Oblivion talk:Detect Life

What's the maximum "effective" magnitude of Detect Life, i.e. to the point where there's no point in having more since stuff outside the radius isn't even loaded? --66.23.133.52 22:01, 12 June 2007 (EDT)

The game works in units of cells, each of which is 192x192 feet in size. So I'd guess that creatures should be loaded up to 192 feet away. But I don't know the details of how many cells are loaded at a time, or how close you have to be to the cell edge before it gets loaded. --Nephele^Talk 17:24, 14 June 2007 (EDT)

It works further than that. I have two enchantments on that add up to 205 ft, and was looking down a hill at a flock of sheep. Most of them were detected, but there were a few extending as far back as what I would say 250 ft that I could still see but were not being detected by the enchantment. This is with all draw distance related settings at full. 137.104.231.93 07:51, 4 December 2011 (UTC)

Higher Levels have Sharper Effects?

At higher magnitudes, the purple glow around creatures within range appears sharper making it possible to more easily distinguish between the subjects as to who or what they are: human beings from animals, for example.

I find this very difficult to believe. The game uses only a single Effect Shader for Detect Life, as far as I can tell, and Effect Shaders do not have any place for variable input such as magnitude. Unless Detect Life is hard-coded to do this (which I kind of doubt given how much of it you can change), that statement is false - is there any evidence for it? --DragoonWraith 00:34, 3 March 2008 (EST)

The original statement on the article had been:

At larger magnitudes, the purple glow appears to be more sharply defined. This may just be a result of seeing creatures that are far enough way for the game to have not yet animated them. In other words, the creatures are perfectly still and therefore the 'shadowing' or 'trailing' effect that occurs with movement does not blur the outline. Whatever the reason, for more powerful spells/enchantments it becomes easily possible to distinguish rats from crabs from NPCs, for example.

I'll still stand behind that original statement; I wasn't responsible for any of the subsequent edits that decided to delete most of the fully qualified explanation. I've never investigated what's going on behind the scenes, but it is clear when playing the game that you can identify creatures halfway across the dungeon with 150 magnitude Detect Life, whereas with 30 magnitude you can't even identify the creatures in the next room. --Nephele^Talk 01:14, 3 March 2008 (EST)

I could see things farther away being more distinguishable, but did you test any two different-magnitude spells for a creature the same distance away? I've never noticed the effect, and further it doesn't seem like this is the case from a CS point of view... At any rate, I'll try giving it a look, I have to do some testing with Detect Life anyway.

DragoonWraith 01:37, 3 March 2008 (EST)

I just spent a few minutes experimenting with a Helmet of Arkay (range 25'), an Inquisitor's Helmet (range 105'), a wall, the placeatme and tai console commands, the screenshot key and PaintShop Pro. The result is that I have to say the effects of the two items are identical. I placed various creatures and NPCs on one side of the wall and took several screenshots from the other side of the wall wearing both items. The result is that the definition and strength of the pinkish light is identical on both or, if there is any difference, it's too small for me to resolve. I spent a minute or two just watching the light in real time, switching between the two items, and couldn't see any difference there either. As a final test, I used tdetect and let the creatures wander around, again whilst using both items. Again, I couldn't see a difference in the trails they left.

I'm wondering if this might be one thing that could be platform-specific? When I first saw this little debate my instinct was to agree with Nephele because I could have sworn I'd seen the same effect myself. My new machine is the first on which, for instance, I've been able to see the blue shade effect on the Uderfrykte Matron. That suggests to me that at least some of the graphic effects vary according to the power of the graphics card. Some more testing would be welcome on this matter. –Rpeh^{•T•C•E•} 16:42, 9 March 2008 (EDT)

I think the proper way of saying this should have been "creatures farther away from the player tend to be easier to make out then creatures close by." This coincidentally supports my experience with Detect Life, supports Nephele's experience (things across the dungeon are easily identified as a rat while things in the next room are a big pink blur), and Rpeh's experience, where different magnitudes produce no different effects on targets the same distance away. Limduhl 12:15, 9 April 2009 (EDT)

NPCs

Does anyone know if NPCs make use of the Detect Life spells or enchantments? As far as I can tell, they don't, because any use of Invisibility or 100% use of Chameleon seems to make even those wearing Detect Life enchantments unable to see you, but that may just be my experiences. --Mikekearn 03:00, 15 June 2007 (EDT)

