Maybe this is my (extremely) biased opinion, but in Live Roleplaying: Skyrim we distinguish race by the following:
- Starting Health, Magicka, and Stamina
- Some kind of damage resistance (i.e. Nords have Resist Frost 3, Bretons have Resist Magic 1, etc.)
- A racial ability that either provides a passive benefit (Bretons restore more Health to themselves and others) or a triggered ability (Orcs get a combat bonus for the very start of combat).
All races have equal access to all skills, but some are generally better suited towards certain builds than to others.
But wouldn't classes take away more freedom?
Only if players are not allowed to change their chosen skills, which was the case pre-Skyrim, and classes technically exist in Skyrim. Players are just not beholden to having certain skills increase their level.
Or are you trying to say, you should Get classes, that give you stat boosts and powers like skyrims races, but then you are allowed to level your skills without restrictions like skyrim?
A class for the skill buffs and players choosing the powers for whatever fits their desired play-style, and some of the powers can help in a variety of ways; they just happened to be locked behind a race.
Magic resistance and absorbance will help any class as mages are not the only ones who fight mages. The Orcs' buffs would help any class as everyone gets hit. The Argonians' healing and Altmers' magicka regeneration would anyone who makes use of Restoration, which will help any class. The Redguards' stamina buffs is more weapon specific and the game already has nightblades, battlemages, and spellswords, who are quite stamina heavy.
Furthermore, why should the powers be race specific?
Who says a Nord cannot have heightened magicka regeneration and that a Dunmer could not have learned how to cast a permanent water breathing spell? A thief would love to swim away from trouble. Controlling animals could easily be an Illusion spell... which it is, to some varying degree.
The powers are vague in their effects and I think it would be better if players were allowed to interpret them in their way. Those mechanics do not, in my opinion, mesh well with a world that has races in every occupation/archetype and living in various regions.
If racial powers are somehow essential (they were not available in Daggerfall), they could be something that fits any class yet fit some aspect of their lore. They will restrict freedom in some regard but if all of these are availiable to some extent via perks/potions/etc, they can create unique ways of playing a class.
Redguards: Make Way - attacks cause critical damage
Bretons: Resilience - damage is absorbed
Khajiit: Sleight of Hand - attack speed is increased
Nords: Drunk - damage taken is decreased
Orcs: Not knowing when to leave Redguards and Bretons well enough alone - attacks are increased in power
Imperials: Double-talker- damage taken is deflected
Altmer: Arrogance - attacks cost no reserves
Bosmer: Tenderising you for the next meal - attacks will slow/disorient an enemy
Argonians: Lizard limb regeneration - Percentage of damage taken increases reserve regeneration
Dunmer: Xenophobic Dingleberry - attacks include all elemental damage
Of course. How unwise of me to be respectful enough not to disregard what appeared to be honest questions whilst expecting an commensurate effort in response. I will take note of this honest engagement and redress not presuming to not know what you will find a situable enough response shall the fortunate opportunity of having to communicate with you arise again. Your intellectual vigor is a credit unto you.
Take care.
In that case, it depends on whether you see skill as being either completely based on training or experience, or if they are in part based on your race's genetics. Nature vs. Nurture, really. Personally I don't think an Orc should be any more naturally inclined to Smithing than an Altmer. You can't reasonably argue that racial skill values are representative of core training every member of a race receives because that wouldn't account for (as an example) an Orc orphan being adopted and raised by Altmer. Would that Orc, if raised to be a magician, be inherently terrible at them and then mysteriously gain understanding of smithing techniques? It's madness.
I think it might be more based on how each races mind naturally works, and because of this they just naturally find it easier to learn or understand certain skills. Sure being raised by another race may have an effect but at their core they would probably still get some boost.
Not EVERY Argonian and not EVERY one will become an assassin. Any Argonian just needs to be near a Hist Tree or it's sap.
Their skills reflect their possibilities and talents are mysterious warriors. Long fingers for Lockpicking, hard scales for Alteration, making poisons easily with Alchemy and so on.