Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

[Schadenfroh]

Originally posted by: BigJ
It was fun, but nothing spectacular.

Agreed

 

[shortylickens]

Originally posted by: wicktron
Why all the high ratings and praise? IMO, this game sucks.
Sure it's huge, expansive, and open... But the game lacks a certain fun factor and personality. People gawk over its lush environment and huge world, but everything is boring and uninspired IMO.
I tried playing it for several hours. Ran around and tried doing the main quest and did a few side quests (yes, I was successful in completing the required tasks), but I just don't find it fun.
I want to like this game because of its critical acclaim and large following. Can someone help me to play this game?

Well, I suppose I could make a few eliteist comments like "you're not smart enough to handle an open-ended RPG" but the truth is theres nothing wrong with you.
Its the game.

I too found it lacking especially after playing Elder Scrolls 3. Many of us old time Elder Scrolls fans thought that Bethesda slacked off on gameplay and spent too much time on graphics as a way of pandering to the console crowd. They actually simplified and removed some features we had become used to over the years.

Of course a lot of the old time fans would also become hostile whenever anyone attacked their favorite series saying the person who didnt like it couldnt handle the style of play. But in this latest installment I am not impressed. It really was lacking in gameplay compared to the others. Open-ended RPG's take a little getting used to. Many folks find they prefer them after being rail-roaded in games like Final Fantasy. But eventually you do want something to happen which is what the main quest is for.

As far as helping you enjoy it I'm not sure what to say. I managed to enjoy it a little more than you. Just try to focus on completing the main and side quests and have fun on the trips in between. Everywhere you go there is a new cave or shrine in between and new people to meet. But with all the towns and people and caves and everything else, it all starts to feel the same after a little while. Morrowind was definitely more diverse.

Actually, I just thought of a good tip. Ignore the side quests completely. They're fun but not as interesting as the main. Just focus on the "Blades" quests and get done ASAP. You may find the game moves a little faster that way. Get the emperors amulet to the monk, save the priest from the burning town of Kvatch, and then get him to safety and go from there.

The main game doesnt take that long to finish if you ignore everything else. And its a pretty fun ride too.

 

[shortylickens]

Why, why WHY!??
Why is it when I make a truly deep and profound post, the thread dies like a Woody Allen movie?

 

[gregor7777]

Originally posted by: shortylickens
Why, why WHY!??
Why is it when I make a truly deep and profound post, the thread dies like a Woody Allen movie?

You killed it with your logic gun.

 

[lozina]

The game was a big disappointment for me, and it should have been "my cup of tea" because I was afan of previous Elder Scrolls titles - especially Daggerfall. It's a disappointment on all levels - combat, AI, dialogue and the quests. Well, the only good things I can say are the graphics and physics are nice (whoopdie doo) and it's performance is good and not very buggy like too many other new games.

I can't believe the combat is so poor though, and that you cannot fight from your horse. Do they have one programmer and the rest of the team are graphics artists? This little garage game called Mount & Blade (http://www.taleworlds.com) has far superior combat system with awesome mounted combat and it still has pleasing graphics. Why couldn't a big corporate productio with such a big budget as Oblivion accomplish anything close to that much fun in combat system? It's sad.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: wicktron
Why all the high ratings and praise? IMO, this game sucks.

Sure it's huge, expansive, and open... But the game lacks a certain fun factor and personality. People gawk over its lush environment and huge world, but everything is boring and uninspired IMO.

I tried playing it for several hours. Ran around and tried doing the main quest and did a few side quests (yes, I was successful in completing the required tasks), but I just don't find it fun.

I want to like this game because of its critical acclaim and large following. Can someone help me to play this game?

first of all, it takes hundreds of hours to do *everything* ... i loved it and spend over 1,250 hours there [level 92, no cheats or mods]

and it is NOT RPG --Oblivion is "first Person fantasy Action/Adventure with RPG elements" ... think SS2 ... DeuSex ... Thief ... HYBRED games

it just may not be your "cup of tea" ... personally i find NWN2 BORING AS HELL.
[the story is lacking ... i feel like i have a grocery list of tasks ... the characters are UNinspired and the World is VERY limited and it appears LINEAR]

For Oblivion i'd say just get into the MQ ... and try a couple of Side Quests ... Dark Brotherhood was well written

IF you like "personality" and "story" look to Gothic3
--unfortunately the story is a huge letdown in the ending and it is still buggy as hell, performancewise [you MUST have 2GB system RAM for g3]

so ... in conclusion .. give the MQ and the DB SQ a try ...

