So, how far done is the game really? I see a lot of suggestions, but I am wondering if they really will be able to be implemented at all at this point. Do we have system requirements yet?
I am quite excited for it, but I am trying not to get too over hyped.
What is "confirmed" so far? werewolves? new weapons? I dont even know much about the new engine they are using. Will the world be massive? I remember the Morrowind add on wasnt all THAT big.
Thanks, sorry though. I am new to the forum, and still learning where everything is.

They are basically done. Just a lot of bug testing and fixing certain things. Things can be added to the game but they would have to be minor. As for the new engine http://www.gameinformer.com/games/the_elder_scrolls_v_skyrim/b/ps3/archive/2011/01/17/the-technology-behind-the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim.aspx No system requirements yet and the world will be about the same size as Oblivion. Not much has been confirmed about weapons or werewolves or anything like that. http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1170249-confirmed-features/page__p__17246960#entry17246960 for things that have been confirmed.

As far as I understand then, they where trying to match up some features like mounting some days ago.

everything people are saying and are speculating about are things they want but they wont happen.. people just can't stop talking about the game because everyone wants to play it so bad.. OB has 252000 replies total on the bethesda forumn..skyrim hasn't even come out yet and we are at 254000..we just want stuff to talk about.. if Todd listened to everyone then this game would svck.. for instance getting rid of the class system and mysticism..everyone hated that at first but now people love it.. getting rid of classes makes it so we can choose who we want to be when we want to be and mysticism was just spread out among other schools of magic.. he knows what he is doing but ya everything we say dosen't matter..good thing too

8 months left.

4 months = actual development
3 months = dedicated beta testing
1 month = disc production

Thanks for the info!
I am actually going to save for a new computer so i can get this (if I cant...just get the xbox version *sadface*)
Looks like some good stuff, and some stuff that worries me.

what stuff is worrying you

4/5

The game is, essentially, done already. Considering how close the release date was to the announcement date, it's practically all down to beta testing and bug finding.


I disagree, a game that is still in actual development 4 months prior to release date is not going to be a good game, at all. A game should be "finished" long before even an announcement date, all the testing takes a huge amount of time.

Lol, and...where exactly did you hear that?

The main bulk of the game is done. BGS is just now deciding what extra features will make it into the game or not (werewolves, horse mounts, etc). They will also have to add in higher resolution textures and such for the PC later closer to launch.

I disagree. Most games are still being tweaked even to the last minute before they are sent to be manufactured into the discs. The bulk of the game will be done before 4 months but bug tweaking and testing and adding in little things is part of game development and they continue well into the 4 months prior to release. Usually, discs start being manufactured a couple months before release date to make sure that they have enough copies of the game.

Hence why I mentioned the beta-testing and tweaking bit; sure, they'll be doing little things like that right up until disk production starts probably.

But yeah, the "bulk" of the game should have been done by the time they announced the release date, as far as I understand it.

Todd said they were toying with Transforming(werewolves and stuff). Game Devs work 8-10 hour days 5 days a week plus overtime and weekends. <-- 8 months of this beta testing/bug fixing, no way.
In my experience you write the first step script/quest/level, work out bugs. Next step, work out the bugs. When your finished you get others to test it, then work out the bugs.
It probably takes a day to write out the code for a system like VATs, but another two months to balance and work it with other systems.
I don't know where I'm going with this, but there is still time to make new systems.

I'm guessing 2/3 or 3/4. It would be nice if a game got it's release pushed forward for once though. Imagine how awesome it would be if Skyrim came out in mid/late summer.

Well,they've been working on it for the past 5 years so they have had alot of time to perfect it.

I don't think they've been working on it non stop for the past five years. They have other games you know.

Podcast "Ask Todd Howard about Skyrim".

Its done! They are fixing bugs etc. and i only know the world size ''Roughly the size of Oblivion'' Todd Howard

The game is at the point where they're trying stuff out, and deciding if they want it in-game or not. (like they were talking about mounts and werewolves in the last interview, right?)
So yeah, testing soon I guess

No its not done, its like 80% done. 8 months is a long time, to long to be just fixing bugs.

Think about it; they have to run through about every imaginable element of the game personally to work out as many kinks as possible. It may not take 8 months, but it certainly takes awhile. Bethesda is going to make sure this is a good game, with as few glitches as possible.

Its certainly not done. They have 100 people on their team. That 100 is not comprised of bug testers and Todd said himself large elements like lycanthropy and horseback riding are still being messed with.

I consider both pretty considerable mechanics.

Oh I believe the programmers, testers, and those supporting the "later features" are still working like crazy on Skyrim. Possibly also some detailing work going on. But for the main portion of "content makers", I'm wondering if they are still working on Skyrim or have they moved onto DLCs as their main job? Surely an environment designer isn't sitting there waiting for bugs to be found? That would be boring days...

There is a simple metric to tell how far along they are.. IThe more todd looks like sheen the closer they are to done.