Welcome to TES V Ideas and Suggestions # 151

This thread is for ideas and suggestions for TES:V and to keep all the general discussion in one series of threads.

To discuss major issues, use a separate topic, such as the levelling topic.

Other general topics on this will either be closed or moved here.

Please at least try to read the previous few threads to avoid too much repetition: Note, there has been a lot of off topic and unnecessary discussion in past topics, please ensure that any posts you make in this thread are suitable to the subject being discussed. The moderators will be keeping a close eye on the content.


http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=1023937
http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=1025326
http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=1026491
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http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=1029965
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http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=1032326
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http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=1036286
http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=1038148
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Ruins & Caves

Make caves undergrounds and very deep and very verticle like Morrowind. I want to go into a cave and find a giant hole with items in the buttom that I can only retrieve with levitation. Ruins should not be underground like caves. Make the ruins above ground with towers that you can walk all the way to the top and be able to see out the window.

:foodndrink: Here, here! Another reason why I recommend the Planet Earth series: the Caves episode. I'd love to just float down a giant http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cenote, like the http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocpuuaNwMSw that I learned about in Planet Earth: Extremes.

And who could forget the snotties and Lechuguilla cave (1:35)? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21iRmLwPfL4.

I agree with that. I also think it'll improve replayability if you have, say, some caves that are only reachable/navicable (in their entirety, at least) with magic, or lockpicking ability, or simply the brute force to move some obstruction. Of course, if you have a companion with those abilities you may be able to access more, but it does give incentive to play new and different character types. Not to mention, caves are natural formations, not handmade underground dungeons that are designed to be walkable by humans. In fact, most caves are not safe for humans and that should be included in the future of the series.

As for views, if it's in Skyrim imagine looking out from atop High Hrothgar! If the view is half as cool as Oblivion (and it'll likely be even better) then it should be absolutely breathtaking.

While it's on topic, something I've mentioned before is that I think caves are a dungeon type that would actually benefit from random generation. Not completely random of course, with limits to ensure a realistic product, but it would allow for steep, jagged drops, unpredictable twists and narrow entryways, all the things that make a cave dangerous even if it's not full of monsters. The ones in Oblivion may as well have been man-made, being just a bunch of large, smooth, convenient tubes.

And just as importantly, darkness. Why is this completely uninhabited underground tunnel well-lit 200 feet from the entrance?

Cave glow worms? Glowing fungus/bacteria?

I'd like to see hand placed loot - or at least spots where there are randomly spawned (even spawning nothing) loot in hard-to-reach places to reward players who explore every inch of a cave.

Ooooo the idea of hand placed loot is great! I loved finding items like that in Morrowind

As long as they make sure the caves aren't broken, I think the terrain could use like some sort of cave... generating... software... calculat...tron? I don't know, like a speedtree for caves? But I also agree that loot (and while we're on the subject, monsters and enemies) should be hand-placed after the geography is generated.

@Rhekarid: I agree about darkness. They should also bring back Morrowind-esque light sources like lanterns and candles. It would really help for a horror aesthetic if you are slowly walking through a dark cave only to find yourself falling into a pit or jumped from behind by monsters.

I'd be fine with those things, if they were actually there. With dynamic lighting they'd look pretty cool. I just dislike the fact that everything is http://www.celestialgamer.simplepccomputing.com/wp-content/photos/oblivion_screenshots/oblivion_cave.jpg as if somebody hooked up some invisible ambient lighting in every corner of every cave in the country. I have never used a torch in Oblivion, and I'm not sure why the Shiniest Game Ever insists on giving them to me.

That's weird. I know in Morrowind, the caves were brightly lit and I never used a torch then, but in Oblivion, torches were a must until I found something with night eye.

I always use illumination spells. I can't see very well in a dungeon in Oblivion without a torch, illumination spells, or nighteye, so I think Bethesda did a pretty good job with making Oblivion's dungeons dark.



That lighting may very easily be caused by a hole in the top of the cave. It is common to find such holes in caves in Oblivion. The light in that picture is coming from a certain direction, suggesting that a hole is there.

What? I never saw any holes at all in the OB caves - and I went to every single cave at least once. No, there are just mysterious illuminated spots. Maybe my monitor brightness is set too high, maybe not. Either way, pitch black should be as thick as pea-soup (which I've never had) and not easily dispelled by a torch.

yes, there are little holes in the ceilings of caves in some spots. Not easy to spot though, I think their denoted by a shaft of light radiating down.

