So this is a general thread on the stealth system in The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim.

So I looked at the GI update today and saw this...


"Stealth basically works the same as it did in Oblivion, but Bethesda has slightly altered what happens once enemies detect your presence. Now when NPCs think they see or heard something, they go into an alert state. Characters with a higher sneak skill will have more time to duck back around the corner or find sanctuary in the shadows. This new system eliminates the sudden attacks that sometimes caught players off guard in Oblivion."


Do any of you speculators think that this means shadows and lighting will have an effect on us padfoots creeping across the floor to end a shopkeepers life?

I don't know, I was hoping for bigger improvements to stealth than better this :/ Atleast we get decent stealth kills

i want to see some stealth kill animations soon

Its basically the FO3/FONV system from what I've read.
Still a decent improvement over Oblivion.
Hope those dynamic shadows everyone's in an uproar about will play to some effect in this.


Wonder if they fixed the AI for enemies who discover dead bodies.

"It was just the wind.."

(Don't mind the arrow sticking out of your partner's skull)

It did in Oblivion, so i would assume they will keep that feature in Skyrim.

I want all Thief game features in Skyrim. Everything from extinguishable lights to rope arrows. And gameplay similar to The Dark Mod.

Well, it's nice to dream...

This stealth update sounds good, and I hope the importance of shadows is improved in line with what GI has said. However, I don't want them to go overboard. Stealth is but one aspect of the game. I don't need too many dedicated mechanics to enjoy it. Oblivion's system with more interplay between light and darkness, better animations and stealth kills would be fine.

The info that it's pretty much the same with Oblivion's is not too much improvement, really. It was a big improvement back in the day, compared to Morrowind, but why not push it further? Considering the number of people who play stealthy characters I expected something new.

Indeed. I thought they would have added tons...but I'm sure I will not be disappointed.

I'm guessing that it won't take long until you can clear out dungeons of enemies by just sneaking around popping off enemies one-by-one with the bow or backstabbing them with the dagger.

Well, it's pretty obvious that with dynamic shadows we would get to hide under them.

I know this might sound silly, but i hope we can hold daggers the more realistic and effective way. Holding them like in oblivion looks stupid. My military friend said holding a knife upside down allows for so many different ways to approach combat, allow slashing and stabbing, but also utilizing stronger muscles in your arm. whereas holding it straight out isn't as effective.

I don't know, it doesn't sound like a big change. An improved stealth system would require estinguishable light sources in the first place.

:rofl:

So true.

Not the improvement I had hoped for, but improvement none the less. :biggrin:

It was mentioned in the GI cover story that this will be much, much harder than in Oblivion because of vastly improved enemy AI even when unsuspecting. They'll notice when their companions drop dead five feet away and investigate properly. They'll even take into account which direction the arrow came from.

I obviously love the upgraded state of awareness. My only question now is whether stealth will still be based totally on line-of-sight, or whether elements such as sound (and shadows, etc) will factor in. Having to actually act silently would be great, though I don't realistically expect Beth to go that far.


This really depends on the fighting style. Many trained knife fighters hold the blade tip-up, as this allows for better range and quicker strikes to the most vital points on a target for lethal stab wounds (the stomach and the neck). A knife strike doesn't actually have to be that powerful to be fatal.

I'm not sure what you could ask more of from stealth from what they have said. I mean, the only way to go any farther with stealth is to do instant kill assassination animations like in AC but that just doesn't work for TES. I'm great with the levels of awareness in the new stealth in Skyrim.

They also said that with a high enough sneak skill you can fade into the shadows and evade suspicious enemies.

I think the animations in Deadly Reflex mod for oblivion were cool. Like killing someone in their sleep made you turn the dagger upside down and you then stab repeatedly.

Where did you read that last part? Was it in the GI?

I'm detecting a hint of sarcasm in your post. However, I am looking forward to my stealthy characters being more effective at dealing death while simultaneously making for a more believable experience.

I liked the mention about the NPCs reactions... But i would like see NPCs reacting with the dead bodies, being alert and start looking for the player...

If arrows are going to be rarer and more expensive, I wonder if you can still retrieve them?

I thought of a perk awhile back:

Wary User: amouror/smithing of 75 skill: Your worn/in-use equipment degrades 25% slower. Also you have a better chance of recovering shot arrows from enemies.

CONFIRMED There ARE special animations for dagger sneak attacks...read all of this thread, first post, talks about stealth a little bit. Toward the bottom, but i suggest read it all. http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1161772-dutch-cover-story-interesting-info-3/