The choice to minimize attributes and other traditional RPG elements in Skyrim was a direct response to this concern. “To be perfectly honest, I was the one leading that charge,” Nesmith admitted.
“I had to persuade Todd Howard, who naturally has the final say, but I eventually won him over,” Nesmith continued. “I handled much of the character progression design. One of Todd’s early philosophies during Oblivion‘s development—which I fully embraced—was the desire for an ‘interface-less’ experience. The goal was for players to just be in the world.”
“It was all about removing the character system as a barrier. You shouldn’t have to bury your head in menus and stats; you should be enjoying the moment. In every Elder Scrolls project where I had influence, that was the direction I pushed for.”
While Oblivion utilized traditional stats like Strength, Agility, and Intelligence, Skyrim condensed these into three core resources: Health, Magicka, and Stamina. While skills still played a vital role, they were no longer static numbers to be micro-managed with every level-up.
Nesmith isn’t inherently opposed to complex RPGs. In fact, he has frequently praised Baldur’s Gate 3 for its faithful and intricate adaptation of tabletop rules. However, his vision for The Elder Scrolls focused on a more direct, immersive form of exploration where the mechanics felt secondary to the action.
“We eliminated attributes in Skyrim, and interestingly, almost no one complained,” he added. “Most players didn’t even feel their absence. I’m a firm believer in the ‘learn by doing’ philosophy. It has become a cornerstone of the series—you play exactly how you want, and your character naturally evolves to reflect that style.”
This approach mirrors mechanics found in modern hits like Valheim, as well as classic titles like RuneScape. Nesmith summarized the philosophy clearly: “You shouldn’t have to stress over point allocation or optimization. Just play the game and let the systems work in the background.”
This trend toward streamlining is something Todd Howard himself noted in 2023, observing that “everything is an RPG now.” From Assassin’s Creed to modern action-adventures, elements like XP and leveling have become ubiquitous across the industry, blurring the lines between traditional genres.
The setting for The Elder Scrolls 6 may have been settled as far back as the development of Fallout 4, according to Nesmith, who hinted that the choice was born from a studio-wide consensus.
Source: gamesradar.com
