General:The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE

The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE
(link)
Medium/Format	Print Magazine
Date	October 2004
Interviewee(s)	Todd Howard
Hosted By	Game Informer

The Elder Scrolls IV
OBLIVION
PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE

Bethesda Softworks is a company well known to fans of the role-playing genre. Its long-running The Elder Scrolls series won legions of followers on PC, garnering critical acclaim and winning scores of awards. With The Elder Scrolls ІІI: Morrowind, Bethesda introduced the series to the Xbox, resulting in the first hit role-playing game on the console. Now, the independent minded company is taking the series into bold new territory. Another Elder Scrolls game for the Xbox would be a sure-fire moneymaker, but Bethesda has far loftier goals. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is on its way, and it's being developed for next-generation consoles. Once the gaming world sees what it has in store, Bethesda will be the developer everyone, not just the RPG fans, will be talking about.

The next generation, as most gaming fans know, refers to the upcoming consoles currently known as Microsoft's Xbox 2 (also referred to by the codename Xenon), Sony's PlayStation 3, and the Nintendo Revolution. Officially, Oblivion is scheduled for PC and unspecified next-generation consoles. Bethesda is unable to formally confirm which platforms the game will be released on. There is enough evidence out there to support an educated guess about which consoles it will come to — but we don't need it. We can confirm beyond a shadow of a doubt that The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is coming to Xbox 2. Barring any sort of exclusivity deal that may рор up between now and the game's release, it's also coming to PlayStation 5. We can guarantee here and now that this is the real deal — the start of next-generation gaming.

While many of the details about the actual consoles remained secret, Bethesda's executive producer Todd Howard was surprisingly forthcoming about the new Elder Scrolls project. He walked us through Bethesda's goals for the title and the technology used to create it, and revealed to us the game's absolutely stunning visuals. One look at Oblivion will shatter your conceptions about what is possible in a video game. Every shot on these pages is real — nothing has been retouched or altered. This is what games on the Xbox 2 will look like. As the PS3 development tools have yet to make it into the U.S, it is still unknown what exactly that system will be capable of. If and when Oblivion comes to PS3, there's no telling how it will look.

We visited Bethesda's headquarters in Rockville, Maryland to get the world's first glimpse at a next-generation game in development.

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During our visit, we spied on the desks of several programmers a PC-sized object draped in black cloth. Could these mysterious objects be the vaunted Xenon development kits? We weren't permitted a look, but one thing is for certain: what Bethesda is doing with Oblivion is far beyond the capabilities of current-generation machines. "Right after Morrowind, our motto was ‘go big, go early,’ and be ready for whatever Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo do next," Howard energetically exclaims. Work on Oblivion began almost immediately after the completion of Morrowind. If the title is anything, it's big. Oblivion will actually be a smaller game than the massive Morrowind, but Howard expects that it will still be much larger than most early next-generation titles. He predicts that the average length of a next-gen game will shrink for two primary reasons: First, budgets and schedules for games will not change much, while the enhanced graphics will require more development time. Secondly, it's a fact that, statistically, gamers prefer shorter games, and often do not finish more involved titles. Creating one of the most expansive titles for the early days of the next generation is one of Bethesda's key goals.

Another of its goals with Oblivion is to produce the definitive role-playing game of the generation. Bethesda's strategy, states Howard, is to make the game as appealing as possible to mainstream gamers without alienating the hardcore players who prefer more complex RPGs. This is no small task, and Bethesda plans to accomplish it by making sure that every basic activity is entertaining. Success in activities like picking locks, mixing potions, and forging armor will no longer be determined by an off-screen dice roll; each of these activities will be a separate minigame which can be completed through skill and luck. Of course, these games will be harder when your skill level in these areas is low, and become easier as you increase your proficiencies.

The first-person perspective of the game is another technique used to increase Oblivion's appeal to the average gamer. Like the older games in the series, a third-person option is available, but it is inherently designed for the first-person view. While by no means а twitch-based game, the action element has been ramped up: Combat will be bloody and visceral, and is designed to recall the intense swordplay seen in movies like Braveheart and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. According to Howard, the combat will be every bit as exciting as it is in a first-person shooter. Contrary to the RPG convention, the outcome of combat will not be decided by virtual “dice rolls." The damage that you dole out will be determined by your strength, your opponent's armor, and the attack you unleash. Your opponents will block and dodge, so taking down an enemy is entirely on the player's shoulders.

