An Unfavourable Review of Oblivion

[Claw]

They should change it's name from radiant AI to cheating AI, how the hell can it see what I have in my bag or I am so stupid as to go waving stolen items around after I've stolen them?

Hey, it's traditional! Just shows that Bethesda is still cooking with water, and not champagne like some would have us believe.

 

[Relien]

Is all dialogue the simpler variation on Morrowind wiki, or are there some real, honest to goodness dialogue trees here or there?

Dialogue works like a charm. You have the usual conversation trees that are somewhat basic, but they serve their purpose well. And I reallu liked the dialogue minigame (I spent a lot of space trying to explain this in my article, actually)

 

[Rat Keeng]

Surely Danish pc magazine journalism?

Yup. Although, PCPlayer was a great magazine last millenium, I held a subscribtion for about four years, back when there were decent games to be reviewed, and now I haven't even glanced at a mag of theirs for about three years. Compared to what it used to be, I would say it's little more than commercialised shit today.

Much like any other gaming magazine mind you.

 

[Master Thief]

He declined my interview

 

[Andyman Messiah]

The scoundrel!

PCPlayer was good for a while. I even bought a few issues. I don't know how it is today, but I wouldn't exactly say that the preview was well written. It's quite fantastic how little you can actually write even when you manage to fill at least two full pages.

 

[Micmu]

In Morrowind, character A hits character B three times as often as character C hits character D. Character C hits once for 2 damage, so character A hits three times for 6 damage.
In Oblivion, character A deals twice as much damage to character B than character C does to character D. Character C deals 2 damage. So character A deals, yes, 6 fucking damage. Notice a pattern here?

Lumpy read my post on the first page (you seem to have missed) before going berserk. I explained why O's combat with basic damage modifiers is DIFFERENT (dumbed down) than MW's with To-Hit rolls, which I used as an example.

 

[HardCode]

It's the same thing, really. Instead of striking twice as often, you deal twice as much damage. THE SAME THING.

WTF are you talking about? At least in MW, there was the chance to MISS TWICE dealing ZERO damage. So it isn't the same thing.

 

[Gwendo]

One thing that I did not mention in the preview, for example, was that the PC version I played lacked all the shaders that make the game look *really* beautiful, so it 'merely' looked nice. But in the next room, people were playing the Xbox 360 version which looked absolutely stunning, so I chose to assume that the final PC version would look equally amazing.

He played an outdated engine. The shadows aren't locked, they were removed. The XBOX360's too.

 

[Seven]

VII, you were not referring to to hot rolls, you were saying that the combat is not stat based in general. Which is wrong.

Look you stupid twat, may be if you had not asked for no clarification and may be if I had made no subsequent posts you might have an argument here, but that's not what happened--what the fuck did you ask for clarification for if you're now going to make false assumptions and put words in my mouth. You asked what I was referring to and you got. Lets try this again:

See where you ask for clarification:

Quote:
7, how the fuck is the combat not stat based?

And I responded:

Because your chance to hit isn't based on any stats or skills--what the fuck, are you the self appointed defender of all things shitty in Oblivion?

Do you notice where I specifically respond and say YOUR CHANCE TO HIT--Fucking imbecile.

So in conclusion, stop making shit up. Now I know why Volourn does his one liners, it's way easier.

 

[Thrawn05]

Hello, all you Elder Scrolls fans...

That was funny. I bet Pete had hit men out and "convinced" him to make this statement.

 

[aweigh]

I wish a meteor would strike the ESF's servers so we could all stop talking about this retarded game.

 

[Lumpy]

They should change it's name from radiant AI to cheating AI, how the hell can it see what I have in my bag or I am so stupid as to go waving stolen items around after I've stolen them?

Hey, it's traditional! Just shows that Bethesda is still cooking with water, and not champagne like some would have us believe.

Claw, that was confirmed to be wrong. The moron probably had a bounty.

 

[Lumpy]

I wish a meteor would strike the ESF's servers so we could all stop talking about this retarded game.

That's a more humane way to put it, aweigh.
But still, fuck you.

 

[Lumpy]

In Morrowind, character A hits character B three times as often as character C hits character D. Character C hits once for 2 damage, so character A hits three times for 6 damage.
In Oblivion, character A deals twice as much damage to character B than character C does to character D. Character C deals 2 damage. So character A deals, yes, 6 fucking damage. Notice a pattern here?

