WhileThe Elder Scrolls 6is several years away, the rumors of anOblivionremake and the upcomingSkybliviontotal conversation mod had me thinking about some of my favorite aspects of the fourthElder Scrollstitle. Despite being 19 years old,Oblivionis still a massively fun game with many strengths that futureElder Scrollsgames can learn from and, in some cases, bring back. In fact, there are two key features ofOblivionthat were absent fromSkyrim, and I believe they need to make a return.
While whereThe Elder Scrolls 6is setwill influence what the newest installment in the franchise looks and feels like,long-time fans of the series will be expecting certain aspects to return fromSkyrimandOblivion. These will include obvious things like followers, player homes, and a sandbox approach to character builds, but hopefully some areas that were skipped whenSkyrimreleased. And as I was thinking about what parts ofOblivionI’d like to see return inThe Elder Scrolls 6, two brilliant mechanics came to mind.
Some Of Oblivion’s Mechanics Were Stronger
Oblivion’s Fame & Infamy Were Great Ways To See You Place In Cyrodiil
Although visually dated by modern standards,Oblivionis a fantastic game that still stands up in other areas, and I still love to play this wonderful game. Along with great quests and some brilliantlyweirdElder Scrollslore,Oblivionhas several strong mechanics that were sadly absent fromSkyrim, such as spell crafting and its much-loved attribute system. However, two areas that I felt were a massive step backwards inSkyrimwere the faction ranks and the lack of a fame/infamy system.
Oblivion’s fame, infamy, and clear guild ranks were brilliantand let you track where you stood in the world. Just by checking the Hero’s character sheet, I can quickly see my ranking within each faction or guild, as well as the next rank in the chain. This is such a simple feature that I can’t understand why it was left out ofSkyrim, as it doesn’t impact gameplay significantly but helps keep track of what guilds/factions have been joined and your place within them.
Meanwhile,Oblivion’s fame and infamy was a background mechanic that kept track of the Hero’s deedsand tallied them in a coherent way. Certain actions and quest outcomes would result in either fame or infamy being earned and would change how NPCs would react or their starting disposition. For example, if your Hero had high fame, law-abiding citizens would have a higher disposition while criminals would have a lower one, with this flipped for high infamy.
Skyrim’s Mechanics Were A Step Backwards
The World Felt Too Flat & Safe
Both of these features were missing fromSkyrim, and while one is easily solved with mods such as Reath1’sViewable Faction Ranks,the lack of a reputation system does impactSkyrim’s gameplay negatively. All too often, I’ve joined factions after completing the main questline to be spoken to in the exact same way by characters as if I’d joined at level one fresh from Helgen. This makes little sense, as at least some of these characters should know who the Dragonborn is, but they don’t.
Other characters throughout the province should also acknowledge the Dragonborn’s reputation, whether it be a good or bad one, butthere is no reactivity to my character’s actionsin the long term. I can travel around and become Thane of every Hold and still be treated the same as if I’ve been in and out of prison for stealing sweetrolls my whole life. The excellentSkyrim Reputationby dcyren introduced this mechanic toSkyrimand changes how NPCs will react to the Dragonborn throughout their game based on several factors such as race, deeds, and skills.
However, too frequently, it feels as though Bethesda relies on the modding community to make up for features that have been removed from the series. It seems obvious to me that if a player character can join multiple factions or guilds, then an easy way to keep track of that should be included. Likewise, in a role-playing game,having NPCs react to the past actions of the main character also seems obvious.
How Elder Scrolls 6 Could Use Oblivion’s Faction & Reputation Systems
Looking Backward For Inspiration To Breathe Life Into Nirn
The Elder Scrolls 6should bring back both of these features, especially a functional reputation system, as well as look at improving on some ofSkyrim’s shortcomings when it comes to joinable guilds/factions.Skyrim’s factions felt weaker than previous iterations, with rushed questlines that saw the Dragonborn going from new recruit to leader in a few short quests. Hopefully,The Elder Scrolls 6can slow things down and give much-needed breathing spacewhile allowing players the option to see where they currently sit in the faction’s ranks.
This would tie in nicely with a new reputation system that couldallow fame and infamy to play a more important role in the plot of the game.Oblivionimplemented this to a certain degree, with particular levels of fame required to purchase houses in Skingrad and Chorrol. And having some quests and their rewards tied to fame or infamy would make roleplay choices feel more impactful and encourage repeat playthroughs. NPC’s alignment could, by extension, become more significant as they react to the player’s fame/infamy and could change what quests are offered at different levels.
Porter Gage will comment on which faction the Sole Survivor has the highest standing with or has completed the main questline with first spoken to after becoming Overboss.
This approach forThe Elder Scrolls 6would build on something already seen to a certain extent inFallout 4, whose faction quests felt more carefully planned out, as well as having particular NPCs comment on character allegiances, such as Gage in theNuka-WorldDLC. One of the things that marks a good RPG for me is the depth of immersion andthe feeling that any choices I make really do matter. Otherwise, each playthrough just becomes a case of plot point A to B each time, with the only variance being what character build I’m using.
