A general question about Oblivion

[ragam]

I am just curious about certain NPCs getting killed off-screen. Sometimes we happen to find out an important NPC is missing because he/she was killed by bandits/enemies. So how does this happen and when? My guess is this happens when the player is somewhere around but the NPC is out of sight yet nearby, right? I mean you can't be at Bravil and at the same time that NPC get killed at Bruma. Your thoughts?

[Chicken Slayer]

I read someplace that the code (or whatever you want to call the game brain) keeps running for all NPCs regardless of where you are. It seems like it would make more sense if this was just for the cell you were in, but I am pretty sure that I once got a death/unconscious message for some guy in Skingrad when I was someplace far away at the time.

[PrinceJonathan]

The idea that the game is constantly processing the AI packages of every NPC and Creature everywhere in the game world at the same time is absurd. I don't think any computer currently in existence has that kind of processing power.

The NPC's code should only run when you're inside the same cell as the NPC.

When you're out in the field, it only runs if that NPC is close by. But I am not sure of the exact distance.

When you enter a new cell, or see the words "Loading area..." while out in the field, the game calculates who's suppose to be there and what they're suppose to be doing at that time of day.

If Chicken Slayer witnessed "X is unconscious", and that X was some guy from Skingrad, and Chicken was nowhere near that town, it's likely Mr.X is one of the NPC's that is programmed to leave town and go traveling.

It would help if we knew who Mr.X is and what time of day it was. I encounter this phenomena occasionally and will write down the name and date so that I can look them up to see who it is only to learn that yes that unconscious NPC is right where he's suppose to be and no my game is not acting crazy.

[Chicken Slayer]

One time it was Toutius Sextius after I told Glarthir I wouldn't help him. Another time it was someone I had never heard of and then I found out there was some guy in Skingrad who liked to pick fights.

I agree that it sounds preposterous to do it that way, but I don't know how computer game engines work. Does the game really need that much processing power if graphics are not involved? Each NPC has a behavioral time table, and if A (Honditar) comes too close to B (bandit) when both are digitally wandering around out in subcell x345,y6734 (or whatever), B has an X% chance of killing A. It doesn't seem too different from a traditional game of D&D with dice.

[Imbalance]

The idea that the game is constantly processing the AI packages of every NPC and Creature everywhere in the game world at the same time is absurd. I don't think any computer currently in existence has that kind of processing power.

What? The NSA constantly tracks the global location of about a bazillion cellphones in real-time and simultaneously records and stores nearly every machine-facilitated human conversation on the planet, but you have a hard time imagining that a PC or console could possibly handle calculating the programmed actions of a few thousand lines of code while you're not watching? Just checking.

[PrinceJonathan]

I don't think a Bandit spawns anywhere close to Honditar's route when he walks from his house in the woods all the way to Chorrol. I could be wrong though.

Toutius Sextius is programmed to go horseback riding in the country side during the afternoon. He does indeed ride close to a known bandit spawning location.

Glarthir is also programmed to take matters into his own hands if you tell him you refuse to help him and will attack each of the targets.

According to UESP, they're apparently flagged to die regardless of whether you're in the same cell as them or not. So when you do enter the same cell as them, the game spawns them automatically dead.

[PrinceJonathan]

but you have a hard time imagining that a PC or console could possibly handle calculating the programmed actions of a few thousand lines of code while you're not watching? Just checking.

No I do not have a hard time imagining a PC or console having the processing power to calculate a few thousand lines of code.

I have a hard time imagining a home PC or console having the processing power to keep track of every single NPC, and every single rat, imp, troll, mountain lion, wolf, mudcrab, bear, scamp, clannfear, daedroth, atronachs, dermora, horse, deer, land dreugh, will-o-whisp, spriggan, etc. And what they are all doing at the same time. Walking, eating, sleeping, talking, fighting.

Most of those things are randomly generated too, so they do not exist until you enter the cell they're located in. Surely that is proof the game does not micromanage everything all at once.

And the NSA don't count. They're [&@%!] wizards.

[Chicken Slayer]

OK, I found a blub about Oblivions's Radiant AI that supports my idea at
...venturebeat.com/2010/12/17/dimming-the-radiant-ai-in-oblivion/

Titled: Dimming the Radiant AI in Oblivion

"Players seldom witness these behaviors, since they are always being procedurally generated throughout the game’s world."

[Dark Spark]

The idea that the game is constantly processing the AI packages of every NPC and Creature everywhere in the game world at the same time is absurd. I don't think any computer currently in existence has that kind of processing power.

What? The NSA constantly tracks the global location of about a bazillion cellphones in real-time and simultaneously records and stores nearly every machine-facilitated human conversation on the planet, but you have a hard time imagining that a PC or console could possibly handle calculating the programmed actions of a few thousand lines of code while you're not watching? Just checking.

And your NSA agent clocks in an eight-hour work shift every single day because doing that would kill your frame rate like nothing else.

I would like to get through Chorrol before lunchtime, you know.

[legoless]

Many NPCs travel to a different city once a month, and if you're anywhere remotely near them while they're on the road, they're gonna get killed or knocked unconscious. The NPCs in question aren't usually that important though, but if you really want them to be safe then just never leave the cities.

[Dark Spark]

... The NPCs in question aren't usually that important though, ...

The notable exception, of course, is having the Countess of Leyawiin's death break the Sanguine quest (and possibly the Hermaeus Mora quest as well).