I′d like to see goblinoid that fight with tactics, where they have assigned "shieldbearers" and "archers" and "healers" where for example if I try kill an archer or a healer they will just run while the shieldbearers try to block my path, and will not turn around until I am attacking a shieldbearers, and the healers should heal the shieldbearers from afar while the archers bleed me down as I hit the constantly blocking shieldbearers. There could perhaps also be "trappers" that if I′m nearly managing to kill someone they will burst out and paralyze me and then the group (expect for the paralyzers that will keep paralyzing me) will run away while I am paralyzed with the healers healing the wounded so that they can return for a 2nd try.

Sorry for any incoherence, and I'm also sorry in advance if this post annoys you from me stating the obvious.

I meant to say that when an enemy runs away from me, I feel bad for killing him, as it seems to me as unnecessary. The ideas given were that when enemies are on low health they turn tail and run, therefore, if I am ever to win a fight, I will have to put the enemy on low health before killing them (logically), which will trigger the enemy to run away. I am left wth two options - To chase and kill them, or to ignore them. If a decide the first option, I will feel bad (a personal thing), as they are running, they no longer wish to kill me (if they were all assassins or something that would stab me in the back this would be different). If I choose the second option, then I will never get the satisfaction that comes with finally finishing something/someone off. It would be like building a table but never getting around to attaching the final leg. I would also never be able to get the valuable loot that they carry. This would leave me in a lose-lose situation. Either shoot a fleeing opponent who does not wish you any harm while they are running away (which seems rather cowardly and dishonourable to me, and would also break roleplaying), or handicapping my character by not getting armour and weapons from the enemies (which in Oblivion were the best weapons and the best source of income). It really comes down to personal morals, I do not like merciless killings, especially of those who are wounded, but if I do not kill enemies then the game will get boring, due to the lack of following through with things.

Hopefully this will clear things up. In short, fleeing enemies leaves me with a dilenma(spelling?), and I do not like dilenmas.

The idea that a bandit will retreat and find its friends when it notices that you are too strong for it is a very good one imo.

Too many poll options. Stop making polls.

Seriously, it's completely arbitrary at this point.

lol I haven't even read the poll yet.

Why would you put this into a poll...?

Npc's should be able to do all those things (apart from passing out in fear, now that's just gay ).

TES could have a sleep spell added, and most of them are combat enhacers not alternatives

That is a sweet way of thinking, but remember this and remember it well, the only reason that goblin is escaping you is because he′d rather lose his warrior pride to get a shot at taking you down later than sticking around to die in honorable combat. Leave that goblin and you can never again sleep safely... !

Oh my... now I just had reflections upon myself as a low level in Morrowind fleeing from my enemies only to return later when I′m stronger to kill them D: I have no honor

Haha thanks.

No, you started without honour, but you learnt it.

EDIT: Incoherence, again (at least I realised this time though)

I like most of those ideas, if not all of them.

I mean, I always felt enemies acted too much in a suicidal way. When you see your opponent is DEFINITELY superior, logic says that you'll try to get out of the fight: run, cast invisibility, beg for mercy, anything but keep on fighting and be killed.

However, the fact that fleeing enemies can be annoying, gameplay wise, it's true.
Don't know... maybe those should be short-timed, strategic retreats. Run to call your buddies, or to heal yourself...
If they really want to end the fight, instead, they should give up: you get the chance of taking whatever they have, and they are converted to non-aggressive.

Could be a lot of work to make it work under the vast number of possible situations, though...
These things should take into account the NPC's personality (coward, bold, aggressive, timid, etc.) and the exact situations: were they the ones who attacked you or was it you that attacked them?
Let's say you enter an house, beat the owner until she surrenders and take all of her stuff as a consequence: maybe she will not attack you anymore, but it would make sense if she reports you to the guards at the first opportunity! ...but then, you may have intimidated her into not telling anyone or you'll be back... Which in turn would make Speechcraft more useful... mmm!

If people did run more often in Skyrim, then I think there should be some kind of a game dynamic for catching them. Maybe you could throw a Bola or a Net to try and capture them. Or maybe you could cast a spell "Stumbling" or "Push" to try and trip them or knock them down where you can catch up to them. Or maybe there is a spell for pulling people toward you using wind. Or if those ideas are not elaborate enough, perhaps you have an arrow tied to a strong thin rope (magical, so it's small) so that when your arrow strikes them you can basically reel them in like a fish.

Then if people ran more often, you could chase after them, and do something to stop them. Once stopped, once you're too close, they would try to re-engage you in battle again, or go back to pleading for mercy. Or they could try and trick you... pretend to plead for mercy while slowly withdrawing a dagger to stab you with. Maybe they cut your ankle tendon and then take off running again, only you're crippled now, so you can't run anymore, and they get away.

This could lead to a lot of unique battles that have a lot more character than just engage, swing, kill. Sure, I love Bethesda's music selection, but I can't hear the same song every time, I like to hear some variations once in a while, which is why I have more options in my music folder than just Jeremy Soule (though he is fantastic). I think the same should be said for combat variation, too.

I want enemies to also act differently if adrenaline induced. Like in a fierce battle they might not run away if their health is low, but if the flow of the battle is somehow broken up, they might decide to run away or try something else.

Since the PC has the power of [censored] dragons, I would be surprised if some of these aren't already in. It would be silly to shout words from an eldritch language and fling a bandit across the countryside, only to have his brave little bandit buddy keep rushing you.

If I cast a powerful fire spell, the poor sap on the receiving end better ignite while crying for his mother, if he isn't charred to a black smudge on the ground first. Wolves shouldn't keep chasing you if you blast them with lightning, etc. etc.

That would be awesome

i agree with this enemies where a bit robotic in oblivion :/ you should add more questions like what should animals do in combat for instance wouldnt a bear or a mammoth become enraged at the death of there child or mate

I know it may not intended in this way but can people not use gay as a derogatory term.

I think NPC's should be able to do them all too. But the fun of a poll is that by reading all of the responses, it gives you an interesting new idea to talk about in the belly of the thread, and that's what I am mining for ... I was pretty new when I started this thread, anyway, and was just having fun with the Poll doo-dad because I've never been on a forum that had such a cool feature and I really just was having a blast. Sorry if my having some newbie fun ruined your day. If you didn't like my poll, why bother to comment and if you did like my poll, then why waste the time to insult me?

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