3/22/06 - The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (PC, X360)

[schild]

why do i feel bad.

Because it's only downhill from there?

[Lum]

WHY, BROTHER?

[Signe]

Schild isn't interested in chicks.  He's too busy.  He's dedicated to his art.

[Ironwood]

WHY, BROTHER?

I never understood why they made a hot blonde chick chase you the entire time, knowing you were just going to end up cutting her fucking head off and mounting it on a stick.

(mounting the head on the stick.  Not what you thought. Sicko.)

[Miasma]

I finished the dark brotherhood storyline and now im bummed...  why do i feel bad.  This must be a really good game.  God damnit.

I get upset when I find something like a water well which actually says "To secret dark brotherhood den" and I can't crash in there and murder a bunch of assassins.

I also have quests I don't think I'll finish because they would have sad endings or require me to be evil.  Speaking of which...
<spoiler>
I completed the arena champion's quest before gaining ranks in the arena and now that I have made it to the final battle all he does is stand there and ask me to kill him since he's part vampire.  Even though he's got his weapon unsheathed and is in the middle of the god-damned arena it counts as murder because I get that "Unseen forces have noticed your actions" message telling me I'm going to get visited by Mr.Blackrobe the next time I sleep.  Does anyone know of a 'good' way to become arena champion if you have already done that quest?
</spoiler>
Damn good game.

[Yegolev]

I think I am giving up and going to learn me some real magic.  I hate those fucking painted trolls.  And ghosts.  And wisps.

[Threash]

why do i feel bad.

Because it's only downhill from there?

Sadly you are probably right, but i got my moneys worth just from that so thats fine.  It does make the other guild storylines feel very "meh" though, maybe i should work on the main quest for a while.

[Shockeye]

I think I am giving up and going to learn me some real magic.  I hate those fucking painted trolls.  And ghosts.  And wisps.

I saw a bumper sticker today that read:

Get a taste of religion
Lick a witch

[Yegolev]

I have a Magic Wand.  It produces Mystical Joy.

[Rasix]

Sadly you are probably right, but i got my moneys worth just from that so thats fine.  It does make the other guild storylines feel very "meh" though, maybe i should work on the main quest for a while.

I enjoyed the thief quest line, even if some of the last few quests had way too many undead (my sneak wasn't high enough, and they've got killer detection).

I'm doing the Dark Brotherhood story line now on a new character I rolled.  Pure combat character with some restoration and illusion magic thrown in (not sure why I picked illusion magic..).  These quests would have been a lot easier with my thief.  But, at least I've gotten to the point where I can pick a hard lock with 15 security.  Went in hoping they'd be more brute force'ish than they are, but I can't bring myself to pass up the bonuses.  Loving the quests so far and the random dialog you get from the other members.

BTW, love the Balor leveling mod.  Makes me forget there's even levels in the game.

[Murgos]

I saw a bumper sticker today that read:

Get a taste of religion
Lick a witch

Get a taste of religion,
Lick a Wiccan

Rhymes better.  But still, only if you wash 'em first, like any vegetable.

[WayAbvPar]

Dude, didn't you watch The Wizard? Nintendo Hint Line gets all the chicks.

I used to work there. Customer Service had far more hotties than the Game Play nerdsters. I really regret being such a clueless fucktard back then...I could have really had a lot of fun.

[Polysorbate80]

BTW, love the Balor leveling mod.  Makes me forget there's even levels in the game.

Me too, but I wound up cheating as a result...I like Bretons, who start with shitty endurance, and the mod made me start levelling before I had a chance to work my endurance to a reasonable level, so I consoled my endurance up to get more HP :P

My weapon skills are also falling behind what I think is par, despite heavy useage.  This may also necessitate action at some point.

<--has a low RL willpower score in some respects....

[Yegolev]

Marksman is kinda hard to level, considering I feel naked with less than 150 arrows.  Using shitty iron arrows, that's 15... uh... weight units.  I really appreciated shedding that chainmail for the Brotherhood armor.  Running backwards can get you into trouble, too.  However I have maybe screwed myself since I can't hit with a sword and can't take a punch now that I'm level 11.  I am really dedicated to the Marksman-poison track.

[Threash]

Wandering around random oblivion gate tower... see button, push button:

"You have released a prisoner."

Look around... huh, no prisoner... must be in some other room

Two seconds later prisoner lands from his five story fall from his gate on top of the tower making a bloody mess on the humongous spikes at the bottom... ooops.

I fucking love this game.  Buttons are not toys!

