"We got rid of attributes in Skyrim and you know who complained? Almost nobody": Former Bethesda lead pushed for a streamlined RPG where you don't "have your head buried in menus, stats and rules"

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered gameplay showing the emperor looking at the player in their prison cell.

Former Bethesda developer and Skyrim design lead Bruce Nesmith says he "led the charge" on streamlining some of the systemic elements of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, like the attribute system that had been in Oblivion, as he wanted an RPG that didn't result in "your head buried in menus, stats and rules".

Speaking with Press Box PR, Nesmith examines the challenge of lowering barriers to entry on long-running RPGs. Compounding complexities, both in worldbuilding and in character-building, can be exciting for longtime players but overwhelming for newcomers.