Question about 'sneak' mechanics

Kragorn

In some games one's ability to sneak past mobs depends in part on your level relative to the mobs, which means a level 1 likely has zero chance to sneak past, say, a level 10's back any better than they would if they weren't trying to 'sneak'.

My initial testing seems to indicate this game seems to use LOS so is it safe to assume you'll always manage to get past behind a mob (as long as you're outside detection range) no matter what level the mob is?

I've tried Googling this but most of the info comes from the early game and I believe there have been a few important changes since then so don't know if something I read from May '14 would still be valid.

BTW, this is query about PVE only.

DeLindsay

As far as I am aware it's 100% a LoS issue in ESO. That said, if you have passives in Medium Armor and Racials for improved Sneak along with the 2 gear sets Nightshade 3pc and Night Mother's Embrace 5pc you can get MUCH closer.

Rosveen

I was sneaking past mobs in Bangkorai at level 10, so I doubt it's level-based.

Kragorn

Thanks both.

@DeLindsay, I was aware of the racials, my Khajiit is sooooo stealthy , I'll have to take a look at the sets you mentioned.

@Rosveen, thanks, that seems pretty conclusive.

Merlin13KAGL

Rosveen wrote: »

I was sneaking past mobs in Bangkorai at level 10, so I doubt it's level-based.

@Rosveen , it's a combination of line of sight and distance.

An enemy can be staring straight at you, so long as you are far enough away. Oblivion had a much better handle on this, with enemies being attuned to sound, sight, and various other things out-of-place, including, but not limited to their dead fellow enemies.

This games AI is incredibly simplistic in that regard. It's rather disappointing.

They either home right in to your exact location (it matters not that you were sneaking behind a rock on the edge of a hill) or they are completely oblivious to their surroundings:

Keep Guard #1: "You hear that?"

Keep Guard #2: "Sounds like someone's sieging the inner keep."

Mage Guard Healer: "You two are idiots. If someone was seiging the inner keep, there'd have to be a big hole in the outer wall, like that one over there."

Keep Guard #1: "Well, I'm gonna go check that area near the 20 VR14's from the other Alliance are standing...see if anything's out of the ordinary."

Mage Guard Healer: "You hear that?"

or, PvE, if you prefer...

Scene: Picnicking Daedra (There's already so much wrong with this, I won't get started.)

Daedra #1: "Hey look...Bill's getting the crap kicked out of him by some Adventurer type."

Daedra #2: "Pass the salt."

Drawberrry

I've been able to snipe kill an enemy that was within snipe distance of another enemy (Bill and Daedra 1 and 2) without the other enemy reacting at all.

I like to think it's because I am just the best sneaker in the whole wide world or that Bill was just a really big doucher and no one will miss him.

Merlin13KAGL

@Drawberrry‌ , to be fair, I do think Bill owed Daedra #2 some money.