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Post by blockhead on Aug 2, 2019 12:05:50 GMT
I realised that while Bandits and Marauders can be a nuisance they do offer a means of honing a character's fighting skills. And also you get loot from them. one crossword, one word-search, one jumble and one sudoku?
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Post by blockhead on Aug 2, 2019 12:12:56 GMT
Ah, - I shall add that to my list of reasons why I don't play Skyrim. p.s. for me the big reason was the Steam requirement.
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Post by ghastley on Aug 2, 2019 12:36:57 GMT
I realised that while Bandits and Marauders can be a nuisance they do offer a means of honing a character's fighting skills. And also you get loot from them. And at Fort Nikel and Rock Milk Cave, they do all the work for you, if you let them.
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Post by sleepygirl on Aug 2, 2019 16:52:17 GMT
My character T'Saara is a great one for picking up things that people don't seem to want anymore and she has a Bag of Holding as well (a great mod which I've used right from when I first started playing Oblivion); - so she needs no encouragement when it comes to gathering up loot. Traders must raise their eyebrows a bit though when she offers them 10 complete sets of fur armour, but she doesn't care. It's quite possible to play as an archer in Oblivion and never buy any arrows ever by collecting up arrows from dead bandit and marauder archers, - or any dead archer of any species for that matter. I'm back with trying to make up my mind whether or not to use the 'Kill Mankar Camoran Early' mod. I didn't with Eiolynn when she did the MQ, but Eiolynn did actually have the ability to kill him in the Mythic Dawn shrine at that stage of the game, but I don't think T'Saara does. Sooooo I guess it's playing the MQ through again one more time, but of course it's going to be different since T'Saara is not the same as Eiolynn. I think I got too much into a comfort zone with Eiolynn, so it's good having to stop and figure out tactics for T'Saara even though I've played the MQ so many times. (T'Saara's sword is supposed to be a Fine Iron Longsword, but for some reason the game put the ordinary Iron Longsword into her hand)
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Post by jgf on Aug 2, 2019 21:00:06 GMT
That is the essence of rpgs - to live in another world vicariously through your character. There are mods that enhance this by making hunting, fishing, crafting, selling items, a part of the game; I recall people playing Morrowind by actually living in the game as farmers, hunters, etc., and going on quests occasionally. Getting involved with your character, imagining a background, a persona, adds to the enjoyment.
I think that is why Vilja is such a popular companion. Emma gave her a life, relatives, backstory, and persona that bring her to life as the two of you advednture.
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Post by blockhead on Aug 2, 2019 21:57:17 GMT
My character T'Saara is a great one for picking up things that people don't seem to want anymore I'm such a scavenger in these games. Do you really want to work on the main quest while only level 3? Would enchanting it make it fine? If I recall correctly, an iron weapon is useless against certain (undead) enemies unless it is enchanted? It works that way in Morrowind, anyway.
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Post by jgf on Aug 2, 2019 22:20:10 GMT
Many items in the game use the same inventory icons; I've noted four ingredients use the same icon, keep saying I'll make a mode to correct that ...but I'm insufferably lazy. According to en.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Weapons#Fine_Iron_Shortsword, the fine iron shortsword has roughly 10% better stats than the iron shortsword and uses the same icon.
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Post by dogonporch on Aug 2, 2019 23:43:38 GMT
My character T'Saara is a great one for picking up things that people don't seem to want anymore I'm such a scavenger in these games. Do you really want to work on the main quest while only level 3? Would enchanting it make it fine? If I recall correctly, an iron weapon is useless against certain (undead) enemies unless it is enchanted? It works that way in Morrowind, anyway. Runeskulls are/is the mod to use for goooood enchanting. Found where there's a chance of soul gems. www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/9412A good stick/carrot mod...not every enchantment produces a super weapon/ring/etc...far from it. But you can have multiple effects which is nice. Collectible, too...they come in many colours. This one, as well, adds some variety to what you find while going through crates/barrels/etc. www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/10717
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Post by dogonporch on Aug 2, 2019 23:48:24 GMT
Many items in the game use the same inventory icons; I've noted four ingredients use the same icon, keep saying I'll make a mode to correct that ...but I'm insufferably lazy. According to en.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Weapons#Fine_Iron_Shortsword, the fine iron shortsword has roughly 10% better stats than the iron shortsword and uses the same icon. Yup...very annoying to have the same icons for different things. Luckily, any 64x64 dds image (no mipmaps) will make an icon in Oblivion. So you could cruise Google for good sword images to reduce to the right size.
