You were lucky. When I finally figured out what needed to be done, I either found out I didn't know how to do it or I found out that by error I'd made progress in the story either impossible or almost that way.

I guess it comes down to if you are in it for the story or for some sort of experience where you live a shadow life in the MW universe.

I did enjoy the part of MW where I was on some island (Blood something) where I could and did follow the story and complete the game as far as the island was concerned.

One difference was that you didn't need to do every guild quest in MW to get promoted, like you did in OB to get recommended to the University. You COULD just kill A, B, and C, and forget about completing the quest or even reporting back to D, which might even make it easier to join T on the other coast (and THEY have cookies). Not completing a mission didn't necessarily stop you from advancing beyond it in a lot of cases. You could sometimes join a competing guild (or join a Great House) to get most of the same benefits, if you did run into a problem. The MQ was another story, but even that had an alternative approach.

I didn't "need" Speechcraft for many MW quests, but there were a number of them where it was far faster and easier with it, especially for the character I played who was an Imperial "schmooze". In OB, it was pretty much "irrelevant", particularly when the mini-game trumped it so thoroughly.

Personally, I found OB to be very "entertaining" for a short time, but it got painfully boring long before I finally completed the MQ (Oh no! Not ANOTHER Oblivion Gate.....). MW has a slow and tedious start, but I still find it enjoyable even after all these years. From what little I've seen of DF, it would probably be my second favorite, despite the "too random" approach and too much vast "effectively-empty" space.

Oblivion for the simple fact that it got me into the ES series. And the amazing mods.
But all 4 are great.

my first elder scrolls game was Oblivion, so I was a little spoiled with the fast travel system, that is the only reason I didn't like morrowind, well that and the eyes that freaked me out, I really did like the storyline, but you have to walk forever to get to someplace good.

Morrowind's story trumps Oblivion's story 10 to 0.

Oblivion because it's better in graphics and gameplay.

This is a silly question, and one that has been asked many times before. That said, it's no secret that I prefer Morrowind. However, THAT said...

@Rindill-- Yes, "You're the chosen one, go unite the people and triumph against the bad thing, bringing peace to the land" is so much better than "You're the chosen one, go unite the people and triumph against the bad thing, bringing peace to the land". The word you were looking for was atmosphere. In both cases, the core story is generic drivel, one is just wrapped up in a nicer package.

At the moment for me it's Morrowind. It's my introduction to the Elder Scrolls series, and I played it for about 3 years, but due to having a laptop that wasn't built for gaming, I never finished it or got that far, as after an hour of play the game would start to slow down, so it took 5 minutes to enter a new area. I feel like I've got unfinished business with it, but also Oblivion is too familiar now.

My main issues with it:

(1.). Level scaling. I don't mind the bandits with Daedric armour so much, but any cave with Goblins in becomes impossible after a certain level, as instead of having a mix of goblins led by 1 Warlord, I always ended up fighting 6 warlords, 6 Shamen who would summon Dread Zombies, all within 1 cave. Also the Namira quest becomes stupidly hard. This ruins the immersion for me as I'm constantly watching my level and thinking about which quests need to be done in which order.

(2.). Oblivion gates. Obviously they had to have something to generate the sense of crisis, but I used to dread seeing another one. Especially because it would be defended, not by random Daedra ( 1 scamp, 1 clannfear, 1 Xivilai for example) but by 3 Xivilai. Then having to fight my way through the gate meant all my potions, repair hammers,scrolls would get used up. In the end it was easier to run through it. Then with Shivering Isles they brought it the exact same thing, with those Pillars of Order.

Morrowind may have inferior graphics ( as to be expected) but the world feels more inviting, interesting and complex.

Cross my heart I did not google , I just love Eddie Izzard (Death star canteen!), and am sad that he doesn't do more stuff.

I didn't understand that. I am vague on the details being it was a long time ago, but as I remember it I had to achieve something or other in all the houses due to a command of the Wise Woman. This took some politics at least according to the Wiki. I sure never saw any hints that I could just kill all at the house and achieve the needed status or go back to the Wise Woman with my mission accomplished.

Yeah, I could have poked the values into the game and finished the mission that way, but gee, it's a GAME. I wanted to PLAY it not necessarily just poke my way to a win.

Had to go with Oblivion. I've tried a couple of times to get into Morrowind but find myself being unable to keep interested enough to get out of the starter town. Something about putting that mudcrab right in the crosshairs and swinging my sword a dozen times to land one hit just svcks everything out of the game for me. First time I tried I was laughing so hard at the ridiculousness of it I nearly fell out of my chair. I'd still like at some point to get into the game but I'm not sure I see it happening.

