 V1.0
This document has been compiled from information revealed
about the game through various interviews and previews, and postings on the Elder Scrolls message boards.
Its purpose is to introduce people to the features of the game, and give an overview of
what to expect, as well as be an up-to-date list of what general knowledge is known about
the game.. It is not meant to be a tutorial for any part of the game, nor is it meant to
replace the game manual. If you have further questions about the game, visit the
messageboard, and post your questions there. If Bethesda Staff doesn't respond directly to
your questions, then one of the many frequent visitors to the messageboard likely will. As
with any description about a work in progress, the information discussed within is subject
to change, and could be inaccurate or incomplete. The mention of or reference to any
company or product in this document should not be viewed as a challenge to the trademark
or copyright concerned.
About this FAQ:
This document has been compiled by webmaster Striker
for those who frequent the messageboards and Destination: Morrowind.
Any corrections or additions can be forwarded to me, and appropriate changes will be made. Striker is
the webmaster of Destination: Morrowind.
You can always find the latest version of this FAQ at Destination: Morrowind.
Section 1: The Elder Scrolls
1.1 What are the Elder Scrolls games?
1.2 What are the features that are hallmarks of the Elder Scrolls
games?
1.3 Where does Oblivion take place?
1.4 Will Cyrodill feature races other than the Imperials?
1.5 Where can I go for more information on the history of the game
world?
1.6 Where can I go for more information about the game?
Section 2: General Game Information
2.1 When will the game be released?
2.2 What are the minimum system requirements?
2.3 Is Oblivion a first-person game, a third-person game, an isometric
view game, or what?
2.4 Will the game feature full speech throughout?
2.5 What format is the game's music in?
2.6 When will the beta test be?
2.7 What format will the game be released on (CD, DVD, etc)?
2.8 Will there be any OS or console ports of the game?
Section 3: Gameplay
3.1 Will the game's controls be customizeable?
3.2 Will the game be able to support other methods of control such as
gamepads or joysticks?
3.3 Will there be other modes of travel available in Oblivion besides
walking?
Section 4: Game World
4.1 Where does the Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion take place?
4.2 How big is the game world in Oblivion?
4.3 Will there be much variety in the landscaping of Vvardenfell?
4.4 How will exploration be handled?
Section 5: Skills and Experience
5.1 How will the player's character grow and develop? Will it be a
"leveling" system like most other CRPG's?
5.2 Will the skills be the same as they were in Morrowind?
5.3 How many skills will be in the game?
5.4 What are a character's base attributes?
Section 6: NPC Interactions
6.1 Non Player Characters in Morrowind were an improvement on Daggerfall, however, they were still fairly bland. Will this be different in Oblivion?
6.2 Will NPC's have 24hr scheduling?
6.3 Will I be able to kill any NPC's?
6.4 Will there be any negative effects for murdering NPC's?
6.5 What kind of NPC interactions can be expected?
6.6 How many NPC's will be in the game?
6.7 What will the NPC's be like in Oblivion?
Section 7: Factions
7.1 What exactly are factions?
7.2 How many factions are in the game?
Section 8: Races and Classes
8.1 How does the character selection process work?
Section 9: Graphics Engine
9.1 What engine will Bethesda be using to develop Oblivion? Will it be
a licensed product or an inhouse developed engine?
9.2 Does the engine support effects such as "paper-dolling"
your character (i.e. changing clothing)?
9.3 What about NPC lip movement?
9.4 I've checked out the screenshots and they are amazing. Can the graphics be turned down to run on slower computers?
Section 10: Relationship to
Previous ES Games
10.1 Will the potion maker/spell maker/item enchantings be included?
10.2 A cool feature of Morrowind and Daggerfall was the "ability" to get
turned into a vampire or lycanthrope. Will this also be in Oblivion?
10.3 Will there be horses or other rideable creatures to use as mounts?
Section 11: Plot
11.1 What is the starting premise of your character in Oblivion?
11.2 So what will the main plot specifically deal with? What will be
the overarching issue?
11.3 What themes from past Elder Scroll games will Oblivion explore?
Section 12: Quests
12.1 With the tremendous emphasis on the free-form exploration
nature of the game, will there be any formalized quests to undertake?
Section 13: Multiplayer
13.1 Will Oblivion feature a multiplayer component?
Section 14: Combat
14.1 What are the team's major design goals for combat?
14.2 What kind of control scheme will combat use? Will it be like Morrowind where you move in the direction you want to attack?
