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[JuntaJoe]

Oblivion is about to release to the market.

Yeah, here comes the usual mad rush to buy a pc game that rarely works properly right out of the box. Worst is that the patch work will likely take many weeks or even months.

So why would anyone ever buy a game before it's released?


Only one reason I can see and that's to get your hands on a Collectors Edition.


Did you know that Amazon resellers are getting almost $200 for a Civ4 Collectors Version today? :shock:

So you buy it, copy any extra reference material, stuff it back in the box, and resell it months later on Ebay just so you can buy the regular version and make a little extra coin.

Open and unused should get the full list price and an extra Jackson within 2 months after release.

Or you could just toss it on the shelf and wait until the patches come out if you want to keep it.

Cripes, I still have the free bonus disc that came with Tropico on release day.


In any case, you pay an extra ten over the standard version for some extra stuff and a much bigger game manual. The other stuff is just cutesy fluff, but I'm getting real tired of whimpy manuals that are given out with games these days.

I recently bought the combined final version of Sudden Strike at the 1/2 price bookstore and thought I had a steal for $20. But then I saw there was literally zero included manual. I was instructed to explore the disc and read the stored PDF file manual.

I just tossed the box on the shelf unused. I hate PDF with a passion anyway.


So I figure that spending the extra ten and waiting for the patches will ultimately result in what I prefer in a pc game. A fat manual and a working game.

I'll be pre-ordering it.

Interested? LINK

[JuntaJoe]

I changed my tactics a bit and pre-ordered from Amazon last night instead.

I figured that the fewer companies with access to my credit card number wasn't a bad thing. I already had an account with Amazon.

The game price was the same and I was able to get the free shipping option. Since I won't be rushing the game into my machine, I figured getting it a few days later was a good way to save some cabbage. I was also able to get a discount on the Prima guide when I bought the game from them. I'm not always impressed by those official game guides, but discounted to $10 made it worth it.

So you can get the Collectors Edition and the Prima Guide for $70 if you do the package deal with free shipping by going with Amazon.

Expected release date is March 25, but don't expect the Collectors Edition to last that long. The main forum is pushing the version on the Take2 site with a vengence and the commentary is pretty positive there. I'd recommend making your pre-order move by the end of February in you want the Collectors Edition.

If you just want the standard game then I'd wait for the second printing in April as the first patch should be out by then along with most of the known major issues identified.

[ExarKun]

Well there is a new game that JUST came out, Star Wars Empire at War, thought about pre-ordering it, but I didn't. Even with all the instentives to do so such as special prizes and collectors version. And guess what? I went to the store, found the collectors version, and got the little prize. So for me i'll odds are will go and buy oblivion when it comes out and not pre-order... it's just adding 5 dollars when you do to the price when you count shipping, bout as much as it costs me to drive to the 8 miles back and forth to get the game.

[JuntaJoe]

Shipping costs? I'm not paying any. No sales tax either.

Amazon gives me free shipping if I don't mind waiting an extra day or three.

I'm paying $59.99 for the game itself. That's the normal list price. No shipping costs. And no $4.95 in local sales tax either. Not to mention I won't have to drive to get it. Just list price and not a penny more anywhere. Nor is it likely that the Collectors Edition will ever go on sale pricing. Maybe the regular edition, on Amazon a few months after release, but that's not the timing or version that I want.

If anything, I'm getting further ahead by saving $5 on the Prima guide with the discount.

[ExarKun]

Sales Tax is starting to crop up though in many places. Gamestop.com used to have no tax but started it up recently, not sure if Amazon will ever have to do that but I belive I once heard the US gov't trying to force sales tax online.

But there free shipping over, what $25 is it, is always an insentive. On the idea of Oblivion I can't wait... not sure if I could even run it, may have to upgrade my video card, but none the less I'll do it for the game. I need a new video card any way for when Neverwinter Nights 2 comes out. If I can play Oblivion, odds are I will purchase it day it comes out.

[DrJoshuaFalken]

I got this today.

Holy crap is this game Snee.

[JuntaJoe]

Mine arrives in a few days.

The last game was the greatest time suck ever invented. You could lose months playing it.

Here's to many more months getting a plasma screen burn. :P

[bannie]

this game is suppose to have 200 or so hours of game time :shock:



and what exactly is snee?

