Combat AI needs a great deal of improvement. Sure, they gave townsfolk Radiant AI, but combat AI wasn't really all that much better than in Morrowind.

Enemy (Animal) AI

- Good job on these guys, they just charge and thats good

Not really. I find the wildlife AI in these games to be highly unrealistic. I don't care if you're facing off against a bear or a cougar; you make that thing bleed enough to where its desire to avoid pain outweighs its desire to make you a meal, and it's going to flee. It will not keep attempting to maul you. Further, precious few members of said wildlife are going to attack a person on sight; they'll attack when the person gets too close, but they'll skirt around or avoid that person if possible. Only when the animal is starving or inexperienced would it attempt to attack a person outright.

Finishing strikes.
Every fight should give you the option to kill the npc/creature or just loot and let go. There should be a special key for the killing blow like in Gothic 3.
Having some super heroes (especially children??) that can't be killed is stupid. Every single character in the game should be killable:
- including quest givers and main quest characters, the only thing is you're getting a message to prompt you that you are about to kill a key character for the quest x and it's your decision, maybe you don't want to do that quest or even the main quest for that matter. It's an open world that you decide how to shape, right?
- including children. If children can't be killed then keep them out of the game

1: I have never met a child in oblivion. There are some in fallout but i don't think there are any are in oblivion.
2: killing a child in a vdeo game is a good way top get the game knocked up to AO status and is seen as morally obsene for the option to even be there
3: They tried the make all charecters killable option in morrowind, no one liked it. I like not accidently killing a main quest charecter with a stray spell.

As for the loot and let go option, no. just no. Every fight is a fight to the death and taking that away takes away the fun. ESPECIALLY if you had to do that with EVERY Charecter/creature, pausing in the middle of the fight to see if you should spare a heartless criminal or insane man that will just attack you or someone else again would be annoying.

i think there should be a spell that works as a spell that stops your enemies in a dramatic way. Like a curse. This spell would allow the player too torture his enemies. Or just have fun. What the npc would do is he/she would get hit by the curse but then would on her knees and say please no stop it kill me. or just scream. If a creature was hit by the spell then it would scream out loud and fall. Even a evil laugh would be nice extra too the character.Even the curse could be sent continuously in a stream of energy.

Also wands should be introduced into the game. like wands should act as focusers for the mage. But also the wand should be able too have its own magic. It should be able too regenenerate energy. It could have the ability to knock back or knock down an enemy when you tap the attack button. A stream of magic would come out that had one or multiple effects. Also wands should be able to block attacks and spells. But also when your blocking you could release magic that would push back your enemies. also when the wand is in block position it should act as a torch by leading the way.

Also bethesda more clothing designs should be introduced and would each be in different colors. Also veils and cloaks of many colors should be introduced too the game. also on top of my veil or hood i would like to add a crown or etc. I would love to have the same rbes that dumbledore wore in hp1 and hp6. I would also love to have the robes that syl and thadon had.

Also there should be buyable and empty lots in ESV. That would allow for customization of property, security, services, there should be the ability to add fences to the property, and design.

Also these properties can be used for commerce like put a shop there or an inn. And every week or month you would earn money. Also you could support your buisness by hiring a express boy/girl. Who would go on horseback to town to town spreading the word of your new establishment.

There should be a banking system.
When the character wants too make another staff wand or any other weapon.. There should be a screen that pops up and lets you add your name in gold, put designs. make your weapon surrounded by flame. They could add crystals and etc. it should also be shown to you in a screen where you could make your customizations and etc. then you would know what your getting then it would be delivered to you or your residence for free or a fee. For furniture thet you order it should be customized and you should pick where it goes.

Also characters should be allowed to have stocks. And characters should be able too buy empty lots in all the cities. and turn them into houses inns or shops. For the shops the character should be able too hire workers too sell items. the character should be able too buy ownable mines and extract the minerals from the mine and send it too your shops. Also the goods can be sent by caravan too your stores. Then they could turn them into whatever and you get money. also the workers should be essential

for the inns you would get a permit and build however on your lot. then you would open your buisness to the public by sending messengers to send good news about your inns or shops.

Also for the guilds i think one go through special quests meetings paperwork and leveling before you could become the next level.

Also there should be pets like a lion or dog or etc.

There should be pools of substantiation where you could make creatures like pheonixes or daedra.

The arcane university should be as big as a small town. Also it should have a giant greenhouse with most of the worlds ingredients.

Also players should be allowed to design there house. By choosing everything or by starting with a already made design. You could add a fence or huge gate. Add a guard dog or daedra. Or add regular guards. Add your own services. You could have a house in the woods. Add what you want including floor and etc. now this is for empty lots.

shape shapeshifting should be allowed also possessing beings but not spirits.