14.3 How will weapons and stats affect combat?
14.4 How many weapons will be in the game?
14.5 Are missile weapons in?
14.6 How many creatures will there be?
14.7 What kind of armor is in Oblivion?
14.8 Will mounted combat be possible?
Section 15: Magic
15.1 Will Oblivion feature the same schools of magic as found in
Morrowind?
15.2 Will I be able to create my own spells, just like in Daggerfall and Morrowind?
Section 16: Stealth
16.1 Will stealth be the same in Oblivion as it was in Morrowind?
16.2 In what ways will it be different?
Section 17: The Editor
17.1 What is the Construction Set?
17.2 Will the Construction Set differ from the Morrowind one? What are the main changes?
17.3 What are some of the scripting changes in the Construction Set compared to Morrowind?
Section 1: The Elder
Scrolls
1.1 What are the Elder Scrolls games?
The Elder Scrolls are a series of CRPG's set on the fantasy continent of Tamriel. The Elder
Scrolls series basically introduced the idea of non-linearity to the gaming world. The
first game in the series was Arena, winning several RPG of the year awards for its
innovative design. Following Arena was Daggerfall, which expanded upon the base of Arena
in virtually every way. Daggerfall had one of the largest worlds of any computer game to
date. It also offered unparalleled free-form design, a non-linear quest, and tons of
customization options. Two non-RPG spin offs included Battlespire and the 3rd
person action/adventure game Redguard. Morrowind was the third game in the direct line of
Elder Scrolls titles, with Oblivion being the fourth.
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1.2 What are the
features that are hallmarks of the Elder Scrolls games?
The first and foremost is non-linearity. Allowing the players to do what they want when
they want. The goal of every Elder Scrolls game has been to create the experience of a pen
& paper RPG on the computer, where a player is only limited by his or her imagination.
The next, falling right alongside non-linearity, is detail. The worlds in the Elder
Scrolls series are some of the most detailed in the industry, complete with histories,
multiple cultures, and varied locales. This allows the player to feel as though their
character is really a dynamic part of that world. There are always major quests in Elder
Scroll games, but they are always able to be ignored. The primary goal is to simply allow
the player to explore, roleplay, and be immersed in a grand, detailed environment.
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1.3 Where does Oblivion take place?
Oblivion is set in the Imperial Capital of Cyrodiil. This has been the seat of power for the Emperors ruling over all of Tamriel since Tiber Septim united the kingdoms during the Second Era. The current Emperor is Uriel Septim VII.
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
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1.4 Will
Cyrodill feature races other than the Imperials?
The Imperial seat of power appears quite diverse in it's inhabitants, so you will find all all races residing there. Of course, Slavery is outlawed this time around, so the beast races will be received better. Except perhaps Orcs, mainly because they have only become equals since the end of Daggerfall. But that remains to be seen.
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1.5 Where can I go
for more information on the history of the game world?
I would recommend The Imperial Library, a
site featuring basically all the background info to all of the Elder Scroll series. All of
the background info presented here was garnered from that site.
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1.6 Where can I
go for more information on the game?
For continuing coverage over the development of Oblivion, there exist a number of
reputable sites. Destination: Morrowind,
and the Official Elderscrolls.com site are all good sources
of news. Bethesda generally releases screenshots to outside media sources before giving
them to fansites or posting them on their own site, so also check out generic gaming news
sites such as VoodooExtreme, Blue's News, Telefragged,
and RPGVault.
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Section 2: General Information
2.1 When will the game be released?
The only release date so far is Winter 2005, which translates to around the November and December months of 2005 (For those not in the US). This appears to be a guess on the part of Game Informer, so should be taken with a grain of salt.
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
(Reference: Official Forums)
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2.2 What are the
minimum system requirements?
Currently there isn't any information on the minimum or required specifications to run Oblivion.
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2.3 Is Oblivion a
first-person game, a third-person game, an isometric view game, or what?
The views are the same as Morrowind; in other words, both First and Third person.
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
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2.4 Will the game
feature full speech throughout?
Yes, Oblivion will contain Characters that converse in free flowing non scripted discussions; some of which is unrelated to the playing character. Every single line of dialog in the game will have voice overs.
(Reference: Gamespy Oblivion Preview)
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2.5 What format is
the game's music in?
Unknown, however, it will proabably be MP3 like Morrowind.
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2.6 When will the
beta test be?
Wouldn't have a clue or even if there is one. We will find out closer to the relase date. If there is one, the other Bethesda Beta tests tell us it will only be open to US residents and people over 18.
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2.7 What format
will the game be released on (CD, DVD, etc)?
Most likely CD. Other options have not been totally ruled out as of yet.
