# Two weeks to..... Oblivion **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 5, 2006, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180 "2006-03-05T21:40:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/181 "2006-03-27T03:20:36Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > Is this just for “Battlemage” class? Because I can cast spells while wearing armor easily. By battlemage, I meant any custom class that mixes spells and effective combat abilities. If you check, the more armor you wear, the lower your spell effectiveness is. This really cuts into your effectiveness if you are, for instance, using expensive spells that are supposed to do a lot of damage. Having only 85% effectiveness on a spell can mean the difference between killing an opponent in a few casts, and getting wrecked while you wait for your mana to recharge. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/182 "2006-03-27T03:38:17Z")
> [@FinnAgain](#): > > Not to mention that they’ve totally nerfed the ‘battlemage type’ custom character class, as wearing any type of armor fucks up a mage’s ability to cast spells. It was the same in Morrowind, I think, wasn’t it? In any case, as you get better in the armor type you’re wearing, your effectiveness improves. I don’t view this as a bad feature - a combat mage wearing heavy armor shouldn’t be as good a spellcaster as a pure mage in robes. ---
**Author:** ![Grossbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ba8739/32.png) [@Grossbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grossbottom)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/183 "2006-03-27T13:07:36Z")
I bought the game in anticipation of getting my new machine, and it took all of two hours for my willpower to crumle in the face of even substandard Elder Scrollsy goodness. My old box is kind of crappy to handle decent melee combat in this game, so I made a wood elf nightblade w/ marksmanship as a primary skill. Bosmer + bow + sneak = death on a stick, and low frame rates don’t matter when just about everything dies before it knows you’re there. Shortly after I escaped the sewers and found the Imperial City, I got kidnapped by pirates! I got a magic sword from the pirates, then I wiped out a nest of goblins, robbed Skingrad blind, shot up a bunch of Necromancers, and joined the Mages Guild. I think I’m in love. _sigh_ ---
**Author:** ![Brainiac4](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brainiac4/32/3534_2.png) [@Brainiac4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brainiac4)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/184 "2006-03-27T13:37:52Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > It was the same in Morrowind, I think, wasn’t it? In any case, as you get better in the armor type you’re wearing, your effectiveness improves. I don’t view this as a bad feature - a combat mage wearing heavy armor shouldn’t be as good a spellcaster as a pure mage in robes. On the other hand, said combat mage has much better defense. It’s a tough decision. My initial character is a Breton Spellslinger (custom class, mixing Destruction/Alteration/Restoration with Blade, Block and some other skills). I’m going with Light Armor, figuring that I’ll have lower strength and carrying capacity. As I get further into the game, though, I am already thinking about other character options. I really like the way they did Marksmanship. Bows work so nicely that I don’t mind not having Thrown Weapons. I’m thinking about going with a sneak/marksmanship option (like Grossbottom), because it sounds like fun. I’m also thinking about specializing in magic – perhaps with a High Elf, sign of the Atronach for maximum Magicka. Oh, too many options! ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/185 "2006-03-27T14:26:23Z")
I’m a sneak/marksmanship custom class. It’s fun, but they’re pretty weak… well, I don’t really have anything to compare it to, but I get my ass kicked in fights with multiple guys when I can only sneak attack one. Sometimes, after playing a fight 3 times and getting my ass kicked, I have to adjust the difficulty slider to get through it. Fun, though. Wood elf. Personality (sweet talker) and agility primary attributes. Alchemy, marksman, blade (for close in work, in retrospect I’d probably have picked another skill like destruction and focused strictly on marksmanship), illusion (invisiblity, charm, etc… seems to fit for an assassin), light armor, security, and sneak. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/186 "2006-03-27T14:27:41Z")
Be careful, they changed Atronarch. You get a mana boost, and absorb 50% of spells, but your mana won’t recharge naturally… you need to either get hit with spells or use potions. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/187 "2006-03-27T14:35:02Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > I’m a sneak/marksmanship custom class. It’s fun, but they’re pretty weak… well, I don’t really have anything to compare it to, but I get my ass kicked in fights with multiple guys when I can only sneak attack one. Sometimes, after playing a fight 3 times and getting my ass kicked, I have to adjust the difficulty slider to get through it. Fun, though. I have the same problem with my theif. On the other hand, I’ve found with a bit of practice, it’s possible to single pull almost anything. You just have to be patient and watch the NPCs movements. I also use de-cloak to pull. If you have two mobs standing next to each other, shooting with an arrow almost always pulls both. However, if you wait until they move slightly apart and unstealth at the right time, you can often get one of them. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/188 "2006-03-27T14:44:42Z")
Does anyone know any shortcuts to bartering? A key combination so that I don’t have to confirm each and every purchase? A way to sell 1 item, or all of them at a time, without having to fool with the multiple sales window? It doesn’t seem like the game regards a sale of 10 items as 10 sales, so you can boost your merc faster selling each item individually… but it takes forever to do without any shortcuts. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/189 "2006-03-27T15:11:21Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > I have the same problem with my theif. On the other hand, I’ve found with a bit of practice, it’s possible to single pull almost anything. You just have to be patient and watch the NPCs movements. > > I also use de-cloak to pull. If you have two mobs standing next to each other, shooting with an arrow almost always pulls both. However, if you wait until they move slightly apart and unstealth at the right time, you can often get one of them. My issue is more with the hidden guy. Shoot the one you see, get two coming at you. On the other hand, I found a few nice perches where even after being shot, the deranged zombies could not see me. Hopefully someone has hit these two quests and can give me a little guidance. The first is the merchant quest in the Imperial City.I followed the Bosmer merchant, Thoronir, all night and nothing happened. BORING! What am I missing?The second are the vampire-hunters.I’m supposed to search a house, but the only thing I find are some locked chests well above my level. What am I missing Pure fighters are stuck, given all the locked chests in this game. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/190 "2006-03-27T15:17:53Z")
