When I interviewed modder Bloc on implementing generative AI like ChatGPT and Inworld into Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord, he teased he was working on a The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim mod, too.
This weekend, Bloc posted a video showcase of his project featuring the ChatGPT-like Inworld AI implemented into the popular open world action roleplaying game released in 2011 by Bethesda Game Studios. The modder explained:
The following video is a demonstration of using InworId AI in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim to chat with NPCs in the game. InworId AI enables players to have immersive conversations with any NPC in Skyrim almost instantly. All NPCs are aware of their original characters and backstories, along with the latest events that have happened in Skyrim.
The following video is a one-shot (no cuts) in order to show how fast the AI can adapt to a new character without the need for waiting. This video shows the possible future of roleplaying games and the Elder Scrolls franchise.
To be clear, this Skyrim mod does not replace the existing predefined interactions crafted by Bethesda Game Studios. It simply adds another option to type your message by pressing Y, whereas the default interactions remain available by pressing E. The voices are created using ElevenLabs text-to-speech AI, though Bloc specified that any text-to-speech system could be used, including xVASynth.
You can also use the microphone to talk directly with the NPCs, as Inworld AI does offer a speech-to-text system. However, as Bloc told me in the aforementioned interview, it cannot currently affect gameplay (such as, for instance, starting or finishing quests in this manner). Bloc petitioned Inworld to improve their system to allow for such a feature, so here’s hoping it’ll happen at some point.
Bloc doesn’t plan to release this Skyrim mod as-is. When I contacted him via email, he explained:
That is correct. Currently, I have no plans to fully flesh it out as a playable mod because Skyrim has too many editions (Anniversary edition, Special Edition, VR, etc.), each has differences and each has too many moving parts, and unfortunately, because I’m not a seasoned Skyrim modder, it’s very unlikely for me to be able to serve it as a stable playable version and maintain it. It’s just too much effort for me. But the code is there, so I’m sure extremely talented modders of Skyrim will pick up the torch and carry it soon.
This community is crazy talented. If no one does that, I might give it a shot in the near future, but currently, it’s a daunting task for me.
The source code of the Inworld Skyrim Mod is now available on GitHub. It consists of three parts: an SKSE (Skyrim Script Extender) plugin written in C++, a Papyrus script, and a Typescript Node.js project. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is, to this day, the most modded game ever made; there’s a solid chance someone in the community will grab this code and create an amazing new Skyrim mod showcasing the potential of generative AI in roleplaying games.
