Some features that Skyrim introduced to The Elder Scrolls were more popular than others, but many of the changes were largely well-received by fans. Changes included an overhaul of the class and astrology system, alchemy, and the entire removal of spell creation. But, there's one change in particular that had massive implications on a social scale, and it's a change that future games in The Elder Scrolls shouldn't abandon if Bethesda wants to keep RPG fans happy.
One of the most appealing mechanics found in RPGs is the ability to romance characters as it adds more freedom to the narrative, makes for better storytelling, and makes the world feel more immersive. While the marriage mechanic was criticized for feeling clunky in places, marriage was overall well received by players in Skyrim for the qualities mentioned above, the sheer variety of NPCs available for marriage, and how some of the NPCs eligible for romance were important in certain plot lines, which made the marriage mechanic feel more important than it would have otherwise.
The Mechanics of Love in Skyrim
The Dragonborn can marry in Skyrim by wearing an Amulet of Mara, which lets everyone around them know they're looking for a potential partner. Amulets can be bought from Maramal in Riften for 200 Septims, can be found in the Lovers' Tent on the beach north of Dawnstar, found as random loot, or be received as a reward upon completing the quest "The Book of Love." The Dragonborn must first speak to Maramal about marriage before they can speak to NPCs about a possible union, as well as complete any prior quests for the NPC, especially for NPCs involved in guild-related storylines.
The Dragonborn will then have a dialogue option with any available NPCs when speaking to them; if they wish to pursue marriage, the wedding will commence the next day at the Temple of Mara in Riften. The ceremony will include NPCs close to the Dragonborn as guests, and the new spouse will relocate to any abode the Dragonborn owns. The process is incredibly simple but was effective as a marriage system in Skyrim.
The Future of Romance in The Elder Scrolls
Marriage in Skyrim wasn't without criticism though; some players have criticized the NPC spouse's dialogue post-marriage, noting it has a creepy Stepford Wives feel as all the spouses get the same generic lines no matter who they are. For NPCs with bigger roles in the story and thus with more established personalities, it can feel like they had their personalities erased after marriage. Another criticism was the simplicity of the system itself, especially with NPCs the Dragonborn had just met, though generally, a task does need to be completed for the NPC before marriage can be considered.
Even with the criticism, marriage was overall viewed favorably overall and should make a return as a major feature in The Elder Scrolls 6. With massive developments in NPC AI and gameplay since the development of Skyrim, Bethesda could do so much more with marriage than what was possible in Skyrim such as improving the follower system to make a spouse a unique follower, implementing a relationship system so that the relationship goes beyond completing a simple task to earn their favor, and other advancements that deepen the marriage system to make it more interesting than what it is in Skyrim.
Many players would enjoy the chance to woo the NPC of their dreams and then go adventuring with them across Tamriel. The popularity of Farkas or Vilkas as spouses and the fandom-wide yearning for Serana as a spouse shows that perhaps a better strategy would be to make fewer NPCs available as potential spouses but make the ones who are available higher quality.
The Elder Scrolls 6 is in development.