[Charlie Sarson]

Are you experiencing any of the other symptoms of the a-bomb? Slow door animations, fire animations, etc.?

[Catherine Harte]

Has there been reports of PS3 with the A-Bomb, not sure asking?

[Kanaoka]

Yes, it's mentioned near the bottom of the first post....by a PS3 user no less.

[Sami Blackburn]

hmmm, like most here i like to play games to their full extent...

surely the limited warranty would apply here as its an un-fixable fault

although there are differences in value, if a company lets say Sony were selling a TV that froze the menu after 400 hours of use, it would be fixed!

so, they released extra costly download content, knowing that the original software was bugged, hmmm spent sometime creating content and not fixing existing issues...

this sounds like a moral error to me...

without a doubt the best rpg game, just became the worst

i was looking forward to TESV, i probably wont buy it

[Queen Bitch]

I'm more than disapointed. I received Oblivion this year as a fathers day gift from my daughter. Now because of this issue I cant go any further in the game. I'm not even halfway through the quests. I think its a legal issue now and someone should report it to a consumer advocacy group or the Better Business Bureau maybe. A class action suit might get there attention.

Theyve known about this issue long enough to stop sells. If Bethesda is going to continue selling it, and have no intention of addressing this bug, then they should be obligated to patch it again or at least remove it from the shelves and refund everyone affected. Which could potentially be everyone period.

If they would do this with Oblivion then they will do it with any of there games. I certainly wont buy anymore of there games and it makes me sad really. I too bought a new shiney PC tower with games such as this in mind. This issue is more than just an annoying bug.

We spend lots of money on the games and they get wealthy. I dont see a downside to them fixing this. Just looks like their neglecting our concerns. We havent made enough noise yet?

[Sarah Evason]

While your anger is understandeable, you do realize that there is a fix for PC users yes? Read the first post again if you're playing the PC version thinking it's the end for your character.

[Shaylee Shaw]

Unfortunately, Jce, it wouldn't appear to be something bethesda CAN fix. It seems to be gone in fo3, so evedently they don't lack the skill, just the means.

However, you're on PC, you're safe, and any more bugs like this in a gamesas game shouldn't have too much trouble going away on PC either /smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

@Asgard, deadly reflex? Grab the hotfix /smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

[Ashley Campos]

Ever played Daggerfall? There was a game replete with bugs. Even after two patches. Game Killing bugs. You should probably read the EULA that you more than likely simply clicked "I agree" on when it flashed past. I believe that contains a disclaimer that the software won't necessarily do what it says. Among other things.......


Has FO3 been PLAYED long enough for it to be evident? I can crack about 150 hours without too much trouble, but by then, I am most of the way thru the game, including side quests....

[Mario Alcantar]

Unfortunately, I have to add my name to the list of people who have ran accross this problem. I started replaying Oblivion because nothing else was out and I have gotten to about 270 hours before it hit. I then went back to the old game save from my first playing and after a short time it occured on it too.. I will try the workaround to see if it helps.

Bob

[Gill Mackin]

zBob's save game fixed worked for me.

224 hours of game time and the animation glitches are gone for now.

Many thanks for zBob!

[kirsty joanne hines]

Just wanted to throw my support and similar experience out there for those that have just discovered this awful, entirely unnecessary, soul-crushing, game-breaking bug. (for me, 360 version)

I feel for you, and I just lost so much respect for a company I thought I loved.

I started noticing weird things happening around the 500-hour mark for my female Breton (who btw found the Mundane Ring and so magic can't touch her... I also had two other legendary Tamrielic artifacts... goddamnit). Lit torches would create these weird left-over flames in midair where I once stood, as if the particle effects were creating ghosts of themselves. Soon after I noticed some torches didn't have active flames at all and looked more like glowing sticks, but I shrugged it off at first because I've seen strange visual glitches before in the game -- for instance my character is uber fast with 100 SPEED, 70+ SPEED through items and two stacked spells which add another 200, that she often gets to places before the textures load properly.

