If you look at Bethesda's games over the years, one element that I often find goes unmentioned is how they like to incorporate the various menus you use into the game as if they are actually being used by the player character.

The most major example of this is their 3D Fallout games, as they designed the non-pause menus (inventory, status, map etc.) as if the player character was interacting with the Pip-Boy on their wrist - this also got an upgrade in Fallout 4 as there were more animations and the player's hand was used to navigate the dial visibly.

In Starfield, we got a bit less interactivity but still a decent attempt, with the game's non-pause menus being designed as functions of the Constellation watch the player gets gifted by Barrett at the start of the game - starmap, inventory, status, skills etc. all function as an extension of the watch.

How do you think they'll implement diegetic elements like the menu navigation in TES6? Morrowind had an actual journal for quest navigation and tracking, although the TES games seem to tend towards non-diegetic menus and elements overall (which is reasonable considering the lack of technology in the world compared to other Bethesda games, Dwemer inventions notwithstanding).

Personally, I hope we see a book or scroll being used for things like quests, the map, inventory etc. where the character could flip through pages or pull out different scrolls to switch between the menus.

I do not want Fallout 4 or Starfield style loot mechanics in elder scrolls.

My favorite thing with Elder scrolls loot is the history of the loot. Like Daedric artifacts. I want to feel like I’m holding a piece of history. If I’m holding a randomly generated sword with a few stars next to it with randomly generated effects. I’m not having as much fun.

Some level of random generated loot is normal. But to powerful and best items should be rare items that come from secrets and stories, not randomly generated loot grinding.

Thats obviously Todd and this is obviously foreshadowing for starfield from 1984.

Issue is from October. Is this a release month?

Todd Howard knows all the old writers very well, but he passed over Bruce and Kurt, even though they are very experienced with The Elder Scrolls, and went with Alan Nanes, who had never led a main game before.

Alan Nanes is the darkest and weirdest writer at the Studio, so I doubt Elder Scrolls will be anything but the darkest game BGS has done since Morrowind. Even in Starfield, Alan Nanes went as dark as he could. I imagine he will do very dark in an IP that lends itself to the dark and weirdest.

It is common speculation that TES VI will in some way, shape, or form, involve the Thalmor or the Redguards considering all of the new lore we got in Skyrim and how well it sets up potential plots. While I don't like or dislike the idea it is all but confirmed to not be the case.

I. First and foremost, Elder Scrolls games do not follow up each other, Morrowind and Oblivion are no different than Skyrim with how easily their predecessor could have followed up on them. Oblivion is most obvious, Bethesda could have chosen any province and write a story about rebuilding from ruin, or the political implications of the country being invaded by Deedra and the intrigue that follows, instead we jumped into a new era and read about the events in books.

II. The second reason is related to Kurt Kuhlmann and his departure from Bethesda in 2023. His aspirations for TES VI's Main Quest would have been very close to what most people, shoutout to Fudgemuppet, have guessed, a proper follow up to what Skyrim built. However, he was not given role as Design Director as he claimed was promised years ago, thus his leaving, and I highly doubt Alan Nanes, now appointed Design Director, would copy what Kuhlmann had in mind.

TLDR: Kurt Kuhlmann wanted to do Thalmor vs Redguard but didn't get the role he wanted so left, Alan Nanes could do anything all we know, except for copy Kuhlmann's idea.

I could be wrong about this, but I am very confident in the reasoning, if I missed something or there is a gap in my logic let me know, and as always, tell me your thoughts, I'm curious.

EDIT: Maybe I didn't make my point clear in the post so I will try again.

TLDR 2!!: The Thalmor PROBABLY will NOT be the main Antagonist of the MAIN QUEST, Of course they will IMPACT the world of TES VI, but the plot lines set up or hinted at in Skyrim will be resolved either in the lore, side content, or not at all, depending on the setting.

YES, the games do have influence I am well aware, Daggerfall gave us the Orcs as a playable race, and the Oblivion crisis screwed everything up, shaking the empire's power in Tamriel, but the MAIN ANTAGONIST or threat has a connection LOOSE at best. Alduin, Mehrunes Dagon, Dagoth Ur, prove my point, unless I have missed or misunderstood something.

We know Todd lurks, so hopefully he hears me and hears me well. The Elder Scrolls VI NEEDS racism. It’s a core aspect of the game. How will you teach folks not to be racist if not include characters that are racist and thus unlikeable? And perhaps we play as a racist nord for goofs? Please?

Make it a talking camel mount that speculates on the mysteries of the world as you travel with it. I think this would be such a good way to honour all that he did for the franchise.

So i have thought this through after playing Fallout 3 a lot lately. First i didnt want Inon but now I do. His music has that special Bethesda Game feeling with his music. It might not be as memorable as the man who should not be nameds music but atmosphere is most important.

So Inon for the music to ESVI that will be released november 11 2028.

