The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Official Discussion Topic)

[PDorr3]

The game comes out TOMORROW people! some even have it today. Lets use this topic for all our discussion pretaining to the game itself, as we all know tons of us will be getting this tomorrow.

I am still unsure of what type of character I will be making. I always end up making a warrior/fighter type character in RPG's, but this time I think Im gonna try a battlemage, for a nice mix of magic and melee. What about you guys?

I have been refraining myself from reading too much about the games story or even screenshots (recent ones) so that I am suprised as hell when I play it. One site I do reccomend you all visit is www.elderscrolls.com and check out the download section for some awsome teaser videos.

[Joker T]

Picking it up tonight for PC.

I will probally be making a custom character..

I'm so excited :)

[Johnny_Rock]

I will be picking up the Collector's Edition for the 360 tommarow, and i will be making a swordsman/swordfighter type so melee i guess.

[Raedon]

I'll wait for an opinion from the RPG community before I get this one. The last one's battle system really pissed me off.

[PDorr3]

the battle system in this one is much improved. They did away with randm blocking and all the missing that occured even if you were hitting the enemy. This one has manual blocking, and no more random missing.

[Raedon]

http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/03/20/2110201

Dude is going to play 12 hours starting tonight and broadcast it live over the net..

From the Slashdot


HarvardFrankenstein writes "Gamespot's Greg Kasavin will be playing The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion for 12 straight hours tonight (Monday, March 20th) and the entire marathon session will be broadcast live. Kasavin will be 'offering commentary about the experience as it transpires. Subscribers will see a picture-in-picture view of Kasavin as he spends an increasing number of successive hours playing the game, and they will be able to chat with each other over the course of the event.'" The event starts tonight at 6pm PST, if they get started on time.

[Rockman Neo]

http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/03/20/2110201

Dude is going to play 12 hours starting tonight and broadcast it live over the net..

From the Slashdot


HarvardFrankenstein writes "Gamespot's Greg Kasavin will be playing The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion for 12 straight hours tonight (Monday, March 20th) and the entire marathon session will be broadcast live. Kasavin will be 'offering commentary about the experience as it transpires. Subscribers will see a picture-in-picture view of Kasavin as he spends an increasing number of successive hours playing the game, and they will be able to chat with each other over the course of the event.'" The event starts tonight at 6pm PST, if they get started on time.

Ha, I'm sure the beginning of the whole thing will be hilarious. At first, Greg will look like a total idiot playing it.

[mezrabad]

I'm am going to be soo late to this party. I was in line launch day for Daggerfall and Morrwind (PC) so not being involved (I've got neither an Xbox 360, a PC with the power or even the money to acquire game) is tearing my heart out here. I'm certain I'll be able to get Oblivion and an Xbox 360 about three years from now for between a third and a half of what I'd need to pay today. OR I'll get a PC that can handle it for about a fourth of what I'd need to pay today.

Patience (fuckiwannaplayit), yes, patience is the mark of maturity. (fuckfuckfuck)

[Joker T]

Crap, I thought the game was coming out today...it just shipped today.

Bleh.

[meancode]

I like the redguard. But I will probably start out as an imperial; I am always a melee character. I heard they balanced the mage out so you can actually play a battlemage. We will see. I do like having all the magic, but with my redguard in Morrowind I had to wait until late in the leveling process to even begin to explore the magic system.

I have it pre-ordered at my local game shop, and they have had a pretty good record lately, so I will most likely be picking it up tomorrow.

I really don't know why I am going to buy it (well yes I do) because Bethesda has told me they are sending a copy. They won't be able to get me one by Tuesday, but I just can't wait.

Isn't that just sad. Especially considering the other reviews I have to write yet.

I predict the bloom effect has not been toned down at all, and no one will care. I also predict that at least 50% of my Friends List, like G.R.A.W., will be playing Oblivion. This, more than anything, will make me want to play the game right now, and not have to wait a few days.

[jdc]

My first character is usually a Battlemage if nothing more than for the luxury of being able to heal myself with magic while exploring a new, potentially dangerous environment. I'll probably go with the Dark Elf. Haven't managed to play that race yet.

Gotta admit though......the most fun Morrowind character that I played was my last one. A Kajit theif. I didn't feel like following the main story for the umpteenth time, so I just made this thief and skipped straight off to the Thieve's Guild in Balmora. I just went around ripping people off. Great fun.

