Review Oblivion by bulletpoints

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: Bethesda Softworks; Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

Richard Cobbett, a journalist and a <a href=http://www.rpgcodex.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=173624&highlight=#173624>beloved son of the Codex</a> has posted his <a href=http://www.richardcobbett.co.uk/codex/totallynotblog/filingcabinet/oblivion_by_bulletpoints/>Oblivion impressions</a> in an easy-to-read bulletpoint format:
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<blockquote><b>The Elder Scrolls: Arena (Some Relation)</b>
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* Right, I know. I’ll become a gladiator. What chance could my puny sorceress have against the best Cyrodiil has to offer?
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* Oh.
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* Ah.
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* Erm. Look, I’ll blindfold myself if that- Oh.
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* Urh...
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* Three on one? Um, okay-
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* Do I even need to bother showing up?
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* Yes, yes, I’m a hero. Check.
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* Ooh! Another ma- Oh.
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* Champion? Why, thank you.
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* My goodness, I’m the greatest fighter in Cyrodiil? But I’ve only been a gladiator for one day!
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* I’ll take you all on! All of you, you hear!
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* You! Grand Champion! You’re next!
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* Oh, that’s right. I promised to help you find your heritage.
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* TELEPORT WOOSH!
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* Man, you’re the off-spring of a vampire?
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* Yes, life sucks. I sympathise. On the plus side, unless someone fixes the game balance in the next ten seconds, it’s only going to be...oh, ten seconds longer.
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* Um. Are you going to fight me?
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*
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* You’re just standing there crying.
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* Look, I can’t say I was expecting a challenge but...do you want a tissue or something?
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*
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* Oh, very well. FIREBALL!
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* "Unseen forces have observed your cold-blooded murder”?
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* ...uh-oh
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* "Spoiling the game’s surprises for people?"
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* Yes sir, Mr. Dark Cloaked Guy, sir. Fast forward, people! </blockquote>Sadly, that's an accurate overview of the Arena quests and the amazing "Thou shalt not be challenged!" system.
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Thanks, Hazelnut!
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[bryce777]

On second thought, let's not go to Tamriel; tis a silly place.

 

[El Dee]

What do you mean, 'playing like a Rogue'. Didn't you see all the fire?

I hacked my way through the tutorial dungeon not even touching a bow and then that Blades guy suggested I should be a "Marksman". Luckily I got the final say-so.

I had heard that the MQ was shit, so recently I decided to finish it to see for myself, and I must agree that it is disappointing.

First, it semed too short. In comparision MW's MQ seemed like it was a lot longer, and involved more exploration. Maybe this is result of the fast travel system, which I tried to avoid using; but after being hounded by the same bandit/creature mobs dropping the same loot for the hundreth time it would be too much for me and I would find myself "teleporting' to the next destination.

The MQ was too linear as well. Mostly go find him, item, place, insert ____, etc. The most involved part I found to be was closing the OB gates outside each city, and those gates IMO are shitty timesinks. I only closed the requiired ones, and ignored the random ones.

*Warning Spoilers!!!111!*


One of the last battles where gates are opening outside of Bruma had some potential, mostly because the other cities had sent soldiers to help in the fight. But this was ruined by bad AI where NPCs would either get in my way or just stand around watching me get owned.

After this was won I was sent to escort the heir to the Imperial City. How plausible is this? The last heir to the throne is sent to the capital with a lone escort with Ob gates opening all over the place, not to mention if I don't get him there in one piece all hell will break loose. I guess that's why quest NPCs are unkillable -- to idiot-proof it.

I won't ruin the final plot twist at the Impeial City, though it may have already been revealed in a thread here that I haven't read and I had it ruined for me by some fucktard on the ESF forums. No matter, it was somewat of a letdown because you don't really have an effect on the final fight.

All in all, disappointing MQ in my opinion, though I am sure ther are those who loved it and others who could give a shit. There are things I like about OB, some quests and exploring for example, but the MQ just didn't do it for me.

 

[bryce777]

In a game like this, it would be nice to have a main quest that was not really obvious where you maybe pick up one or two things to do as you play - as you play you would gain knowledge as to what's going on and some motivation to complete the quest by doing side quests. All the gate closing quests should really have been side quests, it sounds like.

 

[Helioth]

Ok, I'll tell you what you have to do next, but only if I can shout this is significant sporadically and place annoying markers all over your compass and map.

Their definition of subtlety seems to be erm, oblivious.
Like their subtle hypeampaign.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Great stuff

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

In a game like this, it would be nice to have a main quest that was not really obvious where you maybe pick up one or two things to do as you play

Screw that; I'd settle for a main quest where I could actively influence its outcome rather than having my input frozen during situations where I could make a change in the storyline.

 

[vazquez595654]

You touch me and I'll cut you.

 

[vazquez595654]

Hey does anyone remember that other Oblivion clone (you know besides Gothic 2, Two Worlds, and Land of Infinity)?

