Preview IGN previews Oblivion

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: Bethesda Softworks; Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

And another <a href=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/657/657452p1.html>Oblivion preview</a>, courtesy of <a href=http://www.ign.com>IGN</a>.
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<blockquote><u>As you increase your blades skill you'll eventually be able to pull off flashy attacks, but these will happen automatically.</u> Swinging your sword will always consist of hitting the right trigger. A quick tap of RT results in a quick swing and a more deliberate press results in fatigue draining power attack. As your fatigue drops to zero your attacks will actually decrease in power, so you won't be able to constantly power attack your foes.</blockquote>
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Sounds awesome!
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Edit: It seems that I missed an interesting paragraph:
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<blockquote>There are five skill thresholds you'll need to reach in order to access the higher level benefits skill specialization yields. While your skill may start at five or 15 depending on what you've assigned yourself, it needs to reach 20 to access the next tier of skill benefits. The tier names are novice, apprentice, journeyman, expert, and master. As an example, if you're able to increase your armorer skill the master level, you can repair items beyond 100 percent, whereas at lower levels you may only be able to restore it to 50 percent and be restricted from repairing magical items. At the highest levels of the mercantile skill you're even able to invest in stores and turn a profit.</blockquote>
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That actually sounds promising. Regardless of how Bethesda implements that, it's a step into the right direction.
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Thanks, <b>kumquatq3</b>

 

[crpgnut]

VD- Don't do that to me! You actually complemented Bethesda on something and I about died Good Catch!

I hope that money actually has value in Oblivion. In Morrowind it was ridiculously easy to have more money than you'd ever need before leaving Balmora!

 

[Vault Dweller]

VD- Don't do that to me! You actually complemented Bethesda on something and I about died Good Catch!

Contrary to the popular opinions, I don't hate Oblivion. However, I disliked the way Bethesda (let's not blame reviewers for this one) marketed the game, ignoring most gameplay features and focusing on soil erosion, voiceover, and shiny graphics.

 

[MrSmileyFaceDude]

Hey that's a pretty good writeup. Some new info in there for a change, eh?

 

[Twinfalls]

OH my GOD!

An Obligon preview which looks not at graphics, but gameplay mechanics? Skilltrees examined in a preview, Heavens! Have I been teleported to another planet? Next they'll be discussing story and dialogue choices!

It is nice to read some promising news about it for a change. They've thought creatively about high-level rewards from the sound of it, I'd still like to hear more (like examples) about how much specialisation is encouraged or even mandated by tough decisions presented to the player.

 

[crpgnut]

Yep, it was really good stuff MSFD. When do we get to read your interviews

I'm curious as to how the 8 direction gamepad is going to be set up on the pc. I can't imagine that the keypad will be nearly as fast as a joystick.

 

[MrSmileyFaceDude]

When you access quickkeys, if you just tap the key it'll equip whatever's assigned to it without the "rosette" appearing. If you hold a key (or a direction on the d-pad), the rosette will appear and you can pick a different one. It ends up working out really well, both on PC and Xbox.

 

[LlamaGod]

A skill system i've always wanted to see in a game is one where you 'learn' the skill maximum and spend skill points from leveling or using that skill to increase the ability.

Starting choices can set your learning into a skill higher and stuff.

I.E. your character has no knowledge in Fire Magic, but finds and reads books in the game and learns about Fire Magic from them, but hasnt practiced and really done them.

His maximum Fire Skill goes from 0 to 5 on the first book read, but he has the spells and ability of someone with 0. When he levels up he can spend 1-3 points he has earned (he's earned 3 points from leveling up) into Fire Magic, but the next level, he'll only be able to spend 2 into it (because it'll cap).

So at that point, he has 5/5 Fire Magic. He has some experience and ability in it, but still doesnt know very much about Fire Magic.

He'll have to find more sources of learning to increase his maximum (not just books, can be other things).

 

[Drakron]

Sounds like WoW system, except that in WoW you only raise it by using the skills, you have caps on each level and you only need a trainer to buy your skills ... of course some skills require quests or buying and "reading" (using) a book so what you wanted could be implemented.

 

[Section8]

As an example, if you're able to increase your armorer skill the master level, you can repair items beyond 100 percent

Nigel Tufnel: The numbers all go to eleven. Look, right across the board, eleven, eleven, eleven and...
Marty DiBergi: Oh, I see. And most amps go up to ten?
Nigel Tufnel: Exactly.
Marty DiBergi: Does that mean it's louder? Is it any louder?
Nigel Tufnel: Well, it's one louder, isn't it? It's not ten. You see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. You're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on ten on your guitar. Where can you go from there? Where?
Marty DiBergi: I don't know.
Nigel Tufnel: Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do?
Marty DiBergi: Put it up to eleven.
Nigel Tufnel: Eleven. Exactly. One louder.
Marty DiBergi: Why don't you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number and make that a little louder?
Nigel Tufnel: *pause* These go to eleven

 

[LlamaGod]

Sounds like WoW system, except that in WoW you only raise it by using the skills, you have caps on each level and you only need a trainer to buy your skills ... of course some skills require quests or buying and "reading" (using) a book so what you wanted could be implemented.

wacky, I was just using the idea of a character Knowing things but also needing experience in doing them.

