Is There Any Way?

[Daddy Kermit]

Like the title says, is there any way to find some kind of mod that adds a "Stealth-meter" type thing? I've found Oblivion's stealth system a little hard to figure out in it's entirety.

[Rithm Fluffderg]

I don't think the game has the potential for a stealth meter. You're either detected or you're not.

[Daddy Kermit]

Darnified UI had something like this:

Depending on how much light/what stance you're in, your crosshair changes shades depending on how visible you are.
Of course, Darnified doesn't work for me because it forces my game to run in fullscreen and windowed at the same time.

[Bob of Mage]

The bigger issue is that enemies will go from not knowing you are there to finding you on the other side of a wall while standing still in the blink of an eye. The whole thing is pretty wonky. Heck I've had times where I was in stealth mode right in front of someone and they didn't notice where I was as I beat them to death.

Really if you want to sneak just pwoer level your sneak skill. Find some place where there are NPCs 24/7 and a good wall to auto-run at. Say Cloud Ruler Temple and Martin's quarters. Remove your boots and go at a walking pace if you are at a lower skill level, then just hit Q (or whatever your auto-run keybind is) and go do something else.

[EolSunder]

yes i also agree the stealth system in the game is "wonky" and i've done the same thing, stealthing while shooting a bow and just shooting and shooting while the enemy guy walks right up to me, and still doesn't detect me. Yes, we would wish for a better stealth system but there are probably mods that you can use on a pc to adjust it.

The basic stealth system in the game isn't great, but then again in the basic game many things aren't great (leveling/stat system, power training, etc) but again, thats what mods are for.

[Rithm Fluffderg]

Originally posted by EolSunder:

yes i also agree the stealth system in the game is "wonky" and i've done the same thing, stealthing while shooting a bow and just shooting and shooting while the enemy guy walks right up to me, and still doesn't detect me. Yes, we would wish for a better stealth system but there are probably mods that you can use on a pc to adjust it.

The basic stealth system in the game isn't great, but then again in the basic game many things aren't great (leveling/stat system, power training, etc) but again, thats what mods are for.

I would honestly say it's got better pacing than Morrowind does, where Sneaking is literally useless until you get it up to 50, and even then, it only starts being halfway reliable once you get it up to 60.

But then once you start getting it to 70, it becomes absurdly broken to the point where you can hide in mid-combat and the enemy freaks out because they don't know where you are.

[Daddy Kermit]

The main problem with the stealth for me is this:
Either the eye around my crosshair is almost gone, or it's lit up like a Christmas tree, there's no in-between point.
They SAY it will change in brightness depending on how concealed you are, but it only has two shades, anything mod-related that can fix this?

[Rithm Fluffderg]

Originally posted by ᴅιᴇτᴅᴏʀιτᴏs:

The main problem with the stealth for me is this:
Either the eye around my crosshair is almost gone, or it's lit up like a Christmas tree, there's no in-between point.
They SAY it will change in brightness depending on how concealed you are, but it only has two shades, anything mod-related that can fix this?

I've honestly never heard anything about it changing shades in brightness until this topic.

If it's lit up, it means you've been detected.
If it's dark, it means you're not detected.

There's no inbetween, it's rather binary.

[Bob of Mage]

Well it does brighten as you get more detected, but the range is so tiny that you seem to go from undetected to seen in an instant. There's also the fun of being detected on the other side of a cave and the enemy knowing exactly which tunnel you are in.

[The Flying Rodent]

This is what UESP has to say.[en.uesp.net]

In the section labelled 'Remaining Undetected':

• When in sneak mode, pay careful attention to the eye in the center of the screen. If the eye lights up, that means somewhere an NPC or creature knows you're there. Never steal, pick locks, pick pockets, etc. when the eye is lit! Reposition yourself so that the eye goes dim and you can do your dirty work in 100% safety. It's really that simple, no matter how many NPCs are standing around, how bright it is, how close they are, just watch the eye. However, the eye lights up even if an ally, your horse, or your summoned creature sees you.
  
  
• The amount of light that hits your character does matter, so always try and stay in the shadows (and unequip any equipped torches).
  
  
• The weight of your shoes has an effect until you become a Journeyman, so take off those nine pound iron boots if you're going to sneak, as barefoot makes the least noise. You can assign your boots to a hotkey if you want to be able to quickly put them back on.
  Actions like picking a lock or picking up items (the heavier the item the more so) increase your chance of being detected.
  
  
• Invisibility and Chameleon decrease the chances of being seen. Sneak mode complements these spells by also decreasing the chance that you will be heard.
  Invisibility is 100% effective, but prevents you from doing anything other than moving. The spell is canceled as soon as you attack or use the activate button.
  Chameleon allows you to do any actions, but is less than 100% effective. (The implications of combining multiple Chameleon enchantments to reach 100% effectiveness are discussed at 100% Chameleon).
  
  
• Some creatures and NPCs detect characters in sneak mode more easily than others. Some high-level creatures like Ogres and Storm Atronachs can be hit from a distance (with arrows or spells) multiple times, and they will just look around. Other creatures like Xivilai will actively search and probably spot you (even at 95% Chameleon) and engage. NPCs with higher Sneak skills themselves will be better able to detect you.
  
  
• Sound is not blocked by walls, or even a dozen feet of solid rock. Regardless of the actual topology and connectivity, as long as the straight-line distance between you and an NPC is less than the detection range, the NPC will hear you just as easily as if the two of you were in the same room with open space between you.

If this is correct, then a combination of: light, sound, enemy sneak skill, boots weight [assuming >50 sneak], running speed [assuming >75 sneak] and Chameleon/Invisibility all play a part.

As far as I can tell: The player is either completely detected, or not detected at all, making it basically binary. My guess is that the Character is 'detected' when their 'Calculated Stealth Value' [whatever that is, cant seem to find a formula for it] goes below the threshold of the enemy's 'Detection Value'.

In this sense: It'd be nice to have a meter that displays the enemies current 'Detection Threshold', however I don't know of any that exist.

Regarding Detect Life:

"NPCs do not make use of the Detect Life effect. If you are invisible or have 100% Chameleon, NPCs with Detect Life (such as the Gray Fox, who obtains it from the Gray Cowl) will still be unable to see you; the sneak eye will still be dim, even if you are standing right in front of them."

[Daddy Kermit]

Thanks Flying Rodent, I'll do some more searching and see if I can find that formula for the basis of detection.

[Rithm Fluffderg]

For some reason I want to say that the enemy's Sneak skill is factored into their ability to detect you but I have no idea where I read this and I can't find any evidence supporting this :/

[cyäegha]

i always assumed the delta between your sneak skill and their sneak skill had an impact, too

maybe the sneak skill has a measurable effect on the detection threshold?

[The Flying Rodent]

Originally posted by Space Wizard Zach:

For some reason I want to say that the enemy's Sneak skill is factored into their ability to detect you but I have no idea where I read this and I can't find any evidence supporting this :/

Yeah I'm not sure where that value got pulled from either, it could've just been an educated guess made my the author of the UESP page. Could just be baloney.

The other factors seem reasonable enough though.

[cyäegha]

at least as far as morrowind goes, detection was influenced somewhat by checking your sneak skill against the targer's sneak skill, among other factors

i would think it'd be logical to conclude that it should play some factor

[DMAN222]

One thing I never understood. As far as I have found, no matter my sneak skill, no matter that I am at 80%+ chameleon; the creatures/fighters in the arena wil detect me immediately upon the gates opening. I can sometimes go hidden behind the pillars and they will lose track of me for a time, but it is almost like you CANNOT use sneak as a viable fighting option in the arena.