For anyone interested in Oblivion

Brando70 · Post by **Brando70** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 1:11 pm

I am going back to this as soon as I finish GoY. I did about 30 hours the first time through, but wound up not liking my character. I want a character who does more magic and range attacks, so I'm going to start over.

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 1:32 pm

While I'm not playing this game right now, I love having it on hand to be able to jump into whenever there's a lull in gaming. Did you guys download the free Mehrune's Razor content? I think it's still free for download if you haven't.

TCrouch · Post by **TCrouch** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 1:38 pm

I've downloaded every piece of DLC on Oblivion. The Knights of the Nine is probably the biggest piece of DLC I've seen on XBL. It's an entirely new quest chain that grants you a full suit of armor and sword, shield, and mace that are all enchanted. It's equivalent to a Fighter's Guild or Mage's Guild quest line in length, pretty crazy.

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 3:23 pm

Brando70 wrote: I'm going to start over.

Starting over was the best thing I could have done. I hated my poorly conceived character. Was a big part , along with my WoW addiction, of why I put the game away before.

ScoopBrady wrote: Did you guys download the free Mehrune's Razor content? I think it's still free for download if you haven't.

I downloaded it but been too busy with all the other stuff to get to it yet.
Finishing the arena line was some good times.

TCrouch wrote:I've downloaded every piece of DLC on Oblivion. The Knights of the Nine is probably the biggest piece of DLC I've seen on XBL. It's an entirely new quest chain that grants you a full suit of armor and sword, shield, and mace that are all enchanted. It's equivalent to a Fighter's Guild or Mage's Guild quest line in length, pretty crazy.

You have gained my attention. Sounds very cool. Is it heavy armor?

webdanzer · Post by **webdanzer** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 3:38 pm

Brando70 wrote:I am going back to this as soon as I finish GoY.

Goy?

Gentiles of War?

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 3:47 pm

webdanzer wrote:
Brando70 wrote:I am going back to this as soon as I finish GoY.
Goy?

Gentiles of War?

Gears of War and Game of Year are one and the same.

TCrouch · Post by **TCrouch** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 4:12 pm

XXXIV wrote:You have gained my attention. Sounds very cool. Is it heavy armor?

Yep. You can also get some "Knights of the Nine" Light chain armor and shields on the way. A lot of travel involved, too, since the early chain has you running all over the landscape searching for shrines that aren't on your map. Some old fashioned exploration based on a small parchment map in there. Very cool stuff as it progressed.

Not even a "you receive a note" pointing you in the right direction when you download and start it, unlike others. You have to ask around, get some rumors, and it will eventually lead you to the quest line beginning.

Best DLC I've seen so far for any game.

Brando70 · Post by **Brando70** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 4:21 pm

webdanzer wrote:
Brando70 wrote:I am going back to this as soon as I finish GoY.
Goy?

Gentiles of War?

LOL, what a typo. I guess this makes the Berserker one tough shiksa!

Brando70 · Post by **Brando70** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 2:52 pm

Did anyone download the spellbook addition? It's 80 points and says it will allow you to discover spells you can add. Worth getting? My new character is a Spellsword so I'm using magic a lot more now.

TCrouch · Post by **TCrouch** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 3:57 pm

I downloaded everything, but didn't even try that one

RobVarak · Post by **RobVarak** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 5:53 pm

I'm gettting enormously frustrated right now. I have been playing a ton lately, and enjoying it a lot. I consciously created a character who would not be a hack and slasher, as I found with Morrowind that no matter what I did I ended up playing that way. So I created a Stealth/Mage combo, with a bit of blade ability just as a backup. Leveled 1-14 with no problem. Moved through the early Mages and Fighters Guild quests and closed the Kvatch gate with just the right amount of challenge. But now I can't do anything. Nothing.

Even the most routine misc. quests are impossible for me, as I can't seem to fend off a single Clannfear at this point. Everybody closes to fast and no matter how I try to slow or stay away, the dungeon layouts just end up putting me face to face. I tried one quest and the generic pickpocket mercenaries were killing me with three hits!

Equipment-wise I thought I was doing ok. I have the cuirass given as a reward for breaking the siege at Kvatch, the awesome shield from helping to find the thief of some painting at one of the castles, and nice assorted other chain armor. Weapons-wise I have a nice assortment as well. A cool enchanted sword from a Daedra, the Blades katana and a nice dagger...all enchanted. I regularly conjure up bound armor to compliment my own, I'm casting fire shield etc. I have conjuration as a major skill, and always bring in a zombie or something to tank. Still, it's still...SMACK, "Thank you, come again!"

Any suggestions? I don't ever remember becoming this frustrated with Morrowind, but again I just gave in and built a tank for that game.

Zeppo · Post by **Zeppo** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 6:01 pm

My original character was a very poorly-designed mage, and I ran into similar frustrations with him. Once I learned to use a scamp to tank, which I found better than a zombie for whatever reason, I had much better luck, and my destruction spells started to get pretty beefy, too. But I needed that scamp to tank, or I was toast. Are there any beefy shield or protection spells you can get working? Do you regularly buff with potions, or use poisons on your enemies? What about invisibility and the sneak-attack type strategy?

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 6:05 pm

It doesn't help that all the encounters are scaled to your level either. That was my #1 complaint with the game and what made me stop playing. There is absolutely no sense of being powerful or also any fear of being somewhere you shouldn't.

RobVarak · Post by **RobVarak** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 6:06 pm

Zeppo wrote:My original character was a very poorly-designed mage, and I ran into similar frustrations with him. Once I learned to use a scamp to tank, which I found better than a zombie for whatever reason, I had much better luck, and my destruction spells started to get pretty beefy, too. But I needed that scamp to tank, or I was toast. Are there any beefy shield or protection spells you can get working? Do you regularly buff with potions, or use poisons on your enemies? What about invisibility and the sneak-attack type strategy?

