In an interview with the YouTube channel The Examined Game, the developer explained why Skyrim never got a proper ladder-climbing mechanic. It was not so much about creating animations as it was about working out the behavior of non-player characters. For example, what should happen if a player tries to climb a ladder that an NPC is already on? Should characters pass through each other, block the way, or should one of them yield?
According to Nesmith, such seemingly minor details required a lot of extra work. Therefore, the team decided to direct resources toward other elements of the RPG. As a result, ladders in Skyrim essentially became teleportation points, instantly moving the hero up or down.
The former designer believes that full-fledged climbing would have made the game world more convincing and given the developers more freedom when creating multi-level locations.
Another of Nesmith’s wishes was improved mounts. In Skyrim, a horse serves primarily as a means of transportation, whereas the developer would have liked to fight on horseback and use the animal directly in combat. However, he admits that implementing such a mechanic also comes with numerous technical and design challenges.