Tomorrow can't come soon enough. It's the first reason that I bought this 360.

[keiblerfan69]

Well I am gonna do custom. I'm not getting this game til about the second week of April. I'm watching the Gamespot 12 hour Oblivion marathon right now and I can say I regret not getting this game.

[PDorr3]

whats the best race for a battlemage, as I plan to be one.

[meancode]

I would say Dark Elf.

[nik]

!!!!!!! tomorrow!!! come quicker!

Damn work!

[Anexanhume]

I'm partial to Bretons. The magicka resistance combined with their combat skills make them natural choices for a battlemage.

[diskoboy]

Sitting here with my Collectors Edition 360 version. About to begin my adventure! :D 8-)

I'll probably choose to make a custom guy.

You guys have no Idea what torture it was to buy my copy at lunch and have it sitting on my desk at work all day, staring me in the face, as if to say 'you know you wanna play me, right now!'. God, I couldn't take it anymore!

I'm glad I made it home, finally!

[unwinddesign]

Against my better judgement, I went out and picked up a copy of the Collector's Edition today.

$75. Wee.

I don't really want to play it, but I'll give it a go. I'm just afraid that I'll get lost in the 1,0000000,00000,000000000 bajillion gazillion hours of supposed gameplay there is. Damn these insane pangs of needing to buy a game. LOL

[diskoboy]

Just thought, I'd take a small break to tell you guys how fucking awesome this game is so far...

I'm not quite out of the sewers, yet. But I think I'm close, I just picked my starsign. I chose Warrior.

Okay, back to the game!

[Joker T]

Just got the game..I may not be online for a few days LOL

[unwinddesign]

I really think this game is overrated so far. The frame rate is all over the place, the bloom lighting is ridiculous, the grass literally grows right in front of your eyes (yes, the pop in HAS been that bad), and the story is super corny. I'm about two hours in, I have a headache from the damn bloom lighting, and I really don't want to play any more.

Maybe I was expecting a bit more than an awkward first person Diablo game, but this game really ain't all that hot so far. Hopefully it'll pick up...fingers crossed. But so far, the combat is clunky, the animations are wtf, and there have been some serious speech/event glitches. One moment, the emperor was alive, then something flew in front of me, and suddenly he's on the ground. The game seems to have decided to skip the part where he actually got killed...

Thrilling stuff. One thing is to be said, however. The vistas in the game are absolutely stunning. Seriously, these graphics (at least when you're not in motion...) are truly unreal. When the frame rate holds up, travelling along the water during sunset is truly a sight to behold.

[CreamSoda]

I got the game this afternoon(at about 2:30), and so far I have put about four hours into it. (It's the 360 version btw)

This game kicks ass! The graphics, freedom, quests, physics, it's all amazing. I would say it lives up to the hype 95%!

Gonna go play again pretty soon, I'm addicted already! :D

Nothing like getting drunk, and trashing a tavern, or pickpocketing a ladys pants off. XD

[swlovinist]

holy cow, this game rocks! I just got the game and AM playing the crap out of it. This the what the 360 needed. I think anyone can nickpick the game, to me....The game is very much what the hype said it would and delivers. What other game can you say does what this game does???? O_O

[-hellvin-]

I've been quite a huge fan of this series for some time and so far, this one has pleased me with the few hours I've put in. Stepping outside of the sewers is mind staggering seeing the HUGE landscape, and trying to figure out where the hell you want to go first. I'm working my way through some ruins ATM...it's the ones right next to the docks where the sewer exit is.

The character I'm playing is custom, but it's pretty close to a nightblade. Basically emphasis on stealth, and a mix of heavy combat, and alchemy for magic. I've always loved stealing in this game, and hopefully the tricks to rob people blind are as whorish as in morrowind ;D. Gonna go play another hour before sleep...

[jdc]

I'm just over 7 hours in......and it's awesome.

And yes....it's true Elderscrolls. The pop-up, the framerate drops...they're there, but who cares. They're SUPPOSED to be there or it wouldn't BE Elderscrolls...LOL. (they probably added them in on purpose!!) I'm doing as I did in Morrowwind. Save every 15 minutes without fail just incase you get the typical crash.

