Oh and by the way, Skyrim comes out next friday

To help us stay in touch with the community I’ve just added a Facebook page for SkyrimWorld.com (over there on the right). Please join this so we can get an even better community building.

And finally I am putting a call out there to anyone who wishes to join the SkyrimWorld team to help us with posting news and information and moderating the forums as they get busier in the run up to 11.11.11. If you would like to help out, please leave a comment with your details or post in the forums.

Thank you all for your patience and we’re sorry to have been away for so long.

Thanks
Matt

On Dragons and Dragon Shouts

The ability to slow time is confirmed, as a dragon shout. Learn more and more of the dragon shout and you can slow time for longer and longer. “Bullet time” is becoming a common concept in gaming these days, but it’ll be the first time we get to experience it in a TES game. Perfect for the new, more powerful archery skill that we’ve already been informed about.

Another new dragon shout confirmed is “Unrelenting Force” – the ability to blast your foes backwards with a burst of spoken energy. Check out some of our previous articles for hints on the Greybeards owning this sort of magic – SkyrimWorld continues to ponder just where the crossover is between the Greybeards powers and the dragon shouts themselves. One and the same? Completely different? Or somehow related? (what are your theories?)

And quoted:

Also, if you think you’re the only one wandering around Skyrim with the ability to turn words into magic, think again.

Hands-up if you’re intrigued. Everyone? Yep, we thought so.

And of course, there’s the dragons themselves. We already suspected it, but it’s confirmed – the dragons aren’t a scripted part of the storyline, nor are they simply “boss battles” to overcome. These are entities wandering the land, following their own will. They may attack towns or they may not. And they’ll likely ignore a single little human like you running about underneath, unless you attract their attention. Quoted:

In theory, you can engage a dragon whenever you see one simply by pelting it as it flies past, but make sure you’re ready for the fight.

On magic and combat

One tidbit of magic information – a telekinesis spell has been confirmed. Of course, thats just one of a confirmed number of 80 spells, plus increased versatility in the manner in which those spells can be cast. Net result – a staggering array of magical permutations.

Details on the equipping system – “menu” functions for each hand. So, combined with the dual-wielding concept, you can re-kit each hand independently. With spells needing to be “equipped” in each hand, this suggests the depth of tactics that can be thought through when encountering opposition – perhaps get in that sneak first strike with your knife, then immediately switch to a close-quarters spell all using one hand, while defending with your shield in the other…

And if you’re using two-handed weapons, then the independence of each hand is switched to functions of the two-handed item in each hand. Examples include using your “left hand” to aim with a bow while your “right hand” shoots, or your “left hand” triggering a blocking motion while wielding a two-handed sword (we can guess what the right hand does in this case…).

On the game world environment

The danger-level of the game-world has (perhaps, surprisingly for some) been toned down compared to previous games. Rather than almost every encounter with the wildlife resulting in a face-off (a la Oblivion), many of the denizens out and about in Skyrim have no interest in picking a fight, unless provoked (some species, however, are of course always itching for a fight, so don’t expect a free ride everywhere).

The hand-crafted nature of every corner of Skyrim is promised to shine through. Each dungeon has been designed by hand, with each having its own unique feel, preventing perhaps some of the sense of repetition long-standing players of Oblivion and Morrowind may have eventually noticed. Traps, encounters and features have been delicately balanced too, making each dungeon area an engaging and unique feel, with a finely-balanced sense of danger.

It’s already been alluded to, but we’ve heard how the new Radiant AI engine gives locals in villages and towns their own lives to lead. Don’t expect to find people milling about town with nothing better to do – they’ll have lives to live and tasks to do. If exploring dungeons gets tiresome, you can even chip in and help them…. or if you’re feeling vicious, hinder them. A local town (note, the town of Riverwood is mentioned…. not seen on maps of Skyrim to date?!) could be economically crippled if one were inclined to sabotage their sawmill…

And the new AI system will encourage the locals to interact with you… and with what you leave lying around. Ever done a cleanout of your inventory in Morrowind or Oblivion, and decided to discard that sword that you don’t really need any more? If you haven’t time to try and sell it, you may just leave it lying in the middle of the street. Well, a friendly local of Skyrim might decide to pick it up and chase after you to “helpfully” return it to you… or a less honest one might just pocket it for themselves. And if they do, watch out who you double-cross – killing a peasant for kicks might trigger his friends or relatives to come seeking revenge… and imagine the irony if one of them runs you through with the sword that you discarded last week…!

