Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Discussion Thread

Depending on how well they code it, maybe yours. I can run Half-Life 2 with every single option all the way up on a computer that cost me 1000 bucks total.

I can't wait for this game. I've had Morrowind forever and still go back and play it every month or so. There's just so much to do. And I still haven't even started the main quest in Morrowind. The package you deliver when you start? Still sitting in my inventory.

The deer looks cool. I'd be happy if I never saw another cliff racer again.

I think it'd be cool if they could include multiplayer. Not like a MMORPG, I never want the series to go in that direction(even though it's basically built like one with an actual story). But y'know, maybe if you have 4 or 5 to play with you could do stuff in groups.

I'm not very impressed. Notice how blurry those textures are and the pretty basic polygon structures. Compare this with Unreal 3 that's coming out in a year or two and it just doesn't compare.

Well, it certainly has more color than Morrowind. I got winter depression trying to play the game.

I've always had great respect for the games, because of what they managed to do...I just wasn't getting into them. Hopefully, this one will change that.

Morrowind is probably the best game I've played, so naturally I can't wait for this. It'll probably also give me the excuse I need to upgrade my PC.

Is there an announced release date yet?

As of Feb. 3, no release date was available for Oblivion.

Take-Two Nabs Elder Scrolls IV, Cthulhu
2K Games adds Bethesda's latest to its publishing roster.
By David Adams

February 3, 2005 - Take-Two Interactive's new label 2K Games will co-publish The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, the latest epic RPG project from developer and co-publisher Bethesda Softworks. Bethesda will retain development and all rights to the Elder Scrolls franchise.

"As a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive, 2K Games has the benefit of a worldwide, industry-leading sales and distribution network, and Take-Two's proven track record of releasing great games," said Vlatko Andonov, President of Bethesda Softworks. "Through this partnership, Oblivion will reach the largest audience possible."

Oblivion will use an advanced 3D graphics engine, advanced artificial intelligence, and, like previous Elder Scrolls titles, the latest chapter will feature open-ended gameplay encouraging free exploration of the game's gigantic world. Oblivion is in development for the PC and "a next-generation console system," which we can only assume means either PlayStation 3 or the next Xbox.

As part of a separate agreement, 2K Games will also join Bethesda in co-publishing Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth, a much-anticipated (and much-delayed) first-person horror title based on the work of H.P. Lovecraft. Cthulhu is being developed by Headfirst Productions for PC and Xbox.

Bethesda and Take-Two have not yet announced release dates for either title.

http://pc.ign.com/articles/584/584993p1.html

To answer a previous question posed in a quoted article...it's going to be on the Xbox360.

I've heard November 2005 for this, but can't confirm. Anyone hear anything more specific?

In that trailer the guy narrating says "this Christmas".

This will most likely be the game that prods me into buying a 360...

The game will be out day one for the 360, so I will be getting this little bugger Nov 22.

I'll be buying the PC version, so I don't think it's the same date, unfortunately.

I'm counting on a review from you guys though.

I see some stuff that has it as a release title for day one, some that doesn't have it listed. HK, you're sure of the release? (I want you to be right, btw)

From IGN, via Gamefly:

"Overall the game was so far everything we hoped it could be. The environment was incredibly detailed, the voices were great, graphics smooth and believable, and the game felt much smoother and easier to control."

"We then launched into the game's character creation system. It was set up with the menu options on the left and a large head portrait of your created character on the right. Players could choose between Khajiit, Nord, Imperial, Orc, Redguard, Wood Elf, Argonian, Breton, Dark Elf, or High Elf for their race. After selecting a gender the face could be customized to very specific proportions. It was possible to manipulate your face's shape and tone, as well as the cheeks, eyes, forehead, tone of beard, eyes and eyebrows, lips and nose. You could also change the hair style and color along with your character's age and skin complexion. Overall it was extremely detailed and allowed for highly specific customizations.

You'll have many of the same skill as in Morrowind like restoration, alchemy, destruction, light armor as well as strength, agility, and luck statistics, among many others. Birth signs are still in the game, as well as gauges for bounty, fame, and infamy."



And, well, you know....the game's not in sepia-tone. It won't cause winter-depression when you try to play it.


http://www.gamefly.com/products/deta...d=116685&tab=2

Bump

Sean Bean. I had to say it.

From Evil Avatar:

A short delay, but a delay nonetheless.

Bastard has been delayed until Spring, probably closer to April.

We were getting so close.

Oblivion has an official release date. Ships March 20th (06 I hope).

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/693/693109p1.html

Yeah, this sucker is GOLD. I can't wait to geek out on a great (I hope) immersive role-playing game.

I'm really looking forward to it. I didn't get into ES3 much, but I think that's because by the time I got an Xbox I had so many games to catch up on I just didn't want to invest the time. This time around should be different.

Heh, god I'm not going to get a damn thing done in April. Or March, for that matter, as I'm starting a new MW playthrough to get back in the groove and will also spend a couple hours in each of the other four Elder Scrolls games.

Ok, what do I need to know (storywise) from the previous games so that I understand this one, or is it independent of the others?

All Elder Scroll games are set in the same universe, but are stand-alones. IIRC, they're all set in different locals.

You always seem to start in prison, though.

If Daggerfall and Morrowind are anything to go by you should be able to get all the info you need from books scattered about the place, be warned in Morrowind they literally were books...

I know it's probably not gonna happen but it would be awesome to have a set villains as well intergrated into the mythos as the ash vampire clan from Morrowind.

