Oblivion General Discussion

[Cassandra]

Our rule is generally 12 for Oblivion, 13 for Skyrim, and you can play Morrowind whenever you like (though no-one really likes to play until they're older, it seems). I managed to get away with Oblivion at 11 because my mom didn't really know what it was, I guess. But yeah, I think it's smart. I found zombies, wraiths, and daedra scary when I played the first time (still find caves super creepy, actually).

[BetaB17]

Zombies(Oblivion) > Bonewalkers(Morrowind) > Draugr(Skyrim)

[Cassandra]

I had to go look up Bonewalkers, and man, those things are unsettling. But yes, I agree with you. Oblivion zombies are still scarier.

[BetaB17]

It's the graphics that make all the difference. And lets not forget about them headless zombies. Boy, true terror there "How the hell are you so much stronger! It makes no sense!!". True terror...

[Cassandra]

Isn't there a zombie right at the beginning, when you're still doing the tutorial in the Imperial Sewers? That thing just about scared the living daylights out of me. I'd never seen anyone play the game before, and had no idea zombies were a thing, let alone a thing in the tutorial. It just appeared out of the dark making it's weird undead noise. *shudder* Not a good time.

[BetaB17]

Nah nah. We wanna talk about scares, then we gotta talk about he Deadlands and all them corpses

[MidbossVyers]

Lucien said that after becoming Silencer, you are above the 5 Tenets, so long as you serve the Black Hand, but wouldn't doing the fake contracts that have you killing the other Black Hand members trigger the Wrath of Sithis?

[Dark Spark]

There's the little quibble where The Night Mother wanted Bellamont to go through with his scheme because she indeed thought the Black Hand was going soft and it needed a little Purification of its own.

[MidbossVyers]

So Lucien's freak-out was uncalled for?

[Dark Spark]

Given that Lucien the Recruiter and the Wrath of Sithis can find you no matter where you sleep, yet Lucien could not track you in time to stop the killings, I get the feeling that the Night Mother and any other mystical tracking elements the Black Hand had at their disposal were suddenly less than effective now. This would have consternated Lucien to no end, same for the other Speakers and their Silencers as well.

Part of Lucien's anger would have been from the mysterious way you seemed to evade interception— never realizing it was the will of the Night Mother that you play through without any interference on her part.

[MidbossVyers]

Looking at the Longinus Dreizehn Orden in Dies Irae, stuff, like Dark Brotherhood Purification, actually makes sense. To both organizations, murder is love. In the case of a Purification, true, any potential traitors will experience eternal suffering in the Void, but all those loyal will experience eternal bliss. A lifetime of killing with the rewarding afterlife of more killing.

[MidbossVyers]

The Daedric shield of enhancing block is called the Dwarvenskin Shield, while the Dwarven shield is called the Defender's Shield. In terms of the former, what, did a Dremora skin a dwarf and use that skin as a shield? The way that I see it, like with rabbits' feet, I would think that it's more effective when still attached to the original article... Now, someone's going to go around with a dwarf strapped to their arm as a human (or rather elven) shield, huh?

[Chaos the N'wah]

The Daedric shield of enhancing block is called the Dwarvenskin Shield, while the Dwarven shield is called the Defender's Shield. In terms of the former, what, did a Dremora skin a dwarf and use that skin as a shield? The way that I see it, like with rabbits' feet, I would think that it's more effective when still attached to the original article... Now, someone's going to go around with a dwarf strapped to their arm as a human (or rather elven) shield, huh?

I'd like to think some Dremora smith somewhere in Oblivion heard about SpellBreaker and tried to make his own, but due to a translation error or secondhand information, thought it was actually made of dwarves instead of by them

[MidbossVyers]

Well, the Dwarvenskin Shield enhanced block, while the Spellbreaker reflects spells. The Daedric shield that reflects spells is the Shield of Animus.

[MidbossVyers]

Also, the Clannfear Hide Shield is Ebony, not Daedric.

[MidbossVyers]

Is invisibility basically the same thing as having 100% chameleon only that it breaks if you touch something? If so, what this line about http://en.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Invisibility not being inaudible? At 100% chameleon, I don't even have to sneak, and no one can see me, but with invisibility, you still have to sneak, or people can still hear you? Also, I believe that most people would consider it karmic justice to do the Brotherhood Betrayed quest as a vampire, as the villain in that quest is a self-proclaimed vampire hunter. Speaking of vampires, could Greywyn Blenwyth really hear the voice of Sithis, or was he just crazy? On one hand, Sithis may not even be sentient and just be a force of nature. On the other hand, being the god of chaos, bringing chaos is his way of showing love, even if it's to an organization that worships him.

[MidbossVyers]

Does Reflect Spell also work on special effects, such as Wabbajack, Skull of Corruption, Mehrunes Razor, etc.?

[MidbossVyers]

I noticed that among the main guilds, the Thieves Guild fights quite a few vampires. Coincidence?

[BetaB17]

More so circumstance. Vampires in the heart of the empire either are a secretive sort, those who've managed to amass wealth or influence, or simply those tithed to ruins, castles and other such domains to plunder

In all cases, except the last, most other Guilds wont conflict too often. What reason does the Fighter Guild have sneaking around secluded cults, and for when will the Mage's Guild be tinkering with a wealthy man's manor? The only other guild to share a similar amount of exposure would be the Dark Brotherhood, but frankly, they have every incentive to play it nice, unless contracted otherwise

It makes perfect sense why the guild that so frequently deals in the shadow of society would encounter fellow discouraged folks. The only times the other guilds get involved is when they make more of a scene, making themselves a known target or being enough of a thorn to warrant a response.. The less you make yourself an enemy, the more they'll leave ya alone

Too bad none of this helps the Thieves their only saving grace being if someone tips them off or marks places of grave threats, and why so. Nobody wants to deal with vampires, especially just some coinpurse snatcher trying to hide from the guard

The Thieves Guild already has enough factions, rivals, and allies to balance about. Less they need is a vendetta for what arguably other, more moral guilds already have means against. And it aint like they dont ever talk to one another

[MidbossVyers]

Actually, there are a couple Thieves Guild quests where the mark is a Guild Mage. Being in both guilds sometimes makes the quest easier (because they'll let you take their stuff without a fight) and sometimes harder (because you'd get kicked out of the Mages Guild, even when there is no blood price from the Thieves Guild). While you don't do those contracts yourself, you'll hear fellow Dark Brothers talking about the "Mages Guild matter" or a Guild Fighter with "sinews of steel".

[MidbossVyers]

In terms of the Draconis Family assassination quest, would the client have ordered each individual assassination separately, or did the Dark Brotherhood run some kind of BOGO deal?

[MidbossVyers]

Would the Blackwood Company be based off of the Blackwater Company?

[Dalos]

An amoral force, only concerned with fulfilling their contracts, sure. Why not?

[MidbossVyers]

In terms of vanilla classes and unique weapons, I notice that there are more blade classes, but more blunt weapons.

[MidbossVyers]

1 thing that I noticed between Oblivion and Skyrim is that in Oblivion, you have to ask for rumors about quests, while Skyrim has several quest givers who practically stalk you to get you to help them or otherwise send the courier after you. However, in Oblivion, there are a handful of those, such as the Paranoia, Virtuous Blood, and Pale Pass quests. Did I miss any? Speaking of Virtuous Blood, who is Roland Jenseric for him to have such a powerful enchanted ring?