And last, but not least, a teasing quote from OXM on the faction system:

We’re expecting something very special from the faction system, which the team seemed to be itching to talk about.

Well we already know the Dark Brotherhood is returning in Skyrim… but “something very special” – there must be more to come. SkyrimWorld awaits with baited breath…

Source: OXM, Todd Howard interview and http://forums.bethsoft.com/index.php?/topic/1172376-info-from-the-new-us-oxm/

Certianly, there’s a lot going on in that trailer, including tantalising clues as to where we get to visit and what we get to do. Fantastically-detailed towns and villages are visible, spectacular combat sequences, and close-up encounters with dragons… not to mention what looks suspiciously like our first in-game footage of a dragon shout in action!

What’s more incredible is that the entire thing came from the Xbox 360 – so that’s no super-computer in a lab somewhere churning out those graphics, that’s what we can actually expect to see from the game when we get our hands on it.

Skyrim World is still debating what clues we can tease out of all that action, and will be speculating (with no authority whatsoever on the subject) as to what we can learn from it soon enough. But in the meantime, head on over to our screenshots gallery to take a closer look at some stills from the trailer, to remind yourself just what we can now expect…

Take a read…. or if vertices and heightmaps aren’t your thing, just scan down and check out the pictures – it’s interesting stuff. True, it’s looking back on Oblivion rather than forwards to Skyrim, but nonetheless a reminder of the levels of detail that go into world-building can only raise our expectations of the new game further.!

Head on over to http://www.bethsoft.com/elder_council_wallpaper/ to get this awesome new wallpaper!

And if that wasn’t enough, that same link is giving us a countdown to our first in-game looks…. in just over 22 hours from the time of writing. Expect much excitement this time tomorrow, and Skyrim World will be there following it every step of the way.

Oh, and while you’re there, stop by the Concept Art Gallery too, for some awesome stills of the concept art from one of the recents vodcasts.

After a slow news week on Skyrim (we hope our lore sections proposing possible origins of the Falmer and involvement of the Skaal helped tide you by!), we’ve finally got the goods for you!

The French Official Playstation Magazine, only yesterday, revealed some further news on what to expect in Skyrim. Check out Skyrim Worlds rundown of what’s news:

Places to visit

Don’t pay too much attention to those maps of Skyrim we’ve seen to date! Cities may have changed in the 200 years since they were drawn. In particular, we can apparently expect to visit the city of Riverwood, “a smattering of timber buildings, including a sawmill”.

Unique, hand-crafted settlements – the city of Markath Side, for example, is “set into dramatic stone cliffs, with buildings teetering on the edge of shseer drops”.

The largest trading port in Skyrim – Haarfinger

Expect to see Dunmer influences in Skyrim – certainly in one of the cities (we don’t know which yet)… there may even be a full-fledged Dunmer settlement.

Fans of Morrowind will be pleased to hear that the “eccentric” feel of the game is getting a revisit – every Nord faction will have their own unique customs and feel – no doubt creating a truly immersive world to appreciate, like we felt when in Vvardenfell.

Expect to find Dwemer ruins (… but, what does this mean about the mysterious Falmer? Surely their origins won’t remain unexplored, with only the Swemer to keep us entertained?!)

Places are linked and affected by their economy – destroy a towns crops, and prices will go up as they have to start importing goods, for example.

Dragons and Dragon Shouts

Dragons aren’t confined to the legend books, or saved till the big end battle – they roam the land! Whats more, its not scripted or part of a plot – a dragon may encounter the town you’re in at any time… and if they do, the consequences can’t be predicted.

