Oblivion General Discussion

[Jeelius-Tei]

Although I played Skyrim first, I like Oblivion much much more.

1: Setting. This plays a big part for an explorer me. Cyrodiil's colorful forests and plains are much more beautiful than Skyrim's dull colored mountains and snowy forests. Skyrim's cities are very small, and feel quite dead. Cyrodiil's cities are very large, and have much detail.

2: Combat. Sure, Skyrim added kill cams, but the combat in Oblivion feels much more realistic. You can swing much faster in Oblivion, and parrying has a point. Shields block arrows without a perk, and you can your create spells.

3: Leveling. I dislike Skyrim's leveling system. Why? Because leveling is less rewarding. In Oblivion, when you level up, you can get all three, Magicka, Health, and Stamina, or skill bonuses. In Skyrim, you are forced to pick one of the three, making mages much weaker. Also in Oblivion, you don't need to worry about perks, as skills automatically get them (much more realistic). Inns have a point: Leveling up.

4: Better Reasons to Explore. In Skyrim, it is very rare to find an enemy using high level gear. This is not the case in Oblivion. Dungeons in Skyrim all look the same. Oblivion has this issue too, however, there are more reasons to explore in Oblivion, because there is more loot.

5: Stronger Enemies. Skyrim's enemies are very weak, and as you level up, the game gets much easier. In Oblivion, you encounter stronger enemies, and in doing so, makes the game much more entertaining.

6: Better Quests. In Skyrim, quests all feel very similar, such as "Go fetch Joe's necklace from a cave full of skeevers." In Oblivion, all the quests were made by developers, and have much more realistic conditions.

7: Smarter People. In Skyrim, people do the same thing everyday forever. In Oblivion, people change their clothes, visit their friends and family in other cities, and even commit crimes. The Guards actually know how to protect citizens, instead of running away.

8: Negative Effects. In Skyrim, if you drink ten bottles of wine, you don't ever lose your balance. In Oblivion, drinking makes your agility, intelligence, and personality decrease, thus making you drunk. There are spells which damage skills, requiring you to visit temples, or drink potions.

9: Better Factions. In Skyrim, the Companions are rather boring, compared to the Fighters Guild in Oblivion. The Thieves Guild is actually hidden in Oblivion, unlike Skyrim, which the main quest shows you to their recruiter. Doing quests for "bad" factions such as the Thieves Guild, or the Dark Brotherhood, make your infamy go up, while doing quests for "good" factions such as the Fighter's Guild, or the Mages Guild makes your fame go up. There are also more factions, such as the Knights of the Nine, the Arena, the Court of Madness, etc.

And that is why I prefer Oblivion to Skyrim. There are many other reasons, but they are too minor to bother writing them down.

[K Candyman]

The fame-infamy system makes absolutely no sense, though; how am I getting infamy points from doing stuff completely undetected? And why do all the Daedric Shrine quests give me fame, including the blatantly evil ones?

Because in Deadricquests are mostly favors for the Deadra and favors make you gain fame I guess?
and some times you can trick even the deadra f.e.

Spoiler:

The umbra quest where you can force calacius vile to let you keep the sword he is after

I guess tricking a Godlike creature makes you pretty much famous?

[BetaB17]

I have to say though, if you have the DLC's then infamy shouldn't be much of a problem<_< as it is my character is spotty clean with his infamy.. till he dons the Grey Cowl and begins his murder frenzy.. but still spotless

To be honest, near the beginning of Knights of the Nine your given the task to cleanse your evil deeds. Granted it also helps to know which quests give you infamy or fame<_< namely if you expect to keep the fame for yourself and add the infamy for the cowl and this can be done in vanilla. Even without the cowl you still can do so but then it wouldn't be in vanilla now would it
Still, so long as your not out stealing sweetrolls or something you should be fine

[Linkuya]

^In my opinion, leveling in Oblivion was broken. If you just stayed low level you could never get good gear or fight tough enemies. You were rewarded for not leveling up, because they game stayed incredibly easy of you didn't. But of course, that's just what I think.

[K Candyman]

yes it is, but assuming every one would play as it is ment to, you would love to level up right? making it harder by leveling is a way to keep you busy and give you an proper challenge.

[BetaB17]

Somewhat<_< you want the game to be challenging yet at the same time not stressful. But people also at the same time want to feel like a badass. It's no fun if you start off as a badass, but gradually grow into one. Thus is why various enemies are vastly different. Remember how much of a trouble rats were? Remember how satisfying it was to finally bash away their skulls without a sweat? But you inevitably repeat that process again as if in cycle. However it gets to the point the game just seems to punish you, I feel every time I walk into oblivion no matter how good I become the enemies are insanely powerful, the gap between you and them grows as your level climbs.
Hell I walk around everywhere in 110% chameleon armor and I can admit alot of these foes are a [&@%!] to kill.

