The perk system in Skyrim needs to either be improved or thrown out. The leveling system in Morrowind and Oblivion were more suited to an rpg because it makes your character much more specialized. They should at least bring back major and minor skills and make it so perks could only be taken in those skills after a low to mid level. Maybe you could get perks in minor skills through a mid level.
I'm going to try and do this in chronological order from the start of the game to the end of it, so here I go.
Character Creation
So, as soon as the game starts, before the intro, before anything, it needs to: Ask my parents race, ask my parents profession, ask my family social status, ask my sex, ask my age, ask my name, and then for my appearance. Those things should determine your intro, profession options, personality (in game speech responses), and your skills at your start. If I'm a Khajit in a poor ass family, i may have the options for a few professions, merchant , caravan trader, bandit, thief, etc. The things you see that race doing in game. I also want to be able to choose the height of my character, and they should revamp the "weight" also known as "amount of muscle". weight/strength at the start could also be determined by profession and background (merchant will be scrawny, logger will be muscular, lazy ass bum will be overweight etc.) i also want people "fat" to be in the game, like wtf, nothing is fat. The implementation of weight/strength could also determine your walk/run speed, carry weight, jump height etc. The rest of the character creation could be easily fixed by adding in more options for just about everything, literally. I wouldnt mind removing racial abilities and replacing them with racial beastforms.
Game Mechanics
I would be able to own/start a business/settlement. This would give you a reason to play after youve done it all. I should be able to build a home and start a family. By build a house i mean design my own house, like, all of it, the dimensions and all. By start a family, i dont mean adopting, i mean full blown impregnate my wife (now this part, this part is sort of.... one sided. you cant have a women who is 6 months pregnant killing bandits.) and have a kid after a long time in the game, adopting skips the literally ages long part of your kid growing up but still and like, spoil the shit out of them. I would like to have seasonal foliage, more weather, natural disasters, and flow based water systems. I would to like see other warriors walk the roads much more often. I want in game competitions against AI, like target practice. More interesting combat. Damaged equipment over time. Animal parts can be used as replacement parts for weapon handles. Play an instrument. Do actual chores. Get in the bed when you sleep. Footprints in the snow. Dripping when wet. More birds. More bugs. Foliage to move when i walk through it. To see my shadow. Water flowing from rain. Roofs to shield me from rain. More animals (where the pigs at? Where the raccoons at? There are chewed down trees and no beavers. dafuq)
Realism mode
I would LOVE to see some realism. I know that this is a game that includes shooting fire from your hands, arrows to the head, and a past that is more technologically advanced than the present but damn, would i love to see some realism. By realism, i mean: I must eat, if not, i lose muscle and fat, become weakened by hunger, and eventually starve to death. This would actually give me a reason to go hunting and give Bethesda a reason to implement fishing. I must remain hydrated, or i die of dehydration (obviously). It would be amazing if i was able to drink from a stream. I must stay warm, otherwise i may get frostbite, hypothermia, freeze to death, the usual. I would love being able to have to chop some wood and start a fire in the middle of the woods, like awesome, or maybe even line my armor with fur, better fur, more warmth. I would have to use the bathroom. The ONLY time i see some type of restroom in the game, is in a bandit camp, and theyre just buckets... :/. I would have to SLEEP, like, unless I'm a werewolf or vampire, i should need sleep, if i dont sleep, i get weak and eventually die. I would like to see damage from the elements, burns should stay until treated. I want long term scarring.
Skills
This feature would have to be completely revamped.
3 categories of skills: Survival, Combat, Magic,
Survival: Fishing, Hunting/Trapping, Alchemy, Enchanting, Smithing, Cooking, Thievery, Adaptation (hunger, sleep, thirst, wood cutting, gathering, fire making.)
Combat: Heavy Armor, Light Armor, Block, Sneak, One-Handed, Two-Handed, Archery, Throwing (spears, knives, stones)
Magic: Illusion, Conjuration, Destruction, Restoration, Alteration, Flesh, Shadow, Thu'um
Weapons
Swords, War Axes, Maces, Greatswords, Battleaxes/Stythes/Glaive , Warhammer, Bows, Crossbows, Flails (One handed, war axe speed, low range, mace speed, greatsword damage vs light, war axe damage vs heavy), Bow stave (Two handed, mace speed, long range, mace damage, block of shield). spears/lances/harpoons (Two-handed, slowest speed, longest range, highest damage, no block),
Economy
Inflation, Supply/Demand, Expansion (by this i mean if i spend 100,000 in morthal, it would mean morthal would have 100,000 gold circulating and they could use that to expand their town, upgrade their guard.)
Questlines
I want many many many questlines, such as Thieves Guild, Fighters Guild, Improved Bards college, Vigilant of Stendarr, Pack of Werewolves, Psijic Order, Monster Hunters, Vampire Clan, Necromancers
Armor
I want to be able to customize my armor, such as fur linings, Silver/gold trimmings, dyeing, encrusting gems, carvings, etc. More types of armor, more variations of each armor.
Morals/AI Opinions/Social Status
So, in the game you are given a social status along with your rank, and that status determines the dialogue of the AI. People also have morals toward you such as if you get caught picking a lock, people will avoid talking to you or dislike you because youre a thief. The AI will praise you because youre the damned dragonborn. You will be respected if youre rich etc.
Okay so yea, im pretty demanding :/ but this is what i would like to see (as far as i can remember) in the next elder scrolls game, let me know what you think.
I'd like to see followers with more personality, kinda like the ones in New Vegas. I like the idea of adding customizations to armor and weapons. A hardcore mode would be cool as long as it was optional cause I ain't doing it :) I'd like the brawling system to be changed a bit. I think it should be a separate skill with its own perks, but should only affect stamina. After the person you're hitting takes a knee, you can leave him be or deliver a K.O. punch. There should also be an item(brass knuckles or something) that when worn will cause unarmed to affect health instead of stamina. I think that punching someone with bare fist should not be a crime. (unless you punch a guard or ruler of course) NPCs would react to a fistfight depending on some hidden value. Some would run, some would fight back. And after the fight, some would be your friend, others would hate you, maybe even hire thugs to come after you, others might be fearful of you
Personally, I'd like there to be more races shown. Like the Sload and Imga. Maybe even be able to travel to Akavir or something. More types of magic or magic spells. I'm a huge fan of the Illusion magic in Skyrim but I would love to be able to control water to some form. Or transform into animals at will.
I agree for the most part really. Oblivion was a lot better in my opinion. Thought the age thing might get a little confusing with the elves. Like the Altmer who can grow to be very old but the appearance doesn't really change much, if at all. And there is devastating magic in Skyrim, just not exactly like what you want I suppose. I think it would be awesome to create a tsunami personally, lol.
Also I would like more possible story choice options. maybe more chances to be evil! like to join a necromancer faction. Or be a bandit! Something along those lines. Or maybe some more career choices! like becoming part of the guard! Perhaps large cities where you can roam the rooftops!