Post all your thoughts on Oblivion here.

[Twinfalls]

a major quest (a murder that you look into takes you to a ruined underground city... There's loads of interesting history there, it would be cool to bring it to life in gameplay, not just books.

Yes! And are there no prizes for guessing that the OC features zero or very little gameplay-embedded lore like this?

 

[Twinfalls]

Just another little view from today at the TES boards (my, how that place has changed!)

All i know is that ive beaten every major and almost all minor quest lines. Have every artifact "thats known" and have shelved the game in under a week. I was sick for 4 straight days and played the game non-stop. There is no point to wander around. No dynamic interaction between quests and factions etc to keep the game alive. Im the ruler of every aspect of the game with no conflicts between them. Im an arch-mage. when i can cast about 4 spells and have an int of about 30. A listener in the DB which fits me being an assassin "of course killed an entire chapter house solo at level 5 im really buff!" and the gray fox. There is no dynamic interaction in this game that is supposed to be its entire premise. Me being an arch-mage doesnt relate to me being in the DB? This quest line doesnt conflict and have a cause-effect with other quests. Its just a chain of linear quests that can be completed in whatever order at any level and it changes nothing. The world is stale/scales so exploring is pointless. And the extreme lack of variety in gear/items even further makes wandering pointless. We will ignore the scaling of gear on bandits because thats just icing on the poo cake.

 

[dipdipdip]

I've made an Imperial fighter/thief/diplomat character.

I had a fairly easy time climbing up the ranks of the arena, but currently I've switched gears and am now enjoying the Thieves Guild missions. I think they're of a surprisingly good quality so far. I, however, have no motivation to explore Cyrodil (?), because it's just too convenient to teleport to your destination instantly, and the few times I've decided to search for dungeons, whatever dungeons I'd find were just really, really boring.

 

[Naked_Lunch]

But it's still better for the gameplay than its total absence would be.

Agreed. Having no law at all would pretty much be ass for the simple reason that there's now no more risk involved. BUT, I believe they could've handled the implentation a lot better, perhaps make it so your bounty decreases over time (Well, not if it's like 20000 gold, but you know what I mean, for minor stuff).

How is this a gamebreaker anyway? Are you incapable of playing anything but a kleptomaniac mass-murderer?

Perhaps game-breaking was too strong of a term, but it is certainly the biggest annoyance I have with the game so far. Omniscient guards are never good in games, and only serve to piss people off. If they used that much-hyped Radiant AI to make it so alerted guards would send off messengers to other cities to warn them, and you could waylay these guards then I wouldn't have a problem with it. The current system is just binary (1 the guards know about your crime instantly, 0 you haven't done a crime) and it's just more lazy design decisions from beth.

 

[Twinfalls]

Yup, no argument with that.

 

[Rendelius]

Bad: Arrived unpolished, like every TES game. However, the fundament Bethesda delivered is an excellent one.

Good: The modding community was able to polish that game (at least for my liking and gaming style) within two weeks.

Here's what it needed for me: Double length of day, 2x slower leveling, loot rebalanced to make the best rare, new textures for the distant landscape, darker dungeons, darker nights, better looking water, no persistent enchantment glow, increased training allowance, arena not scaling but fixed levels, vanity camera smoother, better UI, saddle bags, plants disappear when harvested, no more "loading area" message, Guild items not for free (now depending on your guild status), no fast travel to cities unless you have been there once.

These are the mods I have added to the vanilla game, and I did some ini tweaking to better reflect my 2GB RAM I have.

I am sure that most of you here still won't like it, but with these changes, at least for me this is now extremely enjoyable. 60+ hours into the game and still running into pleasant surprises, fun situations and places I haven't been to. And the quests are definately way better than in Morrowind. Daedra quests especially, they rule .

 

[Gwendo]

Am I the only one that thinks it's very hard to make a map in the CS? I mean, it's worse that a puzzle! In 3D, which is worse!

 

[Twinfalls]

Good list of mods, Rendelius.

 

[Rendelius]

Am I the only one that thinks it's very hard to make a map in the CS? I mean, it's worse that a puzzle! In 3D, which is worse!

I haven't tried it, but it seems that at least three more provinces have been fleshed out with the original game concerning landmass (and for a good part, tree placement). It seems even Vardenfell is already there.

 

[Crichton]

I've played a bit more (cat-person is now level 9) and he's working his way up the fighter's guild ranks (currently a swordsman).

Modded level-scaling seems fine, I've got it set so that every time a skill is raised, it's controlling stat is raised half a point, and after 15 stat gains, the character gains a level. Slows leveling down and makes it meaningful, and thankfully removes the stupid "stat-multiplier" dynamic.