 

[StrangerGuy]

Oblivion has way too much flaws and shortcomings to be considered an AAA game:

1. Stupid Radiant AI which makes NPCs say and do completely illogical stuff. Totally overhyped before release.
2. Console-ish UI for the PC version.
3. Many game stopping bugs and glitches.
4. 200+ dungeons, but only a few that are unique in design. The rest are all very generic and boring.

5. A Quest Compass that tells you exactly where to go and what to do for like, every single quest? And it cannot be disabled, since without it you will have no idea what to do because ingame quest information is close to non-existant. Worst flaw IMO.

6. Level scaling which makes every single bandit wearing uber equipment and also makes the weak monsters extinct once you are level 20+.
7. Too few factions compared to Morrowind.
8. Main story is riddled full of cliches.
9. Psychic guards that is somehow able to report a murder to the rest of the world...When you kill a lone guard in the woods.

10. Skills got watered-down from Morrowind, or are completely useless. A dagger shares the same skill as a 6-foot claymore, how logical. You can pick the hardest lock provided your fingers are twitchy enough, even with the lowest lockpicking skill.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: StrangerGuy
Oblivion has way too much flaws and shortcomings to be considered an AAA game:

1. Stupid Radiant AI which makes NPCs say and do completely illogical stuff. Totally overhyped before release.
2. Console-ish UI for the PC version.
3. Many game stopping bugs and glitches.
4. 200+ dungeons, but only a few that are unique in design. The rest are all very generic and boring.

5. A Quest Compass that tells you exactly where to go and what to do for like, every single quest? And it cannot be disabled, since without it you will have no idea what to do because ingame quest information is close to non-existant. Worst flaw IMO.

6. Level scaling which makes every single bandit wearing uber equipment and also makes the weak monsters extinct once you are level 20+.
7. Too few factions compared to Morrowind.
8. Main story is riddled full of cliches.
9. Psychic guards that is somehow able to report a murder to the rest of the world...When you kill a lone guard in the woods.

10. Skills got watered-down from Morrowind, or are completely useless. A dagger shares the same skill as a 6-foot claymore, how logical. You can pick the hardest lock provided your fingers are twitchy enough, even with the lowest lockpicking skill.

yeah... but name ONE game that addresses ALL your criticisms.

:Q

thought so

1. AI is awesome ... but is is so "aggressive" they had to dumb it down ... if you want the ORIGINAL 'radiant AI' try a mod [hilarity exposes the AI, pretty well]
2. Get used to it ... it was developed for both the consoles and the PC ... USE A MOD to make it just like Morrowind.
3. nope ... fixed and it was WAY better that the crap that was NWN2 or Gothic3 on release
4. like almost every other RPG ... G3 is worse
5. don't look at it ... you CAN find it with in game info
6. i HATE no NPCs scaling with you ... like G3 .... hard as hell ... then 2/3rd way thru the game *it decides* you are God ... and the the *challenge* goes to hell - even with the Bosses ... at least in Oblivion you still found NPCs that challenged you [and you could always 'cheat' with chameleon if you found it too difficult].
7. stop comparing to Morrowind ... lots of people hated it
8. how cliche
9. thats the way it is written ... play G3 ... you just beat up the guard and he *forgets* your crime
10. Wrong ... and learning to pick locks actually took player skill and is not guaranteed until the Skeleton Key.

 

[TheRyuu]

Originally posted by: StrangerGuy
Oblivion has way too much flaws and shortcomings to be considered an AAA game:

1. Stupid Radiant AI which makes NPCs say and do completely illogical stuff. Totally overhyped before release.
2. Console-ish UI for the PC version.
3. Many game stopping bugs and glitches.
4. 200+ dungeons, but only a few that are unique in design. The rest are all very generic and boring.

