Oblivion First Impressions

[mkreku]

A vague hint:

 

One of the Daedra shrines leads you to the unicorn..

 

 

A not-so-vague hint:

 

The Daedra shrine is called Hircine's Shrine. The place with the unicorn is called Harcane Grove. It's just an open space guarded by minotaurs. The unicorn is supposed to be in the middle, but it might only show at night. I'm not sure. You have to sneak up on it unnoticed and then mount it before it runs away, otherwise it'll attack you.

 

 

A truly obvious hint (do NOT click on the picture unless you want to see where the unicorn is hiding!):

[Shadowstrider]

I think the unicorn is the fastest ride you can catch in Oblivion. Of course, you'll always end up in trouble with that damn critter, but it's sooo worth it when you're flying down the road.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

How do i get the damn thing? I haven't been able to find it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Actually, the black horses from Cheydinhal, or

Shadowmere

are the fastest horses in Oblivion.

[Hassat Hunter]

Damn I hate the deletion of the Edit button... ah well, delete and re-posting with new/changed content should do the trick...

 

Anybody else get the "Need New Couriers?" topic in the Imperial city...I can't find anybody who'll tell me about it, but I saw it up in the corner a few minutes after I first entered town.

 

I assume you ask one of the 3 Khajiit brothers working for the Courier...

How did you get such a talk option anyways?

 

Since I just lost my edit button in the progress of writing this, a second post

 

EDIT; Part IV... messing around

 

So I got bored and decided to do some mischief. First I decided to kill some sheep under the nose of a guard. I already noticed during the sheeps feeding periods these sheep were para-normal (they slided to the left and right when eating!) but I risked it anyways. Anyway, the guard did not like my sheep killing action and thus awarded me with 1GP penalty. Like before the Journal told me I had no bounty on me (looked it up after refusing to pay). This guard then called 3 buddies and decided to whack me screaming relevant stuff like "BURGLAR" and such. I died.

Attempt 2: Grand Theft Horse. Under the nose of several people I jacked a horse. A guard came to follow me. At a strange looking rock I stopped and got of my Horse. I heard a guard calling for me and quickly got on my horse for the run. Instead of following me on my horse he returned to the city though even if he was standing next to me when I mounted the horse. So I just decided to drive further to hit my first INVISIBLE WALL in the game. Invisible Wall you say? Weren't you talking about TES IV? Yup... I still am. Oblivion seems to have Invisible Walls as to block us from certain parts of the maps... And then not even at the borders of Cyrodiil, but just somewhere in the middle!

Having bumped up this wall several times I reached a pretty flamed looking castle. Not soon after I saw my first Oblivion Gate (fugly looking GFX Is it really supposed to look awfull?) and noticed this was the infamous Kvatch (still haven't did ANY MQ-progression after exiting the sewers though). Anyways, not familiar with the things I avoided them (the Gate) and entered the city. Bad idea... one dead Khajiit

-End of part IV-

 

Part IV- Epilogue.

 

Quest: Paranoia in Skingrad.

For some odd reason on the Vinyard the person followed does walk normal to the eating site, but her partner does not... he sneaks I wonder why since he just goes out for eating no? No secrets...

Anyways, after eating miss decided that growing grapes on grape-plants was not the best way to do it and started to plough the stone path at Tamika's house. Talk about odd behavior

 

So while waiting for her to finish I decided to do some FX-Tests. I was standing in a stone gate with wooden fence anyways, and my Elven Blade could use some cutting. But the FX-effects in Oblivion are odd and work practically incorrect. The stone gave NO sound effects 50% of the hits and when it did give effects suddenly the wooden fence started making stone hit sounds too . Hitting the wood worked fine, besides the times it made a stone sound effect.

A bum came, and took something from a basket and ate it

 

The followed one decided that she was hungry too and put away her shovel or what is it called and spawned food out of thin air... she didn't use the basked the bum used

 

After a small while the bum was done eating and decided it was time for sleep. He walked to the fence which suddenly mysterically closed (no animation, just 1 frame open, second shut) causing mister bum to moonwalk upon the gate. He noticed though and after a small while the fence re-opened... but he did not open it (as seen by the non-existent physics and the door that went through him, see stories before!). Other fences worked normal for him though.