The biggest thrills to me thus far are the eeriness of the people's eyes. The character modelling is superb. I also love the way that casting fire FEELS "solid". The ball flies fast, far and straight. Good for lighting dark areas BTW.

The game is worth the money. Dollar for dollar nothing else is going to last you as long as this game will.

[FantasiaWHT]

hmmm...

so far I'm disappointed. It's not that I'm not having fun, or it doesn't look good (my rig runs it fantastic, no pop up, great frame rate, beautiful textures on my X1600 XT PCI-E) or that I'm not going to play it forever, but...

Despite all their blathering about innovation, this game is nearly IDENTICAL to Morrowind. Aside from graphics, it feels exactly the same. Which is ok, because Morrowind is a great game, but I was expecting more than just a graphical upgrade. I know that the mechanics of combat are different, but regardless of how different the number-crunching is, the combat is pretty much the same.

Who else hates the interface? The menu system feels needlessly complex, inventory management is a chore, and I want a mini-map, dammit!

BTW can you take screenshots? And why the heck is alt-tab disabled? So annoying.

[nik]

Nothing to bitch about here.

I'm impressed with the 360 version, no framerate annoyances, fast travel is great.

Now... if I could fiqure out how to level up..

[FantasiaWHT]

Oh btw I'm playing a custom character. Sort of an outdoor-survivalist. Heaviest on alchemy and marksmanship, with restoration, blades, and light armor for some added security then some of the more obscure branches of magic (alteration and mysticism) to play around with.

That reminds me... why are there so few skills? If there are more than Morrowind had, it's only a couple. And does anybody else find the power attacks (the basic ones at least) rather useless?

[Gemini-Phoenix]

I have no interest in this game whatsoever, but as a collector, I am buying it simply because the collector's edition looks amazing! Not often do publishers grace us with such amazing box sets (At least, not here in the UK), so will pick it up Friday simply to add to the collection

[Joker T]

The game is utterly stunning. I've played around 17 hours so far. You really have to see the game for yourself.

[diskoboy]

Oh btw I'm playing a custom character. Sort of an outdoor-survivalist. Heaviest on alchemy and marksmanship, with restoration, blades, and light armor for some added security then some of the more obscure branches of magic (alteration and mysticism) to play around with.

That reminds me... why are there so few skills? If there are more than Morrowind had, it's only a couple. And does anybody else find the power attacks (the basic ones at least) rather useless?

When you see the message 'rest/sleep to reflect on what you've learned', find a bed and go to sleep... You'll level up. It took me a while to figure it out, too.

And then I got stuck deep in the first oblivion gate tower quest to find a place to sleep, so i have to shut down the first gate so I can finally level up. So in the meantime, I'm stuck on level 2.

This game is the 360's killer app, thus far. Hands down.

[diskoboy]

oops.. sorry fantasia.. That was meant for nik. I hit the wrong quote button.

[Dobie]

I want to know... is it worth the extra jack for the collector's edition? I haven't paid $70+ for a game since Ocarina of Time came out. That was money well spent, but I kind of shudder at the thought of doing it again. If the collector's version doesn't add much extra value, then I may just wait on buying it until I finish GRAW (and get my 360 back from repair... GRRR), since the regular edition would presumably be easiest to find in a month's time.

[njiska]

Well i was forced to buy the collector's edition and honestly i must say i do enjoy it. I haven't watched the making of yet but i'm sure it'll be informative and the Guide to the World is a very nice addition.

The coin is by far the coolest though. It's metal and looks amazing.

Is it worth 10 bucks? Yeah, but you could live without it.

[Trumpman]

I've never played an Elder Scrolls Game before and have not ever really gotten into an RPG. Is this the one to get?

[unwinddesign]

I've never played an Elder Scrolls Game before and have not ever really gotten into an RPG. Is this the one to get?

No. I never played an Elder Scrolls game before this one, and I am seriously contemplating eBaying it. Know what you're getting in to.

[Griking]

I really think this game is overrated so far. The frame rate is all over the place, the bloom lighting is ridiculous, the grass literally grows right in front of your eyes (yes, the pop in HAS been that bad), and the story is super corny. I'm about two hours in, I have a headache from the damn bloom lighting, and I really don't want to play any more.

