[ShadowPampers]

YES! Can't wait. I just hope loot in caves isn't randomised anymore like it was in Oblivion, I enjoyed it much more in Morrowind having everything in a predetermined place. I actually just started Oblivion against yesterday, enjoying it a lot thus far. edit: AND DRAGONS! Finally. Woo.

Morrowind also had randomized loot in the chests and containers, it just had items outside of containers placed in specific locations (does Oblivion make this too?)

[Confidence Man]

All I need now is to know if levitation and super jumps are coming back......

Do you really have to ask?

[Synth_floyd]

I like how they're making the quests more varied so that theoretically you would get different quests for different playthroughs in the game (assuming you don't play exactly the same character type).

Any word on factions?

[Evolved1]

Bethesda always bullshits about how great their combat is going to be and it always sucks ass... so consider me taking anything they say about combat with a huge "whatever".

And level-scaling. :lol

:(

I bet the animation will still be embarrassingly bad.

[disappeared]

If the radiant story thing works you will get contacted by people who want you to kill someone ._.

Excellent.

[ShadowPampers]

Some of this sounds very intriguing. I also feel that some of the described stuff sounds waaay to context-sensitive to be ever activated. You drop an item, a boy comes, "stuff happens"? Really? The chance of someone dropping a an item in a certain area, isn't very high, is it? Unless the game hints you at this possibility, it sounds like a complete waste of time to design quests over such unique events, unless there are multiple starting triggers. The rescue mission example sounds very tricky and very hard to properly play test. I fully support the leveling system revamp, although I highly favor Fallout - style XP leveling instead of the traditional TES skill leveling system. Also, sounds very details heavy, with some very, very specific touches. Previous Bethesda games were kind of a bare-bones, with a lot of repeating content. Quests were great, but those soft touches were missing. I don't have much hope that they'll successfully implement those kind of things when we know Bethesda is famous for their quantity-heavy philosophy, but we'll see.

Yeah, I agree, I think that the idea sounds really cool but I'm really esceptical about the dynamic quest things. Because of the amount of places and possiblities given in TES worlds, the chance of these instances being a few scripted quests pieces is very high.

[Ferrio]

I bet the animation will still be embarrassingly bad.

Bad animation leads to awesome results.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBbm8sV6IKk

[ajim]

Morrowind also had randomized loot in the chests and containers, it just had items outside of containers placed in specific locations (does Oblivion make this too?)

Yeah, I was more referring to the items placed in specific locations, I don't believe Oblivion does this - at least not on the same level as Morrowind. I would much prefer a non-randomised item method tho.

[highluxury]

Recap of info courtesy of ShadowPampers Also, the leveling was moved from 1-25 or something like that to 1-50, but 50 is soft-capped, you just advance really slow after that.

Im sold after this.. the leveling cap was annoying.

[GhaleonEB]

Fast-Travel: As you probably expect, you can instantly travel to previous locations with a tap of the button

Sprinting: You can now sprint about!

With the addition of sprint, there's no reason for fast travel to exist.

[cluto]

In regard to the engine, the article uses the terms "redesigned engine" and "new rendering engine". It's possible that it's still Gamebryo with a new graphics engine.

Visually, the graphics have improved significantly: shadows being cast on indoor objects; characters look way better, especially females; snow dynamically falls onto trees and objects, etc.

[maniac-kun]

Bethesda always bullshits about how great their combat is going to be and it always sucks ass... so consider me taking anything they say about combat with a huge "whatever". And level-scaling. :lol :( I bet the animation will still be embarrassingly bad.

What? Combat was greatly improved from Morrowind to Oblivion.

[disappeared]

Fast-Travel: As you probably expect, you can instantly travel to previous locations with a tap of the button Sprinting: You can now sprint about! With the addition of sprint, there's no reason for fast travel to exist.

Indeed. And I imagine if you pool points into Athletics, there will be some great sprint/running perks.

Dodge/roll!

[LiK]

Bethesda always bullshits about how great their combat is going to be and it always sucks ass... so consider me taking anything they say about combat with a huge "whatever". And level-scaling. :lol :( I bet the animation will still be embarrassingly bad.

let's just hope it's not a buggy mess first. :)

[Zenith]

Wasn't GameInformer supposed to have 4 other game reveals?

[disappeared]

Wasn't GameInformer supposed to have 4 other game reveals?

Those don't matter!

[ajim]

Finally saw the screens from GI, it looks fuckign amazing. <3

[ShadowPampers]

The faces look really good in that scan, and the overall graphics aren't hugely impressive, but they are definitely a good step above Oblivion, specially the envoiroments.

Also I would like to stress out again that in either case, when the modders are done with this game, it will look next gen.

