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”
In a conversation with PC Gamer, long-time Bethesda developer Bruce Nesmith shared an interesting tidbit about the development of Radiant AI, which powers the intelligent behavior of NPCs in games like Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Skyrim. He said that this system was inspired by a sketch, or doodle, made by Todd Howard. “The Radiant AI system came from a napkin drawing that Todd handed to us,” Nesmith explained, as he was involved in the creation of the 2006 and 2011 masterpieces himself.