"Name's Nils, I'm the cook at Candlehearth Hall."

*ten seconds later*

"Name's Nils, I'm the cook at Candlehearth Hall."

*Ten seconds later*

"Name's Nils, I'm the cook at Candlehearth Hall. "

This is but one example of how poorly the NPCs in Skyrim were made. After Oblivion's "I saw a mudcrab" style conversations, you would think Bethesda would improve both NPC-to-NPC dialogue, as well as NPC-to-player dialogue. Instead we get informed that Sigurd works for Belethor at the general goods store, and that Aerin has never seen Mjoll this upset before.

The worst part is that "rumors" has been removed as an option for conversation, so now we are stuck with only the canned dialogue. This is especially annoying because many NPCs will repeat there one line of canned dialogue every single time you walk near them. I had to beat a redguard to death because he wouldn't stop asking me if I've ever been to the Cloud District.

Does anyone else think dialogue hasn't improved since Oblivion? Discuss!

The dialogue is proportional to their intelligence (stupid). Please Bethesda, bring back Intelligence to the citizens of Tamriel!

Yeah, it's one of the "little" things that prove lazyness, I guess it's not exactly rocket science to have every npc keep track of what they recently said and randomize the lines or at least shut the [censored] up for a while. I was trying to listen to the bard and a stupid lady, can't remember the name, kept shouting in my ear like a broken record what did I want.

The NPC-NPC dialogue hasn't improved in my opinion, it's either on the same level or less. I have the impression in Oblivion they were opening dialogue with each other more often. I've been travelling with Lydia a lot and I noticed nobody ever talks to her, she's like my luggage or something.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but: It seems to me there are no NPC to NPC dialogues at all, except the scripted ones. Which is what most games do anyway, so what is radiant about it? Yes, NPCs have schedules, but that's hardly anything overwhelming or dynamic. Did they remove Radiant AI completely?

I was thinking about adding this in the OP when I was writing the topic, but I wasn't positive if this was true. I no longer hear regular "I saw a mudcrab" style conversations like Oblivion had. Come to think of it, I've never heard conversations that weren't specifically scripted to happen.

The most annoying is the small talk of inept NPC covers the unique dialogs you can hear in some places. I don't care about hearing or the 748th time the guy working at Belethor when I am trying to listen the argument between 2 other NPC happening only once.

And what about people you don't know yelling at you just because you walk in the street ? Never met a guy adressing me like that IRL. If I talk to them OK, but not when they are on their business and I am on mine. If they don't want to alk then they don't talk, they don't need to say they don't want to talk when I am just trying to ignore them.

But the winner is the girl at bits and pieces in solitude ! After years she persists greeting you with "Beirand told me your arrival....". Yes, it was years ago. I live here now, I am married with a girl in town, I saved the town and restored the bard's festival and I am a thane, you know ? My first arrival in town is not the most important event in my life. And besides, the imperials were about to behead ME too, but I don't bother you everyday with this.

i do miss hearing about boycotts of imperial goods in the summerset isle, and the "fearsome creatures" we adventurers know as mudcrabs....

i think ive seen maybe 2 or 3 instances of NPCs being social, and im not even completely convinced they werent scripted....

the taverns, which should be rife with cheers and talking and conversation, are eerily quiet and empty

Now that you mention it, there are no random NPC conversation like in Oblivion. Sure they were pretty ridiculous at times ("priests murdered!", "By the gods!", "No doubt" ), but that made the NPCs seem more living.

As far as NPC to NPC interaction, I'd say no dialogue > senseless, repetitive dialogue. Instanced ones are fine.

Can't add more dialog as the xbox would break. Could be wrong but thats my guess. Infact ,alot of things could of been better. Great game for what it is though.

Looking forward to the next one even more ,(i know i have along wait). I reakon the next one will be what i hoped this one to be like. Up to date and making use of modern tech

Why isnt it an improvement, at least they all have different sets of dialogues now, even if they repeat them. At least its not mudcrabs all around, its "hey you jerk" "hey you milk drinker" "hey you scum"


and congratulations for killing nazeem.

Funny you mention this, after 94 hours of playing I've just realised that I've also not heard a single conversation except for scripted ones take place... As bad as the conversions were in Oblivion they did add to the overall atmosphere of the game.

