Yes another topic created by me. I've been creating a lot of them in the past few days haven't I? At any rate I was just curious if anyone else has done the same. I picked up Oblivion again two months ago (maybe a bit more) and deleted most of my saves with a brand new idea. This is what I've been doing in the past few months. It isn't perfect but I started my own roleplay. To me all my characters exist in the same world (even if they don't run into each other) and none step on each other's toes. I guess it's the closest to a single player multiplayer game. Oxymoron?

So what happens is that I have a character that's completed the main quest and Leader of the Knights of the Nine. He's my Nord Paladin. Now no other character will do those quest lines. I have a Breton Mage who has completed the Shivering Isles and now resides there totally. My Orc is the Master of the Fighter's guild, has done a few of the Daedric Shrines, and plunders various dungeons looking for shiney things to sell or trophies from tough kills to add to his collection. Currently my Mage is working his way up on becoming Arch Mage and finally I'll make a thief and assassin character. He might fulfill both roles at once. I haven't decided yet.

These characters each have a unique personality and styles. I might make other warriors or mages in the future and they might do a few missions in the Mage's guild or Fighter's guild (more likely just join and that's that) but none will become the new headmaster. How many play like this? What do you think of this style? It also prevents me from being bored by completing the same storylines again and again.

It started with me not wanting to do the game repeatedly but refusing to do the same quests but it created an unforeseen illusion. That the world is more alive and that there's more going on beyond that one character. That the world is progressing instead of being stagnant. While playing one character I know out of character that someone is working their way up the guild ranks. I have the feeling that as my holy crusader is on his path another character of mine is busy in the Isles. It feels more alive.

I do something similar but not for exactly the same reason. While the game allows you to be the Master of the Fighters Guild, Archmage, Listener for the DB, Grey Fox, God of Madness, and Divine Crusader all at once, I have trouble believing one character can do all those things. In fact, I have trouble believing that a character can have even one of those positions without it eating up so much of their time that they have any left to go around adventuring. They would be too busy running their guilds/realms/orders to be doing anything else. So it is only one major guild questline per character with me. Usually I do not even do them at all, because as I said, I cannot see someone going out plundering caves when they are the Archmage. Talk about anti-climatic. When I hit the end of the major questlines I retire the character. It is happily ever after time for them.

For me it depends. As the Master of the Fighter guild for example I often get a "Contract" to clear out some ruin that likely those under me cannot complete. Despite being the master I go ahead and do it. As the Arch Mage? Going out to check out a possible dangerous Lich or clear out a lair of necromancers. Traven would have fought but for obvious reasons couldn't. That's likely what my Mage will do but it won't be a daily thing. Which is justified with me playing another character. "As the Orc Guildmaster of the Fighter's guild deals with guild matters.. a lowly Mage is working his way through the Guild ranks." If I feel like playing him mostly it's been weeks later so I can see him having free time for a few days perhaps before he's stuck with more work which is when I play another character. My Champion is simply a Champion which justified allowing him to do KoTN to me. He was seen as a hero but no pressing duties except.. people were dying and as a Paladin he stepped to the call. There, I agree with you, he's restoring the order and I believe that he's retired.

Not saying your way is wrong. I like that and it answers my qustion but yeah. I look into how much work I think a role is and act accordingly. If it takes up an extreme amount of time that character won't participate in another major faction or quest line.

Yes.

Currently, we have:

Heddvild, the Nord Barbarian, Champion of Cyrodiil.

Silvonwe, the Altmer Apprentice, just named Archmage (and deep in a very creepy cave).

Martine, who is somewhere in the Shivering Isles, with a secret plan to dethrone Sheogorath. (She's not sure if it's his plan or hers.)

Paxelle, a non-violent Alchemist, gathering Nirnroot for Sinderion.

Bi'Zharr, a Khajiit who has just arrived in the Imperial City, with an eye to the Arena.

