If you go out and 'Discover' all of the random gates prior to completing the Paradise quest... will they remain there? Or must you actually close them all if you want to achieve 60 gates closed? The UESP states that the max possible random gates is reduced to 20 and that no more will appear if you've closed more than 20 gates. However, it doesn't say that gates that you've discovered but not closed will automatically close. It only states that gates will automatically shut once the MQ is completed.

So... do you need to go on a gate closing spree prior to Paradise or can you just discover them all and save them for later?

I’m not sure I understand your question fully, but, you have to close 60 gates to achieve a stat of 60 gates closed. There will be no more than 60 gates open, and that number includes Bruma and the Great Gate, which is number 60. If you finish the MQ before closing all the open gates, any open gates will close then and you don't get credit for them. None will remain open after the MQ. If you want 60 gates you need to go on a spree before finishing the MQ. It’s fun, but I got a bit desperate on the last ten or so and it became a grind because I was doing them one right after the other with nothing in between.

You're misunderstanding. I know that I have to close 60 gates before completing the MQ. The quest is do I have to close 60 before completing "Paradise"?

From the UESP...

"

The number of random gates that can be open at any given time during the game is determined by how much of the Main Quest has been completed. In order to have the maximum number of gates open at a particular stage of the game, it is likely that you will need to explore and revisit several areas in order to trigger the random gates.

Ten random gates immediately appear after you complete http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Find_the_Heir (i.e., once http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Brother_Martin is delivered to http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Weynon_Priory_%28place%29). As you wander the countryside, there is a 25% chance that one of the gates listed below will appear. A maximum of 25 gates can be open at this point in the Main Quest.

When you complete http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Dagon_Shrine, the Oblivion crisis escalates. The probability of a gate opening increases to 50%, and the maximum number of possible gates increases to 50.

After you exit http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Paradise and deliver the amulet to http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Brother_Martin, the probability of a gate opening reduces to 25% and the maximum number of open gates reduces to 20. If you have closed more than 20 gates at this point, no more will spawn. Only the fixed gate locations will be present.

When the Main Quest is completed, the probability reduces to 0% with zero maximum gates. All open gates are closed."

I'm asking for clarification as to whether or not 'no more will spawn. Only the fixed gate locations will be present." means that it will CLOSE any other gates preventing me from getting 60 or no more will appear but ones I have 'found' will still be there. Do you have to close all 60 gates before completing Paradise - that is the question.

There is a certain ambiguity in the UESP article, isn't there. It leads me to suspect that they don't know for sure.

I don't know, either. It never occurred to me to leave gates open to close after the Paradise stage of the MQ, considering that's basically the next-to-last phase. Is there a particular reason you want to delay between "Paradise" and "Light the Dragonfires"?

I guess I can only suggest "try it and see." I have a feeling that the variable "MQ00.MaxOpenGates" gets reset to 20, and that randomly selected gates get closed, down to that number, whether you've "found" them or not.

I just checked my journal. I closed Bruma #59, did Sancre Tor, closed Great Gate # 60, statue created, closed Paradise, Martin finished MQ in IC.

It looks like you should close the 60 gates before Paradise, because once the Great Gate gets closed, that’s the end of gates at 60. If you finish Paradise before closing all 60 gates, I have no idea what will happen. Do as glargg says, experiment and find out at that point. I’ve done worse with old saves.