Features of Skyrim:
Combat- The combat system has once again been overhauled. Now you may choose what you place in each hand, whether it be a sword and shield, dagger and sword, two swords or even a weapon in one hand and a spell in another. Assaulting with your shield is now apart of melee combat, being able to shield bash them to stagger them to give yourself an advantage in combat. The back-peddling speed when in combat has been slowed that you can no longer continuosly string alone an npc or creature in combat. Two-handed weapons ARE still in the game, that did not change. Spells can now be dedicated to a certain hand meaning you can fight with your left hand aflame while your right hand is charged with lightning. Ranged combat has been improved by increasing the damage bows deal significantly, so much so that it is possible for one to one shot an npc from stealth but also so the draw time of your bow has been increased. With the improved damage of ranged combat, there is a reasonable limit on how many arrows can be carried at one time to offset the incredible damage that ranged attacks do in Skyrim. Also, if an enemy closes in on you, you can bash them to stagger them to allow you to be able to create distance between you and them to set up another shot.
Magic combat has been greatly improved. The new magic combat system is partially inspired by the Plasmids of Bioshock (which is SWEET!). The damage types of magic have new effects in Skyrim. Fire does the most damage, giving damage-over-time effects while Shock drains magicka and frost drains stamina and slows down the target physically. Spells do different things depending on how you try to use them. You can cast a spell like has been in the past TES where you hit the button to cast it or you can hold the button to make a flamethrower out a fire spell, or place a rune on the ground with the fire spell where when someone walks over it they will be immolated or you can put a fire spell in each hand and use them at the same time to cast a giant fireball that does massive damage but drains a large amount of your magicka at once.
The Havok Behavior technology gives the spells more visual flair than we've seen in past Elder Scrolls games as well. If you cast a frost spell, you'll see the effects on the enemy's skin. If you're wielding the flame spell like a flame thrower, the environment will catch fire for a short while and burn anything that comes into contact with it.
Stealth- Stealth has been improved. Stealth basically works the same as it did in Oblivion, but Bethesda has slightly altered what happens once enemies detect your presence. Now when NPCs think they see or heard something, they go into an alert state. Characters with a higher sneak skill will have more time to duck back around the corner or find sanctuary in the shadows. It also seems that while attacking from stealth, Daggers become the deadliest form of weapon, giving an incentive to use daggers if you are the stealthy type.
Improved Radiant AI- The AI for Skyrim is a vast improvement over that of Oblivion. The AI will now react to you killing people. If you kill a shopkeeper they will react in a proper way to it. Also it is said that if you drop a sword on the ground near NPCs they will react to that as well, such as a child might try to give you the sword back or two men will fight over it. Also if you say, level your a few schools of magic to a high level, you may be challenged by a mage on the street that just might have been passing by in a western style duel. This event would not happen if you decided to have raised blade instead of Alteration. Even leveling skills has an effect on how the world changes around you. NPCs will dodge spells. When you approach an enemy, they will engage in dialogue with you from a far while continuing to do their task or making gestures or pacing around, depending on what their personality is. This is the replacement for what the NPCs do in Oblivion where the enemy would run up to you and then begin the zoomed in dialogue. The game world truly feels more real due to the fact that NPCs will talk to you from a distance if required and will continue smithing or washing dishes while talking to you and may even make cursory glances over their shoulder at you while talking for realism unparalleled. Also, the one thing that many people will be happy to know, Bethesda has confirmed that they have added many times the amount of dialogue that was in Oblivion and has hired MANY more voice actors to play NPCs. /rejoice all. For more information about the Radiant AI from people that can explain it more eloquently than me, go here. Also, NPCs can now be seen walking through town and along roads carrying items and going about their jobs in Mills, Farms and Mines.
