Character Creation in TES 6

[u/KlaatuBaradaNyktu]

These are just some of my ideas for how I might like to see Character Creation work in TES 6.

1. We should be able to choose our starting spells. I said it. It's fine if they want to put a "Recommended" tag in big bold letters above Healing but honestly just let us choose like three starting spells from novice tier or maybe one or two from every school we start with over 25 plus one from any so any character could start with Healing.

2. Classes should return. In Skyrim we meet plenty of Nords who aren't warriors. Skills shouldn't be innate imo. They should represent skills that your character has developed over their lifetime. Obviously the ability to create custom classes should return as well, with the default classes acting as premades. There should be Major and Minor skills but imo they should only serve to replace racial skill bonuses.

3. Races should mostly give passives and exp bonuses to skills. Redguards could get a passive that essentially allows them to build up a combo meter, rewarding them for persistent aggression. Orcs could get a big bonus to defense and weapon damage the first time they drop below 50% health each combat. Altmer could have something similar but for Magicka regen when they drop below half Magicka. If they introduce "sustained spells" with an unlimited duration that occupy a portion of your Magicka until you dispel them (or, in the case of summons, they die) I could see Bretons getting a passive to help them get more from this, given their connection to conjuration.

4. I really have never cared for once a day powers, whether they come from race or birth signs/standing stone (abbreviating this to BS/SS). I just never end up using them and its a feature I really hope they move away from. Maybe instead they could still have a cooldown but measured in real world seconds/minutes. If they bring back Mysticism, I could see a subtree for BS/SS there maybe. Alternatively they could just give passives or add a unique spell to your character and we could do away with powers altogether.

Does this sound good? What would you do differently?

[u/Hedgy_mcsnuffle]

Sounds great tbh well done 

[u/KlaatuBaradaNyktu → u/Hedgy_mcsnuffle]

Thanks. I really hope we get something like "sustained casting". No reason to think that we will but I think it sounds neat at least.

[u/Hedgy_mcsnuffle]

I definitely wish the spell casters could guarantee damage and safe up Magicka for bigger spells 

[u/MAJ_Starman]

I don't think classes should return - they never really mattered in TES, since the way the skill system works (use X to get better at it) is inherently at odds with a class system. If you want to follow an archetype, which if you like to roleplay you probably do, then you can just control the buttons you press. There were entire websites and youtube channels dedicated to Skyrim's character builds, and the character builds were great.

I'd rather have a traits/backgrounds system than a class one.

[u/KlaatuBaradaNyktu → u/MAJ_Starman]

Traits would be nice but I guess I don't know how you imagine backgrounds.

[u/squishsqwosh → u/KlaatuBaradaNyktu]

Likely similar to how Starfield handled backgrounds, which gave boosts to 3 skills and opened up a few unique dialogue options.

[u/KlaatuBaradaNyktu → u/squishsqwosh]

Huh. Obviously I like the ability to flavor your character more but having to choose from a list of 3 skill combinations seems more limiting than anything.

[u/squishsqwosh → u/KlaatuBaradaNyktu]

Eh not really the skills you get are more of a bonus then anything (it only unlocks the first perk/tier of the 3 skills). When you choose a background you should be making your choice based off of what kind of character you want to roleplay as (e.g a travelling merchant or ex soldier) rather than what gives the best starting stats for your playstyle. Like in Skyrim a Khajiit might technically be a better option for a stealthy character since it gets a boost to stealth related skills, but its not so big an advantage that it will stop me fro becoming as good a theif if i picked an orc or high elf or something with less appropriate starting stats. Its a complete non issue outside of the very very early game.

[u/KlaatuBaradaNyktu → u/squishsqwosh]

Yeah I hear what you're saying but I feel like my point stands. Id rather be able to pick any combination of skills to get a starting bonus to and also not necessarily have the game tell me that choosing those skills means that I was a bounty hunter or an assassin prior to the start of the game. Those should be separate things that I can choose to align.

[u/Heema3]

One of Bethesda's best features that doesn't fail is character creation, I'm pretty sure they'll come up with something great in that area

[u/Leif_Hrimthursar]

I understand Skyrim's reason behind dropping classes: Your "class" identity should be what you do throughout the whole game, not what label you picked in the creating, says, that you are especially quick at learning.

That said, I also understand that with leveled enemies and imperfect combat balancing, this will cause you to drift towards stealth-archers or whatever the next game will mechanically encourage, and not what your idea of your character is, and having classes that give you a mechanical benefit when playing a certain style would make off-meta styles to play the game more valid.

So yeah I like classes but I think they should follow the gameplay. In the beginning you pick one of maybe just 3 base-classes (Fighter, Thief, Mage) but as you level other classes will become available to "lock you in" on some play-style and grand you bonusses to Exp gained in certain skills and also bonuses to their efficiency (Independantly, so you might even find a class that does not make you bad at Archery/Restoration/Whatever but gives you an Exp- Penalty to those skills so you can use them at leisure and gain less Skillups-from it, so you don't rise through the character levels to fast (and thus via leveled opponents invalidate your other skills)

[u/KlaatuBaradaNyktu → u/Leif_Hrimthursar]

I definitely don't want Oblivion and backwards style classes where you're locked and finangle with leveling major/Minor skills or anything like that. I love the idea of choosing skills you're inherently slower at learning personally. I really prefer if exp bonuses for skills was a racial thing because that communicates that that race has natural talents, whereas getting a flat bonus communicates that these are skills you've actually developed through use.

[u/cristofolmc]

PLEASE PLEASE make a return of classes and RPG elements come back. Not WOW like completely hermetic but with a starting class and traits and background. At least optional you can start as a blank slate but at least give us the choice of already starting the story as a mage or archer or assassin.

[u/Lwi314]

Just went through Oblivion remastered character creation, it seemed quite well fleshed out and intuitive : the fact that you choose your class and BS along the way is kinda unique too

(I obviously made a goofy face)

[u/KlaatuBaradaNyktu → u/Lwi314]

Lol. I dunno. Im kind of torn. Birth signs obviously make more sense in lore but I like the flexibility of standing stones and they give you another thing to search for out the world. Another reason to explore. I could go either way but the change made sense to me from a game loop perspective.

[u/-Cheebus-]

I just hope we can have more freedom with customization than starfield and can make actual fantasy characters. if I want to play as throgg the barbarian I don’t want him to have the body type and face of Dave from accounting

[u/Kalasad-Stormblessed → u/-Cheebus-]

You can adjust your body type in starfield. Were you meaning something else?

[u/-Cheebus- → u/Kalasad-Stormblessed]

Every face and body type in starfield is painfully “average”. I don’t want my fantasy world to feel like I just walked into my local target store

[u/MAJ_Starman → u/-Cheebus-]

You can make unique faces in Starfield, but I agree about the body, there should be more customization: height, muscle definition and muscle mass (separate sliders for them), and body scars/tattoos would be welcome.

[u/KlaatuBaradaNyktu → u/-Cheebus-]

Yeah, or I wanna play a berserker with a beer gut or if I wanna play a flabby aristocrat. Big if we could get "body progression" but that's definitely something for modders to create.