While I empathise with the frustration of having players skip through carefully crafted mob encounters, I think that ZOS is making a big mistake and missing good design opportunity by focussing their attention on frustrating what really is just player urge to explore, test, and really do anything but fight through yet another pile of mobs.

I love fighting through mobs sometimes, and I agree it should remain a core part of the experience, but I really think that ZOS should consider going with the flow a bit more. Instead of attempting to frustrate players by putting that one little mob to the side so they can't skip, and then getting annoyed when players invariably find a way around it, why not make skipping be part of the designed challenges? Instead of having invisibility potions just simply not work in the deadlands portal (this one absolutely drives me nuts), maybe stop insisting there is only one way to overcome challenges, but put some sort of challenge into the invisibility potion strategy? Like right now, yeah great, you countered my ingenuity and made me waste my mats by just outright vetoing my agency, but this is boring and frustrating, and I would argue that its not what Elder Scrolls gameplay should be about.

Alternatives I can think of off the top of my head include adding the mobs you introduced years ago with Thieves Guild, with torches or flares, so that stealth can be done, but has some risk and cost. Some of the thieves guild daily quest stuff could be quite challenging and actually interesting, and I think that some of that stuff could make standard fights more fun. But I think there are probably all sorts of ideas creative developers could come up with beyond deus ex machina foils.

I think the game could benefit from this sort of thing because it expands ways that the content can be tackled, and could make it more fun, and make it feel more exploration-based. Other things could be done in order to capitalise of genuine exploration gameplay. My partner and I, while exploring in low-key content got a lot more out of the experience of delving dark catacombs by slotting the spinning orb momento and using that to light out way. It seems like a lost opportunity not to have spells like candle or light that have no combat utility, but that could be very useful in exploration (and also create more exploration design space).

Another example could be a Pacify, or Kyne's Peace kind of spell. Exploration can be frustrating when its just fighting through mob after metric-spawning mob. But if we could use a spell that would pacify animals towards us in some area? Or one that targets humanoids, or forces them to fight amongst themselves?

Just some ideas. I think that the skills = combat paradigm is stale and very limiting, and while Elder Scrolls games should prioritise exploration, and while the developers are actively thinking of new ways for people to engage Tamriel, I think that looking at core gameplay with fresh perspectives could be worthwhile. What do you think?