Yes this is exactly what I am talking about!

Give stealth characters a chance to infiltrate and assassinate people who are gathering water or picking mushrooms and drag the bodies into the shadows, so that it actually means something to be quiet! Of course, depending on the aggressiveness of the NPC that sees you, he might run to get help, or just decide to take you himself... There already is an "aggressiveness function" to program around.

Besides... I hate it when people are just standing around wall-staring... if I was a full-warrior and I just brutally murdered 3 people in a room with a mace, I'd want them scrambling to form groups fearfully, setting traps... it just adds to the thrill! I'd want to be heard and reacted to!

It makes the game a lot more fun... this is the same reason I want NPCs to have different reactions to when you go invisible during a fight... some would be calm, probing with their sword. Others would be afraid, swinging their weapon wildly in circles, or just flat out running away! All with their own curse-word filled dialogues

Well, some over-world enemies have schedules now (wolves roam and hunt from a den) and there are far more dungeon designers so one can always hope for the best. :thumbsup:

They'll run away if you're an assassin AC does this incredibly well, not to mention Radiant AI-style stuff like chasing pickpockets and stopping enemy couriers.

Not to mention, it's built into TES to have a Demoralize spell effect, so you can actually make your enemies run away. Also, as for a lookout, they will run not because of fear, but because it's their job. They go get the gang, and then all of them rush to face you.

EDIT: Also, OT, I like the OP idea very much, and would like to see any/all of it implemented in Skyrim.

I find that very unlikely. If you've ever played Oblivion, Fallout or Halo, you have.


I think it would be great if enemies would try to call for help. I wish the enemies in Beth games would have had more of a sense of self-preservation, instead of just running blindly to their death.

I never played Halo, but I think I need to rephrase that. I have never played a game in which an enemy, at first sight of you, will run away. In Fallout 3, enemies do run away from you but only after they have engaged you, and as a result of combat, their health has reached a certain level. Otherwise, they always attack. Although, now that I think about it, it is possible to have either a faction or an animation package for cowards a la the enclave scientists.

In any case, Oblivion already had "cave activities", not all caves, obviously, but some - off the top of my head, the Black Bow lair, that cave near the Kahjiit town where two factions are having it out, a couple of mines where miners are mining, goblins cooking, necromancers doing expriments, etc., so, I am pretty sure they will be some of that in Skyrim.

Like I said, I am not either pro or con on this. I tend to think that having too many caves with elaborated human activities seems a bit much for the setting of the game, but it isn't going to make or break my game. And on that thought, since I am a modder and this idea is something I would do as a mod (add something I think needs to be there), and if it'll make the fan base happy, I am now officially all for it

Yes, they should have different things to do.