The best move for The Elder Scrolls 6‘s character creator may be to combine elements from Skyrim and Starfield into one package. If The Elder Scrolls 6 is going to be the biggest and best game yet for the series, then that same approach will need to be taken with the player’s own character. After all, most RPGs thrive on giving the player freedom in that regard. Bethesda games in particular have historically given players many ways to build their respective protagonists. As for The Elder Scrolls 6, Skyrim and Starfield could both hold a part of the secret formula.
The reveal of The Elder Scrolls 6 is several years old at this point, with players having learned precious little about the game since then. That means that, at least until more news comes out, past games are the best way for fans to get some idea of what they might be able to expect. Granted, The Elder Scrolls has produced several excellent games. It also bears mentioning that Bethesda has other good titles in their repertoire as well, most notably the Fallout series. While The Elder Scrolls 6 is still largely unknown, Bethesda’s track record gives it a high bar to clear.
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The Argument For and Against The Elder Scrolls 6 Taking a Starfield Approach to DLC
If Bethesda takes the same approach to The Elder Scrolls 6 as it has Starfield, annual DLC would have plenty of pros and cons.
Skyrim’s Dragonborn’s Race Provides Their First Stat Adjustment
When players were creating Skyrim‘s protagonist, the Dragonborn, many of the player’s options are cosmetic, such as hairstyle and face paint. However, the choice that makes a real impact is the Dragonborn’s race. In Skyrim, every playable race has unique traits that affect the player. For example, Nords have natural frost resistance, while Argonians can breathe underwater. They even have abilities that can be activated manually, like the Bosmers’ Command Animal or the Orc’s Berserker Rage. These additions can potentially play a significant role in the player’s strategy. In Skyrim, the Dragonborn’s chosen race is the first step towards their eventual build.
Starfield’s Backgrounds and Traits Offer Healthy Character Customization Options
There are also a few vital decisions that Starfield‘s version of character creation gives players in the form of two categories. The protagonist’s Background is chosen from a list of options, with each giving them a small head start in three of the game’s skills, as well as adding a bit of flavor to them. Immediately afterward, the player can choose up to three Traits, which are completely optional, but will further augment the game, with the most famous being the Kid Stuff trait that adds the protagonist’s parents to the game.
Starfield isn’t the first Bethesda game to feature character-augmenting traits at creation, with the previously mentioned Fallout also including them in certain games.
The Elder Scrolls 6 Can Learn Further From Oblivion’s Options
Combining Skyrim and Starfield‘s character creation mechanics has great potential. Oblivion‘s Hero of Kvatch already hailed from a character creation system that acted as something of a blend of the two. Oblivion let players choose the Hero’s race, class, and birthsign, all of which either augment their stats or grant them an extra ability. Going from this system to Skyrim‘s was arguably a step-down, since it gave players fewer options. At the same time, it shows that The Elder Scrolls can handle such a dense character creator. The Elder Scrolls 6 could very well take a healthy amount of inspiration from Oblivion in this regard.
The Elder Scrolls 6 needs its protagonist to be one of Bethesda’s best, befitting one of the most anticipated upcoming RPGs in the industry. In order to do that, the best starting point is the game’s character creator. Rather than simply reprising Skyrim‘s approach, adding the additional options that Starfield offered would be a major upgrade. While players will surely be able to build their character throughout the game, it always helps to start early. The Elder Scrolls 6 can combine two character creation formulas to develop something better.
- Released
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2026
- ESRB
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m
- Developer(s)
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Bethesda Game Studios
- Publisher(s)
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Bethesda Softworks