Did anyone buy the Oblivion strategy guide?

[Perversion]

Because I just bought the GOTY edition and its respective strategy guide, and there are no maps of anything in the main game. There are a few maps in the main quest section of specific places, and the two add-ons (Shivering Isles and Nights of the Nine) have their respective maps, but there are no maps anywhere to be found in the entire (almost) 500 pages of the actual land of the game itself. Which is disappointing to me, because in the Morrowind strategy guide, it gave detailed maps of the entire island/continent, and a few pages for each map describing places of interest on those maps. This strategy guide has nothing like that. Now it looks like I'm gonna have to wander aimlessly looking for anything I want to find.


Does anyone know where I can find maps that detail all of the locations (not necessarily interiors of dungeons, etc) that can be found on the world map? Thanks in advance.

[Ryner]

Re: Did anyone buy the Oblivion strategy guide?

I don't know man, exploring the world is one of the best parts.

[Perversion]

Re: Did anyone buy the Oblivion strategy guide?

I'm not saying it isn't....it's just that I have less and less time to play video games nowadays, and if I want to go somewhere to complete a quest or something, it would be nice to know how to get there without wandering around, hoping I run into it.

In Morrowind, between three characters, I spent probably 400 hours on the game. I was not even 1/4 of the way through the main quest on my main character, and only about 1/5 of the map had been explored. So trust me, I know it's fun to explore.

Also, is the world map in Oblivion bigger or smaller than that in Morrowind?

[DK]

Re: Did anyone buy the Oblivion strategy guide?

There's quick-travel in oblivion, it's not like morrowind where you have to walk everything.

[DarkwingChuck]

Re: Did anyone buy the Oblivion strategy guide?

I don't know man, exploring the world is one of the best parts.

That's what they said about Shadow of the Colossus.

[John Mora]

Re: Did anyone buy the Oblivion strategy guide?

That's what they said about Shadow of the Colossus.

And it was true.

[Perversion]

Re: Did anyone buy the Oblivion strategy guide?

For the record, my first Oblivion character is based pretty much on my first Morrowind character, which is the one I used the most.

Female Breton, with major skills in Blunt, Light Armor, Destruction, Restoration, Security, Illusion, and Conjuring.

I found myself hardly ever using any spells from the Mysticism and Alteration schools, and hardly ever made potions, so I left those as minor skills, even though I wanted this character to be pretty heavily magic-based. I figured I'd pick skills that would actually HELP me in playing the game (ie-staying alive longer wearing light armor, and opening up chests I come across using security).

So for anyone that's played Oblivion, how does this character concept sound to you?

[Denmo]

Re: Did anyone buy the Oblivion strategy guide?

We (Kirin and I) have the non-GotY strategy guide, and it's the same as you described.

Kirin bought it based on the fact that it'd be a funny read, just as well-written as the one for Morrowind, which gave little insightful comments on different characters, quests, and caves. She was disappointed.

Edit: My character is a Dunmer, Night Blade, with major skills in Athletics, Acrobatics, Destruction, Restoration, Blade, and Light armor, because I like being able to move as fast as I do in FPS's.

In order to make it more interesting though, my sign was the Atronach, which boosts Magicka, and 50% Spell Absorb, but it stunts your magic recharge, so you have to rely on potions and people casting spells on you in order to use magic.

So far it's been interesting, if a little tedious. I've had to raid many Ayleid ruins for those crystals just to survive. I think I've already consumed about 50 of 'em (there's what, 300-400 in the game total?). I've also already maxed out on Alchemy, but really, how hard is that? You just buy ingredients, make bad potions, and sell em back to the same shop.

[Ryner]

Re: Did anyone buy the Oblivion strategy guide?

That's what they said about Shadow of the Colossus.

I never said that.

And whenever you have to find a place for a quest, it shows up on your map so you know where to go.

[Denmo]

Re: Did anyone buy the Oblivion strategy guide?

Honestly, has anyone here finished the Fighters Guild without using Auto-Travel?

[Perversion]

Re: Did anyone buy the Oblivion strategy guide?

I can't really say too much bad about the game, as I just started playing, but where are the royal houses and their related quest paths like there were in Morrowind? It basically seems as if they cut back on all the factions you can join. I mean, what is there, the three guilds, and the Dark Brotherhood? I wanted to be able to join 2-3 factions like I did in Morrowind, but I guess I don't have that option.

Also, Den, yeah, I really enjoyed the Morrowind guide for the reasons you mentioned. When I bought the game (Oblivion) the other day, I pretty much sat for about 3 hours or so and read through the guide before I even began playing, and it was a letdown. I mean, they go really in depth for character selection, which is nice, but everything else just kind of seemed lacking.


One thing I DO like, however, in Oblivion, as opposed to Morrowind, is that the enemy selection scales to your level. It was kinda tedious in Morrowind to have to go back through the same areas over and over and fight all the same easy monsters.

[Ryner]

Re: Did anyone buy the Oblivion strategy guide?

I wanted to be able to join 2-3 factions like I did in Morrowind, but I guess I don't have that option.

You can join 4 factions.

[Perversion]

Re: Did anyone buy the Oblivion strategy guide?

Yeah, but my point is, I'm not joining the Fighter's guild or the Thieves' guild with a character that is not optimized for doing those quests. In Morrowind, each house had a sort of character type they were geared toward. So as a magic user character, I could join the Mage's guild, and the particular house geared toward magic-users, plus any other side faction I wanted, with one character. In Oblivion, it seems as if it's geared toward only joining one guild with each character, and if you want to join another guild, you need to make a new character to go through that guild's ranks.

[Denmo]

Re: Did anyone buy the Oblivion strategy guide?

There aren't any house factions in Oblivion (though they do make mention of them in idle chit chat now and then). There are towns that have local influence from the neighboring countries (Bruma is near Nord territory , therefore has Nordic architecture, etc). In each town there's one house up for sale.

The factions you do quests for are Fighters, Mages, Theives, Dark Brotherhood, and there's quest story arcs for the main story, Vampirism, Knights of the Nine, and each town's nobility (I think).

But yeah, it sucks that your reputation isn't affected much by what you do (unless you turn vampire or commit a bunch of crimes). I liked that about Morrowind.

[Goufunaki]

Re: Did anyone buy the Oblivion strategy guide?

God, I hated turning into a vampire in Oblivion.

I spent the entire day doing the quest to cure myself. Accidentally had to fight the witch that made the potion because she started attacking me for trespassing (nothing I could about it, the door icon was always red when opening the door). She ran off, and I thought I was screwed, but I waited a bit and she came back home.