I have been quietly moving along and not posting about my play.  But now I have reached some success.  And I am going to crow.

I am now the Arch Mage of the Mages Guild.  Never has an Arch Mage known so little magic.  But I do have a nice tower to live in except all my stuff is still at that Shack that I bought in the Waterfront district and I do like that Shack better so that is still my hangout.

I am also now a Sliencer for the Black Brotherhood.  I was ok with all the quests up until the last one where I had to kill off everyone in the Black Brotherhood hide out in Cheydinhal.   I really liked these people.  They had been good to me.  But I had read that if I did this I would get the best horse in the game -- Shadowmare.  So I hardened my heart and got rid of all of them.  And Shadowmare does move fast and I understand that you can get him to be a carrier for some of your stuff.  And given my original decision about what kind of character I would be,  I am not that strong even after putting a lot of level up points into strengh. 

The main thing of value I have learned from playing Oblivion is that I really am not the RPG type of character I always thought I was -- mainly a mage.   Not so.  Early on gathering stuff in the outland to make potions was fun and then I could sell them to make money and some of them of worth having to keep me alive.  But alchemy is now a bore. It is easier to buy potions now that I can afford them.  And always having to figure out what scroll or spell to use is more than I want to think about.   I love spells but I only want real destruction or alteration ones and destruction and alteration aren't even major skills for me.   

I am not a Mage.  What I am is a sneak with great marksmanship ability with the bow and a good light sword fighter.  I now wish I had started with higher strength so I could carry more booty to sell to get the potions and spells I want.

But I move along as best I can as a nonmagical Arch Mage who asassinates people I like to get a good horse.

I am have fun.  And what more can one ask of a mindless (and they aren't all mindless) rpg. 

Kay

Here I am trekking on through Oblivion.  Beside being Arch Mage,  I am now the Listener of the Dark Brotherhood. I enjoyed these Dark Brotherhood quests.  I hadn't done any of them in Morrowind. 

In the main quest,  I am up to Allies for Bruma .  So I have been going around doing stuff for these people in castles so I can then have the honor of closing their Oblivion Gate.   I have discovered that I need to be very sure that I am closing the right Oblivion Gate.  I closed one in Leyawin and the Count didn't acknowlege it.  So I had to find another to close. 

I think I have now closed Anvil, Bravil, Layawin, Chorrol, and also, of course, the first one in Kvatch.  And then the  one in Bruma to teach others how to close them (but they aren't here helping me now).

Let me tell you what I think about this closing gates.   It is not getting anymore interesting.  I have seen most of the variations on Oblivion Worlds and they are getting boring.   I would quit closing these city gates  and move forward but I still am not a really strong character (I think I am 17) and need all the allies I can get.  So I will venture on for a bit.

I also think I might take a side tour soon and work on quests for the Thief Guild (which doesn't really exist except I am a novice member).  I also have Shivering Isles installed and might play around with that a bit.  So I have some things to do before I go to the end game.  

I am still glad I am playing Oblivion .  I have learned (in a big way) that I am not the let's be a mage character I thought I was.  The last Oblivion Gate I closed (Chorrol) I got through the whole thing with sneak and marksman and having enough regain health potions as well as using the blood fountains. 

Well,  I continue onward.  [Image Can Not Be Found]  kay

Pokey said:

Kay, I think you will like Shivering Isles. It is new territory and a bit darker story. It would be a nice change for you.

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Thanks, Pokey.   I generally like what you think I will like. 

Tonight I closed the last Oblivion gate for a city (Skingrad).  I have gotten all the allies I can get.  

So I think I will go off and have some fun before I go into the end game.  I am  going to do some Thief Quests.  And I am going to get out to Shivering Isles and see what that is about.

I have to say.   Although I have sometimes complained,   I obviously am enjoying this game enough to keep on going.  One secret to this is that I find this such a low stress game.  I never have the feeling of total fear and terror I have had in so many games I loved.  This game for me is like summer reading at the beach.  Not that great but enjoyable and I know I can get through it.

Maybe this is because I have played enough of these games to get over anxiety.  I do not think so.   If I were to replay System Shock 2 I am sure I would still be huddling in corners in total terror.  I miss that feeling of total terror so I suspect I need to look for one of those for my next game.

Kay