Also for the buisness just for fun a player could own his own strip club or prosttute house Where you would hire your dancers. Or prosttutes. You could build it to your customizations. and for fun you could have any race any gender. now it could be either gay or straight. Just for civil purposes.

sixual content should be allowed in the game.
Well on my idea about the properties. I think that it would be nice to buy empty lots and change them into inn,houses,shops and even a prosttute house.

In these properties you would custromize it by a design thats already done and you would decide on everything else.

For the inns as i said earlier you would hire a inn keeper and a maid. You would pay them once and thats it because they have a place too stay and something to eat. You would also get all of your money sent to your bank account. For the design you have already decided how many rooms you want in your house. The workers would be essential. Also you would get someone too spread the news about your buisness.

For the prosttute houses you would design it and you would get your money sent to your bank account. The prosttutes would be all of the races and each gender. You would either have it gay or straight it's by what you choose.The game has too be gay friendly for sales. Also you would have the prosttutes pay you there tips. You would also decide how many rooms you would have in the rooms.

For the house.
Players should be allowed to design there house. By choosing everything or by starting with a already made design. You could add a fence or huge gate. Add a guard dog or daedra. Or add regular guards. Add your own services. You could have a house in the woods. Add what you want including floor and etc. now this is for empty lots.

for the shops,
Also characters should be allowed to have stocks. And characters should be able too buy empty lots in all the cities. and turn them into houses inns or shops. For the shops the character should be able too hire workers too sell items. the character should be able too buy ownable mines and extract the minerals from the mine and send it too your shops. Also the goods can be sent by caravan too your stores. Then they could turn them into whatever and you get money. also the workers should be essential.





Also for a item. There should be a special cloak that when warn has light or shadows coming from it. But when you double jump it allows the wearer to be engulfed in shadow or light and fly. While you fly darkness or light comes from you in a stream. Also u have the ability to to do spells. But when you touch the ground you are normal, also when your attcked you fall to the ground.

A spell ive been thinking of is a spell that makes surroung walls of fire appear. but you need a wand. Then any threat near you will be attacked by streams of fire coming from the walls. But you musty try to hold it for as long as possible. Like in hp6.

Also they should have giant daedra or monsters roaming the forest. or some place.

also some shapeshifting would be nice please.

please do look at these ideas.

3: They tried the make all charecters killable option in morrowind, no one liked it. I like not accidently killing a main quest charecter with a stray spell.

I liked the fact that I could kill anyone in Morrowind.

As for the loot and let go option, no. just no. Every fight is a fight to the death and taking that away takes away the fun. ESPECIALLY if you had to do that with EVERY Charecter/creature, pausing in the middle of the fight to see if you should spare a heartless criminal or insane man that will just attack you or someone else again would be annoying.

I absolutely LOVED the fact that I could kill anyone in Morrowind.

Essentially-flagged immortal NPCs are a giant immersion breaker. If it's my character's decision to kill off someone, the I had damn well better be able to do it. It breaks quests? Then those are the consequences I should live with. Besides, quest breaking via NPC death can be mitigated by not always requiring that a specific NPC be there to complete the quest. Give quests backpaths. And as for the "what if the NPC dies randomly" argument, three things. Don't put quest NPCs in situations in which they are likely to die. If quest NPCs must go in those chance positions, make sure they are sufficiently skilled enough or prepared enough to live through it. And finally, tighten up AI reactions so that random NPC deaths are a nonentity.

If a MQ character gets killed, Morrowind's way of doing things was perfect. Limit the real number of actually essential MQ characters to as small an amount as possible. Then, when the player kills them, have a popup box telling them their world has been doomed, and it's their choice to continue playing or reload a save.

Further, if AI and NPC-on-NPC related deaths simply cannot be fixed, then make essentially-flagged NPCs immortal only to other NPCs. The player should always have the choice to kill whomever they want.

If a MQ character gets killed, Morrowind's way of doing things was perfect. Limit the real number of actually essential MQ characters to as small an amount as possible. Then, when the player kills them, have a popup box telling them their world has been doomed, and it's their choice to continue playing or reload a save.

Further, if AI and NPC-on-NPC related deaths simply cannot be fixed, then make essentially-flagged NPCs immortal only to other NPCs. The player should always have the choice to kill whomever they want.

But its still annoying if u didnt know an NPC was essential but u killed them to get into the DB or something. I think once u attack an essential NPC there should be a message telling u they are essential. So if u care u can stop and if u dont give two s**** then u murder the guy anyway!

I'm not sure how they could so this, but if they could then fine by me, problem is (more so in oblivion because of the more complicated AI) that NPC's are so stupid, that a single accidental blow, would probably result in an all out war, with half the population there dying, e.g. city swimmer is in thieves guild, city swimmer gets caught and is attacked by guards, many thieves guild members are near and help city-swimmer by fighting with her, about all the thieves guild members and 3 guards die, this is without counting the possibility of any random NPC being near and getting an accidental hit, resulting in more deaths (multiplied if random NPC is part of any large faction e.g. fighters guild). This is what really irked me about these deaths, that sometimes you can be on the other side of the map when it happens. Thats why i actually turn some NPC's into essential using a mod, that way none of my future quests would be interrupted, however if they can improve NPC AI so that they or do as you said then that would be just great.

