Interview Gavin Carter talks about Oblivion

[android]

The wall destruction spells in Daggerfall were quite nice... but I doubt they will make it into Oblivion (if it's even possible in todays 3D games)

 

[Vykromond]

You're right about it not being as important in SP as in MP. But the problem with Morrowind- one of the problems- was that the balance was so askew that it quickly rendered the gameplay moot: the überpath, to use your term, was pretty much any path as long as you kept playing the game past level 10 or so. The scale-up of power was skewed beyond belief, and a large factor in that was the fact that you could be a SOOPAH SAIYAN WIZZARD and a SOOPAH SAIYAN WARRIAH at the same time. The devs' excuse was that "the players think it's fun, lol." Stuff like this now-you-can-cast-while-holding-weapons! newsbit just gives me the unpleasant feeling that Bethsoft is going more, not less, in that direction.

 

[MrSmileyFaceDude]

Vykromond, if it makes you feel any better, there's also a skill-based penalty for casting spells if you're wearing armor. And, of course, NPCs can cast and strike with weapons just like the player can.

 

[Atrokkus]

You're always complaining on this board about how people take your statements "too literally," and then you say moronic stuff like this. No, you don't need a wand for casting, but you do need to do something. If you're swinging a battleaxe, you shouldn't be able to cast spells: your hands aren't free, and even assuming your spell was solely a spoken incantation, you wouldn't be able to say it properly with the physical exertion of holding a battleaxe and fighting with it.

There was nothing moronic in my statement because I commented the whole "ENCHANTMENT" idea, and that items can do all the magic for you.
I didn't even start discussing the "magic during combat" idea.
So please don't accuse me for nothing.

Of course I agree with the point that mage sometimes (not always) has to do something to cast it.
Although it heavely relies on the setting.
In DnD some mages have the ability to cast spells without somatic or verbal components (Still Spell, Silent Spell), so actually the concept of fighting and casting is not an absurd.
PLus, who knows what the Elder Scrolls setting;s designers can come up with, maybe some different forms of magic etc.

I actually think Elder Scroll's magic requires neither somatic nor verbal component by default (unlike DnD where you must learn to do so). In this case, it's perfectly possible to cast spells in combat.


Anyways, this is insignificant. what really matters is how the magic system will be functioning as a whole, and maybe at last those uber-battlemages will be balanced.
I always play a mage-class, but in Morrowind pure mages were viciously castrated.

 

[Whipporowill]

Vykromond, if it makes you feel any better, there's also a skill-based penalty for casting spells if you're wearing armor.

That's what I'm talking about! Great news

 

[Vykromond]

Vykromond, if it makes you feel any better, there's also a skill-based penalty for casting spells if you're wearing armor. And, of course, NPCs can cast and strike with weapons just like the player can.

It does make me feel better, although I think carrying heavy weapons would be more appropriate.

EDIT: Stealth edit! MSFD, you sly dog.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Vykromond, if it makes you feel any better, there's also a skill-based penalty for casting spells if you're wearing armor.

Why? Just curious. What were the reasons?

 

[Drakron]

Well rip-off a well know system (D&D) is a reason.

 

[Whipporowill]

Well rip-off a well know system (D&D) is a reason.

Gee . A LOT of rpg's have used that, or similar, system to balance classes or abilites since rpg's came into existance.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Still I don't really see a reason why a mage in the ES setting should be less effective while wearing armor.

 

[Atrokkus]

Yeah, considering there isn't any somatic or verbal spell components.

Damn, kathode, answer the really important question: what have you done to fix that goddamn imbalance with underpowered pure mages?
What's with the mana system? What's with the enchants?
If I see those int<4 orcs weilding great magic, I'd... i'd... be upset.

 

[Drakron]

You might be upset but they already have your money ... or not since you live in russia.

P2P programs are the new demos.

 

[MrSmileyFaceDude]

Vault Dweller -- it's part of balancing the class archetypes. It makes Conan less effective as a spell caster. The pure mage would use defensive magic instead of armor, anyway. And the hybrid battlemage would want to choose an armor skill as a major skill.

