Developmental Next-Step: Interactive universe

[Alnevar Odai]

So, as mentioned by Todd Howard in his 2012 keynote speech, there is a developmental path to each game in the series.

Morrowind was made to develop locations
Oblivion was made to develop NPCs and their AI
Skyrim was made to interconnect NPCs to locations and to eachother.
All of which are done in relation to the player at the center of the experience.

So what is the next step?
Physically we have locations (buildings), NPCs (Animals and people), and the relationship to eachother and the player.
I believe the next step is the relationship to the world itself. It seems on more than one instance that places seem to "pop out" of the world. A town is built with lumber mills, but there isnt a clearing. People are woodcutters, but they are never cutting down trees. A wall is made of stone, but there isnt a quarry. A town is funded by an ebony mine but there arent warehouses or stockpiles of it, and there rarely is any subcultural uniqueness to towns such as unique wares, clothing, food supplies...etc (one exception being the signs in the ghetto of Windhelm). With technological advancements smaller interactions like this can be tested.

Keep in mind that BGS rarely likes to destroy locations (like the cabin in whiterun) so catching buildings on fire might be a tad extreme. But burning a field with a stray fireball might be doable.


What are some ideas that you believe might find their way into a TES game assuming an environment connection to location, NPCs, and the player and the interactions between them? Think cause and consequence.

Some examples-

You help a bandit raid by blowing a hole in the sewers beneath a vault... these two areas are then connected. A few people will be financially affected and might have to sell things making them legally obtainable at a merchant... (like that amulet behind that unbreakable safe you have been eying) The bandit could attempt to crack the bank on their own when you level up without first finding or attempting the quest, and get busted and put in jail. You can hear about it there, before they get busted, or after they get out. This allows for real news papers and the player having a different experience EVERYTIME they play the game. The world should work without the players hand, but the player should be encouraged to engage in later playthroughs.

An insect hive that gets "deeper" with player level increase. This encourages rediscovering locations and it allows for both weak and high level characters to have a developed experience.

Alteration magic that alters a landscape or uses it to your advantage. (Pass through level barriers in the hive, control plants by focusing ragdoll physics...etc)

A town is on a mine. As the player's level increases the mine doesnt grow. If the player helps boost the mine economy, the mine grows with player level. This could lead to an accident, a collapse, a discovery of a new dungeon... etc. Based on these discoveries the merchants in the town sell different things. (This would allow players to save money and buy high quality armor types at low levels, or allow bandits in an ebony mine to have a few high quality armors and weapons).

[tatortodd22]

I haven't looked into whether or not the next Elder Scrolls will be in the next gen or not, but I assume it will be on the 720. If that's true, these theories of yours may very well be true. But at the same time, the first Xbox 360 games were not that different from Xbox 180. It will still take awhile for the development teams to learn the capabilities of the next gen console, and then utilize those assets in their games.

Seeing as Battlefield 3 has destructible and constantly changing environments without even a hitch in frame rate on such large maps, I can definitely see the Elder Scrolls taking that new side of gaming and putting it into the Elder Scrolls experience (trees being knocked down, fields being burned, craters blown into the ground, castle walls crumbling, etc.). However, there will be a limit that we have to acknowledge. It's highly unlikely that they will have open buildings (no loading screens entering buildings). They may have open cities, but buildings would be a stretch. Without the inside being rendered, I don't think the destruction of a cabin would be realistic/possible without the inside being a part of the reaction.

I can definitely see slight environment change being a part of the game, much like you suggested (growing mines, hives, reduction of forests, etc.) I am also in love with your idea of events happening with or without the player's participation in them. This would give that feeling of the world being alive, and not revolving around the player. If you get into town, find a family killed, and learn that a murderer is loose, you may feel guilt and responsibility for their safety and feel more obliged to be the hero, instead of being told that you are the hero and that the enemy will show up when you're ready. "Take your time and he will come when you press A on that door let us know when you're ready. K? Love you, Dovahkiin, you're gonna do great "

I'd like to see some adapting weather conditions such as seasons (maybe they change even when you're not playing?), low and high tide, sandstorms burying and clearing desert towns, high wind conditions increasing food output at the local windmill, lunar cycle affecting werewolf abilities, weather affecting magical strength etc. With magic coming from the stars in the sky, I can see magical abilities being a bit hindered when the clouds are covering the sky, or when a thick storm cloud is in the way. Maybe I've just been watching too much of The Last Airbender, though.

[tornadokirby]

I hope the next Elder Scrolls game takes a step in that direction. I'd love to have more in-depth interactions with the world.

I'd like more townspeople to comment on my status and remember the things I do to help out. Bandits would fear me if I'm a heroic warrior, or more people could be afraid of me if I'm a well-known assasin/thief. Maybe nobles would even bribe me not to kill them?

[Memai]

I definitely like the idea of the environment changing without the player's participation :'D It'd be nice to come back to a town a player frequents and see that it's doing better off than the other, less visited places. Make more sense that a settlement would do better if the player decides to invest in it somehow (maybe even have other villagers from other towns talk about, "Oh did you hear about [xyz]? It's doing so well ever since that [player name] showed up!").

Speaking of! Factions and guilds changing over time as well. Not radical changes mind, but it always bothered me how you could become Arch-mage/Listener/Harbinger/Guild Master/etc. and nothing happens afterwards. Maybe when the player gets a high enough rank or disposition in a guild, they're given more responsibilities or are asked to make decisions on behalf of the guild? Or even seeing new members appear in guild halls over time, while older members rise in rank as well.

And of course, with more interactions with the environment and the player, I also hope this means we get more meaningful/deeper interactions with NPCs as well, especially if they're followers who you have to gain their trust/friendship before they agree to be well... your follower :'D Probably over-thinking this, but I like what BioWare did in that regard, where a follower and player's relationship is based on how much they interact and how they respond to each other ; w; Would probably be a lot of work, but hey, I'm sure it takes more than a flashy amulet and a favor to marry someone XD

[Travalanche]

I want to see NPC's with expanded dialogue that is influenced by events, the time or day, weather, your characters disposition/reputation, ugliness, etc but I doubt that will happen in video games for another decade at least.