In my case I don't see all my characters existing in the same world. But I do imagine characters not of my making working their way through the ranks of guilds, doing the main quest, etc. I use mods a lot of that add travelers to roads (I have to elbow my way past them sometimes, there's so many, lol) and I often imagine that one of these NPCs is busy helping Martin or working their way up through the Fighter's Guild.

I see the 'game universe' of Tamriel and my place as player within it a little differently than most people. It's my belief that, in real life, time is not linear. That, if one were to venture outside of our physical plane one could, so to speak, see all time happening at once. This colors the way I think about creating new characters in this game. When I drop a new character into the game I am not necessarily dropping that character into the same linear time that my other characters experience.

I have been toying with a similar idea of making a single character for each race and having them devote themselves to a single calling in life. Time restraints are probably going to keep me from doing it, but anyone who wants to run with the idea is free to do so. Like Gaerolth, the one rule that I mean to follow is NO OVERLAP (no two characters can have the same birthsign, job, house, or even use the same type of weapon if you can manage it). Here is what I am thinking right now:

Altmer – I’m thinking female, and I’m thinking the Apprentice. The Arch-Mage of Tamriel. She lives in the Arch-Mages Tower, and keeps busy continuing the work of stamping out necromancy begun by her mentor, Hannibal Traven. Weapon: Magic, exclusively.

Argonian – Definitely male, born under the Shadow, and given to the Dark Brotherhood as a hatchling shadowscale. To serve his role as Listener, he buys the house in Bravil to be closer to the Night Mother. Weapon: Dagger.

Bosmer – My second elven female is born under the sign of the Mage. Things go sideways for her the moment she decides to check out the strange door in Niben Bay. Life as the Madgoddess is in her future, but for now she is content to see how far the rabbit hole goes. Weapon: Bow

Breton – This character is male because I need the tonsure haircut. He begins as a monk who was born under the sign of the Ritual. He has sworn a vow of poverty in good service to the Nine. He spends most of his time in the Temple of whatever city he happens to find himself in. One week out of every month he makes a pilgrimage to the Temple of the One. He will be called upon by the Nine to serve a higher calling when the Temple of Dibella is attacked. Weapon: Crusader Sword and Shield

Dunmer – My first elven male is an ex-Redoran noble born under the sign of the Lord. He was a mute witness to the savage death of his entire family at the hands of the Vampires of Vvardefell. He used the dregs of his family fortune to buy a house in Cheydinhal, and now hunts the undead with a grim single-mindedness that puts him hopelessly at odds with the Mage’s Guild, but makes him the natural leader of the Order of the Virtuous Blood. Weapon: Mace and/or War Axe.

Imperial – My Imperial is Cyrodiil’s gentleman thief. He is appropriately born under the sign of the Thief. He owns a modest home on the Waterfront in which even the trash basket is stolen property. His real home is in the guildmaster’s house. And no one seems to realize the fact that he fits the description of the Gray Fox perfectly. Weapon: Shortsword.

Khajiit – She (because for some reason Khajiit just screams female to me) is a tortured soul, born under the sign of the Lover. Originally she migrated north from her native Elsweyr for the express purpose of bringing the Empire to its knees. Ironic then that, so far from home, she should discover the wondrous elixir that is skooma. The rest of the Renrijra Krin did not approve, so they cast her out. Now she spends most of her time in a skooma addled stupor, lounging around her modest home in Leyawiin. She still plans her conquest of Cyrodiil, and she fully intends to carry it out. Right after her next vial of skooma. Weapon: Hand-to-Hand.

Nord – My Nord is an exceptionally talented mercenary born under the sign of the Lady. She (again) has ascended to the title of Master of the Fighter’s Guild. She now owns her beloved Arborwatch, which she first saw the day she joined the Guild. She splits her time between there and the house she bought in Bruma because the snow reminds her of Skyrim. Weapon: Warhammer.

