Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Preview [Archive]

Knightshade Dragon

02-27-2006, 05:57 PM

Gaming Trend has put up two previews and a TrendCast (http://www.gamingtrend.com/trendcasts/OblivionTrendCast.mp3) on the upcoming Xbox 360 / PC title, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (http://gamingtrend.com/searchresults.php?searchtext=elder+scrolls+iv&Action=Go). The first preview (http://www.gamingtrend.com/Articles/articles.php?artID=130) was from an event in New York, the second preview (http://www.gamingtrend.com/Articles/articles.php?artID=132) from an event in Chicago, and both totalling 16 hours of playtime split between the Xbox 360 and PC version. Here is a snippet:

The physics engine is simply incredible. After shooting one arrow during the tutorial, I thought the bucket got stuck and I found a glitch in the game. Then I walked over and discovered the bucket was balancing on the edge of the broken well wall.
While no release date other than Spring of 2006 has been announced, rumors are spinning around a March 20th ship date.

BleedTheFreak

02-27-2006, 06:26 PM

The official release date is "Early 2006" not "Spring 2006". That information somehow got put up at the end of a preview (I assume by accident). March 20th does indeed seem very likely at this point.

aversion2k

02-27-2006, 06:27 PM

"The physics engine is simply incredible. After shooting one arrow during the tutorial, I thought the bucket got stuck and I found a glitch in the game. Then I walked over and discovered the bucket was balancing on the edge of the broken well wall."

That doesnt sound particularly impressive. Lots of games can do physics like that.
I'm not putting down oblivion, just that quote. :P
Its like saying "I threw this crate in half life 2, and it landed funny, I thought it was a bug, but it was actually balancing on something"

Everlost_MI

02-27-2006, 06:33 PM

While no release date other than Spring of 2006 has been announced, rumors are spinning around a March 20th ship date.

Rumors? Well, I hedged my bet that it is the 20th - I took the 21st off to be able to play it until my eyes bleed!

Thenetcase

02-27-2006, 06:34 PM

yeah... it's like saying, "I was driving my car down the road and I saw someone switch lanes too fast and I thought they were breaking the law, but then I realized they were just from Texas".

Okay... maybe not ...

-TNC-

Knightshade Dragon

02-27-2006, 06:35 PM

Yea, in retrospect I could have selected a different quote. And I botched the release date. D'oh! :D

Gerbs

02-27-2006, 06:43 PM

I CANNOT wait to play this game. How hard do I have to strike myself at the base of my skull to pass out for three weeks? Sure I would fail college and lose my job, but it would so be worth it.

Knightshade Dragon

02-27-2006, 07:06 PM

I CANNOT wait to play this game. How hard do I have to strike myself at the base of my skull to pass out for three weeks? Sure I would fail college and lose my job, but it would so be worth it.

I feel your pain. I start the final 7 weeks of college in 1 week. I know that Oblivion is gonna hit and I'm gonna struggle.

smashism

02-27-2006, 07:11 PM

Out of all the recent previews, I found this one the most informative.

god i want this game now

Magnanimous Gnome

02-27-2006, 07:23 PM

Well since we've had like 10 posts on Oblivion today, I am going to take this one off topic for a moment.

I know I'm late to the party here, but I just saw the Silent Hill movie trailer and it was AMAZING. I loved the games (well #2, the only one I've really played) and this movie just seems to fit the series so perfectly! I can't wait!!

Rirath

02-27-2006, 07:58 PM

We'll know the actual release date in a few weeks, they've said. All signs point to roughly March 20th in the US and 24th overseas.

Deathbane27

02-27-2006, 08:07 PM

After shooting one arrow during the tutorial, I thought the bucket got stuck and I found a glitch in the game. Then I walked over and discovered the bucket was balancing on the edge of the broken well wall.

I declare the official subtopic of this thread to be making fun of this quote!

"After taking a dump, it got stuck and I thought I'd found a flaw in my toilet's design. Then I realized I hadn't flushed it in 3 weeks."

...I got nothing.

Grifter

02-27-2006, 08:35 PM

That had do have been the worst, most redundant and annoying podcast I have ever heard. Some people really need to stick with writing. Stop using "actually' every other word.

slimfatbaby

02-27-2006, 08:45 PM

Out of the 4-5 podcasts that went up on Oblivion the one at www.newgamingradio.com is probably the best and most informative. Lots of details about playing as a mage.

ldi222

02-27-2006, 09:58 PM

Deathbane27

02-27-2006, 10:10 PM

No more previews for me. Too many spoilers. That bloody NewGamingRadio podcast was just too bloody specific about the mage guild quests. All I want to see now is the release date. Sooner I see that, the sooner I can schedule my vacation. :p And maybe a few dev posts to sate my fanboyism.

dead

02-27-2006, 11:33 PM

While no release date other than Spring of 2006 has been announced, rumors are spinning around a March 20th ship date.

