Elder Scrolls Oblivion review

Oberleutnant · Post by **Oberleutnant** » 2006-03-28 11:55am

Perhaps a silly question, but how can you swing the external camera so that it shows your character's face from the front?

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2006-03-28 12:04pm

Stark wrote:
DPDarkPrimus wrote:As a Stealth character, 98% of my enemies die before they even know I've seen them. But I'm planning on running a more up-close-and-personal character my second time around, so this would be quite handy.
How did you find the main storyline missions? My stealthy-character friend was pleased to see that the majority of the game allows him to play an almost non-combat character (bar the odd arrow from the shadows), but some missions force you into close combat, particularly the 'meet the Sponsor' mission, where regardless of what you do it always boils down to melee.

I'm not finished with it yet, but, well... my Blade skill is about 13 levels above my Marksman skill, so there you go.

While I prefer killing silently, I've been known to take on a few Dremora at a time and walk away with a smug grin.

Faram · Post by **Faram** » 2006-03-28 12:05pm

Oberleutnant wrote:Perhaps a silly question, but how can you swing the external camera so that it shows your character's face from the front?

Press "R" and use the mouse to pan around

RTFM!

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2006-03-28 12:10pm

Faram wrote:
Oberleutnant wrote:Perhaps a silly question, but how can you swing the external camera so that it shows your character's face from the front?
Press "R" and use the mouse to pan around

RTFM!

Bah, "R" is for casting spells! Hold Middle Mouse Button for the vanity camera!

(Hey yeah, there's a good question? What's your keyboard layout like?)

Mine:
EDSF - movement
G - ready weapon
R - Cast Spell
W - Jump
Q - stealth mode
Space - Jump
Shift - Run
Caps - Toggle Run

A lot less fingerwork than the original layout.

Pablo Sanchez · Post by **Pablo Sanchez** » 2006-03-28 02:24pm

Stark wrote:You still go up in level, but you don't have to stop and rest or allocate stat boosts and what have you. It's all done in realtime. I just started a new character and cleared the ruin across from the sewer exit: I've got heaps of willpower and agi bonuses (from zapping and getting hit) and an endurance (from blocking). I didn't have to stop, and I'm not thinking about 'zomg must powerlevel intelligence' anymore, since once I get time to sit down and alchemise all my stuff, I'll get int points straight away.

I'm think of starting up a new character (stealthy Bosmer). Do you think this mod plays well, and if so, can I get a link to it?

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2006-03-28 02:26pm

Uh...this is a stupid question... well kinda irrelevent now that Oblivion has arrived, but where are the fighter and mage guilds? I've just had the gates of oblivion opened(I guess) as I reached Kvatch, beautiful but does it stay this way?

White Haven · Post by **White Haven** » 2006-03-28 02:49pm

Cities That Are Not Kvatch are a good place to start, if you don't want your 'guild' to be a pile of daedra-infested rubble.

Fighters' Guilds are in Anvil, Chorrol, and Cheydinnhal. Mages' Guilds are in every city except the Imperial City and, for obvious reasons, Kvatch.

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2006-03-28 02:49pm

White Haven wrote:Cities That Are Not Kvatch are a good place to start, if you don't want your 'guild' to be a pile of daedra-infested rubble. Fighters' Guilds are in Anvil, Chorrol, and Cheydinnhal. Mages' Guilds are in every city except the Imperial City and, for obvious reasons, Kvatch.

Still, does this sky stay?

Arrow · Post by **Arrow** » 2006-03-28 02:53pm

White Haven wrote:Cities That Are Not Kvatch are a good place to start, if you don't want your 'guild' to be a pile of daedra-infested rubble. Fighters' Guilds are in Anvil, Chorrol, and Cheydinnhal. Mages' Guilds are in every city except the Imperial City and, for obvious reasons, Kvatch.

Actually, fighters guilds are in the other cities as well (except Kvatch and the Imperial City). Burma's guild halls on the second tier, Leywinn (sp) is toward the southwest corner of the city, Skingrad's is on the road that branchs north from the west gate, and the next to west gate in the remaining city (I forget the name at the moment, but its the one just south of the Imperial City).

Arrow · Post by **Arrow** » 2006-03-28 02:54pm

Ace Pace wrote:Still, does this sky stay?

No, after you change areas, fast travel, or walk far enough away (which doesn't always work...), it changes back to normal.

Flagg · Post by **Flagg** » 2006-03-28 03:11pm

Where's a good place to sell stolen items?

InnocentBystander · Post by **InnocentBystander** » 2006-03-28 03:58pm

Flagg wrote:Where's a good place to sell stolen items?

I think you've got to join the thieves guild; maybe the dark brotherhood.

