» Tue May 17, 2011 6:46 am - Gameplay, Quests
You don't pick which skills are important to you in the beginning.
The higher the skill, the more it contributes to leveling.
Each level comes with an automatic boost in health (it doesn't say if it's based on something) and then a choice to raise your health, stamina or magicka.
You get to pick a perk on each level-up (it says there are many of them).
In the beginning you level up faster.
A quest involving two trader brothers in an argument about a stolen artifact. Discounts after quest completion.
This seems to tie in to "if you murder the shopkeeper, his sister will automatically inherit the shop, and might offer you the same quest".
If you drop objects in towns, there is a chance that someone will pick it up and ask you about it or NPCs might fight for it. We don't know how dynamic this is.
Quest to save a woman's daughter from kidnappers. This will tie-in with a dynamic quest system, in which the game looks for dungeons you never explored and sets the quest
in one of them.
You can sprint by expending stamina.
No mentions about attributes, apart from health, magicka, stamina.
No more zoom in conversations, NPCs will do something while talking to you.
Similar system to Oblivion, where you hear a conversation and a quest or location is added.
Farming, mining, woodcutting, cooking seem to be in - not specified to which extent.
18 skills (21 in Oblivion, 27 in Morrowind, 35 in Daggerfall).
Level scaling is similar to Fallout 3 style, not Oblivion.
No more classes to pick from, nothing clear about picking some form of class during the game.
Five schools of magic - no more Mysticism, its spells were distributed to other schools.
- Combat
Some concept art in the video shows a weapon that resembles an axe (or a halberd).
Fighting remains true to the core action tenets of previous entries while streamlining weapon and ability usage. (Todd Howard)
Every weapon and spell can be equipped to either hand at any time. Dual wield two of the same weapons or the same spell.
New finishing moves, unique to each weapon and target.
Bows take more to draw but are more powerful.
Backpedaling in combat should be inefficient, slower speed for moving back.
It seems you can create weapons.
A flamethrower spell is in.
The GI article mentions a total of 85 spells in Skyrim - Pete Hines said on Twitter: "more like effects."
- Graphics, Interface
Each Skill has it's own constellation represented, and each star in that constellation is a perk.
Faces look very natural in the GI article, more distinctions between races.
More streamlined interface, no mention of PC-specific interface or at least modifications (like with Mass Effect, for example).
No more HUD.
Snow not a predefined texture, but falling naturally based on object shape.
Trees and branches move independently with the wind.
Beards are in. There might be some level of body customization, apart from the face.
- Locations, Characters
The moutain called The throat of the world, which houses High Hrothgar, home of the Greybeards. 7000 steps must be climbed to reach High Hrothgar.
Riverwood - small logging community.
An area called the Reach, rocky and craggy, in the western end of Skyrim.
Five massive cities.
Esbern - one of the few surviving blades, a mentor for the hero. Voiced by Max von Sydow.
Alduin - also called the World Eater, a massive dragon foretold by the Elder scrolls. His triumph means the destruction of Tamriel.
Unique landscapes and unique dungeons - not much specified about this.
7 totally different kinds of landscapes.
Confirmed cities based on the GI video:
- Riften
- Windhelm
- Whiterun
- Solitude
Large regions:
- Eastmarch, in eastern Skyrim, described as "volcanic tundra"
- Rift, in southeastern Skyrim, described as "fall forest"
Link to new Skyrim concept-art map, courtesy of Mavi http://img140.imageshack.us/i/skyrimmapkorjorg.jpg/
Link to GI video with Todd Howard: http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2011/01/10/video-behind-the-scenes-of-skyrim.aspx
A pretty in-depth anolysis of the Situation in Skyrim, by Arilias:
Skyrim is traditionally divided into nine "Holds," administrative subdivisions similar to Cyrodiilic counties. Judging by the map, each Hold will be a discrete geographical region with its own look and feel. The northern and eastern Holds are known collectively as the "Old Holds," and have a large Nord majority, are the bastions of Nord traditionalism, and are ruled by hereditary aristocracy. It seems likely that the Old Holds would be the main power center for the anti-Imperial Nords. The Old Holds are as follows:
- Winterhold consists of Skyrim's northeastern coast. Winterhold contains two cities - Dawnstar, and its capital, also named Winterhold. The city of Winterhold is likely one of the game's five major cities. Winterhold is historically one of the most important power centers in Skyrim, rivaled only by Whiterun and Solitude. It is a major trading port with a flourishing economy, and is located near the ruins of Saarthal, the original capital of Skyrim. After the destruction of Morrowind, Winterhold became the home of large numbers of Dunmer refugees. It contains both the famous College of Winterhold and the Ysmir Collective, a library rescued from the destruction of Morrowind.
