[OBV] Is it just me...(rant)

[SpiritWarrior]

Or is Oblivion so not optimized for the PC? For me, the vanilla out-of-the-box version with zero mods or tweaks is agonizing to play as far as controls go, and it blatantly screams Xbox and gamepad. It is actually hard being a pure caster in this game with all the twitching crap going on and then being expected to use number keys to switch spells on the fly. Most PC games sport hotbars/actionbars but instead we have that horrid elusive radial menu from Fable. And don't even get me started on performance optimizations (or lack thereof) for the PC...my god.

I have been considering trying a gamepad with it but atm I am at the point where I think "Great looking-game with such depth, but it feels like a chore to play it". And that is with the mods I have and the tweaks i've used.

Thoughts?

[JrKASperov]

It's a great looking game but the depth part is also missing.

OB may be the biggest dissappointment ever.

[Luvian]

I have to agree that the controls really suck. i too noticed it was aimed for the xbox first.

The thing is that pc users can survive with xbox controls, but xbox users would be in big trouble with pc controls. Still, I don't think it would have been so hard to make some change to the interface for the pc version. THe way they made it, it make it seem like the pc version is just an afterthought.

[Sever]

Could you be a little more specific about which controls you think are xBoxy? As far as i can tell, they're not all that different from Morrowind. Or, for that matter, any other first person game. Which controls could have been done better?

I've always thought Beth made this game for xBoxers and didn't do enough for the PC version, but i think the controls, at least, are fine.

[SpiritWarrior]

Well, Morrowind was kinda similiar but not as bad. Fistly the whole realtime casting thing is more gamepad oriented. You'd have better luck mashing buttons and controls rather than hitting 'C' or your mouse and aiming in the right direction

Then the merged spell/character/stat/inventory menu. You have to click everytime you want to look at a seperate tab. This menu is clearly designed for hitting the right control button on your gamepad and hitting 'A'. Then you just scroll down using your 'down' buttons and the result is you gliding through your inven. and spells, dropping items, switching items, taking potions and choosing magic. On the PC we have to scroll dwon using the bar or set keys up for specific tabs. It takes alot more time and alot more pausing, taking away from the overall immersion. It is just horridly console-friendly.

Then there are no actionbars, everything is keys. Some people play with keys but i'm used to clicking. I can't see the spells I have saved in my keys so I have to memorize where each one is. I can't even make the radial menu permanent so I can see what spell is what key if i have just gotten some new spells and changed it around. And God forbid I have 2 spells with the same icon next to each other because I have to make absolutely certain I have the right spell selected when i hit the corresponding key as there is no way to tell them apart and no text to even tell me what I am casting.

Then the issue of grabbing items. I have to click 'take all' each time I want everything. I amn't sure of there is a way to map your mouse to do that but it would sure save me alot of time (you know the amount of boxes and barrels in this game). Last time I asked I was told there was no way to do this.

[Sever]

Actually, now that i think of it, the 'C' key for casting spells does annoy me sometimes when i want to be strafing right and casting at the same time during combat. (Both actions require the use of the right index finger). I couldn't find a reasonable key to remap this to so i kinda just learned not to put myself into a situation where i need to do both at the same time. However, i do feel that being able to cast a spell without having to switch between casting and combat modes is a definite improvement over Morrowind and i'd been hoping for such a system. A three button mouse configuration (a button each for attacking, spellcasting and defending) would've been better for me but alas, the third button on most mice is also a scroll button...

The other details you mention, SW, are interface rather than control issues (but i guess they're more or less the same thing) and whilst i think that quick item keys are definitely better than scrolling or radial "point and click" menus, i also think that it could've been done much better. In a game with as many different spells, weapons, potions and items as Oblivion, who on earth can fit an acceptable number of functions onto only eight quick keys? Not me, that's for sure. Why only eight when there are ten numbered keys and the means of having multiple quick menus (eg Neverwinter Nights)? The blame for that lies squarely with the xBox and its gamepad.

As for the all in one, multi tabbed, scrolling inventory, character and whatnot screens, i'm of mixed thoughts. When i first played Morrowind, the extra processor grunt required to operate the customable, resizable menu screens made it painfully slow on a modest system for that era. It made me think that there should've been an option to have a simpler, processor friendly interface for those whose had systems below (or maybe even above) recommended specs. In Oblivion, we have been given that interface but i think whilst system peformance may have been a factor in Beth's decision, xBox was a bigger factor. I haven't had the means to test whether or not Oblivion's interface is easier on the processor compared to Morrowind. Is it? That said, i'd much prefer to see a graphical, drag and drop inventory and character screen if i have the system to handle it. But there is no option of that without some heavy modding.

[SpiritWarrior]

Yeah, I meant controls as in interface mainly, since the interface is what we use to govern our chars overall. I wasn't implying anything like the reaction time or actual movement was sluggish (although 3rd person view is horrific for moving around). These are okay to me. I will say the casting twitch-factor is annoying though.

I don't know how you avoid those situations where you have to strafe and cast, one or two spells and the mob is already rushing me, flawlessly circling and attacking me at the same time with the skill of a seasoned fencing-instructor. All the while I struggle to target, hit C, strafe or block and make sure I actually hit. And if they summon something it gets worse. I have to stop, pause, scroll through potions and spells in an effort to stay alive and then resume just to start the 'dance' again.

Understand, I amn't saying the game is too difficult...there are ways to strategically set up for battles but the NPC's don't do this and this isn't a turn-based or strategy game yet I find myself grappling with the setup every challenging fight. Again, it takes away from the overall immersion.