One of the things Oblivion does better in my opinion than either Skyrim or Morrowind is provide a ton of locations for a cat burglar to practice their breaking and entering craft. While I still prefer the characters associated with the thieves guild locations in Morrowind (they really did make several fascinating NPCs in that lot), I think it's a lot more fun to stalk through locations after dark, always with the threat of an NPC choosing to arrive back at the wrong time, or awaken to see what's going on.

Yes, being a thief has been very challenging in OB. It's totally different then SK, npcs are unpredictable and detect me much easier, plus all the valuables are locked away behind multiple locked doors and in locked chests. It's exhilarating! The best part about it tho has been the TG quests, I'm pretty deep into the line and haven't had any dungeon crawls! Thank you lord!

100% Agree with you there! I'm excited to start Oblivion again, now that Steam sold the Deluxe version with all the DLC content! Oblivion will always be my first love and I won't look at it from a Skyrim POV. Skyrim is awesome, but OB has GATES! Oh I can't wait to kick Dremora butt!!!!!!!!!!

Then kick butt you shall!

Well, I already indicated I had some problems re-adjusting to Oblivion, after playing about 300 hrs in Skyrim. I have tremendously enjoyed playing 2 mage characters for just over 400 hrs each in Oblivion, with the only drawback being a sense of lonliness playing the 360/vanilla version. The companion and marriage functions in Skyrim have alleviated this problem, and I am enjoying the additional flexibility this has provided for my character. However, I still miss playing Oblivion, and the many aspects (better guild questlines, magic/spellmaking, etc) that I enjoy from it. Ironically, when I found I could not get back into my Oblivion character, I also tried to return to a level 12 FO3 character with just over 100 hours. I am having a blast playing Fallout 3, and roaming the wastelands with Clover and Dogmeat. I was only planning a brief break after 300 hrs of Skyrim, and this was an unexpected surprise. In any event, I think I have reached the point where I am ready to retire my 2nd Oblivion character, and begin a new one. Having completed the MQ, MG, KOTN, and arena, I will try to tackle the thieves guild and build a character focused around stealth. I enjoy magic in Oblivion too much to ignore it, so I will continue to follow the exploits of others for ideas to build a stealthy thief that leverages magic. I was deeply fearful that my love affair with Oblivion had run it's course. Now, I am hopeful that it is just my 2nd character in the game that has become solid gold. I enjoy them all (Oblivion, Skyrim, FO3) and am wondering how I will possibly juggle ME3 which was my only other forecasted acquisition for the year.

If the OP does not like Oblivion much after Skyrim that is his right and view. I agree with Renee Gade lll; I've seen more threads and posts admiring Oblivion since Skyrim than the other view.

Some players are more affected by graphics than others. The dialogue in Oblivion is simpler, less sophisticated, but actually more responsive. NPC's talk to each other in Oblivion- and not just rote- but about recent events- about the players recent actions. That's responsive. The conversations in Skyrim are grittier and may appeal to those seeking 'realism'. Oblivion has a warmth that may turn some away. Some call human and warm others call trite.

I don't believe Oblivion needs defending. It is a better rounded game than Skyrim, for all its antiquated graphics and gliches, its leveling crisis and game play mechanics that have stumbles and falls.

When I play Oblivion there is always some 'duty' feeling- the obligation to finish a sequence, because, after all, I know them. The game was not released last November. What is repeatable is the variations of how events unfold with each unique character buld. In this respect, Oblivion takes second seat to no Elder Scrolls game, and may rule the roost.

I completely agree with you. Oblivion is a great game and while I can't exactly put my finger on why, I just like it a whole lot more then Skyrim.

Yes, I agree with this.

Lol maybe I should play Oblivion for a little bit, I've been playing Skyrim a lot now, it's been around 4 months since I played Oblivion.

NPC's actually talked to each other in Skyrim? But in Cyrodil is 'jarringly generic'? I believe the generic greetings and various claptrap by NPC's in this quote by Pseron Wyrd are true only when examining- the clap trap!!! And the jarringly generic.

NPC's also react to what is going on in Oblivion far more than Skyrim. The head mage in Bravil has a problem with a missing staff and a suitor who is brushed aside- NPC's in different cities talk about this. This is one example- events in Oblivion are discussed by NPC's. Using the auto dialogue also used by NPC's to generalize about Oblivion isn't really fair. They discuss everything- Dark Brotherhood murders, the brothers reunited in Chorrol, etc etc.

I've heard complaints in Skryim general about the absence of NPCs reacting to events in the game far too often, and it matches my own experience, to believe otherwise. Oblivion attempted to mimic conversation when the AI wasn't developed enough to accomplish the task- or the money available. But those empty conversations do give an appropriate appearence- especially when it's backed by actual feedback to world and player events in Oblivion. It simply isn't true there is more feedback by NPCs in Skyrim than Oblivion. The opposite- NPC's interaction is gravely cut back. The one thing Skyrim has is more 'realistic' dialogue on the rarer occasions there is dialogue. The writings is more earthy. But communication between NPC's and the player is more developed in Oblivion than any other Elder Scrolls game. Rather than continue to work at this, Bethesda dropped it. It's one of the reasons Oblivion is so replayable.

Decapitations, thats my guess.[img]Decapitations[/img]

The only time Skyrim npcs have more realistic interactions is when its a fully scripted conversation. Problem is they are relatively few and will become repetitive with extended play. The rest of the npc interaction is simply them spouting the same one liners you've heard a thousand times.