If you ever do get that crab, you'll again lose interest if you try to walk to the next town. I think it took me 3 days real time to get there. Worse, the repeated wind noise and the lack of differential scenery makes getting lost almost mandatory. If I wasn't stuck in the house during my try at MW, I"d have given it up much earlier than I did. After a few years (ha ha) real time playing, game picks up speed and interest quite nicely though.

I tried several times to play Morrowind, while I agree that it is way more detailed and has a better scope, quests, variety, loot, etc, I can't force myself to like it, no matter how hard I try.

Well, being Oblivion my first take on the series... it takes the crown.

bliviongate: = :thumbsup:

Oblivion was my first experience with the Elder Scrolls Series. I absolutely loved it. I consider it my favorite game of all time. In fact, I loved it so much that I tracked down and bought an old used copy of the Morrowind GOTY. The combat and graphics of Morrowind were so outdated that I just couldn't get into the game. If I would have played Morrowind when it first came out, I feel like I would've loved it. But I've been spoiled by the current gens graphics and gameplay...

I actually found Morrowinds story to be very forgettable. Oblivions on the other hand, I will remember forever.

Way to really oversimplify things.
That's like saying the Odyssey was simply: character leaves home, travels, and comes home again changed.

And yes, Morrowind's story was wrapped up in a nicer package so I'll agree with you there.

Morrowind:
While Morrowind contains many quests and storylines, the central plot revolves around the reincarnation of the Dunmer hero; Indoril Nerevar. The incarnate of Nerevar, referred to as "The Nerevarine", has been prophesied to oppose and defeat the rise of the malevolent deity Dagoth Ur and the remnants of his followers. These followers are encompassed in a forbidden faction named "The Sixth House", and are mainly located within the volcanic region of Red Mountain in the centre of Vvardenfell, the island on which the game takes place. Dagoth Ur has used the Heart of Lorkhan, an artifact of great power, to make himself immortal and now seeks to drive the Imperial occupiers from Morrowind using his network of spies, as well as an enormous golem, powered by the Heart of Lorkhan, which Dagoth Ur had originally been tasked to guard.[9][11]

After a storm and a strange vision in his dreams, the player begins fresh off a boat from a mainland prison in a town called Seyda Neen, freed by the string pulling of the current ruler of the Tamrielic Empire, Uriel Septim, with the task of meeting Caius Cosades, an officer of the "Blades," a secret police force tasked with the protection of the Emperor and the Empire.[16]

Cosades inducts the player into the organisation under orders of the emperor, and sets the player on various quests to uncover the mysterious disappearances and revelations that the citizens of Vvardenfell have experienced, particularly the Sixth House and the Ashlander prophecies of the Nerevarine. It is later revealed that The Sixth House, and Dagoth Ur, has been directly influencing the people within their dreams, including an attempt to invade the player's mind.

Prophecies from the nomadic people living in the Ashlands, The Ashlanders, predict that Nerevar's incarnate will fulfil a set of six prophecies. The first two prophecies are that Nerevar will be born from unknown parents, and will recover from the Corprus disease. Fulfilling these, the player seeks to complete the third prophecy, a test to find the Moon-and-Star, the symbolic ring worn by Nerevar, which would instantly kill any other who tried to wear it. Once the player finds and equips the ring, he receives a vision from Azura, the ancient Daedric Queen of the Night's Sky, who confirms that the player is Nerevar's incarnate. Nerevar completes the fourth and fifth trials, which is to rally the people of Vvardenfell under one banner. After receiving the support and being declared "Hortator" of the Great Houses and "Nerevarine" of the nomadic Ashlander tribes, the player is officially, albeit reluctantly, called "Nerevarine" by the "Tribunal Temple", who normally persecute anyone who claims to be the "Nerevarine" and sentences them to death.

