As the highly anticipated launch of Skyrim approached, tensions simmered between former Bethesda producer Jeff Gardiner and the design team over the game’s balance. With only weeks left before release, Gardiner, equipped with a wealth of creative and design experience, felt compelled to intervene.
Balancing Act
“I had this fight with the designers at the time,” Gardiner recalls. “They wanted to do things through data and simulations. And I was like, ‘But the player does things, like backs up and double taps.’” The designers relied on AI simulations where non-player characters (NPCs) and monsters would battle, determining balance based on whether the simulated player won more than 50% of the time. Gardiner, however, recognized a crucial flaw: the AI did not replicate human behavior. “They’re not backing up. The AI only does so many things,” he pointed out.
This disconnect meant that Skyrim’s balance would only resonate with players who overlooked fundamental combat mechanics. Gardiner had witnessed similar issues in the previous installment, Oblivion, where players faced frustrating “stun locks” against creatures like Clannfear. “The AI, when it got stun-locked, would be doing something different than the player would be doing,” he explained. Determined to avoid repeating past mistakes, Gardiner took it upon himself to playtest the game extensively, experimenting with various character archetypes and making adjustments to creatures and weapons.
In a focused two-week effort right before shipping, Gardiner immersed himself in the game, hoping his tweaks would yield a satisfying experience for players. “Well, I hope this is good,” he thought as he submitted his changes. His confidence stemmed from the respect he had built with the design team, a luxury not all producers enjoy. “There’s a lot of producers who don’t [have design backgrounds], and there’s probably a lot of producers who shouldn’t,” he noted, acknowledging the unique position he held due to his extensive creative experience.
Reflecting on his own experience with Skyrim, Gardiner admits that the balance of the game is a distant memory. Yet, he fondly recalls the exhilarating highs and lows of his first adventure—effortlessly dispatching groups of enemies one moment, only to be swiftly overwhelmed by vampires and dragons the next. “And that’s what I want from an RPG,” he concluded, emphasizing the dynamic and unpredictable nature that defines the genre.
