My issue with Oblivion (Rant and Resolution)

[Morda]

Ok, now I love the game. I played it like 6 or 7 hours straight yesterday and then into the night as well. The game is beautiful, it's immense, it's innovative and all that jazz.

But I'm having trouble because it's too damn hard. Now, maybe it's just me, and I just can't seem to grasp the new combat system of button blocking and power attacks vs regular attacks. But I don't know, I can't stay alive for more than 15 minutes.

For example....

I was strolling around after coming out of the tutorial dungeon. Ok so "go see this guy at this town" and "talk to him" about "this objective". Sure. So I'm wandering around and I see a ruins. Go exploring, find a cave. Now, mind you I'm still level 1, and in Morrowind there were many times where you walk into a cave or mine and immediately get killed by 3 level 10 mages. Fine, I can accept that. So I muddle my way through the cave, die maybe 5 times. I get to the end and there are 2 goblins at once. So I have absolutely no chance. I die 3 or 4 more times and give up and leave.

So I get outside and start back towards the town I'm supposed to go to when I get accosted by a highwayman who is demanding 100 gold or my life. I say, yeah ok, I'm a warrior, who do you think you are? demanding money from me? Phaw!. So I die 4 or 5 more times before I realize I have to walk way around the other way to avoid him.

So I continue on my way and get accosted by a wolf. Ok, so now I realize I'm where I should be and need to level once or twice by feasting on wolf, rat and bear remains. Wolf kills me.

Fast forward to Level 3 and 4.

Walking down the path and see another wolf. Wolf doesn't kill me, but brings me to the brink of death. Wait one hour heal, continue along.

Another Highwayman. Kills me.

At this point, I make a realization, I'm not having as much fun as I should with this game. I'm spending way too much time reloading the game and dying. Am I really that retarded, that I can't beat a wolf on the road, or a magic using goblin? Am I doing something wrong? So what do I do? I turn the freaking difficulty level down to about 50-55% instead of the 75-80% it starts at.

And you know what. I'm not ashamed! I'm sure as I progress a little, I'll bump it back up. Maybe I'll get a better handle on combat. But right now, I want to enjoy the game, not get frustrated and have to save every 5 minutes because my next step could lead to certain death.

[RoninRacer]

i think you're just a noob :smt003




seriously though, they have a difficulty "slider" in this game? does it adjust the health/damage of enemies by a percentage? that's kinda cool.

[Morda]

i think you're just a noob :smt003




seriously though, they have a difficulty "slider" in this game? does it adjust the health/damage of enemies by a percentage? that's kinda cool.

Yes there is a slider. I'm not sure exactly what it effects because there seems to be 100 or so ticks on the slider. I first tried just bumping it down a couple at a time but I didn't notice any difference. It took a big chunk to see anything change, but most likely it just lowers the offense of the enemy and the hit points.

[HeartbreakRidge]

My first question would be to figure out what your equipment is like to see if maybe you need to work on getting better weapons/armor? Also, what about using buffing magic and/or potions on you (or poison on your weapons)?

Also, what sort of character are you? Attacking from sneak always gets big bonuses as well.

Something that might get overlooked is repairing your weapons and armor, as they degrade with use. Armorer skill is a lifesaver.

[Motown5150]

I'm not great or anything, but as soon as I started using magic more (spam'in em with fireballs, etc), I ended up doing better in battles, where before I was getting it handed to me with just blades alone.

[Morda]

I'm a hack and slash warrior. My blades is over 50, my sword is a 6 and my armor is like 17-19. The only spell I use is Minor Heal. Armorer is one of my major skills and my stuff it almost always fixed up.

[soul embrace]

i guess me never playing morrowind much has helped me with the combat in oblivion. the combat in oblivion kind of reminds me of the combat in condemned. so here how i do my combat, i use a sword sheild combo and when a person is coming at me i bring up my shield and right after he hits me i counter-attack. as soon as i hit him i back up and redo the whole process, i hardly ever use my power attack cause it drains my fatigue level. if they run into your shield hard enough it stuns them and gives you an open shot to get in a few hits before they recover. also with power attacks if they block it it leaves you stun a little bit for a wide open for shot from the enemies to get a few shots in.


there is no shame in lowering the difficuilty in games. games is suppose to be fun.
i like how they let you change the difficuilty level in mid-game, all games need to allow that.

[Hazard71]

I'm just the opposite of you Morda. I thought it seemed to easy so I put the slider up to more difficult and I'm having a much better time now. But if it seems to tough then put the slider down and it will be much easier for ya.

[Morda]

I'm just the opposite of you Morda. I thought it seemed to easy so I put the slider up to more difficult and I'm having a much better time now. But if it seems to tough then put the slider down and it will be much easier for ya.

Wow. I must just be a n00b then. I was surprised to see the slider start out as full as it did. I figured they'd start you in the middle and let you adjust from there.

[TheUnknownn]

When I was lvl 1 or 2 I was in the basement of the diamond store in imperial city and a guard came, I resisted arrest, killed him and was set up with lvl 5 sword, amazing shield and armor and the game has been a bit too easy in the early goings. I have no idea how I killed the guard and got away with it because any other time ive done a crime by mistake the guards just keep coming 1 more added every 5-10 seconds. Ive recently cleaned up, have 0 bounty and trying to keep it that way :P

However I did put my slider bar a bit to the left (easier) from the beginning to help with the learning curve I first had.

Now I wonder how fast this slider bar works, ie if im in a tough spot can I press pause, put it all the way to the left (easiest) unpause, kill the mob or guard, then slide it back to normal.

I'm only lvl 4 now so by no means an expert but it sounds like your armor count is a tad bit low as a shield alone is like 9ac and chest piece 15ac.

??? let me know how your doing.