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Skyrim: Gigantic Info Flood And Screens [Update: Tons Of New Info In OP]

Yeah 360 was apparently the lead platform for Skyrim, not PC. I think the graphics will look the same between 360 and PC, except that PC will be capable of higher resolutions and have more AA. The content will look about the same otherwise. And the PS3 version, I'll bet it's close, with lower-res textures.
 
wit3tyg3r said:
You mentioned food, and it made me think back to one of my desires for the game: eating and drinking animations.

Imagine, if you will, in the heat of battle with a dragon, you are knocked back suffering great damage. In an attempt to get up, you realize your health is low. So you grab a potion, take a swig, and throw the empty bottle off to the side with force and then charge at the dragon as your health meter fills up.

Lol, that may be a bit much, but I would like to at least see some consumption animations, a la The Witcher.

That'd be awesome. Come on Bethesda!
 

gfdoom

Member
Im new to this series and I'm thinking about giving this game a try once it's released. I'd like to know a few things about this game if any one knows.
•Does it play similar to the recent Fallout games?
• Is it first person and 3rd view?
• Does it have a Vats like battle system (like fallout 3). Or is it a straight up action rpg?

Thanks!
 

water_wendi

Water is not wet!
gfdoom said:
Im new to this series and I'm thinking about giving this game a try once it's released. I'd like to know a few things about this game if any one knows.
•Does it play similar to the recent Fallout games?
Elder Scrolls as it was the last time we saw it was basically Fallout 3 with Swords (but worse than Fallout 3, imo).

• Is it first person and 3rd view?
Both. But 3rd kinda sucks/sucked.

• Does it have a Vats like battle system (like fallout 3). Or is it a straight up action rpg?
No Vats. Action is like Fallout 3 melee kinda.
 

Shrennin

Didn't get the memo regarding the 14th Amendment
gfdoom said:
Im new to this series and I'm thinking about giving this game a try once it's released. I'd like to know a few things about this game if any one knows.
•Does it play similar to the recent Fallout games?

Kinda, sorta. Yes, but it does not have modern guns. Instead, there are ranged weapons like bows (and magic can be ranged).

• Is it first person and 3rd view?

Yes. Oblivion had a horrible 3rd person view, hopefully Skyrim is better (it looks like it may be, but Bethesda has always promised a better 3rd person view).

• Does it have a Vats like battle system (like fallout 3). Or is it a straight up action rpg?

Oblivion was a straight up action RPG (as far as no system like VATS). I cannot imagine there being a VATS in Skyrim and I haven't seen it mentioned so I'm going with a straight up action RPG answer. Let's just say that if Skyrim utilized a VATS system then I would be disappointed.

If I was wrong or if anyone is willing to elaborate then feel free too. Basically, if you liked the Fallout games, you should definitely like Skyrim (as long as you don't mind the fantasy setting). Most people I know prefer Elderscrolls to the recent Fallout games.

EDIT:

And...beaten. lol >_>
 
herzogzwei1989 said:
Yeah 360 was apparently the lead platform for Skyrim, not PC. I think the graphics will look the same between 360 and PC, except that PC will be capable of higher resolutions and have more AA. The content will look about the same otherwise. And the PS3 version, I'll bet it's close, with lower-res textures.

Its not a sure thing that PS3 will be worse though...apparently oblivion actually looked better on the system, though that was to do with more dev time. Tis a pity if PC version is the same though, considering the power difference
 
Some of my biggest concerns were the animations and how combat felt. I hope the animations are vastly improved over Oblivion and I hope too that the combat feels more "weighty" and feels good, compared to Oblivion. I think though, that my concerns have been address with Skyrim.
 
nelsonroyale said:
Its not a sure thing that PS3 will be worse though...apparently oblivion actually looked better on the system, though that was to do with more dev time. Tis a pity if PC version is the same though, considering the power difference


I hope for the sake of PS3 owners that its version is just as good, in every way.