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2.8 Will there be
any OS or console ports of the game?
Other than the PC, it seems as though the Xbox 2 and PS3 are posibilities.
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
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Section 3: Gameplay
3.1 Will the game's controls be
customizeable?
I can't think of any reason why this wouldn't be the case.
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3.2 Will the game
be able to support other methods of control such as gamepads or joysticks?
Yes, Oblivion will utilize DirectInput and will presumably work with any DirectInput
compatible device.
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3.3 Will there be
other modes of travel available in Oblivion besides walking?
Horses appear in the game, and they can be used as mounts. There is also a fast travel ability that allows you to click on places you've visited previously and travel there, after the correct amount of time has passed.
(Reference: Todd Howard's Letter to the fans)
(Reference: Game Banshee Interview)
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Section 4:
Game world
4.1 Where does the Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion take
place?
Oblivion, despite it's name, takes place in the Imperial Provence of Cyrodiil, which has been the seat of power for all of Tamriel since the Second Era. This is the description from the Pocket Guide to the Empire:Indeed, if the history of the Nords is the history of humans on Tamriel, then Cyrodiil is the throne from which they will decide their destiny. It is the largest region of the continent, and most is endless jungle. Its center, the grassland of the Nibenay Valley, is enclosed by an equatorial rain forest and broken up by rivers. As one travels south along these rivers, the more subtropical it becomes, until finally the land gives way to the swamps of Argonia and the placid waters of the Topal Bay. The elevation rises gradually to the west and sharply to the north. Between its western coast and its central valley there are all manner of deciduous forest and mangroves, becoming sparser towards the ocean. The western coast is a wet-dry area, and from Rihad border to Anvil to the northernmost Valenwood villages forest fires are common in summer. There are a few major roads to the west, river paths to the north, and even a canopy tunnel to the Velothi Mountains, but most of Cyrodiil is a river-based society surrounded by jungle.
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4.2 How big is the
game world in Oblivion?
Currently, it's not known exactly how much of Cyrodiil will be covered, although, Todd Howard has clarified that it will be bigger than Morrowind. Also, it will still be the most expansive RPG for the 'next-gen' market.
(Reference: Todd Howard's Letter to the fans)
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
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4.4 How will exploration be handled?
Oblivion will be similar to Morrowind - there are many dungeons and places to explore throughout the landscape. An additional feature is a 'dynamic compass' "that will show you how close you are to dungeons while wandering the forests or where the person is that you need to talk to make a quest progress".
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
(Reference: Gamespy Oblivion Preview)
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4.3 Will there be much variety in the
landscaping?
It's hard to tell how varied the landscape will be, however, so far there appear to be grazelands, fairly dense forrests, mountains, subterranean dungeons, ancient ruins and cities/towns.
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
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Section 5: Skills
and Experience
5.1 How will the player's character grow and
develop? Will it be a "leveling" system like most other CRPG's?
Yes, and will probably be similar to Morrowind.
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5.2 Will the skills
be the same as they were in Morrowind?
There is now a better balance between combat, magic, and stealth skills. They have overhauled each area so that people can now play the whole game using one set of those skills. Combat gives you different attacks; learnt as your skills increase. Magic is similar to past games in it's use, however, it's more effective to use as your only means of playing the game. The way Stealth is handled has been totally changed.
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
(Reference: Gamespot interview with Todd Howard)
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5.3 How many skills
will be in the game?
The exact number isn't known, however, the 6 magic schools (Destruction, Mysticism, Restoration, Conjuration, Alteration and Illusion) will appear.
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
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5.4 What are a
character's base attributes?
This will probably be similar to the attributes in Morrowind.
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Section 6: NPC
Interactions
6.1 Non Player Characters in Morrowind were
an improvement on Daggerfall, however, they were still fairly bland. Will this be different in Oblivion?
Even though Morrowind's NPC's were an improvement over the Daggerfall ones, they still fell short of the mark. Oblivion has a smaller number of NPC's (Around 1000 or so, excluding monsters, I would imagine), and they are making each of them as unique as possible.
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
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6.2 Will NPC's
have 24hr scheduling?
Yes, yes and yes! Because of the smaller number of NPCs this time around, and the enhancement to the Construction Set, each NPC will have their own life within the world. Their activities can include working, adventuring, shopping and even stealing!
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
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6.3 Will I be able to
kill any NPC's?
This will be similar to Morrowind, so you can kill anyone you want. That doesn't mean there won't be consequences!
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
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6.4 Will there be
any negative effects for murdering NPC's?
