» Wed Sep 01, 2010 3:25 pm
Since forever and a day, sleeping has been a mechanic used in most 'serious' RPG's to bring the player back to town. Then again, we're not in the grand age of the 'dungeon crawler' where all you did was play through dungeons.
There are a few reasons for this mechanic:
1. It allows the player to turn in and collect quests from the local bar or other NPC's.
2. It's also a good time to go sell all the loot you've found, and check the shops for new equipment and spells.
3. It was also used to 'refresh' the dungeon with enemies (if the game had dynamic and progressive AI implementation).
4. If you were low on potions, you could sleep to regain health and magicka/mana.
I've always been a fan of setting up a tent, or a bedroll and risking the sleep/level-up mechanism outside. It was a neat feature to be suddenly awakened by an enemy (my favorite, the cliff racer, as it was EASY to take down with a LIGHTNING SPELL or LIGHTNING ENCHANTED weapon in Morrowind)... Anyways, I guess it really depends on how you play the game. I play until my inventory is so full I'm bulging at the seams, regardless of a level-up or not, so I am forced to go back to town and sell my collection. I say they should keep it in, but also bring back the ability to sleep in the wilderness. But hey, we all play TES games differently, so what do I know?