Review Oblivion review at AG.ru - 79%

[bryce777]

I always felt guilty about killing anyone in U7 and would bring them back to life too. Even the racist fuckers that attacked me in Vesper. I have no problem being a sociopath in other games though.

I think it's because it's one of the few games that make people genuinely seem real.

 

[match000]

"The only scripting (or AI if you're Beth) thing that bothered me was when your party members would flip out on when they thought you were stealing stuff when you were just moving something in reality. Especially Iolo, Shamino and Dupre. Et tu Iolo, et tu?" The funny thing was that you could give it to iolo or just take it while they weren't looking,a nd not a word.

Man, the fact that you can take stuff with your party member "not looking" is much better than Oblivion's crap telepathic system...

I think it's because it's one of the few games that make people genuinely seem real.

In addition to the awesome scheduling and scripting making it seem so real and genuine, I'd say its the dialogue trees that have so much stuff in them. Why didn't the Oblivion have such nice deep dialogue trees? I rambled about this on the forums too... Bethesda never listens.

 

[Dogsoup]

Well, Vault Dweller, we're still waiting for your review.

 

[Vault Dweller]

And I'm still playing the game. I'm sure that you are accustomed to reviews based on the first 30-60 minutes of gameplay, but I want to finish the game and try a lot of things before I start writing something.

 

[Dogsoup]

Well, I'm really eager to read your review (I haven't played the game myself): it's quite a difficult situation for you. The worst would be that you really hate it. Good luck.

 

[fizzelopeguss]

We want the specs of your new super duper computer as well, does it open up a wormhole when you switch it on?

 

[Thrawn05]

We want the specs of your new super duper computer as well, does it open up a wormhole when you switch it on?

No. He knows to keep the turbo button off on his computer. :wink:

 

[DarkUnderlord]

They still have turbo buttons?

 

[kingcomrade]

My computer has a reset switch which sometimes sends my mobo into a spaz attack, where it engages its safety switch to shut off all power. That's kinda like turbo-disengaging, a reset button that requires me to siwtch off and on my power supply to get the computer running again.

 

[FrancoTAU]

Did turbo buttons ever actually do anything? Were there any negative consequences by leaving it on all the time? I forgot they even existed and that i had one on my old computer till i read this thread.

 

[kingcomrade]

If your computer had wheels it would temporarily double it's acceleration, but it cost durability points.

 

[DarkUnderlord]

Did turbo buttons ever actually do anything?

Yes, it slowed your computer down.

 

[Section8]

It was like hardware based MoSlo. I believe I actually needed it to play a good many Origin games.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Well, I'm really eager to read your review (I haven't played the game myself): it's quite a difficult situation for you. The worst would be that you really hate it. Good luck.

I hate it? News to me. I hate what's been done to the series. I hate the stupid hype about non-existent things like Radiant AI. I hate idiotic design decisions like the newly improved character system, retarded horse mechanics, the levelled loot that sucked the fun out of exploration, stealing, and dungeon clearing, etc. I dislike the persuasion mini-game, the immersion issues (The daedras are invading! The city is burning! They are opening up more portals! Ok, it's time for me to go and solve that prank problem at the Mage Guild.), and some dumb writing ("Aren't you afraid to die?" - WTF?!). If you forget that it's supposed to be an RPG, if you forget that it could have been an RPG, and play it as an adventure game, then it's a very enjoyable game.

So, if one no longer expects an RPG, what does the game offer? The new combat system is a big improvement over the MW system, the new fight & cast feature is priceless, dungens are much better, quests are longer, more interesting, and also very adventurish. Quests even offer some choices, but those choices hardly matter. For example:

I was asked to get some super awesome totally secret book that some people thought doesn't even exist. I travelled far and wide (it was a 5 minutes trip from that town), encountered horrible beasts (a boar attacked me once), and retrieved the book from the depths of hell (actually it was on some hilltop). So, turned out two people want that book. Regardless of whom you give it too, the other one wants you to steal it. If you steal it, nobody cares. It's like that super awesome totally secret book never existed in the first place. You'd think someone gives a damn...

Still, the mere presence of those choices is a good thing, and makes the game more entertaining to play.

 

[Vault Dweller]

We want the specs of your new super duper computer as well, does it open up a wormhole when you switch it on?

No. He knows to keep the turbo button off on his computer. :wink:

Turbo is like so yesterday. My uber PC comes with a nitro booster.

 

[Twinfalls]

Well, this PC is automatic...

"getting down" with the fabled Codex tuff boyz.

Codex 'tuff Boyz, this guy is talkin' smack! Let's teach him a lesson with our song and dance!

