Lessons ES VI should take from Fallout: New Vegas

[StaceyPowers]

Of Bethesda’s published games, I have played Skyrim, Oblivion, Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas so far. I really love all of them, but I feel like Obsidian made some improvements over the rest with NV.

I would love to see some of those lessons applied to Elder Scrolls VI eventually, namely:

• Fewer and more richly-developed companions. There are only a few companions in New Vegas, but every one of them has quests, and most of them have stories (I wouldn’t say that applies to ED-E exactly). There are a few companions in Skyrim I think fit the bill, but the vast majority are almost interchangeable with each other.
• Nice leveling system. Skyrim’s leveling is easy and intuitive, and I do like it. But I do kind of prefer Fallout’s system (in both NV and Fallout 3) where you distribute points rather than just selecting perks.
• Companions with solid mechanics. I spend a lot more time waiting around for or actively searching for my companions in Skyrim than Fallout NV, where they seem to follow better and navigate more easily. Also, if one loses track of them, one can see where they are on the map. I’d love to see this simple improvement in ES VI as it saves a considerable amount of time and stress. Plus, you can give more specific combat instructions to your NV companions, and this would be good to see in ES VI as well.
• Side quests (yes, I am one of those people). I love a million side quests when they are distinctive and interesting, and I love RP. The balance in NV leans more heavily toward both than in Skyrim, so I’d like to see this in ES VI.
• Complex factions and many possible paths and outcomes. I love the complex relationships and interactions among the many NV factions, and I like that there are so many ways you can complete the main quest line. This would be cool to see in the next Elder Scrolls game. In Skyrim, there was only one way to beat Alduin. There could have been a lot more modification of this through the civil war plot, and quite a bit more complexity with routes and outcomes there too.
• Speech is actually important—but not annoying. I hate the “persuade” system in Oblivion because of the mini-game. Speech in Skyrim is … there … but I hardly even notice it or think about it. Nor can I think of cases where persuading someone led to a major quest outcome change in Skyrim. But in Fallout NV, it can be vital in getting the outcomes you want, and is actually a cool skill worth putting lots of points into. I’d like to see that in the next Elder Scrolls.

Would you like to see any of these features in ES VI? Are there any other features from Fallout NV you would want to see in ES VI? What about from other Fallout games? And what about from other Obsidian games like The Outer Worlds (which I have yet to play)?