When do you guys have spring anyways?

Mason

02-27-2006, 11:51 PM

When do you guys have spring anyways?

Technically mid-March to mid-June. It's a good time of year, for those of us who aren't standing upside-down.

LilEvilFish

02-28-2006, 01:02 AM

It's a bucket. A f&*king BUCKET.

"OMFG IT LIEK HAS PHYSICS AND SHIT OMFG LIEK OMG!!!!1"

Y'know I bet you fight your way all the way to the end and to defeat whichever denizen of hell they decided upon, you have to use realistically modelled bucket physics model to put it to rest!

I'm sorry, no. Nice game, I won't be playing it for the buckets.

Liquidize105

02-28-2006, 01:37 AM

It's gonna need patches, a lot of patches.

So get it for PC.

rainbowblack

02-28-2006, 01:44 AM

this preview set my WANT-O-METER into overdrive

Rendelius

02-28-2006, 02:45 AM

It's gonna need patches, a lot of patches.

So get it for PC.

And you know that for sure, because... ????

Heretic Machine

02-28-2006, 03:05 AM

And you know that for sure, because... ????

Because all of their other games have. ALL OF THEM.

Fyd

02-28-2006, 03:19 AM

This game looks amazing!!!!! i want a horse :)

baz

02-28-2006, 05:05 AM

And you know that for sure, because... ????

TES games have been notoriously buggy, Morrowind was massively patched. The xbox version had the advantage of building on several generations of PC patches. Morrowind was one of the only first person games I've ever played where you got a really shoddy framerate when looking at a wall, there was some questionable code in there.

Not that it stopped me loving it.

TRiLoGY

02-28-2006, 05:05 AM

The Games Release date on Play has been "Due for release on 24/03/2006" in the UK for a while so i'm estimating it will hopefully be released around then.. :)

Grimgrock

02-28-2006, 05:27 AM

Unless they are keeping the "go gold" announcement secret, there is little chance of the game being on store shelves on March 21 or 22. I'm just judging by other "go gold" announcements and their subsequent street dates.

Serapth

02-28-2006, 05:44 AM

I declare the official subtopic of this thread to be making fun of this quote!

"After taking a dump, it got stuck and I thought I'd found a flaw in my toilet's design. Then I realized I hadn't flushed it in 3 weeks."

...I got nothing.

You want to make fun of something from that article, this has to be it...

Apparently the biggest save file Bethesda has created is 8 MB in size, and to get a save file of that size you must have played for a couple hundred hours before the save file gets that big.

Stop him, he murdered English!

Lord Dongkey

02-28-2006, 05:46 AM

And you know that for sure, because... ????

Yeah, Bethesda makes some damned impressive games, and some damned impressive code, just not in the same way. :)

It'll need patches, of that I have no doubt. LOTS OF PATCHES.

Shifter

02-28-2006, 05:55 AM

So, I have an XBox 360 and a great PC. I've been avidly reading all the previews and so far I've heard from one review that the XBox version bogs down and loads constantly, and from another review that the XBox version seems to have faster gameplay...

Do you guys have any thoughts as to which version you're going to get? Anyone in the same situation as me? Thanks for your thoughts.

*By the way I also wanted to add that I have an HD 50" widescreen TV and a 24" Dell flatscreen monitor and very comfy computer chair, so from a graphics standpoint I'll enjoy it either way*

The patch issue is most likey very real so i'd be leaning towards PC...

Serapth

02-28-2006, 06:00 AM

No brainer for me. I owned Morrowind on the PC and never once installed a mod. I have both a current PC and a 360 Premium and simply put it will look better on my HD TV then on my 19" monitor. Plus, I would prefer to use the controller to play, especially with such a long game. I just find the 360 controller to be so comfortable and ive always thought TES controls on the pc were very meh.

I would say unless a) you have a core system [too slow] b) you dont have HD or c) your a MOD freak, go with the Xbox 360 version. Otherwise, go PC.

Steele Johnson

02-28-2006, 06:17 AM

I think this thread is a testament to Oblivion preview overload. I mean weve had enough, sometimes hype can become counterproductive. I do not need to hear any more press impressions about this game. These descriptions are starting to remind me of Baps newest feature of eb reviews. Makes me happy that the Gothic series is still underground in the States, it preserves a sort of integrity that way.

I wholeheartedly agree. It reminds me of the Morrowind hype that I fell for. I thought that game was one of the most boring sp rpg's I've ever played. The redundant looping soundtrack, the load time/stuttering, the cardboard cutout npc's; the game world just didn't come to life. I'm really hoping that Oblivion isn't the same design.

I the meantime, I'm really looking forward to Gothic 3. ;)

Kelegacy

02-28-2006, 06:22 AM

I'm getting sick of this game and it isn't even out yet. Hype overkill.