Maybe I was expecting a bit more than an awkward first person Diablo game, but this game really ain't all that hot so far. Hopefully it'll pick up...fingers crossed. But so far, the combat is clunky, the animations are wtf, and there have been some serious speech/event glitches. One moment, the emperor was alive, then something flew in front of me, and suddenly he's on the ground. The game seems to have decided to skip the part where he actually got killed...

Thrilling stuff. One thing is to be said, however. The vistas in the game are absolutely stunning. Seriously, these graphics (at least when you're not in motion...) are truly unreal. When the frame rate holds up, travelling along the water during sunset is truly a sight to behold.

What version did you purchase, PC or 360?

[diskoboy]

I've never played an Elder Scrolls Game before and have not ever really gotten into an RPG. Is this the one to get?

I'll put it this way, I can't normally stand RPG's. I think, so far, unwind is the only person who doesn't like this game.

Personally, it takes alot for a game to amaze me. This game has. My only complaint with this game would be the eternal loading times (for the 360 version).

Sounds to me like unwinddesign got a crappy copy or something, because this game is nothing short of beautiful. Graphically and gameplay-wise. There are a few minor framerate issues, here and there, but in no way effects the gameplay. It's usually when a section of the game is loading.

And for some deranged reason, I classify this game as a FPS with RPG overtones (If you think about it, it is). It's honestly not your typical RPG.

[unwinddesign]

I've never played an Elder Scrolls Game before and have not ever really gotten into an RPG. Is this the one to get?

I'll put it this way, I can't normally stand RPG's. I think, so far, unwind is the only person who doesn't like this game.

Personally, it takes alot for a game to amaze me. This game has. My only complaint with this game would be the eternal loading times (for the 360 version).

Sounds to me like unwinddesign got a crappy copy or something, because this game is nothing short of beautiful. Graphically and gameplay-wise. There are a few minor framerate issues, here and there, but in no way effects the gameplay. It's usually when a section of the game is loading.

And for some deranged reason, I classify this game as a FPS with RPG overtones (If you think about it, it is). It's honestly not your typical RPG.

It's alright. It's getting better than my initial impressions. The auto-travel feature helps a lot. I can't help but be disappointed though. I really enjoyed Fable -- the closest thing there is to this -- a lot more. This game just seems too helter skelter and free form. I'm all for freedom, but this just seems rather banal and uninteresting.

I'm only four hours in, and it has improved since my original run, so here's hoping it continues to improve.

[syzygy]

I want to say thanks EBGames--for nothing. I went into 3 different locations and got the old "sold out (for the PC) you should have ordered it, blah, blah, blah". So I had to go to Target and there is was, two copies left!

The only problem I had with the install is InstallShield hung, I had to force restart the computer. I must say that the moment I stepped out of the sewers into the dawn I was blown away Later in the game I found another entrance to the sewers and I actually shudder at the though of going back in, I really wanted to enjoy the world outside. That world is beautiful, and it felt alive. I could feel the gentle breeze. I felt like I could take on this huge world, then I went into 3rd person mode and realized that I had no shoes on! I just slogged through nasty sewers and goblin dens with no friggin shoes, yuk.

Since I am very new to the Elder Scrolls series, I just picked up a copy of morrowind in a thrift store about two weeks ago, I did not have a lot of preconception on what Oblivion should be. I really like the feel of combat, the hits feel solid and kills with a bow are truly wonderful. I saw a deer while walking around and though I would take it out with my rusty bow, after my second shot hit the deer it made this sad grunt/pain sound I felt so bad that I reloaded an earlier safe and vowed to not kill any deer. I still feel a little bad beating the wolves with the giant club.

I did noticed a slight chugging when looking over large vistas, but up close outdoor combat has been smooth so far. The zoom-in when speaking with other characters is kind of freaky, it feels like I am a little to close. I feel great fun is yet to be had.

[meancode]

******** SPOILERS ********

(Because I am sure someone here will call this a spoiler)

It is super-duper easy to become a Vampire in Oblivion, which is quite the change from Morrowind. It also takes a bit of work to get rid of it.

Here is a nice write up on that.

http://www.elderscrolls.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=280661

And if you really had no idea that you could become a vampire in the game, take a look at the stats screen. There are two stats for vampires.

On a related subject (well, only related to Oblivion): how the heck are people like JonnyRock level 6 already, and have barely touched the main quest, or joined all the factions?