Anyways, as long as the animations are good, then I'm really looking forward to this engine, wheter a new one or a modified Gamebryo.

[Black Chamber]

In one of the pictures, a character wearing Elvish-looking armor is standing in water [with a glowing axe] and the water seems to be reacting to his movements VERY realistically - i.e. splashing and disturbing the rest of the water surrounding him.

Can anyone confirm if that is actually the water physics or something else?

[Simon Belmont]

Fast-Travel: As you probably expect, you can instantly travel to previous locations with a tap of the button Sprinting: You can now sprint about! With the addition of sprint, there's no reason for fast travel to exist.

Yeah, it's a real bummer that they're making fast travel mandatory.

[Evolved1]

What? Combat was greatly improved from Morrowind to Oblivion.

Go back and read the pre-release press from Oblivion. I'm serious. Go back and read what they were saying about the combat.

And it's pretty clear these motherfuckers are trolling us now using the word "radiant" to describe anything.

Go back and read about the "Radiant AI" they talked up before Oblivion released... :lol and then it wasn't even in the game. They are bullshitters dude. Some of the worst.

And I'd argue combat wasn't better in Oblivion, because the level scaling ruined the sense of danger. It's always been bad, but at least in Morrowind I was scared for my life for much of the game until I became A GOD!!!!

edit: On a more positive note... some of these images look fucking amazing.

[Imperial Hot]

It definitely doesn't make or break my decision to purchase this game(I am going to buy the shit out of this game), but whether or not they are using Gamebryo really needs to be addressed. The screenshots look promising but they only showcase environments and creatures, they don't show any people or faces up close which is concerning. The new conversation system sounds interesting, I just hope that there character modeling and animations have been upgraded.

[Lakitu]

Sounds so good. It'd be better in the context of the game. And we won't know how good it all is until we play the game, obviously. But, everything sounds nice and the art direction is superb. :D

It seems there will be some gore, not sure how much, but definitely more than Oblivion. There have been so many times where I want to the chop the head off a fucking Spriggan.

[MrBig]

Dragon shouts let you do all sorts of abilities like slow down time, send enemies flying, capture dragon's souls, and eventually you will be able to summon a dragon.

Also there is self shadowing to whoever asked.

[ShadowPampers]

Go back and read the pre-release press from Oblivion. I'm serious. Go back and read what they were saying about the combat. And it's pretty clear these motherfuckers are trolling us now using the word "radiant" to describe anything. Go back and read about the "Radiant AI" they talked up before Oblivion released... :lol and then it wasn't even in the game. They are bullshitters dude. Some of the worst. And I'd argue combat wasn't better in Oblivion, because the level scaling ruined the sense of danger. It's always been bad, but at least in Morrowind I was scared for my life for much of the game until I became A GOD!!!! edit: On a more positive note... some of these images look fucking amazing.

You are mixing the gameplay with the design way too much.

I also prefer Morrowind to Oblivion, because of the awful design Oblivion had, but I admit it greatly improved the combat. Fighting in melee was more fun, sneaking was more fun, and casting spells was also more fun.

[Imperial Hot]

Fast-Travel: As you probably expect, you can instantly travel to previous locations with a tap of the button Sprinting: You can now sprint about! With the addition of sprint, there's no reason for fast travel to exist.

But you don't have to use it. I personally don't mind traveling on foot but knowing that the option is there is nice. There would be more backlash if it wasn't present.

[GhaleonEB]

Yeah, it's a real bummer that they're making fast travel mandatory.

I was thinking more about the implications for quest design, thanks.

[Zeliard]

"Radiant storytelling" or Level Scaling 2.0: "The game eventually logs a huge storehouse of knowledge about how you've played, and subsequently tailors content to your capabilities and experiences. Entering a city, a young woman might approach you and beg you to save her daughter from kidnappers."

:lol

Devs are so full of shit that it's remarkable.

[syllogism]

It definitely doesn't make or break my decision to purchase this game(I am going to buy the shit out of this game), but whether or not they are using Gamebryo really needs to be addressed. The screenshots look promising but they only showcase environments and creatures, they don't show any people or faces up close which is concerning. The new conversation system sounds interesting, I just hope that there character modeling and animations have been upgraded.

They do show a fairly good shot of a female NPC and she is very good looking. As for the engine, it's almost certain it's "redesigned" gamebryo. Actually, that's the word they use: redesigned.

[drohne]

that's exactly what everyone wanted from tesv, an expansion of oblivion's level scaling into other areas and dimensions of the game. i've had it with rpgs that dare present me with -- i have to brace myself to say it -- level-inappropriate content

[Simon Belmont]

I was thinking more about the implications for quest design, thanks.