Lumpy read my post on the first page (you seem to have missed) before going berserk. I explained why O's combat with basic damage modifiers is DIFFERENT (dumbed down) than MW's with To-Hit rolls, which I used as an example.

Micmu, it is the same thing. In Morrowind, X agility meant the chance to hit was reduced by 20%. In Oblivion, X Agility reduces the damage dealt by 20%. Similarly, any variable that modified the to-hit chance modifies the damage dealt now.

 

[Drakron]

You cannot honestly compare the 20% ability to escape ANY damage to the ability to suffer less 20% damage.

One is completly avoiding the blow as the other absorving the damage.

God damn Bethsoft apologists ...

 

[obediah]

To hit rolls don't make the game stat based, stats effecting combat make a game stat based.

Wow. I like having you around. It's like having a retarded cat that hates you but falls down so much that you wouldn't think of getting rid of it.

 

[Micmu]

Micmu, it is the same thing. In Morrowind, X agility meant the chance to hit was reduced by 20%. In Oblivion, X Agility reduces the damage dealt by 20%. Similarly, any variable that modified the to-hit chance modifies the damage dealt now.

No, it is not the same thing. It is more complicated than your simple equation you said before. Yo had ALL that before, too, as an addition to hit chance modifying spells and effects. A dimension is missing now.
And no, Agility in O does not reduce damage dealt, as for "any variable", you're just speculating. Even if it is, it is no different than armor's damage reduction, which is not the same thing.

You cannot honestly compare the 20% ability to escape ANY damage to the ability to suffer less 20% damage.

Exactly.

Not to mention enchanted weapons which deal additonal damage/effects on successful strike, which bypass melee damage formulas.

 

[Lumpy]

OK, I'm speculating. I don't know how exactly damage will be calculated in Oblivion, all I'm saying is that a system without hit rolls can be completly similar to a system with them, but without the randomness. And randomness doesn't make a combat system stat-based.

 

[Micmu]

all I'm saying is that a system without hit rolls can be completly similar to a system with them, but without the randomness.

No. It is a dumbed down combat with a whole dimension missing.

 

[Lumpy]

all I'm saying is that a system without hit rolls can be completly similar to a system with them, but without the randomness.

No. It is a dumbed down combat with a whole dimension missing.

Randomness in a whole dimension?

 

[Micmu]

Randomness in a whole dimension?

"Randomness" you could affect, make it almost zero, make it almost 100%. Now read my previous post about magical weapons that deal additional damage/magical effects, etc. Just a single example, why combat wit TH rolls >> simple damage modifiers.
It's an important part of tactical combat. Not that MW had any, but looks like OB with it's basicmost combat ain't gonna be any different.

 

[Imbecile]

Surely the bottom line has to be - do stats affect the outcome of combat? Does a guy with a high blunt skill have a better chance of defeating a guy with a low blunt skill.

In Oblibions case, the answer is yes. Part of the problem I had with Morrowinds combat was that you could perform equally well by standing and clicking, and it soon became pretty dull. By gearing it slightly towards player skill, but still having the stats play a significant part - the theory is that combat becomes enjoyable, while still retaining its stat roots.

In a perfect world combat will be fun to engage in, AND reflect your characters attributes. Whats wrong with that? *covers head with tarpaulin*

 

[Solik]

Hitting your opponent when you actually, you know, hit them, is far superior in every conceivable way to leaving it up to a random roll. Lumpy correct that in long-term the damage averages out, and the differences that do exist are entirely irrelevant.

There is nothing more simplistic -- or dumbed down -- than basic dice games.

Elements that can be precisely simulated in a computer game do not need to be abstracted out. Traditionalists have completely lost sight of the reasons behind the "old ways" in their fervor to keep the old ways here.

 

[Micmu]

Elements that can be precisely simulated in a computer game do not need to be abstracted out.

How about it is a part of gameplay for a specific genre? And not "abstracted out" because, OMG, those poor old computers couldn't handle it. I wonder why I had action games on my C64.
I guess it's ok for O, since it is an action RPG and it's a matter of preference not OMG old ways and some "traditionalism" crap. Why are they still doing games with to-hit rolls then?

 

[Levski 1912]

I love it when Lumpy goes all sarcastic- so deliciously subtle.