Well this RPG is automatic, it's systematic, it's hydromatic
Why it's Codex lightnin'!


We'll get some oldschool lifters, and character skill sheets, oh yeah
Keep talkin', whoah keep talkin'
Oblivion injection cut off, and Fallout plated rods, oh yeah
I'll get the money, I'll see you get the money
With dialogue trees on the floor, they'll be waitin' at the door
You know that ain't shit when we'll be gettin' lots of roleplayin' in Codex lightnin'

Go, Codex lightnin', you're burnin' up Bethesda's game
Codex lightnin', go Codex lightnin'
Go, Codex lightnin', you're coastin' through the fancy graphics
Codex lightnin', go Codex lightnin'
You are supreme, the fanboys'll cream for Codex lightnin'


We'll get some mad in-game consquences and non-linearity, oh yeah
An Elder Scrolls fanboy on our dashboard and duel M&B CDs, oh yeah
With new insults, goatse, and posts, I can get off my e-penis
You know that I ain't braggin', Beth's a real hype wagon - Codex lightnin'

 

[Fodel]

But don't be fooled by the loading screen info-bits: the system is primitive, and pales in comparison to those of Thief: Deadly Shadows or Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory.

Idiot , Thief is a stealth game, Oblivion is a crpg, ¿a crpg with a better stealth system? i only think in Vampire: Bloodlines, and prefer Oblivion sytem.

making it impossible to tell why the guard spotted the player hidden in the darkness. How much noise did he make? How reflective was the mithril helm? Can an NPC that stands near the waterfall hear the footsteps? Take a guess.

¿Metagaming? , my pj dont need know the skills of npcs.

because Bethesda has dumbed down thieving as well. For one thing, every single item, be it a loaf of bread, dagger or a horse is equipped with a RFID-chip, instantly informing the law-abiding merchants (yes, they all are) if the item is stolen. If it is, then you are left with only one option: find a shady fellow from some thief guild, because nobody else would ever buy it, no sirre. Second, the breaking news of someone's murder will reach almost every soul in the country, right at the moment it's commited. Third, you can't escape the piercing gaze of the law enforcers - they'll spot the dubious content of your backpack in an instant. "Look what we got here - a stolen teacup! What would you like: lemon tea, green tea, pay a fine, go to prison, resist arrest?"

Sell stolen items to merchants is an exploit in any crpg (example ToEE,), make a "black market" with the Thieves Guild is a very good decision, and dont bitch Bethesda, BG2 has the same feature.

 

[Balor]

Ok, if rare and valueable items can only be sold at fences - that's fine.
But EVERY FUCKING CARROT?!
Why couldn't they just implement it, like, if cost > 100 -> mark items as stolen or something?
It's not that hard, you know.

 

[Atrokkus]

Sell stolen items to merchants is an exploit in any crpg (example ToEE,), make a "black market" with the Thieves Guild is a very good decision, and dont bitch Bethesda, BG2 has the same feature.

It is not an exploit, ffs. Make thieving harder and you get a wonderful feature, and not a cheat-code. Please tell me how could a merchant possibly identify a stolen item? Well, I agree, sometime they quite possibly can do that, when the item is somewhat well-known in town (like a ornate sword hanging on the wall in the temple or something). Now that's where the "RFID" chips comes in handy: just "mark" those selected few items so that the local merchants wouldn't accept them.
Yes, BG2's designers also decided to slack off a bit and did it the easy way. but remember that BG2 is more story-focused, and not really exploration kind of RPG, so the commerce aspect is not that important.

 

[Vault Dweller]

But don't be fooled by the loading screen info-bits: the system is primitive, and pales in comparison to those of Thief: Deadly Shadows or Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory.

Idiot , Thief is a stealth game, Oblivion is a crpg, ¿a crpg with a better stealth system? i only think in Vampire: Bloodlines, and prefer Oblivion sytem.

Idiot . There is nothing wrong with comparing two systems to indicate the overall quality, especially considering that one of the Thief's designers worked on it - a fact that didn't go unnoticed by the Bethesda hype machine. Similarly, I compared the combat to Jedi Academy's combat, *gasp* a combat game. So fucking what? How can you evaluate a system without a frame of reference?

making it impossible to tell why the guard spotted the player hidden in the darkness. How much noise did he make? How reflective was the mithril helm? Can an NPC that stands near the waterfall hear the footsteps? Take a guess.

¿Metagaming? , my pj dont need know the skills of npcs.

Are you stupid or something? Even adding a simple slider indicating how close you are to being detected would have made the system much more enjoyable. Not a rocket science, is it? Right now, it's either yes or no: yes, yes, yes, yes, NO! Why? Who fucking knows?

