Some dungeons yes, some dungeons no.

It's nice to have the ability to set up shop in some dark cavern. But it does make sense that caves overrun by creatures or bandits would have them return sometime in the future, especially if you don't revisit the place for some time.

Other. I'd rather have pre-defined switches implemented in any significant dungeon areas, as optional mini-quests which would result in a given dungeon's enemies, traps, etc. no longer respawning. The "mini-quests" could be anything from adding a lock, to restoring a key item to a magical device, sealing a tomb, or activating a trapped entrance. Of course, the process used to cancel respawning could be reversed by the player at any time to re-enable it.

I like the idea of respawning dungeons because it makes sense that new bandits/creatures/whatever would infiltrate them. But the problem is they just seem so damn boring and generic.

With Morrowind every dungeon was filled with uniquely named NPCs with interesting and unique armor and hand-placed items.. it added diversity. Whereas in Oblivion the enemies you fought and what they were wearing was 100% based on player-level. It svcked.


Two solutions I wouldn't mind:

Mostly morrowind-esque dungeons with named, hand-crafted NPCs, plus some more generic dungeons that respawn. (plus of course tombs and daedric ruins that respawned even in Morrowind)

OR
All Dungeons Morrowind-style, with named hand-crafted NPCs and loot, but after you clear it out once it may then respawn with randomly generated folks. This would be a bit harder to do I think but not impossible.

I didn't know bandits were a naturally occurring resource, and then I played Oblivion.

Really though, neither game has it right. I like some of the permanence of Morrowind, I mean, you run out of things to do (verrrrrry slowlllly) but you also feel a sense of accomplishment. I mean, just imagine how bad instant respawns would be. Empty a cave, exit, re-enter, and BAM, everything you killed is alive again.

The BEST system, would be to have bandits spawn outside of city limits or at the border and have them move around the map. They would travel from camp to camp, and every once in a while try out a new cave. If it's empty, they will take it over. If it's full, they may fight whovever or whatever's inside.

Which brings me to my next point: talking to bandits. They might as well just drop Speechcraft if they aren't going to let you convince bandits not to kill you. You should be able to join a group of smugglers to clear a cave of undead. Sweetness.

Respawning but not all at the same time. Maybe not even with the same type of enemies.

Lets say you clear out a dungeon filled with skeletons and then leave. After a few days, a few bandits walking around stumble upon the place and find it unoccupied, they camp out there for the night (so after 3 days the cave will have 3-4 bandits).

They tell their group how sweet the place was and a week later several more bandits have arrived to scope the place out and prepare a new hideout (After 7 days the cave will have 8-10 bandits with a lieutenant).

Finally they call the boss, who moves the rest of the gang in to their new hideout and base of operations (after 14 days the cave is fully stocked with bandits, including boss and loot chest).

I like having respawning dungeons, but a way to "claim" a cavern would be cool.

Perhaps you could use a spell or particular object to block the entrance.

Oblivions Respawing Dungeon system is fine I wouldn't really change it.

i personally dont think anywhere should respawn in these games.

its just not realistic really, even in fantasy game terms.

mmos do it to keep mass quantities of people from just running out of things to kill
i dont think single player games need it unless they are like hack&slash loot fest games.

elderscrolls are story driven, fairly realistic depictions of ancient fantasy worlds - why does a minotaur you killed in a cave suddenly reappear back in that cave a few days later? where did it come from? makes no sense.

Can't you tell by looking at your map?



Well it's not the same minotaur...maybe another one took the opportunity to move in to the now-handily-empty cave?

If one group of bandits should set up shop in a ruin, I don't see why another group shouldn't have the same idea.

i thought someone would say that. so where are all these infinite numbers of bandit groups coming from? what is like a rally car time trial? "right you're next to go after him, 3 days remember not before. oy! you over there! 3 days later you follow after this skeleton group ok?'

migration of humanoids and animals is possible.... but not at fixed times and exactly the same type of things as before.

I respectfully disagree. While I appreciate the concept, at some point the fact that all you can experience in the game is the game world, means that you're faced with a world that has been completely emptied of monsters and treasure by a single hero. If we're roleplaying to some extent anyway, better to assume that the cavern you cleared out yesterday is a different cavern than the one you'll explore today, or (as posted above) the types of creatures slain have repopulated the place. Or any one of thousands of other "in-character" explanations that no developer could account for with actual game content. Treating the game world as if it consists only of what is viewed on the monitor is ultimately a less realistic way to interpret an RPG, I think.

