There’s no Elder Scrolls 6 release date to scribble down on our calendars yet and, other than a short teaser trailer shown at E3 2018, we don’t have many clues as to what’s on the way. That hasn’t stopped TES6 modders of the future from discussing and planning for the RPG game’s arrival, though – and there’s already a pretty comprehensive wish list on Reddit. Let’s take a look at what modders want from The Elder Scrolls 6.
First on the list, as you’d expect, is simply modding support. As user Antediluvian_Cat_God explains in the Reddit thread, what TES6 modders will want to see supported “are things like an improved scripting engine, the ability to easily edit game values, dialogue [and] quest texts, and the ability to easily put-together a house [or] building without too much hassle”.
Possible significant changes to the game’s engine might mean a steep learning curve for mod makers but, as the user highlights, as long as modding is supported, “regardless of how massive some changes are then the community will work with it.”
Also highlighted by Antediluvian_Cat_God is the hope for terrain editing to go beyond what its predecessor Skyrim offers, so modders can get stuck into crafting some even more impressive landscapes, structures, and other formations, and “allow for a more natural and dynamic look”.
Next up, a common theme seems to be greater support for combat, in particular, for the sword-swinging melee type. User Mofunkle, for example, suggests something that would allow greater support for melee combat, perhaps in the style of games like Mount & Blade, while Red_Wolf248 says: “A combat system similar to Mordhau would be amazing”. Looking at combat on a greater scale, user Sacralletius suggests support for “massive battles” and similarly Antediluvian_Cat_God foresees “a revamp of the AI and ‘”actor limit'”.
Following this, the user hopes for some new-style animations that could feature more facial expressions and perhaps even motion capture, which seems pretty likely given Bethesda has revealed it will be using photogrammetry for both TES6 and its upcoming sci-fi title Starfield. This means it’ll be scanning real-world things and faces into the game to create more realistic items and people. Sweet!
Also on the modders’ wish list for the game is “a massive overhaul of the way resources are loaded in the game”, updates to the way lighting is rendered, as well as the ability to “customise NPC schedules and tasks“, as suggested by CrimsonSpirits, to have greater control over what NPCs can get up to in each settlement.
These suggestions are just hopes from the modding community at this time, but given Skyrim is approaching a decade old, and The Elder Scrolls 6 isn’t due to arrive any time soon, we’re sure to see some big changes and updates that’ll make modding for it a very new – and possibly even greater – experience. In the meantime, there’s an enormous catalogue of goodies for The Elder Scrolls V, so go take a look at our list of the best Skyrim mods for PC to see what’s already out there.