Bethesda Games brought a demo of their new RPG offering, Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, to this year’s E3 Expo in Los Angeles, and MyGamer.com was there to see it. The game is not yet ready for a hands-on preview, however Bethesda did treat select members of the media to a demonstration.

Bethesda’s last Elder Scrolls offering, Morrowind (released in 2002 on the PC and XBOX), set the bar quite high for a single-player RPG, offering players an open-ended storyline, a gorgeous, sprawling world with thousands of different things to see and do and rich character and plot development. With Oblivion, it is apparent that Bethesda hopes to retain their status as a leader in RPG design. For more details about Oblivion’s story, see our preview.

The first thing that struck us about Oblivion was its lush graphics. In true Elder Scrolls fashion, locations both indoors and out look stunning, utilizing all of the latest-and-greatest graphics tools: bump-mapping , pixel-shading effects, high-definition television support and all the trimmings. Outdoor areas, particularly forests and other wooded areas, are stunning, with every leaf seemingly rendered. Interiors are similarly impressive, with dynamic lighting and a suspension-of-disbelief-inspiring bag of special effects that make you feel more than ever that you are actually in the game world.

Oblivion looks to be moving back to a more “medieval” look and feel than Morrowind’s more obvious nod to realms of “fantasy,” but the title will still feature an array of supernatural threats and allies. During the course of the demo, we saw an assortment of skeletons, goblins, lizard men and troll-like beasts that attacked from hiding and blundered accidentally into activated traps. Enemy AI has been improved overall, as has the “cell” mapping system that brings the world to life. Monsters, for instance, can and will pursue the player through dungeon or building doors to extract revenge, something that no previous Elder Scrolls title can boast.

Combat and magic casting has also been improved, with a focus on realism. Melee attacks, for instance, in addition to using a full set of statistics and behind-the-scenes combat rolls, also rely on FPS-like skills such as attack and defense timing and strike placement. For example, if an enemy dodges out of the range of your weapon mid-strike then the attack will miss, just like in real life. Fans of the FPS genre have enjoyed this level of realism for years now, but this additional level of combat immersion is rare in role-playing games, and has not been available in any other Elder Scrolls title. We also observed the game’s new Stealth system, which uses an eye-shaped icon (similar to the Thief series) to indicate the level of concealment the player is currently benefiting from. Lethal surprise attacks are possible using this system, and we saw the player make some quick, silent kills while sniping from concealment with their bow.

The game engine’s physics have been vastly improved as well, and can represent over 9,000 physical objects, which the player can interact with. Expect realistic traps, retrievable arrows and a bevy of throwable and movable objects. Missed arrow shots, for example, ricochet from stone or metal but embed themselves in wood, and can be withdrawn afterwards to conserve ammunition.

But as compelling as the game’s action elements are, it’s the other, more role-playing intensive changes that have us salivating the most. The Persuasion System, for instance, which the player can use to intimidate, flatter or even seduce non-player characters has been redesigned, allowing the player to select one of several options and then see right on the NPC’s face clues as to their possible reaction. During the demo, for instance, we saw the player trying to decide whether to try intimidation, flattery, or a joke on a shop keeper, and watched as the target’s face subtly frowned or smiled dynamically in response.

Non-player enemies and allies alike will benefit from a more lifelike AI, which the developers have named “Radiant.” In the demo, we saw NPCs picking up, dropping, and using in-game items, dynamically taking actions against other NPCs, reacting to the player’s actions, and even maintaining a schedule based on the time of day in the game world. (Many NPCs, for example, will close up shop and go to sleep at night, which should add to the world’s already impressive level of believability.) This Radiant AI system replaces the heavily script-based interaction model used in Morrowind, and should make interacting with NPCs more realistic than ever. Henchman or allied characters can even level up their skills through repeated use, just like the player does.

The developers also showed us the game’s “fast travel” system, which will allow players to quickly move from one previously explored location to the next. Exploration of the game’s lush and imaginative environments has always been a signature feature of the Elder Scrolls franchise, and will still play an integral part in unlocking fast travel points.

As with Morrowind, Oblivion will ship with the latest version of the Elder Scrolls Construction Kit, the same tool set that the developers are using to build the game. Mod-makers will doubtless be thrilled to learn that once more this powerful tool will be put directly into their hands, and PC users can expect a tidal wave of user-made maps, levels, dungeons and even total conversions in the months following the title’s release. Model makers will be happy to learn that the Construction Kit will feature plug-in support for 3D Studio Max as well.

Oblivion’s producer, Gavin Carter, spoke with us briefly about the title and the Elder Scrolls Construction Kit, and informed us that a new feature that will debut with Oblivion is a set of “Procedural Generation” rules for mapmaking that will simplify and automate the more mundane tasks associated with the world-building process. Mod and map makers can input a set of parameters for the type of land-mass that they wish to generate, and then the Kit will take over from there, automatically producing the desired land. Specific objects such as clearings, towns and even dungeons can then be manually placed in this newly minted area, speeding the construction process.

The amount of detail that the Procedural Generation system will be capable of is impressive. “We sent a team to study with the Geology Lab at the University of Maryland and then put what they learned into the Construction Kit,” Carter told us when we asked just how realistic the dynamically generated content would be. “The process can even be set to add in randomly generated sound events throughout the world,” Carter added.

Oblivion is slated for a 2005 Holiday Season release for the PC and for the Xbox 360, of which it will be a release title.




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