Preview Oblivion E3 impressions at GameSpot

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: Bethesda Softworks; Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

<a href=http://www.gamespot.com>GameSpot</a> has posted a <a href=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/theelderscrollsivoblivion/preview_6125686.html>review</a> of E3 Oblivion demo.
<br>
<br>
<blockquote>We also had a chance to visit one of the game's towns, which featured medieval European architecture (stony buildings with thatched roofs) lined by cobblestone roads with patches of grass on the sides. We sidled up to a conversation between a human bard character and a dark elf wearing plate armor. The human bard related the dire news that a portal to Oblivion had opened in a nearby town, and monsters were pouring forth from it and slaughtering civilians. After overhearing this news, we had the attack itself added to our journal as a new dialogue topic, which we were then able to ask the bard about--resulting in a new quest to help at the town added to our journal.
<br>
...
<br>
We watched an example in which we entered a bookstore and chatted up the storekeeper using the game's diplomacy skill (which has been changed from Morrowind to a circle onscreen that lets you move your cursor between options like joke or threaten; the character you're speaking to will react accordingly with facial animations)</blockquote>
<br>
So, there you go, dialogues are topic-based, as we've told you many times before. The rest sounds neat though, from FPS point of view.
<br>
<br>
<br>

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

So, there you go, dialogues are topic-based, as we've told you many times before.

And just the other day Vicky said it was like Baldur's Gate and Fallout. Ooops.

 

[Spazmo]

He takes it all back.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

I can rest easy now.

 

[Fresh]

Aight I have a question about this picture: http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/20 ... een005.jpg

Is this "in-game footage" in any sense (retouched) or "artwork" with no bearing as to how the game will look for real? :

I'd like to know, so please help me out here.

 

[Naked_Lunch]

Didn't MSFD say it was going to be both dialouge-trees and topics or something like that?

And if that is an in-game screenshot, there is no way in hell my computer could even fucking install that thing without going "FUCK MAN! I DON'T DO THAT SHIT!"

 

[LlamaGod]

Need more Gothic 3 info, darn it.

Oblivion is poopoo.

 

[Fintilgin]

I suppose it would be kinda cool if the game tracked how often you used the different 'attitudes'. For example if you used 'Joke' a lot when talking to people you, someone who meet for the first time who dosn't like you much might sneer 'I hear you think you're a funny guy,' because your reputation had preceded you.

 

[Volourn]

"We began our demonstration within the confines of a prison cell. Apparently, at the start of Oblivion, you're a nameless prisoner who is locked in a dungeon in the capital of the fantasy realm of Tamriel."

Seesm to me BIO isn't the only developer with a one note start to their games... Weren't you a prisoner at the start of MW?

R00fles!

Told ya, Oblivion was gonna suck, and other than graphics there has been nothing positive to say about ES4.

 

[Fresh]

"We began our demonstration within the confines of a prison cell. Apparently, at the start of Oblivion, you're a nameless prisoner who is locked in a dungeon in the capital of the fantasy realm of Tamriel."

Seesm to me BIO isn't the only developer with a one note start to their games... Weren't you a prisoner at the start of MW?

R00fles!

Told ya, Oblivion was gonna suck, and other than graphics there has been nothing positive to say about ES4.

You're missing the point, it's a TES-trademark.

How will the player's character begin the game? Will we have humble beginnings as we did at the start of Morrowind?

Todd Howard: Like all our games, you start in prison. We never say why, that's up to you to figure out.

 

[Kamaz]

Weren't you a prisoner at the start of MW?

And in VanBuren you started your game in prison. And in Lionheart.

What does it all mean? Well, you see, its clear that Bethesda (btw, in Latvian this word pronounces just like the word that means "to fart" or "the one who farts" or "fart") wants to associate its games with Fallout franchise and BlackIsle. Its PR, dudes.

 

[Volourn]

"And in VanBuren you started your game in prison. And in Lionheart.

What does it all mean? Well, you see, its clear that Bethesda (btw, in Latvian this word pronounces just like the word that means "to fart" or "the one who farts" or "fart") wants to associate its games with Fallout franchise and BlackIsle. Its PR, dudes."

LOL

 

[Stark]

Told ya, Oblivion was gonna suck, and other than graphics there has been nothing positive to say about ES4.

the radiant AI example is pretty impressive (much better than i expected), and the physics mentioned (setting off the trap) is cool too. assuming the examples are not one-off incidents (carefuly prepared events to impress/bluff the gamespot guys) but these features are used liberally throughout the game we have absolutely something positive to look forward to.

 

[geminito]

If you want to talk about CRPG's on a site called RPG Codex, try to understand what you are talking about.

The 3 previous Elder Scrolls games all start with your character being a prisoner. If Oblivion started any differently, there would be a huge outcry from ES fans. We can make it official right now that ES5 will start with your character as a prisoner too. ES6, ES7, ES8 will also start the same way. And so on.

Its teh clieshay!!! LOLLERSKATES!!11

 

[Fresh]

Its teh clieshay!!! LOLLERSKATES!!11

:wink:

 

[Volourn]

"If Oblivion started any differently, there would be a huge outcry from ES fans."

Like I give a shit what those morons think. Afterall, they *actually* like the previous shitty games in the series. But, hey, if they prefer to have repetive, unimaginative, and boring starts to the ES series; it's no wonder the series sucks.


