Interview Oblivion answers at GameSpot

[Saint_Proverbius]

Tags: Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

<b>Todd Howard</b> answers more fun questions in <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/">GameSpot</a>'s two page <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/theelderscrollsivoblivion/preview_6128768.html">interview</a> filled with fun stuff about facial animations, pretty trees, pointless horses and houses, map travel, and this about super skeletons:
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<blockquote><b>GameSpot: Considering that the game is being developed to have a huge world and characters that act more or less independently, have there been any surprising moments for you so far in the game?
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Todd Howard:</b> Oh jeez, too many. Just yesterday I saw some skeletons pick up leftover weapons that were lying around so they could kill me easier. It was one of those, "Where's he going? Oh crap," moments.</blockquote>
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While that's definitely a cool feature, isn't that a bit too smart for a brainless skeleton?
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.shacknews.com">Shack News</A>

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

That's definetely a good feature. More often than not, enemies in RPGs are so mundane in their behaviour they become boring to fight. Enemies fighting amongst themselves, taking advantage of surrounding environments to attack you better, and the example above are definetely a plus.

 

[Whipporowill]

Well, I'd rather have skeletons picking up weapons than humanoids that can't seem to figure out how to open a door... I still remember fighting through a closed door (enemies couldn't hit me), while sleeping in Bloodwych. CLASSIC!

 

[Claw]

It's the best I've heard about Oblivion so far, and a good best at that.

 

[Greatatlantic]

Seriously, let the skeletons have their Euler moments. Just improving human AI to such a degree is a giant step forward in the industry, if they actually deliver. ESV can figure out how to make the skeletons and DMV employees idiots.

 

[NeutralMilkHotel]

While that's definitely a cool feature, isn't that a bit too smart for a brainless skeleton?

I'd think standing, keeping balance, walking around, seeing/knowing where you are, and attacking you would be too smart for a brainless skeleton as well.

 

[LlamaGod]

since when has having enemies pick up and using weapons that are on the ground a NEW AND INNOVATIVE STEP

Its nothing new or special, even Cops 2170 had it

 

[Deacdo]

*shrugs* I say let Bethesda get the AI and mechanics right. I don't trust them to make a great RPG, but modder just might if the groundwork is there

 

[NeutralMilkHotel]

Who said it was a "NEW AND INNOVATED STEP!"?

All I see are people saying is that it's a cool feature that's not used in many RPGs. Calm down there, Sparky.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

Well, I just think if you're going to have a pretty smart AI, it should just make a little more sense in where and how it's used. I figure animated skeletons are probably so stupid they don't even know they're carrying weapons or can let go of them, let alone judge how much better a weapon on the ground is versus the one they're already wielding. I can see an orc doing that or some other smartish enemy, but I figure animated skeletons are probably a step down in intelligence from your average zombie.

 

[Sol Invictus]

I think it's a damn cool feature to have enemies recognise their surroundings and use it to their advantage. This is truly a step in the right direction, as far as AI goes. I was hoping to see some of that in Half Life 2, but Valve was a real letdown in that department.

It'd be fun to be fighting in some manor, faced against poorly armed guards whom you outclass and outequip... only to have one of them reach for the magical broadsword hanging on the mantlepiece to use it against you. It'd make for some truly interesting moments, much like the innocuous laser rifle sitting on a desk in a multiplayer game of deathmatch might mean the difference between life and death.

It's just taking reality and immersion one step further, and that's a good thing. In the future, we might see enemies (in engines capable of it) clever enough to pick up shields and use them as temporary cover before they're destroyed, much like how an unarmed person in Half Life 2 DeathMatch with no guns other than his stun prod and his grav gun might pick up a barrel to throw at you or at least slow you down, while he's running and looking for a new weapon. An unarmed enemy could call for help and his friend could throw him a weapon to fight with, or an extra clip of ammunition.

I mean, we do it all the time in multiplayer games like Starsiege: Tribes, CounterStrike Source and Battlefield 2. It'd be awesome to see it implemented in a single player game.

Watching someone turn over a table to use as defense from crossbow fire would be very, very interesting. It'd be like one of those scenes in an action movie, or a book.

 

[corvax]

Well, I just think if you're going to have a pretty smart AI, it should just make a little more sense in where and how it's used. I figure animated skeletons are probably so stupid they don't even know they're carrying weapons or can let go of them, let alone judge how much better a weapon on the ground is versus the one they're already wielding. I can see an orc doing that or some other smartish enemy, but I figure animated skeletons are probably a step down in intelligence from your average zombie.

you're being too picky and you bring your own preconcieved notions of what each of the monsters should be like. for instance, skeletons in "army of darkness" were pretty smart but regardless debating levels of inteligence between orcs, zombies, skeletons, etc. is kind of silly.

 

[Fez]

I always liked the skeletons in the Sinbad films.

 

[Spazmo]

Well, that's a point in your standard D&D fantasy where skeletons have 0 intelligence, but if Todd Howard--who presumably gets to decide what's what in TES--says skeletons are smart enough to do it, they will be. It's one of his powers.

 

[Ismaul]

Enter the new combat strategy: Throw weapons at the enemy so you can wack 'em while they pick them up!