Of course, it could also be argued that those who prefer the consequences of their dungeon raids to be permanent have the option of simply not returning to any previously explored ones.

I like the suggestions (such as that made by The Mango 55) that respawning should occur, but gradually and more randomly than in Oblivion. 3 days is too soon for a cave to totally respawn, it should be more like a few weeks. Also, if we can get some human-creature conflict in these dungeons, e.g bandits fighting goblins, that's be good.

I dunno, the same plane of oblivion which spawns generic legion members and guild supply chest and larder refills?

I take the point, but I'm not sure empty-caves-staying-empty is really any more realistic and from a player-centric point of view it certainly makes for a duller, emptier world.

I think it'd be cool if you could place your own lock or defensive enchantments/magical boundaries on places once you've cleared them out, but if you don't, then a random enemy type (bandits, vampires, creatures, undead, etc.) will eventually populate it again. Now you don't have to worry about eventually killing everything in the game, but you can make anywhere you like into a little house for yourself if you please. :flamethrower:

Because of the level scaling in Oblivion, they had to make the dungeons respawn because otherwise people would miss out on content. Because of the level scaling they could make a lot of shortcuts which translated, at least for me, into a worse game. In Ob if you had seen one cave, fort, Ayleid ruin - you had seen them all. I liked the hand placed loot in Mw and how each cave and ruin was made, in Ob they were there to just fill the world.

I voted other. Most of the caves should be non-respawning and the rest should respawn but only if it makes sense for it to respawn. If I killed all the skeletons, ghosts and zombies in a ruin, then there is no reason for them to come back. Also the 3 day wait to respawn was just ridiculous, that was just enough time for me to loot the dungeon, go to a shop and then return. It should be 3 months like it is with plants. Animals in the wilderness should respawn in 1 - 2 months.

Give us a specific spell to change ownership of a cell if everyone in it has been killed and add a random, low percentage of bandits or monsters getting in past the lock. Also, sell furniture kits at the merchants, you buy the placers and then put up the furniture and decorate the place as you like.

Morrowind style. Nothing says S.O.a.B more than coming back to your new home (recently captured Wizards tower) and having a wash, rinse, and repeat cycle of cleaning out baddies each time. :/ Doesn't feel like much of a home to me. :'(

Morrowind style. Kill the original occupants, bury them in the fruit cellar and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0YfEwRLGrc

i think oblivions system should return but make it three weeks before enemies respawn. Also for people who like having dungeons as homes, dungeons that have only one zone should stay clear & the rest respawn

I would prefer the Morrowind style. I would love to clear out a dungeon or a fortress, then use it as my home.

this poll needs a "no" or in my case "don't care" option

One major problem with no respawning, we have 120 dungeons, yes some more but some would also be special quest related ones.

Assume the dungeon levels is 1-10, 10-20, up to 40-50 and as many of each group. At level 50 you would have 120/5= 24 dungeons who are somewhat interesting. after you are done with them you have finished the game. yes it can be more high level content but it can just as well be less. And it will not be close to 50, I guess 20 or somewhat less.

Yes increase the respawn time, 7 days or more, I would also want a sort of smarter respawn, perhaps 7 day and 3 days without you visiting, plants should grow back in a set time and perhaps a day away. Pretty stupid if you claim a farm and have to stay away for the plants to grow back,

To avoid respawning in a clamed cave, hire a guard or get a friend to stay and guard it for you.

I hope something quite new for respawning a dungeon.

For instance, if Radiant story chooses a dungeon for a quest, it that dungeon is in need of a respawn, then it could fill it with content appropriate with the theme of the quest, like if a bandit camp move into a dungeon previously filled with undead.

And those bandits can fight with the remaining undead, and eliminate them, as we enter the dungeon.

The normal respawn method of a dungeon, if there is no current Radiant Story attached to a dungeon, can be theme based, event driven filling of a dungeon, something I will describe in more detail when I have time to give it more thought.

And with those events, I mean any type of event, and the constant event of the life of a goblin clan is an example of an event driven population.

Morrowind..
However with Radiant AI I'd like for most not to respawn.. but with the possibility that other occupants may take over.
Even your own little hide away.

It would be cool if new types of monsters moved in if you killed of alll inhabitants that used to live there so that they occupy it kinda