Yes. The guards will react slighty differently to the ones in Morrowind, but I doubt it's a good idea to get on their bad side! The guards will also attack NPCs that commit crimes.
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
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6.5 What kinds of NPC interactions can be expected?
NPCs will have full facial expressions this time around, so you can tell by looking if they like you or not.
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
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6.6 How many
NPC's will be in the game?
There will be slightly over 1000 NPCs in Oblivion, excluding monsters and the like.
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
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6.7 What will
the NPC's be like in Oblivion?
According to the article, NPC's will have a real goal-driven AI, that includes adventuring or stealing. The generic faces from Morrowind will also be changed, since there are now controls in the Construction Set that can be used to easily change the skin tone and age of any NPC, and quite possibly the PC.
Even though the age can be changed easily in the Construction Set, neither NPC's or the PC will age dynamically during the game.
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
(Reference: Official Forums)
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Section 7: Factions
7.1 What exactly are factions?
Basically, factions are organizations to which your character can belong, and thereby benefit from relationships and items or
quests gained through other faction members. These are similar to the Factions found in Morrowind.
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7.2 How many
factions are in the game?
The exact number isn't known, however, there will be atleast 6. These are the Fighters' Guild, the Mages' Guild, Thieves' Guild, The Dark Brotherhood, the Arena Guild and The Nine Divines Temple. You will be able to join all of them at the same time.
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
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Section 8: Races
and Classes
8.1 How does the
character selection process work?
This hasn't been specified, however, it appears as though you start as a prisoner of some kind.
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
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Section
9: Graphics Engine
9.1 What engine will Bethesda be using to develop
Oblivion? Will it be a licensed product or an inhouse developed engine?
It seems as though a highly modified Havok Physics engine will be used. As for the actual graphics engine used, this isn't known. At any rate, the pictures that appear in the Game Informer magazine are completely mind blowing.
Also, a modified version of a third party tool known as SpeedTree is being used to render the (oddly enough) trees.
(Reference: Official Forums)
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
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9.2 Does the engine
support effects such as "paper-dolling" your character (i.e. changing clothing)?
Yes, there will be paper-dolling supported in the engine. Armor and weapons will be
visible on your character.
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9.3 What about NPC lip
movement?
Yes, the engine features full facial expressions and lip synching.
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
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9.4 I've checked out the screenshots and they are amazing. Can the graphics be turned down to run on slower computers?
Morrowind didn't have much with respect to reducing the graphics used, which is something they hope to address this time around in Oblivion. What exactly this entails, or how it affects the minimum required specifications is anyone's guess.
(Reference: Gamespot interview with Todd Howard)
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Section 10: Relationship to
Previous ES Games
10.1 Will the potion
maker/spell maker/item enchantings be included?
Atleast some of these features will reappear in Oblivion, however, they are slightly different. This time around, they will be in the form of mini-games. The exact nature of these haven't been revealed.
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
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10.2 A cool feature of
Morrowind and Daggerfall was the "ability" to get turned into a vampire or werewolf. Will this
also be in Oblivion?
Unknown at this time.
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10.3 Will there be horses or other rideable mounts?
Yes, both ridable mounts will re-appear in Oblivion. Unfortunatly, mounted Combat won't be possible.
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
(Reference: Official Forums)
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Section 11: Plot
11.1 What is the starting premise of your
character in Oblivion?
Not much is known about the plot, however, you begin life as a prisoner in an Imperial dungeon. An assassination attempt on the Emperor Uriel Septim VII forces him through the prison you are being held in. The assassin catches up, and after taking the armour from a dead guard, you defend the Emperor. The mortally wounded Emperor gives you the fabled "Amulet of Kings" and charges you to find the one that can close the Gate to Oblivion.
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
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11.2 So what will the
main plot specifically deal with? What will be the overarching issue?
The main quest appears to be finding the person that will "close shut the marble jaws of Oblivion". Then, well, closing them, I would imagine.
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
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11.3 What themes from
past Elder Scroll games will Oblivion explore?
It looks as though the main thrust is related to the possible fall of the Empire, hinted at in previous games.
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Section 12: Quests
12.1 With the tremendous emphasis on the
free-form exploration nature of the game, will there be any formalized quests to
undertake?
Yes - there will be many quests available from the joinable factions, as well as the main quest and side quests.
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Section 13: Multiplayer
13.1 Will Oblivion feature a multiplayer
component?
No, Oblivion will be a single player only game.
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Section 14: Combat
14.1 What are the team's major design goals
for combat?
