The Elder Scrolls 6’s Quests Shouldn’t Abandon What Makes Skyrim’s Memorable

One of the biggest draws in RPGs is the characters. Skyrim clearly recognized this, as it leaned into NPCs more than its predecessor, The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, which had temporary followers during important story quests. By introducing a follower and marriage system, Skyrim added another way for the Dragonborn to get to know and befriend the characters who inhabit Skyrim. This mechanic proved to be incredibly popular, with some of the most endearing characters in Skyrim being available as followers to the Dragonborn.

The Elder Scrolls 6 needs to embrace Skyrim‘s follower mechanic to create memorable characters and moments. Taking the follower mechanic further in The Elder Scrolls 6 by giving followers more agency and personality would be a great way to make them more memorable. It would also be a good strategy to give players more roleplaying opportunities to build their characters and establish their personalities and place in The Elder Scrolls 6.

Some of the most memorable characters in Skyrim were followers, such as Lydia, Cicero, and Serana. Lydia stands out as many players’ first follower, as she’s assigned as the Dragonborn’s housecarl early in the main storyline of Skyrim. Cicero is intrinsically tied to the Dark Brotherhood storyline, and so his interactions and story are more developed than many other followers, making him a favorite among many fans. Serana only appears in the Dawnguard DLC, but her later appearance means that Bethesda developed the follower system so that her interactions are more in-depth than followers from Skyrim‘s base game.

Skyrim‘s followers can carry inventory items, attack enemies, hold their position, and follow simple commands such as praying at a shrine or sleeping in a bed. There are dozens of followers that can be recruited through various means, usually through completing a small quest related to the character that works out in their favor. These quests raise the NPCs’ disposition towards the Dragonborn, and unlock their role as a follower. Other followers work as mercenaries, where the Dragonborn need only pay a fee to have them accompany them.

Serana is a popular companion because of the depth of her interactions, her story, and her relationship with the Dragonborn. Rather than just obeying a set of orders, Serana shares her history with the Dragonborn, has conversations with them, and makes a multitude of comments about the various settings that the pair find themselves in.

Traveling across an open world can be lonely, and having a companion changes the experience for the better. The Elder Scrolls 6 can take the lessons it learned with Serana and expand on them. Followers with deeper and diverse personalities than in Skyrim, more interactivity, conversation options, diverse moralities, and storylines could become a key part of The Elder Scrolls 6, especially if they could participate or have a role in the main storyline.

Followers with better interactivity and personalities would also be a great addition to a better romance system in The Elder Scrolls 6. Companions who are romanced and possibly married could accompany the player out of the home and into the field, but give commentary and conversation that is relevant to their situation and surroundings, rather than the same default lines that every companion and spouse is given in Skyrim, erasing all traces of personality.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Skyrim is the fifth major game in the Elder Scrolls series. Considered one of the greatest games ever made, it has been released on several generations of consoles. Since its initial release over a decade ago, Skyrim has become one of the bestselling video games of all time.

Released

November 11, 2011

Developer(s)

Bethesda Game Studios

Publisher(s)

Bethesda Softworks

Engine

Creation Engine

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol

Expansions

Skyrim: Dragonborn , Skyrim: Hearthfire , Skyrim: Dawnguard

How Long To Beat

35 Hours

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