GB Feature: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Review
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Much was made of NPC schedules due to AI advances in advance publicity, all of it preternaturally glowing. However, this was also possible in Morrowind. It simply wasn't used very much by a development team that had other priorities. And truth to tell, it isn't used very much on the NPCs in Oblivion's towns, who generally move to and from work, or engage in brief, standardized activities, or flat conversations that have the disconnected quality of dreams. (I dub thee Stepford NPCs.) No, the AI changes can best be seen, instead, in the improved NPC combat as mentioned above, that affects not only your enemies, but any summoned creatures or friends that have temporarily joined you. The latter are more pro-active than before, wading into battle rather than waiting for you to be attacked. They let you know when you've accidentally hit them in battle, and are more forgiving of this; and they no longer target enemies with lethal spells that have the minor side effect of killing you, as well.
