Skyrim’s Unshipped Dreams: Dynamic Civil War & Haywire Horse Carts Exposed by Co-Lead Designer

Skyrim’s co-lead designer Kurt Kuhlmann revealed the game almost featured a real-time civil war and physics-driven horse-carts—both cut due to technical constraints.

The dynamic war system would have shifted faction control based on player actions, but Kuhlmann admitted: 'The production decision was: we cannot make this good and make sure the frame rate is good in all the cities under all circumstances.'

The cart system, which could flip over during travel, was another casualty: 'We couldn't possibly ship that' due to physics glitches. Modders later revived both ideas: 'Skyrim at War' simulates faction battles, while travel mods add cart and ferry mechanics.

Kuhlmann said: 'We were pretty disappointed that didn't ship' but acknowledged mods 'probably... modded that back in.'