Summary
News aboutThe Elder Scrolls 6has been scarce, with the only official material about it being released nearly six years ago. It’s understandable, as Bethesda put most of its focus on its new franchise titleStarfield, which was released in September 2023. Now, it could be safe to assume that the developers are putting their resources intoThe Elder Scrolls 6. It’s exciting to speculate how the sequel can one-up the highly-acclaimedSkyrim. If there’s a feature that the devs can perfect forTES 6, it’s the perks.
The skill system inThe Elder Scrollsfranchise has seen significant improvements with every release, andSkyrim’s constellation system has over 18 skills that a player can level up by using actions related to them. Each skill has a corresponding set of perks that give players unique abilities. For example, the Sneak skill’s Deadly Aim perk givesSkyrim’s Stealth Archersa 3x sneak attack damage multiplier when using a bow.TES 5has over 180 perks to choose from, which gives players free rein over their character’s specialization. It’s interesting to see how the designers can improve this system further inThe Elder Scrolls 6.
What The Elder Scrolls 6 Can Learn from Bethesda’s Perks Systems So Far
Bethesda’s franchises are known for their highly customizable perk systems, with one of the earliest examples beingFallout’s S.P.E.C.I.A.L. The newest game,Starfield, has a set of perks that players can level up in a unique and fun way. These games giveThe Elder Scrolls 6the blueprint to perfect its perks system, and there’s a lot it can learn from each title.
Fallout 4: Make Perks Straightforward
What makesFallout 4’s perk system, S.P.E.C.I.A.L., great is its simplicity. It stands for the attributes Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, and Luck. Each one has corresponding perks, with an attribute rank requirement. Players get points every time they level up, which they can spend on ranking up either an attribute or perk. Some perks also have a character level requirement.
This is a no-nonsense system that’s easy for even novice RPG players to understand. If players want to create a viableunarmed combat buildor just carry more items, they can invest in Strength and its corresponding perks. Those who want to get better at persuading people during encounters can improve their Charisma.The Elder Scrolls 6can make its perks system more accessible by emulating S.P.E.C.I.A.L.’s straightforward perks.
Starfield: Make Perks Fun to Improve
Starfield has a simplified perks system similar toFallout 4. Perks are also referred to as skills in this game. Each skill rank-up comes with a corresponding challenge. Here are some examples ofStarfield’s skill challenges:
This system gives players a bar to clear every time they want to improve a perk, which makes them feel like they’re truly leveling up. Plus, players don’t need to focus on completing each goal. They’ll naturally clear their challenge goals as they play according to the style they want.
The Elder Scrolls 6could mix challenges intoSkyrim’s constellation system. The skills inTES 6can become mere categories, while the perks themselves could be upgraded using challenges. The game could even narrow down its perks, likeFallout’s S.P.E.C.I.A.L. to make its skill tree simpler and easier to navigate. There’s also the option of doing away with past systems and creating a whole new skill and perks tree from scratch, which would be an impressive feat that will definitely makeThe Elder Scrolls 6worth the wait.
