Like many of you, I’ve probably played through Oblivion’s start hundreds of times. And why not? It’s very enjoyable to play through. Patrick Stewart as Uriel Septim is great, it’s got some fun moments, and it sets you up out of the sewer in a pretty open situation. It’s still the same old start however. And at some point that just gets old.
So, you grab Oblivion on PC and decide to slap some mods on it including a new start mod. You find out that there are two choices, Alternative Start Arrive by Ship by Robert_evrae and Alternative Beginnings by Arthmoor.
Alternative Start Arrive by Ship
So you downloaded this mod and started a new game. You get placed on a ship and are given a scroll to make your choices. They seem pretty alright, so you then go to sleep to actually start the game. As soon as you get to your start location you are presented with a quest log that describes the new start for the main quest. Then you’re out on your own.
Alternative Beginnings
So you downloaded this mod and started a new game. You’re in this locked dungeon and these weird statues that provide your class, birthsign, and your new start. You pick your options and then are thrust into the game with little else. At some point you are told about the Amulet of Kings being someplace.
However you notice a problem with either of these mods. Your choices are predetermined, the main quest is still thrust upon you in some manner. Any new start option is seemingly forcing you into role that might not fit your character. The main quest is always started in the same manner. You don’t get to choose, you only get to pick. And this may be perfectly fine for you, but I imagine you want something more from a new start. And I am proposing something new.
Unbinding Oblivion
One of my favorite mods in Skyrim is Skyrim Unbound. It has countless options and really allows the player to choose (or not at all) how they want to start the game. You can completely randomize everything, even the main quest! Not only are you given control over how the game starts, but you’re not forced into much of anything. You could make the main quest start normally (post Helgen), start after fighting a random dragon, or just not even start at all. Maybe you’re not even the Dragonborn, you can still fight dragons as wish! This level control and detail management is something I think would suit Oblivion even more than Skyrim.
There is an issue however. Randomizing classes, birthsigns, starting location, etc… is super simple. The problem I have is the main quest. In Skyrim Unbound, the changes to the main quest can become super natural. You just so happen to defeat a dragon and discover you’re Dragonborn, then the main quest starts. It feels natural and dictates to the player how they want to progress.
How do you do that for Oblivion is my problem. We need to somehow get to the Amulet of Kings or Martin in a way that feels natural to the player. A quest that pops up at the start is not that answer. We need to be able to control how and when the main quest can be started if at all. And honestly I have no real clue on how to do it. That’s what I’m asking you.
How would you integrate the main quest into a new start in a manner that naturally extends upon the exploration and control of the player?
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