I am surprised by the city bashing in Skyrim--Morrowind was pretty sparse too-thus mods like "Morrowind comes alive"-Vivic seemed big, but really there was hardly more than 2-3 people in the "streets" between the canals. Oblivion had a sad excuse for a capital city (even if Shivering Isles was individually awesome), much less every other village (Kvatch, dear god, Kvatch) By comparison I keep finding new quests even in tiny little hamlets because it seems like everyone is up to something.
It is kinda a good balance--Morrowind had lots of people to wantonly murder if you were playing a serial killer or the like, and no quests would break. Oblivion was packed with quest giving people you really wanted to kill but couldn't for whatever reason.
I feel like Skyrim balanced the two.
I can't wait until the mods for Skyrim get good.
I loved Morrowind, spent more years playing it than any other game in my life, but I couldn't imagine it without Antares big mod (including stuff like hireable scouts, assassins and agents, becoming an actual archmage/patriarch complete with the power to call others heretic and have them burned at the stake), no glow (hate the magic shrink wrap), peaceful cliff racers and dozens and dozens of other goodies (werewolves not being perma hated by whole universe if revealed to one, quickly disembowled peasant).
Oblivion mods were as disappointing as the rest of the game--pretty outfits and naked ladies.
Skyrim actually has potential--I've been playing around with Midas magic and my tide-pool dwelling khajiiti hedge witch finally feels complete with summonable insect swarms and the ability to create entangling plant life (while training alteration
)