OOO and containers and other things

[StanIsTheLaw]

Q1. I am playing my first full OOO from the start. Difficulty just below half way mark. Currently level 12. I still cannot pick hard and very hard containers and by now, there are probably 50 locations where I have left these behind. I tried bashing with a giant war hammer of attack of 25+ and have not sucessfully bashed a lock yet, sometimes get a message I am too weak.

 

Wondering if I am creating a long term problem for myself with all these containers that I cannot open? e.g. there were 3-4 in Nornalhorst I think that I could not open, and I have left the sword because I could not kill the vampire Lord. Am I likely to be missing vital links in quests?

 

Thanks.

 

Q2. In OOO is it better to complete the main quest first? I get the feeling from pre OOO that if you leave it too long for the MQ, it starts to get a bit messy with all the Oblivion gates everywhere. I used the Alternative Beginnings/Immigrated to Cyrodiil start and did several quests and got myself to about level 3 before I went to the dead adventurer in the fort near Weynon. OOO takes much longer to advance and I have been playing much longer than previous with all the side quests and stuff, will I suddenly find the MQ has got out of hand?

 

Thanks.

[jakelad]

Q1: some suggestions:

- use the brilliant Map Marker Overhaul, which among other things will allow you to place a marker on the world map with "locked chest" or something like that appended to the placename, so you can go back later

- you could always use the OOO menu to temporarily turn off skill requirements for lockbashing if you think the chest is quest-related

- otherwise, just keep improving the relevant skill/attribute (you'll need to read OOO manual, but it's probably blunt/blade + strength)

 

In any case, I don't think you are creating any problems for yourself later on, just playing OOO the way it is meant to be played, ie you can't do everything in the game before you've "earnt" it :wink:

 

Q2: you'll need to wait for someone more knowledgeable than me on this, or check out the UESP wiki, but I believe that Oblivion gates won't start spawning until you've closed the first one outside Kvatch, so just leave that open until you want to start the MQ/want oblivion gates spawning. I've been playing for about 100 in-game days without closing the Kvatch gate (actually went in about level 5 or so but found it too tough on OOO!) and there are no gates opening anywhere else. Take as long as you like doing SQs, or even ignore the MQ altogether if that's what you want.

Edited May 30, 2011 by jakelad

[StanIsTheLaw]

Thanks.

 

I have actually done Kavatch and have only Cheydinhal left for allies for Bruma. However, I keep getting waylaid as I work my way up from Leyawin.That wild country has a lot of stuff.

 

After posting I had a thought. In my last game I mucked up a couple of quests by going to a location before the quest was activated and was naughty and unlocked a couple of doors because I thought they were doors that opened from the other side. Just saving time.

 

However, I find now I save the game and have a quick look to see if a site is quest related before entering. This made me think. Since you mentioned map markers, what about map markers that denote if a location is quest related. A separate colour shade, say red, if a site is quest related.

[jakelad]

I honestly don't know what you mean about doors opening from the other side!

 

Also, AFAIK, the game is set up so that you can play freeform without worrying if a location is quest-related or not. If the quest is not yet activated, it'll be a normal dungeon. When the quest gets activated, the quest-related aspects (items, enemies, NPCs, etc) will get added.

 

So you certainly don't need to be saving and checking every time you enter a new location - if nothing else it must be seriously immersion-breaking!

 

PS: the MMO mod i linked to in my first post allows you yourself to mark a place as quest related, but won't automatically mark quest-related locations.

[StanIsTheLaw]

"I honestly don't know what you mean about doors opening from the other side! "

 

There are plenty of gates in locations that can only be opened from one side, by a lever or a weight trip. So it means your are forced to go one way around a location and when you gert back to the gate you can then open it and leave.

 

I have downloaded and installed the map markers and they are great. Thanks for that tip.

 

The reason why I am a bit preoccupied with quest locations is that this is a quest based game and I have several times not been able to complete quests which i find annoying and detracts a lot from gameplay. One reason for quests not being finished was my fault because I unlocked a quest door once because I thought it was one of those one way things and I was in a hurry. I killed the Grey prince's father as a result and was never able to finish the quest. Other times it was not my fault. e.g. Spies in Bruma. Jauffre says speak to the Blade Captain AND Captain Burd. He should say only one and then the quest update on completion. Because I spoke to both without going to the ruin. As a result my quest marker updated to Jearl's cabin , not the ruin, and I was never able to kill Jearl and eventually abandoned the game.

 

I am currently doing slavers and smugglers in OOO. But I came in from the north not the south and I am not sure what's going on as the slavers don't attack you unless you attack first. I would have thought they would attack on sight like other bandits in camps?

 

I was walking from Bartholm to Skingrad and not sure how from memory, but I ended up at Fort Fecian, part of another quest. I have now cleaned out the 3 forts but my quest map marker does not update, I only have the childrens notes now which refer to 2 locations. I presume I will have to go there to complete the quests. This quest apparently starts by reading public notices in Bruma, I did not know that.

 

Thanks.

[jakelad]

Ah I see what you mean about those doors, yep.

 

As for killing essential NPCs, I believe there are some mods which can set quest-involved actors to "essential" so they can't be killed, but obviously this may be a problem if you need to kill them! Maybe in those cases you could turn the mod off or use the console. I don't use such a mod so can't give you any tips. I think you can also use the console to "resurrect" dead NPCs?

 

The other solution is just to accept that you won't complete some quests - just consider it as all part of the game, i.e.: actions have consequences (although not nearly enough IMO...) - this also helps to make each playthrough different. Then again, I realise that the Gray Prince quest has a particularly good (overpowered even) reward so that would be a pain. But then again, no quest reward is essential, just nice to have.

 

Just had a thought though - I'm not sure that killing the Gray Prince's father will stop you from completing that quest - you need to pick up +something* from his dungeon and pring it back to the GP to complete. Maybe it's still there? Check the UESP wiki.

 

No idea about the slavers - I stumbled on a group of them when I was low level and had to run for my life!

[StanIsTheLaw]

I am beginning to accept some quests will stay on the quest list and be incomplete.

 

The Grey prince one I was never able within the game to get it going again once I had picked up the quest item after killing the father.

 

Rule no 1 for me now is never unlock a locked door, always go round, and 2, if I run into doors with very hard locks in dungeons etc, don't pick them even if I am allowed. Sometimes it says a door is very hard but actually needs a key. If I have picked up a key, then I proceed.

 

What I have noticed is that most vanilla quests do complete, others such as Weye and Bartholm by and large, also complete. However, OOO quests seem to be a problem. Maybe they are too complicated. I completed slaves and smugglers (but the Argonians still won't trade with me). But even though I got messages, the map markers did not update. If i had not looked at a cheat map of lacations for OOO, I could have spent the rest of this year trying to do that quest. Added to this is the fact that the Argonian caves seem to have a problem. The crash like anything for me. I managed to speak to the head smuggler honcho but then could not exit the caves. After 20 crashes, I ended up being forced to COC to another location and then come back to the door to collect my Companions who I left outside.

 

When I got to the slaver camps and finally collapsed mine, the weirdest things happened. Even thouygh I had a message the slavers now hated me after I cleaned out one camp, in the other 2 locations the slavers did not atttack me when I entered. The only way was to attack them first, then either, my companions would not attack the slavers, and even sat in front of me with their backs to the enemy so I could not swing at the slavers but was being hit by them, or my summoned Draemore would also not attack. Either the companions OR the Dremora would not fight. In the end I restarted and dismissed my companions at the start of the second cave of collapsed mine, and they raced off and attacked every slaver while I followed at best speed using my Dremora to help out then had to grab/recruit my companions again.