Yeah there is a VAST power difference between 360/PS3 and current high-end PC GPUs, something like 10 to 20 times, depending on the graphics card having single GPU or duel GPUs. I'm glad though, that Bethesda chose to made Skyrim with current HD consoles in mind. It'll be upto Elder Scrolls VI to lead us into the next generation of hardware.
 

gfdoom

Member
Shrinnan said:
If I was wrong or if anyone is willing to elaborate then feel free too. Basically, if you liked the Fallout games, you should definitely like Skyrim (as long as you don't mind the fantasy setting). Most people I know prefer Elderscrolls to the recent Fallout games.

Thanks for all the info guys! And I def' like fantasy settings as much as sci-fi. I played thru the first Dragon Age and really enjoyed it. And when i referenced Fallout 3's vats system, I meant if in combat , was there was a way to specifically target an opponents body parts? i really liked that aspect of Fallout 3's battle system. Either way I'm still looking forward to give Skyrim a go.

Thanks again for some of your answers!
 

gfdoom

Member
herzogzwei1989 said:
Some of my biggest concerns were the animations and how combat felt. I hope the animations are vastly improved over Oblivion and I hope too that the combat feels more "weighty" and feels good, compared to Oblivion. I think though, that my concerns have been address with Skyrim.

I hear you on the weight thing with melee combat, that was one of my little gripes with Fallout 3. When you attacked with your melee weapons it felt as if you're just swing and hitting nothing, even tho you were hitting an enemy and you heard the sound fx's. Your attacks had no weight to them. I hope that won't be a problem in skyrim
 

Shrennin

Didn't get the memo regarding the 14th Amendment
gfdoom said:
And when i referenced Fallout 3's vats system, I meant if in combat , was there was a way to specifically target an opponents body parts? i really liked that aspect of Fallout 3's battle system.

Oblivion didn't have any thing resembling the VATS system (including targeting specific body parts). Skyrim, on the other hand, looks like it may have enemies who react to certain attacks based on where you attack them (but there is no system that specifically designates where the player can target a specific body part of an enemy). For instance, in the trailer released, the player ended up hitting an enemy on the head and the head swung back from the force of the hit.
 
gfdoom said:
I hear you on the weight thing with melee combat, that was one of my little gripes with Fallout 3. When you attacked with your melee weapons it felt as if you're just swing and hitting nothing, even tho you were hitting an enemy and you heard the sound fx's. Your attacks had no weight to them. I hope that won't be a problem in skyrim


I haven't played Fallout 3 yet, but it seems Bethesda has made the effort to improve the way combat looks and feels with Skyrim. It should only be a mere 2 weeks until we know for certain.
 

gfdoom

Member
Shrinnan said:
Oblivion didn't have any thing resembling the VATS system (including targeting specific body parts). Skyrim, on the other hand, looks like it may have enemies who react to certain attacks based on where you attack them (but there is no system that specifically designates where the player can target a specific body part of an enemy). For instance, in the trailer released, the player ended up hitting an enemy on the head and the head swung back from the force of the hit.

cool, thanks for the info! E3 can't come soon enuff!
 
Just curious, how bad are the load times for Oblivion on 360 and PS3? I've only played the PC version and am glad everything loads extremely fast for such a massive game.

I hope the loading on the console versions of Skyrim are an improvement over what I can only imagine are long load times on the console versions of Oblivion.
 

Pre

Member
I'd like to legitimately be able to play the game from third-person. I always play a sneakier sort of character so I'm in third-person a lot anyway, so I'd like combat and spell-casting to not be so clunky.
 
herzogzwei1989 said:
Just curious, how bad are the load times for Oblivion on 360 and PS3? I've only played the PC version and am glad everything loads extremely fast for such a massive game.

I hope the loading on the console versions of Skyrim are an improvement over what I can only imagine are long load times on the console versions of Oblivion.
If you install the 360 version and clear the cache often, the load times don't get really bad most of the time. However, the longer you play, the longer they'll usually get.
 
Blue Ninja said:
If you install the 360 version and clear the cache often, the load times don't get really bad most of the time. However, the longer you play, the longer they'll usually get.

Ahh, thanks Blue Ninja.
 

