Oblivion and Horseback Combat....

[friedmud]

Time and time again I hear people talk about how one of the most dissapointing things about Oblivion is that you can't fight from the back of a horse...

Well... before the game came out I remember reading a couple of interviews stating that they _did_ have horseback... but pulled it out because of balance issues. Basically, in play testing people would _always_ ride their horses because it was so much easier to kill from horseback.... so to balance the game they took it out.

Up until now I hadn't been able to find the interview that stated this, so I hadn't posted about it. But today I ran across it... so I thought I would share the info so that people can get over the whole mounted combat issue:

http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1356

Look in the third post... where the Evil Avatar guys ask: "What about combat on mounts? I heard there is no mounted combat, any good reason for this? Balance issues?"

So now you know... and let's all move on... ;-)

Friedmud

 

[ZoT]

Since the dawn of gaming has the main goal been to create realism in games and emulate life... sometimes with fantasy elements, but still... freedom to roam around, do whatever, not be constricted by the game world around you are on top of almost every developers list as linear games are no longer "in"

what I'm getting at is that by removing this feature they only showed their own inability to solve problems, that's all it is.

Maybe they had a deadline that could not be moved, maybe the budget ran out, maybe it would require rewriting part of game engine... I DON'T CARE. As a programmer I can tell you those are EXCUSES, possibly with a somewhat valid point but in the end they are excuses.

Like any action in the world it creates a reaction, in this case their action/decision to remove this feature results in hundreds of thousands of people COMPLAINING about the lameness of it.

If they're ok with it then that's fine, but I will not accept anything as a reason for their decision in a game of this magnitude with a world so life-like (obviously within the fantasy realm), to remove such an obvious feature is borderline criminal

PS: I still think it's the best game I"ve seen in the several past years

 

[ZoT]

"We want to make this as polished and as realistic and gritty as possible. Once you've got guys whizzing by on horseback, that focus goes right out the window. It practically becomes an entirely different game."

right, that would actually be realistic Since the dawn of combat mounted soldiers always had an advantage... so why not emulate that? Make the horses weak as they truly are so with one or two hits you end up flying off them and horse is dead... that would cut down on charging into mobs of enemies


"Right now I don't think they increase your inventory"

yeah, that makes perfect sense.... god forbid that was the case

very bad excuses IMHO

 

[Rofl-Mic-Lofl]

Mods will save the day.

 

[Moose777]

You know what I'd really like?

I'd really like to draw my weapon and cast spells from the back of my horse.

I mean really, what kind of horsemen can't fight from hsi horse? How utterly retarded.

You can move on if you'd like. As for me, I'm going to continue to complain that it sucks not being able to fight fromt eh back of my horse until someone says, "Hey Moose!!! Check it out!! They finally made a Horse Combat mod!!!"

 

[jaegertech]

I mean really, what kind of horsemen can't fight from hsi horse?

A mounted infantryman. It was a common enough unit for as long as horses were used in combat.

Fighting from horseback is far more complicated than just riding and swinging a sword. It took a lot of training and I don't think it is unreasonable to play the part of an adventurer that uses a horse for transport but not as a weapon.

 

[mr saturn]

Erm. I'd just like to make a point in regards to the issue in general; I'm not berating anyone in particular. There are talking cats and lizards. Zombies and vampires run around in caverns. Massive magical gates open up and spew forth fantasy demons.

... and we're arguing realism? I can understand graphical realism, but we have to remember that we're using a mouse and keyboard. If you really think about it, clicking madly doesn't add to the whole realism factor either, but the designers only have this system to utilize and as such there are sure as hell gonna be limitations.

 

[Kendrak]

If it is because of balance make hits only count for 75% and spells less acurate. Simple... Solved...

It makes sence, You cant get the same levrage on a horse as you can when you have your feet ont he ground (I think)

 

[Wildace]

i really wish there was an F-35 in te game oh how id love to fly in and drop a bomb on a crab then land on a pad next to the wizards tower... i think my game would be complete then.

 

[Kendrak]

i really wish there was an F-35 in te game oh how id love to fly in and drop a bomb on a crab then land on a pad next to the wizards tower... i think my game would be complete then.