Environment- The environment is that of a mountainous range area close to that of Alaska. The north coast is icy and cold with glaciers, snow, etc. In the middle of Skyrim is a massive tundra (with several different environments in that one area) where you can see the mountains at the edge.- (Thanks to Reach and Riveon) There are numerous ruins spread through Skrim. Each of the dungeons and ruins are completely customized and unique, no one part of one dungeon will look like another. This area is also said to be inhabited by the usual wolves and other creatures but also trolls, Sabertoothed tigers and Mammoths. Also there will be giant spider(s) in Skyrim as well. The draw distances have been greatly increased allowing for little to no grid pattern or low resolution distance land. Also it has been stated that wherever you can see you, can go in Skyrim. The various villages now feel more alive thanks to mills, farms, and mines.
Plot- The plot is that you are possibly the last Dragonborn, a group characterized by their ability to hunt dragons. The Septim line was a prominent Dragonborn line protected by the Dragonguards which eventually became the blades. After the death of the Septim line, the Blades were hunted down and killed one by one and now are almost completely gone. The return of the dragons was foretold in the Elder Scrolls and was ushered in by the destruction of the Staff of Chaos, the creation of the Numidium, the events at Red Mountain and the Oblivion Crisis. There is a blade you come across that will train and guide you through the game. The last event to unfold before the dragons return was the people of Skyrim turning against each other which is happening at the beginning of the game. Dragons start to appear in greater and greater numbers as the game goes on and will eventually culminate with Alduin possibly coming into the world, but we have no idea yet.
Graphics- Skyrim features True shadows, more hyper-realistic faces on NPCs and more distinction between the races. The normal creatures that you are used to have been updated graphically and look much more appealing (especially Trolls). There will be HDR and many other environmental effects that are at the cutting edge of gaming now and including greatly updated water effects. Dynamic snow, a first to my knowledge in gaming, in which snow truly falls from the sky and lands on objects. Also, it has been confirmed that snow DOES accumulate. To what degree we don't know.
Creatures- So far it has been shown that we will have wolves, trolls, giant spiders and of course dragons. There are also Saber-toothed tigers, Mammoths, giants, Ice Wraiths, giant spiders and possibly werewolves. The most shocking creature of all is monstrous and unimaginable....Children! Also it has been revealed that there will be Dwemer constructs. The Dwemer sphere was revealed. The Dwemer sphere is a construct that moves around in ball form but opens up and reveals a torso, arms and a head with various weapons attached to the arms of the construct depending on what variation of the construct it is. (Such as one Dwemer sphere will have a crossbow attached to it's arm while another will have a sword.)
New leveling system and Stat system- You no longer choose between Major and Minor skills anymore. Now there are 18 skills you can choose to level from but you now level from skill in a different way. You no move along to another level by leveling skills like before but the lower the level the less it attributes to the leveling process, for example, by leveling your Destruction from 9-10, it will give less to leveling than say leveling Destruction from 30-31. You gain perks as you get skill levels that give you bonuses like those in Oblivion, Daggerfall and Fallout. Each star in the sky of the menu is a perk. There may be a perk tree taking the form of constellations that will allow you to easily keep track of your perks. (perks information thanks to Orzorn.) Known skills are Smithing, Alchemy, Destruction, Alteration, Illusion, Conjuration, Restoration and Enchanting. You will be able to mine, farm, cook and cut wood but it has not been confirmed that these are skills are or just things you are able to do. Bethesda has said that they have given you things to actually do in towns so that the world feels even more real and immersive. You can smith your own weapons using ore you have mined or grow your own ingredients for Alchemy.
Skyrim Geography-
Skyrim Map is here. (special thanks to Karstux for editing the map we saw in the video)
Cities include Whiterun, Windhelm, Riften, Solitude and Falkreath.
The first major city shown seems to be Markarth Side. This comes from a tweet from Pete Hines.