Gorgon

Member
Blue Ninja said:
Swedish gaming magazine Level has a preview of Skyrim up. Most of the stuff we already know, but I liked the way the writer described the combat:



- The Dark Brotherhood is also mentioned in the preview. They've "spread their roots all over Tamriel and will use the internal conflicts in Skyrim to their advantage."
- A new Dragon Shout is mentioned: hovering. Levitation has already been denied, so what exactly this means, or if it's just a misquote, remains to be seen.
- Companions might start talking to you while you're traveling. Instead of staring blankly into the back of your skull like in Oblivion, they'll use gestures and such to seem more 'alive'.
- Todd says: “…[in oblivion] we sacrificed what made morrowind so special: the wonder of discovery. In skyrim we are trying to find our way back to that feeling.”

Thanks to Bethesda Forums member Carnival for the info and translation.

I'm totally getting a "Riddle of Steel" vibe from this game. I'm not a fan by any measure of TES but this game is getting me excited as fuck. I'm gonna play this as a game unrelated to the TES universe, since I don't care for the rest, but it's still surprising how this game is getting me pumped. Funny to say, but with Skyrim and the Fallout rebirth, Bethesda is strabgely getting under my skin.
 
Shrinnan said:
Yes. Oblivion had a horrible 3rd person view, hopefully Skyrim is better (it looks like it may be, but Bethesda has always promised a better 3rd person view).

Oblivion's 3rd person view was really more of a "vanity" mode than an actual system.

They got it working for the most part with Fallout 3/New Vegas, and Bethesda has been good about carrying improvements forward, so Skyrim should be playable that way.
 

wit3tyg3r

Member
I personally never did use the Third Person view anyways. Not only because it was done poorly, but mostly because I like using First Person in a game that is supposed to be as immersive as the Elder Scrolls series. While it is nice to see your character in his awesome armor in the environment, I just think that playing from the eyes of the character makes it feel more personal...like it should be. The enemies aren't attacking your character...they are attacking YOU. People aren't talking to your character...they are talking to YOU. This is important when it comes to breaking the barrier between games and reality.

It's all based on personal preference, of course. I just personally like the complete immersion of first person and the atmosphere/environment of TES.
 

Seanspeed

Banned
wit3tyg3r said:
I personally never did use the Third Person view anyways. Not only because it was done poorly, but mostly because I like using First Person in a game that is supposed to be as immersive as the Elder Scrolls series. While it is nice to see your character in his awesome armor in the environment, I just think that playing from the eyes of the character makes it feel more personal...like it should be. The enemies aren't attacking your character...they are attacking YOU. People aren't talking to your character...they are talking to YOU. This is important when it comes to breaking the barrier between games and reality.

It's all based on personal preference, of course. I just personally like the complete immersion of first person and the atmosphere/environment of TES.
I kinda wish they wouldn't waste their time with 3rd-person view. I dont feel 3rd-person view will ever get the full attention some people want(rightfully so), so I think they should just ditch it and stop disappointing these fans with half-assed attempts at making the game playable like that.
 

kodt

Banned
Seanspeed said:
I kinda wish they wouldn't waste their time with 3rd-person view. I dont feel 3rd-person view will ever get the full attention some people want(rightfully so), so I think they should just ditch it and stop disappointing these fans with half-assed attempts at making the game playable like that.

I don't agree with removing it, they should leave it in if only for the ability to see your gear and take screenshots.

I also used it to see if an enemy is close behind while running away. Being able to rotate the camera 360 in third person view is very useful.
 

wit3tyg3r

Member
Seanspeed said:
I kinda wish they wouldn't waste their time with 3rd-person view. I dont feel 3rd-person view will ever get the full attention some people want(rightfully so), so I think they should just ditch it and stop disappointing these fans with half-assed attempts at making the game playable like that.

Like kodt, I, too, don't think it should be completely removed since it is a great way to see your armor in the environment and for screenshots. I just don't like playing in Third Person in TES.

Although I never have used it as a way to see if enemies were closing in, that may come in handy.
 

Zinthar

Member
herzogzwei1989 said:
Yeah 360 was apparently the lead platform for Skyrim, not PC. I think the graphics will look the same between 360 and PC, except that PC will be capable of higher resolutions and have more AA. The content will look about the same otherwise. And the PS3 version, I'll bet it's close, with lower-res textures.