That said, i did hear the Inn keeper and his wife in Markarth insulting each other... although not sure if that was scripted.

at least it doesnt pause the game and zooms into their face

That is true.

i never playyed oblivion so i can't comment on that, but i do agree the npc dialogue in general feels fairly... small. and worse than that the amount of voice actors for the game feels very small. a few select npcs ave unique voices but then te rest of everyone seems to be a combination of 3-4 guys/girls each. it gets annoying when you hear mercer frey and sabjorn every time you talk to someone.

It kind of bothers me that if someone's attacking me while I'm talking to someone, if I want to hear it I have to take all those attacks. If I quit out to fight back, they won't pick up from where they left off.

The biggest problem I have with this is that every playthrough feels exactly the same. By the time I played my 3rd character I knew exactly what everyone would say. There is no replayability in this at all. I don't think I can stomach another execution in Solitude, or the initial dialogue between Delphine and the Sleeping Giant innkeeper.
Oblivion NPCs, although they looked like potatoheads and talked rubbish most of the time, felt a lot more alive, and thus the whole world felt much more dynamic.

I like when Farengar tells me "You know, you should join the Mages College in Winterhold." when I've been the archmage of the college for 30+ levels.

I want to torture him for years.

It seems to me like they might have done just that. Maybe they had enough claims about the system being wonky sometimes that they took it to heart and trashed it altogether. They seem to do that sometimes, if people complained about something they don't improve on it, they'll just remove it. A far worse option IMO. Those conversations were pretty cool at times, they should've had citizens talk about your deeds rather than have everyone but the guards stuck in their own little worlds not knowing what's going on.

"The folks around here call me Captain, cuz I used to be a sailor."


"The folks around here call me Captain, cuz I used to be a sailor."


"The folks around here call me Captain, cuz I used to be a sailor."


"The folks around here call me Captain, cuz I used to be a sailor."

I haven't actually seen a decent NPC to NPC conversation in Skyrim.

I think the NPC to player statements are maybe a slight improvement over Oblivion. Not that it's more dynamic, but simply less annoying. Instead of commenting on how strong you are they say other comments about achievements which makes a little more sense. And when I say slight, I mean very slight. Perhaps it's because Skyrim is still a little bit new. After playing 3 years I'm sure it will become as annoying as Oblivions got.

However it does totally lack NPC to NPC coversations now. My companions in Oblivion would stop to shoot the breeze about current events and mudcrabs which made it feel just a little bit more believable. The scripted ones Skyrim has are superior to Oblivions but overall it is annoying how quiet the pubs and streets are. Even if it was the same crap it was always kind of cool to overhear those conversations and pick up a topic. I think Oblivion's towns felt a little more like a place you could call home. Skyrim is more alive with people working and water flowing, kids playing etc... but the lack of people chatting is an immersion issue and it makes you not bother with towns much other than to sell stuff and split. In Oblivion I'd go to the pub and watch and listen to the NPCs it was mildly amusing at times.

Another thing I miss from Oblivion was how you could change the merchants attitude towards you buy buying/selling tons of stuff. At first they might hate you but over time "there's my favorite customer" was always nice to hear, it made you feel like you somehow built a relationship with someone over time.

I'm hoping they maybe put the lines in but didn't have time to add in the conditions or something so mods can give NPCs more random pvssyr and bring them to life better.

I would go further and say it's actually worse by poorly planned out lines and triggers. At least the cloud over my head for getting 90 in sneak didn't label me a thief having stole nothing on top of making it glaringly clear to all guards I can hide well, even when standing....over now only needing about 25 in the skill before they obsess over your being a thief.
Bandit arrow to the face...must have been nothing.
Ive already introduced myself but will again...
You must be new here...hero and helper of all in the hold.
Oh hai archmage...you should check out the college.
NPC one kills npc two, 3 and 4 witness the event...the killer and witnesses all go "oh what happened?"
Remember the time we almost got beheaded together... faithless dogs.
What you bumping into the bucket I left in the middle of the floor for...
Rekindled your romance...I'm so bored I hate this town.
walking away from a guard...let me guess someone stole your sweet roll...umm wasnt going to say anything
My thane, my thane, my thane, my thane MY THANE MY THANE!!!!!!! (not like Ive done anything for them directly to earn this undying love and respect and total obsession with me/MGS reference/creep nightmare of a stalker.)
I actually miss people talking about mudcrabs compared to the writing (ie having 25 sneak being glaring clear your a thief to every guard who has an arrow in his knee) and the lack of triggers and rules for when things are said (ie missing rumors, lack of timing events, somethings just happen rather then here about them then a week later it takes place, lack of rules to remove dialogue lines once they've been said, been dealt with or you are now the master of them).