- Eastmarch is in eastern Skyrim, on the border with Morrowind. Eastmarch is described as "Volcanic Tundra," and its only city is Windhelm, the ancient capital of the First Empire, traditional capital of Skyrim, and one of the game's five major cities. During Tiber Septim's reign, Windhelm was an important Imperial garrison, defending the Dunmeth Pass to Morrowind..
- Rift is located in southeast Skyrim. Rift is described as "Fall Forest," and its only city is Riften. Riften is one of the game's five major cities, but we don't know much about it other than that it sits on the edge of a lake.
- The Pale is a valley, located in north-central Skyrim. It is described as "Snow" and apparently contains no cities
The remaining holds are much more cosmopolitan. With one notable exception, while these Holds may a have hereditary aristocracy, they are effectively governed by elected councils called "Moots."
- Falkreath Hold is in southwest Skyrim. It contains the city of Falkreath, but Falkreath does not appear to be one of the game's five major cities.
- The Reach consists of western Skyrim. It consists of "Canyons and Mesas." The Reach is supposedly the most cosmopolitan Hold, with large Orcish, Breton, and Imperial populations. The Reach does not appear to contain any large cities.
- Whiterun is located in south-central Skyrim. It is described as "Tundra." Whiterun contains two cities: Markarth Side and its capital, also called Whiterun, one of the game's five major cities. Whiterun contains the Throat of the World, the tallest mountain in Skyrim, and the second-tallest in all of Tamriel, after Red Mountain in Vvardenfell. At the peak of the Throat of the World is High Hrothgar, the home of the ancient greybeards, masters of the ancient Nord art of thu'um. Tiber Septim established an Imperial College of the Voice in Markarth Side to promote the study of thu'um, but in practice the College serves more as a babysitter for young Nord nobles. The city of Whiterun was once known as the "Imperial City of Skyrim," but its fortunes declined late in the Third Era. Near the end of the Third Era, the city and Hold were effectively ruled by a witch named Jsashe, a self-proclaimed "priestess of Lorkhan." According to the map, Jsashe's Coven is still the supreme ruler of Whiterun.
- A Hold of uncertain name in northwestern Skyrim, on the northwestern bank of a large river delta. It contains the city of Solitude, one of the game's five major cities and Winterhold's traditional rival as the most important city in Skyrim. Solitude is the northernmost city in Tamriel, and a major trading port. It was also the home of Potema, the "Witch-Queen of Solitude," an aunt of the Empress Kintyra who attempted to usurp the Imperial throne. There is still a movement, called the H?rme, who considers Potema and her son Uriel III to have been the last true emperors of Tiber Septim's bloodline, and actively oppose the Empire. Solitude is an ally of Dawnstar in Winterhold, and is also an active sponsor of exploratory expeditions to the Sea of Ghosts and beyond.
- Another Hold of uncertain name in northwestern Skyrim, southeast of the river delta. We know basically nothing about this one.
Skyrim's royal family all claim descent from Ysgramor, the warlord who first conquered Skyrim. When the succession is in doubt, a Moot is convened, consisting of representatives from all nine Holds, to elect the new King from the members of the royal family. Given what we know of the Skyrim Civil War, this probably didn't work.
- Story, Misc
Alduin's wall "depicts a prophecy heralding the return of Alduin to the world of the Elder Scrolls, as well as the history of the dragons and their interaction with humanity.
Each of the previous games in the Elder Scrolls series play a part in the prophecy:
- The first is the shattering of The staff of chaos, event that happened in TES: Arena.
- The return of Numidium. The golem was reassembled during TES: Daggerfall.
- The events at Red Mountain, which the Nerevarine influenced in TES: Morrowind.
- The death of Emperor Uriel Septim VII, at the start of TES: Oblivion. The end of Tamriel's Third era.
- The sons of Skyrim "spilling their own blood" in civil war and the murder of the high king of Skyrim, events with which TES: Skyrim begins.
Confirmed the player starts again as a convict. An individual "gifted with the same incredible powers held by the dragons".
The Dragonborn will have to understand the secrets of Alduin's wall in order to defeat him.
The Akaviri armor worn by the Blades in the depiction on the wall originates from another continent.
An Auto-take gold option appears in the GI video.
It seems Crafting mode will have third-person animations for the PC. (GI video)
In the latest video, Todd Howard mentions someone is working on Creation Kit for the game.
More voice actors than Oblivion.
Citizens of Skyrim turning against each other in civil war as the game begins and lesser dragons already flying across the world.
You are the last of the Dragonborn.
Dragons will be regular threats in the game world. They will fly into battle at unexpected times.
Children seem to be in.
Confirmed creatures: draugr, skeletons, trolls, giants, ice wraiths, giant spiders, dragons, wolves, horses, Elk, mammoth, saber-toothed cats, werewolves.
One of the screenshots in GI shows a creature that very much resembles a dog.
Confirmed that interiors and exteriors are once again separated cells.
Of course, thanks to everyone who contributes.