Did some FX-effect testing after that and for some whicked reason all wooden doors and barrels in Skingrad either have (faulty) missing FX or that of the stone hit. What the...?

 

So far Story IV. Keeping you posted on the oddities I meet in the future (and I just know I will meet several every time I load Oblivion!)...

 

PS. And could Oblivion be so nice as to STAY OFF my sound options (specifically the volume of Wave-sounds) *sigh*. Hate to have to reset it back again everytime after playing

 

EDIT; Adding Oblivion gate looks. Is that normal?

Edited April 6, 2006 by Hassat Hunter

[mkreku]

Actually, the black horses from Cheydinhal, or

Shadowmere

are the fastest horses in Oblivion.

What?! So what's the deal with the unicorn then? You mean I've been struggling with that damn thing for days and it wasn't even the fastest?! Or second fastest??

 

I'm gonna kill that damn unicorn myself the next time I see it. I went from that slow-ass horse you're given from a mission straight to the unicorn so I guess the difference made me think it was fast. Oh, and that the speed was what was worth all the trouble.

[StillLife]

What?! So what's the deal with the unicorn then? You mean I've been struggling with that damn thing for days and it wasn't even the fastest?! Or second fastest??

 

I'm gonna kill that damn unicorn myself the next time I see it. I went from that slow-ass horse you're given from a mission straight to the unicorn so I guess the difference made me think it was fast. Oh, and that the speed was what was worth all the trouble.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I guess the fact it's a unicorn is supposed to be its main appeal. I just happened to stumble across the nutty thing a while back ago and it trampled me. It may be stronger in combat than other horses, though that doesn't count for much.

[metadigital]

It can also use its horn as an extra attack ... ... or a paper spike.

[Gromnir]

...

 

what is the point of the horses anyways? got insta-travel, right?

 

while doing some map mowing west of chorrol, we comes across a strange scene... dead guy, horse, bandit and lion. am not sure how the dead guy ended up dead, but the horse were mauling the bandit, and the lion seemed to be savaging the bandit and the horse. so, Gromnir decides to intervenes and dispatches the lion and the bandit both... then loot the corpses.

 

figure that an opportunity has presented self, so we takes the horsie for a short jaunt. were curious 'bout the whole horse thing, but not curious 'nuff to buy a horse.

 

lame. ditch the horse.

 

...

 

2 days later we talks to some city guard in an attempt to get directions... the guard informs Gromnir that we is under arrest for our terrible act o' thievery that we did some substantial distace away, and he totes us off to prison and we pays some hefty fine.

 

whenever ss starts telling us 'bout oblivion realism we just wanna pop him in the grill.

 

HA! Good Fun!

Edited April 6, 2006 by Gromnir

[metadigital]

You should have handed that horse into lost property! ^_^

 

(lost chattel? )

[10k fists]

It's a shame you are completely wrong then isnt it. At a certain level everyone dosnt suddenly start wearing certain armour. And since I've had dwarvish armour drop from a random maurader at level 6 while most other mauraders are wearing iron with a few bits of steel here and there. The list means nothing.

 

Perhaps if you had the experience you claimed you had you would realise that.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The sad part here is the fact you all are so wrapped up being overly cynical that you've taken every comment to an exaggerated point.

 

I ask you to look back and notice how I used the term "random", and other key words like "start dropping", etc...

 

Here:

 

I did not say everyone should walk around in dwarven armor at level 10, I said you start finding it at level 10

 

...I explained random drops for elven start at level 15

 

If you spend 11 levels in the wilderness without visiting town, then you've fought enough enemies to get drops for steel/silver - and not a simple "iron longsword".

 

Elven is available at level 15, I've said this multiple times.

 

Or you can go find one of those plus a dwarven one (dwarven starts dropping at lvl 10).

 

Steel plate is decent at level 12, but you've had two levels to start getting dwarven/mithril, which is simply ... better.

 

Magical weapons +2 levels (ie, magical glass won't have a chance of dropping till you are level 22).