Horse combat fits prefectly with the game and at one time, (from my understanding) was to be included.

You sir can go back to you GTA with the rest of the uncivilized raff.

 

[Majin]

i really wish there was an F-35 in te game oh how id love to fly in and drop a bomb on a crab then land on a pad next to the wizards tower... i think my game would be complete then.

I want my IQ points back!

 

[D3v01D]

I have heard that there are people working on this, but it's like they have to create a new combat system so it's gonna take awhile.

 

[Wildace]

sarcasm ftw

 

[Obi_Kwiet]

All too easy...

 

[Nuzzles]

I think I'd like at least to be able to fight on horseback when I've mastered one of my major combat skills to the max name it attains. (I don't know how far the skills go, so, assuming you reached the leve that the last "name" you get (apprentice, journeymen) you gain that ability, not the max level. So if the max level was 100, and you got "master" at 90, you gain the ability at 90, not 100..)

I hope to god that made sense.

 

[ZoT]

Erm. I'd just like to make a point in regards to the issue in general; I'm not berating anyone in particular. There are talking cats and lizards. Zombies and vampires run around in caverns. Massive magical gates open up and spew forth fantasy demons.

... and we're arguing realism? I can understand graphical realism, but we have to remember that we're using a mouse and keyboard. If you really think about it, clicking madly doesn't add to the whole realism factor either, but the designers only have this system to utilize and as such there are sure as hell gonna be limitations.

using your logic I can come to a good solution... DON'T INCLUDE THE F-ING HORSES AT ALL!!! it's a magical world right? then fine... horses don't exist..

but to say that it's impossible to FIGHT from a horse and claim it's normal is retarded.

You can't include items that have obvious uses and then not allow those uses. It defies logic and as such is a detriment to gameplay.

That's like including swords but only allow them as visual trinkets to increase your perosnality and not allow them to be used as weapons...

 

[ZoT]

i really wish there was an F-35 in te game oh how id love to fly in and drop a bomb on a crab then land on a pad next to the wizards tower... i think my game would be complete then.

Except if Bethesda included an F-35 it wouldn't be able to drop bombs, it would serve only as "Boeing 747" and transport things

see the problem there??

Your analogy is flawed and far from funny, but thank you for trying

 

[Rofl-Mic-Lofl]

I think I'd like at least to be able to fight on horseback when I've mastered one of my major combat skills to the max name it attains. (I don't know how far the skills go, so, assuming you reached the leve that the last "name" you get (apprentice, journeymen) you gain that ability, not the max level. So if the max level was 100, and you got "master" at 90, you gain the ability at 90, not 100..)

I hope to god that made sense.

Meh, kinda made sense.

Every stat/skill maxes at 100, but with passive benefits it can max at 255. And all of the ranks go in 25 increments. Master, which is at 100, is the highest.

 

[Nuzzles]

Meh, kinda made sense.

Every stat/skill maxes at 100, but with passive benefits it can max at 255. And all of the ranks go in 25 increments. Master, which is at 100, is the highest.

Heh, thanks.

On a side note: Where did post #'s 16 and 17 go?

 

[Kendrak]

Heh, thanks.

On a side note: Where did post #'s 16 and 17 go?

You may not like the answer......
The mods work in mysterious ways

 

[Wildace]

You sir can go back to you GTA with the rest of the uncivilized raff.

btw whats does an F-35, have to do with GTA?


i wouldnt mind seeing mounted archery. even if it is unbalanced.. the game isnt balanced any way.

heh being able to make millions of gold when a begger can feed off 1 coin for a day.

not to mention being able to make an unstoppable monk that wears only clothing and can kill anything with his fists without taking hardly any damage what so ever.

i dont see how they could say mounted combat could unbalance the game much further.

 

[Rofl-Mic-Lofl]

Heh, thanks.

On a side note: Where did post #'s 16 and 17 go?

WTS 1x [#16 and 1x #17] 500g

Maybe if you could fight on your horse I'd buy the $2 pony armor. What good is a warhorse when you can't fight on it?