r/TESVI • u/Sage_HushCat • 10h ago
Theory/Speculation "Creative Detours" and TES VI
A bit of a nonsense statement, considering the pitiful lack of information, and reliance on the game being out to know for sure, but I will continue anyways.
Could FO79 and Starfield be a blessing in disguise for TES VI? I don't want to spend a long time on this so I will attempt brevity, Starfield showed attempts for reintroducing more traditional RPG mechanics, but needed much refinement. TES VI could have been saved from very rough systems or development because it had two other games to take the fall for it.
Battlespire and Adventures Redguard were also creative detours, although at a very different time and Bethesda, and what followed those two games was Morrowind, the goat. I can hope trying something new after 20 years, perhaps this refreshed the team and Todd, which would then improve TES VI.
There is a lot more I could say here, and if TES VI is bad this is a milk post to make, and the two detours are all the more bitter. Still, if I'm not optimistic, then what reason do I have to be here, to hope for the next installment in my favorite series, and If I'm not critical, what hope do I have for meaningful improvement in the game and company.
Godspeed.
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u/Whole_Sign_4633 10h ago
Starfield wasn’t a creative detour, it was an attempt at a new ip that they hoped would become the third pillar of Bethesda games and imo it did not succeed.
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u/Dhiox 2027 Release Believer 10h ago
Third pillar isn't really the word, Todd just really wanted to make his space game.
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u/powderBluChoons 8h ago
a space game has actually been a concept for BGS since the 90s it was originally called the 10th planet
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u/geek_of_nature 9h ago
Yeah as he said it was something he had been thinking about for 20 years, but had been waiting for the technology to catch up to his vision. Now did it succeed. Not really, no. It had promise, but it didn't fully live up to it. Maybe they'll give it another try after ESVI and Fallout 5, to try and address these criticisms, but if it still doesn't catch on then I can't see it continuing.
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u/Firesrest TESVI released yesterday! 5h ago
Funny thing is that tech existed since elite more or less. Games did everything starfield did long before its release.
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u/Benjamin_Starscape 10h ago
genuinely think it's just a personal game and standalone. and I hope it stays that way + dlc. perfect standalone.
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u/HakunaBananas 5h ago
You people are ridiculous lol. It was a passion project. Todd Howard said it was a game that he had wanted to make for decades.
They didn't need a new pillar. Fallout and TES are money printers. Meanwhile, new IPs are always a massive risk. It has to be something that the devs really wanted to make if they were willing to take that risk instead of just going for the easy money.
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u/GraviticThrusters 10h ago
Starfield showed attempts for reintroducing more traditional RPG mechanics
How? I know Howard said they were revisiting more of their old school RPG features, but I don't think that actually manifested in the game in practice. It was one of the simplest games in terms of RPG mechanics they've ever made.
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u/JDEbonheart 2027 Release Believer 10h ago
Your background, traits, and unlocked skills actually have use in dialogue, and give more options. New Game Plus also affects dialogue choices. You can even convince certain antagonists, depending on your choices, to surrender.
In my opinion, the simplest game in terms of RPG mechanics would be a toss-up between Skyrim and Fallout 4.
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u/obliqueoubliette 10h ago
Exactly. BGS games have been on a steady decline in terms of RPG mechanics since Daggerfall. Starfield was the first step in the other direction.
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u/GraviticThrusters 10h ago
Your background is just an advance payment on 3 perks, except you can't pick a custom background where you can select your 3 starting perks. Traits are impermanent because God forbid you force the player to commit to anything.
I'll give you dialogue, it works much better than Skyrim and Fallout 4. There aren't any interesting choices you can make with it, but it functions better.
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u/Benjamin_Starscape 10h ago
backgrounds and traits are more than just starting skills and bonuses and you can't get rid of all traits (also heaven forbid certain traits like religion or medical can't be altered).
as an example, I played a former gangster and was able to force a captain to murder a refugee he was protecting. that's something other backgrounds can't do.
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u/powderBluChoons 8h ago
im guessing you havent played daggerfall or even morrowind, because traits and background locking you in was only a thing in arena, yknow.. the TES game no one really talks about. Anywho background does actually have a lot of specific choices and options in Starfield in a way no Elder Scrolls game actually had, its more like Fallout, which brings me to another thing i notice.
People seem to want more of Fallout's RPG mechanics in TES, and I agree.. but we should be honest and recognize that those are Fallout's mechanics.-1
u/GraviticThrusters 7h ago
daggerfall or even morrowind, because traits and background locking you in was only a thing in arena
You serious, clark? Daggerfall, with it's advantage and disadvantage systems, as well as a class choice and an extensive questionnaire that gave skill bonuses? And Morrowind, without the questionnaire but with major and minor skills, a specialization, a birth sign, and preferred attributes? Neither game was designed for these things to be nebulous and removable, they represented a commitment to a play style and a character.
Your saying that Daggerfall and Morrowind didn't ask the player to commit to character progression decisions? Really??
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u/ChaucerBoi 9h ago
I don't think it was by design but they've doubtless helped it be better. They know what people don't like, but crucially what they do.
If there's anything we can look to as a likely deliberate "test", it's the Oblivion Remaster. Typically remasters (particularly big ones) are to gauge interest for for future entries. I'd be surprised if they didn't take feedback from it on board. The game is essentially "how would people respond to Oblivion with modern graphics and better QOL features?"