Oblivion First Impressions

[StillLife]

I'm not totally in one camp or another. Although this frivilous "mod" so soon after release strikes me as a cynical attempt to make people pay even more for stuff that should have been part of the package.

 

Me too. While it's perfectly reasonable that Bethesda had ample opportunity to whip this upgrade up between the time the game went gold and release, it makes me wonder if they just pulled it from the game in order to sell it as additional content.

 

Heres what has me thinking. If developers are going to make money off "official" mods. Will they stop people modding the games ? After all people making free mods would be cutting into their business.

 

You would also run into issues with people using pay for play mods as a basis for thier own mods too.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Good question. Right now, user-made mods are pretty decent advertising for games, plus they stand to increase the overall quality of the game and make it more appealing--all at no cost to the developer. If models like the one here become a big source of revenue though, to the point user-made mods may actually be cutting into a developers/publishers profits, then it does seem like there could be a possibility they'll stop allowing them.

[StillLife]

My take is that if some developers start nerfing their releases, then other developers will become more popular.  I don't think the average consumer is so desperately stupid that they're going to pay substantial amounts of money for things they don't want.

 

I wish I could say the same. There's always some goofball that will go rushing for their wallets to have the latest and greatest, even when in the long run, they're shooting themselves in the foot.

 

EDIT:  Oh, and by the way, my StillLife friend, you'd better hope companies make money developing and publishing game, because our hobby is all but dead if they don't.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Oh there will always be plenty of profits to be had in this business. I don't begrudge developers making money for their craft--it's why I've never even been tempted to pirate games. It's the amount of profits they think they have to scrape out of consumers that worries me. Already a standard has been accepted amongst PC users that games aren't required to work the way they should upon release, just so publshers can rush something to market too early and keep investors happy. Still, the game industry really hasn't been too terrible about it compared to most other entertainment industries, but I'd rather it get any worse either. No one should!

 

You've already got Microsoft trying to drive up the retail prices of new games by slapping on an extra ten bucks for Xbox 360 games. Most likely Sony will realize they can get away with it and they'll follow suit. Those kind of trends, along with the one we're talking about here are things gamers need to stop being such pushovers about. It's not ok for people to try to extract more money from you while providing a less fulfilling product.

[Tigranes]

My take is that if some developers start nerfing their releases, then other developers will become more popular.

 

Considering how so many people whine about Oblivion but buy it anyway, or know it won't be the RPG Premium they adore but buy it anyway, that is sometimes not the case. Horse armour wont' make or break, for example, but it's a question of free or extra $2.

[Shadowstrider]

Ok, I could use some armour for my unicorn (that would be my next playthrough). But pay for such a minor upgrade? Ok, if they had done something about the balance in the game, or add more quests. Perhaps a few new spells or unique items.. But horse armour only? It's not a lot of money, but it still feels like paying for basically nothing.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

You cannot armor the unicorn.

[Tigranes]

Pourquoi?

[Monte Carlo]

I've been playing it for a couple of days on and off.

 

What can I say? It's an Elder Scrolls game, it plays like "Morrowind Plus."

 

I usually love exploring, but despite the general purdiness of the scenery I'm getting rather bored of it. The random dungeons are better than MW but they're still sort of....er....random.

 

Combat when there are neutrals/ allies present is a nightmare. You always end up hitting them...the twitchy combat is slightly better than MW (like the power attacks) but not vastly better. I do, however, like shield blocking it's a nice tactical touch.

 

The GUI is a console GUI. They quite clearly decided that making an iconic Xbox 360 game was more important than keeping their PC customers happy. The hotkey configs are rotten, makes combat even twitchier.

 

The plot is a typical Bethseda plot, a bit like a quesadilla; thin and slightly cheesy. I sort of dip in and out of it.

 

Overall? Given the utter poverty of the currently turgid CRPG genre it's a solid C+ for me, I boot it up for an hour here and there but it certainly doesn't have that "up all night" gaming quality I remember from The Olden Days.

 

Note: I don't read the gaming press. The inevitable fellatio this game received from the fanbois (which I read about at the Codex) has therefore completely passed me by, suffice it to say it is probably completely undeserved.

 

In conclusion: this game feels, and plays, like a superior modded plug-in for Morrowind (and XPs) with a better graphics package but far, far inferior GUI.

 

Cheers

MC

[Kaftan Barlast]

I think its beyond a bad idea to hold back on content from the commercial release of a game and then gradually release it to milk more cash from users who have already paid for a full game. IMO, its an outright scam.

 

 

Sure, horse armour is completely and utterly trivial but who knows where it will end? Maybe itll run full circle and go "You want to play the end of the game? Well, then youve got to pay up, biatch!"

 

 

It's my understanding it's an Xbox 360 requirement - every game must have marketplace content I believe, it's not really a Bethsoft thing.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

I told you all that consoles were evil, but did you listen? Nooo....

[jaguars4ever]

Those rats are big suckers, too!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Bigger suckers than these skoomas?