Merchant quest: Not sure what’s going on with you, but I followed Thoronir from his shop, to a bar where he had a couple drinks, then outside to a park area where he met his secret supplier. Then I had to follow the supplier for a while. Does that help? Haven’t done the other one so no help there. re: Hidden guys. I sneak around until I see all of them. Haven’t yet encountered something where I absolutely couldn’t single pull them, but I have had to be very creative in some situations. Maybe pure fighters can bash chests open? If not, I agree - there’s so many locks you need to get through that it seems impossible to not have lockpicking skills or at least spells. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/191 "2006-03-27T15:27:45Z")
By the way, I noticed there’s not a lot of talk about how good this game is in this thread. So if anyone is considering buying it… great game. I haven’t binged on a game this much since… civilization 2? ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/192 "2006-03-27T15:30:45Z")
Thanks Athena. I kept with the merchant. That may be it. Something to try tonight. I dislike all the waiting you are ‘forced’ to do. Follow this person, then wait until midnight to report back, rinse, repeat. And why are the crazy people all Bosmers? This negative stereotyping is disheartening to my character. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/193 "2006-03-27T15:38:01Z")
A note about alchemy: If you search crates and steal food off the table, and pick berries and seeds in the wilderness, and have alchemy as a major skill, you’re going to level off of it really fast. Probably prematurely, resulting in low attribute bonuses. As you get alchemy perks (see more effects), while generally this is good, it can change things. For instance, if you know 2 effects on 2 items, and they are damage health, damage speed on one, and damage health, restore agility on another… and then you learn the third effect, and the first item has restore agility as an effect… you go from having a nice poison (damage health) to a potion with drawbacks (the shared restore agility makes it a potion, rather than a poison, and it’s a potion that has a damage health effect) I’m almost at 90 alchemy now. Master alchemy might be interesting. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/194 "2006-03-27T15:39:28Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > Maybe pure fighters can bash chests open? If not, I agree - there’s so many locks you need to get through that it seems impossible to not have lockpicking skills or at least spells. Nope… but there is a deadric shrine quest which will give you an unbreakable lock pick which also boosts your security skill by 40 points. ---
**Author:** ![Grossbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ba8739/32.png) [@Grossbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grossbottom)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/195 "2006-03-27T15:50:53Z")
You could also just buy alot of lockpicks and keep clicking auto-attempt until the minor skill builds up. Or enchant an item with the proper spells, if that works anything like it did in Morrowind. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/196 "2006-03-27T16:12:43Z")
> [@Grossbottom](#): > > You could also just buy alot of lockpicks and keep clicking auto-attempt until the minor skill builds up. Or enchant an item with the proper spells, if that works anything like it did in Morrowind. I believe it does, but my skills and cash are way too low to do anything like that. One difference from Morrowind: no more flying like Superman! Levitate has been nerfed ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/197 "2006-03-27T16:16:36Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > By the way, I noticed there’s not a lot of talk about how good this game is in this thread. So if anyone is considering buying it… great game. I haven’t binged on a game this much since… civilization 2? :). I purposely don’t play some nights, because I know I have to get to work in the morning and it is just so hard to put down (same as I did sometimes with Civ4 and Civ2). People on the official forums may be leaving because of the scaled leveling system, but I’m addicted (and I think the leveling system is actually pretty well done)! Speaking of which, here is a link saying exactly how the leveling system works: [http://www.elderscrolls.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=293980](http://www.elderscrolls.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=293980) I think it’s required reading for everyone… and it’ll help you understand the system better. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/198 "2006-03-27T16:19:03Z")
By the way, I just hit expert in light armor, which means it doesn’t encumber me anymore. But my spellcasting effect was 95% before and after… I thought it would go away with the encumberance, but I guess something else controls it. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/199 "2006-03-27T16:41:55Z")
> [@FinnAgain](#): > > Nope… but there is a deadric shrine quest which will give you an unbreakable lock pick which also boosts your security skill by 40 points. I want! Can you give me a hint to where the quest starts? ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/200 "2006-03-27T16:49:08Z")
After playing the game pretty much every day for a week, I’m thinking of starting a new character. I currently have a Khadjiit custom class that’s mostly melee/theft oriented, but after all this time, I really like the thief stuff and the magic. I think I’ll pick alteration, illusion, destruction, mysticism, security, sneak, and either speechcraft or marksman. I figure destruction, restoration, alchemy, acrobatics and athletics will level up on their own. There’s a cool thread on the forums on neat stuff people have seen the Radiant AI do. Some of the things are rather mind-boggling. Oh, and if you haven’t done so yet, be sure to stay the night at the Bloated Inn on the Imperial City waterfront. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180.md?page=11)