Skyrim designer names two things Bethesda must improve in TES VI

The Elder Scrolls VI: Sentinel could fix one of Skyrim’s long-standing problems, the shortcomings of which were highlighted by the game’s former lead designer, Bruce Nesmith.

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.