I've been using potions more, but much like the enchants they don't seem terribly effective...except for paralyze, which rocks! I almost always start with a sneak attack, and generally that gives me enough advantage to wail on the first baddie...but then it's open season. I'll try the scamp more, as it's almost the same mana cost I think.

I'm also thinking of switching over the PC version, as spell casting is clunky as hell with that lousy Xbox directional pad...I need real hotkeys. Nothing like casting a heal spell when you're trying to launch a shock attack

Zeppo · Post by **Zeppo** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 6:13 pm

True that about the d-pad. That's why I'm thankful everything pauses with the B-button and I can select a spell, or buff up on several potions, from the menu.

And dare I suggest the horror that is the 'difficulty slider?' Surely this was added part-and-parcel with the leveling mobs system? I admit I'm freaked out by the idea as well, but when you think about it, the difficulty is inherently random as it is, and once the slider is slid, I think I'd soon forget about it having been adjusted soon enough. Worth a thought. But there must be some secret to magic using that we are forgetting. I haven't played my mage in a while, having started a big brawler to get through the main quest, and only the main quest. It still takes forever. . . I miss being able to heal, but end up 'resting' all the time.

RobVarak · Post by **RobVarak** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 6:15 pm

Zeppo wrote:True that about the d-pad. That's why I'm thankful everything pauses with the B-button and I can select a spell, or buff up on several potions, from the menu.

And dare I suggest the horror that is the 'difficulty slider?' Surely this was added part-and-parcel with the leveling mobs system? I admit I'm freaked out by the idea as well, but when you think about it, the difficulty is inherently random as it is, and once the slider is slid, I think I'd soon forget about it having been adjusted soon enough. Worth a thought. But there must be some secret to magic using that we are forgetting. I haven't played my mage in a while, having started a big brawler to get through the main quest, and only the main quest. It still takes forever. . . I miss being able to heal, but end up 'resting' all the time.

Oh, forgot about that difficulty slider. I'm way past the point of being proud, having spent the better part of the last two day getting killed every way possible.

Brando70 · Post by **Brando70** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 6:27 pm

If you guys change the difficulty slider to an easier setting...I don't know, I just might be able to talk to you anymore.

I think the issue is that spells and missile attacks just can't get it done on their own. They are the hot fudge of Oblivion, best when sprinkled on the ice cream of melee combat. Consumed alone, they will make you sick to your stomach.

I started over with a Spellsword and am having fun. Enough magic to keep things varied from constant bludgeoning, but enough bludgeoning to not make the game overly difficult. I agree about the hot keys, though, the diagonal ones are almost useless.

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 6:56 pm

The d-pad used to frustrate me until I started pushing in a direction and then moving the d-pad in a circular motion for the diagonals (i.e. first press down and then roll to the left for the bottom left diagonal). Once I stopped trying to hit the diagonals and used this technique my frustration vanished. My character uses melee weapons for combat and spells for healing and abilities (lockpicking, water walking, increased strength, underwater breathing). Along with that I'll conjure the occasional beastie and cast the occasional fireball. I'm having a blast with it.

RobVarak · Post by **RobVarak** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 7:17 pm

Brando70 wrote:If you guys change the difficulty slider to an easier setting...I don't know, I just might be able to talk to you anymore.

I think the issue is that spells and missile attacks just can't get it done on their own. They are the hot fudge of Oblivion, best when sprinkled on the ice cream of melee combat. Consumed alone, they will make you sick to your stomach.

That's been my experience in the past and frankly it pisses me off. There's no reason for that at all. It's not like a mage can party up with melee fighters, so gimping magic is just aggravating. Maybe I've just played too much WoW, but it'd be nice to have a character to actually feel like he belongs to a class instead of falling into the sort of fighter-mage-theif melange that everyone sort of falls into in Oblivion.

Slumberland · Post by **Slumberland** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 9:45 am

So who plans to pick up the Shivering Isles expansion? It's a no-brainer for me. I played a fair amount of the Big O this weekend, finally coming across that 'painting' quest in Cheyindal I'd heard about, plus a whole host of other interesting quests. I've got about 50 hours on my save file and I still feel like I've barely scratched the surface in some ways. Looking forward to the expansion.

Slumberland · Post by **Slumberland** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 10:42 am

Cry for help... I'm in the middle of the Knights of the Nine quest, and something happened in the dungeon where I recovered the Helm where my magicka now no longer regenerates. Anyone know what might have caused this (and how to fix it)? I can't beat these nine ghostly @ssholes without my restoration spell!

Slumberland · Post by **Slumberland** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 11:06 am

I figured it out... I contraced the Astral Vapours from a zombie. Wouldn't be the first time!

kevinpars · Post by **kevinpars** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 8:59 pm

There is a new patch out today. The only notable changes are that the level of detail for distance views has changed (improvements to the shader technology) and the achievements for Shivering Isles were added. The LOD change is subtle but noticeable. It also seems like load times might be a tad shorter.

To get the patch just log in to Live and boot up the game.

Airdog · Post by **Airdog** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 11:17 am

IGN reviews Shivering Isles (8.3):
http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/776/776212p1.html

It sounds like it's more of the same, with an interesting set of new locales and dungeons to explore, but more of the same as far as Oblivion is concerned is probably a good thing.

Slumberland · Post by **Slumberland** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 11:21 am

Downloaded Shivering Isles last night, hope to pay a visit this evening... I still have so much to do in that original content, though. I've got about 60 hours logged, level 23 Spellsword, not even close to done with the main quest. The game is crazy.