Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim announced

[Matt Jay]

They need to do something to improve the combat, but I don't think it needs to be VATS.

[Briomega]

They need to do something to improve the combat, but I don't think it needs to be VATS.

Yep. As long as they've been listening to the complaints over the years and taken it to heart, I'm sure it will be improved.

[The Human Target]

They need to add some type of V.A.T.S. system to gameplay or I won't even look at it.

Random fact: Daggerfall was my first computer game. I must have played it for almost a year.

Oh god, if they turn this into a shooter too I'm out.

[The Human Target]

I love Bethesda games (Fallout and Elder Scrolls, particularly), but I've learned that I enjoy them way more if I wait to buy a Game Of The Year Edition with all the bugs worked out and all the DLC included. I feel like they don't do enough play-testing prior to shipping and that my experience suffers if I'm an early buyer with a Bethesda game.

The contrast, in my opinion, is Bioware, which only ever seems to have a fraction of the bugs in their games when compared to Bethesda games. I'll buy Mass Effect or Dragon Age right away, but I'll wait on Skyrim.

To be fair though, Mass Effect and Dragon Age aren't huge open world RPGs either.

More free roaming equals more bugs.

[Dr. Chaos]

Oh god, if they turn this into a shooter too I'm out.

I doubt theres any chance of guns popping up in The Elder Scrolls, especially since Bethesda already has the Fallout franchise now to live out their sordid firearm fantasies.

Just lots and lots of bows I'll never use.

[The Human Target]

I doubt theres any chance of guns popping up in The Elder Scrolls, especially since Bethesda already has the Fallout franchise now to live out their sordid firearm fantasies.

Just lots and lots of bows I'll never use.

You know what I mean though.

I'm the one person that liked the combat in Mass Effect 1 more than in ME2.

I loved the combat in Dragon Age.

Gimme something more like that and I'll be happy.

Plus the Elder Scrolls games aren't so much about the fighting.

[Matt Jay]

Screens!

http://www.gamekyo.com/groupnews_article16624.html

Details!

http://scrawlfx.com/2011/01/first-el...skyrim-details
Leveling

Skyrim‘s level system works on a 1-50 scale. Though, level 50 isn’t the limit; when you reach level 50, you’ll gain experience much slower, making leveling a much more difficult process.

Each time a player levels, they’ll earn extra health. Additionally, they can also pick one of the following traits to boost: stamina, health, or magic.

There’s no class selection at the start of the game. Every skill a player earns will help contribute to their overall level. Every time a player levels, new perks (a la Fallout 3) are unlocked.

Level-scaling makes a return. Meaning: “The game eventually logs a huge storehouse of knowledge about how you’ve played, and subsequently tailors content to your capabilities and experiences. Entering a city, a young woman might approach you and beg you to save her daughter from kidnappers. The game will look at the nearby dungeons you’ve explored, automatically set the mission in a place you’ve never visited, and designate opponents that are appropriately matched to your strengths and weaknesses.”

Skills

There are 18 skills for players to learn, which is three down from Oblivion and eleven down from Morrowind.

Skills will try and accommodate the player who wants to put their focus into a single profession, as well as allow room for players who prefer to do a little bit of everything.

The mysticism skill is gone. The enchanting skill is still present.

Story

The game is set in the Nord region of Skyrim, 200 years after the events of Oblivion. The player, as one of the dragonborn, is called upon to stop the prophetic return of the dragons. The player’s mentor is one of the last blades.

The world includes five massive cities. Its dungeons — caves, underground areas, etcetera — will have more variation than past games.

Conversations

Conversations do not zoom into the person’s face, anymore. They’re more realistic in Skyrim; the person you’re talking to will do things such as walk around, perform tasks whilst in conversation, glance at you every now and then, etc.

Faces are heavily improved. They don’t look like crap, anymore.

Combat

Combat is more dynamic and tactical; each hand is assigned a function (ex: magic in one hand, a weapon in the other). The team is putting a lot of care into the different feel of each weapon in the player’s hands. They’re also putting a heavy emphasis on improving combat in Skyrim.

Enemies include: zombies, skeletons, trolls, giants, ice wraiths, giant spiders, dragons, wolves, horses, mammoth, saber-toothed cats, and other creatures.

Questing

Quests, like combat, also boast a more dynamic feel. You’ll be assigned quests depending on how you develop your character. For example: a frequent magic user may be approached by another mage and assign you a quest. Had you been a frequent melee fighter, the mage would not have approached you.

To better suit the player, quests will be modified depending on what you’ve done (see level scaling above, or the following example). An example: you must rescue a girl from a certain location. This location will be in an area you’ve yet to visit with enemies that are of or near your level in order to have the player visit a new location and be combatant with challenging enemies.

Also of note: in Oblivion, if you dropped an item, it would stay there forever. Depending on where you drop items in Skyrim, different events could happen. Another example: if you drop a dagger in a town, a young boy might pick it up and find you to return. Or in a different situation: a group of men could find it and fight over who gets to keep it.

Engine

The engine is completely new. Snow falls dynamically, trees and branches move independently according to the wind, and water flows beautifully.

There are dynamic shadows, as well.

Other Stuff

The third-person view has been improved. These improvements are clearly displayed in the screenshots the magazine provides (which we cannot publish).

There is an option to remove the heads-up-display (HUD) for players who want the entire screen to be taken advantage of.

Players can sprint if they feel like going fast. Or they could fast-travel, allowing them to transport to any previously visited location on the map.

Dragons can attack a town, meaning that towns may (we’re guessing) also be open to other creature attacks. You can also duel an NPC in town, western style, if you’d like.

Thanks, NeoGAF.

[Dr. Chaos]

Also of note: in Oblivion, if you dropped an item, it would stay there forever. Depending on where you drop items in Skyrim, different events could happen. Another example: if you drop a dagger in a town, a young boy might pick it up and find you to return. Or in a different situation: a group of men could find it and fight over who gets to keep it.

This begs the question: What happens when you drop a dagger and some skooma in the middle of a Skyrim crackhouse?

[John]

Matt Jay has sold me on the game.

I was already looking forward to it, but that sounds like a tasty treat to me.

[Kman00001]

Sounds great. I wish they'd kept the class selection but it won't keep me away.