And then there's the framerate difference. If the effects, textures, etc. aren't significantly better on PC, then a simple mid-range system at this point should have no problem maxing Skyrim out at 60+ fps.

I'm not sure I see the value of targeting a AAA RPG at console hardware that will be 6 years old at the time of release. Bethesda is leaving a lot on the table with the PC version. I prefer DICE's BF3 approach.
 

MrBig

Member
Zinthar said:
And then there's the framerate difference. If the effects, textures, etc. aren't significantly better on PC, then a simple mid-range system at this point should have no problem maxing Skyrim out at 60+ fps.

I'm not sure I see the value of targeting a AAA RPG at console hardware that will be 6 years old at the time of release. Bethesda is leaving a lot on the table with the PC version. I prefer DICE's BF3 approach.
Because the most money comes from consoles.
 
disappeared said:
When it comes to the third-person camera, I just hope they fix that goddamned floaty-looking animation when your character walks.
This. I'm sick of seeing my characters ice-skate across the world. Now that I think about it, though... Maybe that's why they set this one in Skyrim.
 

kayos90

Tragic victim of fan death
Blue Ninja said:
This. I'm sick of seeing my characters ice-skate across the world. Now that I think about it, though... Maybe that's why they set this one in Skyrim.
I didn't even know that people played this game in third person. I personally don't care if it looks like ice skating. It makes it that much funnier when people find glitches and exploits in the game.
 

Seanspeed

Banned
kodt said:
I don't agree with removing it, they should leave it in if only for the ability to see your gear and take screenshots.

I also used it to see if an enemy is close behind while running away. Being able to rotate the camera 360 in third person view is very useful.
You can see your gear when you go to the item screen still.

And I dont think they should waste a whole crap load of development time just so they can provide some users with ability to take some circumstantial screenshots. Why would you want to take 3rd-person screenshots anyways? I see trailers of Skyrim in 3rd-person and I wonder why the fuck they'd even bother advertising that when everything is so much better from a first-person view.

Alright, I think I'm gonna go ahead and take this to a thread of its own.
 

DatBreh

Banned
Zinthar said:
And then there's the framerate difference. If the effects, textures, etc. aren't significantly better on PC, then a simple mid-range system at this point should have no problem maxing Skyrim out at 60+ fps.

I'm not sure I see the value of targeting a AAA RPG at console hardware that will be 6 years old at the time of release. Bethesda is leaving a lot on the table with the PC version. I prefer DICE's BF3 approach.


But they arent leaving the only thing that matters on the table.....MONEY.
 
So far, 3rd person view looks better than in Oblivion.

An yes, framerate is important. I fully expect the PC version to run at 60fps on decent modern PCs.
 
kayos90 said:
I didn't even know that people played this game in third person. I personally don't care if it looks like ice skating. It makes it that much funnier when people find glitches and exploits in the game.
I usually don't, though it's a nice option to have.
 

Evolved1

make sure the pudding isn't too soggy but that just ruins everything
herzogzwei1989 said:
So far, 3rd person view looks better than in Oblivion.

Has there been any footage of this game yet in TPV? I don't recall seeing any. I don't know how you could make a comparison w/o actually seeing both in action.

TPV looked good in the pre-release stills for Oblivion... but it was atrocious in the game. Offensively bad.

And it's not much better in the Fallout games. There's no reason to give them the benefit of the doubt either. I mean garbage shovelware devs have done better TPV than Bethesda.

They've yet to demonstrate even the most basic level of competency.
 
recklessmind said:
Has there been any footage of this game yet in TPV? I don't recall seeing any. I don't know how you could make a comparison w/o actually seeing both in action.

TPV looked good in the pre-release stills for Oblivion... but it was atrocious in the game. Offensively bad.

And it's not much better in the Fallout games. There's no reason to give them the benefit of the doubt either. I mean garbage shovelware devs have done better TPV than Bethesda.

They've yet to demonstrate even the most basic level of competency.

Yes there has been footage... for a quick fix just look at the sneaking part in the trailer where the character is hunting a deer or something... Looks great.
 
recklessmind said:
Has there been any footage of this game yet in TPV? I don't recall seeing any. I don't know how you could make a comparison w/o actually seeing both in action.