5. A Quest Compass that tells you exactly where to go and what to do for like, every single quest? And it cannot be disabled, since without it you will have no idea what to do because ingame quest information is close to non-existant. Worst flaw IMO.

6. Level scaling which makes every single bandit wearing uber equipment and also makes the weak monsters extinct once you are level 20+.
7. Too few factions compared to Morrowind.
8. Main story is riddled full of cliches.
9. Psychic guards that is somehow able to report a murder to the rest of the world...When you kill a lone guard in the woods.

10. Skills got watered-down from Morrowind, or are completely useless. A dagger shares the same skill as a 6-foot claymore, how logical. You can pick the hardest lock provided your fingers are twitchy enough, even with the lowest lockpicking skill.

1.) Mods fix it
2.) UI can be fixed with mods
3.) Patch it, then get the unofficial patch, that takes care of a lot
4.) I agree.
5.) You can disable it if you want (with a mod)
6.) OOO fixes EVERYTHING (link, don't forget the 1.31 patch )
7.) Get the Knights expansion
8.) Patch (unofficial most likely fixes it)
9.) Mod fixes it
10.) OOO

See the value of mods here? Oblivion isn't great because of it being alone. It's great because you can add the mods to it and make it great. I have probably 20 mods on it. I'm dying left and right too because its actually HARD. (forgot about the physic guards one, gonna have to find a fix for that ).

Now I'm sure your gonna respond with "oh, but I shouldn't have to install mods to make the game good". Well you do and get over it.

 

[SViper]

Originally posted by: wizboy11

Originally posted by: StrangerGuy
Oblivion has way too much flaws and shortcomings to be considered an AAA game:

1. Stupid Radiant AI which makes NPCs say and do completely illogical stuff. Totally overhyped before release.
2. Console-ish UI for the PC version.
3. Many game stopping bugs and glitches.
4. 200+ dungeons, but only a few that are unique in design. The rest are all very generic and boring.

5. A Quest Compass that tells you exactly where to go and what to do for like, every single quest? And it cannot be disabled, since without it you will have no idea what to do because ingame quest information is close to non-existant. Worst flaw IMO.

6. Level scaling which makes every single bandit wearing uber equipment and also makes the weak monsters extinct once you are level 20+.
7. Too few factions compared to Morrowind.
8. Main story is riddled full of cliches.
9. Psychic guards that is somehow able to report a murder to the rest of the world...When you kill a lone guard in the woods.

10. Skills got watered-down from Morrowind, or are completely useless. A dagger shares the same skill as a 6-foot claymore, how logical. You can pick the hardest lock provided your fingers are twitchy enough, even with the lowest lockpicking skill.

1.) Mods fix it
2.) UI can be fixed with mods
3.) Patch it, then get the unofficial patch, that takes care of a lot
4.) I agree.
5.) You can disable it if you want (with a mod)
6.) OOO fixes EVERYTHING (link, don't forget the 1.31 patch )
7.) Get the Knights expansion
8.) Patch (unofficial most likely fixes it)
9.) Mod fixes it
10.) OOO

See the value of mods here? Oblivion isn't great because of it being alone. It's great because you can add the mods to it and make it great. I have probably 20 mods on it. I'm dying left and right too because its actually HARD. (forgot about the physic guards one, gonna have to find a fix for that ).

Now I'm sure your gonna respond with "oh, but I shouldn't have to install mods to make the game good". Well you do and get over it.

I'll agree with OOO (Oscuros Oblivion Overhaul). It changes A LOT of things about the game that makes it better IMO. It has made the game more enjoyable to me. I have already beaten it without the mod, but this mod renewed my interest and I'm starting over again.

I'd explain what changes it makes, but there are too many to list here. The guy's readme on the file is 20 pages worth of information in MS Word. The download is about 420MB. Here's the link.
http://jorgeoscuro.googlepages.com/

 

[Noema]

It's a great game. It does have flaws, and I understand when someone comes up and says they didn't like it.

The game is huge, but its landscapes and the like are unvaried. There's little incentive to explore since everything looks the same. All caves are the same, all ruins look the same, there's very little variety in terms of enemies.

The game IS beautiful...but bland at times.. I also dislike the fact that there's very little music (the music that's in the game is good: it just gets repetitive). Same with voice acting: it's well done...but there are so few actors providing the voices (all redguards have the same voice; ditto for all imperials, etc.) that it ends up grinding my nerves.

