The Elder Scrolls series don't seem to have very much in common. However, buying and decorating homes has been a staple of The Elder Scrolls games since Oblivion. The Elder Scrolls Online has had a mixed reception to some of its updates over the years, but one of its best offerings has consistently been the selection of gorgeous homes around Tamriel that players can buy and outfit with regionally-themed furniture and other items. With home design becoming an increasingly important aspect of the series, there's a lot that Bethesda could learn from Animal Crossing's extensive town building and design elements as they approach Elder Scrolls 6.
Skyrim's Hearthfire DLC expansion focused on home design and allowed players to build their house from the ground up. With add-ons like trophy rooms and enchanting towers, Hearthfire had plenty of ways to tailor houses for different interests. This was aided by The Elder Scrolls' staple ability to hoard any of the books, ingredients, and pointless knick-knacks that litter the game and use them as decorations. Even if players picked houses in the different holds throughout Skyrim, however, the general furniture offerings remained basically the same.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons offers the perfect showcase of what The Elder Scrolls' current decorating style looks like and how it could improve in The Elder Scrolls 6. Like Oblivion and Skyrim, Animal Crossing is a hoarder's dream come true. In addition to Animal Crossing: New Horizons' array of DIY recipes, anything players picked up, caught, or designed could be placed in their homes as decoration. The precision placement options for walls, floors, and ceilings is also much preferred to Skyrim's awkward point-and-drag controls. It's New Horizons' combination of find-it-and-place-it decorations and extensive themed sets available for purchase and crafting that really sets it apart. However, all of these home improvements would fit very naturally into The Elder Scrolls 6.
Elder Scrolls 6 Needs Better Themed Crafting
In some ways, The Elder Scrolls Online is already moving in that direction. With every new DLC comes a wave of themed furniture dedicated to that region. Some favorites have been the ritzy Breton set from The Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle expansion adventure or Murkmire's Argonian swamp-themed set. The frustration with home decoration in ESO is that new home decorations either require advanced crafting levels and rare materials or come with a high price tag on the crown store. As such, home decoration is really intended for long-time players or those with plenty of real-world cash to burn.
Moving forward, The Elder Scrolls 6 should take a page from Animal Crossing's book and combine collected items with themed decoration sets available for purchase or crafting. Crafting is already a part of The Elder Scrolls' DNA with armor and weaponsmithing, so crafting furniture would be a natural integration. The opportunities for themed decorations are endless with The Elder Scrolls' extensive lore and diverse cultures for inspiration, regardless of where The Elder Scrolls 6 actually takes place. And naturally, fine-tuned editing options to rearrange new furniture with precision would be the icing on the cake.
Todd Howard has confirmed that The Elder Scrolls 6 is in production, but its release window is currently unknown. It'll likely be awhile before players get a glimpse of the setting or what new features it might bring. In the meantime, players can continue to explore the world of Tamriel in The Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle - and keep building their dream homes in Animal Crossing.