The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Preview
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Another feature of Oblivion that was not found in Morrowind is the greatly expanded and improved combat system. Featuring all manner of attack combinations, strategies and features that just weren't possible in the older game, Oblivion promises to take the realism of the combat system up a few notches from the simple click and hit of yore. In Morrowind, all weapons had three different attacks: the chop, the slash and the thrust. In general, most weapons had two of these attack types that were roughly similar in the amount of damage that they did. Unfortunately though, some weapons only had one mode of attack that was even worth bothering with, as the other two were both so pitifully useless. Recognizing that the Morrowind combat system just would not cut it in Oblivion and fuelled by suggestions from the forums, Bethesda's new combat system will, with any luck, avoid any of the repetition that came with the Morrowind system. In Morrowind, the combat system was limited by the rudimentary arrangement of holding down the attack key while moving in a certain direction. Moving forward would mean that the attack would be a thrust, for example. In Oblivion, though, the method of attacking and defending appears to work in a style much more reminiscent of a traditional fighting game. Click the mouse button to attack, after which you selectively click again to perform an additional attack in tandem. A possible issue of contention in the Oblivion combat system is that of shields and blocking. In Morrowind, blocking was just something that happened when you had a shield equipped, one of those facts of life that there isn't a thing you can do about. There have been a few Morrowind modders that figured that this wasn't all that much of a good idea and ended up making mods wherein a player needs to hold a certain button to block, and while they are blocking it is impossible for the blocker to attack. This is much the same thing that the developers are implementing in Oblivion: press a button which causes you to start blocking with either a shield or a handy weapon and said shield or handy weapon will absorb some of the damage that you would otherwise have received. It was not clarified whether it will still be possible to attack while blocking but in all likelihood it will not be, as otherwise you could just block the entire time and never take full damage.
Besides the obvious reduction of damage, blocking does have another benefit that may not have come to mind straight away. If the player successfully blocks an attack then it will cause the opponent to recoil, as you would expect of someone that has just put all their strength into cutting you into little pieces only to find that someone put a shield between you and their weapon. Recoil gives the defender an opportunity to take a number of actions such as attacking again, casting a spell, running away, or even using the new power attack. A power attack is a special attack that takes longer than a normal attack but can be performed in many different ways with presumably different effects. It is even possible to get new power attacks as you progress through the game. These are just a few of the new features being implemented in the combat system; the others include an extension of the new AI which enables different critters and NPCs to have different combat styles, or the ability to yield to your opponent in combat to get another chance of survival.
The last addition to Oblivion that had me quite surprised was how much detail Bethesda is going into with the stealth system. Even though I don't usually go for stealth games, this aspect of the game has me excited! The effort that Bethesda is going through to make the stealth system more than simply good luck and high stats is shown by the fact that they now have the additional skills of a designer who last worked on the infamous Thief series. The Thief games are possibly the most well-known and well-executed stealth games currently on the market, and Bethesda is trying to up the ante with the new stealth sections of Oblivion. After all, the Thief series never had the sheer openness of behavior and actions that Oblivion is capable of. Additional factors, such as the amount of light in the area and whether you are standing in the shadows or not, will come into play and affect your ability to sneak in the game. Oblivion will even feature factions almost entirely dedicated to stealth (did I hear Morag Tong, anyone?). At this stage of development, there really aren't as many details for Oblivion's stealth system as there are for other features, but what we do know looks promising nonetheless.
Taking into account all of the information that I've absorbed about Oblivion since I saw the very first screenshots, there really isn't anything that I can portray in an unfavorable light. The graphics are shaping up to be second to none, the combat sounds like heaps of fun, and I for one can't wait to see the Radiant AI in action. If you liked Morrowind, or open RPGs of any kind, then you owe it to yourself to keep an eye on Oblivion. There is still no set release date for the game and unfortunately it may require a significant PC upgrade, but Bethesda can be sure that by the time it finally arrives on shelves there will be a significant market waiting for it. For the Emperor!