 

 

 

http://myspace-225.vo.llnwd.net/00605/52/26/605496225_l.jpg

 

Noes! Hot skooma!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Llyranor]

Yeah! And all those Digital Distribution modules from Bioware are scams, too. And those freaking expansion packs, man, why should I pay more money for additional content IF I ALREADY BOUGHT THE GAME????? WHY DO THOSE COMPANIES FORCE ME TO SHELL OUT MORE MONEY???????? WHAT KIND OF INDUSTRY ARE WE IN THAT I CAN'T EVEN HAVE A SENSE OF FREE WILL???????????????

 

And then I ate her.

[poolofpoo]

the game was sucking the energy out my life, i had to uninstall it.

[Hassat Hunter]

Enemies drop nothing you will really use?  Ooooook...  I'm beginning to wonder if you've even played the game.  Enemies drop the vast majority of good equipment, minus the unique "artifacts", that aren't actually that powerful once you get into the 20's.

 

Sofar everything I carry was either 1) Boxed, 2) Shopped (current lvl: 13).

 

I did not say everyone should walk around in dwarven armor at level 10, I said you start finding it at level 10, and in the case of this paticular discussion, by level 12, you should have most, if not all of the suit.  Again, exploration, finding bandits, killing them, getting their equipment, rinse and repeat a couple of times, and you're in new armor.

 

Lvl 13 and having Dwarven boots and helmet (both from a box) with the rest all Steel...

 

What does the gold amount behind a locked chest have to do with equipment drops from enemies?  You do realize some chests are flagged for gold, right?  Not every chest in the game is capable of having equipment in it.  Why are you so dead set on making an argument when you don't really have one?

 

Still, even if some things are flagged the eventual items/gold amount etc. found inside that box IS random, just like your enemy...

 

Yes, you brought up fixed items because you mentioned getting an elven sword at a lower level.  That's a placed item, it's not a "random equipment drop" - which *is* based off your level.  Again, try not to be so condescending in your replies, especially when you're having problems following the discussion you're participating in.

 

Nope, it is a random item (as the same box didn't had that sword on another occassion). And did you miss my "adventures" where I explained that from now on 50% of the enemies carry Elven Weaponry (the other Iron/Silver); oh my, my current random enemy drop is different from the hardfixed conditions... scary.

 

There are various caves where equipment chests have a high probability for equipment drops.  There's a few in the "Black Marsh" area.  Regardless, why are you so suddenly focused on equipment drops from chests only?  Has it not been made clear enough for you that the focus of this portion of the discussion has been centered around equipment that enemies carry?  Again, not every chest in the game is flagged to carry equipment, some are gold only, some are other combinations, some are equipment at a + or - to your current level.

 

Wait; wasn't it about "random items scaled to your level?" Does that only includes enemies... Nope...

 

EDIT; Just saw SS' post in the Scaling thread. If you start bringing in nice "Hardfixed standers" make sure you do the good one(s) and don't just put all the stuff on one pile if that ain't possible

 

And now about the *Pay for Horseskins* stuff;'

 

Total BS. Why can't MS just notch up the Live-registries up with a few bucks and then use that additional cash to finance the Game creators who then place FREE additions to their games?

Additional Live memberships because of the stuff, more games sold due to the higher support and extra's (and not everybody HAS all the games the mods come for so +$ for people who don't buy every game) and happier customers. Everybody wins and nobody bitches. I can only see positives to it... Or am I just totally wrong here?

Edited April 4, 2006 by Hassat Hunter

[Kaftan Barlast]

Yeah! And all those Digital Distribution modules from Bioware are scams, too. And those freaking expansion packs, man, why should I pay more money for additional content IF I ALREADY BOUGHT THE GAME????? WHY DO THOSE COMPANIES FORCE ME TO SHELL OUT MORE MONEY???????? WHAT KIND OF INDUSTRY ARE WE IN THAT I CAN'T EVEN HAVE A SENSE OF FREE WILL???????????????

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Theres a big differance between addons and content that should have been in the game when it was released but is taken out and then sold separately to the customer as a "special bonus thingie" of some sort.

[ShadowPaladin V1.0]

I did not say everyone should walk around in dwarven armor at level 10, I said you start finding it at level 10, and in the case of this paticular discussion, by level 12, you should have most, if not all of the suit.  Again, exploration, finding bandits, killing them, getting their equipment, rinse and repeat a couple of times, and you're in new armor.

 

Lvl 13 and having Dwarven boots and helmet (both from a box) with the rest all Steel...

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

My new character just came across a dwarven curiass and greaves at level 6.

Other stuff has been mostly iron with a few bits of steel here and there. I'm not taking the item drops at all seriously based on my own evidence.

 

Oddly my first character found quite a few dwarven weapons before ever finding a piece of armour.

[Llyranor]

Yeah! And all those Digital Distribution modules from Bioware are scams, too. And those freaking expansion packs, man, why should I pay more money for additional content IF I ALREADY BOUGHT THE GAME????? WHY DO THOSE COMPANIES FORCE ME TO SHELL OUT MORE MONEY???????? WHAT KIND OF INDUSTRY ARE WE IN THAT I CAN'T EVEN HAVE A SENSE OF FREE WILL???????????????

