The Point of Armour (possible spoilers?)

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 1:10 pm

OK... I keep wondering if I'm missing something here...
Once you gain some levels, is there actually any purpose to real armour? My current character has a hood with 25% Fire Shield, which also provides 25 points to AC, along with various other items enchanted with shield, bringing her total to 75. My plan is to also acquire Sigil Stones with 25% Frost Shield and 25% Shock Shield which will give me a 75 AC with only three items, leaving me free to use rings, amulets etc. with other effects..

Ummm... armour weighs you down and needs to be repaired.
Unless you like the look of a particular armour set and/or you are roleplaying a fighter, just what is the point, I'm honestly curious..

Sure.. you could have a set of amour enchanted with, say, Fortify Magicka... but still.. I'm not sure it's worth it when armoured clothing offers superior protection and never breaks...

Tricky · Post by **Tricky** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 1:19 pm

I think some of the Shivering Isles armors are pretty decent. But I agree, it's bulky and too conventional.

My plan is to also acquire Sigil Stones with.. etc

You know, I must have started out countless characters like that in mind. But I never actually got to the point where I had a character like that finished. I never seemed to be able to make it worth my while. Or I couldn't do it before completing the quests I was interested in doing.

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 1:25 pm

Tricky wrote:I think some of the Shivering Isles armors are pretty decent. But I agree, it's bulky and too conventional.

You know, I must have started out countless characters like that in mind. But I never actually got to the point where I had a character like that finished. I never seemed to be able to make it worth my while. Or I couldn't do it before completing the quests I was interested in doing.

Yeah... my son has went through SI and the stuff from there looks pretty good. But armour from the original game just doesn't seem worthwhile at all..

Regarding the Sigil Stones.. I suppose it's not all that immersive, but since I don't want to be closing gates endlessly to get what I want... I actually quicksave before grabbing the stone. Otherwise, you end often end up with a totally useless prize.. er... "Absorb Fatigue" for example.. Maybe handy sometimes, but there's *much* better to be had..

Fljotsdale · Post by **Fljotsdale** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 1:39 pm

I have always used clothing enchanted by sigil stones for Fire Shield, Frost Shield and Shock shield, in exactly the same way.

Shirt, pants and shoes give you 75 shielding, yes, but the max shielding the game allows with enchanted items is 85. So you could enchant gauntlets for the extra 10 points, or a shield. Yeah you have to repair them, but it puts your endurance up!
For the rest, I carry a hood enchanted with nighteye, shoes enchanted with Waterwalking, a ring of waterbreathing, several others enchanted with elemental protections, amulet with anything that takes my fancy - protection from or absorption of magica being favourites.

My Nord Warrior has just started the main quest for the sole purpose of gaining sigil stones so I can dump her armour!

Oh, er... and I quicksave before grabbing sigils, too, to get what I want. It can be a bit tedious, but it is worth it.

Yeah, it is cheating... but it's the only cheat I allow myself...

galraen · Post by **galraen** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 1:44 pm

dragon wench wrote:Regarding the Sigil Stones.. I suppose it's not all that immersive, but since I don't want to be closing gates endlessly to get what I want... I actually quicksave before grabbing the stone. Otherwise, you end often end up with a totally useless prize.. er... "Absorb Fatigue" for example.. Maybe handy sometimes, but there's *much* better to be had..

True confessions of a cheating Canadian!:laugh:Well here's one from a cheating Brit, I do the same thing, and feel just as guilty.

Sadly once you suss out the Elemental Shield glitch there's absolutely no point to armour other than the obvious, leveling up and attribute increases. Apart from the role playing aspect of course, which is the only reason I continue to wear armour. So yet again the straight mage has the edge, as it is natural role playing to take advantage of the glitch.

Fljotsdale · Post by **Fljotsdale** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 1:55 pm

It's good for Stealth chars, too.

And it's gonna be good for my Nord, whether she likes it or not, lol!

galraen · Post by **galraen** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 2:03 pm

Fljotsdale wrote:It's good for Stealth chars, too.

And it's gonna be good for my Nord, whether she likes it or not, lol!

:laugh::laugh::laugh:

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 2:18 pm

ROFL! Maybe I should have called this thread "Cheaters' Confessions" :laugh:

And yes, it is also the only cheat I allow myself as well. Hell.. I, usually, don't even fast travel... and I have all of the hand-holding stuff turned off..

But... quicksaving before grabbing Sigil Stones is just way too good to pass up

@Fljotsdale,
well maybe you could imagine your Nord Warrior to be a kensai type, like from BG2... You know, great with a sword but basically "unarmoured."