I hope this thing installs and plays on Win XP 64bit, or I'm going to have to nuke and pave a new OS.

Why I'm a console gamer.

If I had an Xbox 360, I'd get it on the console.

Thanks for the information. I am pretty pumped on this one.

Ok. So, this is a scan from the Euro PC Gamer for Oblivion. I thought I couldn't get anymore excited. Turns out I was wrong. Be warned, however: there are spoilers. Not bad ones, in my opinion, but if you don't want to know about some random quests or what Oblivion looks like or who Sean Bean voices...don't bitch to me if you read it.

Ok, so they're too big to paste here. I'll zip 'em up and throw then on rapidshare. I know, it's a pain in the ass, but the review is damn good. And it's only 2 MB. I can reenact it with puppets, if you prefer.

http://rapidshare.de/files/15247923/...Pages.rar.html

Puppets! I want puppets!


I'll have to download this at home. We only have zip capability at work, and we have locked down-machines...can't install better software.

Great article...thank you.

I forgot to download the article from home, since I can't access from work for some reason.

Impressive article, screenshots, etc.?

Very. I skipped all of his character stories, and it was mostly stuff we've heard before, but the pics and the layout (and the writing) were well done.
Only drawback seems to be the scripted conversations between NPCs that are supposed to be random will drive you insane the 423rd time you've heard it.

The reviewer played as a Thief/Assassin and the game at that point became, for him, a spiritual successor to the THIEF series. That alone is incentive enough for me. A couple of screenshots made the game look very THIEF-like as well. One of the tag-lines in the article was "Garrett, eat your heart out."

I reccommend at least reading the first quest story and the assassin quest story, if only because they are FUCKING AWESOME. They spoil those quests, but I know I'll be doing them different myself, so it's ok with me.

Good to hear. Thief series is at the top of my favorites list.

So, the Bethesda guys are doing countdown videos. Those cock teasers. Here's the video page http://www.elderscrolls.com/downloads/media_movies.htm and the video link http://bethsoft.com/downloads/video/countdown-1week.wmv .

You know, there's some pop up there, but goddamn, that's pretty looking.

I think Jesus wants me to get this game. I was considering upgrading my machine for the first time in a couple of years, but I wasn't sure. A couple of weeks ago my computer was fried by lightning. My girlfriend decided to give me the shitty power strip when she was reorganizing the cables behind our desk. I ended up dropping about $800 on new hardware, so I feel pretty confident I will be able to handle this beast when it comes out in a week. Thanks, Jesus.

I was just wondering what type of Character you guys are plan on making. Me myself, I'm tired of the whole good guy vibe that I usually go for. I think I'm going to try something a little darker this time. Maybe a Assassin/ Thief.

My main goals for this game right now are: (I don't know if they are possible, but I'm sure as hell going to try)

1: To find a Merchant and steal everyone of his items.

2: To start my own Plague: It gives you severe headaches, makes your ears,
and eyes bleed, causes disorientation, and seizure, finally leads to a slow
and agonizing death. I'll call it the Uwe Boll Syndrome (UBS)

3: Steal a whole town blind, so that they go bankrupt, and all the residence
of the town have to become hobos and starve to death.

4: Find a town and kill everyone in it, so that I can clam the town as my own
and rename it Faraci-ville.

5: One word... Genocide

I'm going to steal everyone's food and money in a town and see if they become canibals. If not, see if they're hungry enough to start bum fights everytime I throw a piece of bread out into the streets.

Heh, maybe they'll start eating their pets.

I'm gonna be a Pirate...

I played the goodie on Morrowind and Daggerfall so I might try and be the bastard of opulent evil in Oblivion...

And of course the first thing I'm gonna do is steal me a horse

XOM gave it a 9.5 The first and last page of the review is up here (there's two pages missing for some reason)

http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/3...n1large7ad.jpg
http://img398.imageshack.us/img398/9...n4large3yb.jpg

Although previously addressed, I found this:
"
The story in Oblivion is in no way connected to Morrowind's. There are several reasons why this is so: firstly, the designers are looking to further expand and deepen Tamriel's lore, and that would be rather hard to do if all the legends originated from the same source. Secondly, as Tod Howard, the game's producer explains, Bethesda wants newcomers to the series to be able to jump right in the game world without having to play Morrowind or read up on the previous events in the story in order to figure out what's going on. Incidentally, this might be further evidence that Bethesda is looking to attract even more console players to the series, but let's give that thought a rest for now.
At the beginning of the game, our main character finds himself in a dungeon (just as the very first game, Arena, started) without any recollection of how he got there or who he is. The idea with this is that players shouldn't be burdened by having the hero's past actions influence those in the present. The team wants to give players the freedom to mold their character in any way they see fit (morally speaking). The player can become an arch villain or a valiant hero that will travel the land doing good deeds and ultimately saving the world of Tamriel."

http://www.actiontrip.com/previews/t...oblivion.phtml

....and Fight Night gets a 10 in the same issue.

9.5 is okay I guess.

Is this out today or tomorrow? I've seen both dates.

I think it's supposed to ship today. So most places should have it today with the rest getting them over the next couple of days.

Folks on the TeamXbox forum who preordered have been reporting calls from EB/Gamestop that it's available Monday for pickup.

I don't preorder anymore myself, and calling ahead is usually deeply ineffectual, so I'm in the dark on what to expect today. Hopefully it'll be on my local EB's shelf, gleaming seductively, when I check in the evening.

My EB called yesterday (I'm in Pittsburgh) and said it would be available for pickup later today. I'm so happy I could shit.