Skyblivion, the development team behind the much-anticipated The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim mod, recently shared some tips with series developer Bethesda on how to mod their games. Skyblivion is a massive project that aims to completely recreate The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion using Skyrim’s modding tools and engine.
While Bethesda is a major game developer with a diverse lineup of games across multiple genres, its strongest identity remains in the realm of open-world RPGs. Titles like Oblivion and Fallout 4 have not only been praised for their immersive gameplay experiences, but their support for user-created mods has also made them some of Bethesda’s best offerings. Bethesda regularly provides toolsets and documentation that empower players who take the initiative to add new content to the game. The result is that games like Skyrim and Oblivion have stood the test of time and remain vibrant today, as players continue to experience them anew again and again through mods and custom expansions for years even decades.
One of the most ambitious projects in this space is Skyblivion, a fan-made effort that aims to create an enhanced, modernized version of Oblivion’s campaign and content within Skyrim. Excitement around the project was so high that following the launch of Oblivion Remastered, Bethesda’s official refresh of the 2006 classic, the Skyblivion team was invited to visit Bethesda’s headquarters. According to an interview with PC Gamer, the visit was a huge success, with in-depth discussions taking place around modding and related toolsets.
Skyblivion Team Offers Advice to Bethesda on Engaging the Modding Community
According to the Skyblivion team leader, known online as Rebelzize, Bethesda developers were excited to show the Skyblivion team their offices. The visit started as a casual offer when Rebelzize planned to visit Boston to attend the PAX East conference. Since Boston is relatively close to Bethesda’s headquarters in Maryland, they pitched a quick meet-up to “say hello.” Bethesda not only accepted the offer, but invited the entire Skyblivion team, and the meeting lasted about five hours. Rebelzize said Bethesda was particularly interested in how the Skyblivion team worked with tools like Skyrim’s Creation Kit, which the company developed to support modding. Since Skyblivion is not only one of the largest and most expansive mods ever made for Skyrim, but it’s also directly related to Bethesda’s own official work on Oblivion, the team was in a position to share some in-depth information on the subject.
A key suggestion shared by the Skyblivion team during their conversation with Bethesda was the need for more detailed, video-based documentation and support materials alongside tools like the Creation Kit. Rebelzize recalled how Bethesda previously released a series of video tutorials to introduce new users to the Skyrim Creation Kit, including developer-led walkthroughs on basic projects like how to create a new dungeon. According to them, providing similar interactive and dedicated learning tools for upcoming titles like The Elder Scrolls VI or Fallout 5 could encourage the modding community. This would not only enable the creation of high-quality fan-made content, but would also prolong the lifespan and popularity of these games.
