Week 3: From the Sewers to the City

After the Emperor dies and you talk to the guard, you finally get out of the sewers and into the grassy land in which you've been underneath all along. But before I got out, a pivotal moment occurs: a pop-up screen appears asking you if you want to change your race, birth sign, or class. This is their way of giving you a second chance, almost to deny the blame if you're upset with your choice, like the tiny print at the bottom of a contract just to say I-told-you-so. I kept all of my choices the same and put the key in the lock, opening the gate out of the sewers and into the world Oblivion is famous for.

It started to rain about one minute after I stepped out of the sewers. As lame as it might sound, it was really exciting. It almost felt like experiencing rain for the first time in real life. The graphics were even more noticeable now that I was out of a prison/sewer area and into the real world. The grass was moving, the boulders and rocks were all different sizes, and the wood on the dock had such detail. A pop up window came on screen and revealed one of the aspects people love the most about the game: I was free to do whatever I wanted. After roaming for two minutes, I came face to face with a wolf and had to fend for myself. It only took two swings, but fighting an animal other than a huge rat or a goblin was quite different - and exciting. You can harvest new furs and meats from different animals and it shed light on all the possibilities I would and will soon run into in this game.

The pop up window I was talking about before was such an exciting thing to read because it really drove in the fact that this game became less of a follow-the-objective game and more choose-your-own-route, while still allowing you to voyage off and do other tasks or explore other areas. So much lay ahead for my character to explore, learn about, and further her skills. I soon started talking to guards, townspeople, and exploring all the different shops. All the items that had been clogging my sack (bowls, fruits, rusty armor, torn clothes) could now be sold for gold - which I could now use to get lessons in magic, weapons, or purchase new items. I soon figured out you could even haggle with the shop owners and get more money for my items. There were so many options that I literally spent 2 hours roaming the stores and the possibilities. This included several run-ins with prison after "stealing" from tabletops in stores (see: accidentally picking up items and automatically being labeled a thief - even if I put it back).

So much of the hype that I've heard about this game has been slowly becoming more and more deserved as I play. There is so much freedom and yet structure when it comes to this game. Even though I can do whatever I want, there are still many, many subplots that I can choose to follow. So far, a few of the townspeople want me to help them figure out the funny business that has been occurring with their competition store in how he won't join their guild and sells his products for less than it takes to create them (so he's obviously working off a black market). But then there's the red arrow that is constantly on the compass (found on the bottom middle of the screen). If I walk towards the arrow, it keeps me on-track to following the original plan of helping out the emperor's legacy and solving the errors in the overall hierarchy.

One thing that I do find odd is that a few years ago, Oblivion was going to be sued due to it's rating being mis-labeled. Lawyer Jack Thompson had the ESRB "re-rate Oblivion -- from a 'Teen' rating to a 'Mature' rating -- because he said the game contained more explicit gore than they first realized. Adding to that decision was the fact that software modifications allowed players to see topless females in the game, a situation similar to last year's Grand Theft Auto "Hot Coffee" scandal," according to GamePro.com. He also boldly said that the topless content was purposefully put there, "unlocking code provided by the developer!" despite there being no evidence available to prove this.

So far the things I have encountered have not lent a hand towards extreme graphics in the violence area, although I'm not as far into it as I imagine I would need to be to run into this problem. But I'm interested to see how it turns out and if Thompson was right for his statements.

Week 2: From Prisoner to Bard

Now that the game has officially started, there's a lot to say to explain what's going on. First things first: the detail put into this game, especially for coming out 5 years ago, is really, really good. There are tiny skulls piled into pots (where you can pick up each and every one - they aren't just built in to the background), apples lying on the ground, and shadows cast appropriately from chests, rats, and torches. The graphics may not be the best ever (this isn't to say they're bad), but that's because the creators set aside more space for details than perfectly round edges. This, in my eyes, is way more important. They found a balance between details and graphics where you can be captivated by everything in a room without being distracted by poor quality images. 

Now, you first start out with a slow zoom in on what seems to be the Emperor's castle, the game name fading into focus, before you zoom in through a window and into a dungeon. This is where you create your character. You can choose between a lot of different types (from something that resembles a tiger, a human, a stronger human form, a chameleon, an elf, etc.). I went with the "Dark Elf," which basically looks human with the exception of blue tinted skin and ears that are clearly pointed. This species seemed to have a nice balance of health, attack, and special powers. While they didn't look abnormal, the human species were either too strong or too weak and the tiger-like species (what I think was called "Kahjiit") were too focused on speed and agility.

Having a Dark Elf seemed most promising since they have equal skill with swords, bow and arrows, and magic. They're resistant to fire and have the power to "summon an ancestral ghost for aid" when needed (which I assumed referred to health).  It took some time, but I adjusted my characters facial features and hair to look a little less alien-like and more human with some auburn hair pulled back in a ponytail, more pale skin, and smaller eyes. Shortly after confirming your character, you find yourself sitting in a prison cell and soon joined by guards and the emperor as they run off from some enemy, whom you don't see. They seem to be trying to get out and the emperor is the only one who believes you aren't a negative influence. After following them through some passageways, they tell you not to follow and you wander beneath the stone walls for quite some time. This is where the tutorial steps pop up when needed and you learn to fight, pick locks, sneak, and create potions. It all depends on what you pick up, where you go, and how you gain experience.

Once meeting back up with the emperor, you get to pick what star you belong to (like an astrology sign) which in turn gives you points that will benefit (or hurt you) in some way. While some were incredibly rewarding (150 points towards better magic), they had downsides (you would then be vulnerable to magic, too). I went with "The Warrior" and got 10 strength & endurance points. Not too long after that, the emperor passes away as he knew he would and hands the jewel he carries on his neck to you - the Amulet of Kings. It's an ancient artifact traditionally worn by the emperors. Now that it's in your hands, it's up to you to bring it to a man named Jauffre. This is the point at which I stopped. 

After looking some stuff up online, I came across one website set up by fans that is a guide of sorts: http://www.elderscrolls-oblivion.com/ The creators of the site broke down a lot of the information, and what I'm finding to be more and more useful is the list of creatures in the game. Sorted alphabetically, it is a clear and easy to use chart that comes in handy when battling an animal you haven't seen before. Each animal has described below it stats such as it's level, health, combat/magic/stealth skill, weapons, fatigue, strengths, weaknesses, and more. Here's what it would look like for one of the most common (and easy) creatures you run in to in the first 15 minutes - a Rat.

Rat Level: 1 Health: 4 Magicka: 0 Fatigue: 60 Soul: Petty Combat Skill: 20 Magic Skill: 50 Stealth Skill: 20 Attack Damage: 2 Weapons: None Strengths: Brain Rot (Disease) Weaknesses: None Indredients: Ratmeat Ranged Magic: None Melee Magic: None

Even if you don't get the chance to look at the list until after you've encountered the creature, it helps you be more prepared for the next run-in you may have. The only down side to this is that there aren't pictures to accompany the animal so you don't really know which is which, anyway, until you battle one. This will definitely help out, as well as other things on the website. The tagline of the site is "the community site for screenshots, mods, addons, cheats and other materials" and while I know it will be helpful, I hope to stay away from the cheats for at least the first few hours of play to figure things out myself. Cheats are generally only fun after you've played the game for a while or you're starting over from the beginning. We'll see how it all goes!