Loss of Spells

[Moirae]

The spell tomes that teach all the "lost" spells were lost at sea, along with the shipment of calipers and pants bound for Skyrim from Cyrodill.

[Gallus]

The real reason they took out those spells, from a development perspective, was that they wanted to optimize the game for the console market (keep it small and simple), and those spell effects tested poorly in XBox polling groups from Oblivion. It had nothing to do with "balance" or "redundancy"- try saying that when you're wielding a 200+ damage sword thanks to Smithing, or when you're using four whole weapon types (blunt! axe! sword! dagger!) when clearly just one would do (TES VI foreshadowing?).

As for a Lore reason, well, there isn't one. There's a reference in one of the new skill books to the fact that Enchanters these days are idiots, but we are given no real explanation for why this is the case. Just chalk it up to one of those things that Bethesda would rather you quietly forgot, like crossbows, spears, and Colovian fur hats.

I disagree. It had nothing to do with xbox market. Though I hate consoles for many reasons, I wouldn't use them for the blame 100% of the time like you seem to do.

Leviatation (and marrowind's extreme acrobatic nonsense) took a lot away from the game. You could bypass tons of content just by going up high and levitating or jumping to your destination. It was stupid and many people hated it. So they got rid of it (and it improved the game 100%).

Skyrim has tons of spells to choose from, and i'd say that even 1 or 2 more would boarder on redundancy. Just look at destruction alone has 3 elements, a multiple ways to employ each one, Frost, Icespear, blizzard, ice storm, ice rune, frost cloak, wall of frost. It has a great amount of variety, especially when you consider the new duel cast ability, or mixing staffs and magic together.

Though I do dislike that some spells (especially master ones) are of questionable usefulness, they can be balanced via mods.

Point being, that you don't need 10000 spells that do damage with a different look to have a "good system".

Spells like levitate in mountainous areas of skyrim would be game breaking.

There are very few spells that come to mind that I think skyrim could benifit from. Possible life-drain line would be nice for bloodmage / necro builds. Other then that, I can't see any more actually adding to the game's experience.

[ArgonianDunmer]

There are no in-game reasons.

The Mages Guild no longer exists so there is sort of an explanation.

[Sansreal]

Why are people saying Absorb Life spells are gone? Has everyone dismissed one of my favorite parts of being a Stalker of Night?

Also, Invisibility does render you visually undetectable. Entirely. If you don't move, then they'll attack where they last saw you, and if you do move, then they'll hear you. Unless you also have Muffle active. Muffle+Invisibility renders you completely undetectable while you are sneaking. I've gone through several dungeons completely ignoring every enemy simply by casting them both at the same time. If you are in combat and cast them both, then move away from the enemy, they will quickly leave combat.

For some reason Mammoths seem to be able to detect invisible people when they're close enough, though.

[strobacaxi]

They were probably lost with the dissolution of the Mages Guild.

[ArgonianDunmer]

That is why Necromancy is now possible, because the Mages Guild doesn't have any power to enforce a ban of it, being dissolved.

[Pancake]

Why are people saying Absorb Life spells are gone? Has everyone dismissed one of my favorite parts of being a Stalker of Night?

Sure it's not gone but it's exclusive for vampire and

Spoiler:

Nightingale agent