Engaging combat is certainly a huge part of a successful game, but Bethesda's final goal is something even bigger. Oblivion will function as a “fantasy world simulator." It should feel every bit as vibrant as the Middle-earth seen on-screen in Peter Jackson's version of Tolkien's trilogy.

Thanks to the amazing technologies fueling the future of game development, this goal is entirely feasible. Oblivion, like the other Elder Scrolls games before it, takes place in the world of Tamriel, specifically in the Imperial Province of Cyrodiil. The world of Tamriel is a beautiful place; these are, without a doubt, the most amazing graphics that the console gaming world has ever seen. Dungeon walls look rough, uneven, and glisten with vague, indefinable dampness. Light plays off of all objects realistically, from human faces to armor. Creatures display a savage menace that is both intimidating and captivating, like a lion in a cage. But most impressive of all is something that would seem like a mere backdrop in many games: the forests.

While Morrowind's quest took players primarily through dark interior locations, Howard and the rest of the team at Bethesda see exteriors as integral parts of a convincing fantasy world. "Fantasy, for us, is a knight on horseback running around and killing things," says Howard excitedly. In Oblivion, you will do just that. Either on foot or on horseback, players can explore a huge exterior world that looks shockingly real. The trees in Oblivion look like photos of the woods not far from Bethesda's headquarters. Light shines realistically through the branches, and wind causes the leaves and underbrush to sway naturally. This truly is a virtual fantasy world, and it is all thanks to the powerful new development tools that make next generation games possible.

There is a trick to creating a world as huge and lifelike as this — the development tools used to make the game can be taught to do much of the work. In Morrowind, every single object in the game was built by hand. Artists modeled every rock, sword, barrel, and building individually. Handcrafting objects is still a huge part of Oblivion's creation — it will always be necessary in game development — but much of the environments can be generated automatically by Oblivion's powerful Elder Scrolls Construction Set program. With this tool, artists can pick an area of the map, set parameters for what should be there, and the program will randomly populate the area according to the input. For example, an area can be designated as a forest, and the artist can select the types of trees and bushes that grow there. Intricate details such as the soil type can also be set — as many or as few parameters can be used as the creator sees fit. The Construction Set will then build the area, place trees, adjust the landscape based on how the soil erodes, and cover it with vegetation. The areas can be (and are) tweaked by hand by the artists, moving or placing certain objects, or simply adjusting the Construction Set's results. In essence, the program helps create a world that looks more real than any game to date, while making the process faster and easier so time can be devoted to other areas.

Of course, the Construction Set has other applications as well. It can also be used to generate more complex creations, like characters. The world of Oblivion will be populated bу 1,000 non-play characters. Each of these denizens will be completely unique — just like the foliage, the Construction Set can be given a set of parameters to generate a random individual. The generated model can then be tweaked by hand. With a series of sliders, artists can lighten or darken a character's skin, alter his or her hairstyle, or instantly change the character's age by decades. The program dictates not only how the NPC looks, but how they behave. The character's aggression, energy level, confidence, and social responsibility can all be set, dictating how he or she will act in certain situations and react to various stimuli.

Not only does the Construction Set program make things simpler for the artists at Bethesda, it will also help players make the world their own. The program is slated to be included with the PC version, so gamers will be able to utilize the powerful technology to create their own characters and mods. Whether or not the tool will be included in the Xbox 2 or PlayStation 3 versions is up in the air, as user-created content is inherently more difficult on a console. However, Bethesda hopes to provide download: able content for all versions.

The Construction Set, which is responsible for what Bethesda calls “procedural” world building, is one tool the company is using to create 2 the vast world of Cyrodiil. However, 5 the lush look of the virtual realm is thanks to several other impressive technologies. Many steps are required to make the visually stunning dungeons, vistas, and castles, and the terminology can be confusing. In simple terms, an area is created with polygons - let's say for example that the area is a dungeon. The basic shape is modeled out of polygons — the walls, floor, and ceiling are created, including any major changes in shape, like a pillar sticking out of a wall. Then, a series of tools called pixel shaders are used to add layers of detail. The layers they create = аге called maps, and each map is responsible for adding an effect to increase the realism of the finished ‘dungeon. A diffuse map sets the color of the dungeon, while a parallax map adds a grayscale textured surface that 2 creates the illusion of depth, although it is actually flat. In the dungeon, that texture would be a brick wall, and the parallax map creates the look of volume without actually rendering the individual bricks. The color set by the diffuse map is moved by the parallax map to coincide with the textured surface.

