Game 2: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

• Developer: Bethesda Softworks
• Released: 2006

Visual Structure:

Nonlinear Playable

• 4:3 ratio (see “A” in Illustration 1 above)
• Strictly 1st Person Perspective
• Potential response list (see “B” in Illustration 1 above)
• Current speakers subtitles (see “C” in Illustration 1 above)

Dialog Structure:

• Little depth
• Varied looping branches (see Nodes “A2-E2” in Illustration 2 above)
• Traditional division of “deep” and “shallow” NPCs

Review:

This is exactly the reason players don’t read dialog, this dialog is
sleep-able, and the interactivity is nothing but a click fest.

Pros:

• Varying levels of character depth

Cons:

• Long winded
• Confusing
• Non-responsive
• Shallow

Potential Methods of improvement:

• Editing
• Some indication of PC and NPC interaction via body language
• Increased use of the cinematic language
• Make the dialog choices seem more meaningful