However the problems would only grow worse the more I played, with the stuck torch flames becoming see-able through walls, as if they were detect spells, and for some reason the gold shoes near my dresser had duplicated themselves, yet I never touched them at all. But the final nail in the coffin was when I closed the doors to my Benirus Manor bedroom and spent the night there only to awake to the fact that I was essentially locked into the room. The doors WOULD NOT open, and no amount of button mashing or reloading my save would fix it. I thought it was something I could fix by restarting and clearing the cache, but when that didn't work I knew something was very wrong. When I cast a spell on myself the bright white particles stuck to the air like glue and would not go away. Flames in fireplaces looked like paper cut-outs yet the trees and clouds swayed just fine. It's like the game would freeze, but just for very specific animations, and unfortunately the most important ones. But the most F'ed up thing about it all is that the doors WILL eventually open if you use "wait" for hours by it and the spell animations WILL finish after about 3 days' game time. I couldn't help but think, "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!"

An hour later after searching the net, I came to the horrible revelation of what was happening but I don't at all understand why it has to be. I mean listen to how ridiculous this sounds: Apparently some key animations' timings in the game become corrupt and slowed to a crawl if your saved game hex code goes over a certain value, but you can't control said value because it auto increments behind the scenes every time you save and with everything you do, so no matter what system you play it on, if you play it long enough, you WILL be [censored]. Somehow the save game is using a variable that controls the timing of realtime animations throughout the game.... WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?

Now I'm no programmer, but even I know that's not a normal way to do things. Why would the save game's code have anything to do with the realtime happening of the game, which load constantly from the disc anyway? And why the HELL would these animations eventually finish properly depending on what time the IN-GAME CLOCK is at?!

I-I just.... don't understand. And I feel so betrayed /sad.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':(' />

Outsiders or those players unaffected as of yet might think I'm just bashing a reputable company for a minor glitch, but this is not at all a bug that can be circumvented, at least for console users, it will eventually happen no matter what and it ABSOLUTLEY prematurely ends your experience with the world of Cyrodil. Just think of the nature of the glitch: some of the most important animations, like spells, that need to play out, cannot play out. Even if doors will eventually open if you sleep near them, what if you need to open a door while you're in the middle of a fight -- can't sleep near it then. When you cast a spell it's effect stays stuck in the world and effectively blocks off your first-person view. No one in their right mind could play Oblivion like this comfortably, and indeed it absolutely breaks some quests outright. So in the end, OBLIVION INEVITABLY BREAKS ITSELF!!

I HAVE NEVER SEEN A MORE [censored] UP GLITCH IN THE HISTORY OF MY GAMING CAREER. And the fact that Bethesda has known about it for years now and won't or can't fix it adds just another hopeless layer to this tragic overlooked bug that just didn't need to be. I know playtesting a game of this size would be hell, but they should at least have tested what happens the longer you play, and concerning incremental numbers that could possibly break things, have we learned nothing from Y2k? And the fact that they still released DLC and GOTY editions despite it royally pisses me off.

I have become very attached to my character; the wonderful items I earned, the experiences I had and the consequences of my actions... to think that she's just dead to me now because I can't play the game itself due to it ruining itself is just depressing. I invested 500 hours of my life only to be slapped in the face, kicked while I'm down and spat on by Bethesda. But then again this isn't the first time Bethesda has prematurely left one of their game's behind wallowing in a pool of bugs and glitches (*cough* Daggerfall *cough*). It's like when are we gonna learn and stop buying their bug-laden games to prove a point.

I am happy for the PC users who at least found a way around it, but through third-party support I might add. I may have no other choice now but to start up a new character on the PC version and transfer all the same items I can to her through cheating. But it will never be the same, and neither will my respect for Bethesda.

Oblivion should come with a warning sticker: ENJOY IT WHILE IT LASTS.

[Barbequtie]

No one ever responded to the query about how to "resign" a 360 game (that's been extracted & patched on a PC). Does this then allow you to then return the game to the 360 and have it accepted? If so, is there a link anyone can provide to assist us novices?

[Jynx Anthropic]

As what you are talking about is in violation of the EULA for the XBox..... we can't really help you with that.

[Céline Rémy]

Being a naive player, I have no idea about these violation things and my intentions are sincere. I am just curious. This "resigning" thing sounded like a way to fix a major defect in a Bethesada product, which sits frozen on my 360. As someone else commented, this should really be prominently mentioned when buying a game, not just in vague manner of the fine print legalese of the EULA. I understand caveat emptor and Bethesada's need to protect themselves to unknown bugs, but once something that renders their product useless is so well known and widespread, then it behooves them to notify the consumer. Or else they have violated the implicit contract with the buyer to provide a product free of known defects.

So, thanks for the courteous elucidation.