And don't get me started with bandits=___= I can get rich from selling their armor just from clearing a small campsite alone
The only thing I wildly admit to is that the undead were indeed beloved. Only the wraiths and their screams offset this love but by Azura I still love those headless zombies!

[K Candyman]

As you level up you can wear better armour and weapons and beasts like rats, and goblins are more easy to kill at high level. I think this is a combination of feeling badass in you good armor killing goblins in one stroke and the challange of bandit mauraders(speeld wrong ) in one. In my opinion getting to good is boring soon enough, I need the challenge!

[Felicia]

Re: leveling, I ended up settling into a sort of medium level of control. I'm not nearly neurotic enough (or careful enough) to level efficiently, it just ruins the game for me. So I play naturally, and when I get the level-up chime, I take note of it and go about my business. I usually keep playing until it starts to feel a *little* easy, then I sleep and level up. Repeat. I don't like to get my ass handed to me, but it's also not fun to stay at level 3 forever. Also, since I'm not leveling efficiently, usually I get maybe 2-3 points in each attribute on level up - if it's going poorly, I just tweak the difficulty slider down a little.

I love the graphics in Oblivion. It's not as realistic as Skyrim, and yeah, the NPCs all kind of look like potatoes, but I think it looks like stepping into a really beautifully illustrated picture book or something. Like at the beginning of those old Disney movies (Sleeping Beauty, Pinocchio, some others) that started with a book that opened up and you'd zoom into the illustration (does anyone remember that?).

ETA I have the game on xbox, so I had to work out a leveling strategy that didn't make me crazy without the help of mods. I use a Mac, and we don't own a good PC right now, all we have is my boyfriend's laptop, which he bought for $500 when his last computer broke...maybe someday we'll have a PC suitable for gaming. I would say the one thing that bugs the crap out of me playing on xbox is no way to organize spells. I'm playing a mage right now, so I have tons of spells, but most of them I just don't use all that often. The in-game organization is really counter-intuitive for me - I wish I could just make a shortlist of spells I use all the time. I use the hotkeys but it's not a perfect system.

[Ursula R. M.]

Just repurchased a copy of Oblivion, if I can pry myself away from Skyrim long enough, I will revisit that world. I remember having to find hammers to fix your [&@%!], that was crazy. Where's a hammer??? I need a [&@%!] hammer.

[Chicken Slayer]

Hammers are one of the few staples you have to spend big money on, and about the only real reason to go through clutter boxes. Oh boy! I found a hammer, that's $16 I don't have to shell out. I buy them by the case and have them stashed in stumps and clams across the landscape. It's about as close to buying and carrying 'food' as gameplay will allow (I'm worn down I need to eat, except it's for equipment instead of your body). Like it or not, every skill has a strategy associated with it. On the other hand, the food as alchemy material aspect is stupid, IMO. But I guess they ran out of wild plants for all the options they needed.

[PrinceJonathan]

First thing I do out of the sewers, is go dumpster diving in the Market District. I always end up with a good Middle-Class outfit and about 10-15 Repair Hammers. Then I head to Weynon Priory to get the Amulet out of my inventory and access to a storage container. THEN I head into Chorrol and sign up for both Guilds (Even if I don't plan to be a Fighter, I'll join the Fighters Guild just for the free stuff.)

Never have to worry about "Where's a hammer??? I need a [&@%!] hammer" again.

It is quite silly when you think about it.
"My equipment is broken! What do I do?"
"Hit it with a hammer."

*Just finished mopping up a group of bandits.*
"Stop, Hammer Time."

*Picked a 0.1 pound flower*
*Over-encumbered*
*Have like thirty 1-pound Repair Hammers*
"You want me to put the hammer down?"

---

How advanced do you think society is in Oblivion compared to Skyrim? I've never played Skyrim, but from the screen shots it looks like a step backwards.

The cities in Cyrodiil don't look to far behind us in terms of development. Do you think it's reasonable to assume places like Skingrad, Chorrol, Cheydinhal, and Cloud Ruler Temple have indoor plumbing?

I can't picture the Emperor using an outhouse or going out in the snow, so I imagine if flush toilets are available, he'd have Cloud Ruler installed with them.

What would an Akaviri-style bathroom look like anyway?

[Goat]

My first ever TES game was Oblivion then I got and tried every previous game going backwards, however Arena was the only game I couldn't get into as it played far too slow in DOSBox, besides I don't think I would've enjoyed its Wolf3D style one level rooms.

