Bethesda Explains What Playing Skyrim Will Be Like

[AngryPuppy]

*YAWN* Wake me when Bethesda makes a game that isn't boring as hell and riddled with bugs.

 

[theheroofaction]

Some day I'd love to see TES explain the ethics of burning up sentient creatures' souls to power your magic items (and/or "phrases of power".)

Would you rather be stuck in oblivion?

Cuz in this 'verse that's the only other option

 

[omicron1]

IF Fallout 3 was Oblivion with guns, Skyrim sounds like New Vegas with swords. I have said that before but the more I hear about Skyrim the more accurate that statement seems to become. Also why would you put crafting in a game, does anyone actually like crafting? I have never seen a good crafting system EVER, it always seems like devs put it in just for its own sake and so they can have it advertised on the damn box. It was mostly useless crap in NV and it will be bad here.

I love crafting. Especially crafting done right, EG tied into a global economy.

There tend to be three main crafting types in games (With a very, very important caveat):

* MMO crafting - gather materials from the wilds, make them into bog-standard items, and sell them; maybe at high crafting levels you can make reasonable weapons. This is boring in terms of item availability but engaging in terms of marketplace interaction, especially if worked into a living economy.

* Gothic 3-style crafting - There are a certain number of metal ingots in the world, with which you can make any of the game's default weapons. This is boring in most aspects (no real value to crafting in and of itself, or as a trade supplement), as well as highly unrealistic; but can be a fun collection pursuit.

* Oblivion-style crafting, which tends to be a combination of various materials (with effects that are not pre-set) to create a final product. This is evident in Oblivion's spells and alchemy, and is quite engaging, being the best of the standard bunch. This is one reason why I have no worries regarding the crafting system in Skyrim.

Then, of course, there's A Tale in the Desert.

Every tool (no weapons in this game!) is player-made, and has a quality rating, from 1 to 9999. This quality is determined by you, when you create it - which you do by using a variety of differently-shaped tools (from ballpeen hammer to shaping mallet) to literally hammer a 3D representation of the item into shape. How close you get determines the quality, which determines the tool's effectiveness.

This is a marvelous approach I wish more games would follow - add a skill-based minigame for crafting whose outcome actually affects the quality of the resulting item. What results is an activity completely outside the main questline which can engage the player for hours on end, leaving them with a unique, powerful, personal item for their trouble. Imagine, for instance, if thirty minutes of effort had resulted in a finely-crafted steel longsword that dealt 20% more damage than normal steel weapons. Things like that would make it worth the player's while, and keep them engaged and happy. Obviously this would become tedious if you were crafting large numbers of items (say, healing potions), but that's when Oblivion-style crafting comes in handy.

 

[OniaPL]

I don't know why, but this reminded me of Runescape.

 

[blankedboy]

Lock picking had received something of an overhaul, with Bethesda borrowing - which is to say, stealing - the lock picking mechanics from Fallout 3.

And I stole my guitar from the living room today and took it to my room.

Players would be able to mine ore, and then turn it into ingots. Those ingots, along with leather harvested from Skyrim's creatures, could be used to create new weapons and armor

And where have I heard that before.

Yeah, still expecting the game to be Oblivion 2. In that it will still randomly and seemingly crash for no reason.

*YAWN* Wake me when Bethesda makes a game that isn't [riddled with bugs].

*Ahem*

Skyrim isn't using Gamebryo.

Thank you for your time today.

 

[ChupathingyX]

Skyrim is shaping up to be a rather deep RPG. For all the consternation about the simplification and streamlining of the stats and skill systems, it looks like Bethesda is adding in quite a lot actual gameplay content to make up for it.

Gameplay additions are nice, but as long as the main quest is structured like it was in Oblivion (which was confirmed in an interview) then I will never call this a "deep RPG".

*Ahem*

Skyrim isn't using Gamebryo.

Thank you for your time today.

It will still end up being really buggy, hopefully not, but it probably wil.

 

[ChupathingyX]

Move along, nothing to see here.

 

[StrixMaxima]

Oh, I like what I read. Which is good, since I already preordered the whole wazoo.

I keep trying to avoid news about Skyrim, since I want to play this game so badly... Damn you, Escapist!

 

[VanQ]

Now just add in a Survival Mode that isn't as bad as New Vegas' and I'll be in heaven.
Kind of off topic but does anyone know if Skyrim will support DX11?

 

[The_ModeRazor]

Sounds good. Wish we'd get some news regarding the in-game console functions and modding tools though.

 

[Kirky]

Some day I'd love to see TES explain the ethics of burning up sentient creatures' souls to power your magic items (and/or "phrases of power".)

Well, they are kinda trying to kill you - or, at least, most of them are (there are totally friendly dragons. FRIENDLY MOTHERFUDGING DRAGONS.).

