Pppp😊p😊😊ppjllll 🥤 you Pop p pop pop pop pls and llet's llloooolop pop pop ok ✅ op lil baby p I'll pop lol 😝 love 💗 life p lol pls pop pop I'll polpplpl 🥤 lol plol😊poopoo pls loolool pop polo 😝 p pop poo pop pop pop pl pop pop p pop pop pop pop pop lol po pop p pop pop p pop plots l pop pool 🥤 pllpllpll l pop ooo p lol pop p pop plop pop o pop plllpp lol 🥤 pop pop pop ppl p lol lol 🥤 o 🥤 I'm I'm polo pop lol pop lolike and and then play a pppp pop p ol pop p 🥤 d lo 😝 l love lol Oki pool lop plp loop pl ill loml 🥤 lol pop l
Back in '07 when i was a kid and quite literally addicted to oblivion(was my only "escape" from reality at the time), i cried when Martin sacrificed himself. I cleared Kvatch quite early but avoided going back to Weynon Priory when i realized Martin is essential and thus, a perfect companion for a kid like me. I did lot of sidequests and stuff with Martin tagging along happily until i decided to actually go to WP. I felt bad that i lost a friend and a companion, but pushed onwards with the MQ. When i was doing the final quest, i was hoping that i could have Martin as a companion again but that dream got shattered when he broke the amulet and became the avatar of Akatosh. Even today, ~18 years later, the final battle between Martin and Mehrunes Dagon still hits a sore spot 😔
I really appreciate your support! :) I’m going to try my best to make in depth almost case study videos for oblivion going further! That mixed with Morrowind quest videos! :)
My first elder scrolls game was Skyrim, and although I’ve tried Oblivion several times, couldn’t get into it. But I weirdly love watching others play. So glad I found your channel. Great videos!
Same as me, Skyrim's my first es and have 300 hours+ but the other day I tried Oblivion out of curiosity and I was hooked! Imo the story is much more better and vibrant but nothing beats Skyrim's mods
I genuinely love Oblivions main story so much, no matter how old the game is, it'll actually never die. It's so nostalgic and I genuinely love playing it every chance I get to.. easily one of the best games ever made. :)
It's an excellent work and it felt quite nostalgic. Oblivion was the first Elder Scrolls game I played and I can say that it was the first big RPG I played, so it has a very special place. With this video, I felt those feelings of my childhood again, thank you. I will consume other videos on the channel with a similar appetite
This video was my introduction to your channel. Though I couldn't watch the whole thing in one sitting, I did finally finish it over a few days. I think the fact that I kept coming back to it is a testament to your script-writing, production & editing. You truly kept me interested throughout. Well done! [subbed]
I really appreciate the support! :) I’m excited too! A little insider scoop for you, I’m going to try to do in depth Oblivion videos on very specific topics, mixed in with quests and storytelling of Morrowind, followed by a few complete story videos for games with great stories to tell!
Skyrim player here, never played oblivion or morrowwind cuz i was just obessed with Halo/CoD/gears?turok multiplayer, but ive put in toooooons of time into skyrim and man is this video so nice. Its VERY hard for me to want to go back and learn this game cuz its "old and clunky", but the story and areas of this+ MW are just so good I want to try them. I've given oblivion a solid effort, clocked about 2-3 hours on it and I'm not that far, to be honest most of it is me learning the controls, U.I, classes and skill differences from skyrim, but im starting to get the hang of it. I know 10000% ima end up resetting on a new play through soon, but watching this video is amazing for just getting a basic understanding of the world events and who im going to talk to and for why. Not that far in as I said, but so far I'm lost as to who is who as the same in skyrim lol. I just aimlessly wandered on there, but on obvlivion having this reference point is very good. I'm only 2 hours in and your explaining how the "Bruma needs Friends" or w.e named quest is aids lol. 10/10 agreement on this gate situation, but i guess thats what brings the crisis alive to the world seeing it first hand every where you go? Great vid man, will be checking more out and see where the "bard 2.0" til after tutorial and we are suddenly lv 25 came from xD
Remember watching my Step brother Alex play this game when it came out on XboX 360. He was a headshot honcho with a bow! (And loved closing dead bodies in doors so they'd flop around, that was hilarious)
I've always wanted to play Oblivion, unfortunetly never got around to it when I had time. Thank you for posting this, It's nice to hear the storyline & all the guild questlines. You commentate beautifully!