If you can overlook the odd pauses in between lines most of the oblivion npc dialogue sounds a lot like normal small talk between casual acquaintances. It's somewhat akward, no one really gives a [censored] what the other one is saying, they're just talking because for whatever reason that's what people do. There are the occasional goofy exchanges but most are easily accepted as pointless small talk. Then there are the scripted conversations meant to clue the player in on an event, or to react to an event and those flow very well.

So for me I prefer the npcs of Oblivion, they get a little goofy sometimes but I'd rather laugh at the occasional absurd exchange then suffer through hearing the same exact bull [censored] repeat over and over.

Exactly like Oblivion then with the exception you mentioned; Oblivion NPCs are much more funny!

You've said this several times, and I've got to ask, Where were you?

I'll give you that they don't talk as much as they do in Oblivion, but then it seemed like very few NPCs in Oblivion actually had jobs.

And this is precisely why I feel that Skyrim is an improvement over Oblivion. When I pass by two NPCs tending to crops I hear them talk about these specific crops, in this specific field. Family members have arguments about issues that are specific to those NPCs only. You hear their stories, they feel a lot like real people with real issues. After I have finished trading at Riverwood Traders I feel like I know Camilla and Lucan Valerius. After I have finished trading at Jensine's "Good As New" Merchandise I do not feel as though I know anything more about her than when I went into the shop.

Skyrim is full of arguments, disputes, agreements, between NPCs. You hear them talking to each other everywhere you go. Talking to each other, not just talking. There could be more of it, true. But that can be said of Oblivion as well. And there is enough that I feel I am surrounded by NPCs who have real stories to tell, who have hopes and dreams, who have done things in the past or who dream of doing things in the future. This stories, these conversations, combine to make the world feel more real and alive to me. And it is all because this dialog is specific to the characters who speak it.

But it doesn't stop there. NPC's in Skyrim do not just interact with each other with more depth, they interact with my character with more depth also. I can drop a soul gem on the floor of a tavern and a bar fight will break out as patrons fight over it. Or one of them will pick my soul gem up off the floor and ask me if they can keep it. Or they might ask me if I want my soul gem back.

NPCs will comment on things that I have done in the game. I hear different passing comments at the beginning of the main quest than I hear after I have finished the main quest. I hear comments that reflect the fact that my character is a member of a faction. I hear comments regarding my character's skills.

I can play tag. I can play hide-and-seek. I can get into fist fights in taverns.

On the roads I find Thalmor Soldiers leading prisoners to be executed. I find Redguards questioning suspicious people. I find caravans of Khajiit merchants. I find Vigilants of Stendarr hunting down Daedra. I find Bards, Pilgrims, Hunters, criminals on the lam and other people hunting down those criminals. The world is alive with activity, with NPCs doing things, all around me.

It's fine if someone prefers generic dialog spoken insdisriminately by every NPC in the game. But I will take Skyrim's scripted encounters any day.

You got all the from Lucan and Camila from an argument they have once and then Camila turns in to a robot spouting one line at you for eternity?

I agree that the added scripted convos are great and the first time you wander through towns its great to witness. Problem is after those events are over your stuck with a bunch of non responsive robots. Such as the angry guy in the Riften tavern, every time my Inperial walks near him he yells "Get away from me Imperial", um excuse me but my imperial fought alongside Ulfric and the Stormcloaks. But he doesn't know that because he is just a robot who repeats one line of dialogue all day and then sometimes participates in a scripted convo with another robot.

The oblivious system wasn't perfect but it helped fill in the gaps. It should have been kept and improved not discarded. With more work it could have been refined to add more value and life to npcs and combined with these scripted events we both enjoy would have been great.

Now in regards to the random outside of the city stuff with the patrols of soldiers and different factions is great I agree and would have been even better had they been able to do more then just fight random monsters through an improved Oblivion speech system.

Sounds like they got it right then. A typical bigot that cares not what you have done with your life, just what his preconceived ideas of what an Imperial is.

You cannot accuse Skyrim's NPCs of being worse than Oblivion's NPCs, because at worse, Skyrim's NPCs behave the same as Oblivion's.

When they should be a vast improvement instead

I accuse time constraints

Maybe, but they had a system of random generated contextual conversations already in place in OB. They didnt have to start from scratch so why not continue with it? The fact oblivion's npcs can be compared to Skyrim at all shows they had a good thing going.

personally i can't think of them as two totally independent games. They are in terms of graphics and all, but they are both based around the same plot/history. So i find it hard to go back and forget about were i've been a few moments ago. Not to say that it makes either unplayable for whatever reason...they are just so tightly coupled around the same core that you can't just separate them. when i'm in skyrim i think of everything that followed

totally agree. well said

I want to go back to my Oblivion, but i'm scared what's it like? I havn't played it since Skyrim got released. I'm not sure if it's going to be a blast of nostalgia or a "meh" feeling.

How is thee land of Cyrodiil nowadays? I must pay my brothers a visit in Cheydinhal, boy do i miss that place.

I love it. Graphically its not that far behind Skyrim, at least the landscape, so its an easy adjustment. I miss the new dual wielding system in Skyrim but OB makes up for that because it has things Skyrim cut. I dunno the more I played SK the more I wanted to load up oblivious

@ Lady Selene

Amen!