for simply removing things to make the game more accessible whilst maintaining the same depth.

surely that is contradictory? how can you remove features yet maintain depth. sorry, doesnt work like that

Quality>Quantity

Perhaps most interesting is the revelation that nothing in the game, from the expansive landscape to the facial features of NPCs, has been procedurally generated. Everything you see in Skyrim has been hand crafted by Bethesda’s artists.

To help tie together the sense that Skyrim is a fully realized world, Bethesda has gone to great lengths to make sure the creatures you’ll encounter are more diverse than ever before. A new type of creature was also confirmed, an “ice golem.”

We've also got more details on the game's complex reputation system, which will work like an expanded version of what we saw Fallout: New Vegas. The article describes befriending the heads of local militias by completing the quests they ask of you. Being on good terms with these officials, known in the game as Jarls, will carry an added benefit: the guards under their command will be nicer to you. Apparently your reputation can even impact the way you're treated after crimes. Details are scarce, but it sounds like being close buddies with a faction might help them turn a blind eye to your

It'll also be possible to turn the game's factions against one another. According to the article, someone playing the demo at a recent press event wandered into a forbidden fort and wound up starting a small war between local enemies.

The perk system, a Fallout-inspired addition to the series, was also discussed in brief. One new perk will allow you to sprint forward with your shield raised, knocking any enemies in your way off to the side. You’ll also be able to unlock the ability to decapitate people in combat. Skyrim’s director, Todd Howard, commented on the feature, stating, “It's not super-gory, but it's a surprise when you get it and heads start flying off."

Quests will be providing a few surprises of their own too. One section of the article described being tasked with apprehending bandits for a local Jarl. On the way, the player encountered a wagon that the bandits had raided and set ablaze. Shortly afterwards, he made a wrong turn only to find himself ambushed by the bandits themselves. This brief walkthrough also revealed a new kill animation, where your enemy falls to his hands and knees and tries to crawl away. Spoiler alert: He’s not going to make it.

Additionally, the article gives us some brief tidbits on the game's locations. The Thieves Guild will be making a return in Skyrim, with their headquarters based in the sewers beneath the town of Riften. There will also be a Shrine of Talos, the first Dragonborn, located in Whiterun.

Finally, gourds have been confirmed as an ingredient in the game's alchemy and cooking systems. I know a lot of you were losing sleep over that one, so I'm happy to put your mind at ease.

Well i think KORN is right there, there are plenty of games that are super polished and have great quality but lack depth, whereas there are games with great depth but that kinda lack polish. I'd say most AAA titles nowdays are very polished but lacking depth. There's no lack in quality at all, it's just not a deep experience in any way. I guess Uncharted is a pretty good example of these type of popcorn games. Looks good, plays alright but there's not that much depth to it in any way.

Some nict tipbits of new info.http://www.gameranx.com/updates/id/3036/article/ne...

Breathtaking stuff, i've been reading all the info out there, this game will be the deepest / longest / and most beautiful RPG to come in a looonnnnggg time.

As I said "This game will be the deepest / longest / and most beautiful RPG to come in a looonnnnggg time."

and most poisons are only made to afflict you for certain durations so I dunno about that one

Thought you liked FFXIII?

Are those first two confirmed? Links please =)

And I think you might be getting defensive over my comments here. No need, I LOVE THIS GAME already. That doesn't mean I can't be critical of it.



Which is why I said an option to have them to last until cured via spell or antidote.

Racial Abilities
- ORCS: Beserker
- REDGUARDS: Adrenaline Rush
- WOOD ELF: Resist poison, resisit disease, command animals
- NORD: Battlecry
- KHAJIIT: Night-eye, claw attacks
- IMPERIAL: Voice of the Emperor, find more coins when looting
- HIGH ELF: Regenerate Magicka more quickly
- DARK ELF: Ancestor’s Wrath (surround self in fire), resist fire
- BRETON: Dragonskin (absorb spells), resist shock
- ARGONIANS: Histskin (regenerate health quickly), resist disease, breathe underwater

Note on racial stats: Each race starts off with different stats.