Oscuro's mod sounds interesting. I'll try it one of these days.

 

[spacelord]

I played Oblivion until I finished the main quest. I was around level 30, so I spent alot of time doing side quests and roaming around.
It was fun, but doubt I'll play it anymore, even though there are still a ton of quests to complete.

Can anyone recommend a game to play now? NWN2 maybe?

 

[Balt]

I tried at two different times to play the game, and just couldn't get into it. There are almost *too* many options for what you'd like to do. There's no sense of urgency in the main quest line.

On the other hand, I feel like I really didn't even scratch the surface of the fun things that can be discovered. I picked a pretty boring class and mostly just roamed around aimlessly when I wasn't working on the main quest line.

Overall they created a really beautiful world and game that even an MMORPG would be proud of, but fell a bit short in the gameplay.

 

[Maximilian]

Oblivion IMO is massively overhyped unless your an RPG freak (it is an rpg right? im guessing) It was a fun ride but nothing spectacular. Not like playing c&c for the first time, or half life. Guess im just more of a fan of those genres.

 

[shortylickens]

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: StrangerGuy
Oblivion has way too much flaws and shortcomings to be considered an AAA game:

1. Stupid Radiant AI which makes NPCs say and do completely illogical stuff. Totally overhyped before release.
2. Console-ish UI for the PC version.
3. Many game stopping bugs and glitches.
4. 200+ dungeons, but only a few that are unique in design. The rest are all very generic and boring.

5. A Quest Compass that tells you exactly where to go and what to do for like, every single quest? And it cannot be disabled, since without it you will have no idea what to do because ingame quest information is close to non-existant. Worst flaw IMO.

6. Level scaling which makes every single bandit wearing uber equipment and also makes the weak monsters extinct once you are level 20+.
7. Too few factions compared to Morrowind.
8. Main story is riddled full of cliches.
9. Psychic guards that is somehow able to report a murder to the rest of the world...When you kill a lone guard in the woods.

10. Skills got watered-down from Morrowind, or are completely useless. A dagger shares the same skill as a 6-foot claymore, how logical. You can pick the hardest lock provided your fingers are twitchy enough, even with the lowest lockpicking skill.

yeah... but name ONE game that addresses ALL your criticisms.

:Q

thought so

Morrowind.

Everybody keeps thinking ES4 is the next big thing. It was a giant step back except for the graphics. As has already been stated, they made it for the console lovers.

 

[Maximilian]

Questions for those with OOO mod:

1. Does the leveling system change? Im a perfectionist, i would restart an entire character in diablo II if i mis-clicked and put a stat point in the wrong place, so it killed me to realise after 20 levels of getting +2 to two stats i couldve got +5, but to do that it would be hard and boring and involve summoning my own creatures to beat on, using my secondary skills more than my main ones so i wouldnt level so fast etc. Is it changed for the better?

2. The psychic guards mentioned. Can they actually be changed at all? Wouldnt that require some kind of line-of-sight system implimented? Can modders do that?

3. Does it add more monsters?

4. Does it change the UI to be more like WoW, in that i can cast more that one spell at a time without having to go into that menu thing and select a different one, or without using hotkeys?

 

[gorcorps]

Originally posted by: Soviet

2. The psychic guards mentioned. Can they actually be changed at all? Wouldnt that require some kind of line-of-sight system implimented? Can modders do that?

Dunno about OOO, but I use a standalone mod that does just this... called 'no more psychic guards'. Not sure what it does on the technical end but it really does work.