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Theres a big differance between addons and content that should have been in the game when it was released but is taken out and then sold separately to the customer as a "special bonus thingie" of some sort.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, lots of features from various xpacs were supposed to be in the vanilla in the first place. This is nothing new. "That's a cool feature/idea, but let's leave it for a xpac/sequel." As you say, though, this has the potential of setting a bad precedent, but armored horsies aren't what's going do it. Multiplayer, toolsets, there are already games out there that only offer those functional features only in xpacs. That's already a worse precedent.

[mkreku]

I went out looking for mods for Oblivion, and now I remember why I just don't bother with homemade content.

 

"This bow is

[Musopticon?]

Reall, the only mods worth playing fro any game are multiplayer mods, finished total conversions and mods that make the game more fluid without sacrificing suspense or balance in the process. That infinite stacking mod for BG 2 was a good example. Why the heck couldn't you stack armors or more than 40 arrows in the vanilla game?

[Hassat Hunter]

So, the addons are also available for PC now... but why do we have to pay TOO? What happened to the 12+ addons I DL'ed of Bethesda's site for FREE for MW back when that was released. Why can they do that for MW but not for Oblivion???

[Llyranor]

Because the repercussions of favoring the PC community over the 360 = bad business.

[Hassat Hunter]

Their fault... should they spend time/money for a better PC-system. Allows you to play Oblivion alot better...

[Llyranor]

Whoever's 'fault' it is doesn't matter. You're entitled to Oblivion and its patches, not to officially-supported addons. It's Bethesda's business and they call the shots (whether influenced by a third-party or not also doesn't matter, though we all know who that third-party is). Heck, how hard do you think it is for someone to make a armored unicorn mod for the PC version?

[10k fists]

It's my understanding it's an Xbox 360 requirement - every game must have marketplace content I believe, it's not really a Bethsoft thing.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Negative on that one. All Xbox 360 games must be Xbox Live compliant (for gamerscore points really).

[10k fists]

10K, you might also want to realise that you are drwaing your conclusions from your experiences as a singular user of Oblivion, just as everybody else is doing so rom theirs - therefore, unless one of us is an absolute retard (which is, sadly, untrue), all of them are just as valid as the other. Your putting everyone down because they had a different experience is both illogical and uncouth.

 

Unless you headed Beth QA or something, in which case I have a great dark corner I can hide and cry in.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'm not putting people down, I'm simply responding in the same manner by which I'm being addressed. Which is why some posts are different than others.

 

I'm not going off my "experience", I'm going off how Oblivion is coded.

 

My qualifications are moot, so whether I'm a high school janitor, or Pete Hines himself it doesn't change the fact that what I've said is the truth.

[StillLife]

Yeah! And all those Digital Distribution modules from Bioware are scams, too. And those freaking expansion packs, man, why should I pay more money for additional content IF I ALREADY BOUGHT THE GAME????? WHY DO THOSE COMPANIES FORCE ME TO SHELL OUT MORE MONEY???????? WHAT KIND OF INDUSTRY ARE WE IN THAT I CAN'T EVEN HAVE A SENSE OF FREE WILL???????????????

 

And then I ate her.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Expansion packs are usually like mini-sequels. There's a big difference between providing another 10-15 hours worth of gameplay, and charging consumers for insubstantial things that should either have been in the retail version of a game, or created for a full expansion.

 

Getting charged cash to buy individual new weapons, armors, spells, house decorations, and various other junk to complete or enhance the retail version of a game is a step in the wrong direction. Would it be alright in your wise, level-headed estimation if movies were released with missing special effects you had to buy, or if full-price books had additional paragraphs and sentences you could purchase online??????!!!!!!!!11111

 

Say 100,000 people--not an unreasonable estimation--buy the horse armor upgrade for Oblivion...that's $200,000-250,000 for putting horsey armor in the game! If I was a publisher and wanted to rake in some cash, I know that would be a tempting trend to follow.

 

"Hey Jim, why don't we go ahead and cut out half of the equipment we have for the game and sell each piece individually for cash online? We'll make a fortune!"

 

Lovely use of caps and excessive question marks by the way, I totally feel like an overly demanding, irrational jerk now.

 

Off I go to club a baby seal.

[Llyranor]

"Hey Jim, why don't we go ahead and cut out half of the equipment we have for the game and sell each piece individually for cash online?  We'll make a fortune!"

You mean, like spears and crossbows?

 

In any case, it's Bethesda's business model. If there's profit to be made and idiots will shell out money for it, there's no incentive to do otherwise. The trend isn't new. You can already buy items or whatever crap in other games already.

 

You can whine about it or sue Bethesda, I guess.

 

EDIT: Besides, Bethesda's bolder than you think http://www.elderscrolls.com/forums/index.p...howtopic=340806

Edited April 4, 2006 by Llyranor

[LoneWolf16]

Who buys and attempts to download something like this, which you know is going to be flooded with similar attempts, right when it first comes out? Give it a day or two, and all will be well with the servers.

 

As for the installer...beginning to think Bethesda is full of sadists.