It's a good thing they've got you thinking about it!

[BlueTsunami]

Perks in my Elder Scrolls?



The whittling down of skills makes me sad though. Two steps forward, one step back.

[Ledsen]

Yeah, it's a real bummer that they're making fast travel mandatory.

If it's anything like Oblivion, there will be fetch quests that send you across the entire world and back, so it might as well be mandatory since you'll be trekking for hours if you don't use it. The point is that if there was no fast travel, quests would be designed around that limitation.

[Bootaaay]

18 skills, down from 21 on Oblivion, and 27 on Morrowind. Tries to accomodate players who want to specialize in a certain proffesion (like mage or thief), while at the same time giving room for players who like to do plenty of everything.

One of the biggest things I hated about Oblivion was that it was WAY too easy to specialise in everything. I have no self-control :lol if I'm a warrior but I find a kick-ass bow, I'd end up using that bow and by the latter stages of the game I'd be a warrior, thief, rogue, mage jack of all trades, whereas in Morrowind if you pick a mage, you're a mage for the game's entirety and using anything else effectively would take a lot of levelling. This encouraged repeat play-throughs (something I never felt obliged to do with Oblivion), as did the faction quest lines that would conflict with each other (another omission from Oblivion).

I can't say I'm surprised though - everything in that preview sounds like they're continuing to further refine the gameplay and mechanics so as to make the game more accessible to a wider audience, rather than pandering to the fanatics like me who only really want Morrowind again. That's cool though, I'll still be buying this day 1 and have come to terms with the fact that I'm never going to get another Elder Scrolls game quite as unforgiving as Morrowind, so it'll only hinder my enjoyment of Skyrim to keep comparing it to Morrowind.

[BrokenEchelon]

I really hope the animations especially during combat have been completely overhauled as they're one of the weakest parts of the entire series.

[cluto]

On level-scaling, what do you guys think is a better leveling system for an open world game? With fixed levels, players might get raped in the first dungeon they go in to because they're under-leveled. Basically the game will funnel players into certain directions based on their level, which makes it less of an open world game. With level-scaling, players can go practically anywhere and experience fair combat at any level.

Do you guys prefer the non-scaling system or do you think there is a better way to handle a leveling system for an open world game?

[disappeared]

Perks in my Elder Scrolls?

Fallout definitely had an influence on Beth's design philosophy. I can't complain. The perks sound like they're skill-based, i.e. more like D&D's Feats.

[EviLore]

Fast-Travel: As you probably expect, you can instantly travel to previous locations with a tap of the button

I didn't expect otherwise, but this is still disappointing for reasons I've elaborated on recently.

Basically, when a game is designed around a fast travel system like Oblivion/FO3, the quests will regularly send you huge distances away because the designers know that you'll just fast travel to the closest spot you have unlocked. Turning fast travel off via a mod, or not using fast travel out of principle, is just setting yourself up for frustration since you'll be doing hour long fetch quests.

In a game like Morrowind, you have fast travel between major hubs, not between every little point of interest. So quests are designed organically, with a quest in a city generally having to do with that city, and a quest sending you a long distance is done with purpose behind it. Exploration becomes more meaningful since you're less likely to find things further away from the hub locations. There's no big arrow telling you where to go, you need to work things out based on landmarks and quest text.

In a game like Risen, exploration is the focus and there's no scaling or Oblivion style fast travel. Enemies become more exotic and dangerous the further you go from the safety of the big city. You unlock teleportation to a few specific spots in the game world many hours into the game when you've already explored most of it. There's no scaling or big arrow on a minimap to tell you where to go, you have to work things out based on landmarks and actually knowing the game world over time.

:/

[disappeared]

I didn't expect otherwise, but this is still disappointing for reasons I've elaborated on recently. Basically, when a game is designed around a fast travel system like Oblivion/FO3, the quests will regularly send you huge distances away because the designers know that you'll just fast travel to the closest spot you have unlocked. Turning fast travel off via a mod, or not using fast travel out of principle, is just setting yourself up for frustration since you'll be doing hour long fetch quests. In a game like Morrowind, you have fast travel between major hubs, not between every little point of interest. So quests are designed organically, with a quest in a city generally having to do with that city, and a quest sending you a long distance is done with purpose behind it. Exploration becomes more meaningful since you're less likely to find things further away from the hub locations. There's no big arrow telling you where to go, you need to work things out based on landmarks and quest text. In a game like Risen, exploration is the focus and there's no scaling or Oblivion style fast travel. Enemies become more exotic and dangerous the further you go from the safety of the big city. You unlock teleportation to a few specific spots in the game world many hours into the game when you've already explored most of it. There's no scaling or big arrow on a minimap to tell you where to go, you have to work things out based on landmarks and actually knowing the game world over time. :/

It's a shame, I know, but hopefully they learned their lesson regarding quests, if only a little.