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Post by sleepygirl on Aug 3, 2019 0:46:38 GMT
In T'Saara's inventory her sword is listed as a Fine Iron Longsword (which is one of the vanilla swords I really like), but when she equipped it she had the ordinary one instead. The remaining Scamps didn't like it much though whatever it was. Jauffe has given her a katana now since since she's joined the Blades so the iron sword will get sold next time T'Saara's passing by a town.
T'Saara also has a steel short sword with a Turn UnDead to Level 7 enchantment. Not ideal for 'killing' UnDead, but good for getting clear of a dangerous situation.
From here on my plan is to play the MQ at a slow pace so that by the time T'Saara is reaching the really tricky bits she's at a higher level and has worked up her skills a lot more. Playing as an 'Agent' (what is an agent anyway? 007 anyone?) is a fairly tricky choice since the skills aren't quite so simple to usefully level up. Since it takes around 100 successful arrow shots to level up as a marksman it's all a bit of a grind really. Stealth isn't quite so bad and T'Saara seem to be very good at it, but stealth doesn't work in all conflict situations. Eiolynn usually took a fighter class of some kind and with her love of a good fight and sometimes deliberately prolonging a fight so she could enjoy it more she could close an Oblivion Gate and go up three levels for every gate she closed. It's not going to be so simple with T'Saara, but as I said I wanted a new character that would take me out of my comfort zone.
With Eiolynn it was gold and swords and she'd ignore everything else. I'd run the Immersive Weapons mod just so she could loot a huge variety of swords and not get bored. She seemed to have a really good nose for finding gold and she was never short of money but being a tomb queen type of character she never wanted to spend any of it.
T'Saara picks up everything that's saleable and stuffs it in her Bag of Holding. Despite that she's only really making do and is very much the itinerant wanderer far from home.
As some of you know I live with an illness that keeps me housebound and often bedbound most of the time so living in imaginary worlds is very much my way of coping with that. That's not a recent thing though since even as a child I'd dream myself away into 'what-if' lands in my imagination. So yes Oblivion suits me perfectly for doing that. I have played hunter characters before and I did touch on crafting a few years back and it's something I'd like to look at again. An alchemist/healer type character could be interesting too. Farming I haven't tried, - possibly because I did the smallholding thing on a piece of land for real back in my 30s, - so I may have that out of my system, but we will see.
The idea of playing a character as a blank avatar is completely foreign to me. They have to have a backstory and a personal history. After such a long time of playing her I know Eiolynn's backstory and habits very well. I'm still getting to know T'Saara, but it's very plain to me that she's her own person and nothing at all like any other character I've played.
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Post by sleepygirl on Aug 3, 2019 1:06:07 GMT
I'm such a scavenger in these games. Do you really want to work on the main quest while only level 3? Would enchanting it make it fine? If I recall correctly, an iron weapon is useless against certain (undead) enemies unless it is enchanted? It works that way in Morrowind, anyway. Runeskulls are/is the mod to use for goooood enchanting. Found where there's a chance of soul gems. www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/9412A good stick/carrot mod...not every enchantment produces a super weapon/ring/etc...far from it. But you can have multiple effects which is nice. Collectible, too...they come in many colours. This one, as well, adds some variety to what you find while going through crates/barrels/etc. www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/10717I remember the Runeskulls mod and it was very good. Nexus tells me I downloaded it in 2015 so that would have been Niggle my little fairy character who was playing about with those. Intensely curious and a right little thief I hope Tamriel survived Niggle playing about with Runeskulls Ok, - but essentially she was a good little thing despite her thieving.