Seriously, it looks real nice. As much as I didn't like Morrowind, Oblivion seems like it's going to be a hell lot better. It all screams Gothic wannabe, but in a good way.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

Well, that's a point in your standard D&D fantasy where skeletons have 0 intelligence, but if Todd Howard--who presumably gets to decide what's what in TES--says skeletons are smart enough to do it, they will be. It's one of his powers.

Well, that's pretty much where I'm getting my SKELETONS = TEH STOOPID thought from, D&D. A skeleton in D&D basically just walks and hits things close enough to it.

Really, figuring out which weapon is better is a fairly simple logic-wise for a programmer, but it kind of breaks the illusion of it being smart if every critter capable of holding a weapon can do it. It goes from being AI to a gimmick. Not everything should be able to tell that the magic sword on the ground is better than the rusty sword it's carrying.

 

[NeutralMilkHotel]

It all screams Gothic wannabe, but in a good way.

Gothic wannabe eh? The only thing that I can think of (off the top of my head) that they've used from Gothic is NPC schedules, except, you know, they completely overhauled it with AI to make it dynamic rather than static like Gothic's.

The only other thing Gothic did decent was it's combat (well, to some), but Oblivion's sounds like Morrowind's combat done right (if that's even possible?). Gothic's was more of a third-person, lock on, circle enemy type thing.

 

[Claw]

You are creating imaginary categories just so you can prove how Oblivion is totally not a step in Gothic's direction.
It's not like it really matters if a game does something another game did before, except to fanboys or if one game is an obvious clone, which really isn't the case.
It just so happens that TES fanboys pleading for features that have been in Gothic ever since on the official forums. I guess it just says that Piranha Bytes did something right when they designed Gothic. Now we all hope they start doing it right while programming it, too.

 

[NeutralMilkHotel]

Hmm... What imaginary categories?

Anyways, I'm not trying to prove anything, I'm just curious since I've heard that "gothic wannabe" line before and I've always wondered about it. What are these features that Oblivion is implimenting that screams "gothic wannabe"?

 

[MrSmileyFaceDude]

If an NPC or creature has a weapon, they won't try to get a better one. Only an unarmed (or disarmed -- there are skill perks you can get that give a chance to disarm) skeleton would pick up something that's lying around. Also if their weapon breaks and there are others lying around, they'll grab a new one.

The only time a non-player actor would switch weapons is if they have both ranged and melee weapons. They'll switch between them depending on the distance to the opponent.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Cool.

Next up - removing weapons from wall-mounted weapon racks! :razz:

 

[Rat Keeng]

I'm all for varying combat as much as possible, and this is just another thing that will make fighting less dull, which is awesome. I recall enemies in Fallout picking up weapons, and using them against you, I still remember getting my ass kicked by a golden gecko with spiked knuckles, fun times

But if a skeleton is clever enough to pick up a weapon and use it effectively, then wouldn't they be able to open unlocked chests and grab the phat lewt inside? And if the skeleton picks up a weapon it's never seen before, how would it know what side to point at the enemy, and how to hold it? I think it would be cool to have a skeleton holding a sword by it's blade, and beating you with the handle

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

If an NPC or creature has a weapon, they won't try to get a better one. Only an unarmed (or disarmed -- there are skill perks you can get that give a chance to disarm) skeleton would pick up something that's lying around. Also if their weapon breaks and there are others lying around, they'll grab a new one.

The only time a non-player actor would switch weapons is if they have both ranged and melee weapons. They'll switch between them depending on the distance to the opponent.

Okay, that makes sense. Though, I still like the idea of dumber than dirt skeletons. If their weapon breaks, they'd be too stupid to switch weapons and would keep attacking with the hilt. For some reason, I think one of the things that makes skeletons and lower undead "scary" is that their lack of thinking and persistance. The dumber they are and how they keep coming at you no matter what you do to them up until the point where they're damage enough to where they can't continue is what makes them great. Disarm them, they keep coming without acknowledging they're at a disadvantage now. Cut off a limb, they keep coming without worrying about that. Cut them in half, you have a torso crawling after you.

If you've ever seen Day of the Dead, there's one scene where a soldier shoves a shovel in a zombie's mouth which cuts off his jaw and severs the spinal column. The upper half of the head flies off and lands scalp down on the ground with the eyes still looking around. While there is an element of humor there, it's still freaking creepy.

 

[Tintin]

<b>Todd Howard</b> answers more fun questions in <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/">GameSpot</a>'s two page <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/theelderscrollsivoblivion/preview_6128768.html">interview</a> filled with fun stuff about facial animations, pretty trees, pointless horses and houses, map travel, and this about super skeletons:
<blockquote><b>GameSpot: Considering that the game is being developed to have a huge world and characters that act more or less independently, have there been any surprising moments for you so far in the game?

Todd Howard:</b> Oh jeez, too many. Just yesterday I saw some skeletons pick up leftover weapons that were lying around so they could kill me easier. It was one of those, "Where's he going? Oh crap," moments.</blockquote>
While that's definitely a cool feature, isn't that a bit too smart for a brainless skeleton?

Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.shacknews.com">Shack News</A>

You sure try hard to turn everything into a negative concerning Oblivion. I have a feeling if this information was released about another game, you would be raving about tit. Anyways, why are horses "pointless"?

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

you would be raving about tit.

Who doesn't rave about tits?