TPV looked good in the pre-release stills for Oblivion... but it was atrocious in the game. Offensively bad.

And it's not much better in the Fallout games. There's no reason to give them the benefit of the doubt either. I mean garbage shovelware devs have done better TPV than Bethesda.

They've yet to demonstrate even the most basic level of competency.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjqsYzBrP-M&t=1m28s
 

SpaceHobbit

Neo Member
herzogzwei1989 said:
2 weeks til E3, and hopefully more Skyrim vids.

I hope Bethesda does some nice demonstrations like they did with Oblivion.


YES. That is easily the thing I'm looking forward to the most from E3; a good 20 minute Skyrim walkthrough with Howard. I probably had more fun watching and rewatching and rewatching again the walkthrough for Oblivion than I had actually playing the game.
 

Badgerst3

Member
So I still have an original non hdmi 360. Playing still via component. Not to detrail the thread, but I am seriously considering getting an hdmi arcade just for sky rim.

Will I notice a big difference? Rdr looked great to me via component for what it's worth.
 
Badgerst3 said:
So I still have an original non hdmi 360. Playing still via component. Not to detrail the thread, but I am seriously considering getting an hdmi arcade just for sky rim.

Will I notice a big difference? Rdr looked great to me via component for what it's worth.

Still HD either way. The thing to pick up on is how well your TV processes analog and digital signals.

For me it's VGA > Component > HDMI.
 

Crazetex

Member
I am a huge fan of trimming down on stats and focusing on perks. There's something about being able to say "yeah, my dude is a barbarian that can cleave three fools at once and scream VOICE ATTACK" instead of "bar/24 STR/robes of charisma+1." I could never get into D&D or most wRPGs because I don't want to have to learn eight hundred numbers just to be able to click a monster and watch a poorly-animated ragdoll die.
 

wit3tyg3r

Member
Crazetex said:
I am a huge fan of trimming down on stats and focusing on perks. There's something about being able to say "yeah, my dude is a barbarian that can cleave three fools at once and scream VOICE ATTACK" instead of "bar/24 STR/robes of charisma+1." I could never get into D&D or most wRPGs because I don't want to have to learn eight hundred numbers just to be able to click a monster and watch a poorly-animated ragdoll die.

Lol you don't need to focus on ALL of the stats and abilities. It's an RPG, so you focus on what you want to. Are you the type of guy who likes to run into battle with an ax? Awesome. Focus on strength, blunt weapons, and heavy armor. Want to go recon and stealthily sneak around the place? Cool. Focus on sneak, light armor, and one-handed weapons. Want to take enemies down from a distance? Perfect. Focus on dexterity, medium armor, and a single-handed weapon incase they come close.

That's the whole point of having a bajillion abilities: So you can focus on the ones you want to and play the game how you want to and not like everybody else. It gives options and makes the game flexible to many play styles and not just a few.

I personally prefer the method of adding skill points to abilities rather than just getting perks (although perks are always nice). Fallout 3, I think, had a nice balance between the two. I am anxious to see Skyrim's leveling method. But even if I don't like it, I will still play the living crap out of that game.

Edit: Also, just because your character is defined by their stats doesn't mean you can't say that you have a "Barbarian that can cleave three fools at once". I mean, there aren't necessarily perks that make your character a barbarian or perks that allow you to cleave three enemies at once. If I were to create a character with high strength, focuses on heavy armor, and blunt weapons, I would call him a "brute"...not "a high strength, +x stregth/+xblunt"....if that makes any sense at all. Probably doesn't, but what I'm trying to say is that just because stats are based off of numbers doesn't mean that you have to explain your character with numbers. If you say brute, that gives the sense that he is really strong and uses heavy, smashing/blunt weaponry. Likewise, a hunter would be someone skilled with a bow (high dexterity/high marksmanship/medium or light armor/etc) and medium weapons.