The game was looking rather nice. I can't remember the name. I think it had the word "Sword" in the title but I could be wrong. I remember one of the pics of a town on a hill, overlooking some pixel shaded water.

 

[theverybigslayer]

Hey does anyone remember that other Oblivion clone (you know besides Gothic 2, Two Worlds, and Land of Infinity)?

Sorry, but Gothic2 and Land of Infinity are not Oblivion clones.
Anyway Gothic2 was published before Oblivion.

 

[LlamaGod]

Ultima 4-7 -> Gothic 1-2 -> Morrowind/Oblivion

 

[Justin Cray]

If you want to fix the arena (and other stuff) this is the perfect mod for you.

 

[LlamaGod]

If you want to fix the arena (and other stuff) this is the perfect mod for you.

Mod tools are a crutch for bad designers.

 

[TalesfromtheCrypt]

Hey does anyone remember that other Oblivion clone (you know besides Gothic 2, Two Worlds, and Land of Infinity)?

The game was looking rather nice. I can't remember the name. I think it had the word "Sword" in the title but I could be wrong. I remember one of the pics of a town on a hill, overlooking some pixel shaded water.

retard.

 

[Jason]

Retard was a fun game, but the AI was lousy.

 

[Justin Cray]

If you want to fix the arena (and other stuff) this is the perfect mod for you.

Mod tools are a crutch for bad designers.

Yeah, fuck mod tools! :evil:

 

[Sabregirl]

If you want to fix the arena (and other stuff) this is the perfect mod for you.

Mod tools are a crutch for bad designers.

They are but they are better than being completely unable to fix the game. It still makes me angry though . . . the Dev quote about how they are "depending" on modders. Yeah, to turn their shitty game into something potentially worth playing. :evil:

It says to me that underneath all of their PR crap they are well aware that they've put out a game with some serious problems . . .

-S

 

[El Dee]

If you want to fix the arena (and other stuff) this is the perfect mod for you.

Mod tools are a crutch for bad designers.

Yeah, fuck mod tools! :evil:

Then don't sugggest them, dumbfuck.

 

[Balor]

Yea, and given their hope for the modders, they didn't do a whole lot to help them.
For instance, there is still no pluging for exporting models, right?
And scripting system, while expanded in some areas, was castrated in VERY important areas too.
*sigh*

 

[Justin Cray]

If you want to fix the arena (and other stuff) this is the perfect mod for you.

Mod tools are a crutch for bad designers.

Yeah, fuck mod tools! :evil:

Then don't sugggest them, dumbfuck.

You are an idiot. Read, comprehend, then post.

Play by play for El Dee:

Original post whines about broken arena, I suggest a fix, random retard says retarded stuff, I sarcastically agree*, you say retarded stuff. Taddaaa!

*Extended play by play: the sarcasm means I don't agree.

HTH, HAND.

 

[El Dee]

If you want to fix the arena (and other stuff) this is the perfect mod for you.

Mod tools are a crutch for bad designers.

Yeah, fuck mod tools! :evil:

Then don't sugggest them, dumbfuck.

You are an idiot. Read, comprehend, then post.

Play by play for El Dee:

Original post whines about broken arena, I suggest a fix, random retard says retarded stuff, I sarcastically agree*, you say retarded stuff. Taddaaa!

*Extended play by play: the sarcasm means I don't agree.

HTH, HAND.

Thanks for the play by play, but I got all the posts except yours. After a second look I suppose you were being sarcastic, hard to tell sometimes on the "intarnet". There have been a lot of trolls dropping in lately, so I may have overreacted.

 

[Drakron]

Daggerfall MQ was better designed, it started with solving a mystery and then it became about how Tiber Septim was able to conquer the Aldmeri Dominion.

The problem with Oblivion MQ is that its too obvious and simple ... you are pretty much told everything right at the start and Cameron is not even close to Dagoth in terms of character development, I could relate with Dagoth ideas as Cameron was just crazy.

 

[suibhne]

I honestly liked the MQ in Morrowind. Some of it was really tedious - getting the different tribes' support, e.g. - but the crux of the quest (a literary/historiographic mystery) was pretty fucking cool imo. And some of the baddies actually made some sense - not nearly as interesting as the Master, but lightyears beyond Oblivion.

What's really funny about the "escort" missions in Oblivion is that you don't have to escort them. You can just fast-travel, and they'll show up right next to you at your destination.

 

[Claw]

Original post whines about broken arena, I suggest a fix, random retard says retarded stuff, I sarcastically agree*, you say retarded stuff. Taddaaa!

So says the random troll.

 

[DarkUnderlord]

If you want to fix the arena (and other stuff) this is the perfect mod for you.

Mod tools are a crutch for bad designers.

Yeah, fuck mod tools! :evil:

That wasn't LlamaGod's point. As I understand it, it was more the fact that it is inexcusable that you have to download a mod in order to fix shitty design. As you said yourself "if you want to fix the arena", which implies you too think the Arena is broken and that therefore, the mod tools in this instance are supporting the developers bad design by leaving it for the modders to correct.