This is from the Swedish gaming magazine Level that arrived in my mail today. The article had a few new takes on Skyrim. At first I wasn't going to post it as it's not much, and I haven't been keeping up 100 % with the news lately... But then I thought what the hey.
So, sorry if anything is old (or redundant...).

From Level issue #66:

- With his sword drawn, the player approached a group of NPCs sitting around a campfire. Upon spotting him they all rose and drew their own weapons but they didn't attack. When the player backed away they sat down again. (So this time it seems NPCs will be more hostile towards you if you come at them armed...)

- The battle music doesn't seem to cue immediately when you enter battle; the reporter was ambushed by a wolf without noting any change in the music.

- The blacksmith in Riverwood can show you how to preform smithing after you completed a small task for him. He will demonstrate how to use the forge and anvil to make a sword, and he also taught the player how to make a leather shirt out of the wolf pelt he had in his inventory.

- Pete tells the reporter that apart from dragon armour you can also make weapons out of dragonbone. (Can't remember if that was confirmed before or not, might be kinda obvious I guess.)

- About the landscape: the south of Skyrim has dense forests, while the center has open fields and hills, and the most nothern part is completely barren and filled with cliffs. The buildings here are sparse and the sky is almost always dark - the reporter says he could see the aurora against a pich black sky in the middle of the day. (He also found a mammoth skeleton buried in the snow next to a fort...)

- The reporter gets ambushed by an unexpected enemy:
Minor enemy spoiler:

- Markarath is described, and pointed out as one of Skyrim's wonders. It's worth to play the game just to see it.
Brief description:

- The reporter claims that Skyrim is a bit over 40 square kilometers. Which makes for roughly 15,4 square miles I think? (Oblivion was 16, right? So if this is true they are indeed around the same size.)

That's all I found, it's not much, but I thought it was interesting. Personally I can't wait to see Markarath in-game!

HNNNGGG. I couldn't avoid the spoilers. They sound ssssso cool. As does the north of the region - pitch black at midday? HELL YES!

New to me, thanks. I wonder what type of Npcs they were that sat back down.

Well this is news to me, very excited about the part when you approach npc's with your weapon drawn and they react to it!!
I'm so excited for this game, defintately game of the year.
11.11.11

The reporter got the impression that they were adventurers, i.e. friendly NPCs. They only drew their swords in the first place because the player had his drawn. An improvement from OB if you ask me.



I know right? The screenshot is amazing too - it shows the nothern sea that is filled with floating ice.

thanks for the summary

Interesting pieces of info...thanks!

Good read!
Thanks! :tes:

A massive improvement from Oblivion and much more realistic.

Yeah, new to me too. Thanks for posting this. :icecream:

Awesome! Thank you very much

The part about the NPC's not attacking right away is awesome and Markarth sounds every bit as amazing as I had hoped. Did he say anything about the size of the city? The part about the North always being dark and barren sounds weird though? Solitude and Winterhold are both in the North.

This is a much better realised version of what happened in Oblivion. I think in Oblivion if you talked to a character with your weapon drawn, their disposition value would be 10 less or something similar.

You're welcome! I hope the info on the size is accurate, that might put some people to rest :thumbsup:

Yyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssssssssssssssss

I think it sounds amazing- imagine if you wanted to make an evil character, I'd want to build my house up there

New to me. I also find that first bit about NPC friendly/hostility interesting.

Markarth might just be the most amazing ES city ever. The part about the buried Mammoth I really like too. It seems like the world will be filled with many interestingand unique things to see.

Great! Definalty the better decision to decide to share this with us Thanks!

.___.

You're my new best friend.

1st spoiler - It's Harry Potter 2 all over again!
Anyways, I like that the NPC's react and that there is a smithing tutorial! Hope to see an alchemy one and an enchanting one too.

Nope, nothing on size, the description was very short. All I can say is that he called it one of Skyrim's seven wonders.

And he was refering to the most nothern shore when he said it was barren - I'm sure the cities aren't!

This would indicate that, at least for some clothing, pants and shirts will be separate inventory items rather than "outfits". Great news if true.

Just got a little chubby

Haha, that was my first thought too :biggrin:


Hmm, you're right, didn't think about that. But in another part of the article he also complains that armour and legs are now combined, so I don't know. Let's hope.

gotta love new info. wish my will power not to read spoilers was better, oh well little bit more pumped