Ladies and gentlemen, Andrew Hulshult! This track here is reminiscent of some tracks from Lord Braathen's orchestral and acoustic remaster of Daggerfall's soundtrack. My go to music replacer for Daggerfall Unity. If used in conjunction with DREAM, you'll need to disable that mod's music module within the game's mod manager. Back on topic, I believe Hulshult would absorb the essence of whomever the main composer is and put his twist on it. I anticipate the songs might be percussion forward, although he's never made music for this style of game before. It may lean more into the sounds from his atmospheric tracks.

Additionally, Hulshult has collaborated to great effect with Id Software. He got his start with that studio by making the soundtrack for a DLC. Perhaps he could get his start in TES by doing a future DLC's soundtrack. Give it a distinct feeling over the base game. For instance, if TESVI does take place in Hammerfell, Orsinium would be a great choice. I'd rather it was a part of the base game. However, I personally feel he'd make some bombastic tracks for Orsinium.

Consider the following excerpt from Jason Schreier's impromptu call with Todd Howard:

Jason Schreier: I asked him [Todd], I said, 'Hey, like, have they [Obsidian] gone to you in the past to pitch Fallout games? And, uh, he said, 'Well, we all talk and, "Hey, this would make sense when the timing is right." And so I said, "Well, what made the timing right right now?" And he said, quote, "That would be spoiler-ish."

Notice that this discussion is about timing, not content or features etc. There is something specifically about the timing of this collaboration that would be ‘spoiler-ish’, but spoiler-ish for what? The only thing I could think of would be that there is something else happening which makes the timing right for this collaboration. There are two routes to think about this:

1. There is something happening with the Fallout IP

The Fallout TV show just finished its latest season earlier this year, which was set in New Vegas. Obsidian famously worked on Fallout: New Vegas. It would make sense then that this would be the correct timing for a sequel to Fallout: New Vegas due to the popularity of the TV show and the resurgence of popularity of New Vegas. They could even release the remaster of F:NV earlier in the year to drive sales of the sequel.

1. There is something happening outside of the Fallout IP

This would likely be that Elder Scrolls 6 is wrapping up, and so resources will begin to be freed up to work on new projects. We know for a fact now that Fallout 5 is currently in pre-production, and rumors from Jez Corden state that the game was ‘greenlit’ as far back as July of 2025. In the same month it was reported by a reporter from VGC that ‘multiple Fallout projects’ were currently in the works including ‘the one you’re all wanting’. To me, this seems clear that Fallout 5 was in some very early stage of pre-production as far back as a year ago, and that tells us a lot about where they are at with Elder Scrolls 6. Todd Howard has said in the Lex Fridman interview that they begin picking up pre-production for the next game while they are finishing the one they are on, this likely coinciding with or around the ‘glue stage’. In the Kinda Funny Games interview Todd did earlier this year, he specifically said that the game was about to pass a ‘major milestone’ - could it be that they are now finalizing the game? If so, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a trailer by the end of the year, and a release date of next year.

Mage characters are usually my go to for a first playthrough, I love magic in the elder scrolls and this love makes me dislike Skyrim for its further neutering of the system. Now there are parts of Skyrim's magic system I want to see TES VI such as the way it is cast, ultimate spells, runes, and new spells added, but awful progression, lack of spell creator, and lackluster variety in magic should be addressed.

This is not my main point however, I was asking copilot the other day about Elder Scrolls news over the year and the topic diverted to it suggesting ESO spells being in TES VI which got me thinking.

How do you think / want magic to be in TES VI, how much do you think they will expand or bring back? Skyrim has many, many magic expansion mods which combined with how magic combat works in base Skyrim made some of the fun playthroughs I've ever had and I just wonder how well they can do.

My realistic (somewhat) Wishlist for TES VI magic is this -

- Spell Creator

- Returning Magic Schools from Morrowind or Oblivion

- ESO magic

- Skyrim shouts as spells

- More Magic Utility

I'm interested in what the rest of the community thinks, ideas I've missed or overlooked, mechanics you disagree with or would add, share, share.

How would you feel about NPCs having portions of unvoiced dialogue, similar to Morrowind (but maybe not *as* much)? I'm not sure if it would work in a modern Bethesda game, but would give writers a lot more wiggle room for storytelling if they don't have to worry about every line being recorded. I personally would love to see that.

Microsoft just laid off 35 - 60 employees from Bethesda; now they apparently seem to be hiring more talent. Now, I don't think this is not good, it is; but this raises the obvious question.

Why is Bethesda hiring new talent when they just fired 10% of their workforce, make it make sense. At least give us Christiane Meister back, please.

ik this has been discussed before but maybe your opinion has changed since the last one or maybe you're like me and haven't participated in such discussion yet..

