3rd person vs 1st person - the poll!

[KrisCrash]

Oh look, I don't think we've had this poll yet
So you spend so long tweaking your beautiful character and carefully selecting the most badass looking armour, but then I have a feeling most here play in first person mode. I play almost exclusively in third person, and I really enjoy it though it takes some getting used to.

1st person:
Pros: better aiming, easier object activation, better immersion
Cons: can't immediately see where your character is walking relative to sneaking, traps, etc. Can't enjoy their look. Up close, textures are maybe a little blurry.

3rd person:
Pros: Steering makes more sense, you can see the armour you've probably carefully picked for looks etc. Melee combat is far easier. There is a good feeling of scale.
Cons: Ranged aiming is a little weird. Can't see 'forbidding red' icons without a mod to add them. Camera may clip through dungeons.

I'm a little sad the camera is always showing your back and does not control so freely, but I can also see how it simplifies combat endlessly, without a target selection system.

[Veck]

I tend to play combat in first person, and use third person in peacetime. The game mechanics just make it difficult for me to fight unless I'm looking through my character's eyes. That said, there's no way I'm going to have spend five hours perfecting my character's face until I give some time to admire her. Same applies for Morrywind.

[Blackhawk Vegal]

i mostly use 1st person view when fighting and dungeon crawling, but if im doing one of my marathon runs, it will be in 3rd person view, that way i get to see the wolfs running almost along side me. plus it make it easier to dodge when your being attacked from behind

[Norroen Dyrd]

I use 3rd person most of the time, as I mainly go for melee combat, and I tend to get attached to my characters so it pleases me to see them all the time. But sometimes, when I need to scour the area looking for some annoyingly small object (yes, I'm looking at you, Garridan's tears!) I switch to 1st person. It's also obviously more helpful when using bow or magic, but I rarely pick this style of fighting. So I vote for 3rd person. I didn't spend ages runing around Elsweyr looking for that weird Daedric armour just to stash it in my inventory. I want to admire myself

[Argonanza]

I use third person when I am travelling through the vast, beautiful land of Cyrodiil or taking a walk in town. Dungeons, inside houses and battles however: First person.

[KalleFlaxx]

I pretty much always use first person. Doesn't matter if I use a bow or a meelee weapon, I still like it better in first person. That's one of the reasons I like Oblivion (and Morrowind) so much, because when I look through my character's eyes, it feels like I am my character. Sure, I might change to third person when running around in the wilderness, but only for like a minute, then I switch back to first person.

I voted first person, in case you didn't catch that.

[legoless]

When I first started playing Oblivion I liked to use third person mode. But first person is just so much easier, and it adds to the immersion being able to see through your character's eyes. Of course I still go out to third person sometimes, because it looks awesome.

[Spiney]

I use 1st person solely because it's more realistic. Also I can't stand how your character looks like he's on ice-skates in 3rd person.

[Taters]

First person, definitely. Sure, I'll occasionally switch to third person as I'm moving around in the wilderness, so as to see my character against the backdrop of the environment, but for any actual activities, i.e., fighting, picking up objects, talking to NPCs, etc.; I use first person exclusively. I've tried combat in third person, and I just can get the angles down. Plus, as has been mentioned, first person adds greatly to the immersion, as though I was really there.

[The Tom]

Third person for dungeon crawling, as you can cheat look at what's sneaking up behind you. But for most types of combat, and especially ranged combat and spells, I have to use 1st person. You just can't aim in 3rd or see where your sword's going to go. Well, I can't anyway.

[KrisCrash]

Well the weird thing is, you can actually aim perfectly well in 3rd person, the crosshair just isn't there (can be added with mods), it feels eerie but it works.

[scampers]

I usually use 3rd person when traveling, but whenever I am in combat I scroll in to 1st person.

[Jakarius321]

I've played the game for so long I'm beginning to get used to aiming in 3rd person but I still use 1st for most of my general daily activities.
This mod (SHAZZAM!!) gave me some fun for a while, but I missed 1st person and had to disable it.

[azuarc]

The only reason to use third person is to look at your own behind. If I want to see what my character looks like, I open the inventory menu and look on the right side of the screen.

[Hex Link]

I've played the game for so long I'm beginning to get used to aiming in 3rd person but I still use 1st for most of my general daily activities.
This mod (SHAZZAM!!) gave me some fun for a while, but I missed 1st person and had to disable it.

That mod looks awesome!!!
I gotta try that out, since i also want to see my char, but I cant fight in 3rd person view
Most of the time I walk through towns I change to 3rd person view but all I see is the back of my char... which is a cape (capes are also added by OOO btw )
Still looks kinda cool:
http://i945.photobucket.com/albums/ad29 ... -29-65.jpg
(The Staff is also from OOO, and yes it actually makes light)

So yea, I voted for 1st person.

[Sonixboom]

I use them both alot.

I use first when i fight and 3rd when im just running around

-Sonix

[mulder]

I like third person better, because I can see the surroundings. But, in combat I'll die without first person

[Orzornn]

Always first person.

[evenratman]

Since the game seems to have been designed to be played primarily in first person, I always chose it as my "main perspective" since gameplay is a bit more user friendly (crosshair, interaction icons, etc.) I also think that there's a bit of an immersive aspect to the first person perspective; it's the illusion that you're actually seeing through the eyes of your character or that you actually are your character.

[Dean]

I like playing 3rd person when I'm walking round as I don't just make my character look the bees knees for nothing.

1st person is a must when fighting or thieving though.

[evenratman]

I like to admire my characters in the inventory page.

[Arch-Mage Matt]

1st person unless I have a cinimatic moment.

[H8Ball]

Well, before I got into RPG's, I was a First Person Shooter fanatic. Started with Doom, moved on to Quake 1, 2, 3, Deus Ex (my first PC RPG), Medal of Honor, Star Trek Voyager Elite Force, and so on. Second PC RPG was Morrowind, and now Oblivion.

Yep. You guessed it, I play in first person mode 99% of the time. I only occasionally switch to third person to admire my character, view around or over objects when sneaking behind them (useful tactic in open areas), and for mad sprints across the landscape. Does anyone ever switch to third person, take all their armour off and streak through a city? ... No? Just me then.

Now if someone comes up with a mod that allows my character to jump up and kick his heels together just for the sheer joy of playing, I'd use third person a bit more!

[Alchemist]

I use perspective to reflect my character's circumstances.

I find third person most suitable for city dwelling. As you stroll through town staring up towards the shop-signs, you look down at yourself in the life of a leisurely NPC, a nice break from playing the all-powerful Dremora slayer. In the wilderness, the first person view suits the dangerous and unpredictable environment you face. Of course, all this is completely subjective, but it's how I play

[Andere]

I use mainly third person because I think / feel it gives me a wider view. First person feels like a straitjacket, somehow...