I stumbled on your channel from watching elder scrolls lore videos and can say that i absoloutley love your content. I have oblivion (and her main dlc Shivering and Crusader respectively) and these 3+hour videos get me through the day. Keep going strong my friend.
sick video dude. i never got a chance to play this game but after playing skyrim i was curious about oblivions story and to see your video put up just 3 weeks ago made my day :D
As panicked as Hirtel sounds, his face does not match at all. Highly emotional dialogue really is the bane of this particular style of dialogue. That first Dremora Sigil Keeper also reminds me of a Dalek with the voice modulation.
Their face design just isn’t good at all in this game during dialogue 😂 it’s like the whole game was dropped smack dab in the middle of the uncanny valley.
i seem to missed my chance to enjoy the older ES games as we are now only in the Age of Infinite Skyrim Rereleases, but i’ve gotten really into Tamrielic lore in the past few months and feel like i miss a lot of references to previous entries, so Thank You for making and sharing these videos for poor shmucks like me
you should upload these videos as a podcast, when I watch your videos, you give enough explanation and commentary that i dont need to actually watch, just listen.
I know it’s not at all realistic but everytime I play this bit I do EVERYTHING I can to make sure ALL of them survive. Like I will reset 100x if I have to to ensure this outcome every time💀 52:17
"for your help i will send my best soldiers to aid of bruma" >sends two unnamed guards >default militia gets replaced >giant battle literally consists of less than 20 people gee i feel like i'm taking part in epic adventure
You should consider narrating audio books as a side gig. As far as this channel goes, would you read The Infernal City and Lord of Souls by Greg Keyes? I think it's a pretty good story, takes place not long after oblivion and has action in multiple provinces
I like that idea! I have a second channel that I’ve been neglecting where I tell stories on it (for the purpose of helping others fall asleep) could be a fun time to do it over there!
@MartinBaltuhin I get it, it's mainly just an option so you can level more since the armor you get after returning the ring is level based. I don't know if there is another reason for that option to be there but that one makes the most sense. 😅
Argonians man, the whole "water breathing" gimmick never really stood out for me. Might try them for Morrowind since they're considerably more misfortunate considered less than human there, could definitely make the run more interesting.
When the blades were a force to be reckoned with, loyal to the emperor, and soon in time, the Dragonborn. How they have fallen in the era of Skyrim. Merely consisting of a paranoid old man any low-level field agent, making ends me as an in keeper, then both of them violate their oath to protect the Dragonborn because they’re afraid of dragons. Delphine sucks!
Everytime i try to get into oblivion i just get pissed because of the dated combat system and i don't understand what i'm supposed to do at some points, and jesus the font on everything you have to read gives me a headache because I have dyslexia, so I end up not reading like 3 things and then im in a dungeon somewhere not knowing anything other than im supposed to close the oblivion gates somehow wrote this before finishing the video obv
Oblivion's Intro is interesting to me. It's both good and bad in different ways. I feel it's a better intro than say the Imperial Sewers, Privateer's Hold, and the Census and Excise Office in actually doing as the video says, highlighting how to actually play the game. It has a few flaws in that regard since your only magical options are a heal spell and a fireball spell. So there's schools of magic that the player has no idea what they really do that they might have to choose later on like Illusion, Alteration, Conjuration, and Mysticism, not to mention Enchanting of course or an introduction to Armorer. But that's probably nitpicky. Overall I think it does a decent job at what it's trying to do in teaching the player how to play, so their choice of class feels more informed and less "Well better start a new save then". Granted the universal scaling of Oblivion means that's actually kind of a trap, because you kind of don't want a class that does what you actually want to do so you can more precisely control your stat gains, and how important those are to control if you don't want to do Alchemy or Spell making. But where the intro lets me down is the same problem Morrowind's had. It's slightly delayed by about 2 minutes, but both of them point out that you're a savior figure of prophecy right from the get go. And the urgency in Oblivion's Main Quest is higher. Because while in Morrowind you're told you're a figure of prophecy right away (which I don't care for personally) at least you don't have any idea of how to be said figure of prophecy until about halfway through the main quest. While in Oblivion they tell you right away what you need to do and put a lot of narrative urgency on it "Do this to stave off the apocalypse!" sort of thing. It's... a very breakneck pace to the Main Quest always demanding narrative urgency. Which I think doesn't play to the strengths of the Elder Scrolls in