-Argonians start with 25 in Lockpicking, 20 in Pickpocketing, Sneak, etc…
-Orcs start with 25 in Heavy Armour, 20 in Enchanting, Smithing etc…



Here's the list:

Perk Trees
Speech
- Buying and selling price 10% better (5 ranks)
- 10% price buying from opposite sex
- Invest in shops and increase available gold permanently in invested stores
- Master Trader – every merchant in world gains 1000 gold for bartering
- Buy and sell from any merchant regardless of what they normally buy and sell
- Intimidation attempts twice as successful
- Persuasion attempts more likely successful

Alchemy
- Potions 20% stronger (5 ranks)
- Potions for restore health, magicka or stamina are 25% more powerful (maybe ranked)
- Poisons 25% more effective (maybe ranked)
- Poisons last for twice as many hits
- Two ingredients are gathered from plants
- 50% resistance to all poisons
- All negative effects removed from potions and all positive removed from poisons
- 2 effects of an ingredient are revealed when testing it for the first time (instead of just one)

Illusion
- Dual casting overcharges effect for more powerful spell
- Cast Novice spells for 50% less magicka
- Cast Apprentice spells for 50% less magicka
- Cast Adept, Expert, Master etc spells for 50% less magicka (more levels this time around)
- Spells work on higher level animals
- Spells work on higher level people
- All spellcasting (from ANY school) is done silently
- Spells work on undead, daedra and automatons
- Fear spells work on higher level enemies

Conjuration
- Novice for 50% magicka etc (up to Master)
- Dual casting overcharges –> greater spell effect
- Bound weapons do more damage
- Bound weapons cast Soul Trap on target
- Bound weapons banish certain creatures
- Reanimate undead with 100 more health
- Summon 2 Atronachs or reanimated zombies
- Summon Atronachs at twice the distance
- Summoned Atronachs twice as strong

Destruction
- More damage for each school (fire, frost and shock) – ranked
- Novice for 50% magicka etc.
- Shock damage chance to disintegrate targets if their health is under 10%
- Frost damage chance to paralyse targets if health low
- Fire damage chance to make low health enemies flee
- Place runes 5x farther away

Restoration
- Healing spells also restore stamina
- Novice for 50% less magicka etc
- Healing spells do 50% more healing
- Recharging healing spells
- More is recharged with each hit with healing spells (unclear)
- Spells more effective against undead
- Once a day chance to autocast 250HP restoration when health drops low
- Magicka regenerates 25% faster

Alteration
- Novice for 50% less etc
- Alteration spells have greater duration (ranked)
- Absorb 30% magicka that hits you

Enchanting
- Enchants are 20% stronger (ranked)
- Enchanted armour 25% stronger
- “Soul gems provide extra magicka for recharging” – again, dodgy recording but that’s what I heard, even if it doesn’t make much sense
- Death blows to creatures but not people trap souls for weapon recharge
- Health, magicka and stamina enchants stronger
- Extra effect on already-enchanted weapon can be applied
- Shock, Frost and Fire enchants 25% stronger (individual perks for each element)

Heavy Armour
- Increase armour rating 20% (5 ranks)
- Unarmed attacks with heavy armour gauntlets – damage increased by gauntlets’ armour rating
- Half fall damage if all in heavy armour
- Heavy armour weighs nothing and doesn’t slow you at all
- Additional 25% armour if in matching set
- 25% armour bonus if all in heavy armour (not necessarily matching)
- 50% less stagger if all in heavy armour
- 10% damage reflected back to enemy if all in heavy armour

2-handed weapons
- 2h weapons do 20% more damage (5 ranks)
- Attacks with warhammers ignore 25% armour (ranked)
- Attacks with battleaxes do extra bleeding damage (ranked)
- Attacks with greatswords do extra critical damage (ranked)
- Power attacks cost 25% less stamina
- Standing power attacks do 25% bonus damage, chance to decapitate
- Sprinting power attacks do double (critical) damage
- Sideways power attacks hit all targets
- Backwards power attacks have 25% chance of paralysis

Archery
- Bows do 25% more damage
- Zoom in
- Zooming slows time
- 10% crit chance
- Move faster with drawn bow
- Recover twice as many arrows from dead bodies
- 50% chance of paralysing for few seconds
- Draw bow 30% faster

Sneak
- 20% harder to detect (ranked)
- Sneak attacks do 6x damage with 1h weapons
- Sneak attacks with bows do 3x damage
- Sneak attacks with daggers do 15x damage (end perk on skill tree)
- Noise from armour reduced 50%
- No longer activate pressure plates
- Sprinting while sneaking performs silent forward roll
- Running does not affect detection chance
- Crouching can make hostile enemies lose sight of you and search for a target