As Oblivion Remastered introduces new fans to Bethesda's iconic 2006 RPG, ex-Elder Scrolls dev admits the level scaling system "was a mistake" eventually fixed in Skyrim

Oblivion Remastered
(Image credit: Bethesda Game Studios)

As fans continue their new journeys through 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remaste🌞red after 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Bethesda Game Studios' surprise release of the refre🏅shed RPG, former developers like designer Bruce Nesmith look back on the original.

Speaking in a recent interview with , Nesmith calls Bethesda and partner studio behind the remaster, Virtuos Games, "brave" for working to improve the original RPG's own controversial systems, including its leveling and world scaling. The former Oblivion dev, who also worked on various Bethesda projects like Skyrim and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Starfield, explains that changes have made the remaster "more playable" for m♕odern audiences.

"They actually went ahead and changed the game design under🔴neath… some of the systems design," says Nesmith. "That's pretty much unheard of in a remaster because the whole idea is that they want that old experience, so I consider that to be a very brave thing and [it will] probably help the Oblivion remaster to be significantly more popular – assuming they have done what they said and bring it to a more modern understanding of things, that's going to make the game more playable for modern sensibilities."

While the OG Oblivion's leveling system wasn't entirely changed in the remaster, as proven by 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:mods addressing 🅺the "disappointing" mechanic, it's a bit betteওr. For instance, in the newer RPG, all skills give experience points that count toward player leveling – no more need for min-maxing leveling, as ꩲthe game provides a comfortable 12 points to divide up as one pleases between the attributes.

Player leveling isn't the only awkward feature of Oblivion's overall scaling system, though – the world as a whole and any rewards earned also scale depending on a person's level. For example, a lower-level player might earn different rewards for doing the same task. Nesmith admits that this design choice, which he playe♓d an important role in crafting, "was a mistake" – one that was only truly fixed with Skyrim, years after Oblivion's release in 2011.

"I had a very substantial hand and voice in both leveling systems," describes the dev. "The nuts and bolts work, the mathematical mechanics, that was my work, and I'm🌊 intimately familiar with how both of those things work. I think the world leveling with you was a mistake, and that's proven out by the fact it did not happen the same way in Skyrim."

In the fifth Elder Scrolls entry, Nesmith says Bethesda implemented a "much, much better" system which offer𒈔s a challenge while avoi𝔍ding players feeling that leveling up doesn't matter since "'the dungeon went up in levels with me.'"

As a longtime Elder Scrolls fan myself, I can't say I'm too happy that some of the old leveling system has sไhimmied its way into the remaster – but as a PC player, I can thankfully༒ rectify Bethesda's persisting early 2000s mistake with mods.

Here's everything you need to know about 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:The Elder Scrolls 6 after replaying Oblivion.

Anna Koselke
Staff Writer

After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, inc🍃luding Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you sꦿpot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.

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