The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Q&A - After E3

Judging at the reaction from May's Electronic Entertainment Expo, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion isn't just one of the brightest gems in the Xbox 360's upcoming launch lineup, but it's also perhaps a perfect example of a next-generation role-playing game. Due out on the PC and Xbox 360 later this year, Oblivion looks to combine cutting-edge graphics with an immersive and believable world to explore. And since Oblivion is the fourth game in the long-running Elder Scrolls series, you can bet that there's a lot of history in it. We caught up with executive producer Todd Howard for the latest news about the game.

Rusted armor never looked so good.

GameSpot: So, now that E3 is done and over with, what were the reactions coming out of the show? Oblivion garnered a lot of praise, but were there any helpful comments that you took back with you to Maryland? Could you briefly explain to our audience what exactly you showed behind closed doors?

Todd Howard: It went very well; everyone seemed to enjoy the 25-minute demo we gave. We got a lot of positive feedback, and you kind of have to sift through those comments to see what parts of the game you want to polish or reinforce even more. Everyone liked the graphics, but it was small things that got many excited, like the easy fast travel and compass systems...little things that we put in to make the game easier and more directed to play, and not just a big, sprawling directionless mess.

GS: It sounds like Bethesda wants Oblivion to truly be a next-generation game. Of course, there are the stunning graphics, but what else makes this a next-generation game? How will this be more than a better-looking version of Morrowind? How will it be different from its predecessors?

TH: It's so different in so many ways I wouldn't know where to start. We do each game fresh; we start over each time. We like each Elder Scrolls game to stand on its own and not be a direct sequel to the previous, and Oblivion is no different.

GS: We learned that the gameworld is approximately 16 square miles in size. How large is that in comparison to Morrowind's world, roughly? Will we see the same kind of variety in terrain and locales like we saw in Morrowind, which had deserts and mountains and lush forests? Tell us about how this world is being generated, and what the new terrain generation system adds to the game?

TH: The outside world, in terms of square miles, is a bit larger than Morrowind's, but it doesn't feel that way with the fast travel. So each of our games has had a different scale, and we mess with that early on and change it depending on how the game is flowing. So if you had to walk everywhere, I'd make it much, much smaller. In terms of terrain, there are several varieties, from beaches, to mountains, to open planes, to forests, snow, etc.

Fiery portal to another dimension, check. Wicked-looking bad guy, check.

GS: How will the non-player characters in Oblivion have more personality than those of Morrowind? In many cases, NPCs in Morrowind recited the same lines, and they were virtually indistinguishable from one another in terms of personality. How will the Radiant artificial intelligence system, along with such things as facial animation, and participation from well-known actors like Patrick Stewart, let you create more memorable characters? How else will the game make characters distinctive and memorable?

TH: Big question. It's really a combination of using procedural faces to give each NPC a unique look, writing bits of custom dialogue for each one, doing full facial animation to show emotions, and making sure every line is recorded dialogue. It all comes together to create the illusion of artificial life.