Although across the events of Skyrim, the Dragonborn would realistically work up quite the appetite, cooking is surprisingly one of the weaker elements of the game - and it's something The Elder Scrolls 6 should improve. It's an ongoing criticism among fans of the beloved RPG, even after ten years since its release. Luckily, since The Elder Scrolls 6 is still in the early stages of development, Bethesda has plenty of time to improve on this feature, taking inspiration from other games that have successfully implemented cooking.
The largely frigid climate of Skyrim would have been perfect for making some warm stews - but unfortunately, cooking is severely lacking in its execution. Ingredients can be found everywhere, even in illogical places like Jarls' bedroom dressers, making them feel insignificant and unappealing to take. The act of cooking itself isn't entertaining, as all one needs to do is select their desired meal from the menu - and even then, should players have these Skyrim potions on hand, all their efforts become completely irrelevant. Apart from role-playing purposes, cooking is useless in the game - but The Elder Scrolls 6 can easily change that by taking the following steps.
The Elder Scrolls 6 Could Make Cooking More Interactive
The biggest change that players are likely hoping for is that in The Elder Scrolls 6, cooking will be a more interactive and engaging activity, which actually makes them excited to stumble across a cooking pot or spit. As it currently stands in Skyrim, not many players willingly go out of their way to find a cooking station, scroll through a long list of recipes, and simply click on one to instantly add it to their inventory. It's a boring process that could benefit from any sort of player input, and there are many ways that such a system could be implemented.
For example, not many would complain if cooking was made a fully-fleshed and realistic process, which would immerse them in Elder Scrolls 6's rumored Hammerfell setting. Ingredient preparation and careful use of kitchenware would allow players to take in the sounds and hypothetical smells of their meal, on top of being a fun downtime activity. But it doesn't need to be quite that complex, either: something as simple as incorporating a quick-time event, as seen in the likes of Genshin Impact, could inherently make cooking feel a lot more meaningful in TES 6.
By making cooking more engaging, The Elder Scrolls 6 could even introduce a quality element to food, similar to that of the Sims franchise. Correctly performing QTEs or other actions could increase a meal's rating, providing it with better stats, additional perks, and a higher sell price. This would encourage all players to set some time aside for cooking - if not for the benefit of restoring health mid-battle, then simply for monetary gain.
A Chef's School Could Expand Cooking In The Elder Scrolls 6
Many fans - whether they enjoyed cooking or not - would agree that Skyrim's best quest, which plays like Hitman, is a memorable part of the game. "Recipe For Disaster" gives players a glimpse into the life of a famed chef, and it could set the precedent for an interesting concept for The Elder Scrolls 6: a dedicated cooking quest line. It wouldn't be that outlandish, considering players can a Bard's College in Skyrim - and it could prove even more fruitful than the music school in the long run. It could be where players collect recipes, purchase upgraded equipment, or even sell their meals for profit.
Plus, if TES 6 does indeed take place in Hammerfell, a chef's guild wouldn't be out of place lore-wise. The Hammerfell setting would be great for TES 6's proposed cooking faction, especially if it were to take place in a developed city like the Kingdom of the Sentinel, which boasts a particularly rich and artful culture - perfect for the artisan craft.
The Elder Scrolls 6 Could Incentivize Cooking Through Achievements
For those who consider themselves completionists, unlocking every achievement is the most rewarding part of any game, and TES 6 could take advantage of that by specifically incorporating them into the cooking system. Elder Scrolls lore shows that there are plenty of potential recipes that the sequel could include, and the list will likely only grow upon the release of the game. Thus, cooking every meal will definitely be a long-term goal that only a dedicated few will want to task themselves with, but TES 6 could reward these players with an achievement for their efforts.
For example, Stardew Valley has 74 unique kitchen recipes, and cooking all of them will take serious dedication throughout multiple seasons - so not many players would strive to complete such a task without the prospect of an achievement. The "Gourmet Chef" achievement has only been unlocked by 2% of Stardew Valley players on Steam, and so those who have earned it usually show it off with pride. The Elder Scrolls 6 could do something similar, which would encourage players who normally wouldn't have an interest in cooking to do so, just for pure bragging rights.
Farming Would Make Ingredients More Significant In The Elder Scrolls 6
It's no debate that the Elder Scrolls titles are RPGs, not life simulation games - but farming could make cooking even more meaningful in The Elder Scrolls 6. With the release of Skyrim's Anniversary Edition DLC, it's now possible for players to start a farm in Whiterun, and this has become a popular feature so far. Because of the insignificance of cooking in Skyrim, though, many gravitate towards planting alchemy ingredients instead of food. If TES 6 does farming the right way, it could not only solve this issue with farming itself, but it could also make cooking more appealing to players.
If the game was to incorporate a food quality system, farming could play a direct role in that. Buying fertilizer, watering crops regularly, and harvesting them at the right time could improve the quality of ingredients, inherently increasing the quality of a meal. It could also make rare ingredients more accessible if players: having them on their own farms would give them little reason not to grow and use them for their maximum profit.
There are even additional ways that the next Elder Scrolls title could improve this particular RPG aspect, such as adding a cooking skill tree in TES 6. Whichever direction Bethesda decides to take, though, will likely be better than what players experienced in Skyrim. Only time will tell exactly what the new game entails - so all that fans can do for now is keep their fingers crossed for a better cooking system in The Elder Scrolls 6.
Source: Bethesda Softworks/YouTube, Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages
