Kill a chicken and Skyrim will punish you

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In a recent interview with Edge Magazine, Skyrim Director Todd Howard shared some interesting information on the games behaviour tracking. When asked whether each in-game faction is capable of tracking your long-term actions in the game, Howard told the magazine that:

“We track how ever person and faction feels about you, and their own limit for how many illegal things they will do. You can get followers and command them, and they may like you enough that no matter who’s attacking you they will join in, even if it’s the guards.”

Howard then puts much of this ability to become a celebrity or outcast with NPC’s is put down to the games story manager.

“The story manager is looking at everything you do and then making things happen. So if you set a chicken on fire, or you drop an item, or pickpocket somebody or if you kill a dragon in town and absorb its soul, how people react all goes through the story manager”

This is all pretty exciting as it promises an extremely varied play experience for everyone. Perhaps more interesting however is the way Skyrim’s level of detail goes as far as letting you set a chicken on fire! Even if it does have consequences..

You can get more Skyrim tidbits in the latest issue of Edge magazine, available online and at newsagents now!

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22 Responses to "Kill a chicken and Skyrim will punish you"

  • Hukum Aksi Reaksi Berlaku Juga Dalam The Elder Scrolls V: SKyrim 03:09 PM 25/9/2011

    [...] will be an ingredient in alchemy. Via: Source | Source Reply With Quote   + Reply to Thread [...]

    Reply
  • Torinir 03:45 PM 25/9/2011

    There’s a Redguard and fried chicken joke in there. :p

    Reply
    • jesse 11:32 PM 25/9/2011

      i’m guessing you’re the same guy that made the exact same comment on Raptr.

      Reply
  • DeathMetal1 05:06 PM 25/9/2011

    Just the idea of setting chickens on fire gets me more excited for this game! “Dark Souls is going to eat Skyrim’s face off”…. Fuck off!

    Reply
  • Corbyn 05:16 PM 25/9/2011

    Agreed! that was the most asinine article!

    Reply
  • loki 06:17 PM 25/9/2011

    right because if you kill someone that is on there own away from others just like all shitty ass games from this garabge fucking company they wil KNOW same as when you rob empty house the fucking guard come running down the street into the house and go WE KNOW YOU STOLE, and as for killing the chicken they will probabaly own you because the WORLD LEVELS WITH YOU, pissant game from pissant company that should just kill them selfs

    so NO i dint think its exitingfor garbage crap mechanics like that

    Reply
    • Skyrim>zelda 08:16 PM 25/9/2011

      Actually, in skyrim there is a witness counter, and if there are no witnesses, guards don’t know about any lawbreaking… Also in Skyrim, the world does NOT level with you, some specific people and creatures will, but mostly creatures will be higher level the higher you go… you’re just mad that Bethesda consecutively wins game of the year awards every time it comes out with a new game, and so your crappy favorits can’t win it….

      Reply
    • GerrieB 07:12 AM 26/9/2011

      “shitty-assed game” That’s pretty funny. That “shitty-assed game” has the potential to outsell alot of games this year, and as a matter of fact, it seems to be the most anticipated game other than Swtor. If you don’t like Bethesda games..then say so..or don’t doesn’t matter to me, what matters to me is witnessing someone have a tantrum in print. hehehe Oh well..guess your mother hasn’t come in to put you to bed yet…right? :D

      At any rate, the only way you get caught stealing is if someone sees you take what doesn’t belong to you. :P If you get caught then you get chased by the guards, pretty normal really.

      Reply
    • David 09:34 PM 02/11/2011

      Maybe you should learn to spell and use proper grammar without sounding like you are shitting out of your mouth before you start commenting on games.

      Reply
  • Lolloki 06:46 PM 25/9/2011

    Lol loki really? Go take a chill pill and get some fresh air.

    Reply
  • Grenic 07:12 PM 25/9/2011

    Your opinion is like the sludge in between the terracotta bricks of the road to no one gives a shit.

    Reply
    • Erie 08:22 PM 25/9/2011

      FUCKIN BRILLIANT.

      Reply
  • Erie 08:21 PM 25/9/2011

    BAHAHAHAHAHAH

    “Your opinion is like the sludge in between the terracotta bricks of the road to no one gives a shit.”

    AMAZING.

    Anyways Loki you’re either a silly, uneducated twelve year old, that doesn’t understand spell check
    ….or you’re a retard. Either way your “wise words” mean nothing as they are being spoken by some silly “pissant”. Good day.

    Reply
  • Michael Wittmann 08:01 AM 26/9/2011

    I all of a sudden started caring about this game due to the absorbing of a dragon’s soul in front of people. |:

    Reply
  • Lothhan 11:09 AM 26/9/2011

    Darksoul will eat its face off. Hardcore > softcore.

    Reply
  • Link 02:37 PM 26/9/2011

    They are innovating putting this system of “hurt a chicken and we will punish you”… OH WAIT, Zelda had this system a long ago!

    Reply
  • rdeford 02:37 PM 26/9/2011

    Morrowind was the greatest game I ever played at the time it came out. It was so immersive and open ended that it blew me away. Since then, I found other games here and there from other companies to be almost as good. However, Oblivion and Fallout 3 have proven to me that Bethesda rules the roost in the game world. My opinion, of course. You’re not an idiot if you disagree with it, but it makes me wonder what you are.

    Reply
  • Phyrefox 10:32 PM 26/9/2011

    OH GOD YES! PUNISH ME! OOOH YEAH! PUNISH ME! I’VE BEEN SUCH A NAUGHTY DOVAKIIN.

    Reply
  • fuckaloki 06:36 AM 28/9/2011

    So I guess u can’t grasp tha concept of bethesdas games. Every other person in tha world obviously likes them or they wouldn’t win goty every year ur opinion doesn’t mean shit other than ur illiterate or a moron.

    Reply
  • Son of Skyrim 10:18 AM 30/9/2011

    Dark Souls sucks ass, hey Loki, you suck too hahaha muahahaha!!!! Skyrim kicked your ass!

    Reply
  • UK_John 01:22 PM 10/10/2011

    I remember everyone going crazy about the promise of Radiant AI in Oblivion, and seeing the list of things that was going to do. Most of the things listed never happened.

    Gamers have short memories and games companies rely on that to generate the type of hype Skyrim is getting. I remember Dragon Age 2 got this level of hype before the game was released, and 90% reviews from the games media!

    Shame we don’t have a more mature games media and gamers. We’d have a better games market because of it.

    Reply
  • Devinlv17 03:58 PM 30/11/2012

    If you don’t like getting attacked by gaurds, here’s an idea: STOP BREAKING THE LAW, ASSHOLE!!!

    Reply
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