It just shows how diverse this game really is. I am at Level 2, have joined all the factions, including Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild, and I have three main plot Achievement Points done. And I am still a level 3. Is it because I chose an Imperial this time?

Not that I am complaining. I upped the difficulty and am still going through the game at a pretty good clip. One thing about having to review games that sucks is how fast you have to run through them. My 2nd time through Oblvion is going to be much slower.

Becoming a vampire in the middle of completing a main story quest really sucks (ha ha) because it sort of puts a freeze on the entire game while I get rid of being a vampire.

That being said, being a vamp in Oblvion is a lot better than it was in Morrowind.

[FantasiaWHT]

Since you only level up once you've had 10 advances between your 7 "main" skills, if you've chosen skills that go up more slowly, you won't level up so fast.

For example, if you have athletics and acrobatics in your main skills you will level VERY quickly if you spend all your time jumping (carrying fatigue restoring potions) and swim all over the place.

[heybtbm]

Whoever is saying the 360 version doesn't have pop-up or frame rate issues hasn't left the sewers yet or is ignoring the obvious. The game still looks amazing, but it has problems (graphically) that I thought would disappear with this new generation of consoles.

Anyway, after 5 hours or so of play time, I'm starting to wonder if I have the patience (or interest) to play through the entire game. The FPS-style is nice and the sheer amount of things you can do is overwhelming...which is part of the problem. I'm starting to think this game is strickly for people with huge amounts of free time. I don't think I can be that committed to one game (awesome or not) for the next few months. I'm not ready to give up just yet, but this may be my first 360 game to hit ebay. We'll see.

[Johnny_Rock]

I'm about 12 hour in and while i do agree thare is a frame rate drop. When its loading the next area! Even then it dosent drop that much and it lasts less then 4 seconds and it dosent happen that often.

Also adressing anyone who thinks the game can be overwhelming. Go pick up some missions, start clearing out dungons, or start going up rank in one of the factions.


I personaly think people are being way too harsh on the game and just trying to find things to bitch about.

[Tan]

i find the game fantastic, worth crash, bugs, pop-in, and more, that stuff never stopped me from morrowind.

i do love how true they always stay to the canon of the elder scrolls, i made a custom character, same name, attibutes as my GOTY edition one, it was like an extension of morrowind and felt immediately comfortable to settle into, i find the AI amazing, spent 10 minutes listening to idle conversation between npc's while making some food, and i enjoy the challenge thieving has become, if they don't much care for you they'll follow you around.

[zerohero]

I'll be playing this game tonight. It will be my first intro into the series so most of the elements are new to me. The only thing similar to this game that I have played is Theif.

[Joker T]

BTW can you take screenshots? And why the heck is alt-tab disabled? So annoying.

You could just use printscreen and copy paste it into a photo editor (ie. paint)

[Ed Oscuro]

Haha, Fantasia fails at Oblivion.

First off, combat is incredibly improved. In the original, fighting a RAT - the lowliest creature there is, pretty much - was a life and death affair; you could train your fists on it for level after level without killing it (just give it a few seconds to rest and it'll bounce back into the fight, undamaged). Not so here; that rat will die in a punch. You can actually kill things with your fists now - including the first enemies in the game!

Archery I haven't tried yet (though I've been picking up all the bows and arrows I've found), but I hear it's highly improved.

You get good weapons early on.

Sneaking is improved; within the space of a few short minutes I'd practiced to level 25 on a silly rat. The first few levels are pretty much instantly acquired.

Of course I'm a bit annoyed that a better system for athletics and acrobatics (jumping) couldn't be developed, but frankly I have a bit of trouble concieving a better system that wouldn't come of as gimmicky. I've yet to see if they didn't have any competitions to improve these skills in, though.

The level quality and music seems much better than it had been in the previous game. I admit liking the music in the last one, but there wasn't any real theming to music, just a small selection of songs to be chosen randomly when a new event occured (i.e. the start of a fight), and Morrowind was terrible about fading songs in and out appropriately.

[Ed Oscuro]

Also - loading previous saves is pretty much instant for me. So damn cool.

[Anthony1]

I'm starting to think this game is strickly for people with huge amounts of free time. I don't think I can be that committed to one game (awesome or not) for the next few months. I'm not ready to give up just yet, but this may be my first 360 game to hit ebay. We'll see.