Perhaps dragon will attack a town, perhaps they’ll leave it alone. It all depends on chance (or perhaps, a variety of factors determined by the games new Radiant AI engine..!?). Towns may be set ablaze, or left unscathed.

If you enter into battle with a dragon, don’t expect victory to be the end of it. A wounded dragon may crash into the ground, and you’d better be out of its way when that happens!

One confirmed new Dragon Shout ability is the power to slow down time (FPS fans of “bullet time” can relate to this!).

Combat

Finishing moves? Try plunging your sword into your opponents chest, and stand back to admire the gurgling death noises!

Hoping for improvements to archery? In addition to the balancing tweaks we already know about (less arrows, more damage per hit), archers can hold their breath while taking aim. It’ll cost you in stamina, but you’ll get a better aim as a result (COD snipers can relate to this one!).

Need to block in combat? Be careful what you’re duel-wielding. If you have a sword in one hand and a spell in the other, you’ve got nothing to block with! Switch to a shield, or a two-handed weapon. Remember those combat tactics!

Keep an eye on those enchanted weapons you find. Some may have hidden powers, that you won’t find out about until you use them!

Fighting alongside an ally? The games combat system features a “magnetising” capability to help minimise the risk of “friendly fire” – your attacks will be subtly pulled towards your enemies to make group combat expeditions more effective.

The Game Environment

The game will feature new activities to keep you occupied when dungeon-looting is just too much hard work – try your hand at cooking, woodcutting, mining or metalwork!

Skills can be raised above level 100… but it will not be possible to get every skill “perk” (implying some are mutually exclusive).

The new Creation Engine promises stunning weather effects, including clouds gathering around and rolling over mountaintops. Wind will make water swirl and cause waves.

Hang around in taverns – eavesdropping other conversations may just start you off on a new quest.

NPCs

Tired of canned speech in Morrowind and Oblivion? Fear not – only the “important” NPCs have anything significant to say to you now.

Need to find out more about someone? You may need to break into their home – “Because of the open world set up you can even progress by snooping around – following people, looking out for strange behaviour and even some light breaking and entering”.

The game will no longer zoom in on an NPCs face while they talk – you (and they) can carry on with their daily routines, including breathtaking realism while, for example, they turn their back on you to carry on working while they chat.

… and if you’re tired of hearing an NPC prattle on, simply walk away! It’ll cut the dialogue short.

Magic

The Spell Shield effect is returning!

Several new spells mentioned, including:

• Ice Trap – (triggered when an enemy walks over it)
• Circle of Protection – (repel enemies in your immediate vicinity)
• Fury – (turn your enemies upon one another)

Keep visiting back for more Skyrim news – we guarantee, as soon as there’s news available, we’ll be the ones bringing it to you! And if you like the sound of any of the above and want to explore the ideas some more, head on over to our forums and kick off a thread!

 Source: http://gamingeverything.com/?p=1500

Is there a clue as to the world of Skyrim that we’re due to visit in what we know of these people, and does their own particular lore and beliefs tie in with the plotline of Skyrim that we know of so far?

The Skaal follow a peculiar branch of Nordic religion, following and venetaring nature – including the trees, the sun and moons and the winds. This drives their shamanic magics, granted to them by the All-Maker (generally believed to be analagous to Alduin elsewhere in Tamriel).

However, they are also conscious of the Adversary, enemy of man, and his sinister right-hand man The Greedy Man. Evidence of this can be found in tomes such as The Story of Aevar Stone-Singer, findable if you go rooting about the townspeoples houses in Temple District, in the Imperial City at the time of Oblivion. An exceprt is reproduced here:

In a time before now, long before now, when the Skaal were new, there was peace in the Land. The sun was hot and the crops grew long, and the people were happy in the peace that the All-Maker provided. But, the Skaal grew complacent and lazy, and they took for granted the Lands and all the gifts the All-Maker had given them. They forgot, or chose not to remember, that the Adversary is always watching, and that he delights in tormenting the All-Maker and his chosen people. And so it was that the Adversary came to be among the Skaal.