Easily caused for some caves, maybe. But ceiling-holes providing complete, even lighting in every room of every cave? I think not. Even in the case where that were the light source, it's poorly represented. If you shine a narrow light into a dark space, it's mostly just going to illuminate that surrounding area; it doesn't disperse evenly into the room like a gas. At the very least, again with dynamic lighting, differing sources (holes, torches, glow-worms, simple inky blackness) of light would do wonders to make them feel different.

As a note on cave loot, ideally I'd also want to see things other than "standard" loot. It would get ridiculous for every dangerous, difficult, uninhabited cave to conveniently have buried treasure sitting in the last room. Things like undiscovered mineral veins, rare alchemy ingredients, artifacts from a connected ruin, and so on would make them a lot more interesting than always having a general idea what you'll find. Even if your character doesn't use the skills to care about, say, the alchemy ingredients, or isn't a craftsman who can use a rare metal, they can still be sold to those who want them and fulfill the basic need of "loot."

There are holes. They're another example of Oblivion's detail.

Well, it wasn't very well-done detail. *sniff* As Rhekarid pointed out, the way the light disperses isn't right at all. It would be especially amusing if such "holes" extended to the fourth level of a deep cave.

That's a great idea. I've never even considered that. Except have underground ruins, and above ground ruins.

There was a great RP opportunity in oblivion with beggars, but Bethesda missed some details.
Beggars in Cyrodiil stood in the middle of streets asking for coins. When you talk to them, you could give them a coin or two, and they thank you. Although it did provide a basic form of charity RP, it lacked some depth. Their clothings, although pretty miserable, were not exactly filthy enough. The beggars, except they were wearing some rags, looked too well, and sometimes their voices changed when talking about generic topics.
Here's how I think it should be in TES5; beggars sit at the edge of the streets, usually with a small bowl front of them and a small rag under. They constantly wimp for a coin to people walking by. You can donate by activating their bowls, and they thank you.
Their voices should always stay consistant and their apperances filthy.
At night times, they usually crawl to nearby alley/hole/tree and sleep with the rags they were sitting on(this part was already done in 4). But some of them walk to the opposite side of town, enter an ultra rich house, change their clothing, and have banquet with their servants with the donation.

Thats called a con artist.

While we've got Con Artists on the NPC table, we should add Gold Diggers too.

NPC Gold Digger: "Hey there Handsome, [insert tons of dialogue where you get to know them and pretend to care]

I've been trying to get some jewelry for my sick grandmother for ages, you wouldn't be able to help me out, would you?"

Lol, and they leave you alone if you look poor or tell them you're broke.

I don't know if it has been suggested before, but not all enemies should act the same way, I mean, in Oblivion and Morrowind (pretty sure it was the same in TES 2 and 1) when an enemy sees you it pretty much always attacks. I want enemies to act differently depending on what they are, if a lone wolf sees me, it shouldn't attack, wolves don't do that usually, it should call for help, ignore you or just flee. I also want to see some teamwork between NPCs, we can cast buffing spells on others, why can't we add NPCs whose primary purpose is helping their fellow comrades? I want enemy mages with healing magic to not only heal themselves but heal others too, would make combat much more interesting. I also want to be the target of sneak attacks, why was the only one able to do them? It just doesn't make sense.

Isnt that what beggers do anyway?


The ALife in Stalker would be excellent for this.

High-Class beggars that flatter you.

But either way, what I'd like to see is NPCs that... actually do things. I know the NPCs in TES:IV did a lot, but they still didn't do much. People would miraculously be able to keep their house by visiting the bar, wandering around town, and going back home.

I'd like to see NPCs that'll fish, make arrangements, visit each other's houses, celebrate holidays, make comments if you do things. Like if you're waving around a sword people won't stop, smile and say "Hail!", or if you just miss them they could be like "Watch where you're swinging that!"

Although, I did notice a lot of improvements in Fallout 3, people leaning on walls, warming up next to fires, actually leaning forward in stools onto the bar, etc. And if you were looking at something locked or an item of theirs they'd notice you eyeing it and comment.

So maybe I'm suggesting this for nothing since people tend to work forward, not backward.

Has skill requirements for ranking up in guilds been suggested?

In every topic, and something I wholeheartedly agree with. You want to be master? Fine, just make sure you're practically a master with a skill requirement, and pretty damn good with another 2 or 3.