Yeah, I remember when I played Morrowind for the original Xbox, I'm normally not into these types of games, but I really thought it was pretty cool, but I realized that there was no way I was going to have enough time to just devote to that game like it was some kind of religion. Unfortunately, my attention span on games is shorter than what I would like it to be.


Oblivion would be sweet if I was single, no kids, no job, and just living in an apartment with a bed, a big ass HDTV, some decent 5.1 setup, and tons of time to kill. Unfortunately, that ain't the case with me. So I'm going to have to pass on this one. I'm definitely going to rent it, and check it out a few different times, but I'll catch it in the bargain bins in a few years.

[-hellvin-]

Nothing to bitch about here.

I'm impressed with the 360 version, no framerate annoyances, fast travel is great.

Now... if I could fiqure out how to level up..

Leveling's pretty weird in this game...you have to advance ten tims in any of your seven main skills. After doing so, you must rest on a bedroll or inn to receive your next level. It will also ask you three stats to improve. You can get a 3x or 5x (this is from morrowind, but believe the same holds true here) depending on how many times you leveled a certain skilled based on a particular stat.

For example, if you level a skills (such as blade for example) that's based on strength, you will get the chance to multiply the amount of strength you receive after leveling up. I believe if you plan exactly how to level your skills, by doing three each of a different stat, and the 10th one whatever you want, you will get three 5x multiplers for three seperate stats.

[FantasiaWHT]

BTW can you take screenshots? And why the heck is alt-tab disabled? So annoying.

You could just use printscreen and copy paste it into a photo editor (ie. paint)

But you can't alt-tab (or at least I can't) so I can only take one screenshot per play session :(

[FantasiaWHT]

Haha, Fantasia fails at Oblivion.

First off, combat is incredibly improved. In the original, fighting a RAT - the lowliest creature there is, pretty much - was a life and death affair; you could train your fists on it for level after level without killing it (just give it a few seconds to rest and it'll bounce back into the fight, undamaged). Not so here; that rat will die in a punch. You can actually kill things with your fists now - including the first enemies in the game!


See, I never found combat in Morrowind at all difficult. I got so quickly ridiculously strong in that game that that's the reason I stopped playing... nothing was challenging anymore.

My biggest beef is still that the skill system is identical. Would it hurt to evolve the skills some? Split blunt and blade into a few more subsets so that the same skill that governs massive battle axes doesn't cover daggers? What about crafting? What about sensing, or resource gathering skills?

[Ed Oscuro]

See, I never found combat in Morrowind at all difficult. I got so quickly ridiculously strong in that game that that's the reason I stopped playing... nothing was challenging anymore.
In Morrowind, it took me a long ass time to get to the point where I wasn't getting killed anymore, and a lot of that was conscious crunching (i.e. training on sword skills by beating on Daedra in some temple out in the middle of somewhere or other). Throughout far too much of my game - and I played for months and months - all I was able to do was exploit and rest my way through the game (and always ran around with too much damn inventory). Maybe it was different if you played with spells, but I played pretty much as a standard fighter with a few magical skills to use after battle.


My biggest beef is still that the skill system is identical. Would it hurt to evolve the skills some? Split blunt and blade into a few more subsets so that the same skill that governs massive battle axes doesn't cover daggers?
I'm pretty sure that's new. In the original Morrowind, there were categories for blunt weapons, short blades, long blades, axes, marksman weapons...it seems to me that they've actually condensed the categories a bit, which only makes sense seeing that if you know how to swing one weapon, you know how to swing another. It gives you a wider effective range of weapons, as you aren't starting over every time you switch weapons (which was a big problem in Morrowind).

[poe]

My biggest beef is still that the skill system is identical. Would it hurt to evolve the skills some? Split blunt and blade into a few more subsets so that the same skill that governs massive battle axes doesn't cover daggers?
I'm pretty sure that's new. In the original Morrowind, there were categories for blunt weapons, short blades, long blades, axes, marksman weapons...it seems to me that they've actually condensed the categories a bit, which only makes sense seeing that if you know how to swing one weapon, you know how to swing another. It gives you a wider effective range of weapons, as you aren't starting over every time you switch weapons (which was a big problem in Morrowind).