The monster power levels need some work. They scale ok to the character (my character can kill everything except bears and will-o-wisps), but their relative power levels are completely out of whack.

Will-o-wisps own me, the guards, and fucking everyone, I've got a suit of Imperial Legion armor because I will-o-wisp drained the guard and his horse. I bugged out rather than try to stop the carnage. If one of those things got loose in a city, I think it could seriously kill all the NPCs, the 20th level guard (I'm using the static-level NPC-mod) barely moved it's health bar with that silver longsword.

Meanwhile my level 9 character makes a hobby out of owning "Vampire Patriarchs" and eating their dead bodies with fire salts for seasoning. Side note: Are all vampire patriarchs orcs? I've killed 3, all orcs.

My character used to have a lot of trouble with "Skeleton Guardians", but he seems to be past that, and at some point, his fists started damaging ghosts, handy, but I don't know when it was exactly, the manual says nothing.

So far the only really unique thing the cat's discovered is someone named "Umbra" at the bottom of an (up to that point) fairly conventional dungeon. She owned him in 2.5 hits, one of which knocked him back about 15 feet, hits as hard as a G2 troll at about 1/12 the mass.

 

[Gwendo]

Am I the only one that thinks it's very hard to make a map in the CS? I mean, it's worse that a puzzle! In 3D, which is worse!

I haven't tried it, but it seems that at least three more provinces have been fleshed out with the original game concerning landmass (and for a good part, tree placement). It seems even Vardenfell is already there.

Are you talking about Oblivion exteriors or interiors? If you read the first dungeon making tutorial (from the oficial site, in it's wiki), and try to follow the instructions, when you reach the part where you must arrange the "blocks" to form the cave, you'll see what I mean.

 

[Goliath]

Oblivion is bigger than Jesus!

 

[RK47]

I've played a bit more (cat-person is now level 9) and he's working his way up the fighter's guild ranks (currently a swordsman).

Modded level-scaling seems fine, I've got it set so that every time a skill is raised, it's controlling stat is raised half a point, and after 15 stat gains, the character gains a level. Slows leveling down and makes it meaningful, and thankfully removes the stupid "stat-multiplier" dynamic.

The monster power levels need some work. They scale ok to the character (my character can kill everything except bears and will-o-wisps), but their relative power levels are completely out of whack.

Will-o-wisps own me, the guards, and fucking everyone, I've got a suit of Imperial Legion armor because I will-o-wisp drained the guard and his horse. I bugged out rather than try to stop the carnage. If one of those things got loose in a city, I think it could seriously kill all the NPCs, the 20th level guard (I'm using the static-level NPC-mod) barely moved it's health bar with that silver longsword.

Meanwhile my level 9 character makes a hobby out of owning "Vampire Patriarchs" and eating their dead bodies with fire salts for seasoning. Side note: Are all vampire patriarchs orcs? I've killed 3, all orcs.

My character used to have a lot of trouble with "Skeleton Guardians", but he seems to be past that, and at some point, his fists started damaging ghosts, handy, but I don't know when it was exactly, the manual says nothing.

So far the only really unique thing the cat's discovered is someone named "Umbra" at the bottom of an (up to that point) fairly conventional dungeon. She owned him in 2.5 hits, one of which knocked him back about 15 feet, hits as hard as a G2 troll at about 1/12 the mass.

The will o wisp kills guards or anything because it is immune to any weapon except magical effects such as fire/frost/shock etc.

I can't even scratch it with my Ebony sword.

 

[RK47]

So what's everyone's most favorite Oblivion quest so far?

I still think Bruma's Countess quest is my fav so far. Provided you don't play a stealth char lol. I played a standard knight game and enjoyed the challenge inside. It's the first time the game threw 6 mobs at me too. the 'Go here red arrow' thing doesn't bug me as much when I'm too focused on surviving

 

[Gwendo]

That bitch, after completing her quest, doesn't want to sell me a house, as she says "I don't trust you yet". WTF?! I guess a quest is nothing, compared to bribing her in the dialog mini-game.

 

[Balor]

Bad: Arrived unpolished, like every TES game. However, the fundament Bethesda delivered is an excellent one.

Good: The modding community was able to polish that game (at least for my liking and gaming style) within two weeks.

Here's what it needed for me: Double length of day, 2x slower leveling, loot rebalanced to make the best rare, new textures for the distant landscape, darker dungeons, darker nights, better looking water, no persistent enchantment glow, increased training allowance, arena not scaling but fixed levels, vanity camera smoother, better UI, saddle bags, plants disappear when harvested, no more "loading area" message, Guild items not for free (now depending on your guild status), no fast travel to cities unless you have been there once.