general or Oblivion in particular. The game wants you to be slow and explore around. To try out different guilds and factions and quest lines. To explore all these dungeons that you'd never have a reason to explore otherwise as no one really points you towards. To really take your time with the world and setting. Which the urgency of the main quest kind of obliterates. It's part of why I appreciated Skyrim's intro as much as I did. Even though it's a meme now and everyone slags off Helgen. Think what it does, like Oblivion it sets up the primary factors of the story (Stormcloaks, Imperials, Thalmor, Dragons), it gives you a chance to explore the various play styles as well (One and two handed fighting, blocking, light and heavy armor, archery, alchemy, lock picking, stealth, only two schools of magic unless you're playing a race that starts with a spell, enchanted gear, books that can give you spells, etc). Gives you a choice to make between Stormcloaks and Imperials but doesn't lock you in. But also.... once you escape Helgen? No one has said "You're the prphecized hero that needs to solve this" in the slightest. It has the most open ended situation since you crawl out of Privateer's Hold in Daggerfall. Hadvar/Ralof says "Hey, we better split up and lay low". It gives you a natural reason to just go off on your own (and I did my first run). Experience the world without a driving push to do a particular thing. Though if you're absolutely bad at that, after a short bit they'll give you a hook in joining the Legion/Stormcloaks, and a short bit after that will say "Oh I got somewhere to lay low, you can go there with me if you want.". Perfect sort of opening bit in my mind for those games so far. If you just want to run around and be an adventurer and ignore the main plot? It makes 100% sense roleplay wise. No one knows you're involved in any way with the main quest (much less the character/player who is going through the first time). While also giving you some structure if you're a person who likes that which will eventually lead to the main plot if that's what you want. As well since you're not a Career Criminal who somehow got a life sentence in Tamriel's Justice System. The system that says "You slaughtered like 40 people in a massacre? Go to prison for a month and then you're free to go", it's more open for roleplay as well. In Skyrim you were just someone in Darkwater Crossing for some reason (and based on dialogue, not a Skyrim Native if you want to stretch that). So who were you? A Stormcloak hopeful? A questing knight? A merchant making a run to Riften? Really anything can make sense and you don't have to strain your brain too hard about how the character you want to play somehow got a life sentence in Tamriel. I appreciate those touches a lot more than most I suppose. I hope the next game leans harder on that. Don't try to make your character a "Prisoner" because Tradition. Even though it's not actually traditional to the series. After all: Arena: You're a prisoner, yes, political of a coup because as the manual laid out you're a particular known figure in the Imperial Court. Daggerfall: You're not a prisoner, you're just the best friend of Uriel Septim sent on a covert mission. Battlespire: You're not a prisoner, you're a student at the Battlespire when things went horribly wrong. Redguard: You're not a prisoner, you're an infamous pirate/mercenary. Morrowind: Yes you're actually a prisoner who had a long sentence somehow, you're also very much "a particular person" based on the prophecy with things decided for you like being an orphan bastard, Dragonborn, and from the Empire. Oblivion: Yes you're actually a prisoner who somehow had a life sentence in Tamriel, somehow. But beyond being Tamriel's Most Wanted and Prophecy Hero nothing actually set. Skyrim: You're not actually a prisoner, at least not in the sense of a long term prison stint and such. You were just someone Wrong Place, Wrong Timed and having to deal with the only insane Imperial Legionnaire in the world who doesn't want to hear anything about it. Blades: You're not a prisoner, you're the (you think) last Blade in hiding after the Thalmor do Thalmor things. Elder Scrolls Online: Not really a prisoner last I played the intro to it. You were just someone exploring Ayelid Ruins who got trapped and goes on to help a research team delving into it. So you're kind of only a prisoner in 3 out of 9 games there. It's hardly the given/"tradition" most play it out as something you "always" are or that Daggerfall was unique in not doing it. Not counting like... the one game I haven't played/seen but know exists for... Dawnstar if I recall? I've barely heard about it, never seen a copy, no idea how it actually plays out.
Though surprised with a level 26 character that your Kvatch Guards survived to "distract" at all. I found myself playing Oblivion that past like level... 7 or so? They don't. Because Guards in the game are one of the few things (along with random civilians) that don't scale upwards. That Kvatch Guard is just as strong at level 1 (where they might carry you) as they are at level 30 (where they'll crumple to 1-2 hits on average difficulty). Must have turned the difficulty down for the video? Only thing I can think of since otherwise they should have been toast. Unless maybe some mod that helps guards scale up properly.