Skyrim was pretty much a disappointment for me, I did expect things would be taken out but not as much as they actually left out, armor slots such as greeves, two ring capacity, and degradation were some of the main things I enjoyed of the previous games left out, the only thing new I actually appreciated from Skyrim was the dual wielding but I really didn't like the forced killcams, I only like killcams in shooting games such as Fallout 3.

I also found it a disappointment that decapitations were killcam only and not in real time as well as the blood decals which rarely ever appeared and were bugged, at least there's a mod for Oblivion with decapitations which was deadly reflexes, it's what helped me to stay interested in Oblivion for much longer than it could've been.

[PrinceJonathan]

Didn't Uriel Septim VII dress up as a pauper to mingle with the commoners?

I thought I read that in one of the in-game books, but I can't find any references to it.

[JoeLockhart]

I have several Armor mods and I want to convert them to ONE esp file so I don't have to load like 8 separate esp files in my game. I have searched for a tutorial for this and cant find one anywhere. If someone knows a site or place could you please share? Thank's. Back to modding.

[Damon]

Although I played Skyrim first, I like Oblivion much much more.

1: Setting. This plays a big part for an explorer me. Cyrodiil's colorful forests and plains are much more beautiful than Skyrim's dull colored mountains and snowy forests. Skyrim's cities are very small, and feel quite dead. Cyrodiil's cities are very large, and have much detail.

3: Leveling. I dislike Skyrim's leveling system. Why? Because leveling is less rewarding. In Oblivion, when you level up, you can get all three, Magicka, Health, and Stamina, or skill bonuses. In Skyrim, you are forced to pick one of the three, making mages much weaker. Also in Oblivion, you don't need to worry about perks, as skills automatically get them (much more realistic). Inns have a point: Leveling up.

4: Better Reasons to Explore. In Skyrim, it is very rare to find an enemy using high level gear. This is not the case in Oblivion. Dungeons in Skyrim all look the same. Oblivion has this issue too, however, there are more reasons to explore in Oblivion, because there is more loot.

5: Stronger Enemies. Skyrim's enemies are very weak, and as you level up, the game gets much easier. In Oblivion, you encounter stronger enemies, and in doing so, makes the game much more entertaining.

7: Smarter People. In Skyrim, people do the same thing everyday forever. In Oblivion, people change their clothes, visit their friends and family in other cities, and even commit crimes. The Guards actually know how to protect citizens, instead of running away.

Firstly, I am die-hard a Morrowind fan as my all-time favourite game, though I've played all of them. I don't know why that's relevant at all, considering this is a SR-OB comparison post. :p

As for the point of my post, and for the sake of discussion, you can argue that many of these points work against Oblivion being a better game.

1. Setting: I found Oblivion's setting to be rather plain. Don't get me wrong, Skyrim's setting is't fantastic and unique either, compared to Vvardenfell, for example, but Oblivion's feels almost procedurally generated in many areas. Go run around in Colovia, for example, and you see only trees, trees, and more trees; most of which are identical. In Skyrim, there were so many rivers, cliff faces, and other interesting features to explore, and while the land was totally dreary and miserable (I hate snow with a passion), it's still very different.

3. Leveling: I prefer Skyrim's system of choosing perks and putting a focus on specific skills and attributes over OB, because it forces the player to focus on one set of talents, rather than be a catch-all class that can do just about anything. Of course, if you're in it just to play and accomplish everything, and you're not a roleplayer like me, this can be seen as advantageous, and I acknowledge that. I just wanted to put in a different perspective.

4 and 5. Again, from a roleplay and realism perspective, I prefer Skyrim, because it's simply unrealistic for the world to continually kick your ass or be incredibly after you've capped your skills and reached the top level your class permitted. It gives the player a sense of accomplishment to be able to visit a place that formerly killed you and be able to completely clear it out.

And, pointed more towards point 5, while there are some instances where one or two higher quality pieces of gear can be desirable on say, a bandit, I don't think it's necessarily realistic or a good thing to find bandits carrying glass armour. That's something they can cash in on and retire from marauding, and once you get to a higher level and it's consistently there, you can simply grind on pathetic little bandits until you're super rich, which takes from the experience for me.

These are the points I specifically wanted to call out. Consider me in agreement, in part or in whole, with any points not specifically mentioned.

[Goat]

4 and 5. Again, from a roleplay and realism perspective, I prefer Skyrim, because it's simply unrealistic for the world to continually kick your ass or be incredibly after you've capped your skills and reached the top level your class permitted.

Considering that the game is fantasy based realism need not apply, also when I reached my top level I still found it easy to eliminate monsters and bandits, you just need to pick the right attributes to up at the start also.