 

Weapons associated with the equipment, ie: "ebony longsword" drop the instant you hit level 15, just like the armor.

(take note of the word chance in the first sentence - it applies to the second one as well, since it was the same post)

 

All these combat situations give you chances of finding equipment. All of the combat situations with "bandits" always give you equipment for your level.

(yes the second sentence was a little misleading, but when read with the first one, it should have been clearer - regardless, this was an older comment, and as you've seen, I've clarified it a great deal since)

 

At level 10, you start finding dwarven/mithril equipment, period, end of story. For two entire levels (given you actually made the levels, and didn't sit in town training), you've been fighting bandits and other such enemies. Or perhaps, you've been doing quests, which generally yield even better results than random dungeon searching.

 

etc...

etc...

etc...

[ShadowPaladin V1.0]

It's a shame you are completely wrong then isnt it. At a certain level everyone dosnt suddenly start wearing certain armour. And since I've had dwarvish armour drop from a random maurader at level 6 while most other mauraders are wearing iron with a few bits of steel here and there. The list means nothing.

 

Perhaps if you had the experience you claimed you had you would realise that.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The sad part here is the fact you all are so wrapped up being overly cynical that you've taken every comment to an exaggerated point.

 

I ask you to look back and notice how I used the term "random", and other key words like "start dropping", etc...

 

Here:

 

I did not say everyone should walk around in dwarven armor at level 10, I said you start finding it at level 10

 

etc...

etc...

etc...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Execpt my first character never started finding it at 10 and my second one seems to have started to find it at level 6.

If you want to lecture people about what they are supposed to find you should at least get your facts straight. And make sure that the evidence backs up the code.

 

Since I basically figured this out without any great experience playing the game one would think that someone with the experience you claimed you had would know this.

[10k fists]

Execpt my first character never started finding it at 10 and my second one seems to have started to find it at level 6.

If you want to lecture people about what they are supposed to find you should at least get your facts straight. And make sure that the evidence backs up the code.

 

Since I basically figured this out without any great experience playing the game one would think that someone with the experience you claimed you had would know this.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

It's in the code, done trying to get it through your extremely thick skull.

[Meshugger]

Many thanks to mkreku and shadowstrider for my unicorn request.

[Llyranor]

The code is irrelevant when it doesn't work.

[ShadowPaladin V1.0]

Execpt my first character never started finding it at 10 and my second one seems to have started to find it at level 6.

If you want to lecture people about what they are supposed to find you should at least get your facts straight. And make sure that the evidence backs up the code.

 

Since I basically figured this out without any great experience playing the game one would think that someone with the experience you claimed you had would know this.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

It's in the code, done trying to get it through your extremely thick skull.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Just because it's in the code dosnt mean you will find it on every bandit you come across. I'm still coming across bandits wearing fur at level 7 which according to the code shouldnt happen. They should all suddenly start wearing leather.

 

Perhaps you should play the game and not just look at the code ?

[StillLife]

...

 

what is the point of the horses anyways?  got insta-travel, right? 

 

while doing some map mowing west of chorrol, we comes across a strange scene...  dead guy, horse, bandit and lion.  am not sure how the dead guy ended up dead, but the horse were mauling the bandit, and the lion seemed to be savaging the bandit and the horse.  so, Gromnir decides to intervenes and dispatches the lion and the bandit both... then loot the corpses. 

 

figure that an opportunity has presented self, so we takes the horsie for a short jaunt.  were curious 'bout the whole horse thing, but not curious 'nuff to buy a horse.

 

lame.  ditch the horse.

 

...

 

2 days later we talks to some city guard in an attempt to get directions... the guard informs Gromnir that we is under arrest for our terrible act o' thievery that we did some substantial distace away, and he totes us off to prison and we pays some hefty fine.

 

whenever ss starts telling us 'bout oblivion realism we just wanna pop him in the grill.

 

HA! Good Fun!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

You have to discover dungeons and the like by traveling around the map. Other places aside from major towns, you can't "warp" to without having been to them before.

 

Oh Gromnir, you can be such a silly developer antagonist/attention whore sometimes. I don't think the guy carries on much about the games realism from what I have seen.

