Zenithar or Julianos. The quests for Mara and Dibella in skyrim were great, I just which that they had the equivalent for the others. Like Julianos would give a 15% magic damage blessing, and so on.


I think I would like the game to be primarily 3rd person oriented, so they could just lift the combat system directly from Dark Souls. Also this would allow for things that are rather clunky in 1st person like climbing, dodging, and jumping. You also wouldn't get that weird disconnect every time you mount a horse, transform, or craft something because you haven't seen yourself in a while.

 

[L0dest0ne]

I want a half-decent story.
I want non-dumbed down skills.
And you you fix some rather funny AI issues (going to bed in normal clothes, not really caring when loved ones are dead on the floor)?
It's not much. Just common sense.
Damn casuals ruining the series...

Pic: If I ever meet Todd Howard

 

[Baralak]

Complicate it back up. Skyrim was dumbed down too much.

I want to create spells.
I want races to have meaning beyond a palette swap.
I want a more interesting level mechanic than vanilla levels/ perk.

As for dragons, they were so poorly implemented that it doesn't matter to me if I never see them again. Sorry, but 100 generic dragon battles is not my idea of fun. If an Ancient dragon is essentially identical in all respects but HP as a Blood Dragon - that is just lazy programming. The mark was sure missed there.

As a storyline, there's enough Daedric lore for the writers to muddle there way into some kind of "lone hero saves the world" story.

I agree with all of this. I don't think Bethesda is capable anymore. I like the worlds they create and their artistic ability inspires wonder but sadly that cannot be said for their game mechanics. Everything from their script to the combat is very stale and dated. The writing isn't there anymore either and the sand box appeal only lasts for so long. They really need new talent and ideas. I think something must be very wrong with a company when each game they create is worse than the previous title.

Skyrim was the first game to really suck me in, and I've sunk 220 hours into it. Trying to get into Morrowind atm, since Overhaul 3.0 came out, but the combat just isn't as fun. It's okay, though. I know about the dice rolls, and that's nothing new to me. The one thing I REALLY hope stays gone though are classes. Letting me be freeform with how I developed my character is easily the best thing added to the Elder Scrolls series. I also hope we keep the kill camera and other small things like that. I also adored the randomly generated quests and how scaling was handled in Skyrim. From what I've played, I'd rate the most recent 3 games as Skyrim> Morrowind> Oblivion.

I'm trying to get into Daggerfall, but those dungeons are just insane... I would love to have a much larger area to explore, and some slightly more complex dungeons than Skyrim had, though. Double the size of Skyrim, and dungeons with just a hint more puzzles and the like, and I'll be happy.


In regards to the OP about dragons: AFAIK, when you killed Alduin, that's it, the dragons stayed dead, and all the other live ones died, since dragons (and Alduin himself) were supposed to be harbingers of the end. Dovahkiin literally stopped the apocalypse.

IF at ALL possible, I'd like the chance to fill in some of the next character's background before I start, though. Maybe play through a world, and have things change because I decided between the Imperials or Stormcloaks. Or maybe things change yet more because I decided the war is still going on, Dovahkiin was too busy saving the world to care about a civil war.

I wouldn't mind a few smaller fluff options for character background, as long as things don't get too overboard with them. But say, since every character in TES is a prisoner (save Daggerfall, where you're the Emperor's friend), why not let me choose WHY I'm a prisoner, and have that affect where I start (with my own independent story that'll all group up together later, like say, Guild Wars 2)

In fact, since everyone loves companions on TES, make them a focus! You have the branching story, but all the events from all possible paths are all happening (and maybe even leave you behind to catch up if you don't keep up, to keep the world feeling alive. Daggerfall did it.) and character creation is you deciding which of this group you'll be (since once the stories all line up, they have to team up to beat the big baddy) and how you rose to lead this group.

 

[Dead Seerius]

I don't think taking out shouts and dragon-fighting would necessarily be a step backward, just as long as Bethesda adds new things in their places (and as a sequel, it damn well better!)

Instead of shouts, how about tap-dances that bend the earth to your will?
A little clickety-clack of the boots and a pillar of stone shoots from the ground, launching your enemy into the sky.

Imagine how great that would look in 3rd-person!

And I suppose the world can always wish for less bugs...

 

[shrimpcel]

The next Elder Scrolls game will be the Elder Scrolls MMO.
I would handle it by cancelling it.

 

[Baralak]

In fact, since everyone loves companions on TES, make them a focus!

Fuck no!
I didn't use companions at all.

And what I've mostly heard is complaints about them lingering in doorways and mostly being in the way. Most people seem to use them as walking inventory space.