As someone who hasn’t been able to play this game in almost a decade, these videos help bring back the joy and nostalgia!
I really appreciate your support my friend! :)
Pppp😊p😊😊ppjllll 🥤 you
Pop p pop pop pop pls and llet's llloooolop pop pop ok ✅ op lil baby p I'll pop lol 😝 love 💗 life p lol pls pop pop I'll polpplpl 🥤 lol plol😊poopoo pls loolool pop polo 😝 p pop poo pop pop pop pl pop pop p pop pop pop pop pop lol po pop p pop pop p pop plots l pop pool 🥤 pllpllpll l pop ooo p lol pop p pop plop pop o pop plllpp lol 🥤 pop pop pop ppl p lol lol 🥤 o 🥤 I'm I'm polo pop lol pop lolike and and then play a pppp pop p ol pop p 🥤 d lo 😝 l love lol
Oki pool lop plp loop pl ill loml 🥤 lol pop l
And you get to avoid the janky gameplay.
I love Oblivion but sometimes hoooh boy
Back in '07 when i was a kid and quite literally addicted to oblivion(was my only "escape" from reality at the time), i cried when Martin sacrificed himself. I cleared Kvatch quite early but avoided going back to Weynon Priory when i realized Martin is essential and thus, a perfect companion for a kid like me. I did lot of sidequests and stuff with Martin tagging along happily until i decided to actually go to WP. I felt bad that i lost a friend and a companion, but pushed onwards with the MQ. When i was doing the final quest, i was hoping that i could have Martin as a companion again but that dream got shattered when he broke the amulet and became the avatar of Akatosh. Even today, ~18 years later, the final battle between Martin and Mehrunes Dagon still hits a sore spot 😔
Your videos are invaluable for my train time. Keep it up my dude
Ayyy it’s the 🐐!! Thank you for your continued support my friend I really appreciate it!!
Oh my gosh my two favourite elder scrolls tubers in one place 🥺🥺 you both do amazing work
I seriously do not understand how this channel doesn’t have so many more subscribers… He whole-heartedly deserves them, that’s for SURE.
Let's not forget the amazing voice acting of Patrick Stewart. He had a small role, but he nailed it!
Mr. Stewart is a Legend he was a Spaceship Captain, CIA Director, a Mind reading Professor in a Wheelchair and an Emperor😎
Gordon Freeman VA better
man that last part hit hard cause i remember stumbling upon your channel months ago and now were done all of oblivion- keep up the great work!!
I really appreciate your support! :) I’m going to try my best to make in depth almost case study videos for oblivion going further! That mixed with Morrowind quest videos! :)
My first elder scrolls game was Skyrim, and although I’ve tried Oblivion several times, couldn’t get into it. But I weirdly love watching others play. So glad I found your channel. Great videos!
Same as me, Skyrim's my first es and have 300 hours+ but the other day I tried Oblivion out of curiosity and I was hooked! Imo the story is much more better and vibrant but nothing beats Skyrim's mods
I genuinely love Oblivions main story so much, no matter how old the game is, it'll actually never die. It's so nostalgic and I genuinely love playing it every chance I get to.. easily one of the best games ever made. :)
I hear you! No matter how many times I play it, I’ll never get tired of it! :)
It's an excellent work and it felt quite nostalgic. Oblivion was the first Elder Scrolls game I played and I can say that it was the first big RPG I played, so it has a very special place. With this video, I felt those feelings of my childhood again, thank you. I will consume other videos on the channel with a similar appetite
It's enough to make a grown man cry tears of joy.
This video was my introduction to your channel. Though I couldn't watch the whole thing in one sitting, I did finally finish it over a few days. I think the fact that I kept coming back to it is a testament to your script-writing, production & editing. You truly kept me interested throughout. Well done!
[subbed]
I rarely comment on youtube but THIS is my new favorite channel, great work man, love to see what’s next :)
I really appreciate the support! :) I’m excited too! A little insider scoop for you, I’m going to try to do in depth Oblivion videos on very specific topics, mixed in with quests and storytelling of Morrowind, followed by a few complete story videos for games with great stories to tell!