[FirDaus LOVe farhana]

Actually, I think the license agreement that comes with the game mentions something about "no guarantee of suitability", or some such nonsense.... Though I agree with you in principle. There is a problem, and it really needs to be fixed. (actually, there are several, but.......) Trouble is, Beth isn't going to. They are well aware of the problems, have been for quite some time, but have said "we are done with oblivion"....... So I am not going to hold by breath on another patch.

For PC users, there are already fixes for the two GLARING game breaking bugs. For those that play on console, there is a workaround for one, (vampire cure quest) that sometimes works.... but, for the ABomb (animation bug) there is no fix for console players. Basically, once it hits, that character is done.

I have no idea why Beth hasn't addressed this. Not like they don't have the source code, or know what the problem is. Guess it is just some corporate decision, that the players disagree with. Seems kinda counter-productive to me to alienate a goodly percentage of your market in this manner. But then, I have never really understood the whole "corporate mentality" thing in any event.

[Daniel Lozano]

That Bethesda has moved on in 2009 makes sense, but this thing bug was known about very soon after TES4 was put out. As for the corporate mentality thing, I completely understand Bethesda saying, "It's not worth it to us to make a fix," or more obliquely, "the fix would require the kind of overhaul that we are unable to invest in." The thing that bothers me is that they have not explained where the crunch comes from. What I mean is, to say precisely why it is too arduous to fix. For example (as other posts have speculated), "The problem comes from a third party program we utilized where [technical details spelled out] and we are unable to address this in TES4 as it would require a major overhaul of the system that is not feasible. This is one of the frustrations of being the producers of a commercial product." Or something to this effect.

The "corporate mentality" is always the bottom line, the cost/profit ratio. And cost includes litigation. So, corporations hold their cards close to their chest for fear of a law suit, e.g., being sued for knowingly providing a defective product, much like the tobacco companies who got nailed because it was shown that they know the hazards of their product, yet continued to sell it, and then lied about having this knowledge.

However, in Bethesda's case, while it might protect them from a lawsuit (and they probably expect gamer types to never consider this -- though it is a fantasy of mine to sue them precisely to find out what they knew and when), it leaves them looking like they could care less. I would bet you that the people involved in the actual programming of TES4 are proud of their work and would love to be able to discuss this bug openly, but that "legal" puts a clamp on it and we just get PR speak..."At this time, we do not plan to issue any further modification of this product...blah, blah, blah." The shame is that PC gaming is one of the few areas where the consumers are so actively invested in the product, which in the end better their products. Bethesda risks that mutually beneficial relationship by stonewalling.

[Your Mum]

Come on, the game has over many,many,many hours of game play. Other games have an average of 40 hours that cost $60. Let me ask you this, do you buy a the same sport game that comes out every year for $60? If yes, why? This bug doesn't bother me, I always end up finishing what I have to do, then start over with another character.

I know this has nothing to do what the thread but when I hear lawsuits (I tripped in front of your house, I'm going to sue you) , it ticks me off.

[Soraya Davy]

Its more to do with a ignoring a known flaw than anything else. Beth KNOWS there is a problem, well, a couple.... and they are not going to fix them. I play on PC, so, it really isn't that much of an issue for me, and I regularly clock 300+ hours on a character. There is plenty of content for the consoles, so getting up to those numbers probably isn't too much of a stretch. Then, you hit the wall of the ABomb..... and the character you have worked so hard on is now unplayable. Granted, with this game you DO get quite a bit for your money, and it is amazingly replayable, but, I think folks would prefer to start a new character of their own choice, rather than have it forced on them by a known bug.

[Brittany Abner]

I agree with HeyYou. It is about how a company conducts itself in relation to consumers, especially with this kind of gaming where the consumers are so active in modifying the product, which only helps the company with its future products. (It's like a huge world of free testers.)

And to the idea that TES IV gives you so many more hours than a sports game, so it's a good deal and stop whining. Well, that misses the point. One of the ideas behind TES IV is that is a whole world to explore, with lots of things for your character to do. That was part of their ad pitch (in order, I think, to get RPGers excited as opposed to sport gamers): the big open field. Explore to you heart's content. (they didn't say, "Oh, P.S. as long as you don't go over X number of hours!")

And don't have such a knee jerk reaction to "lawsuits." I wasn't speaking of going the tort route as a punitive measure, but (in my fantasy) as a way to allow for a discovery process, which allows you a behind-the-scenes look into the company actual thinking process.