The only companion I've ever enjoyed in any Bethesda game is the the floating robot in Fallout: New Vegas - and that's because he couldn't talk and played a jingle when battles started. Gave battles an almost old school RPG feel.

But my supposed Skyrim companions were basically anti-theft devices I placed in my homes. They got my hand-me-down armour and weapons. That's it.

If you want to play a game with better companions, then Dragon's Dogma is the game for you.
They should take companions OUT of TES, period.

I never use them, period. It was just an idea I had off the top of my head. The idea of being a legendary leader in an Elder Scrolls game would be good, though. Just as long as the option to actually adventure solo is still there.

 

[distortedreality]

Hopefully it won't be an MMO.

*gets caught up on semi-recent news*

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-

Ahem.

 

[Xdeser2]

Meh, I liked Skyrim, just I could never hold my interest past, say, 100 hours or so, because then it just became a chore(but then agian, after a HUNDRED hours, its hard to list that as a fault...). The fetch quests became REALLY annoying, the enemy balance was just fucking gone (IE one shoting dragon) and I lost all context for my actions.

If they just added more meaningful events in the Civil war questline, more loot and didn't take away any of the stats/take away so many spells from oblivion, I think it really could have been the best TES game to date. Shame, Really. Some didnt like the setting, But I found it amazing, and the TES lore is still some of the best in gaming :/

But hey, thats the curse of ES I guess, the first one you play is your favorite. Hopefully 6 or Fallout 4 will be a better.

 

[Xan Krieger]

However they do it I just want to fight the Thalmor, those high elves only won the war because I wasn't there. Yes I am racist against elves.

 

[jamesbrown]

Okay, with Skyrim, you get to play as a Dragonborn for, perhaps, the first time ever in an Elder Scrolls game (though I remember hearing somewhere that they protagonist of Morrowind was labeled as a Dragonborn despite not being able to use Dragon Shouts.) You got The Dragonborn's main story consisting of saving the world from Alduin and fighting other dragons. Plus it is hinted that Skyrim's Dragonborn is the last Dragonborn.

But should Bethesda really go that route?

If you might be doing a sequel to the Elder Scrolls franchise, I think it might be a step backwards to remove Dragon Shouts and/or fighting Dragons, which were 2 of the best parts of Skyrim.

But I think I know a way around it.

Previous Dragonborns like Reman Cyrodiil and Tiber Septim became Emperors of Tamriel, right? Bethesda could make a Skyrim DLC that give a questline that allows you to become Emperor of Tamriel's Fourth Empire with Skyrim as the capital province (so they won't have to open up other provinces).

From that point on, you could have the Skyrim Dragonborn's descendents be the next Elder Scrolls protagonists, make it so the rest of the royal family is busy competently running the empire while you ( as in, the next Dragonborn protagonist) end up having to partake in the next world-saving quest common in Elder Scrolls games. Plus you can delibrately keep the canon Skyrim Dovahkiin's race strictly ambiguous (possibly with end most of the citizens in the sequel not even knowing for certain) to keep open the option of picking the race you want (I can only imagine the Fourth Empire having a royal family consisting of Khajiit).

But what do you think? How should Bethesda deal with making the next Elder Scrolls game?

it should have to do with something meaningful to the world, I mean in the games it seems like your just fixing history or whatever problem is happening, the world should advance somehow; and the character is a major component to it; they've already tread those roads. Make something new and different for A SEQUEL; like you are the person who has been chosen to advance the world by the gods, you're an unknown, but alter things from behind the scenes, and over the course of the game the world would change as you do and alter more and more things.
THAT would be interesting, not some loophole that only fans whom have been playing since the early games would get

As an end-note: Saving the world is meaningless if it doesn't do anything; you want the world to advance; I mean they have been in the middle ages for 4.4 thousand years; that is literally the time from the bronze age to today; the games themselves span over 1000 years; and what has changed, only the political situation, not even in a meaningful way; just kings taking power and clans fighting; I don't want more of the same, if I do I will just replay Skyrim with enhancement mods, and not waste 60$

 

[SlaveNumber23]

They don't need to bring back dragon shouts again, that would be boring and why can't a non-dragonborn go around killing dragons? I think they should just replace dragon shouts with a deeper skill and ability system and the ability to design your own spells in the same sort of style as Enchanting.

I don't think enchanting, smithing and spellmaking should be skills that you can level up though, as in Skyrim enchanting and smithing were kind of broken, instead just have what level gear/spells you can make scale up with your player level.

It would be nice if the protagonist starts in a better off position though, they seem to love having you start out as a prisoner. I think it would be cool to have the start of the game with the protagonist as a noble on a boat and you get shipwrecked on an island. Still gives the whole humble beginnings thing without playing the prisoner card again and could be a nice tutorial area.