Skyrim is traditionally divided into nine "Holds," administrative subdivisions similar to Cyrodiilic counties. Judging by the map, each Hold will be a discrete geographical region with its own look and feel. The northern and eastern Holds are known collectively as the "Old Holds," and have a large Nord majority, are the bastions of Nord traditionalism, and are ruled by hereditary aristocracy. It seems likely that the Old Holds would be the main power center for the anti-Imperial Nords. The Old Holds are as follows:
- Winterhold consists of Skyrim's northeastern coast. Winterhold contains two cities - Dawnstar, and its capital, also named Winterhold. The city of Winterhold is likely one of the game's five major cities. Winterhold is historically one of the most important power centers in Skyrim, rivaled only by Whiterun and Solitude. It is a major trading port with a flourishing economy, and is located near the ruins of Saarthal, the original capital of Skyrim. After the destruction of Morrowind, Winterhold became the home of large numbers of Dunmer refugees. It contains both the famous College of Winterhold and the Ysmir Collective, a library rescued from the destruction of Morrowind.
- Eastmarch is in eastern Skyrim, on the border with Morrowind. Eastmarch is described as "Volcanic Tundra," and its only city is Windhelm, the ancient capital of the First Empire, traditional capital of Skyrim, and one of the game's five major cities. During Tiber Septim's reign, Windhelm was an important Imperial garrison, defending the Dunmeth Pass to Morrowind..
- Rift is located in southeast Skyrim. Rift is described as "Fall Forest," and its only city is Riften. Riften is one of the game's five major cities, but we don't know much about it other than that it sits on the edge of a lake.
- The Pale is a valley, located in north-central Skyrim. It is described as "Snow" and apparently contains no cities
The remaining holds are much more cosmopolitan. With one notable exception, while these Holds may have a hereditary aristocracy, they are effectively governed by elected councils called "Moots."
- Falkreath Hold is in southwest Skyrim. It contains the city of Falkreath, but Falkreath does not appear to be one of the game's five major cities.
- The Reach consists of western Skyrim. It consists of "Canyons and Mesas." The Reach is supposedly the most cosmopolitan Hold, with large Orcish, Breton, and Imperial populations. The Reach does not appear to contain any large cities.
- Whiterun is located in south-central Skyrim. It is described as "Tundra." Whiterun contains two cities: Markarth Side and its capital, also called Whiterun, one of the game's five major cities. Whiterun contains the Throat of the World, the tallest mountain in Skyrim, and the second-tallest in all of Tamriel, after Red Mountain in Vvardenfell. At the peak of the Throat of the World is High Hrothgar, the home of the ancient greybeards, masters of the ancient Nord art of thu'um. Tiber Septim established an Imperial College of the Voice in Markarth Side to promote the study of thu'um, but in practice the College serves more as a babysitter for young Nord nobles. The city of Whiterun was once known as the "Imperial City of Skyrim," but its fortunes declined late in the Third Era. Near the end of the Third Era, the city and Hold were effectively ruled by a witch named Jsashe, a self-proclaimed "priestess of Lorkhan." According to the map, Jsashe's Coven is still the supreme ruler of Whiterun.
- A Hold of uncertain name in northwestern Skyrim, on the northwestern bank of a large river delta. It contains the city of Solitude, one of the game's five major cities and Winterhold's traditional rival as the most important city in Skyrim. Solitude is the northernmost city in Tamriel, and a major trading port. It was also the home of Potema, the "Witch-Queen of Solitude," an aunt of the Empress Kintyra who attempted to usurp the Imperial throne. There is still a movement, called the Hörme, who considers Potema and her son Uriel III to have been the last true emperors of Tiber Septim's bloodline, and actively oppose the Empire. Solitude is an ally of Dawnstar in Winterhold, and is also an active sponsor of exploratory expeditions to the Sea of Ghosts and beyond.
- Another Hold of uncertain name in northwestern Skyrim, southeast of the river delta. We know basically nothing about this one.
Skyrim's royal family all claim descent from Ysgramor, the warlord who first conquered Skyrim. When the succession is in doubt, a Moot is convened, consisting of representatives from all nine Holds, to elect the new King from the members of the royal family. Given what we know of the Skyrim Civil War, this probably didn't work. (All information about the Holds are thanks to Arilias' hard work, thanks.)