Rakael

02-28-2006, 06:51 AM

I'm going to eat my own face if this game doesn't come out soon.

Parsifal

02-28-2006, 07:05 AM

Apparently the biggest save file Bethesda has created is 8 MB in size, and to get a save file of that size you must have played for a couple hundred hours before the save file gets that big.

I don't see how the size of the save files could be interesting at all... Or is it for the Xbox 360s without harddrives? Otherwise that has to be one of the least interesting things you can find out from a preview...

Zurik

02-28-2006, 10:40 AM

It's gonna need patches, a lot of patches.

So get it for PC.

A truer statement has never been made. Bethesda was know for its bugs back in Daggerfall days. At least in Morrowind they've patched it up to a good point now. I'm guessing on the 360 there'll be another "Game of the Year" edition that's just a cleverly disguised patched version of the game.

Deathbane27

02-28-2006, 12:32 PM

I'm going to say offhand that I'm the one here who has been following the game the most (besides Kathode and any other Bethesda employees who lurk here). And I know it's going to need some patches. Not as serious as Morrowind or Daggerfall by any means, but I'm still expecting a few.

Magnanimous Gnome

02-28-2006, 01:03 PM

I finally got around to reading those previews. They are both extremely bad. Poorly written, and the amount of "duh" moments rivals a Bill & Ted movie.

The sounds change depending on what surface you are walking on!!! Wow, welcome to the mid-90s. What a revelation. ;)

Both of them read as if they were written by guys who had never played a game before in their lives. Who knows, maybe they haven't?

TRiLoGY

02-28-2006, 02:08 PM

A truer statement has never been made. Bethesda was know for its bugs back in Daggerfall days. At least in Morrowind they've patched it up to a good point now. I'm guessing on the 360 there'll be another "Game of the Year" edition that's just a cleverly disguised patched version of the game.

Or they could just patch the 360 version Via Xbox Live like COD2

Rakael

03-01-2006, 08:34 AM

Or they could just patch the 360 version Via Xbox Live like COD2

I was thinking the same thing. 360 games can and will be patched. I'm going 360 for this one. I'm spending $1000 building two computers, and even that much on just one would be insufficent for this game to be ran properly. I'll just have to miss out on all the mods, which while cool, I never used on Morrowind to any great extent anyway.

Heretic Machine

03-01-2006, 10:38 AM

Do you guys have any thoughts as to which version you're going to get? Anyone in the same situation as me? Thanks for your thoughts.

I still play Morrowind today. You know why? Because mods have given it an infinite amount of replay value. Buying it for the 360 is like buying UT2004 or Half-life 2 for a console: You are missing the point. When you buy a game like this, you are investing in the engine, in the hopes that a good modding community will form around it to produce small and large scale projects that will extend the life of the game.

If I had no interest in getting mods for the game, I'm not sure I'd even be that interested in buying it to begin with.

Zurik

03-01-2006, 10:45 AM

http://wiredblogs.tripod.com/games/index.blog?entry_id=1422030

Interesting review of the Xbox 360 version of Oblivion. Take most of what this guy says with a grain of salt, but I'm hoping the draw distance is improved in the final version.

Rakael

03-02-2006, 08:58 AM

I still play Morrowind today. You know why? Because mods have given it an infinite amount of replay value. Buying it for the 360 is like buying UT2004 or Half-life 2 for a console: You are missing the point. When you buy a game like this, you are investing in the engine, in the hopes that a good modding community will form around it to produce small and large scale projects that will extend the life of the game.

If I had no interest in getting mods for the game, I'm not sure I'd even be that interested in buying it to begin with.

Why not buy it for the 360 now, and later when PC specs have long surpassed its bloated recommended specs, pick up a PC copy on the cheap? Besides, the mods will take months, if not years to come out anyways. Why does it have to be one or another?

Kelegacy

03-02-2006, 10:09 AM

Why not buy it for the 360 now, and later when PC specs have long surpassed its bloated recommended specs, pick up a PC copy on the cheap? Besides, the mods will take months, if not years to come out anyways. Why does it have to be one or another?
I lurve the mouse and the ease of it. A controller to play a TES game? Blasphemy. But I might try it out with Oblivion. But not for a long time, because my PC is not up to snuff and no way and I plopping down the cash for a 360 right now.

If I end up with the choice, PC will be the way to go. If not, 360. Sadly, I think I'll end up going latter.

Rakael

03-02-2006, 01:54 PM

I lurve the mouse and the ease of it. A controller to play a TES game? Blasphemy. But I might try it out with Oblivion. But not for a long time, because my PC is not up to snuff and no way and I plopping down the cash for a 360 right now.

If I end up with the choice, PC will be the way to go. If not, 360. Sadly, I think I'll end up going latter.

I'm not too sure about the controller myself, but if it means playing Oblivion long before having a PC that meets specs, I'll do it.