 

[40sTheme]

Well....
Get Natural Environments if you have the PC version.
And then get Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul.
Both available from tessource.net.
Two mods that make the game even more excellent.
Oscuro basically revamps the entire, somewhat foolish system and makes the game difficult and far more interesting. No more leveled-to-your-character bullcrap.
Oh, to the guy above asking about the leveling system:
It is harder to level, but everything is far more rewarding. Basically, if you try to do harder things, you are rewarded well and get neat stuff, etc. If you don't, it takes longer to get things done and you don't get cool stuff. If you want to be rewarded and you want the game to be more realistic and difficult, get OOO. Leveling is basically revamped, and you have to consider your options for a situation based on your level and actual playing ability. For instance, the main quest should not even be attempted until level 20 or so. It was meant to be played at a later time. Also, no areas are leveled with you. If you go into the middle of nowhere, you are far more likely to get killed at a low level because that's where the more reclusive, powerful monsters reside. Also, you must think about whether or not you want to proceed into a dungeon because the entities inside may be level 5 or level 25. You never know. It is far more rewarding to break into someones house and steal as well. Things are actually worth money at low levels, and the harder the chest, the more valuable everything is. No more opening a very hard chest at level 2 and after that hard work being rewarded with 10 gold and a repair hammer. Everything is just based on how difficult you want to make it; how hard you strive is how much you are rewarded.

 

[TheRyuu]

Originally posted by: 40sTheme
Well....
Get Natural Environments if you have the PC version.
And then get Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul.
Both available from tessource.net.
Two mods that make the game even more excellent.
Oscuro basically revamps the entire, somewhat foolish system and makes the game difficult and far more interesting. No more leveled-to-your-character bullcrap.
Oh, to the guy above asking about the leveling system:
It is harder to level, but everything is far more rewarding. Basically, if you try to do harder things, you are rewarded well and get neat stuff, etc. If you don't, it takes longer to get things done and you don't get cool stuff. If you want to be rewarded and you want the game to be more realistic and difficult, get OOO. Leveling is basically revamped, and you have to consider your options for a situation based on your level and actual playing ability. For instance, the main quest should not even be attempted until level 20 or so. It was meant to be played at a later time. Also, no areas are leveled with you. If you go into the middle of nowhere, you are far more likely to get killed at a low level because that's where the more reclusive, powerful monsters reside. Also, you must think about whether or not you want to proceed into a dungeon because the entities inside may be level 5 or level 25. You never know. It is far more rewarding to break into someones house and steal as well. Things are actually worth money at low levels, and the harder the chest, the more valuable everything is. No more opening a very hard chest at level 2 and after that hard work being rewarded with 10 gold and a repair hammer. Everything is just based on how difficult you want to make it; how hard you strive is how much you are rewarded.

Don't forget about the unofficial patch.

Wiki:
http://www.tescreens.be/oblivionmodwiki/index.php/Unofficial_Oblivion_Patch
Download:
http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=OblivionMods.Detail&id=1417

 

[Schadenfroh]

Originally posted by: wizboy11

Originally posted by: 40sTheme
Well....
Get Natural Environments if you have the PC version.
And then get Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul.
Both available from tessource.net.
Two mods that make the game even more excellent.
Oscuro basically revamps the entire, somewhat foolish system and makes the game difficult and far more interesting. No more leveled-to-your-character bullcrap.
Oh, to the guy above asking about the leveling system:
It is harder to level, but everything is far more rewarding. Basically, if you try to do harder things, you are rewarded well and get neat stuff, etc. If you don't, it takes longer to get things done and you don't get cool stuff. If you want to be rewarded and you want the game to be more realistic and difficult, get OOO. Leveling is basically revamped, and you have to consider your options for a situation based on your level and actual playing ability. For instance, the main quest should not even be attempted until level 20 or so. It was meant to be played at a later time. Also, no areas are leveled with you. If you go into the middle of nowhere, you are far more likely to get killed at a low level because that's where the more reclusive, powerful monsters reside. Also, you must think about whether or not you want to proceed into a dungeon because the entities inside may be level 5 or level 25. You never know. It is far more rewarding to break into someones house and steal as well. Things are actually worth money at low levels, and the harder the chest, the more valuable everything is. No more opening a very hard chest at level 2 and after that hard work being rewarded with 10 gold and a repair hammer. Everything is just based on how difficult you want to make it; how hard you strive is how much you are rewarded.

Don't forget about the unofficial patch.

Wiki:
http://www.tescreens.be/oblivionmodwiki/index.php/Unofficial_Oblivion_Patch
Download:
http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=OblivionMods.Detail&id=1417

Apply that before or after OOO?