There are nine holds in Skyrim. The four traditionalist Old Holds are:
- Eastmarch (Central East, Volcanic Tundra; Major Settlements: Windhelm)
- Rift (Southeast, Fall Forest; Major Settlements: Riften)
- The Pale (Central, Snow)
- Winterhold (Northeast; Major Settlements: Winterhold, Dawnstar)
The only other Hold identified before Skyrim was released was supposedly the most cosmopolitan and naturally diverse:
- The Reach (Canyons and Mesas)
Judging by the analysis of this map, we now know at least one more:
- Falkreath Hold (Southwest; Major Settlements: Falkreath)
That means there are three more regions identified on the map that we haven't been able to make out the names of.
There are also Dwemer ruins throughout Skyrim that has been confirmed by Todd Howard in his interview. (Thanks to Durin's Bane for pointing out the Dwemer structure info.)
If anyone can get anymore information of villages or cities from the Skyrim map on the behind-the-scenes video please post it here so we can compile it.
Level Scaling- Okay, this is the biggest thing I see. Level-scaling has been in every TES game in some respect. The level-scaling is more like Fallout's level-scaling meaning that this TES game will be similar to Daggerfall in most respects.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Content is explanation of Fallout Level-scaling. So please no more "OMG HE MADE EVERYTHING UP!" posts<<<<<<<<<<<<
All items have the same set stats, and all non-human enemies have the same HP and stats across all levels. Quest rewards are always the same. This makes it so it better than Oblivion's Level-scaling. NPCs are scaled in their equipment.
Random spawns out in the world are scaled (stronger enemies appear at higher levels), but weak enemies aren't written out of the system, just become less common. Unlike Oblivion where imps and boars become impossible to find at higher levels, A single spawn at lower levels can have enemies spawning in pairs at higher levels.
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After you enter an enclosed area, all enemies will be set to your level there for the rest of the game. You cant keep coming back to the same ruin to get better stuff as you level
Stronger enemies exist in the world at the start of the game. You're usually given enough warning if you don't want to fight anything too strong. The fallout system was created from Oblivion's but Fallout was a testing ground for tweaking level-scaling from too easy from almost no level-scaling (Morrowind) to too much level-scaling (Oblivion).
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Finishing Moves- Finishing moves are visual effects that happen when killing an npc or creature. These finishing moves are unique to each weapon and to each creature. This means that killing a bear with a long sword will look different than killing a troll with a long sword but also killing a bear with a mace will look different than killing it with a longsword. Thus it makes killing creatures and npcs even more exciting and gets rid of the repetition.
Dialogue-
Conversations have evolved greatly over the TES series. Oblivion was the start of the true immersion into the gaming world with their voice over conversations and radiant conversations between villagers allowing for over-hearing information and then using that information to gain quests. In Skyrim the convesations no longer occur in a zoomed-in view of the person speaking to you. When an NPC talks to you they will move about, occasionally looking at you, or turn away to continue a task like woodcuttings or minding a counter. Secondary conversations you overhear also provide info without you ever needing to engage in dialogue. Townspeople might mention a missing item, or comment on an unusual situation and those details will automatically enter your log allowying you to explore those avenues at a later time if you so choose. Also when you walk within range of an enemy npc and they notice you they will begin dialogue with you from afar, making gestures or pacing back and forth as if they were a real person.
Extra Features-
Sprint has been added and drains stamina when used.
Dragon Shouts are abilities give you powerful effects to use in battle. There are shouts such as ones that are a "blink" effect (meaning that you teleport a short distance, like 60 feet or something like, that value is a guesstimate to show that it is a very short distance, not fact) and other combat effects such as breathing fire, cold and slowing time. It's not quite certain how we acquire them other than absorbing dragon souls.
Dragon Shouts are one of the new gameplay mechanics in Skyrim. A new set of powers, that stand apart from the existing magic system, based around these words of power and when learned how to say them right can unleash a broad range of powerful effects. In the game, players will guide their hero to learn ever more powerful dragon shouts, and then use these arcane powers to supplement other combat and magic skills.
