Former Bethesda developer Kurt Kuhlmann sat down to talk about his experiences developing the Elder Scrolls series, and talked about how the initial concept for Oblivion's Cyrodiil was much "weirder." As the "lore master" of The Elder Scrolls, Kuhlmann's vision for the world of Oblivion differed from what gamers eventually got, for better or worse.
The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind, Oblivion's predecessor, has often been referred to as having "psychedelic" elements and surreal qualities that stand in stark contrast to the majority of its follow-ups. While Oblivion and Skyrim have been smash successes for Bethesda, this shift disappointed some fans, especially those who had first learned of Cyrodiil through the Pocket Guide to the Empire.
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PostsKurt Kuhlmann had a long talk with YouTube channel Kiwi Talkz about his experience at Bethesda, his work on the Elder Scrolls series, and his thoughts on the franchise since he left the company. Kuhlmann worked Daggerfall, Redguard, and was a big part of the early writing, story, and game systems for Morrowind during the pre-production phase, but then left Bethesda until returning to work on Oblivion "during the end of pre-production" in 2003. The world building for the game was essentially complete at this time, and he was surprised to discover that the Cyrodiil of Oblivion wasn't as weird as what he and Michael Kirkbride had described it as in the Pocket Guide to the Empire. Kuhlmann pointed to influences from media like Dune and Dark Crystal, saying that he would have put more of the weird elements into Oblivion if he could have.
CloseWhy Did Oblivion's Cyrodiil Change From Its Original Imagining?
There were a few reasons for Oblivion being less "weird" than originally planned. According to Kuhlmann, Oblivion was influenced by the popularity and success of the then-recent Lord of the Rings films, which has a more traditional fantasy story. Todd Howard apparently "gravitates not towards the weird stuff," which also played a role. Kuhlmann notes that while Skyrim wasn't particularly weird either, it had "more dark corners" than its predecessor. Kuhlmann notably also worked on Oblivion's Shivering Isles, which is arguably the "weirdest" the game got.
As for the future of The Elder Scrolls, Kuhlmann left Bethesda in 2023, and has had no hand in the development of The Elder Scrolls 6. During the discussion about the games that have come out in the time since his departure, Kuhlmann noted that whatever The Elder Scrolls 6 turns out to be like, "They're making something different than what I would have done." He's not sure what he'll think of the game when it comes out, and has no knowledge regarding the project. Though the dev was responsible for a big part of what fans have come to know and love about The Elder Scrolls, he'll eventually be diving into a brand-new experience with every other fan when The Elder Scrolls 6 finally releases.
