The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Replay

GameSpy has published a new “Replay” feature for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, focusing on what advancements the game has seen from both Bethesda and the mod community since its release.

One example of the Oblivion community helping players enjoy the game to the fullest is a mod called The Adventurer’s Project, based on Bethesda’s implementation of something called “auto-leveling.” As your character gets more powerful, enemies gain new abilities and sport better equipment and better treasure. While the idea was good (it meant the player could go anywhere without arbitrary level restrictions), it also removed one of the greatest joys of an RPG — gradually improving a character until they’re finally strong enough to challenge the uber bad guy. This, in turn, led to one of the arguments among Oblivion fans, between those who liked the current system and those who didn’t.

For those who felt (as I did) that the leveling system had issues, they can download The Adventurer’s Project, nothing less than a complete rebalance of the game’s level and loot systems. While still in beta, playing Oblivion with The Adventurer’s Project is a completely different experience. Suddenly big monsters and bigger treasures are found right from the start where you would expect them, hidden in the more inaccessible areas like Ayelid ruins and the Oblivion dimension. Wolves start at level four and slowly rise to level eight. Bandits start at level six and stop at level 13. You’ll never see a bandit chief in Daedric armor and no one will ever be able to win the arena at level 2. It makes the leveling portion of the game meaningful again and brings a sensation of progression back to the game.