There are over 20 unique shouts and over time, players will collect their own arsenal of shouts. Each shout is formed from three words of power. “There are three words for each shout, and there are three levels to them. The amount of time you hold down the shout button is how many words come out,” Howard continues. “It becomes a bit of a collection mechanic – to collect all the words.” These multiple words can be gathered from different places around the world. Players can search out long lost walls covered in dragon script. Upon these walls, individual runes stand out to the hero because he or she is dragonborn. The words are in this ancient language, dragon language (more on this below) and every ancient wall you encounter carries an ancient legend.
The dragon shouts vary in style and power and each shout will grow in intensity with each new word you learn culminating in giving the player the same overwhelming might of the resurgent dragon population. After collecting more than 60 individual words that form up into over 20 complete shouts, Skyrim’s hero will be a force to be reckoned with, especially considering that these dragon-based abilities will be layered on top of his normal leveled-up abilities in combat, traditional magic, and stealth. All shouts have 3 levels, meaning that the first version of the dragon shout will be the weakest of them and they will get stronger with each one.
Random quests have been added in which you can get at random for being in an area at the right time (or wrong time)
Decent sized towns through out Skyrim that are open. Possibly Open Cities (I'd bet my life on it though)
HUD free first-person view and improved third person view. There may be an option to show a HUD but it has not been confirmed yet.
You can now view items in your inventory with great detail, seeing them as you would in the game world instead of just a representative picture. You can zoom in on these models and rotate them to see them in better detail.
In-depth character customization that allows to change your character physique, give them a beard (possibly women with beards?
hmy: That's Nord women for you) and other more detailed changes to your characters body.
Radiant Story in which if you kill a shopkeeper and he gave a quest, his daughter might inherit the shop and if she knows that you killed her father, she may not give you the quest that her father would have given you. If you killed him inside a secluded house and no one discovered you then she won't know you killed him and thus will be willing to give you the quest. All your actions in Skyrim will affect how the game will progress more than any other TES game. The people will truly treat you differently upon how you act. To get an even more in-depth explanation of the new information revealed, go here.
85 unique spell effects, which is far more than most other TES games. -(Thanks to Raziel for the info)
Shields are worn on the back now.
Speculation- From screen shots of the menu in Skyrim, many have speculated that the attributes have been removed and repurposed elsewhere into the game such as in perks or racials. This cannot of course be confirmed as of this time. They have been instead replaced with straight value increases for Health, Magicka and Stamina for when you level.
Ranged combat shouldn't be able to be abused from stealth like in Oblivion due to the fact that NPCs are FAR more intelligent than any TES game ever and possibly any game to date, we shall see.
It hasn't been confirmed that spells will have finishing moves but I can say it is almost certain to have finishing moves for spells.
There was also a Auto-take gold option shown on the ideas board on the behind-the-scenes video.
Possibly flaming arrows. This was seen in some concept art in the Behind-the-scenes video. This may mean there may be other types of visually magic arrows as well.
Possible picture of Javelins in the Behind-the-scenes video. So possibly the return of throwing weapons.
Bethesda's new editing tool is called the "Creation Kit". Whether or not it will be released to the public to mod Skyrim is unknown but seeing as how Bethesda has given us tools in the past to edit the game, I would think it wouldn't be a leap in logic to think they would for Skyrim.
There is a stick in the left hand of an adventurer. This stick seems to be sort of a staff/scepter or some other magical piece of wood that shines with what looks like white, magical light. Possibly a version of a torch or staff. There is another example of a staff like item that can be equipped to one hand in this Concept Art. (Thanks to Cipher_8 for the picture) This possibly means that staves are now one handed weapons.
Halberds have been confirmed to have been at least concept art. This bodes well for more 2h weapon diversity. Here is a picture of the Halberd art. Look two pictures from the left of the bottom right picture of the bearded man.
