Unlock Oblivion’s Secret: How to Manipulate NPCs with Ease

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In my gaming adventures, I stumbled upon an interesting tip for The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered that not many players might be aware of. This game, while renowned for its unique NPC AI quirks, can sometimes feel a bit odd – from sudden conversation cut-offs to awkward movement patterns and voice lines that may need polishing. However, in the grand scheme of modern gaming, these aspects are usually handled with more finesse.

But It’s a fun and engaging way to make your character more popular in Cyrodiil. Give it a try, and see how it changes your experience within this classic fantasy world.

Actually, the social mechanics in Oblivion run quite profoundly, similar to The Sims. This extends to a friendship meter that influences every non-hostile NPC you come across in Oblivion’s vast open world. Mastering persuasion can lead to better deals at shops, more information from gossips, and even crucial details for initiating certain quests. However, the persuasion mini-game might seem a bit challenging if you’re new to it.

How The Persuasion Wheel Works

How To Begin Persuading

In your chat with a friendly NPC, you’ll notice multiple choices displayed at the bottom-left of the screen. These options are accompanied by various icons, one to four in number. Pay close attention to the icon that appears as a human figure with multiple arrows over it. Hover your cursor over this and click to initiate the persuasion mini-game.

After that, you’ll encounter an initial menu which features a semi-transparent wheel, with the options “bribe” and “start“. The wheel’s center shows your current relationship status with the Non-Player Character (NPC) you’re conversing with. A higher number indicates they have a favorable opinion of you; anything above 70 is considered good. If your resources allow, I would suggest bribing the NPC at least once for an effortless affinity boost. Click “start” to initiate the mini-game. Keep in mind that the NPC’s affection for you decreases over time while the mini-game is active, so it’s best to act quickly.

How To Read The Persuasion Wheel

With the dialogue wheel now accessible, you’ll find four choices at your disposal: Compliment, Make a Joke, Threaten, and Brag; these serve as your conversation options. As you hover over each choice, the character’s expression will shift (as depicted), showing reactions ranging from disgust to delight, indicating their preference for that specific option. Each section of the wheel will also contain multiple slices, with the number of slices indicating the effectiveness of each option in that area. In this scenario, we can see that Jensine greatly prefers Threatening, slightly enjoys Bragging, strongly dislikes Making a Joke, and intensely dislikes Complimenting.

Every time you pick a dialogue choice, the segments on the wheel will move a quarter-turn clockwise. You’ll need to use all four before leaving the Persuading mini-game. Your aim is to choose the options that the NPC prefers most when they are the most influential (meaning, when they have the most segments filled). On the contrary, you’ll also want to select the options they prefer least when they are the least influential, ideally when they only have one segment filled. In this case, we should focus on using Coerce and limit the use of Admire as much as possible.

Rewards For Persuading NPCs

Persuading Is Worth The Trouble

Building a strong rapport with an NPC often leads to numerous benefits, among which is the ability to negotiate better prices at shops. During transactions with a merchant, pressing R opens a negotiation window where you can adjust a meter to influence their pricing. With a higher affinity, they become more inclined to give you better deals for their items and offer you higher prices for yours.

Additionally, some Non-Player Characters (NPCs) may provide you with additional or enhanced information regarding your quests or side activities once you’ve improved their friendship level. For instance, if you aim to join the Thieves Guild, it’s essential to build a strong relationship with one of the beggars in the Imperial City, as they might eventually reveal that the enigmatic Grey Fox, the guild’s leader, truly exists.

Ultimately, taking part in the Persuasion minigame will help you advance in Speechcraft. If persuasion is among your character’s abilities in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, you can also boost your level using this skill.

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2025-04-24 02:40