I just got the game again and I have all the new plugins and expansions that I've never played before, and I'm eager to start, but I can't figure out a class. Tried mage, didn't like it. I'm sick of playing a light armored thief, and I don't like pure warrior either. I just made a Nord called Yosmir Holdir (Just off the top of my head) and I like his look, but I can't figure out a class... I was thinking along the lines of heavy armor and maybe mysticism but I don't know if that'd go together very well... I didn't like mage because it made me feel very weak, I prefer a strong, hardy character. You guys have any recommendations? I also acutally tried to make a bard, and was thinking heavily on making him a wild, crazy person like Sheogorath is, leading up to me becoming the Daedric Prince of Madness, but I don't know if that'd work to well...

Heavy armour with light armour. willpower with blade (dagger). Intelligence and block. Sneak.

This is for a sheogorath character as it produces an unpredictable character with all the symptoms of schizophrenia.

You could of course make a new type of character like a mage bowman (bow for long distance and magic touch spells for close) or an assassin who uses all out combat

That mage bowman idea is fantastic! Something I've always wondered, my race doesn't affect my class choices right? I will probably go with the mage bowman, add alchemy and sneak too for fast leveling

No.
And if your wondering about mage bowman, I believe Acadian is the man to talk to.

i am pretty sure you will try 6 or 7 characters, before knowing well what you want. Mages can be some of the most powerful characters: when you have access to the university, u can make every spell u cast having 3 effects, and the last one being invisibility 5 seconds, and noone will ever see were that drain health 100 came from. and u can do that even with ur heavy armour and wielding a War Hammer, its not goonna be that effective, but will do serious damage.

if u wanna mainly go melee combat, i'd suggest: blade, block, heavy / light armor, illusion, acrobatics, x6, x7. i think heavy and light armor give about the same protection at Master levels... so it s more of a personal aesthetic or rp taste. other slots could be among athletics, acrobatics, alchemy, restoration.... or sneak, if u like trying to get that x6 multiplier with a longsword (I assume u wanna play with sword and shield, instead of two-handed weapons).

I have something similar.... a honorable ronin. He is skilled with the blade and heavy armor. Born under the Atronach. Can only use Mysticism and Restoration, but can use scrolls from other classes. He has joined the mages' guild, and that will be all he joins.

I also have a mage/archer. He is skilled with the bow, blade and destruction magic. The bow, just cuz it's fun, the blade, because he svcks in melee combat but needs a little protection when that precious mana goes away.... but he mostly uses magic.
Sneak levels quite quickly for me. I add Acrobatics to my majors.

I use the term mystic archer to refer to a no-melee archer who uses supportive magic as back up. This is not a ranger who backs themselves up with a blade. It is not a 'mage with a bow' who relies on elemental destruction magic and uses a bow simply to start long range fights or as a poison delivery device. That is not to say that either of those other two types of characters are not viable.

To illustrate the difference though, my mystic archer's 'kill break down' probably looks like this:
90% bow, 6% illusion spells (enemies killing their friends), 2% summons (mostly distractions), 2% touch damage spells
As you can see, the emphasis is on archer, not mage; yet with no melee.

Basic tactics for differing situations look like this:
-Normal: Long range poisoned sneak shot.
-Dispersed crowds: Snipe the farthest first and stay in the shadows. Repeat.
-Tight crowds: Mind control spells to get the crowd to thin itself to one. Snipe the survivor.
-Underwater: Block with your bow and cast touch damage spells (normally absorb health).
-If cornered: Block with your bow as you immobilize your foe with a spell (command, calm, paralyze…), then open fire with your bow.
-If charged: Stop the charge with an illusion spell, then open fire with your bow.
-Panic button: Invisibility, slip away and reapproach for the snipe (combining a cheap summon with your invisibility spell makes this both easier and more fun).

Important capabilities (Nothing to do with major skills): Bow, poisons, weakness to poison, drain speed, detect life, a slow and methodical patient playstyle, mind control spells, invisibility, Cobra's Dance (from the Serpent Birthsign Stone), blocking with a bow, touch damage spells.

This is definitely a 'glass cannon' character.

I try to avoid specific build recommendations regarding mundane things such as major skill selections and such, because it just depends so much on how you want to play and level.

Osmundass Hlaalu was an Ad&d bardic noble, I honestly can't say he ever got beaten, not effecient leveled just leveled on sleep with any stat increases taken.

His skills were Blade, alchemy, alteration, security, Illusion, mercantile and speechcraft.
He never really sneak attacked, or used any offensive ranged attacks at all, just shields and commands to whittle foes down.
Then switched to Errol Flyn style fencing to deal with the left overs.
He had heavy weakness to magic and shock, but was gifted with the atronach bs, was a Dunmer, really I can not say that combat was ever boring or similar when playing as him.

So if you're looking for something fresh go the bard route, as imo it's pay offs are immense.

Sounds excellent, I'm going to make one now and see how it goes. I plan on going with these major skills taking your post in consideration : Sneak, Marksman, Illusion, Conjuration, Destruction, Alchemy and Light Armor

I'll level Alchemy, Sneak, Illusion, Light Armor and Conjuration to 100 before starting the main quest/shivering isles and I'll level up marksman to a high level on the Peyrites shrine followers

There is a problem, my magicka is very low, it's hard to level up my magic skills

Get into the Arcane University and make custom spells. The recommendations aren't that hard really. Leyawiins the only one that should give you any problems. Check out http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Increasing_Skills as well.

Well the archer mage didn't work out, but I made a dunmer mage and I think this is the one for me. I made him a couple of hours ago and I got my Conjuration and Alteration to 100 already. I just pick a low mana spell and use a weight to hold my cast down and vola. After I level a few more skills to 100 I'm starting the main quests.

I made a Breton mage but I didn't like his accent or his look, but I really like the dunmer! Picking a race I like makes me enjoy the game much more

Errr... if u wanna advance super fast ur skills without going thru the lengthy 'proggression by use', you can use the Console advskill conjuration 10 e.g., and it will give u 10 pts in conjuration (which will count for level up IF conj is a major). Cehck it http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Console

jsut to save u time

Well I don't see the harm in using that. It's no worse than holding my key down I assume, it just saves time. thanks

Consult the link in my signature for help on creating your class, also you may take a look at my character whom is also posted in that thread.