The Adversary has many aspects. He appears in the unholy beasts and the incurable plague. At the End of Seasons, we will know him as Thartaag the World-Devourer. But in these ages he came to be known as the Greedy Man.

The Greedy Man (that is what we call him, for to speak his name would certainly bring ruin on the people) lived among the Skaal for many months. Perhaps he was once just a man, but when the Adversary entered into him, he became the Greedy Man, and that is how he is remembered.

 (Find the book in the game to read the full account!)

This places the All-Maker and the Adversary in conflict – and the Adversary is also known, if one reads the material available to strip away the strength of the people… a direct parallel to the ability of the World-Eater Alduin to “eat away the years of men” perhaps?

So perhaps the Skaal are on to something – the story of Skyrim, perhaps, is foretold in the Skaals beliefs of the threat of the Adversary?

… and if so, who is the Greedy Man? Might he have a part to play in the main questline in Skyrim?

The Falmer are known to be one of the earliest races of elves in Tamriel, snow elves who were present in the land now known as Skyrim when the Nords first came to visit. We also know that for a time, the early Nords and the Falmer lived in harmony. But alas, these things do not last forever, and the Nords soon fell into an expansionist plan, siezing land and power all around them. The borders of Skyrim were established and widened, and wars broke out with nearby Morrowind, High Rock and Hammerfell.

And as for the Falmer of Skyrim?

Well, they were lost. Entirely. So precious little has been written of them that we can but speculate, but at least one written record remains showing evidence of Nord/Falmer clashes. Players of Oblivion may have stumbled across a tome entitled “Fall of the Snow Prince“, giving a near-poetic account of one of the last great battles between these two peoples…

“A Nord warrior sees much in a life of bloodshed and battle, and is rarely surprised by anything armed combat may bring. But few among us that day could have imagined the awe and uncertainty of a raging battlefield that all at once went motionless and silent. Such is the effect the Snow Prince had on us all. For when the joyous cries of the Elves had ended, there remained a quiet known only in the solitude of slumber. It was then our combined host, Elf and Nord alike, were joined in a terrible understanding — victory or defeat mattered little that day on the slopes of the Moesring Mountains. The one truth we all shared was that death would come to many that day, victor and vanquished alike. The glorious Snow Prince, an Elf unlike any other, did come that day to bring death to our kind. And death he so brought.”

If you haven’t found that book, load up your copy of Oblivion and head to Cheydinhal… check out the local bookstores and see how the Nords turned the tide and defeated the Elven Snow Prince.

But where are the Falmer today? Certainly no longer present in Skyrim, but what happened to them? Theories are…

1. They were obliterated. The Nords hunted and warred with them to extinction.

2. They simply merged in with other Elven peoples, interbreeding, and eventually the Falmer lineage was lost among the elven factions we see in Tamriel today.

or 3. Evolution had its part to play, and the Falmer are still with us, in unexpected places. While the elven folk in Tamriel today don’t like the theory that the Rieklings are descended from the Falmer, one can almost imagine the resemblance. What a cruel end this would be to a once-proud people – reduced to unpleasant goblins today.

So, what relevance does this have to us in our travels to Skyrim? Well, certainly, we can hope to uncover evidence of former Falmer civilizations. Check out some of the fantastic concept art released so far of ancient underground caverns and temples. Morrowind had Dwemer ruins, and Oblivion had the Ayelid. Skyrim World speculates that the legacy of the Falmer will play a pivotal role to the new games plot devices. And keep an eye out for more books and tomes – there, in the Throat of the World, surely we can uncover more detail on the Falmer? Maybe even find out once and for all what happened to them?

We want to hear your views and theories. Let us know what you think happened to the Falmer. Anything we’ve missed? What do you want to see of this race in Skyrim? Will they be integral to the plot? Head over to our Forums and let us know!