 

[ArchAngel777]

Oblivion is the type of game that you play to be someone else for that time. I love the first person RPG games and Oblivion really was a great game. It is open ended for you to be anyon you wanted to. Sometimes people dislike the game because their is no end to the game... I struggled with that to and also the lack of direction. But I suppose it is far better to not have an end than to have an end in some ways. I just like being able to kick back and cast my lighting like Darth Sidius while I wash vampires and town guards die alike... LOL... The game is beautiful and if you really dim the lights, play on a large screen you DO feel like you are in the game, well at least I do

Great game, but as other people have said, not for everyone. Also, I totally agree with using the OOO mod, it is the best one out there and makes the game a bit more balanced in my opinion.

 

[TheRyuu]

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh

Originally posted by: wizboy11

Originally posted by: 40sTheme
Well....
Get Natural Environments if you have the PC version.
And then get Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul.
Both available from tessource.net.
Two mods that make the game even more excellent.
Oscuro basically revamps the entire, somewhat foolish system and makes the game difficult and far more interesting. No more leveled-to-your-character bullcrap.
Oh, to the guy above asking about the leveling system:
It is harder to level, but everything is far more rewarding. Basically, if you try to do harder things, you are rewarded well and get neat stuff, etc. If you don't, it takes longer to get things done and you don't get cool stuff. If you want to be rewarded and you want the game to be more realistic and difficult, get OOO. Leveling is basically revamped, and you have to consider your options for a situation based on your level and actual playing ability. For instance, the main quest should not even be attempted until level 20 or so. It was meant to be played at a later time. Also, no areas are leveled with you. If you go into the middle of nowhere, you are far more likely to get killed at a low level because that's where the more reclusive, powerful monsters reside. Also, you must think about whether or not you want to proceed into a dungeon because the entities inside may be level 5 or level 25. You never know. It is far more rewarding to break into someones house and steal as well. Things are actually worth money at low levels, and the harder the chest, the more valuable everything is. No more opening a very hard chest at level 2 and after that hard work being rewarded with 10 gold and a repair hammer. Everything is just based on how difficult you want to make it; how hard you strive is how much you are rewarded.

Don't forget about the unofficial patch.

Wiki:
http://www.tescreens.be/oblivionmodwiki/index.php/Unofficial_Oblivion_Patch
Download:
http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=OblivionMods.Detail&id=1417

Apply that before or after OOO?

AFAIK it doesn't matter.

This is what I'd do though:
1.) Install Oblivion (duh)
2.) Install official patch
3.) Install Oblivion Mod Manager (link)
4.) Install unoffical oblivion patch (link above)
5.) Install OOO (OOO 1.3 link+OOO 1.31 patch)

Everything beyond this is pretty much optional (but highly recommended):
6.) Install Natural Environments mod (link)
7.) LOD Mods (to stop making things look like mud) Link+Link+Link
8.) Quarls texture pack 2 (ONLY install if you have a 512mb video card or more) Link
ok this one is sort of necessary:
9.) No more physic guards link

Among other things there is a good optimization guide here which covers performance optimizations (don't do the ugrids thing though or anything else that will affect the visuals except for the reflections in the water, the LOD mods fix that and they are a lot easier):
http://www.atomicmpc.com.au/article.asp?SCID=27&CIID=36546

Also this guide covers all the mods:
http://www.atomicmpc.com.au/article.asp?CIID=36919

 

[Schadenfroh]

Originally posted by: wizboy11

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh

Originally posted by: wizboy11

Originally posted by: 40sTheme
Well....
Get Natural Environments if you have the PC version.
And then get Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul.
Both available from tessource.net.
Two mods that make the game even more excellent.
Oscuro basically revamps the entire, somewhat foolish system and makes the game difficult and far more interesting. No more leveled-to-your-character bullcrap.
Oh, to the guy above asking about the leveling system:
It is harder to level, but everything is far more rewarding. Basically, if you try to do harder things, you are rewarded well and get neat stuff, etc. If you don't, it takes longer to get things done and you don't get cool stuff. If you want to be rewarded and you want the game to be more realistic and difficult, get OOO. Leveling is basically revamped, and you have to consider your options for a situation based on your level and actual playing ability. For instance, the main quest should not even be attempted until level 20 or so. It was meant to be played at a later time. Also, no areas are leveled with you. If you go into the middle of nowhere, you are far more likely to get killed at a low level because that's where the more reclusive, powerful monsters reside. Also, you must think about whether or not you want to proceed into a dungeon because the entities inside may be level 5 or level 25. You never know. It is far more rewarding to break into someones house and steal as well. Things are actually worth money at low levels, and the harder the chest, the more valuable everything is. No more opening a very hard chest at level 2 and after that hard work being rewarded with 10 gold and a repair hammer. Everything is just based on how difficult you want to make it; how hard you strive is how much you are rewarded.

