Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Part #2 - The Elder Updates II

Part 2: The Elder Updates II - Khajiit Like To Torial, Part 1

Rhjamiz posted:

I'm not familiar with your other LPs, Lizard Wizard, but when will you call Oblivion "done"? At the conclusion of the Main Quest? 100% run? When you finally throw a fit of rage and disgust?

Who the fuck even knows.

Khajiit Like To Torial, Part 1

Ugh, it's dark in here. And stuffy.

Not a problem, though. Just need to adjust my eyes.

Nothin' wrong with a few drakes.

Annnnd yet another rat.

Nope!

Oblivion take you.

Come to think of it...maybe I could use this in alchemy. I just need to find something similarly gamey...

Lockpicks! A khajiit's best friend.

Given that Sterv has free Night Eye at will, we didn't take any, but I'd just like to point out that torches weigh nothing as opposed to Morrowind, where they were a whopping three pounds. You're no longer penalized for not specializing in illusion, and as such, though I'm loath to admit it, it's a point in Oblivion's favor. It wouldn't be fair to weigh it against Skyrim since, y'know, it was made AFTER Oblivion, but I've decided to keep score for everything Elder Scrolls the Fourth does right and wrong. We'll see where it stands in the end.

Oblivion's Not That Bad Score: 1

I'm...just going to hang on to this.

Armor, shield, bow and arrows.

It'll work, I guess.
Also, you're no longer locked out of wearing boots (or helmets) if you happen to like playing a Khajiit or Argonian. That's pretty good!

Oblivion's Not That Bad Score: 2

Let's just make sure I can hit things with it...

Okay, good.
The arrows in Oblivion actually arc, so you need to aim a little higher than usual because physics and realism. Maybe I'm being too generous, but hey, I like the feel of it, so one point to Gryffindor.

Oblivion's Not That Bad Score: 3

Let's see if I can't convince you to open, mm?

Kitten's play.
It's not really made clear in this GIF, but lockpicking involves bumping up each tumbler and pressing the spacebar if it decides to "stick" to the top of the lock to hold it in place. Stick all of the tumblers in place and the loot's yours.

Ooooh!

Spell scrolls. Handy.

...hm.

Wonder if I can still manage a Flare.
The default key for spellcasting is C. That's a little fucked, but it's easily changed, so I'm not going to count it against the game.

HA! That 50-Septim magic seminar wasn't a total waste after all.
That having been said, Oblivion no longer requires you to fish through a bunch of menus to put down your sword and equip a spell to shoot a fireball. You can now just shoot a fireball at the press of a button, which is good, because it lets you actually integrate spells into your fighting style.

Oblivion's Not That Bad Score: 4

Never can have too many healing potions.

Let's just hope I never have too few.
Oh hey, looky there. The little blue bar in the corner is full again. That's our Magicka, and it regenerates over time in this game, so in case you don't have the wiggle room to rest or chug potions, you can still use spells with some regularity. It's fuckin' raining good decisions so far, isn't it?

Oblivion's Not That Bad Score: 5

MARA'S MERCY! A ZOMBIE!

Groooooooooooss!

If my sense of smell doesn't deceive me, I...might be able to make a potion by mixing this with rat flesh? Urgh.

Plenty of THAT on hand, at least.

Oblivion's Not That Bad Score: 4

Oho.

A bit of a challenge, this one.
Now, this is a bit of an interesting one - the lockpicking minigame is more or less entirely player skill-based, which means that you can quite easily pick any lock you want given enough time. This is a drastic change compared to Morrowind, where you might need any combination of unlocking spells, high agility, high Security skill, or good lockpicks to be able to surpass a difficult lock. Obviously, this means earlier access to doors and containers than before. It's kinda subjective as to whether this is a good or a bad change, so I'm just going to leave the score where it is.