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Post by jgf on Aug 3, 2019 2:28:29 GMT
"I have played hunter characters before and I did touch on crafting a few years back and it's something I'd like to look at again. An alchemist/healer type character could be interesting too. Farming I haven't tried, - possibly because I did the smallholding thing on a piece of land for real back in my 30s, - so I may have that out of my system, but we will see."
I've seen a hunting mod for Oblivion but not a farming mod (though I've not actively searched for one ...having paid my dues on a farm also). And many of Emma's house mods (Aleswell Cottage, Lleyawin Cottage, Red Rose Manor, etc.) have crafting facilities and alchemy labs. All my characters have alchemy as at least a secondary skill, it is so easily learned and so useful (possibly too easy, you can become a master alchemist with no danger at all; perhaps a mod that adds a chance of potion creation misfiring ....with a graphic of your face blackened, hair blown back and smoking, lol).
"what is an agent anyway? 007 anyone?"
Have you ever noticed the main plot of Morrowind is exactly like a James Bond movie? In a Bond movie there is a megalomaniac genius ensconced in a hidden fortress creating some diabolical invention with which to take over the world; only James Bond can enter that fortress and put an end to this miscreant's plans. In Morrowind there is a megalomaniac genius in a facility inside a volcano creating a monstrous contraption with which to take over the world; only the PC can enter the volcano and defeat the miscreant. "Bond. Athragar Bond."
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Post by jgf on Aug 3, 2019 2:42:39 GMT
Many items in the game use the same inventory icons; I've noted four ingredients use the same icon, keep saying I'll make a mode to correct that ...but I'm insufferably lazy. According to en.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Weapons#Fine_Iron_Shortsword, the fine iron shortsword has roughly 10% better stats than the iron shortsword and uses the same icon. Yup...very annoying to have the same icons for different things. Luckily, any 64x64 dds image (no mipmaps) will make an icon in Oblivion. So you could cruise Google for good sword images to reduce to the right size. In the case of the sword, both being iron, I would just recolor the icon (I believe the same situation with the steel sword and fine steel sword). But with those ingredients you would definitely want different images.
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Post by jgf on Aug 3, 2019 3:06:05 GMT
I'll see how it goes jgf. If it looks like too much core choice is being an issue again I'll certainly try the affinity option. At the moment at least the game does seem to be working so I won't change anything unless I really have to. Coincidentally i ran into this today while seeking patches for an old flight sim- "However old CPU's that support multi threading of some sort, like something called HyperThreading will work better. Multi-Core, like Quad cores still support single threading, some do it better than others. 6 Core CPUs from what I can tell have less support for single threaded games (old games). I'm not sure how this all effects the compatibility layers used on a Modern Windows OS that uses such layers."
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Post by dogonporch on Aug 3, 2019 5:01:18 GMT
Flight Sims...had most of them in their day. CFS2 was my favorite...flying B-24s and other big birds around the 1940s Pacific online with the mates. But IL-2 got a lot of play, as well. Other classics: Red Baron 3D, MiG Alley, B-17 Mighty 8th...plus traditional Flight Sim of course...98 on.
Runeskulls: yeah, what's not to like? Love 'em. The lower level ones usually have more charges...but the high level ones can make an awesome one shot weapon...so to speak. Once you reach a certain level...30 or so...some vendors sell them. Recharging some of those things can be VERY expensive...making a Soul Trapper to fill plenty of Rune Stones is a pretty good idea.
The rune mod is a lot like Diablo 2 runes. Carry them to get the benefit.
MiG Alley...had to love the 300 plane dogfights.
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