Sell stolen items to merchants is an exploit in any crpg (example ToEE,), make a "black market" with the Thieves Guild is a very good decision, and dont bitch Bethesda, BG2 has the same feature.

*sigh* So, selling stolen - due to investing in thieving skills - items to merchants is an exploit. What about selling items looted from killed - due to investing in combat skills - enemies? Is that an exploit too? As for BG2, it had a Thieves Guild, as an alternative way to sell items, both stolen, found, and bought previously. In Oblivion, stolen items are forever marked as stolen, and every merchant in every town would instantly know that and these items won't even appear on the selling list, thus forcing you to either join the Thieves Guild or throw them out. Great design.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Fodel's problem is that he's a prick who doesn't grasp neither English nor context. Nevermind him.

 

[Fodel]

Ok, if rare and valueable items can only be sold at fences - that's fine.
But EVERY FUCKING CARROT?!
Why couldn't they just implement it, like, if cost > 100 -> mark items as stolen or something?
It's not that hard, you know.

Agree, but i think that the review dont think in sell fucking carrots

It is not an exploit, ffs. Make thieving harder and you get a wonderful feature, and not a cheat-code

¿Sell stolens items to merchants make thieving harder? :shock:

There is nothing wrong with comparing two systems to indicate the overall quality

Idiot and wrong is compare two differents games, stealth system is the only system in Thief, the review must compare stealth systems in crpgs, and Oblivion is excelent for an crpg.

How can you evaluate a system without a frame of reference?

Easy, compare systems of the same genere. :D

Even adding a simple slider indicating how close you are to being detected would have made the system much more enjoyable. Not a rocket science, is it? Right now, it's either yes or no: yes, yes, yes, yes, NO! Why? Who fucking knows?

More enjoyable for you :wink: , in a crpg you dont know the skills of npcs, you dont know if you are being detected, as you say is "yes o no", is your choice.

So, selling stolen - due to investing in thieving skills - items to merchants is an exploit. What about selling items looted from killed - due to investing in combat skills - enemies? Is that an exploit too?

No

As for BG2, it had a Thieves Guild, as an alternative way to sell items, both stolen, found, and bought previously.

In BG2 you only sell stolen items to the Thieves Guild or "black market", normal merchant dont buy stolen items.

thus forcing you to either join the Thieves Guild or throw them out. Great design.

Yes, is a great design that a thief only sell stolen items to others thieves. :D

Fodel's problem is that he's a prick who doesn't grasp neither English nor context. Nevermind him.

Thanks, very kind of you.

 

[Atrokkus]

Dumbfuck him please.

 

[TruthDecay]

Fodel, who the hell are you and why is your avatar so disturbing?

That said, I can't even remotely grasp the rationale behind such an idiotic "stolen goods" system. Given Bethesda's track record concerning improving on their past titles, we will probably encounter something like this in TES V: Todd Howard Strikes Back:

*Player steals some gold from a random NPC voiced by Chuck Norris*
*Player walks to a merchant to buy armor (which comes in a mod that must be downloaded from Bethesda's servers in Hell for the low, low price of $5.95 (you don't NEED armor to finish the game if you can dodge well, right?))*
Merchant: You can't buy anything with those stolen coins!!! (coins too will have the RFID tag). Guards!!!
*Guards come in and murder shopkeeper before having a conversation which revolves around somebody mysteriously going around town murdering all the civilians and shopkeepers, as well as the latest rumors*

 

[Vault Dweller]

...the review must compare stealth systems in crpgs, and Oblivion is excelent for an crpg.

Really? How's that different from any other stealth system? From the Infinity Engine system for example? You are invisible until you are visible. That's it. The sneak attack multiplier is nothing new either. So? What's so awesome about it and why it's better than the Bloodlines system?

Easy, compare systems of the same genere. :D

So, you are saying that expecting an awareness slider is way too much?

More enjoyable for you :wink: , in a crpg you dont know the skills of npcs, you dont know if you are being detected, as you say is "yes o no", is your choice.

Here is an analogy for you. Imagine a system where in combat you either instantly kill your opponent or die. Why? Well, because you don't know the skills of your opponent. Sounds like fun?

In BG2 you only sell stolen items to the Thieves Guild or "black market", normal merchant dont buy stolen items.

Don't recall that. Can someone confirm that?

Yes, is a great design that a thief only sell stolen items to others thieves.:D

:shock: Now, if only fighters could sell looted items to other fighters only, the game would have been perfect.

 

[Atrokkus]

Don't recall that. Can someone confirm that?

Confirmed. But again, it's not proving his point. See my previous post.