The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Interview

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim lead designer Todd Howard explains why they scaled back certain elements of the game, what their plans are for DLC, why they have no interest in adding multiplayer, and more in a new article-style interview on Joystiq.

“In Oblivion, we did … maybe nine big cities? And here, we decided ‘let’s do five, and make them more unique.’ There are fewer of the really large cities, but the ones we have here … there’s more to them,” he said.

“We’re also scaling back on some skills that didn’t have … like, you can still do hand-to-hand. In Oblivion it’s a skill, but the way our skills work now, it’s something we weren’t going to pay off on. So we left it in, but it’s not a skill. It’s that type of thought process.”

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With all the growing Skyrim has done and will continue to do in DLC, it seems that Bethesda has omitted the most obvious opportunity for evolution: An online component. We asked Howard why Dovahkiin is a lone wanderer in a gaming industry that seems to be increasingly obsessed with finding a foothold in the MMO market. The answer, as it happens, comes down to a matter of taste.

“I like this kind of game better,” he said. “You know, it’s what most of us are into. I’m not really an MMO guy. I respect them, I look at them, but I don’t play them. It feels more real to me when I’m the hero and it’s crafted for that. A community aspect to it, I recognize a lot of people would want that in a game like this, but it changes the flavor for me.