In Oblivion, no matter how many times you whacked at one you would never level up (unless it was destruction of course). So, should training dummies count as enimies with unlimited health, that level you up, albit at a slower rate?

There is only so much a expert swordsman can learn training dummies. Training dummies are for beginners who are still just learning the basics. So I say let training dummies train you from skills 1 - 5 and from 5 and onwards you don′t get any skill.

If you′re wondering how this could come into use... well you could do a lot of time in prison until your skills is under 5 and then whack a dummy.

So yeah, dummies don′t train you quite as well as live targets to practice with I′d imagine and it should stay that way.

1. Destruction only leveled you when it did damage on an enemy, or on you.

2. It would be nice, and would make them actually make sense for once. But it would have to be incredibly limited so it isn't abused. Same as using trainers, there have to be limitations. So, yeah, I think it'd be a small, but great improvement.

It did always make me laugh to see the guy in the Bloodworks of the Arena shooting arrows at a target, and thinking "Wow, that guy's wasting his time". Because targets, dummies, etc. certainly didn't do jack in Oblivion for anyone.
The exception being the "training partner" you got for the Fighter's Stronghold DLC. That was an attempt at reconciling the obvious fault in the weapon training, at least.

I downloaded a mod for that in Oblivion, that turned all the training dummies in the game into actual training dummies. It wasn't overpowered IMO because it took absolutely ages to gain a skill level that way and you'd have to be nuts to slash away at a dummy for several hours to level up your skill when it was already high, but it was useful for training skills at lower levels. I found it to be a pretty well balanced solution because you'd have to be very dedicated and extremely bored to use the dummies to get high skill levels.

And tbh if any player was dedicated enough to use them for hours and get rewarded for it, it wasn't hurting my game in the slightest, so fair do's.

yes becuase why go off fight and have fun you can stay back in town a hit a dummy and level up that way, the whole point of buying a game is to actually play it

I say yes, but obviously with limitations.

Some people like the idea of being a low level character, training at first then going out into the wilderness to fight.

I think it's a great idea for people who want to roll play and have the patience for it. Me, I would just go out and kill rats and what not, faster that way, but for some I think this is a great idea. I hated how in Oblvion you could pay for training and in ZERO seconds, you gained a level.

Training dummies, if they're in the game at all, should give you experience for hitting them. I think that's an absolute - that is, after all, the entire point of one - you TRAIN on it. The only question should be how much experience it gives you, which I would think should be very little. You should gain more experience from hitting a rat than from hitting a training dummy. Still though - they should give you at least some experience. That just makes sense.

Well I say yes, they can be actually useful at low levels since they are Training dummies at last but at furtherer they will not have large impact on leveling since rates of skill increase will be too small for actual training, in such cases better learn some skills from trainers for cost of fee or train normally by actions.
Good help for newcomers and replace rats massacre at game beginning.

Good idea, but a bit flawed
From my own experience, training is not everything (to be a good fighter, sooner or later you must face an enemy who wants to hurt/kill you)
After some time training serves more as exercise, not learning something new

Maybe allow dummies to train you till skill level 25 at full speed
at level 25-50 at decreased rate, but 51+ level could only be achieved during fights with actual enemies.
Same for ranged combat and destruction magic

Also good idea is having rotating dummies with wooden sword and metal shield
When you strike it it rotates and hits you (small damage included) unless you block yourself (thus training in defense)

Good starting step for warrior/archer/mage who wants to re-qualify and start from something

Yes, but I'd like to see a system that require you to do different moves on a dummy to level up your skill. But if magic doesn't let us cast infinite restore HP spells with 1 mana cost to raise our restoration, then we don't even need general dummies in the first place.

And I'd also like to see, if dummies are implemented that we could only get the level to 35 or something like that, because you won't become a master by slashing a dummy.


An idea I have been thinking about would be to actually have skills decresed over time if you don't use them enough, but not down to 5 if it was 100 of course, but from 100, if not used for 3 in game weeks, it would get down to 90-95 and leveling them up from there would be much faster and not count towards your total XP to level up.

I hope there's a way to train with someone, like you both use wooden swords, kendo stick/shinai type weapons so you don't do lethal damage. Maybe with Esbern.

Also the training dummies is a good idea. As it's been mentioned by not giving too much experience.

Sword fighting is mostly about timing. You can't learn that from something that doesn't fight back so you shouldn't be able to learn past a very low level with them.

"Your skills are still levelable through active use, in that performing said skill will advance it. However, you can’t just spam them now, as the active levelable skills require specific use. So, essentially, you can’t just stand on the spot and spam jump to level your Acrobatic skill, because it no longer exists. It’s a great system that requires consistent and active play and engagement with the game, which is something the team strove for from Day One. "

quote from : http://www.ausgamers.com/features/read/3048710

I've posted this quote before, but it's relevant here, as it seems it could nix the dummy training completely, assuming acrobatics is just an example.

up to level 25, then they dont work.

how about if training dummies were integrated into master/disciple training?

you get a swordmaster to train you and the first thing he would ask you to do would be to hit the training dummies until he says to stop (serving the purpose of the master observing how much skill the student has through observation).

Legend of Zelda Windwaker nostalgia attack!

"You want to be trained by a dummy? M'aiq thinks you are silly"

Yeah I would like to be able to practice on them. You should probably only get very little experience from it though compared to actually using the skills in combat.

http://www.stephenchanwingchun.com/images/dvds/vol06.jpg

Yeah as others have said, maybe put a level cap on their effective use. Or limit how much you can level with a training dummy per day. It would be good if the training you buy from a master involved some actual training as nightcobra pointed out.