Also, you have the skill tiers at which you actually get a new "function" for the skills (paralyzing/disarming attacks, zoom ability for bow, make potions from one ingredient, etc.). Makes the skill system a lot more engaging, despite the consolidation of skills.

[Juganawt]

Just got the game today for 360 (on it's UK release date), I'm an hour in and I'm very, very impressed. Looks prettier than the PC version, not a drop in frames or popup in sight.

[Tan]

just curious, what are you guys using for vids cards for this game, and how is it running for you?

[njiska]

Just got the game today for 360 (on it's UK release date), I'm an hour in and I'm very, very impressed. Looks prettier than the PC version, not a drop in frames or popup in sight.

Get a horse.

[FantasiaWHT]

just curious, what are you guys using for vids cards for this game, and how is it running for you?

Sapphire X1600 XT, 256 Mb GDDR3, 600/1400 speeds, PCI-E.

Runs like a dream. I have all the options maxed and I haven't seen any stuttering or framerate drops, whether in the rain, on a horse, or with multiple enemies and spell effects going off. Only problem I have is I run into some transparency issues in some dungeons (but not all, strangely) like seeing through walls as I turn.

Ed and poe:

Yeah, I'll admit I like the addition of the tiers in skills, but did you notice that the tiers for hand-to-hand, blunt, and blade are all identical? I mean why does it even matter at that point? Just make a "melee" skill and be done with it if you're condensing skills anyway. I definitely would've liked to see more skills than fewer.

BTW, has anyone figured out if there's a way to take an arrow off your bow without firing it once you've nocked it? I'm sick of nocking an arrow, losing my target, and having to turn and fire straight down and hope it doesn't break hehe.

[diskoboy]

For those 360 owners not happy with the framerate, or it seems to sputter here-and-there, try clearing your 360's HDD cache.

Power on (cold boot) while holding the green (A) button to clear the cache. Should help for a while! If it begins again, just clear it again!

Hope that helps, guys!

Finally at Level 3. I have now put in over 20 hours on this game. Thank you, spring break! :D

[Trebuken]

Intitial Impressions:

Bad:
Load Times (used to it from some MMORPG's)
Not enough baddies (yet)
Dungeons (First few have been short)
NPC's often say the same thing
Alchemy. (To much stuff to pick up...)

Good:
Lot's to do.
You can be good, bad, indifferent
Auto Mapping...
Horses (Can you fight from horseback?)
Looks Good.
Combat is fun for me...avoiding the bow though...
Customizations.
etc.

It is not the linear fair that has become all too standard. This is Old School RPG goodness...

It looks like many of the quests/dungeons were designed to be completed in a sitting. Both good and bad.

Great RPG.

Later,
Trebuken

When do we get to post spoilers?

[Joker T]

just curious, what are you guys using for vids cards for this game, and how is it running for you?

ATI Radeon X850 XT 256 MB

Runs great auto, detected high for some reason though, thought it would be the highest. Playing at 1280 x 1024.

[nik]

No load issues on my 360...

Awsome game. Just beat the crap out of the Arena, I'm the Grand Champion, very fun quest just so you folks know.

Kind of a cheap ending for that quest though, I kind of feel robbed.

[syzygy]

Here is a pretty funny spoiler free story.

I got a quest to rescue someone's daughter--her mother clearly stated that her daughter loved her horse and would never be without it. OK, I find the missing daughter and kill lots of people. toward the end of the fighting the daughter hauls out a battle axe and kicks some butt.

Fighting done she looks at me and ask what do you want me to do, I say follow me. I am prancing and jumping my way back to her house--I was low on health so I was trying to get back fast. After about two minutes of travel I look back and no daughter. Crap, I head back to the place where I last saw her and there was her horse! I jump on the horse and head back the way I just came. Three minutes of travel and there the daughter is, trudging up a hill almost back home.

I take the horse to the top of the hill and wait, the girl walks right by me and says nothing. I jump off the horse and speak to her, nothing is said about the horse. I jump back on the horse again and she calls a "stinking thief" and pulls out here battle axe and basically kicks my butt! Thanks, I just saved you and you kick my @ss over a horse which you left back in the dusk. Pretty funny stuff.

[diskoboy]

Reviews I've seen so far....

IGN - 9.3
Gamespot - 9.6 (even going so far as to saying 'hands down, one of the best RPG's ever made'. I've never seen a score at gamespot this high).

