"Why the ambiguos/generic dungeons of Oblivion are in retrospect a good thing"

I realised this a few days ago whilst exploring an Ayleid ruin. It was a ruin I'd probably explored before, but could not remember/identify it, because like all dungeons in Oblivion, it was pretty non-distinct. Now why is this a good thing? Well, that I can forget a dungeon, and explore it a few years later and feel like it's new, extends the life of this game even more. Wheras the dungeon's in Skyrim, with their hand-placed storylines and mini-plots are really a one-time affair, like knowing that the Redguard family were slaughtered in the lighthouse to the north, really negates any reason to explore it again in subsequent playthroughs.

Oblivions dungeons force me to imagine my own scenarios and reasons as to why I'm there.

One of the things I like about Ob's lairs are that they are more challenging than Skyrim's, in the sense that if I'm not paying attention to where I'm going, it's possible to get seriously lost in a Cyrodiil dungeon. There's often 3, 4, 5, sometimes 6 or 7 different ways to go at some point. Which way is the correct one? .. If an enemy is too strong, and my character is fleeing, I now have to remember the entire lair in reverse, hopeful that I make the right twists & turns.

I never use the map. What can I say? I've always been a fan of mazes.

Skyrim's lairs (as awesome as they are) are in and out 90% of the time. The reason they did this is obvious to me: in Oblivion, once a lair is cleared, you might now have to figure out how to go all the way back to the beginning. This might entail going through 3 or 4 different sections, too. Skyrim holds the player's hand; making it easy and convenient to figure out which way to go. I imagine most gamers nowadays are okay with this, of course.

I'm gonna disagree that Skyrim's dungeons are "one-time affairs". They are easier to crawl through, but I still love going through places I've already been. The combat & loot & roleplaying are where it's at for me. If a quest in a lair has been done, I usually make up my own. Also, the fact that Skyrim's lairs have a longer period before they respawn makes it possible for some of my characters to actually live in this lair. They can leave their 'home' for longer periods of time, and don't have to worry about anybody taking the place over, unless they're gone for weeks.

Yes I LOVE getting lost in Ayleid ruins... its one of the most awesome feelings seriously.

You know , it was funny , but yesterday ,crawling through sideways cave, faced with a secret ayelid lair , ancient scholars and glowing ayelid tablets with "Meridia" on them , I remember Mr . Howard talking about how far skyrims dungeons had come , and how they were no longer "generic" like Oblivions . After almost 2 years of Skyrim , bar perhaps a half-dozen ruins , I think Oblivions ruins are , by comparison , much larger , much deeper , filled with secret passages and treasure troves , seething with hidden quests and non-quests storylines , and all manner of creepy ghoulies . And I got lost , it felt amazing! There are so few games where you can get utterly lost , and feel like your not going to find your way out again . I often am shocked when , returning to Oblivion , there issint an entrance at the end directing me out , I have to go back the way I came - that sounds hard!!

Skyrims ruins are still good , and some are exceptional ,but generic ? Really ? I disagree.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately, and I have to agree.

However, my biggest complaint is that the Ayleid ruins don't feel like the ruins of an ancient civilization. They're so devoid of any defining characteristics of a once functioning race. They feel like large mausoleums, instead of ancient cities.