This picture is possibly Markarth Side.
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I added a few tidbits from the Monday, Jan 17 HUB update to the main information but there was so much information that might want to be touched on by you guys. In that respect, Cipher 8 did an amazing job of compiling the information from that huge HUB update that I'm going to regurgitate it here and take credit for it bwahahahaha (Jk lol)
NEW update delved into a lot of new info.
* New Game Engine Revealed: Bethesda rewrote every major system powering the gameplay experience. The result is the newly dubbed Creation Engine and Kit.
* Havok's Behavior Technology: Improved character and creature movements. Characters now transition more realistically between walking, jogging, and running. Combat animations are also improved as they were able to balance both first- and third-person perspective by adjusting the timing values for swings and blocks depending on your perspective. Even very detailed animations such as characters struggling to move when trapped in environmental hazards such as spider webs! :drool: “We definitely have made a significant jump in how it plays [in third person perspective],” Todd Howard proclaims.
* Greater Draw Distances: The new engine allows for a lot more stuff in the distance to appear giving a greater level of immersion.
* Shadowing Improved: The immediate surroundings now have a more believable look and feel thanks to improved shadowing. The play between light and shadow on the entire world. On everything!
* Overhauled foliage system: Bethesda new system allows their artists to build whatever kind of trees they want and even dictate how they animate.
Altering the weight of the branches to adjust how much they move in the wind, which is an effective way of, for instance, actualizing the danger of traversing steep mountain passes with howling winds violently shaking branches.
* New Precipitation System!: For the first time, as far as my understanding goes, we'll have realistic precipitation effects in a video game! The new system allows artists to define how much snow will hit particular objects. The program scans the geography, then calculates where the snow should fall to make sure it accumulates properly on the trees, rocks, and bushes. :drool:
* Improved Cities: The various villages and cities now feel more alive thanks to mills, farms, and mines.
* Improved Radiant AI: In Skyrim, the NPC's have richer individual personalities and perform tasks that make sense in their environment. During Game Informer's visit to Bethesda Studios, they demoed a "forest village where most of the citizens were hard at work chopping wood, running logs through the mill, and carrying goods through the town."
* Improved Radiant AI - Reactions: NPC's now respond differently based on how they feel about you. Depending on how you treat them, good or bad, they develop feelings about you. For Example: If you're good friends with a particular NPC and barge into his house during the middle of the night, he may offer you lodging rather than demand you leave the premises. Should you swing your weapon near an NPC, knock items off their dinner table, or try to steal something of value then they'll react with an appropriate level of hostility given their prior relationship to you.
* More Example's of New Dialogue System: Players are free to look around while engaging in conversation. NPCs continue to go about their business as well when engaged in discussion. For Example: A barkeep may continue to clean cups while talking, and even move from behind the counter to a seat. A mill worker chopping wood may engage in conversation without turning away from his duties, only occasionally glancing toward you during the exchange.
* NEW INFO ON DRAGONS!: The animations are sure to make them look believable and non-mechanical, even when the dragons are speaking/shouting or doing other powerful and menacing things like when banking, flapping their wings, gaining altitude before making another strafing run, and breathing fire on their hapless victims. More Info Here
* Teases about Dragon Mounts/Mammoth Mounts: Just a rumor, not confirmed.
* Radiant Story Explained Further: Instead of the same sidequests and mundane tasks for each playthrough the game tailors side missions based on who your character is, where you're at, what you've done in the past, and what you're currently doing. Many quests are still completely crafted by Bethesda so no worries about the story. The randomized stuff is strictly side quests.
* More on Random Requests: If you're really good at a particular skill, like one-handed weapons or destruction spells, a stranger who knows of your reputation may ask for training, challenge you to a duel, or beg you for a favor that will require you to show off your skill.
* Random Encounters in the Wilderness: Random events occur while you're exploring the wilderness not just within the towns around NPCs. You might run across mammoth beset by a pack of wolves.
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