Well, yea.
That's pretty much like showing the newly arrived inhabitans an empty shell of a house and saying:
Well, there are no windows, the wallpapers sertainly need some work, the floor needs polishing, you have to do all the wiring by ourself, there is no running water and toilet is in the backyard... but look how sturdy are the walls! Look the the exquisite quility of masonry! And we will give you all the instruments (a shovel and a spatel) we used to make this house!
So, of course this house is TEH BESTEST EVAR!
...
Not.

The credit for making the house habitable will go to the modders that will finish it.

 

[Briosafreak]

Bad: Arrived unpolished, like every TES game. However, the fundament Bethesda delivered is an excellent one.

Good: The modding community was able to polish that game (at least for my liking and gaming style) within two weeks.

Here's what it needed for me: Double length of day, 2x slower leveling, loot rebalanced to make the best rare, new textures for the distant landscape, darker dungeons, darker nights, better looking water, no persistent enchantment glow, increased training allowance, arena not scaling but fixed levels, vanity camera smoother, better UI, saddle bags, plants disappear when harvested, no more "loading area" message, Guild items not for free (now depending on your guild status), no fast travel to cities unless you have been there once.

These are the mods I have added to the vanilla game, and I did some ini tweaking to better reflect my 2GB RAM I have.

I am sure that most of you here still won't like it, but with these changes, at least for me this is now extremely enjoyable. 60+ hours into the game and still running into pleasant surprises, fun situations and places I haven't been to. And the quests are definately way better than in Morrowind. Daedra quests especially, they rule .

Excelent list, i agree. They could have done those things at least for the PC version right from the start though, the game how it was released isn't a bad game, but it is annoying me more than what i wished for.

 

[Rendelius]

Bad: Arrived unpolished, like every TES game. However, the fundament Bethesda delivered is an excellent one.

Good: The modding community was able to polish that game (at least for my liking and gaming style) within two weeks.

Here's what it needed for me: Double length of day, 2x slower leveling, loot rebalanced to make the best rare, new textures for the distant landscape, darker dungeons, darker nights, better looking water, no persistent enchantment glow, increased training allowance, arena not scaling but fixed levels, vanity camera smoother, better UI, saddle bags, plants disappear when harvested, no more "loading area" message, Guild items not for free (now depending on your guild status), no fast travel to cities unless you have been there once.

Well, yea.
That's pretty much like showing the newly arrived inhabitans an empty shell of a house and saying:
Well, there are no windows, the wallpapers sertainly need some work, the floor needs polishing, you have to do all the wiring by ourself, there is no running water and toilet is in the backyard... but look how sturdy are the walls! Look the the exquisite quility of masonry! And we will give you all the instruments (a shovel and a spatel) we used to make this house!
So, of course this house is TEH BESTEST EVAR!
...
Not.

The credit for making the house habitable will go to the modders that will finish it.

Normally, not a single person here at RPGDot wants to understand what I write. This time, you are the only one *g*

Ok, let me explain:

None of the mods I listed (with one exception) changes game mechanics in a fundamental way. Most of them (double time to level, double length of the day) are just a matter of personal taste. Just because I find it better to play that way doesn't mean it is better per se.

The new textures for the distant landscapes weren't in the original game for a reason: they are 2048x2048, and the minimum specs systems would have had a hard time running them. So they are good to mod in, bad to have as standard.

Increased training allowance is a little cheat, but it is corected by highly raised training costs. Leveling up slower means more money per level, the mod was used by me to have a money sink.

Guild items not for free is one of the design oversights by Bethesda that really needs fixing. Arena combatants with fixed levels the other one.

Loot rebalancing is in to provide me with a more "traditional" gaming style. I fully acknowledge that the loot system as it is in Oblivion as shipped is one way this system can be done, and for other gamers it works ok and is rewarding. For me, I wanted top level gear to be more rare.

UI - well, "both versions are the same" was one of Beths promises, luckily they gave us enough freedom in the system to redo the UI.



All these changes are only possible because Oblivion has a solid and very good system you can work on. To use your pictures: The shell wasn't empty at all, it was well built and functional, AND it offered you the possibility to decorate it to your liking. Most people are and will be happy with what there is, and those of us who want either small or substantial changes can apply them.

 

[Jumjalum]

The will o wisp kills guards or anything because it is immune to any weapon except magical effects such as fire/frost/shock etc.

I can't even scratch it with my Ebony sword.

You can kill wisps with silver weapons and arrows, same for ghosts and probably other floating beasties.

 

[aweigh]

One detail I haven't seen anyone else mention... if you let NPC's practice their archery you can just keep going to their bullseye's and looting their embedded arrows. If their arrows level with you, in theory you could have an infinite supply of levelled arrows.

