The persuasion minigame in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion works as a strategic puzzle where you try to increase an NPC's disposition (their attitude towards you) by selecting dialogue actions they respond to positively. Here is how it functions in detail:
- When you initiate persuasion, a circular wheel appears divided into four segments representing the actions: Admire, Boast, Joke, and Coerce.
- Each NPC has predetermined feelings about these actions: they will love, like, dislike, or hate each one. Their facial expressions when you hover over an action indicate their reaction.
- The wheel is filled with wedges of varying sizes corresponding to how much the NPC's disposition will change if you select that action at that moment. Larger wedges mean a bigger effect.
- You must select all four actions exactly once per round, but the wheel rotates 90 degrees clockwise after each selection, changing which wedge size corresponds to which action.
- The goal is to maximize disposition gain by choosing actions they love or like when the wedges are large and selecting disliked or hated actions when the wedges are small.
- The game is timed, and you lose disposition points the longer you take, so you must plan your moves quickly.
- If you succeed in ending with a net positive disposition increase, the NPC will trust you more, unlocking information or benefits.
- You can also bribe NPCs to increase disposition without playing the minigame, but persuasion can be more rewarding and cheaper.
In summary, persuasion in Oblivion is about reading NPC reactions, planning your action order to align large wedges with positive actions, and completing the four-action cycle before time runs out
