Possible Confirmation That Guards Have No Psychic Powers : V

» Sun Aug 14, 2011 12:30 pm

According to Andrew Reiner's QuakeCon GI hand on preview, he stole a horse just outside the city of Whiterun. Then, the merchant, Skulva, chased after him, but no guards saw him.

Then he arrived at the City of Whiterun and there were no consequences.

Keep in mind, he did not cross the border into a different Hold.

"After going our separate ways, I ventured north again, picking items like lavender and tundra cotton on my way toward Whiterun, a large walled city on the hill. Before I walked up the hill, I stopped by a stable and talked to the stable-hilt named Skulva. I asked to buy a horse, he replied that his horse was seven years old and in fine health. His asking price? One thousand gold. Rather than pay the outrageous fee, I jumped on the horse and galloped up the hill to the city with Skulva cursing and running after me. Since there were no guards in the vicinity, I got off scot-free.

When I approached the gates of the city, the guard told me, "the city is closed with the dragons about." From here I had a few options to try and get into the city. I could offer him news about the dragon attack at Helgen, bribe him with 56 gold, or intimidate by asking him to stand aside. I chose to pay him off, and soon I was behind the comforts of the city wall."

Source: http://www.gameinformer.com/games/the_elder_scrolls_v_skyrim/b/xbox360/archive/2011/08/05/skyrim-hands-on-impressions.aspx

What do you think?

Does this suggest guards no longer have ESP?

» Sun Aug 14, 2011 11:48 am

I read somewhere that guards that witness a crime will enforce the law, but that NPCs who witness a crime will either try to carry out the law themselves (thus breaking the law unless defending themselves against attack I assume) or report you to a guard who will then let all other guards know you are a wanted criminal and seek to enforce the law.

» Sun Aug 14, 2011 9:43 pm

I read somewhere that guards that witness a crime will enforce the law, but that NPCs who witness a crime will either try to carry out the law themselves (thus breaking the law unless defending themselves against attack I assume) or report you to a guard who will then let all other guards know you are a wanted criminal and seek to enforce the law.

Sounds like a great system!

Do you recall where you read that?

» Sun Aug 14, 2011 10:21 pm

I would put money on psychic guards being in Skyrim, just not quite as psychic as Oblivion.

» Sun Aug 14, 2011 12:28 pm

I hope this means they finally don't have secret little walkie talkies under their armor. Hopefully the only reason he didn't confront the player isn't because the conversation about the city was part of a quest.

» Mon Aug 15, 2011 1:47 am

Did he cross over to a different region? I know we can have different bounties in each one. If not and this is true, awsome.

» Mon Aug 15, 2011 1:09 am

Sounds like a great system!

Do you recall where you read that?

On this forum in a thread stating it was information from an article. I will look for it but there are so many posts in the hundreds of threads Ive looked through.

» Sun Aug 14, 2011 5:48 pm

Despite being one of the most hilarious things in the game, they completely ruined my criminal streak. I'm expecting them to be like in FO3.

» Sun Aug 14, 2011 6:18 pm

I mean, even in Oblivion guards in another city wouldn't start chasing you if your bounty was less than 500.

What bothered me is that if I was a stealthy character, and tried to kill someone in silence, if I didn't one hit them, every guard in the city was after me.

» Sun Aug 14, 2011 9:29 pm

Despite being one of the most hilarious things in the game, they completely ruined my criminal streak. I'm expecting them to be like in FO3.

Well they said they made this engine after FO3 specifically for Skyrim so the AI will be better than it was in FO3.

» Sun Aug 14, 2011 12:39 pm

Just as weird as the Psychic guards was the fact that they would always ask you to pay a fine, even if you committed some seriously heinous crimes.

"You just murdered 20 people! Pay this 10,000g fine or go to jail!" 'Pays fine' "All is forgiven, go about your business citizen."

Here's hoping to more realism in not only how guards learn about crimes, but also how they deal with them.

» Sun Aug 14, 2011 1:05 pm

It might just be that it takes time to be reported? Eventually the guy who was chasing him could reach a guard. That would however still be a pleasant change.
As long as I can steal stuff sneakily without people seeing and get away with it I'll be happy.

» Sun Aug 14, 2011 6:19 pm

Just as weird as the Psychic guards was the fact that they would always ask you to pay a fine, even if you committed some seriously heinous crimes.

"You just murdered 20 people! Pay this 10,000g fine or go to jail!" 'Pays fine' "All is forgiven, go about your business citizen."

Here's hoping to more realism in not only how guards learn about crimes, but also how they deal with them.

You make an excellent point!

Since we start out the game being sentenced to execution, if we later commit some truly heinous crimes, perhaps it would be possible to be sentenced to execution a second time.

After all, we know that there is some sort of executioner in the game (January concept art), and it would make for a very interesting challenge, to figure out how to foil your execution.

» Sun Aug 14, 2011 1:40 pm

i want suspicion and investigation, like if you murder someone stealthily, it may take a couple hours for the guards to find out, and them you can see them walking around asking people questions, and they can ask you, and a day or two later arrest you, or if you're infamy is high enough, they will immediately arrest you after finding the body, and they can search you, so you have to hide the murder weapon for a day or two, otherwise it'll be confiscated, but that's for TES: VI

» Sun Aug 14, 2011 10:24 pm

I think that's awesome. Never did like the all knowing guards.

» Sun Aug 14, 2011 11:05 am

You make an excellent point!

Since we start out the game being sentenced to execution, if we later commit some truly heinous crimes, perhaps it would be possible to be sentenced to execution a second time.

After all, we know that there is some sort of executioner in the game (January concept art), and it would make for a very interesting challenge, to figure out how to foil your execution.

You make an excellent point. This would provide an opportunity to escape your sentence by possibly bribing the guards to execute some random thief in your place (his head hidden by a burlap sack). A life for a life.

No word on that article that was mentioned on here, I'm looking for it still.

» Sun Aug 14, 2011 11:36 pm

You make an excellent point!

Since we start out the game being sentenced to execution, if we later commit some truly heinous crimes, perhaps it would be possible to be sentenced to execution a second time.

After all, we know that there is some sort of executioner in the game (January concept art), and it would make for a very interesting challenge, to figure out how to foil your execution.

Ohh, who doesn't like a good old jail break quest. If they find a way to add some variety to it, make it increasingly difficult...

» Sun Aug 14, 2011 11:13 am

Those pesky guards did make a couple missions very difficult to complete imo. Fortunately (for pc users), Reneers Guard Overhaul squashed that issue in Oblivion.

» Sun Aug 14, 2011 8:02 pm

Ohh, who doesn't like a good old jail break quest. If they find a way to add some variety to it, make it increasingly difficult...

Ahh that was too easy, besides hoping for a lockpick. It was laughable, that I could sneak behind the warden and grab my confiscated stuff and the rest of my kit and do a runner, scot-free.

» Sun Aug 14, 2011 12:39 pm

Another thing I would like to see is variety among guards. Something besides archers and Sword n' Board types. Surely they had those who favor other weapons, or Mages on hand. Mages at least to quickly and efficiently subdue a criminal.

If some guards are mages... can they then be Psychic... :blink:

» Sun Aug 14, 2011 1:06 pm

My thief character and future Guildmaster thanks you for this most excellent news. Skyrim sounds like just the place to indulge in "a little of this, and a little of that".

» Sun Aug 14, 2011 10:24 pm

Those psychic guards of Oblivion were just a nightmare after a while.