Thereafter, Nerevar is invited to the Palace of Vivec, the domain of the poet God-King "Vivec", to discuss the assault on Dagoth Ur's stronghold in the heart of Red Mountain. Vivec presents the player with the artifact gauntlet Wraithguard, an ancient Dwemer artifact that can use the tools of 'Sunder' and 'Keening'. The ancient implements will destroy the fabled Heart of Lorkhan, but without having the Wraithguard equipped, it will deal a fatal blow to whoever wields it.[34]

The player travels into Red Mountain to Dagoth Ur's citadel. After talking with Ur, who attempts to sway the player to his side with the claim that he is merely following Nerevar's final orders, the player and Ur fight. Besting Ur, the player breaks the Heart of Lorkhan with Kagrenac's tools, destroying the source of Ur's power and killing Dagoth Ur in the process. Akulakhan's Chamber where Lorkhan′s heart resides is destroyed, and in turn Red Mountain is cleared of blight and The Sixth House falls. Upon escaping from the chamber, Nerevar is congratulated by Azura, who appears before him to reward his efforts of fulfilling the prophecy.[35]

After the Main Quest's completion, the game does not end, Vvardenfell is however affected in many different ways. The Blight Storms cease to plague the land, and the weak minded followers of the Sixth House are re-awakened, remembering nothing of their ordeal. The Dreamers who harassed Nerevar fall silent, and Nerevar becomes widely known as the savior of Vvardenfell. The quintessential consequence of defeating Dagoth Ur was the destruction of the Heart of Lorkhan. Due to his immortality linked to the heart Vivec and the Tribunal become mortal again, leaving Vivec's future in question and up to the player to determine his fate. The loss of divinity among the Tribunal is the main concept for the game's expansion, "Tribunal".

Oblivion:
In terms of plot, Oblivion is not a direct sequel to The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind or any other game,[18] though references place the plot several years after the events of Morrowind. Oblivion is set in Cyrodiil, a province of Tamriel, the continent on which all the games in the series have taken place. The plot begins with the arrival of Emperor Uriel Septim VII (voiced by Patrick Stewart), accompanied by a trio of Imperial bodyguards known as "the Blades" at the Imperial City prison. They are fleeing from the assassins of the Mythic Dawn, a Daedric cult, who just recently murdered the Emperor's three sons. The emperor and the Blades head to the sewer that leads out of the city, using a secret entrance that by chance is located in the cell occupied by the player. The player follows the party into a series of catacombs. There, the group is attacked by the Mythic Dawn, who are staved off by the Blades. Meanwhile, Uriel Septim entrusts the player with the Amulet of Kings, an ancient artifact traditionally worn by the Septim emperors of Tamriel, and orders the player to take it to a man known as Jauffre. Immediately after the emperor gives the amulet to the player, an assassin ambushes and kills the emperor before being defeated. The sole surviving guard, Baurus, explains that Jauffre is the grandmaster of the Blades and can be found at Weynon Priory. The player then proceeds to the open world of Cyrodiil.[5]

It is soon revealed that the lack of an heir for Uriel Septim has broken an old covenant—the seal for the barrier to the realm of Oblivion. Multiple gates to Oblivion open, and an invasion of Tamriel begins by magical creatures known as the Daedra. Jauffre informs the player that the only way to close the gates permanently is to find someone of the royal bloodline to retake the throne and relight the Dragonfires in the Temple of the One in the Imperial City. Fortunately, there is still an heir to the Septim throne: a previously unknown son named Martin (voiced by Sean Bean), who resides in the city of Kvatch as a priest. Upon arriving at Kvatch, the player is met by a fleeing refugee, who explains that the Daedra have destroyed the city and killed many of its inhabitants. The leader of the Kvatch Guard, Savlian Matius, says he saw Martin escape into the Chapel of Akatosh along with a few others, but Matius cannot get into the city, as the Oblivion Gate is obstructing the main city gate. After venturing into the Planes of Oblivion and closing the gate, the player assists Savlian Matius in a counterattack against the Daedra within the city walls. With the area secured, the player enters the Kvatch chapel and persuades Martin to come to Weynon Priory.[5]

Upon returning, the player finds that Weynon Priory is under attack by some Mythic Dawn Cult members and discovers the Amulet of Kings has been stolen. Jauffre orders the player to escort him and Martin to Cloud Ruler Temple, the stronghold of the Blades. Martin is there recognized as the emperor and is given command of the Blades, while the player is sent off in search of the amulet and asked to join the Order of the Blades by Jauffre, as the player has proven to be a great protector of the Empire. After gathering information with the help of Baurus in the Imperial City, the player is tasked with infiltrating the secret meeting place of the Mythic Dawn. When the player manages to infiltrate the inner circle of the Mythic Dawn inside the Shrine of Mehrunes Dagon, their leader, Mankar Camoran (voiced by Terence Stamp), escapes to his paradise through a portal, taking the Amulet of Kings with him. The player takes Mankar Camoran's book (the Mysterium Xarxes), which has the power to open a portal to the paradise, before escaping the Shrine of Mehrunes Dagon. Martin deduces that the only way to recover the amulet is to create a portal to the Paradise and kill Mankar Camoran. A "collect-the-pieces" quest begins, as the player seeks out three key artifacts necessary to recreate the portal. The three artifacts are a Daedric artifact (any Daedric artifact rewarded for completing Daedric quests), the armor of Tiber Septim (a holy relic of the first Septim emperor), and a Great Welkynd Stone (a large stone of Ayleid origin; the Ayleids were the first race to inhabit Tamriel).[5]

