The expansive lore ofThe Elder Scrollsis one of the features that have made it so endearing over the decades, including how its world-building and character-building mechanics are masterfully intersected. Each game in the series balances it differently, but many of the lore andcharacter customization mechanics inThe Elder Scrollsgamesremain familiar and recognizable. Some of these changes can be unpopular thanks to the newness of the concepts, but many veteran players are now accustomed to mechanics that have been a big part ofSkyrim, such as the Standing Stones, which could use a fresh coat of paint inThe Elder Scrolls 6.
With each new game will come changes, and with change comes the opportunity to improve on the previous game.Skyrimreceived criticism for simplifying character customization options as opposed to what had been available inOblivion, though streamlining the class skills in skill trees received a welcome reception. There are, however, still improvements that could be made toSkyrim’s character customization, and one part of the lore deeply affects how it may happen.
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The Standing Stones Across The Elder Scrolls' Tamriel
One of the biggest changes fromThe Elder Scrolls: ObliviontoSkyrimwas the removal of astrological signs during character creation, which instead became theStanding Stones inSkyrim. Standing Stones are upright, magical stones located throughout Skyrim that correspond to a different astrological sign. Each stone, when activated, confers the Last Dragonborn a special bonus or ability related to the sign associated with that stone, and only one stone can be activated at a time.
Standing Stones weren’t new toSkyrimand appeared inOblivionas Doomstones. The player chose their character’s sign at character creation and couldn’t change it throughout the game, but could find and activate the Doomstones scattered across Cyrodiil which conferred variousPowers inThe Elder Scrollsthat could be activated once a day. Thirteen of the Doomstones were named after birth signs, while the rest were named after cults lost to time. These Powers were connected to the sign of the Doomstone they were associated with, allowing for cross-functional astrological power.
How the Standing Stones Could Change in The Elder Scrolls 6
Going further back in the timeline,The Elder Scrolls Onlinemakes use of the Mundus Stones, which have more in common with the Standing Stones ofSkyrim. There are thirteen Mundus Stones, each associated with a different birth sign, and interacting with one confers an effect while removing any effects from other Mundus Stones.
Standing Stones and their mechanics haven’t changed much since their introduction inOblivion, andThe Elder Scrolls 6would be the perfect time to do something new with them. An option would be to find the middle-ground betweenOblivionandSkyrim, where a birth sign is chosen at character creation, while Standing Stones are available across the map to be interacted with, providing bonuses based on the player character’s chosen birth sign, creating new combos, roleplay opportunities, and replay value.
Another quirk of the Standing Stones is that they only grant their gifts to the worthy, and a change could see the player character needing to complete tasks or achieve a level of notoriety or fame before being able to interact with the Stones. The cult Doomstones inOblivionhad this requirement, and applying it across gameplay could improve immersion inThe Elder Scrolls 6. Another improvement would be for the Stones to interact with their environments in ways that add to the lore, or have followers and NPCs comment on the Stones the player character has chosen.Ralof or Hadvar comment on the Dragonborn’s choice inSkyrim, but it’s not carried through throughout the game, and more in-game recognition would be a positive change.
The Elder Scrolls 6is in development.
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