 

[kathode]

Fuck, that was the first thing I thought when I saw "the fans are pretty nuts over it...". You walked into this one, kathode. :wink:

No, I anticipated it Be careful though, they outnumber you by about 19 to 1 based solely on forum registration!

 

[DarkUnderlord]

WE ALL KNOW OBLIVION'S JUST GOING TO BE FALLOUT WITH SPELLS!

 

[Atrokkus]

So you don't want to comment on the issue I brought up? Well, I assume then that the imbalance will thrive and a battle-mage will remain the best mage-class in the game, yes?
Sheesh...

or not since you live in russia.

[looks around warily] Hush!

 

[Drakron]

WE ALL KNOW OBLIVION'S JUST GOING TO BE FALLOUT:BROTHERHOOD OF STEEL WITH SPELLS!

Here, fixed.

 

[jiujitsu]

Hardly exciting though, is it?

The fans are pretty nuts over it on our boards, not that you'd care. Honestly is there anything we could say that would excite you about it other than announcing it will be totally turn-based and feature reams upon reams of delicious dialog trees?

Ahahaha...

 

[Vault Dweller]

Vault Dweller -- it's part of balancing the class archetypes. It makes Conan less effective as a spell caster. The pure mage would use defensive magic instead of armor, anyway. And the hybrid battlemage would want to choose an armor skill as a major skill.

I thought that his fondness of that big-ass sword made Conan less effective as a spell caster, rather than some artificial restrictions. There is a number of ways to deal with the armor&defense spells combo without applying penalties to spellcasting.

Btw, how did you justify it in the gameworld? What's the pseudo-scientific explanation?

Be careful though, they outnumber you by about 19 to 1 based solely on forum registration!

Quality vs Quantity.

"If your interested in learning more about the new game instead of this guys opinion on morrowind hit up Gamespot or Gamespy, read how the lady starts her dog on fire and maybe you'll get as pumped for the game as I am."
'nuff said. Btw, it would be nice if you try to educate those idiots by adding some dictionaries and other handy grammar books to the game. Something like "Your Persuasion skill has just went up simply because you've finally learned the difference between you're and your! "

 

[Tintin]

Be careful though, they outnumber you by about 19 to 1 based solely on forum registration!

Quality vs Quantity.

Is your ego supposed to represent quantity?

 

[Atrokkus]

Gameplay-wise, armor limitation is absolutely REQUIRED. It is one way to deal with those moronic enchanted dumb warriors.
And I think there should be somatic component..
We just have to see it in action, on some trailer, how the spells are cast.

Damn, just PLEASE fix that goddamn magic system! Make the pure mages PLAYABLE.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Is your ego supposed to represent quantity?

Thank you for your contribution to this discussion. You are an illustration to my point.

Gameplay-wise, armor limitation is absolutely REQUIRED

Really? How so?

It is one way to deal with those moronic enchanted dumb warriors.

It may be a one way out of many, but it's definitely not the best one

 

[Lemon]

It's doubtful said barbarian would even have Tier VII Fireball available to him, let alone be able to cast it, weapon in hand or not.

In Morrowind Class differences were most pronounced at the start of the game. Is Oblivion moving away from that?

 

[roguefrog]

I think its going to be pretty much the same. Pick all your major/minor skills at the start. Wack a million-zillion mubcrabs, jump off cliffs, weigh down the sneak key and grab lunch.

 

[bryce777]

Only people who are diehard fans register on a company's website and actively post, for the most part.

A better comparison would eb how many people have NOT registered, not how many people register here. In those terms, the membership is quite paltry, and I doubt most players of morrowwind could be considered diehard fans.

Many of them probably sad WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS CRAP? After a few hours, just like I did.



As for the hands thing, it was stupid. A good idea to maintain some balance, but bad implementation.

As for mods, if you need em, a game sucks, period. I don't have time to screw around with that crap, and when you mod stuff yourself you have already totally lost all the newness of the game by then, anyhow.