Toggle-able slow-mo deaths like Deadly Reflex, yes! Actual VATS mechanic, no!

The kill cam in FO:NV was novel and cool at times, but got to be annoying after a while. It would be cool to see something similar if it could be toggles on/off in the settings as you say. It would also be nice for htem to work out a smarter system for picking the kills that get a so-mo finale. If it's just every crit-kill like in New Vegas, then no way.

Perhaps it could be triggeresd under a variety of particular conditions:
- kill an enemy at extremely long range
- kill an enemy while in midair/jumping
- kill a boss or very high level enemy
- a kill that sends the enemy's body flying or pins it to a wall
- deal a large amount of damage in the final blow
and then of course include a filter that makes it so you don't see the same variety of kill cinematic repeatedly.

Add in some location aware camera angle possibilities to keep it fresh and I think it would be a nice addition.

Why do I get the feeling that most people here who argue against the V.A.T.S idea haven't actually played Fallout 3 or New Vegas? Because many argue that TES is a real-time game. Well so was Fallout?! V.A.T.S was an OPTIONAL mechanic that worked absolutley great. So what's to say it wouldn't work in TES as an OPTIONAL mechanic?

"But TES is a real-tim..." No.

"But TES is..." Noo.

"Herp derp". Nooo... Or well yes, but that's not the point.

I say if they can make it actually work with melee, then put it there. And if all these pure, true and untainted TES fan can't accept that one game can learn form another then they don't have to use it. Besides, if games couldn't learn a lesson from one another we would never have made it here today.

Wait, wait I has an idea: Why not throw in the pause function used in Mass Effect and/or Dragon Age?

... And now I had better run before the mob can mobilize.

This is my opinion:

People who say no, don't have a very good imagination. Like you said, "something similar," not exactly VATS. I would love to see a very cinematic fireball kill someone or something. And again, it's OPTIONAL. You don't HAVE to use it... like fast travel. I could see VATS implemented very well in Skyrim, whether every race can use it, or it's race specific, like only the Khajit can use it twice a day or something.

I think that the particular argument you are blasting boils down to this: TES was born as a real-time conbat game back in an age of turn-based RPGs. This is arguably one of the things that set it apart and helped it achieve greatness, to change that would be to rub salt in the eyes of many lifelong fans. The VATS mechanic, i believe, was born as a throwback to the turn based combat of Fallout 1 and 2, with a whole lot of extra polish and glitz, of course. To muddle these two franchises simply because they are controlled by the same overseer would be to do both series' fans a disservice.

From a gameplay perspective, the VATS mechanic is most effective and useful with ranged weapons. At close range with melee weapons (where most combat occus in TES) the system has limited usefulness and usability. As far as spell casting is concerned, there are no ranged spell casting attacks that i think would benefit even incrementally from a system that allows sprecise targeting of body parts. Lastly, as to blows and arrows (and other ranged weapons if they are included), I think a time-pausing targeting mechanic would destroy a lot of autheticity of the archery experience, and would remove any of the minimal amount of skill it took to shoot bows in the previous games.

All in all, the usefulness of a VATS mechanic in the next TES game would be virtually nil.


As to a stylized death cinematic, this would not require a silly pause-time-while-you-pick-a-limb system, so i think it would be a more acceptable (and useful) addition tot he game (with caveats, see my http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1148389-vats-in-skyrim/page__view__findpost__p__16898986).

A stylish slow mo as you decapitate the head of the Bandit King. Sounds good to me. Make it a toggle though.

[censored] no. Real time all the way.

No slow motion of any kind and not complete time stopping either, thank you.

I think it could be possibly done well if incorporated properly.

Take for the example you're in a cave and in the distance you see three enemy NPC's. You can simply assign your character to target the three of them one after the other with a fireball.

Of course this would remove the need for needing to aim your ranged spells/combat, but it might be a nice feature.

Overall though, if it meant the exclusion of something else to implement it, then I'd say no.

