The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

[PKerr]

OK so because I really enjoyed Fallout 3 and because of the awesome price I paid for the Game Of The Year Edition ($18.89) I'd give it a try even though role playing isn't my gaming style. And yes, I do realize they are different games.

I built my character as a Breton and played for about 45min or so just to get a feel for the game and so far I like what I've played.


I was very surprise to hear Patrick Stewart's voice!

Anyhoo looking for a little advice.
As I said, I picked a Breton but I think I'm going to restart my game with a different race.
I don't really care about casting magic spells, I'm more into the swords, armor and combat aspects of the game. i do realize that magic is part of the game, is there a character with a happy mid-ground?

Are there certain things I should collect and certain things I shouldn't bother with?
Is there a certain quest I should do first and do anther the very last?

Any help would be appreciated.


EDIT TO ADD.
Here is a 20% off XBox 360 games that help me get the game so cheap.
http://www.ebgames.com/gs/newnews/fsi/images/EBC3007325.jpg

 

[Hermiod]

I just winged it, really. My character's a Breton too, but then I'm more in to the magic side of it. Now that I'm Archmage of the Mages Guild and have access to my own spellmaking facilities, I really enjoy mucking around combining the effects of spells.

 

[PKerr]

I just winged it, really. My character's a Breton too, but then I'm more in to the magic side of it. Now that I'm Archmage of the Mages Guild and have access to my own spellmaking facilities, I really enjoy mucking around combining the effects of spells.

yea, see I don't think I really want to get into combining this and that to do this or that.
I'm not saying that mid way into the game I won't dig it but right now, not so much.
I'd also like to do some of the assassin stuff but don't really want to be a bad guy (sounds strange I know.)

 

[Hermiod]

^The assassin stuff might be easier if you do the Thieves Guild stuff first.

When you complete that you get the Mask of the Grey Fox which basically gives you a second identity. Any crimes you commit while wearing the mask goes down to the second identity. Any infamy or bounty gained is against that.

If you remove the mask the guards don't recognise you.

Magic does help in assassinations, though. Casting a frenzy spell on a target causes them to attack you and any nearby guards. Once they've done that, if you kill them it's self defence in the eyes of the guards.

 

[backstept]

don't bother buying a horse . . . they'll end up dying sooner or later
it's better to do the Dark Brotherhood quests because you're given an 'essential' horse (can't die, only goes unconscious) as one of the quest rewards

do the main quest first if you enjoy a challenge, if you do a bunch of side quests and exploring first you'll level up a lot and the main quest will be super easy towards the end

also, there's no Karma scale like in Fallout so it really doesn't matter how 'good' or 'evil' you are unless you don't mind paying bail

 

[PKerr]

Hermiod, backstept,
Thanks guys great stuff and duly noted.

Gimme more if ya got it!! LOL

 

[Hermiod]

I am, of course, evil, and have had a lot of fun casting frenzy spells on the guards.

 

[Evil Twin]

A good strategy is to pick skills you know you'll never be using while running around (in my case, magic) as your major skills so you can control the rate at which you level. Why? Because the world scales with you as you level. So you can be level 1 and have your oft-used minor skills at high levels and still be fighting easy stuff (very useful to just be fighting scamps during the main quest.) The flip side is that randomly generated loot you get from containers will be low level too. But unique armor, weapons, etc. will always be powerful no matter what your level. Plus I like to remain at low levels because it's kind of ridiculous to see bandits running around in glass and daedric armor when you're at a high level.

 

[Hermiod]

^One of the things I love as something of a purist is that the difficulty level is completely up to you. You can set it to the easiest setting and be pretty much invincible or set it to the most difficult and find yourself running away from crabs.