[s_stabeler]

200 or so? so a short game, really then :) ( I've known games that have had over 1000 hours of game time)

[Waray]

:P

Given your average action game clocks around 8-10 hours

Adventure around 10-15

Standard RPG's 30-40

Most great PC Rpg's in 40-50

I'd say 200 hours of unique gameplay is pretty much a revolution.

Ofcourse in some games I've got more total gameplay then that (the Pro Evolution Soccer series, or known as Winning Eleven in the States I'm well above 1000+ hours I'd bet), but totally unique gameplay... wow.

The only thing that keeps me from buying it is the fact I don't like the idea of an RPG with first person view. It seems plain wrong to me...
(Morrowind failed to capture my interest eventually, I've really tried though.).
________
Sc2 Replay

[ExarKun]

well even with morrowind you could stretch that game out to a very long time if you really wanted to.

[JuntaJoe]

Mods effectively let you play continuously.

[ExarKun]

Yeah, if the mods are anything like Morrowind, add on an extra 100 hours, just for the good ones, cause of course there is also some stupid mods that come out.

Year from now that 100 hours of good mods is gonna double, another year double again, eventually the mods, with them keep comming out, can more than possibley tripple your game time play.

[s_stabeler]

qactually, I have seen gsames that have had 1000 hours of playing time. they were the ones that really hooked you, though can't remember the name of the game now.

[DrJoshuaFalken]

JuntaJoe wrote: Mine arrives in a few days.

The last game was the greatest time suck ever invented. You could lose months playing it.

Here's to many more months getting a plasma screen burn. :P

I started play at around 1500 today, I didn't get off till 2000.

It felt like nothing. This game is essentially a portal in time.


Quote:

and what exactly is snee?

My form of expressing joy.

It can be used as an adjective, noun, or even a verb.

[JuntaJoe]

And I open the box.......


First up is the Prima Guide. Nice and beefy 370 pages in full color!

The Collectors box is full of stuff. First, the usual warranty and Prima Guide offer (!). Next up is a coin. Seems they wanted to mint an actual septum coin for us collecters. Nice coin, but totally useless. Game disc in DVD format. Not a game for cd drive users. Mini game manual. Good thing I got the Prima Guide! A history book is next. Something like a guide to the continent history and races. Real nice book, but appears superflous to gameplay. Finally a bonus disc. No telling if it adds content to the game or not, but I'm figuring it to be a "how we made the game" type of thing.

Well, it's a nice little package.

And off to the shelf with it! :P


No, I'm not crazy. I'll read the books while I wait on the first patch.

I'm also in the middle of a heavily modded MW game right now.

I'm hoping the first patch comes out in April. Most games already have the first patch in the works before the release as printing and distribution allows the beta testers a bit more time to break things.

[TriBeCa]

So...now that folks have the game for a while, what do ppl think? What mods are ppl using (I'll be happy to give a list of mine...just started a new character on Oscuro's Overhaul, enjoying it greatly)?

I love it, btw.

[JuntaJoe]

Still on the shelf awaiting my finishing of a massively mod loaded Morrowind game.

[TriBeCa]

Mmm, I'd highly encourage you to pick it up. It has lots to recommend it over Morrowind. Even leaving out fast travel, horses, the NPC AI, and all that other stuff that Bethesda has been hyping, the magic system is massively improved. I discovered after playing a morrowind character or two, that at a certain point in the game all of the magic skills are obviated by enchanting. Why would I blow all my magicka to cast a few piddly destruction spells when I can carry 5 rings that all do more damage and don't run out nearly as quickly?

In Oblivion, magicka regens really quickly, and the alchemy system isn't nearly as broken. The animation for destruction spells kicks ass, too. Oh, and you can brew poisons with alchemy, and poison your next hit with a weapon.

I'd look for mods before starting. I'd suggest looking at Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul and decide if you like the sound of the adjustments he's made (he changed most of the spawn, level, and loot tables in the game). I'm playing it, and it seems pretty balanced to me. I would highly recommend the Natural Faces mod, unless you prefer everyone in the game to be less attractive. The reduced backwards speed mod is good too, because the ability to backpedal is really unbalancing. And I can't remember what it's called, but somebody tweaked the vampire system in a way I really like, so look for changes to the vampire system (mostly in the changes to appearance with consecutive days of not feeding). Oh, and Primary Needs is fun too, forces you to eat and sleep regularly, like a normal person.

[JuntaJoe]

I figure to end this MW game by the end of May and I'll fire it up then.