Orc – My Orc is a knight, the unmentioned son of Lord Rugdumph gro-Shurgak. His fate was sealed by being born under the sign of the Warrior. In Leyawiin he is known as a Knight of the White Stallion. Everywhere else he is Sir Slaughter, Arena Grand Champion. His nationwide fame is reflected in the recently purchased Rosethorn Hall in Skingrad. Unfortunately he still can’t get the fair Mazoga to come visit. Weapon: Battleaxe

Redguard – The Champion of Cyrodiil is only the seventh hero to have earned that title. Born under the sign of the Atronach, he devotes himself to the protection of the Empire by any means necessary, and stands ever ready to assist the Elder Council should the need arise. He has been seen closing an Oblivion Gate, and lending his sword to earn the favor of a Daedric Prince. Most of the time he can be found wearing the armor that identifies him as a member of the Order of the Imperial Dragon. But there are rumors that place him in Cloud Ruler Temple, home of the (former) Emperor’s Blades. Weapon: Claymore.

I'm on my first and only Oblivion character ever, and I fully intend to do everything possible in the game, within the limits of her personality. While I fully agree with the above statements that one person cannot possibly have the talents, skills or time to do all those things, I just find excuses for her to get involved in everything. She's one of those people things just happen to. I'm sure we've all met them, they always have a crazy story about something 'that just happened', which would never have happened to anyone else.

She's not deeply and personally involved in any one specific thing, but just kinda gets pulled into stuff and surfs around on the edge of it. Sometimes, for reasons I make up, she might get deeper involved in some things, like the main quest for instance, and possibly also the fighters guild, not sure yet. The thieves guild she's doing a bit of every now and then because of her relations with Methredel or because she gets forced to do it. She doesn't care about ranks or titles, those are bestowed upon her by people who takes the whole guild thing serious, whereas she's more like 'oh..really..that's cool, whatever.' and couldn't really give a flying f*** about their ranks.

That way I get to roleplay a lot and at the same time experience all aspects of the game.

Gaerolth, I think your ideas are wonderful! Creative, effective and should accomplish what you want!

My character only belongs to the guild of mages and although she adores her guild, there is no way she will ever become Arch Mage. I think she is likely to help Savlian Matius free his city of Kvatch, but I'm pretty sure she will never be the Champion of Cyrodiil. I suspect she would rather rebuild Kvatch and leave the rest of the Main Quest to other NPCs who are much braver and stouter than she. She's more of a scout than a hero. Although it takes some imagination and creativity, we often have NPCs complete quests, even as Buffy is doing something else. Yes, a very dynamic world that does not center around my character at all. In fact in many ways, she is at her best in a supporting role.

Edit: Oh, the reason I'm happy to specialize and limit my character regarding skills and quests is that I have seen everything at one time or another. My first few characters were 'all rounders' that basically did everything (skill and questwise). I wouldn't trade that experience for anything, but have settled down to much more enjoy a specialized character who limits her skills and quest choices.

Oh no! Billy Pilgrim's become unstuck in time again.

Interesting and creative ways of playing. I like the concept that one person cannot do everything, but I sure like to experience everything in a game. I'm feeling inspired to limit what my character can realistically achieve. My little take on the the time line/ reality of the game is this: after escaping the sewers, and being a low level character, I am actually going back in time and sort of playing the the prequel to the game. So instead of continuing the MQ, I'm backfilling the story of how my character ended up in prison. Sure those conversations everyone has about the assassination are a bit of an illusion breaker, but maybe Pseron Wyrd's perspective holds true here (or my character is a psychic). I figure at some point, I'll jump back to the MQ when I feel my character has enough history under his/her belt that I can adequately explain why I was imprisoned and trusted by the Ruler of Tamriel.

That is a very neat idea! While I have not been quite so structured about it, I have done something similar with my fifteen or so Oblivion characters. Each time I try to play a different race, use different weapons/spells, different birthsign, do different questlines, and so on. I just want to see everything the game has to offer. So far I have done all the major questlines at least once, and played all the races except khajiit (I was going to try one, but I was disappointed when I made the character's face. She looked just like every other khajiit. And I did not like any of the hairstyles). I have modded the birthsigns to make them more interesting, and get rid of the once a day powers, and have played most of them now too. Likewise with most of the weapons and spells. It really is fun, because it is a new way of experiencing the game every time.