[vex]

I saw a bumper sticker today that read:

Get a taste of religion
Lick a witch

Get a taste of religion,
Lick a Wiccan

Get a taste of religion
Lick a witch
Tastes like Wiccan

[Shockeye]

I saw a bumper sticker today that read:

Get a taste of religion
Lick a witch

Get a taste of religion,
Lick a Wiccan

Get a taste of religion
Lick a witch
Tastes like Wiccan

Get a taste of religion
Lick a witch
Tastes like Wiccan
But not as rich

[Yegolev]

I came in the top of the tower.  I saw the prisoner.  I saw the button.  Whoops!  Talk first, mash buttons later.

[Bunk]

One word of warning on that Balor leveling system:

If you use it and are a Vampire, when you go from a stage one Vamp to a stage two, the resultant increase in stats makes you level. So uh, if you use Balor, drink regularly unless you want your level to go out of wack.

On another tangent, the modding stuff is going crazy already. Someone already released a beta version of a sailable ship. Its a beta version because you can sail it right through the center of Imperial City, but its still pretty impressive.

[Glazius]

Marksman is kinda hard to level, considering I feel naked with less than 150 arrows.  Using shitty iron arrows, that's 15... uh... weight units.  I really appreciated shedding that chainmail for the Brotherhood armor.  Running backwards can get you into trouble, too.  However I have maybe screwed myself since I can't hit with a sword and can't take a punch now that I'm level 11.  I am really dedicated to the Marksman-poison track.

There's a mod out there which makes most arrows weightless. I think starting at Glass they begin to weigh something again.

--GF

[Murgos]

I've let marksman lag, I've got to start working it up again. I'm at 23 and Marksman is down in the 50's.  Fortunately I just started the Dark Brotherhood stuff so maybe I'll take that as an opportunity to brush up my skills, the sword I have been using was a little over-powered anyways (Goldenrod?  Gold something anyway).

Does anyone know if the Brotherhood Armor levels with you?  I know that it's stats are dependent on what level you get it at (for instance my version starts at 12AC and +8 to the enchantments) but if I break thirty will the armor upgrade to it's next tier? (If you look in TESCS there are 5 tiers for the armor) or would I have to manually do it through the TESCS?

[Glazius]

I've let marksman lag, I've got to start working it up again. I'm at 23 and Marksman is down in the 50's.  Fortunately I just started the Dark Brotherhood stuff so maybe I'll take that as an opportunity to brush up my skills, the sword I have been using was a little over-powered anyways (Goldenrod?  Gold something anyway).

Does anyone know if the Brotherhood Armor levels with you?  I know that it's stats are dependent on what level you get it at (for instance my version starts at 12AC and +8 to the enchantments) but if I break thirty will the armor upgrade to it's next tier? (If you look in TESCS there are 5 tiers for the armor) or would I have to manually do it through the TESCS?

There are mods to auto-upgrade leveled quest rewards too.

--GF

[NiX]

You need to start linking to these things otherwise I'm going to have to believe you just reply with "There's a mod for X."

[Bunk]

Here's the boat mod I mentioned: http://www.elderscrolls.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=341367&hl=boat

Note, it's hosted on Fileplanet, so if that freaks you out, don't click.

[Threash]

Is there a mod that keeps track of what your multipliers are before you level? i have having to keep track myself :P

[Dren]

You need to start linking to these things otherwise I'm going to have to believe you just reply with "There's a mod for X."

I think there is a mod for Hot Coffee somewhere.  I just can't find it!

[Glazius]

You need to start linking to these things otherwise I'm going to have to believe you just reply with "There's a mod for X."

I think there is a mod for Hot Coffee somewhere.  I just can't find it!

There _is_ one but I've never used it so I don't remember.

But I do remember lighter arrows and autoupgrade quest rewards.

--GF

[Xanthippe]

I'm confused.  I just read/skimmed all of the pages of this thread.

Can I make a anything that can learn anything and just play that one thing that can do anything, or do I have to specialize?

How do I avoid gimping my mage? 

Can I change my playstyle and start sneaking around, even though sneak isn't one of my majors?

I'm only level 3 but admit I have been making a lot of potions - is this bad?

Are there a set number of spells I will end up with, so do I have to be choosy, or can I just get whatever I please?

This game is beautiful.  I wish it was an MMO.

[Murgos]

I'm confused.  I just read/skimmed all of the pages of this thread.

Can I make a anything that can learn anything and just play that one thing that can do anything, or do I have to specialize?

Do whatever you want.  You can be a master of all things given enough time.

How do I avoid gimping my mage? 

Don't level too often on non-combat related skills.  Keep your destruction and restoration skills in good use, carry a sword and use it every now and then and wear armor.

