Rman: I just borrowed Oblivion from my friend, he got it on sale but he hasn't even played it yet (and he likes American RPGs even less than I do). I'm gonna play a little this afternoon before leaving for the city. Kinda curious as to how it is.
It was my first WRPG. The art is terrible, I'll admit, but it grew on me. It is one of those games that you can put down and come back after weeks or month, since it has a pretty detailed journal/quest system. They are 5 major quest lines: Main quest, and the guilds-Mages, Fighters, Thieves, Assassins (Dark Brotherhood). The main quest is the weakest ironically. The Dark Brotherhood quest is a must play, however.
Most of your time would be getting used to the Oblivion gameplay systems-stealth, magic, and combat. All combat and spell casting is realtime and they are no random battles at all. Armor and weapons are breakable with constant use and you must watch your inventory as having to many items slows you down and can also over-encumber, meaning you won't be able move. Selling and storing items is a must.
Throughout the game you can engage in conversation with NPC for informations and accept minor quest. The game has a "likable" meter or sorts when interacting with NPCs. The more they like the more information they provide.
The leveling/skills/class systems are pretty complex as well and I would recommend reading the manual or going to the Oblivion wiki for that.
I've found it is either a love or hate game for those reared on JRPG conventions.