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2006-03-28 04:01pm

InnocentBystander wrote:
Flagg wrote:Where's a good place to sell stolen items?
I think you've got to join the thieves guild; maybe the dark brotherhood.

Tycho says theres this guy outside the Imperial Stables that fences crap.

Flagg · Post by **Flagg** » 2006-03-28 04:19pm

Thanks.

InnocentBystander · Post by **InnocentBystander** » 2006-03-28 04:20pm

Honestly guys, in this game stealing just isn't that worthwhile. There were a bunch of quests and dungeons which yielded a considerable amount of gold. A dungeon full of ebony, elven and glass equipment is far more valuable than anything you'd find in someone's house, usually. I've yet to see any crazy magic weapons lying around (anyone remember the White Sword of Woe in the Balmora guard tower? Nice weapon to have at a level where you can steal it

). To be honest, I've hardly found a need for theft in this game. Which is good because in morrowind theft was just such an unbelieavbly useful skill to have (so much good stuff to steal) it made it impossible for me to *not* steal; even if I wanted to play as some class other than wizard. Hell wizards get lock opening spells, chameleon, invis, and telekensis; they make FAR superior thieves I think.

Flagg · Post by **Flagg** » 2006-03-28 04:50pm

Stealing is fun. Just like in real life!

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2006-03-28 05:38pm

Theft is useful for pickpocketing everyone's housekey, thus making many missions a doddle. However, the combination of everyone owning crap like tan mugs and 'very hard' locked chests containing NOTHING make theft an ocassionally frustrating proposition. Stealing consumables, then alchemising is fun though, since the potion isn't red-tagged. How does someone tell if an apple is stolen anyway? And isn't all ebony owned by Imperial monopoly - how do people get away with wearing it in public? Why the fuck do sapphires sell for ten bucks? Oblivion economy = the stupid.

The seamless-levelling mod I've been trying is neat, and works as described. Stats tend to increase more slowly - indeed, at the pace Bestheda probably intended - unless you're working many attached skills. I continue to find the lack of the need to 'meditate' worth it's weight in gold. I've found a newer version, which breaks skills into multiple stats (ie, all magics give a bit of int as well as their actual stat, athletics gives a bit of agi *and* spd, etc), it levels per 8 skill points (a bit slower) and handles hitpoints a little better.

The original and the newer one. I'm going to try the newer one next time I play.

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2006-03-28 05:45pm

So far Alchemy is a hit with me, however I dislike the slow progression of the skill.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2006-03-28 05:53pm

SLOW PROGRESSION????

Are you non-magic, non-alchemy major? I got my first alchemy level (from 30-ish) after making TWO potions. Alchemy goes up way, way too fast. I can sit down for some potionmaking, and walk away with +5/+6 to alchemy. I'll never make it a major skill again!

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2006-03-28 06:01pm

Stark wrote:SLOW PROGRESSION????

Are you non-magic, non-alchemy major? I got my first alchemy level (from 30-ish) after making TWO potions. Alchemy goes up way, way too fast. I can sit down for some potionmaking, and walk away with +5/+6 to alchemy. I'll never make it a major skill again!

I think the problem is that I'm being repetetive, making the same + to Fatigue potions and sometimes + to health when I'm lucky enough to find ingriedients. And its a major skill. I think my character sucks in terms of stats but then again, he is fun.

Acidburns · Post by **Acidburns** » 2006-03-28 06:31pm

After much wailing and gnashing of teeth, this is about the best I can do with the face generator.

An imperial:

A bosmer:

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2006-03-28 06:46pm

Ace Pace wrote:I think the problem is that I'm being repetetive, making the same + to Fatigue potions and sometimes + to health when I'm lucky enough to find ingriedients. And its a major skill. I think my character sucks in terms of stats but then again, he is fun.

That's strange, since 87% of everything I make is lame stamina potions out of fruit, meat etc. Maybe the specialisation makes a significant difference in this case?

Hotfoot · Post by **Hotfoot** » 2006-03-28 09:25pm

A quick sojourn out into the wild will yeild all manner of useful reagents, and even if you can't make a potion, just munching on them helps.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2006-03-28 09:37pm

Turns out if you edit robes to only be 'upper body' and not 'lower body' as well, you can wear pants without massive clipping errors all over the show.

Once people get around to remodelling the armour, making it more Morrowind-esque bulky will eliminate the upper body clipping problems too, allowing proper layered armour without being ugly.

Post by **Vympel** » 2006-03-28 09:47pm

I forgot to mention this- but the intro cutscene is unwatchable for me. It stops and starts horribly, in both sound and visual. Anyone heard of this problem?