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GamesRadar
GamesRadar
Technology
Anna Koselke

Skyrim NPCs are only as complex as they are thanks to a literal "napkin drawing" that Todd Howard doodled, reveals ex-Bethesda dev: "It's actually a napkin story"

Todd Howard Bethesda Skyrim Bruce Nesmith
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim screenshot showing the an armored man wielding a shield in front of a raging dragon, holding back against the creature's fiery breath.

Radiant AI, the Bethesda Game Studios technology that powers NPC behavior in The Elder Scrolls series, was greatly expanded upon for Skyrim – and it's all thanks to a quick napkin sketch by Todd Howard.

Speaking in a recent interview with PC Gamer, veteran Bethesda developer Bruce Nesmith reveals that Radiant AI, the reason Elder Scrolls NPCs in Oblivion and Skyrim are able to wander the world and engage in more complex decision-making, evolved after a doodle from Howard. "The Radiant AI system was developed from a napkin drawing that Todd gave us," explains Nesmith, who worked on the 2006 and 2011 gems himself.

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