Combat looks as though it will be completely changed this time around. Combat will be "visceral and bloody" and be more like LotR or Braveheart fights. "The combat will be every bit exiting as a FPS". Opponents will also block and dodge your attacks.
Also, if a fight is going badly for NPC's, they may yeild and give you the option to spare their life, or fight on.
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
(Reference: Game Banshee Interview)
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14.2 What kind of control
scheme will combat use? Will it be like Morrowind where you move in the direction you want to attack?
There will be a button for attacking, and one for blocking. Pressing the attack button will perform simple swipes, while holding the button and pressing a direction causes a more powerful attack. There will also be special attack abilities.
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
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14.3 How will weapons and
stats affect combat?
Combat this time will be unlike conventional RPG because the outcome does not depend on the luck of dice rolls. The damage you cause will be determined by your strength, the weapon used, your opponent’s armor, and the attack type.
This basically means that the dice roll 'to hit' an opponent has been removed, so if your weapon hits something, it will hit it. Assuming they don't block the attack. Having said that, the PC's stats will still come into play during combat. For instance, when you block an attack, your blocking skill determines how much damage is absorbed, how much fatigue the action causes among other things. The damage delt by an attack is determined by your Strength and weapon skill and is affected by the opponents armour and other skills.
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
(Reference: Official Forums)
(Reference: Gamespy Oblivion Preview)
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14.4 How many weapons
will be in the game?
Currently there are Swords, Axes, Maces, Daggers, and Bows.
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
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14.5 Are missile
weapons in?
Yes, missile weapons are in, however, these are in the form of bows only - crossbows and thown weapons won't be seen. Having said that, there has been a lot of work put into the way bows work, so arrows will fly with an arc, bounce and even embed themselves differently depending on the surface material and arrow type. Also, there are tons of different bow and arrow types - all appearing on the character.
(Reference: Todd Howard's Letter to the fans)
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14.6 How many creatures will there be?
There are approximatley 40 different types of creature ranging from horses, to skeletons, to various kinds of Daedra.
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
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14.7 What kind of armor is in Oblivion?
Oblivion has Deadric, Adamantium, Steel, Glass among others.
(Reference: Game Banshee Interview)
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14.8 Will mounted combat be possible?
Currently there is no mounted combat in Oblivion.
Pete:
I can't confirm whether everything in the article is true. It was written in German and I don't speak German. There is no mounted combat in Oblivion.
(Reference: Official Forums)
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Section 15: Magic
15.1 Will Oblivion feature the same
schools of magic as found in Morrowind?
Yes.
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
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15.2 Will I be able to
create my own spells, just like in Daggerfall and Morrowind?
You will be able to create your own spells and combine different spell schools.
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
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Section 16: Stealth
16.1 Will stealth be the same in Oblivion as it was in Morrowind?
Nope. This time around it's getting a much better treatment in the hands of Emil Pagliarulo.
(Reference: Stealth Team Diary)
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16.2 In what ways will it be different?
In Oblivion, light and shadow will affect your ability to sneak, NPCs to the player appearing and disappearing, lockpicking requires much more than just selecting a tool from your inventory and activating the lock. NPC's will also react to threats much better than in Morrowind.
(Reference: Stealth Team Diary)
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Section 17: The Editor
17.1 What is the Construction
Set?
The Construction Set is the very same tool that the game designers at
Bethesda are using to build the world of Oblivion. It is a game editor designed to allow
the user almost complete control over the game world.
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17.2 Will the Construction Set differ from the Morrowind one? What are the main changes?
The Construction Set has been greatly improved for Oblivion. The main enhancements are the ability to give NPC's schedules easily and assign unique dialog to NPC's. You can also change the age of an NPC easily. In addtion to this, exterior landscapes can also be generated automatically based on parameters. The construction kit will be easier to use, with a much improved interface. There will also be simpler script, object and quest systems that can be directly manipulated by the kit - which doesn't mean it won't be powerful, just easier to use.
(Reference: Game Informer Magazine, October 2004 issue)
(Reference: Gamespy Oblivion Preview)
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17.3 What are some of the scripting changes in the Construction Set compared to Morrowind?
The scripting system is quite similar to Morrowinds. However, there are a few improvements, which include:
- Variables can be used as parameters for most function calls
- if statements can use the full range of logical operators: &&, ||, >, !=, etc., as well as nested parens
- ability to call functions on any reference anywhere
- integration of script functions with "conditions" in the editor -- basically, any function that returns a value will be available to conditionalize dialogue, etc.
Things that are very unlikely to be added include:
- string variables
- arrays
- lists
- pointer variables
(Reference: Official Forums)
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