So they can read books, but wont get better at doing something, just know it better. But from experience in the field, they can contribute that experience at doing something they know better (so thats why I think skill points are better, kinda).

 

[Twinfalls]

Very good idea, Llamagod, gives a theory/practice multi-dimension.

 

[Quigs]

Pic i havent seen.

http://media.teamxbox.com/games/ss/1041/1128474833.jpg

 

[Drakron]

Well "knowing" is a strong word, they must be trained in the skills first and as I said most skill are simply going to the trainer and buy then.

There are a few that requires books and a quest, cooking for example requires a book to raise it beyond the 150 limit and a quest beyond the 225 limit.

There are a lot of factors in the skills, for example you cannot just cook the same fish to go from 1 to 300, the recipes are colored from grey to red ... when you crete something when the recipe is red you get 1 more point into the skill as if that is colored grey you dont get any points. The color depends on your skill and the recipe dificulty.

Also you cannot just learn something if you do not meet the requirements, skills usually have a level requirement but in some cases (the cooking, fishing and professions) it have a skill requirement you can raise its limit (that is not affected by level) and so learn new things (cooking new food, making bags with more slots, fishing more dificult fish -aka "higher level fishes-, etc ...)

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

As you increase your blades skill you'll eventually be able to pull off flashy attacks, but these will happen automatically.

Well, at least it's not Super Street Fighter style special attacking. Half Moon Left, Space, Space, Half Moon Right, Tap Left Arrow, Tap Left Arrow, Enter!

 

[DamnElfGirl]

I like how the previewer warns readers, "Be aware, this preview may get a little technical". Oh, those wacky IGN dudes.

 

[jiujitsu]

Wow, an actual use for the mercantile skill.

 

[Chefe]

Some real gameplay info?

Unpossible!

As an example, if you're able to increase your armorer skill the master level, you can repair items beyond 100 percent

Nigel Tufnel: The numbers all go to eleven. Look, right across the board, eleven, eleven, eleven and...
Marty DiBergi: Oh, I see. And most amps go up to ten?
Nigel Tufnel: Exactly.
Marty DiBergi: Does that mean it's louder? Is it any louder?
Nigel Tufnel: Well, it's one louder, isn't it? It's not ten. You see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. You're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on ten on your guitar. Where can you go from there? Where?
Marty DiBergi: I don't know.
Nigel Tufnel: Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do?
Marty DiBergi: Put it up to eleven.
Nigel Tufnel: Eleven. Exactly. One louder.
Marty DiBergi: Why don't you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number and make that a little louder?
Nigel Tufnel: *pause* These go to eleven

Love that movie.

 

[Zli]

Increasing a skill higher gets more difficult as you progress. For instance, increasing a skill from five to six is much easier than increasing a skill from 89 to 90.

This is sorta obvious, but In MW going from 89 to 90 actually seemed easier than 5 to 6. I hope it's more balanced now.

 

[HardCode]

I like how the previewer warns readers, "Be aware, this preview may get a little technical". Oh, those wacky IGN dudes.

Translates to: We know the XBox spaz-tards can't handle in-depth games, so be careful with this in-depth description of how to make ice.

 

[Avin]

As you increase your blades skill you'll eventually be able to pull off flashy attacks, but these will happen automatically.

Well, at least it's not Super Street Fighter style special attacking. Half Moon Left, Space, Space, Half Moon Right, Tap Left Arrow, Tap Left Arrow, Enter!

what? no hadouken??????????????

 

[truekaiser]

Oblivion's main quest will last 20 to 25 hours

not much story is there?

or are you just laying on the backs of modders to make the content that will make people buy the game rather then provideing yourself like promised?

the only good news i see from the article is that the character creation is not as bad as i thought it would be. the second i read that your actions in the first area will determine your class i thought. 'oh $deity. now i have to second guess every step i take in that place so i get the class i want and not one i don't'

please tell me that the 'power attacks' that you get at certain skill levels are not ala secret of mana?

 

[Sarvis]

Hey that's a pretty good writeup. Some new info in there for a change, eh?

I seriously hope you don't have to use the right trigger for all attacks, it sound very bad for my carpal tunnel.

 

[Quigs]

I like how the previewer warns readers, "Be aware, this preview may get a little technical". Oh, those wacky IGN dudes.

Translates to: We know the XBox spaz-tards can't handle in-depth games, so be careful with this in-depth description of how to make ice.

Translates to : I have an inferiority complex, so I make rash statements about a large group of people.

Id be embarrassed too, if I payed 3 times more for hardware to play the same game that Xbox players will play.

 

[MrSmileyFaceDude]

Sarvis, you can re-assign the controls on Xbox 360 as well as PC.

Zli, the number of "skill uses" required to advance from skill level to skill level increases the higher your skill level is,and the amount of usage you get for performing any given action is constant, so it takes longer to advance your skills the higher they get.