While I may be just being extra confusing, I am trying to convey the message that skills/abilities do not limit your character. In fact, perks do. When you assign a perk, it implies that a certain number of skill points were assigned to a certain skill. There's less customization because you don't have control of where the numbers go. On the upside, it makes it easier for new RPG players who don't have experience with managing skill points or the desire to mess with them. It's like.....like Apple: They take the customization out of EVERYTYHING, but it makes it easier for the end user. More experienced users might not like it because they want to have control over every little thing (like me), but the majority of the audience just may not have that desire or experience. So Bethesda is opening the game to a wider audience by changing the leveling system to perks rather than skill points.

if I had it my way, I would develop the game to allow you to pick between two different modes: Classic RPG (leveling would allow you to have direct control of all skills and abilities and allow you to assign experienced skill points directly), and Modern RPG (Perks and the like). This would allow hardcore RPG players like myself to play with Oblivion-like leveling and newcomers/less experienced RPG players to have the ease of perks to make their experience less harsh or confusing.

Now, I'm not trying to imply that all experienced RPG players like to play directly with skill points or that all newcomers like to play with perks. It's just a generalization.
 
SpaceHobbit said:
YES. That is easily the thing I'm looking forward to the most from E3; a good 20 minute Skyrim walkthrough with Howard. I probably had more fun watching and rewatching and rewatching again the walkthrough for Oblivion than I had actually playing the game.


Hell yeah.
 
Crazetex said:
I am a huge fan of trimming down on stats and focusing on perks. There's something about being able to say "yeah, my dude is a barbarian that can cleave three fools at once and scream VOICE ATTACK" instead of "bar/24 STR/robes of charisma+1." I could never get into D&D or most wRPGs because I don't want to have to learn eight hundred numbers just to be able to click a monster and watch a poorly-animated ragdoll die.

Well, personally I like stats that are earned through experience... jump for an hour to build strength? Will do. Taking away stats for perks? No thanks.
 
TheExecutive said:
Well, personally I like stats that are earned through experience... jump for an hour to build strength? Will do. Taking away stats for perks? No thanks.

I agree. I hopped my ass all over Morrowind. LOL
 

Crazetex

Member
I understand wanting to be able to micro-manage; I play The Sims 3 and its expansions, which are the ultimate RPG* (dungeons, party interaction, moral choices, the works!), as well as various Tycoon games, and Oblivion/FO3. I don't mind customization, but I like it when it's very apparent. Yes, I am good with numbers, and can understand that STR+1 means I'll have +X damage per swing, and with the mace versus the dagger I can - and so on. But I don't want to.

Having a perk every level, and more levels that mean more perks more often (more more more), in my opinion, gives a very visible way of replacing stats but making it more fun and streamlined, while still being meaningful. In a game like DA2, you throw a few points into that class's main stats every level. You're actually not helping at all if you put points into, say, Cunning to increase a Warrior's Defense. Rogues get the most out of Defense per point of Cunning and Defense and aksdnflksadnf (at least, in my experience. I believe that there's scaling involved).

Why not just have Acrobatics Training: +10% chance to evade physical attacks, and +1 meter jump height? Maybe even have ranks, so you could buy it up to three times. (I am personally against that method if perks are the entirety of character-building, because surely the creators can think of cool ways to build from the basis.)

Back to The Sims 3: In TS1/2, you made a character by plopping a limited amount of points down into axes, Neat/Messy, Shy/Outgoing, etc. Because of this, there were really only, like, twenty or less sim archetypes. In TS3, they replaced that with Traits. Computer Whiz? Can hack databases for money and loves spending time at computers. Snob? Acts haughty around other sims, but gets a nice mood boost from primping at a mirror and is flattered whenever they are praised by another sim. There are over seventy traits at this point, and an adult sim has up to five. It's a much more interesting system than point-buy, that's for sure, and allows for more complex, interesting and easy-to-understand sims.

TS3 also has actual perks you buy with your XP, er, Lifetime Happiness points, earned by completing quests, er, Promises that come from Wishes, or buy keeping positive buffs, er, Moodlets applied. That said, I really hope that Skyrim doesn't need the "Steel Bladder" perk.

*Okay, it's not, but I like saying it. Also, TS3 is not really a good game, but it is. Bleh.
 

voltron

Member
Fuckin ell I need this game now.

Would so rather it came out around August or something so I could drag it out over the back half of the year.
 
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