"Bethesda is also attempting to reinvent how you'll level up, by dispensing with experience points and replacing them with a revamped system. "Basically, you improve your skills by using your skills," says Howard. "So, killing a skeleton with your sword and shield doesn't give you 100 experience points, but it does improve your skill, more specifically, at using a sword and shield. As those skills improve, your character levels up, and you'll eventually be able to do new things with those skills. So, if you get really good at blocking, there's a chance that when you block an attack your character will knock the enemy back with their shield. It's like an extra attack, and it's based on your skill, not on hitting some combination of keys." Sounds good to us."