Development Info Steve Meister tells an Oblivion tale

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: Bethesda Softworks; Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

<b>Steve the MrSmileyFaceDude</b> has posted <a href=http://www.elderscrolls.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=18575&st=200&p=282477&#entry282477>this cute bedtime story</a> to illustrate combat in <a href=http://www.elderscrolls.com/home/home.htm>Oblivion</a>
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<blockquote>You're walking through a seedy part of a town in Western Cyrodiil. People mill about, some engaged in conversation, others minding their own business, out on their own errands. Suddenly, an ugly man decides he doesn't like you. Maybe he's drunk, maybe he's just a bully, maybe he's just showing off in front of his friends -- but for whatever reason, he has taken your measure and decided he can best you.
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He comes charging at you, with a nasty looking mace in his hand and a look of hatred on his face. Onlookers move back to make room for what should be an entertaining fight.
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Quickly drawing your sword and shield, you wheel around to face him. He's upon you pretty quickly though, and you barely have time to raise your shield [hold right mouse button] before his first blow thunders down upon you.
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But you block well, and as he recoils from the collision, you quickly perform left & right slashes with your sword [left click, pause, left click]. The bully realizes this isn't going to be easy.
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He backs off a bit, and starts dodging around you. First to the left, then to the right. You maneuver to keep him in view, looking for an opening. Suddenly he steps back, raises his mace in both hands, and steps forward, bringing the mace towards your head in a crushing blow!
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But you're quick -- you step to the side as he attacks. As he passes by, you execute a spinning maneuver and slash him in the side [hold left mouse button and left maneuver key]. The hit is solid, and your foe staggers from the blow.
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But it's not over yet. The bully swings his mace wildly -- his first swing misses, but the next one connects for a blow that sends you staggering. Pressing his advantage, the bully bears down on you with a power attack of his own. OUCH. This isn't going well. You take a glance at your health meter, it's getting a bit low. You quickly back up out of the bully's reach and raise your shield [hold right mouse button].
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He's hurting, too. You circle each other for a time, looking for an opening, trying to recover some fatigue. Finally the bully charges forward with a devastating overhead blow, perhaps hoping to break your shield. But the shield holds and the recoil send him staggering back. This is your chance! You perform a mighty forward power attack [hold the left mouse button, press forward] and connect solidly. The blow staggers your foe once again, and you perform 3 slashing attacks in rapid succession [left mouse button, pause, left mouse button, pause, left mouse button], and finally the bully collapses to the ground, defeated.
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The crowd disperses, going back to their own business.</blockquote>
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Opinions?
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[Whipporowill]

Pretty much exactly sounds like Gothic 2 - apart from there being a shield. I guess that's not a bad thing though, but nothing I would see as revolutionary considering. Might be more emphasis on feedback and wounding effects - staggering, but that should be expected in a more technically advanced game, which Oblivion should be considering it's almost 2005 and Gothic 2 came out 2001 or so.

 

[Volourn]

"Pretty much exactly sounds like Gothic 2 - apart from their being a shield. I guess that's not a bad thing though, but nothing I would see as revolutionary considering."

And, considering that Gothic 2's combat is the worst part of the game, that doesn't bode well at all...

 

[Whipporowill]

That's one part we don't agree on at all Volo. Glad you like the rest of the game though...

 

[bizarrofrank]

a clickfest yay!!!!(in retard voice)

 

[Country_Gravy]

So does this mean that it's not turn-based?

 

[Seven]

That sounds a lot like the combat dissertation from the beta testers from MOO3; is this a case of don't believe everything you're told? Possibly.

It does sound "clickish" though.

 

[Otaku_Hanzo]

So does this mean that it's not turn-based?

Heh. None of the Elder Scrolls games were turn-based.

This just talks about combat though. Give me an example of other stuff and I might be impressed. Can we scale walls? Can we pickpocket? Can we sneak past enemies rather than having to fight them? Are there multiple ways to finish quests?

 

[Vault Dweller]

Not sure about the other stuff, but in regard to sneaking and stealing:

As someone who worked on the Thief series for quite a few years, I'm really personally invested in Oblivion's stealth system. (which is ironic, because it was playing a Thief in Daggerfall that got me into Thief to begin with).

Anyway, I'm obviously not at liberty to give out any specifics, but you should know that thieving/sneaking etc. is getting a lot of tender loving care is TES IV

 

[Otaku_Hanzo]

Cool.

But I'm not going to hold my breath. Being a thief in Daggerfall is probably one of the best experiences I've ever had in an CRPG. If they can emulate that and keep the rest of the game good as well, I'll be impressed.

I just hope they don't make another Morrowcrap.

 

[Surlent]

"Pretty much exactly sounds like Gothic 2 - apart from their being a shield. I guess that's not a bad thing though, but nothing I would see as revolutionary considering."

And, considering that Gothic 2's combat is the worst part of the game, that doesn't bode well at all...

Gothic2 just has bad controls. Otherwise the combat would be okay.

And that fight mechanic sounds same like that game had, only shield was replaced with parry.

 

[Rayt]

So they combined Morrowind with Severance/Blade of Darkness? If it has the same decapitations I'm sold.

 

[Ortchel]

Blade of Darkness is awesome. I still have it installed to this day, no real time game has better combat.

 

[RGE]

Oh noes. I could never handle the combat in Blade of Darkness. Somehow my sword never ended up where I was aiming, and the little goblins and skeletons would never stand still for any fancy maneuvers. I hope Oblivion will require much less skill. The clicking of mouse buttons and arrow keys sounded manageable, but I prefer simple controls, for I grew up with a one button joystick...

 

[Elwro]

If Oblivion's combat is Gothic's combat improved, I'm all in for it. But the problem in such fighting engines is fighting multiple opponents. While I had fun fighting single opponents in Gothic, dodging, blocking, thrusting and so on, it was not so good when I had to fight a group. You had to choose exactly one opponent you were fighting with at a time. Even if there were 2 beasts ahead of you, you couldn't slash them both. What's worse, you couldn't try to block their attacks. I wonder how will it be handled in TESIV.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

Fuck. I use the right mouse button for JUMP.

 

[Mendoza]

Fuck. I use the right mouse button for JUMP.

I'd assume the keys could be customised though, maybe Mr Smiley Face could confirm that.

 

[Ortchel]

I might be wrong, but I think Saint was making a clever commentary on the arcade reflexes required for this type of combat system.

 

[Volourn]

"Gothic2 just has bad controls. Otherwise the combat would be okay."

When the controls are so horrible that they make the combat awful; the game has horrid combat. Deal with it. I've died in Gothic simply because I couldn't turn around in time.

R00fles!

At least rats and wimpy goblins are easy!

 

[Otaku_Hanzo]

You do realize there was a quick turn key, right?

 

[Mendoza]

I might be wrong, but I think Saint was making a clever commentary on the arcade reflexes required for this type of combat system.

Probably, it did seem a bit of a stupid comment for someone like Saint to make.

Then again, I generally find assuming people are stupid to be much safer.

 

[HanoverF]

I'd like to see

Or you can run away and the villagers think less of you, and maybe laugh next time they see you

Or you can be a pacifist and try to calm him down

Or you can pull out your crossbow and shoot the bastard dead while he's twirling his mace... oops

 

[Lemon]

Before Severance there was Die By The Sword

Anyway, I like it at least it takes a skill.

 

[Jed]

Up, Up, Down, Left, A, A, A+B=TEH ROELPLAYENG!

"Hai Ryu Ken!"

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, A, B, Start. Or A-B-B-A-C-A-B.