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

Fans are embarking on fresh adventures in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, following its unexpected launch by Bethesda Game Studios. Meanwhile, original developers such as designer Bruce Nesmith reflect upon the initial version.

In a recent chat with VideoGamer, Nesmith praised Bethesda and their collaborating studio, Virtuos Games, for boldly tackling updates to the original RPG’s debated mechanics such as leveling and world sizing. As a former developer of Oblivion and having worked on projects like Skyrim and Starfield under Bethesda, Nesmith noted that these modifications have enhanced the remaster to be more enjoyable for contemporary players.

According to Nesmith, they not only revamped but also overhauled the fundamental design of both the game and some of its systems. This is unusual in a remaster since the aim is typically to preserve the original experience. However, he views this decision as courageous and believes it could greatly increase the popularity of the Oblivion remaster, provided they’ve stayed true to their word and updated the game to align with contemporary understanding, making it more appealing for modern players.

In the remastered version of Oblivion, while the overall leveling system wasn’t drastically altered, certain modifications have improved upon the original criticisms. For example, in this updated RPG, all skills now grant experience points contributing to player level progress – eliminating the need for intricate min-maxing strategies, as the game provides a flexible 12 points to allocate freely among attributes.

In Oblivion, not just the leveling of players is problematic but also the scaling of the world and rewards based on player level. For instance, a lower-level character might get different rewards for completing the same task. Nesmith, who contributed significantly to its design, acknowledges this decision as a “mistake,” one that was effectively rectified in Skyrim, long after Oblivion’s launch in 2011.

The developer shared that they played a significant role in designing the two leveling systems. They were responsible for the underlying structure, the mathematical foundations, and they have a deep understanding of how these mechanisms function. They believe that having a world leveling system with you was an error, and this is evident as it didn’t follow the same pattern in Skyrim.

In the fifth installment of The Elder Scrolls series, Nesmith comments on how Bethesda improved a more engaging system. This system provides a balance between difficulty and player progression, preventing players from feeling that their leveling up efforts are pointless because “the dungeons’ levels adjusted to match mine.

As an ardent fan of The Elder Scrolls series for years, I must admit that reintroducing elements of the old leveling system in the remaster has left me a bit displeased – but fortunately, as a PC gamer, I can gratefully correct Bethesda’s lingering mistake from the early 2000s by utilizing mods.

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2025-04-29 13:39