Don't forget about the unofficial patch.

Wiki:
http://www.tescreens.be/oblivionmodwiki/index.php/Unofficial_Oblivion_Patch
Download:
http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=OblivionMods.Detail&id=1417

Apply that before or after OOO?

AFAIK it doesn't matter.

This is what I'd do though:
1.) Install Oblivion (duh)
2.) Install official patch
3.) Install Oblivion Mod Manager (link)
4.) Install unoffical oblivion patch (link above)
5.) Install OOO (OOO 1.3 link+OOO 1.31 patch)

Everything beyond this is pretty much optional (but highly recommended):
6.) Install Natural Environments mod (link)
7.) LOD Mods (to stop making things look like mud) Link+Link+Link
8.) Quarls texture pack 2 (ONLY install if you have a 512mb video card or more) Link
ok this one is sort of necessary:
9.) No more physic guards link

Among other things there is a good optimization guide here which covers performance optimizations (don't do the ugrids thing though or anything else that will affect the visuals except for the reflections in the water, the LOD mods fix that and they are a lot easier):
http://www.atomicmpc.com.au/article.asp?SCID=27&CIID=36546

Also this guide covers all the mods:
http://www.atomicmpc.com.au/article.asp?CIID=36919

nice info, which mod makes the UI like Morrowinds?

 

[Philippine Mango]

Originally posted by: wicktron
Why all the high ratings and praise? IMO, this game sucks.

Sure it's huge, expansive, and open... But the game lacks a certain fun factor and personality. People gawk over its lush environment and huge world, but everything is boring and uninspired IMO.

I tried playing it for several hours. Ran around and tried doing the main quest and did a few side quests (yes, I was successful in completing the required tasks), but I just don't find it fun.

I want to like this game because of its critical acclaim and large following. Can someone help me to play this game?

Do you not enjoy MMOs? What kind of games do you prefer? Some people may prefer WOW over Oblivion due to the online aspect of it, the constantly updated content, and a few other things.

Personally, I absolutely love Oblivion, it's an excellent game in my opinion, has lots to do, very pretty, and has qualities reminescent of Deus Ex in the sense that it doesn't feel linear and has an exorbitant amount of freedom (compared to other games).

An example of this are the Scrolls and Books you'll find in Oblivion, it's very similar to Deus Ex's e-mails, papers, books and data descriptions; While not always necessary to read, it does give a sense of realism and depth most games do not have.

One aspect I vaguely remember of WOW and MMORPGs like it is that in my opinion I feel as though the game is about completing stupid quests or trying to level up while I don't feel that way about Oblivion.

I'm pretty indifferent about WOW but the one aspect that keeps me entirely away from it is that it's subscription and lots of connection issues (I guess thats two). Depending on what you prefer, you may end up liking WOW and not Oblivion, vise versa or both, it just really depends on the person.

Just because one cannot find value in something, doesn't mean that it lacks value.

 

[TheRyuu]

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh
nice info, which mod makes the UI like Morrowinds?

Nothing really makes it look like morrowinds, it just makes it look better.
First theres the Elven Map Redux:
http://elderscrolls.filefront.com/file/Elven_Map_Redux;68276
(basically makes the map pretty, doesn't change the UI at all).

Now heres the thing that changes the UI.
BT Mod:
http://btmod.beider.org/

(install btmod before this)
Then there is the darnified stuff:
http://privat.bluezone.no/darn/oblivion/guide/

I install both and the darn mod interfered with the BTmod. The btmod makes the UI bigger and the list items smaller (the way it should have been) and for some reason the darn thing screwed the whole thing up so just figure out how to do it