

I’m quessing that the fourth parameter is used as time, but I’m not sure since I only program 2D apps and not 3D. In the same way that you can plot complex numbers on a 2D graph, you can plot quaternions in a 4D space. What differs these from “normal” complex numbers are that these consists of four parts (a 3D vector and a scalar) instead of two. Bethesda tries to use static models as a solution, but it usually doesn't work.Quaternions, in case you didn’t find a satisfying answer Googling, are a type of complex numbers that the mathematican Hamilton invented (sometime in the 19th century, if I’m correct).

One example is an insane amount of glitches. Even worse, the physics are linked to the frame rate, meaning unlocking it will make the engine go insane.Regarding the physics due to not being able to receive any input that isn't from the player, when the game has to process an input from something else, there is a big chance that a glitch will occur.Thanks to this, vehicles don't work in Gamebryo games, mandating the need to basically fuse models, or even more laughably, result in trains that are just many NPCs with a giant head shaped like a wagon, running at the same time, this is thanks to the engine not allowing other input to objects in the game besides the one of the player. The physics engine used (Havok), while pretty good, is poorly implemented on the already limited engine.Also due to how the memory of the engine works, it causes heavy loading times.The tools for shaping terrain are extremely limited and don't allow developers to make things like caves without literally making them separately, and then shoving them on the map.

And despite these problems, Bethesda not only hasn't fixed them, but has constantly acted like they were great, because they make games with not a lot of resources, when in reality it's a lazy and cheap job. Even worse is it causes problems with the collision detection, clipping, and NPCs falling through solid ground.