[ShadowPaladin V1.0]

Anyone know where I can buy a book of the daedra ? I want to see how many shrines I have to find.

[metadigital]

Isn't there one in Jauffre's bookshelf?

 

If not, try the booksellers.

[Kasoroth]

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

 

"This bow is

[Cantousent]

Gromnir can speak for himself, but I think he has a point when it comes to the realism argument. Realism only goes so far as the individual wishes to push it.

 

For instance, SL, you like the idea of aimed horse urination or the special horse bowel movement feat. Great. I notice you didn't say you'd like to implement the other "realistic" ideas I cited in my post. Originally, folks made an argument for the way Bethesda implemented horses because the experience was "more realistic." Is it not true that Bethesda could have created a level of realism with horses that would have been tedious and boring to all but the most horse enamoured of us?

 

It's like the folks who argue that Rainbow Six is superior to Half-Life because RS is more realistic. ...But we could form groups and hunt each other with real weapons. That's even more realistic, isn't it? It is not absolute realism we seek, only the level at which we will enjoy the game.

 

Yeah, I really hate horses. Since I've spent many hours playing the game now, I must have been able to overcome my disdain of horses. Still, I will continue to deride horse as Bethesda implemented them. I expect others, those misguided enough to enjoy horses in the game, to defend the method Bethesda used.

[Cantousent]

Anyone know where I can buy a book of the daedra ? I want to see how many shrines I have to find.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

If you're a member of the mages' guild, there's a free copy of the book of Daedra in the Anvil guild library.

[mkreku]

I don't understand why people keep on ragging about horses. They're there, they're not vital to the story or the game and, just like most everything in Oblivion, they're completely optional. Why complain about a feature that you're not stuck with? Use the fast travel, use your legs (like me, because I was stupid enough to choose athletics as a main skill), do whatever is necessary for you to enjoy the game and don't spend valuable energy to let one feature out of hundreds get on your nerves.

 

Personally I think the horses are great and I wish more games had them. I just wish they were a tad bit faster and (in the case of the unicorn) less aggressive. Oh, and mounted combat would have been awesome.

[Llyranor]

Yeah, but they don't have armor.

[Cantousent]

Frankly, if we're going to have a candid discussion about the game, we're going to cite the things that irritate us. We're going to bring up those little features that detract from our experience and we're going to praise the things that make the experience more enjoyable.

 

My main beef with horses for the game is that it doesn't add anything substantial other than the fact that you can own a horse and ride it from place to place. Inside ruins and other places, you're going to suffer from less mobility and speed, which is a hidden side effect from relying on your horse to travel.

 

While I'm mostly just giving folks a hard time, I honestly do think that the time spent implementing horses in such a manner would have been much better spent improving the game. It's not a deal breaker for me, but it is a legitimate topic for discussion.

 

In regards to the board, however, I think the "realism" arguments are out and out stupid. Horses in Oblivion are not "realistic."

 

So, on a message board where, at least in theory, the developers might see our comments, I want to voice my observations about any aspect of the game that springs to mind. This is not only true for the odd Bethesda developer, but even moreso for Obsidian developers. Mounts in any game should provide enough of an experience to warrant the resources spent on them. If folks argue against my observations, I'll probably continue to argue. I'm usually not one to beat a dead horse, but I'm going to continue flaming this one.

 

On the other hand, you're right, mkreku. I've enjoyed the game immensely. The fact that I hate the horses does not change my overall satisfaction with the game. Furthermore, it really is my biggest beef with the game so far. The dialogue, weird item drops, the occassional visual glitch, or any other such irritation have not come close to changing my mind about what has been a great experience thus far.

[ShadowPaladin V1.0]

Personally I think the horses are great and I wish more games had them. I just wish they were a tad bit faster and (in the case of the unicorn) less aggressive. Oh, and mounted combat would have been awesome.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Without mounted combat they seem half finished. I've also been stuck on them enough during combat for it to annoy me.

[ShadowPaladin V1.0]

If you're a member of the mages' guild, there's a free copy of the book of Daedra in the Anvil guild library.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Great. About time I got some use out of the membership