Morrowind was the first true 3D Elder Scrolls game. As far as I know, one of Morrowind's expansions introduced the ability to play as a werewolf. Oblivion introduced fully voiced NPCs, companions, horses, Radiant AI, and physics based combat. Fallout 3 brought the Bethesda RPG to a more modern setting, and introduced guns, and the V.A.T.S. Skyrim introduced dual-wielding, dragons, and shouts. Skyrim's DLC introduced the ability to become a Vampire Lord, and the ability to customize your own house. Fallout 4 brought a fully voiced player character, dialogue cameras, a companion relationship system, Radiant Quests (I know, I know... another settlement), and a complex system of player-built structures and settlements. Skyrim Special Edition and Fallout 4 also introduced fully integrated mod support.

Each of these incremental improvements and additions gets refined, and built on in the games that follow to the point that many of them get taken for granted. However, I'd like to discuss one feature in particular, and how I hope to see it implemented in The Elder Scrolls VI. And that is the player-created housing that was introduced in Skyrim's Hearthfire DLC, and greatly improved on with settlements in Fallout 4.



In Hearthfire, the player was given the option to pick a predetermined location from a few options where they could build their own house. The player then interacted with a crafting table to actually build and furnish their house. Players sifted through menus of things they could build, starting with a foundation, then walls, etc. However, when you crafted one of these things, they were placed in a predetermined location, and you only got a chance to see what it looked like after you had built it. Once you got the structure built, you could furnish the inside. This, unfortunately, was still done using the crafting table menu. You had to select the name of the room you wanted an object in, and then select from a list of somewhat vague terms for objects, and hope you picked the right one. I accidentally placed a fire pit right in the middle of the foyer, because the options didn't make sense to me. I couldn't really figure out how to move it, either. It was an interesting concept, but it felt a bit too complicated for me to really bother with it much. It was easier to just use one of the dozen houses I already owned.



Fallout 4 took this rough concept, and really ran with it. While you were still confined to a predetermined location, you could build wherever you wanted within that area. On top of that, you weren't confined to a predetermined structure. By giving you access to modular pieces, Fallout 4 let you build as little or as much as you wanted (within a limit to prevent the game from crashing). Want to build 4 small houses? That's cool. Want to build one huge hotel? Go for it! And instead of building through a system of menus, you could hand place everything to get it just right. And if you decided you didn't like where it was, you were free to pick it up and move it, or destroy it and start from scratch. Fallout 4 also gave you a wealth of options for structures and furniture, so you could really customize your creations.

