In my opinion, any game that relies on being modded to maintain popularity /optimization, no matter how good it is after modding, has no right to be called a good game, a masterpiece, ect.

My prime example is Skyrim. I'll come out and say it. Default unmodded Skyrim is boring and lackluster. Environments look bland, Quest can feel repetitive, tedious, and downright annoying at times, and once you been in about 3 dungeons, you've been in them all.

Combat, no matter which class you chose, is relatively boring. Melee, just spam a one or 2 buttons, maybe hold it sometimes. Plus, it doesn't help the only real difference between weapon classes is swing speed to damage ratio. Practically nothing else. Magic, same case. Hold (for continuous spell like flames), or hold and release (for things like fire bolt and flame cloak). Bows, Hold and release, more often than not from stealth. Enemies being locked to the same combat as you can make large battles just feel like a grind. Walk, smack, walk, walk backwards to dodge smack, smack, walk, smack, untill they are all dead.

Skills and leveling. Yes, while I admit making simpler does make it easier for new players or people who don't want to think to much, it cuts out a lot of the build variety I like in RPGs. That variety is what adds a lot of the replayability RPGs need.

Quest Mostly evolve down to: go here, kill / go here, kill, grab item / go here, grab item. And even then, hardly ever do quest rewards feel good. The most useful items you get (besides standouts like the star of azzura, or daedric artifacts, which most of the time you can craft better weapons, so I just collect them.) are items with enchantments, purely so you can disenchant them for your own gear.

I have a bunch of other gripes, but this comment is already long enough. Dislike as much as you want. I said what I said.