Has anyone seen a bad review for this game yet? Most of the complaints I've seen, of course, deal with the 360's choppiness when you're outdoors.

[keiblerfan69]

I've never seen a score at gamespot this high).


I have:

Soul Caliber- 10
Chrono Cross- 10
Tony Hawk 3- 10
LOZ OOT- 10

[Johnny_Rock]

Reviews I've seen so far....

IGN - 9.3
Gamespot - 9.6 (even going so far as to saying 'hands down, one of the best RPG's ever made'. I've never seen a score at gamespot this high).

Has anyone seen a bad review for this game yet? Most of the complaints I've seen, of course, deal with the 360's choppiness when you're outdoors.

G4's Attack of the Show gave it a bad review but the opinion of Kevin Pereira and his underlings arent worth jack shit anyways.

[nik]

I think the whole choppiness is just overblown... Quake 4 was horrible compared to this and tons of people love it on 360 still.

I guess no matter how good a game is done, people will bitch about somthing.

"OH GOD, it actually LOADS STUFF" Well that sucks ass, I'm getting tired of reading the xbox forums now, all these kids who can't even post quality spelling and they bitch and whine about a game their parents probably bought for them.

[jdc]

I've been everywhere now and have yet to die. It's nice being a battlemage and having the ability to heal yourself LOL. The casting of magic feels so strong this time around. This game is heaven sent. I don't need another 360 title for a long time.

Back to exploring!

[njiska]

Anyone found a good source of lockpicks yet?

[Ed Oscuro]

Anyone found a good source of lockpicks yet?
Yeah, that's a great question.

Found a bunch of Nirnroots though LOL

Basically I do whatever I feel like. Sneak (I'm at 75, 'cuz once again you can trick the system to advance many levels at a time - you can't leave it on overnight like in the original, though, 'cuz messages pop up), some mage stuff, lots of combat skills (blade and marksman so far, my blunt level's too low to go back to), and quite a bit of alchemy. My official profession is Assassin, 'cuz it struck me as the right choice. I try not to steal stuff, though.

Love the enhancements, but combat seems a bit too tough. It's definitely compelling, but more than one marauder or bandit at a time is too many. I hate having to find a safe spot (i.e. on top of a rock in the wild) and zap myself back up to full health; need a good intermediate life spell.

Have decent acrobatics and athletics skills.

[njiska]

Love the enhancements, but combat seems a bit too tough. It's definitely compelling, but more than one marauder or bandit at a time is too many.

Haha, no kidding. The only way i could get past the 3 Prisioners in the Arena was by sucking down 3 or 4 Strong potions of healing.

The Knockdowns are really frustrating because everyone gangs up and just rapes the shit out of you. It looks really good, but it's frustrating as hell.

[Trebuken]

hmmm...combat has not been too tough for me as of yet, though I have died (loaded up the save and tried til I won). I have a Claymore of Sparks now (does a number on rats). I have much better armor than I started with too.

I have encountered some glitches that I have not found a way around yet. Some issues getting into Castle Kvatch and duplicate Quest items. I have a quest I am certain I am completed but cannot get credit for completing, yet. I also got to a point where no matter where I went I could not rest, the game constantly said monsters were around, no matter where I went...

Well, still is great...

360 Version.

Later,
Trebuken, The Hero of Kvatch.

[Tan]

Anyone found a good source of lockpicks yet?

when you join the thieves guild, the recruiter sells them for 5g a piece, infinite number

[nik]

Love the enhancements, but combat seems a bit too tough. It's definitely compelling, but more than one marauder or bandit at a time is too many.

Haha, no kidding. The only way i could get past the 3 Prisioners in the Arena was by sucking down 3 or 4 Strong potions of healing.

The Knockdowns are really frustrating because everyone gangs up and just rapes the shit out of you. It looks really good, but it's frustrating as hell.

Not me, but I'm a redguard, I just charged my Chillrend I got from a quest (frost hit on strike) short sword and hit my race skill (adren boost, lots of goodies for a tight fight) and kept pounding.

Tough little bastards though, the Battlemage gave me a hard time, until I lunged at his head, 2 hits and he was dead.

Want a tough one? Try beating the Grand Champ without doing the quest he wants you do it, god hes a powerful fighter.