[Joanne]

I agree with the discovery process of the lawsuit issue, BUT, when a group is misled by false advertising as we were about this game something must be done. Im a PS3 user and this was the first game that I purchased and played. I had not done any gaming in 10 years and was blown away by it. The thing is, I bought the expanded SI/KofN version the next Christmas. Never had a problem with the original version except a few minor programing errors, ie dead bodies laying in streets for a long time. But never this Abomb. Unfortunately I traded the original version for a new game. Now here is a thought, I bought my copy of the game at WalMart, they take their business responsibilities, moral/ethical to the highest levels. I'm going to write/call them of this problem and see if we can get Bethesdas products pulled from the shelves. Perhaps then it will be sound economics on Bethesdas part to address the issue, or at a minimum come clean as to who what when and where the problem originated. LOL I'm done with my rant, but I will be making calls on Monday.

[Zach Hunter]

"Hey, y'know those products that sell really well and get awards? Well, one of them has a bug, you should pull them all"

How you expect bethesda to FIND that bug (300 hours of playtesting on one character? They do have to ship at some point, you know), never mind fix it when they themselves didn't write the engine, and so would have to first understand why it was happening, and to the aid of a very small minority of their customers (300 hour+ console gamers), I don't understand! They can't do it! In a perfect world, they'd fix it, but it isn't one. Good luck getting stuff pulled.

[Nathan Barker]

/24.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':rofl:' />

[GLOW...]

I just had this problem show up the other day as well. I have been playing for ages doing all side quests before the main course and I am at level 39. It seemed to start when I went into Kamen, my fireballs would hang in the air after it destroyed the monster. I then shot the walls and it looked like it was a molten blob of metal burning a hole into the wall.
the zbob fix did the trick though.
I fixed my last save file and in game loaded up a past save file and it was working just as it used to as well.
This is great, until now things were smooth without any issues but while in the ruins where you need to open gates they would freeze, problem solved as well.

A great game, they could have easily of made expansion packs to keep this game going so why they decided to abandon it, who knows but them.

[StunnaLiike FiiFii]

Just curious as I have started getting the A-Bomb or something like it recently - the fix helps temporarily but still getting CTD and frozen doors quite a bit - one symptom that is not mentioned here is the streaming console command "resetting config' when using the "~" command - related issue? The message runs at about 2-300 a minute in console, but have not seen any related reported issue....too many .esp? races? esm's add ons? Could be, I have a ton of them...

[Alex Blacke]

A year or so ago, I was playing OGOTY for the 3rd or 4th time. I got onto these forums soon into the character and got lots of new RP ideas, etc. and started down a path of incredible immersion. Based on what other's had said on the forums, I purchased most of the available DC which made me even more excited about the game than the first time I played it. So much in fact, I just assumed I'd be purchasing Fallout 3 and, if I could find it, Morrowind to play next.

Then, it all crashed. Somewhere around 2/3 of the way through my RP (who can be sure how long there is to go in a RP though) and 300+ hours of my life into the character, the bomb hit. Game over. I was so PO'd, I swore I'd never play it, let alone another Bethesda product, ever again. HOWEVER ... after just finishing DA Origins, I couldn't help but compare it to OB and how little imagination -- let alone immersion -- was involved in playing it. So, back to play OB again.

That's what's so damn frustrating about Bethesda's unwillingness to patch this: it really is the mother of all new RPG's to come, even if -- as evidenced by Fable 2 and DA -- she has yet to give birth after 4+ years of coming on the scene. A patch to fix a game breaking bug not released to support such a monumental game ... I just can't get my head around it. I can see it for a game that had crap sales: why bother? But for this game? A game that's STILL relevant, and being bought, after all these years ... sad, really.

And for those who justify it as them having to re-work the core engine or some other massive change to fix it, have you read about the PC fix? 90% of the modders work was tracking down the bug. Once it was found, it was relatively easy to fix: a simple code to reset a hex counter. Thus, they did most of the work for Bethesda in tracking down the bug. All Bethesda has to do is release a patch, a small one at that, to do the same reset. This fix may not address the actual bug itself (i.e., recoding the bugged hex file itself and any other code that relies on it), but most patches are just workarounds anyway. There's no reason they'd need to jump into the engine or any other complicated coding in the game. Since I'm a console user, I'm screwed w/out an official patch.

I guess I must be part of a small minority in that this bug is hurting their sales. There's not a chance in hell I'll be buying Fallout 3 or Morrowind. In fact, I won't be buying any more Bethesda products ... period. Well, maybe the next in the Elder Scrolls series (heh) if that ever happens.