With all three retrieved, Martin reveals that a final ingredient is needed: a Great Sigil Stone from a Great Gate similar to the one that devastated Kvatch. Martin and Jauffre hatch a plan that involves allowing the city of Bruma to be attacked by the Daedra so that a great gate can be opened. The player then must venture into the gate and obtain the great sigil stone. On the battlefield before Bruma, Martin gives a moving speech before charging the Daedra. Many men are lost but a great gate is finally opened. Within, the player obtains the great sigil stone and closes the great gate.[5]

A portal is created at Cloud Ruler Temple and the player is sent to Mankar Camoran's paradise. After bypassing a host of monsters and obstacles, the player confronts Camoran in his throne room and slays him and his family. When the player takes the Amulet of Kings from Camoran's neck, the paradise evaporates. The player returns the Amulet of Kings to Martin Septim, and the Blades travel to the Imperial City to relight the Dragonfires and end the Daedric invasion. There the Daedra begin a desperate final assault and overrun the Imperial City Temple District. The player and several others fight their way to the Temple of the One and find that a 200-foot (61 m)-tall being is wreaking havoc in the city, revealed to be the Daedric Prince of Destruction Mehrunes Dagon himself. The player and Martin fight their way into the Temple of the One, where Martin shatters the Amulet of Kings to merge himself with the spirit of Akatosh, the Dragon-God of Time, and become his avatar. After an epic fight, the Avatar defeats Mehrunes Dagon before turning to stone. Martin disappears, the gates of Oblivion are shut forever, the Amulet of Kings is destroyed, and the throne of the Empire again lies empty. In a final monologue, Martin Septim describes the events in an optimistic light and states that the future of Tamriel is now in the player's hands. High Chancellor Ocato of the Elder Council proclaims the player Champion of Cyrodiil and gives him a suit of Imperial Dragon Armor which is normally worn only by the Emperor himself, but as he states, "You've earned no less".[5]

I don't really like one more than the other... I liked Morrowind for the politics and now it is nostalgic as well. I liked Oblivion for the setting and because it is generally a sleeker game. That said I picked Morrowind just for the sake of the poll.

Well, if you so desire, you can ...

Oblivion is better modded

Actually I probably prefer it unmodded too. Whilst Morrowind is more immersive and interesting, the combat and some of the other mechanics just kill it for me

I wouldn't say Morrowind is more immersive, I'd say it more diverse and unique, world & lore wise, but I find Oblivion more immersive, among other things, because of the mechanics you talk about, but I guess that depends on what you find unpleasing about the combat mechanics.

Thanks, but I long ago erased the game from my machine. The issue for me liking a game isn't WINNING or beating it, but playing it. After all, if I just wanted to finish, I could have printed out the Wiki's walkthroughs and strolled around or just poked the game to win it. To me, MW got to the point of being unplayable which is why I voted OB. I may have anyway due to the graphics and combat.

I love both games, but I prefer Morrowind for the setting. The setting of Oblivion is just too 'normal' to me, I mean the landscape and architecture is just too medieval northern europe, I grew up near a town with a ruined imperial fort er.. sorry I mean Norman keep.. on the hill. Vvardenfell was far more imaginative and exotic both in terms of the setting and the culture.

LOL. So basically even though it's better in every way, I guess I just like Oblivion more. That's what you just said. Or did I miss the sarcasm? It's possible, I'm not the brightest bulb sometimes.

It's always funny to me. Most of the reasons people dislike Morrowind is why I love it. Granted the swinging and missing thing is odd, but it's sorta a necessity since they want to have a hard core rule based RPG with the veneer of a hack and slash.

I'm sorry I really have to disagree with everything you just said. If he gets past the combat I think he'll find a real great interesting game under there. Did it seriously take you 3 days real time to get to the next town? Do you not know how to use a map, or follow a road? I mean is it really that necessary to have a bright green arrow telling you exactly where to go at all times? I'm not trying to flame you, I'm genuinely curious because I think you are just over-exaggerating to the extreme. Also, if the traveling was that bad you could have just taken the silt strider to the next town, which one of the npc's suggests to you in the starting.