Can I change my playstyle and start sneaking around, even though sneak isn't one of my majors?

Yes, absolutely.  You will level sneak slower because it is not a major and it will not effect your overall level but it will go up with use just like any other skill.  You can be a sneaky, backstabbing, plate armor wearing, alchemist of flaming death who is also a very good trader if you want.

I'm only level 3 but admit I have been making a lot of potions - is this bad?

Is alchemy a major skill?  If so you may want to start over with it as a minor so you can do as much of it as you like without it blowing your levels out of whack.  If you get to level 10+ with most of your levels coming from non-combat related skill advances you will have a hard time fighting.  You won't really be gimped, you will be GREAT at making potions, for example, but you won't be good at combat (<Sean Connery> B A L A N C E </Sean Connery>).  So you can play it that way and just chug a lot of potions to make you more effective at combat or you can try and mix it up and keep your combat abilities in line with your other other skills.

Are there a set number of spells I will end up with, so do I have to be choosy, or can I just get whatever I please?

You can have as many as your heart desires.

This game is beautiful.  I wish it was an MMO.

Hell is other people.

Edit: Yes, the game is certainly beautiful:

[Xanthippe]

Thanks.

I tried to follow the links posted earlier that talked about levelling and how it works, but the links are now bad.

So, if I'm understanding this right, I should choose as majors skills that help me kill stuff rather than alchemy or lockpicking, because I don't want to be a really high level potion maker with crap attack skills?

Hmm.

Currently I have Alchemy, Alteration, Conjuration, Destruction, Illusion, Mysticism and Blade.

So I could swap Alchemy for Restoration maybe, or Light Armor?

Or just stop making so many potions.  I hate it that I'm feeling anal and wanting to start over.  I like my toon.

Oh, how exactly does armor work?  As a mage type, what sort of encumbrance to magick does wearing armor do?

TIA.

[Xanthippe]

Not sure how this happened, but I now have only 27 strength and it's in red.  I just levelled to 5, went to the sewers and two bandits completely beat me down.  Ow.

[Miasma]

Armor can effect your spells' effectiveness, it tells you on the magic tab of the info sheets what percentage you are at.  Wearing light armour like fur and leather at level three shouldn't hurt it too much.

Try not to worry about the levelling system, it seems like everyone turns out ok at the end unless they do something really bizarre.  Besides, you can always turn down the difficulty slider if you get in trouble and can't handle a certain fight.  I did the min/max stuff and it got really annoying and hurt my enjoyment of the game.  I wound up thinking way too much about it instead of having fun.

So, if I'm understanding this right, I should choose as majors skills that help me kill stuff rather than alchemy or lockpicking, because I don't want to be a really high level potion maker with crap attack skills?

Kind of, the general idea is to slow down your leveling so that you will get higher multipliers.  You don't actually get potion maker levels, if you did a lot of alchemy it would improve whichever stat that belongs to, I imagine intelligence, which is fine because that determines your mana pool.

If a stat is in red and you don't have an icon in the upper right telling you it is being drained you probably got diseased, go to a church in one of the towns and activate the large central alter, there is no church in the imperial city for some reason.

[Xanthippe]

I fought some mobs that weakened me, but had no clue how to get my strength back.  Thanks.

I turned down the difficulty a bit and then I found a really neat cave (Haynote Cave) with imps and loot off the road to Skingrad, so I picked up my first magic items (I am level 7 or so now) - a magic sword and 3 rings.  It was fun, challenging enough without being impossible. 

Now I know why my spells are only 89% effective!

This is neat.   I never played Daggerfall or Morrowwind; I played NVN a little but it just didn't grab me like this does.  I love the graphics; the world is beautiful.  I went up on top of a mountain (Cloud Top) and had this amazing view of the countryside.

It's a little lonely, although it's nice not having to hear general chat - but this would be so much fun to play with another person or a few people (not random fuckwads though).

The world just seems huge.

Do the dungeons respawn with new loot/mobs over time?  Ever worth a trip back, or should I just move on?

[Lantyssa]

There are plenty of dungeons.  I doubt you will find them all, so I would not worry about returning to most of them.

[Yoru]

Dungeons will respawn after about an in-game week; the stuff inside is determined from a general group (bandits, undead, daedra) with the specific stuff being determined by your level at the time you enter the location.

This is mostly useful to know if you need quick cash; for example, just north of the house you can buy in the Waterfront district is a bandit-filled cave, which I used to pick up fresh armor, weapons and other stuff that can then be readily transported to the market district for sales.

Also, what armor is that in the screenshot? That's some nice stuff. Aside from, you know, not offering all that much actual protection.