The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Ah, the sweet nostalgia! For many of us, it's a game that defined a generation of open-world RPGs. But for speedrunners, Oblivion isn't just about the main quest or collecting Daedric artifacts. It's about exploiting every system, every glitch, and yes, every NPC interaction to shave off precious seconds. The idea of compiling NPC fights might seem counterintuitive to a speedrun, where avoidance is often key. However, understanding NPC behaviors, combat mechanics, and potential skips involving them is crucial for executing optimized runs. This guide dives deep into the world of Oblivion's non-player characters, exploring how their presence, or deliberate confrontation, can impact a speedrun strategy.
The sheer depth of Oblivion means there are countless ways to approach any given objective. While "any%," "100%," or "glitchless" categories have their own unique rule sets, understanding how to manipulate or bypass NPCs efficiently is a universal skill. Whether you're aiming for a new world record or just trying to beat your personal best, knowing the "rules" of NPC engagement is paramount. This isn't just about combat; it's about strategic positioning, dialogue manipulation, and sometimes, just plain old luck with the RNG.
Oblivion's AI, while sometimes charmingly clunky, is surprisingly complex. NPCs follow schedules, react to player actions, and have distinct combat behaviors. For a speedrunner, this translates into predictable patterns that can be exploited. Understanding their patrol routes, their aggro ranges, and their "combat readiness" states is essential. For instance, knowing that certain guards will only become hostile after a specific event or proximity allows for careful navigation.
The "AI packages" dictate their daily routines. Some NPCs are static, while others move between locations. Identifying these paths can help you plan your route to either avoid them entirely or use them to your advantage. A common strategy in many speedruns is to trigger an NPC's awareness and then sprint past them while they are still loading their aggression or pathing towards you. This is a delicate dance, and one missed step can lead to a lengthy combat encounter, costing valuable time.
In my experience, the guards in the Imperial City are the most predictable. Their patrol paths are well-defined, and their reaction time can be managed with careful movement.
One key aspect of Oblivion's AI is its "awareness" system. NPCs will notice crimes, suspicious activity, and even your character's proximity. This awareness level dictates their response. A fully alert guard might immediately draw their weapon, while a less aware one might simply observe for a moment before deciding to act. Mastering these awareness triggers is critical for minimizing unwanted encounters.
Key NPCs & Encounters for Speedruns
While the main quest NPCs are unavoidable, many other characters can present opportunities or obstacles. Consider the Oblivion Gates. Often, these are guarded by creatures, but sometimes NPCs are nearby. In certain categories, how you deal with these adjacent NPCs can affect your pathing or even trigger events that are beneficial.
Characters like Jauffre or Martin Septim are central to the story, and their interactions are scripted. However, the *timing* and *conditions* under which these interactions occur can be influenced by player actions. For example, completing a side objective involving a specific NPC might unlock a faster route or dialogue option later on.
Even seemingly minor NPCs can be crucial. Some quests involve escorting individuals, and if you can manipulate their AI to follow you through unintended paths, you might skip entire sections of a dungeon or town. This is where deep knowledge of the game's mechanics truly shines.
Navigating Bruma
Bruma presents a unique challenge due to its open layout and numerous citizens. Speedrunners often develop specific routes through Bruma that minimize interaction with guards and civilians. This might involve precise jumps, exploiting collision boxes, or using spells to quickly bypass checkpoints. The Cloud Ruler Temple questline, for instance, has several points where NPC positioning is critical.
The Imperial City Maze
The Imperial City is a labyrinth of districts, each with its own set of guards and potential pitfalls. Optimizing a route through the city often involves understanding guard patrol patterns and using the environment to break line of sight. Certain key quests require interacting with specific individuals within the city, and knowing the fastest way to reach them, often through alleys or across rooftops, is a speedrunner's hallmark.
Combat Strategies and Skips
Direct combat is usually time-consuming in speedruns. Therefore, the primary goal is often avoidance. However, there are situations where engaging an NPC, or manipulating their combat AI, is necessary.
Baiting and Kiting
This involves luring an NPC into a specific location or away from your intended path. By using ranged attacks or spells, you can draw their attention and then lead them into traps, off ledges, or into areas where they will become stuck. This requires precise timing and knowledge of the NPC's aggro range.
Collision and Pathing Exploits
Oblivion's physics engine, while robust, has its quirks. Skilled runners can exploit collision detection to clip through walls or obstacles, effectively skipping entire combat encounters or sections of a level. This often involves precise positioning against an NPC or environmental geometry.
The "Mages Guild Skip" in Cheydinhal often relies on manipulating the guards' AI to allow passage through a blocked doorway. It's a classic example of using NPC behavior to your advantage.