When I play that game, monks and kensais are the only warrior types I'm ever interested in.

Fljotsdale · Post by **Fljotsdale** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 2:26 pm

Now, there's a good idea! Maybe that way I'll warm more to Warrior types. :laugh:

TheDeadShadow · Post by **TheDeadShadow** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 5:30 pm

i usaully use armor but ive statered going with enchanted clothes and i think they should have left the unarmored skill in oblivion.it was in morrowind and it was good for the mage type chars. IMO if it was in the game i think there would be absultly no perpuse in light\heavy armor.

Tricky · Post by **Tricky** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 1:47 am

dragon wench wrote:Otherwise, you end often end up with a totally useless prize.. er... "Absorb Fatigue" for example.. Maybe handy sometimes, but there's *much* better to be had..

It's too bad they didn't include gloves like they did in Morrowind. An hand to hand fighter would have had much use for a pair that absorbs fatigue. As it stands youR only option here is armor.

galraen · Post by **galraen** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 4:58 am

You can create glove is the CS, which I have done, wearing gauntlets if you're a mage is a bad idea, which the devs seemed to completely overlook, idiots!

Even so, as in Morrowinf they don't count as weapons, so even there absorb fatigue is useless.

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 12:08 pm

This is a real peeve I have about Oblivion... They oversimplified and "streamlined" far too much.
For example... weapons are either blunt or blades.. there are no longer distinctions between short and long sword. While enchanting did need to be balanced, they have made it far too simple...
There are no major and minor skills now...

etc. etc.

And unfortunately this seems to be (as far as my non-technical mind can tell) an integral element of the game. I don't think there are any mods that fix it... *sigh*

While I can't do anything about the new enchanting system, I do roleplay my assassin.. she *only* uses short swords, daggers and bows. No long swords for her...

Fljotsdale · Post by **Fljotsdale** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 1:00 pm

TheDeadShadow wrote: i think they should have left the unarmored skill in oblivion.it was in morrowind and it was good for the mage type chars.

I agree wholeheartedly!

Fljotsdale · Post by **Fljotsdale** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 1:02 pm

Tricky wrote:It's too bad they didn't include gloves like they did in Morrowind. An hand to hand fighter would have had much use for a pair that absorbs fatigue. As it stands youR only option here is armor.

That has been a pet peeve of mine since I first got the game. I used to keep on hoping I'd find gloves... sigh...

Fljotsdale · Post by **Fljotsdale** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 1:04 pm

galraen wrote:You can create glove is the CS, which I have done, wearing gauntlets if you're a mage is a bad idea, which the devs seemed to completely overlook, idiots!

Even so, as in Morrowinf they don't count as weapons, so even there absorb fatigue is useless.

Well, if your only armour item is gauntlets, it doesn't take much from the power of your spells; but it is annoying.

I've never dared try the construction kit. I'd be sure to bugger up the game.

Fljotsdale · Post by **Fljotsdale** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 1:13 pm

dragon wench wrote:This is a real peeve I have about Oblivion... They oversimplified and "streamlined" far too much.
For example... weapons are either blunt or blades.. there are no longer distinctions between short and long sword.
While I can't do anything about the new enchanting system, I do roleplay my assassin.. she *only* uses short swords, daggers and bows. No long swords for her...

That annoys me as well. My mages and stealth chars always use daggers - so fast! - but it used to be a separate skill, which was much better. I think it was agility-based, rather than strength, too. It is ridiculous to have STR as the base for daggers.
And how can an axe be a 'blunt' weapon?

Tell that to a lumberjack!
And STR should be the base for Acrobatics, not SPE, imo. It always struck me as an irrational choice to base it on SPE.

Eh, but it's good to moan! :laugh:

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 2:12 pm

Maybe if we smile sweetly at Galraen he'll post his gloves mod for us to download

Invisable Man · Post by **Invisable Man** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 2:22 pm

well you could always just use the wrist irons it gives you at the very begining of the game

abd i must confess i have cheated worse than all of you i have used the wizard tower glitch :laugh::laugh::laugh:

Fljotsdale · Post by **Fljotsdale** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 3:41 pm

Invisable Man wrote:well you could always just use the wrist irons it gives you at the very begining of the game

abd i must confess i have cheated worse than all of you i have used the wizard tower glitch :laugh::laugh::laugh:

WT glitch ???

But the wrist iron might be an idea in a new game. I always drop 'em first thing. CAN they be enchanted?