Not as far as I'm aware. I've managed to sneak up on Daedra, for instance, that turned out to be wearing such items. That doesn't mean that more intelligent NPCs won't see you, though. Rpeh 03:21, 15 June 2007 (EDT)

I was planning to sneak attack mannimarco(sp?) to end the fight before it started, and he saw me and dispelled my invisavility. Afteer searching his body he had several potons of detect life. So, appaerently he uses detect life just like the player can. I am on xbox, so I cany test this and then investigate it propely, but if someone who plays on pc could try it it might lead to something. Another theory I have is that NPCs effectiveness of detect life might depend on their speed, which apparently affects heir "awarness range". Once again, I can't test this as thoughouly as a pc user can, but f someone else will test it, it might also be worth noting.Qwertyone 20:44, 8 May 2011 (UTC)

I don't think detection matters for Mannimarco. It's highly unlikely that he used the life detection potions to find you. Legoless 21:11, 8 May 2011 (UTC)

Glitch

i seem to have come across a glitch with detect life. i use it zealously when theiving(often) and dungeon crawling and now have the effect stuck on my character. i have tried casting the spell again in hopes of removing the affect, but to no prevail any suggestions?

I'll ask the obvious question first: you don't have an artifact giving you that effect do you? Try looking on the active spell effects tab of your character sheet. Find the Detect Life spell, hover your cursor over it and see what the tooltip tells you. If it's definitely a spell, you could try drinking some Dispel potions. --Rpeh^Talk 06:34, 2 July 2007 (EDT)

it doesnt show the effect at all, it seems to be a very weak version of the spell

Irrelevant of it's strength, it should still show in the active effects tab if it's caused by an enchantment. Try dropping all of your equipment and checking to see if you still have the effect. If you do, it's probably caused by a piece of equipment. Otherwise it's likely a spell effect. Did you tamper with the console commands at all in regards to the spell? --Saruuk 22:21, 3 July 2007 (EDT)

i bought the spell, but used the spellmaking command to make the spell more powerful

Detect Undead

Quote from Notes: The game has a rather expansive definition of "life" which includes the undead.

• The Undead do possess life. It's what makes them "un-" dead. Detect Life detects the life energy used to animate them into this world.

That is why I think it would be more proper to say that it doesn't detect life, but rather detects souls. The name is misleading; there is life everywhere, but it doesn't make flowers and trees and grass glow, because those things don't have souls. Not sure if the point is article relevant, though. --Mike | Contrib 02:54, 3 August 2008 (EDT)

Detecting through shields

I have removed the (edited) note "The effect can detect opponents through walls, but cannot detect through the players shield" because I don't believe it is true. I am fairly certain that detect life works through a raised shield, although I will concede the possibility that the enchantment shader on an enchanted shield may block the detect life shader. Anybody got conclusive proof either way? --Gaebrial 02:53, 21 May 2009 (EDT)

I seem to remember quite awhile ago, while fighting a bandit. I had a neck less **Talisman of Abetment, found in the Shivering Isles. I think.** on with Detect Life as an effect, I could still clearly see the bandit (The purple glow), even with his shield raised.

But my memory does not serve well sometimes, so it may just have been a dream.

Though I have not got proof, I do think that you can still see the purple glow, even when the shield is raised and with an enchantment on also.— Unsigned comment by 89.240.114.36 (talk) at 10:58 on 20 October 2009

Detect life and draw distance

Does detect life work beyond the "draw distance" (the maximum distance at which objects are rendered into view)? It seems like the draw distance, at least on xbox 360 can't be more then 80-100 feet yet the magnitude can reach much greater distances. Mathiusdragoon 13:55, 22 March 2010 (UTC)

Unworking Detect Life on invisible actors?

There is said that the Detect Life works on invisible actors, but for me it doesn't. I'm using X-Ray Detect Life mod, which changes the look of detected actors from pink clouds to blue shader. Is this the thing what makes that problem? - ZuTheSkunk 10:23, 23 May 2010 (UTC)

It's probably the mod. Detect Life certainly works on invisible actors. rpeh •T•C•E• 10:31, 23 May 2010 (UTC)