Yes, I also did the "wait thing," and agree it was better than nothing. But, as a point of comparison, Lydia is sworn to protect my character (and all that he owns) as his body guard "housecurl" with her life. She is vigilently and transparently at his side. At one point in the college of winterhold, new students were in the rotunda to practice and demonstrate some of their spells on each other. As my turn approached, I just happened to glance over and remembered that Lydia was in the background with a serious scowl and her battle axe drawn. Anything that I attacked, or that attacked me was going to get eliminated. I had to back out, and take Lydia upstairs to my room in the dorm. I pointed to the bed, and commanded her to take a nap. She curled her cute self up and got some rest, so I could go downstairs and continue my training without killing everyone in the rotunda. Now, that is a serious turn from simply asking her to "wait," due to ineptness. As a thane, she is sworn to my character's service with her life, but it seems impossible to get the marriage options in her dialog. She is so awesome, she has stolen his heart. Others in the Skyrim forum have suggested marrying one of the other beauties, and Lydia will still be at your side, even in your home with you and your wife. The cake and ice-cream scenario. My character only wants cake/Lydia. He does not want ice-cream. With all of his status as thane and women throwing themselves at him, he cannot romance the woman he loves who is constantly at his side and has his back. The loneliness my characters felt in Oblivion is certainly not a factor in Skyrim, and it is implemented in a very awesome manner.

1. The UI in Skyrim svcks. I am willing to work around it, as long as Bethesda patches it so that it does not glitch/freeze. Merely inconvenient while exploring, but game breaking when fighting for your life.
2. Removal of spellmaking is not appreciated. I am sure that they expected the skill trees/perks, enchanted gear and new shouts to provide sufficient avenues for customization. It doesnt. My mages dont like store bought (tome learned) spells.
Custom spellmaking allows you to personalize your characters and make them unique. It is sorely missed.

Other than that, Skyrim has been awesome for me thus far. Yes, different from Oblivion's atmosphere (which is awesome and I love), but consistent with Tamriel. It flows., This is what I would expect on the other side of the snowy Jerails, migrating from Cyrodil. Now, you dont have to turn back, and "can go that way." Arcadian, I admire your discipline with video games, but this is one that I made an exception. Your precious wood elf will love Skyrim eventually. It is inevitable.

I totally agree with you on that part, but the other stuff has to click too in order to lure me into my homeland

The Lord of the Rings. It is something that Bilbo once told Frodo, and Frodo later told Sam.

Hee! Buffy's attention span is so short that every time she goes somewhere in Cyrodiil it's like new to her. Or maybe that's related to her hair color?


No bad experiences because I never have picked up a new game. I simply prefer to pick up games that are fully sorted out, patched, documented etc. I don't want to be a beta playtester and if I have a question, I want the answer readily available and fully documented. :foodndrink:

When Oblivion was released I went through a similar phase to what appears to be going on with Skyrim now.. I played it intensely for a few months, clocking up almost a thousand hours, but then I never returned to it other than briefly for Kotn and SI of course. I have averaged ten hours a day on Skyrim for these past few days, I wonder if it will be something I come back to though, later on...

I'll still be playing Oblivion, Skyrim is great though so that will keep me entertained for many years. I will still visit Oblivion when I miss Cyrodill though

Same here.

That's why I have the game! 8D If I wanted to visit Cyrodiil again, I can pop the game back in.

Though don't get me wrong: I do not miss getting arrested for slightly tapping a stone cup.

I'm actually not missing it.

well i said goodbye ( for now ) when my 4 year old decided to trip over what im guessing was a ghost into the entertainment system and as the ps3 made a dive for her skull
i attempted to leap over the table in a heroic manner and save my beloved!!!!



but i was 2 late :ahhh: .....the child done moved out of the way and failed to assist me in catching my beloved and it smashed....

Well, Skyrim has me occupied at the moment, but I will come back to Oblivion. Oblivion can never be replaced.

I never say good bye oblivion i will still will play it time to time

I just got the GOTY Deluxe (I think thats the name) from Steam for USD 6,24!

Mods. You're using mods in Oblivion, correct? Are you aware of http://knol.google.com/k/toql-the-oblivion-quest-list# that exist in the game, many with a range of completely new meshes, textures, and items of all sorts?

Not going to tell you to stop playing Skyrim, obviously. But if you want to explore new territory, there's a ton out there of Oblivion mods that open up new world areas. Just keep it in mind, the next time you take a look at Skyrim's inventory/spell/skill interface and wonder, what did I ever do to deserve this?

No mods. Renee's on PS3.

I am not ready to say farwell. I have done every single quest in Oblivion except one. It is finally time I complete the main storyline and fullfill my destiny. The journey has been long and memorable but for me it is not yet done. I will do my best to ensure my final Crusade is one of epic proportions. Mehrunes Dagon beware! I will close shut the jaws of Oblivion!

Damn. I feel his pain.

I think we should all chip in and buy Renee a new PC. That was my two cents' worth... :wink_smile:

I'm feeling generous today. I'll chip in another two cents.

At this rate, the new PC will be delivered at about the time they release TES VII. :wink_smile:

As I continue to play through Skyrim methodically (40 hrs / lev 12), I continue to find aspects that help me to better appreciate Oblivion. One of my favorite aspects of Oblivion was the religious mechanic. I enjoyed the way the chapels, Gods, shrines, prayer, fame and infamy all played a potential role in your destiny. My initial thoughts were that Skyrim seemed to play down the aura of the chapels, and seemingly the overall significance of religion and morality, including the removal of the fame/infamy statistic. As I have explored further and discovered the "Temple of the Eight", it seems that the evolution of events since Oblivion is interestingly rendered. There is much debate over the diety of Talos, and his removal as a God, due to the belief of some, that his embodiment of an earthly emperor in the form of Tiber Septum makes him ineligible as a true God. This seems to be a loose anology to the view of Jesus Christ as a God head (Father; Son, and Holy Spirit). Without going into spoilers, I find the religious aspects, and continuity from the Oblivion crisis amazing. In short, these aspects of Skyrim further strengthen my desire to return to Oblivion. There are a lot of the original books in Oblivion present in Skyrim to provide background to players who might not have played the game. But, Oblivion players who are into the spiritual aspects are in for a treat. Also, lots of npc's who have migrated from Cyrodil, or have descendants from the era of the crisis have dialog that provide continuity to the two realms. For those who are not spiritually inclined, there are also interesting guide books for residents of Cyrodil including a visitors guides with best routes/ landmarks / and accommodations for travelers from Bruma and Cheydinhal respectively. There are also several books that are really cool depictions and reflections of the historical events of the crisis.... from your character's perspective.. if you played it.

In short, I didn't purchase Skyrim based upon it's attributes. I knew that spellcrafting was eliminated going in, and didn't fancy my characters as dragon shouters. I purchased Skyrim based upon my respect and adoration for Oblivion. To it;s credit, Skyrim does a great job with continuity from Oblivion and illuminates many events from Cyrodil in an updated fashion. All of this is actually amplifying my love and respect for Oblivion, and makes me want to return there to understand it in greater detail. That will also make Skyrim a richer experience in my opinion. As "Elder Scrolls" games, they work well together and compliment each other well in my opinion. Just another reason why I would never say goodbye to Oblivion.