Several more layers are added before the dungeon is finished. A normal map sets lighting info — it dictates how light reflects off of the dungeon wall from every angle. Specular highlighting determines how shiny a surface looks — the wet look of the dungeon walls is a result of this technique. The lighting is further augmented by a rendering process called high dynamic range shading, which creates the most realistic lighting ever. High dynamic range shading simulates how the human eye adjusts to let certain amounts of light in. This causes the brightness of objects or Spaces to increase or decrease, based on the overall light level of the scene. The best example is how bright an outside area looks after walking out of a dimly-lit cavern. These technologies are representative of the capabilities of the Xenon and DirectX 9.0's Shader Model 3.0.

There are obviously many more techniques used to create the astonishing look of this game, much of which is too complex for those of us who aren't programmers. But there is so much more to Oblivion than its look. As Todd Howard says, “You don't : need a pixel shader to make good gameplay" The technology powering this next generation title is doing so much more than simply making everything look great, it's also changing the rules of how virtual game worlds function. As mentioned before, the area of Tamriel that is the setting for Oblivion is populated with 1,000 NPCs. Unlike current games, these characters don't simply disappear once the player leaves the area, they exist 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Every character has its own virtual life and its own schedule to follow.

Each of the 1,000 characters in the game is given a basic schedule of events to follow throughout each virtual day. They will shop, explore, eat, report for work, and more. However, while the characters are told what goals they need to accomplish, they are not told how to complete. For example, a peasant who wants food may acquire it in several different ways. If the character has money, he will probably buy food; but if he is broke, he will try to obtain it some other way. He may go out into the forest to hunt, but hunting in the wrong place may get the guards on his case for poaching. So, the character may opt to steal food — he may even try to steal from you.

Interaction between the player and the virtual characters that populate the game is yet another area in which Oblivion is pointing towards the future of gaming. Characters will converse with one another in free-flowing, non-scripted discussions. Every NPC features unique spoken dialogue. Listening to the characters may reveal * hints about a quest, or it could simply t bea random conversation about shopping habits. When a player joins into a conversation with an NPC, you will actually be able to tell how they feel about you and how willing they are to cooperate with you. A character that dislikes you will scowl and furrow his brow, while someone who likes you will greet you with a smile. The facial animations of every character are generated on the fly, so their expressions can change fluidly and instantly, just like a real person.

The way characters respond to your actions adds another level of realism to the world of Oblivion. As The Elder Scrolls games have always encouraged player freedom, you can attack NPCs without provocation if you so choose. An assaulted townsperson may stand and fight, he may run, or he may simply cower and wait for the finishing blow. Players can stroll through town killing everyone in sight, but guards can and will be summoned to pursue you. The province of Cyrodiil is the capital of Tamriel, so a full law enforcement system is in place to protect the people. Guards will certainly bе sent out after you if you scoff at the law, but you may also witness them hunting down an NPC who has committed a crime.

Crime and punishment is not only a crucial piece of the gameplay mechanics, but also the story of Oblivion. As is traditional with The Elder Scrolls games, it begins with the central character in prison. Unbeknownst to you, an assassin has entered the Imperial City on a mission to kill the Emperor of Tamriel. The Emperor's guards decide evacuate him through a secret tunnel that leads through the prison. More specifically, it runs straight through your cell. As the guards appear in your cell with the Emperor, they warn you to stay back and not to follow as they open your steel door. However, the pursuing assassin kills a guard, so you pick up his gear and a guard, so you pick up his gear and make your escape. Running along with the Emperor, the assassin kills off the guards until you are the last man standing with him. While you help him escape the prison, he is mortally wounded by the assassin. Before dying, he hands you an item called the Amulet of Kings and instructs you to “find him and close shut the marble jaws of Oblivion"