 

[backstept]

I was never nice to the Adoring Fan

 

[All Seeing Eye]

There are some ruins near the Imperial city where a woman called Umbra resides, her armour and sword (named Umbra also) are probably the best in the game but beware, she's tough as nails.
Oh and just a quick tip... do the missions to get you into the Arcane university first, when you gain the ability to enchant items you should enchant all your armour, boots and jewellery etc with the 'shield' spell. It will make you hard to kill. Also get a strong sword and use a grand soul gem to enchant it with the 'damage health' spell.

 

[Hermiod]

I was never nice to the Adoring Fan

That guy ? I think I killed him.

Oh, another tip, once you get to level ten have a go at Nocturnal's Quest. The reward for this is an unbreakable lockpick that adds 40 to your security skill meaning you can unlock any door that does not use a specific, named key.

 

[OdoWanKenobi]

One of the first things I did was go through the mage's guild quests until I got into the university, bought up some grand soul gems and turned them into black soul gems at the Dark Fissure, killed and soul trapped some bandits, and then made myself a complete set of clothing with chameleon on it. The world was then my oyster.

 

[Arrqh]

A good strategy is to pick skills you know you'll never be using while running around (in my case, magic) as your major skills so you can control the rate at which you level. Why? Because the world scales with you as you level. So you can be level 1 and have your oft-used minor skills at high levels and still be fighting easy stuff (very useful to just be fighting scamps during the main quest.)

It's important to keep the way the leveling system works in mind because it is totally possible to completely screw yourself over... if your level goes up faster then your combat related skills do, you can become seriously underpowered. Of course, if you're playing on PC there are numerous mods that totally overhaul the leveling system to be far saner then the one built into the game!

 

[firehawk12]

Seriously, Oblivion's weird system makes SPECIAL look like a grade 1 math test.

 

[TheBrew]

Yeah, enchant your shit. Get the enchant that steals souls so that you can always recharge your stuff easily. Once I had my sword buffed up, the game was easy-mode. I think you have to do at least some of the mage quest line first anyways.

 

[Mallet]

Here's a trick/flaw to use if you like. I found it by accident.

Do the Fighter's guild missions up until you start the mission where they give you this lower level fighter to take with you (he follows you around, help fight stuff, etc...) but then... don't do the mission. Just go back to doing the main quest or other missions for other guilds.

The guy will stay with you from then on, helping you fight stuff and running about. And the best thing is: he can't die. He might get torn apart by a wolf, but a few moments later he gets back up. He will even follow you into the infernal realms when you go across. He might fall into the lava and not be able to get out, but as soon as you go back to the real world, he appears next to you. If you race off, he will eventually catch up to you later in the game. It's great fun.

 

[Lt. Trull]

the biggest suggestion i can give you when playing the game....

when you start... u start in the dungeon.... and you start following the king... eventually you go your own way.... WHEN you encounter your first goblin.... he will walk to his camp fire and stay there....

GO INTO SNEEK... and at the corner right next to the goblin... put yourself into auto run mode and run against the wall right around the corner from the goblin... do this until you get to master level 100....

once you can sneek at level 100 the rest of the game is a piece of cake....

oh and do the assassin quest first to get shadowmere... the indestructable horse...

 

[Lt. Trull]

O and u need oblivion help.... go here....

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Main_Page

 

[Lt. Trull]

A good strategy is to pick skills you know you'll never be using while running around (in my case, magic) as your major skills so you can control the rate at which you level. Why? Because the world scales with you as you level. So you can be level 1 and have your oft-used minor skills at high levels and still be fighting easy stuff (very useful to just be fighting scamps during the main quest.)

It's important to keep the way the leveling system works in mind because it is totally possible to completely screw yourself over... if your level goes up faster then your combat related skills do, you can become seriously underpowered. Of course, if you're playing on PC there are numerous mods that totally overhaul the leveling system to be far saner then the one built into the game!

I actually love the spelltower mod... plenty of storage... demons to guard ur loot... all the stuff to make spells potents and enchant items with out the hastle of being in the mages guild..

and the new armor for shadowmere... got the eleven... the human steel armor looks too mundane...

and the pirate cove addon... outstanding...