Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

[Adam]

RE: Sane

Took me a while to figure out the ins and outs of the leveling system but once I knew everything about it I couldn't go back to the way of choosing my most used skills as my main skills. Obviously people are free to choose whatever they like but when I talk with a few mates about the game, not a single one of them 'get' the level system but they still have fun on the game. I'd recommend to anyone to read up and test a few things if they want to get into the game proper, it's a heafty time investmant this so be careful you don't do something you'll regret later on.

Also recommend playing with this online character creator and taking a look at http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Oblivion for crap loads of good info. Some things, like how certain stats have less effect over 100 and how if you end up getting to that stage, any birthsigns with stat bonuses may be rendered useless are not imediatly obvious to players and the site does a good job in informing you of those things.

I'm thinking about making a balanced character personally, I want to start off mostly as a thief/sneak with The Thief birthsign for the Luck bonus but I've heard people have trouble with these types as later on they find it hard to delve into the magics, ie not having enough magicka to cast the good stuff. Anyone had that kind of trouble?

[Sane]

Not sure about the magica, it's supposed to be twice your intelligence, which would mean it's the same for everyone in the end. But I have intelligence at 100 and there's still spells I can't cast.

Another problem I have now is that all the attributes I use are at 100, my character is lvl 23 and I have no reason at all to level any further. It would only make my life harder. The problem is, I chose destruction and restoration as major skills and I do want to lvl them further even though I'm not a real magic user.

[Adam]

Well you can still level Strength for the extra encumbrance and Intelligence will still grant more Magicka past 100 so those stats aren't so bad to take on further

[Sane]

But I can't get them higher than 100 can I? I'm pretty sure they were greyed out when I last levelled up.

[Rossco]

Yeh I'm a theif/archer type dude and 120 hours in my magic still sucks, theres so many ace spells I want to use which I just cant.

And I cant make any decent health restore, that would make the game so much better for me!

[Adam]

Hmm I always thought you could level them still, but turns out my Strength is only over 100 because of the Enchants on some equipment. Just tested on the PC version by cheating a lil and yeh you can't level stats anymore Enchanted gear and Magic buffs will still take you over 100 though.

Odd though, my melee character has 99 natural Strength and 100 Endurance and is only Lv8. My new character has a potential of 51 levels, but what am I going to spend my 3 level up points on when everything is 100 I have to rethink some things now lol.

[Adam]

Yeh I'm a theif/archer type dude and 120 hours in my magic still sucks, theres so many ace spells I want to use which I just cant.

And I cant make any decent health restore, that would make the game so much better for me!

So if you chose The Aprentice (+100 magicka) or The Mage(+50) birthsign, do you think that would help alot? Maybe I should sacrifice the luck I wanted for one of those.

edit: Chuck Norris In Oblivion

[Concept]

And the barometer swings the other way.

Got stuck on a piece of scenery and a game design bug meant that I was locked in The House of Dementia's Secret Garden because I'd entered through the dungeon below (which is accessible at any time outside). An event trigger hadn't been initiated for me to return to where I came (locked doors elsewhere).

It was more of a design oversight than a bug, admittedly, but poor all the same that such an obvious error got through playtesting. The quality of the game makes the numerous cracks all the more disspiriting because you when you get into the flow you have to remind yourself that unless you save often the experience may collapse at any given moment.[/2006]

[Sane]

Yeh I'm a theif/archer type dude and 120 hours in my magic still sucks, theres so many ace spells I want to use which I just cant.

And I cant make any decent health restore, that would make the game so much better for me!

You can always just use the wait option to restore your health, not ideal I know, but it's better than burning potions.

Adam: Yes that 100 magica will make a big difference since 100 intelligence will only get you 200 magica.

[Concept]

It is a killer-app feature in the game itself.

I must have spent at least five hours in the game just peering up into the sky.

I'm exactly the same. God only knows how much time I've spent in Oblivion sat on a hill or atop a ruin hypnotised by the skies, especially at nightfall. I love that the band of the galaxy can be seen on a clear night, the way the stars shimmer more on the horizon, the waxing and waning of the moons, that the stars slowly move across the sky as the planet rotates. It's stunning.

Glad to see I'm not alone. Most videogame skies lack depth or sense of height/scale - Oblivion's has it in spades - that's what impresses me most. It has that panoramoic quality to it where most other skies in open-area games feel somewhat low-roofed and artificial.

Skies are becoming the new water.

I will continue to plow Shivering Isles (even if I did lose two hours)... I just hope for the next Elder Scrolls game that Bethesda put the solidity of the engine first. I'm not bothered about having the fanciest graphics (even in light of the above) - I'd take a cohesive world above everything else if push came to shove.

[PeteJ]

Before Oblivion was released they mentioned the fith title would be released before the end of this generation, which I presume means them using the same engine. Like you I hope for a solid game without these immersion-breaking blips, rather than a massive graphical improvement.

I've completed EDF and almost Stalker so very close to getting stuck into SI. Look forward to it

[Concept]

Atmospherically it's amazing. Brings the magic back of the opening few days of the original - I'd argue it's better in terms of overall vibe and setting.

[JamesS]

Does anybody else have a problem with Shivering Isles just crashing when you try to go into the city? I've tried a few times now, and it just locks up the 360 each time.

[Concept]

It happened to me once. The crucible section. I've also had other bugs, such as the lip-sync occasionally not working and sound-effects half-cutting out. Nothing game crushing, but noticeable all the same.

[Kotatsu Neko]

I've had inanimate mouths and missing dialogue, but no crashes yet. Does seem to have been poorly tested.