I chanted this for around a minute after reading the article:

"I want to build a sword. I want to build a sword. I want to build a sword. I want to build a sword. I want to build a sword. I want to build a sword. I want to build a sword. I want to build a sword. I want to build a sword. I want to build a sword. I want to build a sword. I want to build a sword. I want to build a sword."

I want to build a sword.

I will call it 'Arnold, the Doomslayer'.

 

[kingmob]

I don't want it to be Oblivion 2, I want it to be Morrowind 2
It actually looks like they are on the right track, taking serious the complaints people had in oblivion and still keeping it 'mainstream' for a larger audience.

I am hopeful

 

[Anjel]

I've paid for it... why make me wait until November? Grrrrr! Want it now!

KILL ALL THE THINGS!

 

[Pat8u]

"Bethesda Explains What Playing Skyrim Will Be Like"

....buggy. What? It's from Bethesda, it's a given. Still the fans will fix it thank god.

In all three Bethesda games I've played, I only ever encountered 2 bugs. 1 was my own fault cause I scratched the cd, the other was Fallout 3 crashing... but it only crashed ONCE.

I suppose there were a few other minor bugs (Yao Guai falling from the sky in Fallout 3 for example), but to say Bethesda's games are inherently buggy is a huge mistake. Perhaps you're getting them mixed up with Obsidian?

agreed only fallout nc is buggy for me and thats obsidian
(also why is it that obsidian is like a devoloper of other peoples sequels)

 

[Crazy_Dude]

Skyrm or Diablo 3?

Gonna be a hard decision.

 

[Abedeus]

It's always good to know that they're not forcing the players into forging and cooking things to survive in the game world.
If they provide added bonuses then i'll happily go out of my way to do them!

Sounds like single-player WoW. I don't get the hype

You just kind of answered your own question... WoW is a massively popular fantasy role playing game, Elder scrolls is a massively popular fantasy role playing game, but because it is single player it can offer a story and deeper immersion into the game world

Without other people ruining your experience and WITH mods that can extend the life of the game.

I mean hell, Oblivion is still very well supported game when it comes to mods...

 

[AssassinFisH]

My issues with Oblivion:

Terrible NPC's....thick, irratating same voices.

Lack of class distinction

WORST, and I mean WORST combat system ever implemented in a game ever.

If they fix at least the combat issue, then I will be willing to give Skyrim a try. Not sure I trust reviews these days, as Oblivion was a high 90's game, which in my eyes it really did not deserve.

 

[ViciousTide]

Oblivion's stories of evolution from ArchMage to Master Assassin to Their/Entrepreuner to Arena Gladiator was a lot of fun.
What was lacking is the housing/business aspects and the feel of ownership of the world. I wanted to be King like from Fable II to Fable III. Fable III messed it up a bit, by not dwelling more on the benefits of being a King. Oblivion failed with housing and business in general. I hope Skyrim is greatly improved in this area. I want to hire many many workers, enslave entire village into my debt and inspire them with false capitalistic ideals. I want to Horde all the gold of the land into my kingdom, then release a dragon upon the village once i have pillaged all the beautiful women and chained them to my beds in my castles. Evoling Economies are the real gems of Modern RPGs. I liked Morrowinds slavery system. When you put on shackles you could be controlled by an NPC. I liked breaking free of my chains and enslaving fellow NPCs. Oblivion could easily be an awesome NPC AI Simulation of a world with all the RPG elements in it. I see the world as a challenge to control it! Not to be bundled by stupid limitations of when you kill an npc you can't go about the acquisition of their house, family, horses, and stores...That's what players are really frolicking about with in your game, at least for the first ten hours Why not make it possible? I want more then a dead NPC. I want to acquire his/her life! Acquire all their lives whether through killing or controlling, i mean hiring

 

[Kahani]

My issues with Oblivion:

Lack of class distinction

WORST, and I mean WORST combat system ever implemented in a game ever.

I guess you've never played any other TES games? Two of the most fundamental features of the series is that there are no classes, just skills that can be used in any combination, and that combat involves actually swinging weapons, moving, and blocking, rather than just mashing skill buttons. If you don't like that, then Skyrim certainly isn't going to be the game for you.

Not sure I trust reviews these days, as Oblivion was a high 90's game, which in my eyes it really did not deserve.

You really can't blame reviews for not taking into account that you don't like the fundamental mechanics a game is based on. That's why you need to actually read reviews rather than just look at a number. A game could be a perfectly executed example of its genre, and if all the reviewers give it full marks it's not their fault if it turns out to be a genre you have no interest in.

I mean hell, Oblivion is still very well supported game when it comes to mods...

Hell, Morrowind is still very well supported when it comes to mods.

 

[Riff Moonraker]

I am not ashamed to admit that I *giggled* when I read this. Seriously, a squeaky uncontrollable giggle burst out of me before I could contain it. Oh, I also got goosebumps.

My wife is really going to hate this game.