Character-Building is one of the most recognizable game design concepts ever invented. Usually found in RPGs, it refers to when a video game allows a player to, in some way, customize how their character can play the game or how effective certain aspects of gameplay are for them. It’s become a very widespread concept in modern times, stretching beyond just RPG titles and making its way into anything from action games (Ghost of Tsushima) to platformers (Blue Fire). With how Character-Building has crept its way into so many parts of the gaming industry, it raises the question of why. Why is Character-Building so valued in modern game design? To answer that, one would have to analyze a landmark in gaming history: Skyrim. The legendary fifth game in The Elder Scrolls franchise is a big reason for the ubiquity of Character-Building in video games, so analyzing what made this famous title famous will shed light on the value of Character-Building itself.

Skyrim’s Two Pillars Of Character Building

To begin with, The Elder Scrolls V doesn’t implement Character-Building through a single system, with its iteration of the concept actually being built on two. The Skill Tree and Items—those two things are the core of Skyrim’s Character-Building, and through the design of those two systems lies the appeal of the game. This twofold approach to Character-Building isn’t necessarily unique, but the specific way Skyrim goes about implementing it certainly is. A deep dive into the two systems that form The Elder Scrolls V’s Character-Building would reveal what’s so special about how it crafted the concept.

The Skill Tree

There are few aspects of The Elder Scrolls V more recognizable than its Skill Tree. This intricate web of nodes is something players will become accustomed to in their time with the title, and for many, it’s the most tangible reward for progressing in the game. Skyrim’s Skill Tree serves all the same purposes as a normal Skill Tree, as it prevents players from getting too strong by forcing them to specialize, increases the game’s replay value, and allows a wide array of playstyles to be viable. Where Skyrim differs from the norm, however, is how much more open its Skill Tree is than a normal one. Most trees have some feature that stops the player from ever being able to unlock every node, but Skyrim’s has no such thing. This allows for players to really dive into a diverse set of skills to build their experience around, but never allowing them to be too strong because of the scale of the tree; that size prevents all but the most dedicated players from ever completing it. Skyrim’s Skill Tree and the amount it lets players personally tailor their experience is incredible, while Bethesda’s making that tree so large stops the game’s difficulty from being compromised. That all combines to make Skyrim a balanced game and enjoyable for most regardless of their preferred playstyle, giving the title a large appeal that undoubtedly has contributed to its grand success. All those benefits exist purely through a Character-Building mechanic, which details both how the concept can create good difficulty and diverse gameplay.

Items

If Skyrim were a book, the Skill Tree would be its main plot, while Items would be all the little details. The Skill Tree may be the blueprint for how someone plays The Elder Scrolls V, but items determine all the smaller factors of their style of play. That’s all to say that Skyrim’s items are where the finer parts of Character-Building can be seen in the game, with things like weapon choice, choice of Shouts, and enchantments all being based around items in some form. Those various things affect many parts of play, such as the strategies players use to approach situations, and letting players have so much choice in their general strategy heavily improves and defines Skyrim’s experience. In addition to that, items are also where player power is altered for the most part, with a player’s damage output, defensive capabilities, and more linking back to them. This, of course, makes them incredibly valuable, which really raises the quality of Skyrim as a game considering they serve as the main reward for exploration. On a Character-Building front, however, the depth and complexity that items create cannot be understated. Because of them, The Elder Scrolls V has an array of different micro-options for people to use in gameplay, weaving a high amount of critical thinking into the beat-to-beat gameplay through combat scenarios and Character-Building decisions. These items, perhaps more than anything else, are the lifeblood of Skyrim, keeping players incredibly engrossed in the game, whether they’re going through a dungeon or their inventory. Through them, the extent to which good Character-Building can increase the general entertainment factor of a game is clearly seen.

What Can Developers Learn From Skyrim’s Character-Building?

All that being said, why does any of this article matter? What can game developers actually learn from Skyrim’s approach to Character-Building? That lesson lies in one word, a word that many developers have already designed their titles around: Freedom. Player freedom is the clear-cut guiding principle behind how Bethesda designed Skyrim’s Character-Building, and that can be seen in every aspect of it. Its Skill Tree’s open nature and lack of restrictions give players so much room to play the game the way they want. Items allow even the smallest details to be customized. Even parts of Skyrim’s Character-Building that are incredibly minor, such as visual customization or minor visual differences in gear, allow the player plenty of freedom to personalize. The Elder Scrolls V is hailed for having an expansive open world, but its freedom comes just as much through Character-Building as it does locale. Allowing players so much room to express themselves and play the way they want garners a plethora of benefits for the title. Thought-provoking gameplay, a broad appeal, and high replay value—all of those are inserted into Skyrim through just how free its Character-Building is. The value of the concept cannot be overlooked when discussing this game. Skyrim is built around Character-Building, and in turn, that concept makes the game great. From the most noticeable parts of its experience to something as subtle as difficulty, Character-Building makes every aspect of The Elder Scrolls V more polished and enjoyable. It’s versatile and can be crafted to bring a game many benefits; that’s the value of Character-Building, and Skyrim details that perfectly. This game’s approach to giving players freedom through Character-Building massively influenced the gaming industry, as it showed both a genius way to incorporate the concept into a title and why that concept can be so impactful.