The Elder Scrolls 6 could have ships and naval combat – at least that’s what former Skyrim lead designer Bruce Nesmith hopes. In his opinion, if the game really goes to Ilyak Bay, the sea will be a great opportunity and cannot simply stay as a scenery.
In an interview, Bruce Nesmith called naval gameplay a “natural” candidate for The Elder Scrolls 6’s major new mechanic. Traditional vehicles like carts don’t serve this purpose: most players only use them for fast travel. This ship opens up a completely different level of play – coastal exploration, naval combat, personal abilities, skills and opponents.
This is especially interesting in the context of the rumors surrounding Iliac Bay and Sentinel. According to Nesmith, waters can have their own skill trees, and ships are more than just transportation. At sea, you may encounter unique creatures, use special spells, and fight enemies such as sharks and krakens. This wouldn’t be possible without the Sea Elves – a race that exists in legend but doesn’t actually appear in the series.
At the same time, designers advised Bethesda not to go too far underwater. He recalled Fallout 4, where one developer actively pushed for a full-fledged underwater location and even prepared a prototype, but ultimately abandoned the idea due to the scale of the effort. For “The Elder Scrolls 6”, Nesmith would choose the same principle: it is better to make the sea surface a truly deep mechanic than to present the ocean and underwater world at the same time without beautification.
He believes that the concept of ships itself is a function of “dragon level” – that is, this change can become one of the main features of the entire game.