[Damon]

Considering that the game is fantasy based realism need not apply

Fair point. However, even in completely fictitious and fantasy based settings, some things still don't feel quite so appropriate, in my opinion.

also when I reached my top level I still found it easy to eliminate monsters and bandits, you just need to pick the right attributes to up at the start also.

Assuming you mean Oblivion here? I never said it wasn't easy. I simply said that the indefinite scaling meant that everything was always too hard (Imperial Guard swarms) or too easy, and there was never any feeling of accomplishment for me, since everything was always proportionate.

[Ursula R. M.]

@PrinceJohnathan: What you wrote seriously cracked me up! Still laughing.
That being said, someone up above this mentioned the 2 rings that is conspicuously absent in Skyrim; WTF
I have 10 fingers and I want 10 rings on those fingers. I realize I would conquer the world, but should that not be at my discretion?? Really.
Still have not turned back to Oblivion, but I will. SOON.

[Venger]

Okay, so I started playing Oblivion last night (YAY ME!). I broke my old record by staying up to 4 AM (the previous record being 3 am when i was 13 and had just received Fable for Xbox). And I find it rather enjoyable. I hated the mild sense of nausea I got, for reasons undetermined (nothing kills the excitement of a new video game like motion sickness ). In any event, I soon found out two things about this game that I didn't expect to one. Well, actually, one I should have anticipated, it is a TES game after all.

The first is that gold is in high demand. Especially for newbs. I am reluctant to go 'sploring because I have learned of the silly leveling system of Oblivion, where everything advances with my current level (thereby meaning loot is relative to my level upon discovery.... yada yada yada, we all know this).
D'ya guys know any "legit" money making methods? And/or are there any threads I could be referenced too? I need a minimum of 5k gold fer mah ponee. Running as a heavy armor wearing, claymore swinging warrior sorta sucks.

The second thing, which I was surprised to learn, is that Oblivion is really, REALLY slow! If it wasn't for Fast travel, I would have an Athletics skill twice what it is now, and quite possibly have lost interest in the game. Don't get me wrong, it looks absolutely stunning (especially on highest settings [I love my new graphics card ]) My dad watch my play Morrowind on the Xbox once. He said he nearly went insane at how slow the game progress, and the speed at which I ran. I didn't expect to see this in Oblivion as well. By contrast, it simply has a brighter color palette. Which, admittedly does make the game imo.

Any way, not complaining. Just stating obvious facts from an impressed/amazed newb to an 8+ yold game. Better late than never, eh?

Any money making schemes?

[Rook]

Thieves Guild: If you don't want to go through the storyline (which is really good, by the way), just get to the part where you can access your first fence. Then just steal stuff and sell it to him. It adds up pretty quickly.

Arena: All teh monies. The pay is fixed until you become Grand Champion, so you'll always get the same amount of gold, regardless of your level. Also, if you have a high Luck, betting on Arena matches will give you a good amount of gold.

You might also want to check out http://uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Making_Money.

[Ursula R. M.]

@venger, motion sickness here too. I have not played Oblivion in quite awhile, suprised me that the motion sickness reoccured. I had that before, with this game. Not sure I can power through it.
I did get to see my Dunmer Character again. Morghann. Could she still be alive? could I rework her in Skyrim? Is it possible lorewise for over 200yrs.?

[Aesir]

I need a minimum of 5k gold fer mah ponee. Running as a heavy armor wearing, claymore swinging warrior sorta sucks.

If you want a mount right out of the starting gate you can get one free and legit.

Spoiler:

Just go to Weynon Priory and deliver the Amulet to Jauffree. After you give him the amulet you can ask him about Assistance. He'll unlock his chest of various goodies for you to pick and choose from as you please. Ask him about Assistance again and he will direct you to Brothers Prior and Maborel. Find them, they are usually either in or near the priory. Ask them about assistance and Prior Maborel will give you his horse if you want it.

[Venger]

If I flopped a few Welkynd Stones some where inconspicuous, would they eventually disappear? I know dropped items don't disappear in morrowind. Does the same apply in Oblivion?

[K Candyman]

as far as I know they don't dissapear:)

my leathet schield still lies in chorrol I dropped it the first day I played and that's like 3 yeasr ago now:P

[Venger]

More questions! yay!

According to this wiki there are a few "sets" wherein the offficial patches and plug-ins come pre installed. How do I know if I have those? And if I don't do I have to pay for them? With research, I discovered that I already completed the Knights of the Nine quest line (cool story btw). SO I have answered that particular question. But rather than go around and check for each individual add-on to see if it is present, which i cant do at present because some content, like the Strange Door to Nibean Bay are level sensitive, is there some where I can check to see if I have them installed?

Or can I make a safe blanket assumption that if I have completed KotN that I have all the other major patches/add-ons (baring the Fighter's Stronghold)?