"If you want to talk about CRPG's on a site called RPG Codex, try to understand what you are talking about."

You should take your own advice as you obviously don't know what you are talking about.


R00fles!

 

[obediah]

Didn't MSFD say it was going to be both dialouge-trees and topics or something like that?

And if that is an in-game screenshot, there is no way in hell my computer could even fucking install that thing without going "FUCK MAN! I DON'T DO THAT SHIT!"

I think it's an inn-game screenshot, like Sony loves to use. The developers are careful to only use this term verbally. It's meaning is rather obvious, you start up the render farm, then wander to the inn to get drunk and laugh about how gullible people are. Then you pass out over the weekend and comback Monday morning to check on your screenshot.]

 

[gouge away]

ES: Arena started you in a dungeon, and that was way back in 92. If anything, you could say that other developers are ripping Bethesda's ideas. As for the idea that it's a "one note" way to start Elder Scroll games, honestly, so what? Some people will look at it as a tribute to the past games.

I'm just stoked that Patrick Stewart will be playing the Emperor. Hopefully this means that there will be lots of good voice actors in the game.

 

[geminito]

"You should take your own advice as you obviously don't know what you are talking about.

What are we talking about again?

As long as the game doesn't start with your character having amnesia and you have to find out who you are, I don't care how it begins. I liked Morrowind because you could invent your character's identity, make custom plug-ins to enhance it (by starting off in a different part of the game world, for example), and just make up shit about your character. The game's story didn't get in the way of your own roal-palying.

If we don't like starting out in a prison in Oblivion, I'm sure we can make/install a plug-in to change it.

It roxxorz my boxxorz. And I dont care wut uz guyz sayzorz.

 

[Jung]

I'm just stoked that Patrick Stewart will be playing the Emperor. Hopefully this means that there will be lots of good voice actors in the game.

Patrick Stewart's voice annoys me. I watched that Fake-Dragon thingy on one of them science channels and his overripe narration nearly ruined it for me.

 

[LlamaGod]

If we don't like starting out in a prison in Oblivion, I'm sure we can make/install a plug-in to change it.

The mantra of all bad games.

'If it sucks they can just mod it!'

Games that use modding tools as a pad instead of being well designed to their fullest are poop.

 

[Ellester]

If we don't like starting out in a prison in Oblivion, I'm sure we can make/install a plug-in to change it.

The mantra of all bad games.

'If it sucks they can just mod it!'

Games that use modding tools as a pad instead of being well designed to their fullest are poop.

Hmm, can we sayToEE?

 

[obediah]

If we don't like starting out in a prison in Oblivion, I'm sure we can make/install a plug-in to change it.

The mantra of all bad games.

'If it sucks they can just mod it!'

Games that use modding tools as a pad instead of being well designed to their fullest are poop.

Only the sith speak in absolutes.

Seriously, saying that all bad games use mod tools as a crutch is the stupidest thing I've heard all day - and you're competing with Lucas dialogue.

Now developer or fanboi apologists that expect fans to fix or finish their games with crappy mod tools that are less stable and complete than the game itself are poop.

However, making it easier for fans to expand your game and take it in new directions is great, and every developer should consider it when dividing up their resources.

 

[Sol Invictus]

Spazmo has nothing better to do than to post a single insult about me? How predictable.

I find it rather amusing, that even though you know very little about me you see fit to post some asinine remark about me. I wonder if you are this banal in real life or if it's only an internet thing.

And whose to say the game can't have dialogue like Baldur's Gate and Fallout? MSFD said that a lot of the dialogue was done that way, and having topic based dialogues (e.g. threaten, joke) doesn't negates the existence of 'regular' dialogue. I didn't know that one form of dialogue immediately overruled the other, because it doesn't, unless you're a dumb fuck. At least they're not using an index.

I suppose you are a dumb fuck, that's why all you do is insult me, instead of addressing the topic, isn't it? Next you'll accuse me of attention whoring because I thought to respond to your idiotic remark.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Spazmo has nothing better to do than to post a single insult about me? How predictable.

As predictable as you seeing insults where there are none.

I find it rather amusing, that even though you know very little about me you see fit to post some asinine remark about me.

I think we know enough of your online persona to comment on it.

I wonder if you are this banal in real life or if it's only an internet thing.

We ask the same thing about you,Vicky. Except we switch 'banal' with 'brain addled Napoleon wannabe'.

And whose to say the game can't have dialogue like Baldur's Gate and Fallout? MSFD said that a lot of the dialogue was done that way, and having topic based dialogues (e.g. threaten, joke) doesn't negates the existence of 'regular' dialogue.

No, but doesn't exactly indicate presence of it as of yet.

I suppose you are a dumb fuck, that's why all you do is insult me, instead of addressing the topic, isn't it?

We're all mostly dumbfucks around here, then. You included. Didn't you get the memo?

Next you'll accuse me of attention whoring because I thought to respond to your idiotic remark.

No, people will point out your attention whoring because you took Spazboy's comment and decided to blow it out of proportion.

Seriously, you remind me of Uderzo and Goscinny's Obelix, except you fell on a giant hash pipe instead, and came out all billy, with random outburts of weirdness or just plain lunacy. If there was a method to the madness, like Volourn's posts, but there isn't any in yours. When is it going to stop?