 

[Xi]

One detail I haven't seen anyone else mention... if you let NPC's practice their archery you can just keep going to their bullseye's and looting their embedded arrows. If their arrows level with you, in theory you could have an infinite supply of levelled arrows.

Since the game levels with you it's easier to find them in dungeons or buy them. I haven't actually tried this myself, but it seems like the arrows may be tagged to the owner. Taking them may be stealing.

 

[aweigh]

It's not stealing since I've done it myself. I took around 45 iron arrows from some orc practising his archery in Chorrol, he never batted an eyelash (nor did the guards).

 

[RK47]

maybe u stand in front of him and get block + athletic training while u go eat lunch? lol :X

anyways, i finally unlocked the enchant shop.

I can't seem to make my favorite Bound Amulet in Morrowind that has
Bound Everything Can anyone confirm this?

 

[Xi]

It's not stealing since I've done it myself. I took around 45 iron arrows from some orc practising his archery in Chorrol, he never batted an eyelash (nor did the guards).

How long did it take you?

 

[franc kaos]

a major quest (a murder that you look into takes you to a ruined underground city... There's loads of interesting history there, it would be cool to bring it to life in gameplay, not just books.

Yes! And are there no prizes for guessing that the OC features zero or very little gameplay-embedded lore like this?

Not that I've seen so far. Anyway, here's my idea a little more fleshed out - don't forget I've not finished (started even) the main quest, so depending on how that pans out it can easily be incorporated into it... Deep breath:

Daedra is always seen as the opposite of Aedra, although this is not always right. According to the "Annotated Anuad", both powerful beings (et'Ada) are created from the clash of Anu (light) and Padomay (darkness). They fought and both were mortally wounded. From the blood of Padomay come the Daedra, while the blood of Anu become the star. The mingled blood of both light and dark becomes the Aedra.

Thanks to the Imperial Library.

Okay, The assassins allied with the vampire clans are attempting to call forth Boethiath, the Daedra of conspiracy to help maintain balance in the war torn conflict in Tamriel. The mages are calling on Meridia who they believe from ancient transcripts will banish Mahrunes Dagon from the world, whilst the fighter guild (with an uneasy truce with the thieves – a long story in and of itself) are looking to bring Azura back to the world of Men and Mer. The player may only side with one of these quests and the guilds involved. Other NPCs will be attempting the others.

Azura, whose sphere is dusk and dawn, the magic inbetween realms of twilight; known by the names The Daedric Prince of Moonshadow, Mother of the Rose, and Queen of the Night Sky.

Boethiah, whose sphere is deceit and conspiracy, and the secret plots of murder, assasination, treason, and unlawful overthrow of authority.

Meridia, whose sphere is also obscured to mortals; who is associated with the energies of living things. Meridia has at several times been linked to Magnus the Sun. The most famous account of this association is the Tract of Merid-nunda, which overtly casts Meridia in the role of a wayward solar daughter, cast from the heavens for consorting with illicit spectra.

Thanks to the Imperial Library.

Deep in the bowels of the earth is said to lie an ancient necropolis, created in the days of the first Archmage, Galerion. It’s been hidden away these past millennia from the eyes of mortals, yet, since the incursion of Mehrunes, the Cartographers guild has found the opening to a new underground chamber; it is vast and unexplored. At the heart of this dead city lies an incredible power source, a sigil that can maintain a gateway indefinitely, its destination decided by which relic you carry (Azura’s star, the Masque of Vile Clavicus or the ebony mail). It appears the ancient Psijics had given some warning to Galerion about this coming calamity. The various factions idea is simple, open the gateway both ways to allow ingress to the Daedra of that Realm.

Notes:
1: Conversational choices are not limited by the PCs Wicki dialogue, as all NPCs can have multiple lines of text/dialogue, and the PC can still respond with yes, no, maybe which will lead onto alternative conversations.
2: The guilds need to reincorporate skills necessary to go up, once you achieve the highest rank only then can you set off on the quest to open the gate. Basically, the city, by necessity is gonna be a dungeon hack (hopefully policed by Puma's modded giants for Oblivion <big fucking evil grin>). You would take along cannon fodder with you.
3: This will need more than one person modding it, although the only new models that might be required are for the buried city.
4: Flags need to be set so that NPCs are more aware of the PCs standing in the world.
5: I've been reading up on the RAI from a modder, and it seems the NPCs have been neutured, so the few that you stumble across can really be made to 'come alive' (a tribe living in the eternal darkness of the city, hounded by the creatures ask for your help and promise to aid you - or you can slaughter them all). You can discover an intelligent halfling (Goblin/Orc) ostracised by the world of light (kind'a like Gollum, but with a soft side)...