After reading a post that expressed a desire for the NPC mini game to go away, I remembered how Daggerfall handled interactions. Now, I can't see this coming back, because these kinds of games do seem to have been greatly simplified since those days, but in Daggerfall, when talking to people you had options. You could choose to be polite, be rude, intimidate, etc. Depending on who you were talking to, how you chose to speak to them would determine whether or not they would tell you what you wanted to know, or speak to you at all.

I used to get a kick out of intimidating people. But it just seemed to me that that system of interaction lent more immersion. I never cared for the mini game in Oblivion. I mean really, once you realize said NPC doesn't take kindly to you being rude, but responds well to kindness, why be rude again? Terrible way to interact. Funny, but terrible.

I think something a long the lines of what Daggerfall did in this area would work better in my opinion. Wouldn't have to be the same, but something in that direction. Any thoughts or ideas? Am I wrong? Let me know what you think.

Cheers

@OP: You're absolutely right :thumbsup:

I haven't played Daggerfall, but I guess these options were inside conversations -- not like the disposition wheel in Oblivion. More like Mass Effect, perhaps?

I'll add my voice to that - interaction with NPC as mini game is just... Lame. No other word for it... Well, no other polite one.

sounds good to me.

I think in this respect the best way to do it would be.

Rude - usually get a bad response, some people would find it funny and like it though.
affected by charisma, strength

Polite - Some would think you're a little too stuck up while most would be more accepting
affected by charisma

Intimidating - some would take offense, some would take arms, some would submit
affected by your strength

They wouldn't be called those thing's. You'd have 1 of 3 lines to choose from when speaking to people. in some cases more than three lines but those would be the attitudes attributed to those lines.

That would be a great way of doing it. Also, I think people should frown on drawn weapons when you are trying to talk to them like good ol' Daggerfall as well . . . like in many games these days.

MW and OB both had that.. just saying.

Well seeing as I have played all the games starting with Arena, I for one can attest that the games haven't become "simplified". They have just changed their way of using things. If anything, the system they use in Oblivion is more complex than that in Daggerfall. However, I would like Daggerfall's dialogue back but if the minigame returns from Oblivion I will be fine with that also. However, if it goes back to Morrowind...

What you didn't like the wiggle the lock pick out in front of you like a Parkinsons inflicted wand bearer and the chika-chika sound effect? That was epic.

No but seriously, it did what it was supposed to do which was disguise a pure dice roll as real time interaction. i still like OB's best cause twitch players and dice rollers both get what they need out of it(though it still needs to be done better than it was).

Something that is like picking a comment from a selection like Mass Effect 2 or Baldur's Gate II would be awesome, but would probably take too much scripting since TES have LOTS of NPC's. However, I wouldn't mind if it went back to Morrowind's type of conversation options. =)

I did not really enjoy the Speechcraft mini-game in Oblivion at all, even it is easy to do. So, anything is better than that mini-game, lol. =)

bunny is probably right, my proposed suggestion would only work for a few NPCs not the great amount that we're supposed to be expecting. With that in mind Oblivion's would probably be the better choice for the games sake. Golly just think of all these tough decisions must be made in making these games.

Yes, it must be hard for the devs to decide what to change, what to get rid of, etc. I feel so much for them, especially since there are different styles of playing this awesome series! Some people prefer Morrowind's style, while others prefer Oblivion's, and then are those who want a bit of both.
TES games have too many characters, but I think the devs will continue to improve on NPC and AI interactivity with each upcoming game. They have done so before these last few games, so they can do it again! =)

I don't really mind whatever choice they make, as long as the game has an open world for me to explore and interact with (and the character graphics and third-person improve!), I am fine. =D Bring on the dragons!

I would like that in some ways.

You're probably right. I remember Morrowind having it, but I think it was less prevalent in Oblivion. I've talked to guards with my sword drawn and they don't seem to care.

In Morrowind they would visibly display disdain for it but in Oblivion you just got a disposition penalty and no dirty looks.

I hope it won't go like this:

John Doe- chopping wood- :
Greetings, champion!

.Bendu Olo:
-About that quest...

John Doe- eating:
Whazabutit, affenturer?

Bendu Olo:
I couldn't save your daughter.

John Doe-stops eating for a moment: Oh noes! Now you won't get this shiny golden necklace, and my disposition is dropped by 10 points.

*Eats his meal, then goes back to work, like nothing happened.*

The Daggerfall system was a minigame. You had to guess what the correct tone for each NPC was. It was, however, a better minigame than Oblivion's, which never really made me any sense.

For that matter, the Daggerfall system is actually a simpler version of Oblivion's minigame. In both cases you're trying to match the correct attitude to the conversation, but in Oblivion's case there's a complicated system involving you having to do every single attitude in order. So, basically, yeah, bring back Daggerfall's system, it would be far better.

Another one that makes my evening.

I guess this is something that is sort of in FONV, different ways to react in conversation that had consequences.
I think BSG may already have thought of implementing something like this.

Yeah, true enough. I haven't played Daggerfall in aeons, so my memory is a bit vague, but I do remember liking the way they handled it in that game--not so much in Oblivion, heh.