Problem: There are only three ways to get those "improved animations", or cool looking combat moves.
1) Randomly selected. When you slash, you get a randomly chosen slash attack, of say 8 each. It's probably how I'd want it.
2) Excessively complex control moves to activate a certain move (2 ups, 1 left). Not for everyone, reflexes differs.
3) A VATS where you select the appropriate available attack, as you also see where you end up after attacking move (yeah, it's really a combo).
4) Last resort, when we grow tired of this fancy stuff, return to mouse button spamming like today, using basic animations only.

The VATS system allows you to view the upcoming strike in slow motion in all its fantastic glory, but so could the complex control combos. A good animation system would have movement in combination with attack (or block/parry) animation. That's the biggest hindrance in an action based combat system, as it's pretty much impossible to do. At the same time, being forced to use VATS all the time would be a show stopper (for me), as combat for me is pretty much an unavoidable consequence of being an adventurer.

So I'd use VATS when I want a good look at what's happening (since I'm too old to remember the complex combos). When this grows old (quickly), I'd switch to randomly selected move for me. And when this grows old or I'm too powerful for anything to stop me I'd just return to the simplified perk driven combat we have today.

But all in all, I favor the current system for its simplicity to use, although we can never have *proper* combat with it.

But the answer "I'd rather see improved animations for combat" doesn't make sense, since combat animations include the movement of a character. I think it's impossible to have this without some advanced system to choose it by.

No. KEEP YOUR FALLOUT OUT OF MY TES!!!

No, and i repeat, no!!! I would like a game on the epic scale of morrowind with the game play mechanics of oblivion (minus anytime fast travel)

Vats isn't necessarily bad, just not in The elders scrolls series just... No

I think having a really intuitive, slick and effective control scheme to execute the complex moves would be far and away ideal compared to adding a VATS type feature or sticking to the old Oblivion mechanics. Pausing combat always just seemed silly to me, but them again who knew that holding down the attack button while moving backwards would make you do a weird spin attack?
I hope they really work on the attack combos/controls for this iteration of the series.

(add an optional kill-cam type feature and you can still experience the cinematic glory of a flawlessly executed kill)

hellllll noooooooooooo. Unless it doesn't resemble fallout at all.

bethesda knows of the [censored]storm that would occur from adding something like this... as far as im concerned, this is a joke topic

I disagree... There are numerous things that could be done to improve graphics of combat that have been demonstrated in independent development software using little processing power. Such systems included actions like slashing an enemy with a sword that takes into account enemy conditionality's, such as armor, position, distance, weapons, current actions, and skills, as well as general configuration of enemy, and then attacks with the appropriate animation, showing actual damage to the enemy, in a realistic manner targeting key locations, increasing with accuracy and finesse, depending on a changeable variable, which could of course be skill level in TES. Such systems exist, and haven't been used in any games to date, and require little processing power, and look more realistic, without characters clipping into themselves, each other, or anything else, reacting realistically to one another and the environment, and giving a more visceral and pleasing appearance. The addition of finisher moves and such would really round out such a system...

However, if such a system is already not included, it will likely not be included, the closest game to make use of this sort of technology is Batman Arkum Asylum. That being said, the technology has existed and it was a choice not to use it, thus it is NOT a fair excuse to say it isn't possible, it is only fair to say that Bethesda thought other elements deserved more development time.

EDIT: Also, many boxing games contain this sort of technology for obvious reasons, as they must simulate these sort of effects in order to provide the type of entertainment they appeal to. However, obviously their version of the technology is highly simplified compared to what TES would require...

No thanks.

Hack & Slash for life.
:wub:

I say no to VATS.... But this post still makes me oh so very sad....

nope it doesn't fit with the style of game

No.

No. For the love of Satan, NO!

Hell no. I hate the VATS system. Even if they had chances to it, it's still unfair and ruins immersion (for me at least).

No.

At this rate, people are going to ask for Skyrim to be a post nuclear wasteland :shakehead:

Post limit.