[neartheplain]

In what regard is Skyrim's gameplay emergent, aside from the OP link's fox example?

As I understand it, Radiant AI is a framework for fixed and relatively simple finite state machines, with states like "use the anvil at the blacksmith's shop during working hours" or "drink in the tavern at 9 PM." Don't get me wrong, it's leaps and bounds beyond the NPC AI found in earlier games, but it's far from the emergent craziness you'll see in a sandbox game like Rimworld or Dwarf Fortress. Dynamic behaviors like the one you mentioned are still all essentially scripted interactions. Dialogue, the core interaction between the player and most NPCs, is still 100% scripted conversation trees. The most interesting emergent events I remember from Skyrim (or Oblivion) were funny glitches like this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvuW2Jl5ZyY

I'd also like to hear the GP commentor's reply re: emergent gameplay in Morrowind. I haven't played that game as much as the others, and don't have enough in-game experience to comment.

[Agentlien]

I would not call any behavior in Skyrim emergent either, hence my use of the word "dynamic". I am a big fan of Dwarf Fortress, in fact I spent most of today so far playing it with my son, so I know the difference.

But when most people say emergent it is often simply dynamic systems or context sensitive scripts they mean, so I assumed that was likely what they meant.

Skyrim has a number of these: NPCs you've charmed can leave you inheritance if they die, inns and shops can change owners in similar fashion, some scripted events like towns being captured in the civil war cause officials to be killed or exiled and replaced, ...

I wanted to know if there was more of that type of dynamic world behaviour to Morrowind than I could remember.

[beaconstudios]

No I really did mean emergent! And I'm also a huge fan of DF :)