Weaponizing the Environment
Sometimes, the best way to deal with an NPC is to let the environment do the work. Pushing NPCs off cliffs, luring them into hazardous areas (like lava or traps), or even using environmental triggers to damage them can save you valuable combat time. This is a more advanced technique but incredibly rewarding when executed successfully.
Dialogue Manipulation for Speed
While not strictly combat, dialogue is a form of NPC interaction that can significantly impact speedruns. Skipping dialogue trees, triggering specific responses, and understanding how dialogue chains affect quests are all vital.
Skipping Dialogue Trees
In Oblivion, you can often mash the "skip" button through dialogue. However, some dialogue options actually trigger events or change NPC behavior. Identifying which lines are skippable and which are critical is part of optimizing a run. Fast-forwarding through non-essential conversations is a given.
Quest Triggers
Many quests are initiated or progressed through specific dialogue. Speedrunners have discovered ways to trigger these quests faster, sometimes by manipulating NPC positioning or by performing actions that cause the NPC to initiate dialogue preemptively.
Common Speedrun Exploits Involving NPCs
The Oblivion speedrunning community has unearthed numerous exploits involving NPCs. These range from simple pathing tricks to complex AI manipulations.
Guard AI Manipulation
Guards are perhaps the most frequently encountered NPCs. Runners have developed strategies to make guards follow them into specific areas, get stuck on geometry, or even despawn, effectively removing them from the equation. This often involves a combination of careful movement and exploiting their aggro mechanics.
Summoning Exploits
Using summoned creatures can sometimes distract or aggro NPCs, allowing you to slip past. In some cases, summoning spells can also be used to manipulate NPC pathing by creating obstacles or targets. This is particularly relevant in categories where summoning is allowed.
NPC Clipping
Similar to player clipping, NPCs can sometimes be manipulated to move through walls or obstacles. This is less common and often requires very specific setups, but it can lead to significant time saves if an NPC can be forced into an unintended location.
RPG Elements in Speedrunning
Oblivion is an RPG at its core, and even in speedruns, certain RPG elements play a role. Character stats, skills, and gear can all influence how you interact with NPCs.
Character Builds for Speed
While not always focused on combat prowess, a speedrunner's character build might incorporate skills that aid in navigation or NPC manipulation. For example, high Acrobatics can enable faster traversal, while certain magic schools might offer utility spells for distraction or evasion.
Gear and its Impact
Certain items can influence NPC detection or aggression. For instance, items that boost stealth might help avoid detection, while enchanted gear could be used to quickly dispatch unavoidable enemies. However, the time taken to acquire specific gear must always be weighed against the time saved. The focus is almost always on finding the fastest, most efficient gear, which often means minimal.
The Role of RNG
Random Number Generation, or RNG, plays a part in Oblivion, even in NPC interactions. Critical hits, enemy spawns, and even NPC patrol pathing can be influenced by RNG. Speedrunners strive to minimize the impact of bad RNG and capitalize on good RNG. Understanding the probabilities involved can help in developing more robust strategies. This is a constant battle in any speedrun.
FAQ
What is the fastest way to get through Oblivion without fighting NPCs?
The fastest way generally involves mastering AI pathing and aggro mechanics to avoid detection entirely. Utilizing environmental shortcuts, specific movement tech like sprinting and jumping, and understanding guard patrol routes are key.
Can I skip mandatory NPC encounters in Oblivion speedruns?
This depends on the category. In "any%" runs, yes, many mandatory encounters can be skipped or heavily manipulated. In "glitchless" or "100%" categories, the rules might be stricter, but optimized routing to minimize time spent is always the goal.
How important is dialogue in Oblivion speedruns?
Dialogue is crucial for initiating quests and progressing the story. Speedrunners aim to skip all non-essential dialogue and identify the fastest dialogue choices or triggers to advance quests as quickly as possible.
Are there specific glitches that involve NPCs in Oblivion?
Yes, numerous glitches involve NPCs, such as clipping through them or walls, manipulating their AI to get stuck, or triggering unintended dialogue. These are often category-specific but can lead to massive time saves.
How do speedrunners deal with the guards in the Imperial City?
Guards in the Imperial City are a major obstacle. Runners typically develop precise routes through alleys and across rooftops, use stealth, and exploit guard patrol patterns to avoid combat and detection as much as possible.
In conclusion, understanding and manipulating NPC behavior is an art form in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion speedrunning. It's not always about direct confrontation but about intelligent evasion, strategic baiting, and exploiting the game's systems to their absolute limit. Whether you're a seasoned runner looking to refine your strats or a newcomer curious about the deeper mechanics, paying attention to the NPCs is key to shaving those precious seconds off your time.
What are your favorite NPC exploits in Oblivion? Did we miss any crucial techniques? Let us know in the comments below or join the discussion on our Discord server! Happy running!
