I en intervju med Official Xbox Magazine säger Todd Howard på Bethesda att man offrade lite av upptäckarglädjen från Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind till Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Hur man tog bort mycket av upptäckarglädjen av att befinna sig på riktigt okänd mark.
"It should feel alien, kind of 'stranger in a strange' land, with familiar looking elements only rooting you early in the game. The whole tone ends up being one of 'I'm an outsider, I'm uncomfortable'", menade Howard.
Han fortsätter: "With Oblivion, we're dealing with the capital province, and we wanted to get back to the more classic Arena and Daggerfall feel of a fantasy world that felt more refined and welcoming...a place that you instantly understood. But in that, we sacrificed some of what made Morrowind special; the wonder of discovery."
Det leder såklart till frågan om hur det kommer att bli med den saken i Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, något Howards besvarar med: "With Skyrim, we're trying to bring some of that back and walk the line between Morrowind and Oblivion. Where it's at first familiar looking, but has its own unique culture and spin on it."