Based on a lot of assumptions, this is my take-

surely a dragonbreak would be the only way to explain the LDB's accomplishments? the Gray Cowl isn't going to erase LDB from history as it did the Hero of Kvatch (my theory as to why they aren't mentioned in 4E lore)

With multiple endings to the main/civil war/dawnguard/dark brotherhood questlines, as well as LDB becoming the champion of 13+ daedra (plenty with alt endings too).

I think it'd be too much to cover and explain with a similar difference between Morrowind/Oblivion (being only 4 years apart). So, personally- I can't see ES6 taking place after ES5 or even post 4E 175 (end of Great War, elder scrolls disappear)

So here's an idea for the base game or a DLC or even for a Skyrim mod, there's likely to be open spaces in cities in Elder Scrolls VI that will be unused like in Solitude. You could build housing for NPCs and rent out rooms or build houses and sell them to wealthier clients.

This would actually give players an incentive to use the building mechanism that's likely to be in ES6. The system could be used in multiple cities if you become the equivalent of a Thane of the city/territory (Assuming the game is set in Hammerfell).

Thoughts? Ideas? Opinions?

TES6's protagonist most likely won't be the Dragonborn, so dragons should be way harder to fight. Not only for lore reasons, but it also makes playing as Skyrim's Dragonborn feel unique.

I could imagine having trouble fighting dragons in TES6 compared to being a Dragonborn just shouting at those flying lizards and swinging weapons at them.

I still want there to be player stat choices that can affect aspects of the game. I don’t like the idea of level ups being fully automated.

I’d like to see a more animations in combat, and for combat to overhauled a little bit from previous games. There should be more realism. Dismemberment. Maces that can crack a skull. Armor that crumbles under a heavy hammer blow. Brutality. If I plunged my sword forward I should be able stab it straight through the targets chest, or upwards through the armpit, etc. I also don’t want to be constantly locked in animations where my character takes 3 seconds to do something. I’d like for it to be an evolution of Skyrim but make some enemies actually be smarter and have more diverse attacks and combos that require some actual player skill like timing something, or a powerful ability to bypass it.

I felt like magic was lacking a little bit in Skyrim. While I enjoyed the concept most of the master spells were only situational and not that great in practice. Without spell crafting we were also limited. I’d like teleportation and levitation to come back. End game spells should feel very powerful and we should have the ability to make our own combinations and study new mechanics in the mages guild and in the wild in other areas.

As for lock picking this is an area that I would like overhauled. I don’t just want to see one mini game or puzzle mechanic for lock picking like in previous games. I would like there to be many different types of locks with different games, with some locks much more complex. There should be different difficulties for each game, and don’t just stop at a standard “master” level difficulty. For example in oblivion where it stops with five pins. I would have loved to have found a locks that had ten resetting pins plus other mechanics that locked some really cool treasure under a manor somewhere. Some locks should also be one of a kind unique, maybe a king ordered a special lock for his treasury, and please make some of these actual challenges.

I want the game to feel like you are exploring a large mysterious world with a much grander scale than previous games. Desert canyons that make you feel tiny and vulnerable. Massive cliff sides with breathtaking scope. I’d like for this to be a truly breathtaking and beautiful game that will make just about anyone stop and soak in the views. I’d like to see a lot of verticality. For example the throat of the world in Skyrim could just be a standard mountain height in the scale here. I’m sure the scale of the game is probably already mostly set but maybe there’s still time to add some to this if it’s not already been done.

As for the hairstyles on the characters please don’t make them all look modern like in Starfield. I want to see a bit more grime and realism. I’d like for some dirt and dust to accumulate. Mud to stick. Water to roll off your characters body and droplets to freeze. If I pull my sword from its sheath water droplets as well as any blood should freeze on my blade when exposed to the cold.

Give us more enchanting combinations and abilities. Allow players to wear clothing under armor. Allow this to be very customizable in look, and play style.

I want the game to be very colorful. For graphics I am hoping for Indiana Jones and the great circle at the Vatican area at a minimum. I played that game on pc in 4k with max settings and I was impressed by the Vatican. I feel like the elder scrolls 6 will be impressive visually.

I liked the treasure hunter vibe in Indiana Jones and I want that to be heavily present in the elder scrolls 6. Breaking down hidden passages, swinging, jumping, and escaping traps. As for sailing I actually used a sailing mod in Skyrim years ago and really enjoyed it. I think it could be a cool addition to the game. I’d also like the ability to control wagons, and an option to speed up a wagon journey as a passenger.

I’ll let you know if I have any other ideas come to mind but they’ll probably be posted under a different account.

I thought they were in full development, so why lay off a bunch of employees?

I want to be more than a thane. I want to be a landowning lord with peasants to command. Also if we can build a castle I want the hearthfire style building back. I don't like the free build as much.

Todd, I want to be a dragon in VI. Please make it work, I would very much like to be a Dragon.

Thank You

-Me