If you were concerned about cutting off potential quests, then you shouldn't have been killing in the first place, should you? It should be part of the event of murder to consider the potential implications of that murder. And if consequences arise out of it, then so be it. Does a murderer in real life get a quest popup to notify them that their intended victim might be of use to them later on in life?

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Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. :lightbulb:

Why don't you work in Bethesda? All the problems in the game could probably have been resolved by you, ThatOneGuy, every day i read something written by you and i think to myself "why didn't they do that?", anyway, if Bethesda doesn't ask for you to work them, maybe they'll look at the forums and read your posts, great job with the posts, you probably just solved one of the biggest problems in oblivion. :goodjob:

Well it isnt real life, its a game and im sure most ppl would agree that it would very annoying to have to start a whole new character for 1 quest. You could be on the last part of the MQ and u cant complete it because the guy is dead. Personally i dont have a problem with essential NPCs dying. Realism is important but sometimes its better not to make things exactly like real life.

Well, the first step towards a more coherent AI system is to give guards the ability to take NPCs to jail. That way, petty theft doesn't get punished by death, and punishment by death doesn't lead to factional revolt against impossible odds.

The second is to incorporate some form of desire versus consequences scale for actions, with numeric thresholds determined by AI personality settings to decide when certain actions are taken and certain actions aren't. For example, City-Swimmer gets caught stealing bread. The nearby patrolling legionnaire attempts to take her in. City-Swimmer numerically evaluates her chances of survival by resisting arrest (guard's skills and attributes versus her own), the accuracy of which is determined by some skill/attribute based perception algorithm. Then, City-Swimmer's evaluation is compared to City-Swimmer's aggression rating. If her aggression is high enough to offset the the chances of survival (assuming the chances of survival were evaluated as low), then City-Swimmer could resist arrest and attack. The legionnaire would then pummel City-Swimmer. However, this doesn't have to mean death. The further the percent of City-Swimmer's health drops, the closer that percentage comes to overriding City-Swimmer's high aggression setting. And when it gets low enough, City-Swimmer will yield. The legionnaire will then evaluate whether or not to accept that yield based on his responsibility setting, which, for a guard, would be pretty high (meaning he'd let her live and cart her off to jail). That's the huge gaping problem with our current AI setup. It's all or nothing, and no room for in between or dynamic decision-making based on constantly-changing outside factors. But the outside factors aren't too terribly difficult to add in.

This would apply to a multitude of situations, as well. For example, Bethesda cited the residents of Bravil's skooma den as a good example of why they toned down RAI. The skooma addicts were given a desire for skooma. And there is a skooma merchant just across the way. However, the addicts have no money for skooma, yet their desire is their sole focus, so they promptly would go kill the skooma merchant to satisfy their given desire. All or nothing; fulfill at all costs. With the system above, the skooma addicts would evaluate the consequences for murder (perhaps by developers pre-assigning specific actions and parameters with numeric values to indicate severity of consequences). Then, the numeric strength of their desire for skooma would be weighed against that numeric evaluation of consequence, as well as responsibility settings. If their desire wasn't strong enough to outweigh the consequences, then they'd refrain from murder yet still retain the desire for skooma.

That's the basic form. If we added in the possibility of desire increasing as the amount of time passes that it goes unfulfilled, things would get more interesting. Not to say that all skooma addicts would reach the point of desire where murder would be justified for them, but some would (dependent upon AI personality settings) Further, if we added other options to achieve the goal of skooma, that would increase the interesting factor. Skooma addicts need money to fulfill cravings? Then allow for NPCs to find scripted freelance work around town, odd jobs and what not. Whether those jobs are the more traditional and legal sort, or the slightly questionable sort, depends on the NPC and the AI conditions for hiring. The job itself, visually, wouldn't be more complex in nature than having two or three lines of dialogue, and a few "go here" AI directions. Everything else would be happening behind the scenes. And with their newfound money, the skooma addicts could feed their habit and sink themselves back into poverty, thus necessitating the repeat of the process.

That's why you establish a backpath for the main quest as a guiderail for just-in-case scenarios. Or several backpaths, depending on how infallible such backpaths might be in terms of how the player might conceivably screw them up. And I do agree to a point that MQ-related NPCs should have some form of dialogue or notification indicating that they will shoot the MQ in the foot if they die. But if there are backpaths, and at least one of those backpaths is relatively impossible for the player to screw up (i.e. no requirements for NPCs being alive), then I don't see the real need for it. And I wouldn't want those alerts for any other quest-related NPCs, and the MQ-related NPCs they apply to should be as small a number as possible.

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