Oblivion, in simple terms, is Hell. The death of the Emperor weakens the magic that prevented the foul beasts of Oblivion from entering the world of Tamriel. But with his death, portals from Oblivion begin to open, allowing demons to enter the world. Your task, as appointed by the Emperor, is to find the one person who can close the gates to Oblivion and save Tamriel from destruction. While the central quest in this game is clearly defined, there is much more to it than its basic premise. “Wе wanted to do a 'save the world' thing that is also a character drama," explains Howard. Much of the game focuses on how your character grows as a person, as well as your relationship with the person you are tasked to find. The central character can be as heroic or evil as the player relationship with the person you are sees fit — the main quest, as well as the countless side missions, can be completed in any number of possible ways. The Elder Scrolls games are about freedom, and Oblivion takes that freedom to a whole new level.

"Compared to Morrowind, it's night and day," says Howard. "Not just in terms of visuals, but how it plays." First of all, the combat is a much bigger focus than in the earlier games. Attacks will be mapped to the right trigger and blocking to the left on the Xbox 2 controller. Hitting the trigger activates basic swipes, while holding it down and pushing a direction on the analog stick results in a power swing. Each direction performs a different power swing (which will improve as the character increases his combat skills), so the combat system offers a wide range of attacks in as simple of a way possible. A weapon selection that includes Swords, axes, maces, and daggers adds to the combat variety.

Of course, any fantasy game worth its salt has to include magic as well, and Oblivion features six different mystic schools: Destruction, Restoration, Alteration, Illusion, Conjuration, and Mysticism. Each school focuses on a different type of magic, and players can mix magic effects to create their own custom spells. Not only can you create your own magic, you can join one (or all) of the different factions that exist in Cyrodiil. The factions include the Fighters Guild, the Mages Guild, the Thieves Guild, The Dark Brotherhood, The Nine Divines, and the Arena Guild. The Fighters and Mages Guilds are noble factions, while the Thieves Guild and The Dark Brotherhood are much more sinister. The Nine Divines are a religious order that the player can join if he or she wishes to become a monk, and the Arena Guild logically focuses on gladiatorial combat.

Players can advance through the ranks of the various guilds to the point where they become the leader. Each faction has its own unique missions associated with it, which players can tackle at their discretion. While a player could conceivably join (and become the head of) every faction all during the course of one game, the multiple guilds are designed to keep the replay value high. Should you join a different sect each time you play, you will have a completely different experience. You will take on different missions, your skills will grow in different ways, and you will discover new ways to tackle familiar situations. “The experience of our game,” says Howard, “is seeing all the choices that pass you by."

Choices are something that Todd Howard and the rest of the team at Bethesda see as a huge part of the next generation of gaming. Not only will massive, open-ended games like Oblivion let the player experience a greater scope of choices, but the Possibilities in game development will increase as well. Howard vehemently disagrees with the notion that the increased emphasis the next generation will place on graphics could have an unintentionally detrimental effect. While graphics will be closer than ever to being truly photorealistic, we will never see games that look exactly like the real world — that would be boring. While obviously highly detailed, Oblivion is intended to look “like a fantasy painting — realistic, but just a tinge off,” says Howard. If anything, he adds, the ability to create realistic graphics will only increase the imaginative and fantastic things we see in games. “As graphics get more powerful,” Howard explains, “the artistic nature of things increases" More powerful technology means the artists have fewer limitations, and are capable of bigger and wilder things. The creatures that populate the world of Tamriel are evidence of that. We witnessed a minotaur strolling through the lush forest, and our first reaction was how natural and at home it looked. While the forest looks completely real, the imaginary creature was rendered in such detail that it too looked like it could have come from the real world. Over 40 types of creatures will populate Tamriel, including mythical beasts like goblins and animate skeletons, real-world animals like deer and horses (which you can ride to speed your travel through the massive world), and demons from Oblivion.

You'll also face huge boss monsters, treacherous humans, and devious deathtraps. You will slog through dimly lit subterranean dungeons, explore ancient ruins, and travel through cities and towns teeming with people going about their daily lives. You will experience a truly living, breathing world brought to life through cutting edge technology that will power the games of tomorrow. With The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Bethesda Softworks is pioneering the future of gaming. As an indicator of what the Xbox 2 and PlayStation 3 are capable of, Oblivion proves that the future is bright indeed.