[Simon Belmont]

If it's anything like Oblivion, there will be fetch quests that send you across the entire world and back, so it might as well be mandatory since you'll be trekking for hours if you don't use it. The point is that if there was no fast travel, quests would be designed around that limitation.

Poor quest design is poor quest design, with or without fast travel.

[ShadowPampers]

On level-scaling, what do you guys think is a better leveling system for an open world game? With fixed levels, players might get raped in the first dungeon they go in to because they're under-leveled. Basically the game will funnel players into certain directions based on their level, which makes it less of an open world game. With level-scaling, players can go practically anywhere and experience fair combat at any level. Do you guys prefer the non-scaling system or do you think there is a better way to handle a leveling system for an open world game?

Both can work as long as they are implemented well. I personally prefer really subtle scaling or no scaling at all.

[Ledsen]

Poor quest design is poor quest design, with or without fast travel.

Compare the quest design in Morrowind and Oblivion.

[Azrael]

Eh, the bit about you can kill a quest giver and still get the quest from their relative is the exact sort of instant-gratification, Player is God who can walk around doing whatever the fuck they want with no real consequences bullshit that I hate in RPGs from developers like Bethesda.

No meaningful consequences for player actions, level scaling 2.0, even more simplified skills and leveling system than Oblivion, and cementing a release date so far in advance demonstrating that once again Bethesda is going to ship the game when they want to ship it whether bugs make it barely playable or not -- nothing but red flags going up for me so far.

[bathala]

Saw the scans.

Ready to spend 160+hrs playing this game again

[Simon Belmont]

I didn't expect otherwise, but this is still disappointing for reasons I've elaborated on recently. Basically, when a game is designed around a fast travel system like Oblivion/FO3, the quests will regularly send you huge distances away because the designers know that you'll just fast travel to the closest spot you have unlocked. Turning fast travel off via a mod, or not using fast travel out of principle, is just setting yourself up for frustration since you'll be doing hour long fetch quests. In a game like Morrowind, you have fast travel between major hubs, not between every little point of interest. So quests are designed organically, with a quest in a city generally having to do with that city, and a quest sending you a long distance is done with purpose behind it. Exploration becomes more meaningful since you're less likely to find things further away from the hub locations. There's no big arrow telling you where to go, you need to work things out based on landmarks and quest text. In a game like Risen, exploration is the focus and there's no scaling or Oblivion style fast travel. Enemies become more exotic and dangerous the further you go from the safety of the big city. You unlock teleportation to a few specific spots in the game world many hours into the game when you've already explored most of it. There's no scaling or big arrow on a minimap to tell you where to go, you have to work things out based on landmarks and actually knowing the game world over time. :/

On the flipside, I don't really have hours to spare walking back and forth between the same places. It may break the game for a person like you, but it makes the game for a person like me.

[derFeef]

I really would have liked some more exploration and quests bound to the area I just stepped in. I am not sure how you do this with a story driven game like this is going to be, because you then always have the problem of the need (or the feel of need) to grind to get to the next main quest hub/point.

[Clevinger]

Bethesda always bullshits about how great their combat is going to be and it always sucks ass... so consider me taking anything they say about combat with a huge "whatever".

Not that Oblivion's combat is great, but it was a huge improvement over Morrowind's. Also, I don't remember crazy claims about how amazing the combat would be. I remember claims like "melee and archery do not feel like dice throws anymore (ie, you aim and if you hit, you hit)," "you can actively guard with a button instead of it being tied only to a stat," "you can do power moves," "enemies can follow you in and out of buildings now," and "enemies can pick up and use weapons that they find on the ground".

[Dick Laurent]

It definitely doesn't make or break my decision to purchase this game(I am going to buy the shit out of this game), but whether or not they are using Gamebryo really needs to be addressed. The screenshots look promising but they only showcase environments and creatures, they don't show any people or faces up close which is concerning. The new conversation system sounds interesting, I just hope that there character modeling and animations have been upgraded.

gamebryo isn't an art style

On the flipside, I don't really have hours to spare walking back and forth between the same places. It may break the game for a person like you, but it makes the game for a person like me.

read the post again, jeez. how could you possibly not understand the point he was making?

[EviLore]

On the flipside, I don't really have hours to spare walking back and forth between the same places.

That's not it at all.

[JoeBoy101]

Dual Wielding gives me joy.

Level scaling might make me sad. If it's Fallout level scaling, I'm okay with that. But I'm still very leery.