Skyrim player here, never played oblivion or morrowwind cuz i was just obessed with Halo/CoD/gears?turok multiplayer, but ive put in toooooons of time into skyrim and man is this video so nice. Its VERY hard for me to want to go back and learn this game cuz its "old and clunky", but the story and areas of this+ MW are just so good I want to try them. I've given oblivion a solid effort, clocked about 2-3 hours on it and I'm not that far, to be honest most of it is me learning the controls, U.I, classes and skill differences from skyrim, but im starting to get the hang of it. I know 10000% ima end up resetting on a new play through soon, but watching this video is amazing for just getting a basic understanding of the world events and who im going to talk to and for why. Not that far in as I said, but so far I'm lost as to who is who as the same in skyrim lol. I just aimlessly wandered on there, but on obvlivion having this reference point is very good. I'm only 2 hours in and your explaining how the "Bruma needs Friends" or w.e named quest is aids lol. 10/10 agreement on this gate situation, but i guess thats what brings the crisis alive to the world seeing it first hand every where you go?
Great vid man, will be checking more out and see where the "bard 2.0" til after tutorial and we are suddenly lv 25 came from xD
Are you 12 ? It’s not even that old or “ clunky “ . Sounds like Skyrim rotted your brain
Remember watching my Step brother Alex play this game when it came out on XboX 360. He was a headshot honcho with a bow! (And loved closing dead bodies in doors so they'd flop around, that was hilarious)
I've always wanted to play Oblivion, unfortunetly never got around to it when I had time. Thank you for posting this, It's nice to hear the storyline & all the guild questlines. You commentate beautifully!
I can tell ill be coming back to this one for a while! Honestly, I'd be fine even just listening to you read off npc bios on the wiki at this point!
That’s amazing! :) I really appreciate it! 😂 be careful what you wish for 😉 I have some cool plans in the future for some nice videos for you all!
I stumbled on your channel from watching elder scrolls lore videos and can say that i absoloutley love your content. I have oblivion (and her main dlc Shivering and Crusader respectively) and these 3+hour videos get me through the day. Keep going strong my friend.
Ah yes, just before bed❤ I watched them separately but now I can do it again❤ thanks for the video!
I hope you enjoy it! :)
This is my favourite game of all time, nice work as usual
sick video dude. i never got a chance to play this game but after playing skyrim i was curious about oblivions story and to see your video put up just 3 weeks ago made my day :D
So dedicated, i love your videos. This addition will be Nice to use for recap later. Thankyou bard for such good content. Youre a hero!
Ive rewatched your videos so much but i forgot to subscribe thank you for my nap nostalgia vids love em preciate it brother
As panicked as Hirtel sounds, his face does not match at all. Highly emotional dialogue really is the bane of this particular style of dialogue.
That first Dremora Sigil Keeper also reminds me of a Dalek with the voice modulation.
Their face design just isn’t good at all in this game during dialogue 😂 it’s like the whole game was dropped smack dab in the middle of the uncanny valley.
i seem to missed my chance to enjoy the older ES games as we are now only in the Age of Infinite Skyrim Rereleases, but i’ve gotten really into Tamrielic lore in the past few months and feel like i miss a lot of references to previous entries, so Thank You for making and sharing these videos for poor shmucks like me
you should upload these videos as a podcast, when I watch your videos, you give enough explanation and commentary that i dont need to actually watch, just listen.
Why does the head guard by the gate sound like Al Pacino from Scent of a Woman? Lol
You got me starting another playthrough lol.
I know it’s not at all realistic but everytime I play this bit I do EVERYTHING I can to make sure ALL of them survive. Like I will reset 100x if I have to to ensure this outcome every time💀 52:17
What in world did I stumble upon? This is amazing!
"for your help i will send my best soldiers to aid of bruma"
>sends two unnamed guards
>default militia gets replaced
>giant battle literally consists of less than 20 people
gee
i feel like i'm taking part in epic adventure
Alright! You have my subscription!
Oh yeah 😼 another 3 hour oblivion video
I hope you enjoyed it! :)
You should consider narrating audio books as a side gig. As far as this channel goes, would you read The Infernal City and Lord of Souls by Greg Keyes? I think it's a pretty good story, takes place not long after oblivion and has action in multiple provinces
I like that idea! I have a second channel that I’ve been neglecting where I tell stories on it (for the purpose of helping others fall asleep) could be a fun time to do it over there!
@@ABardsBallad you.... wanna drop a link?
@@ABardsBallad whats the name of said channel?
I could never skip Sir Patrick Stewart!
He just gives such a good performance 😤
Already saved for my night of sleep haha
beautiful video♥
Thank you for watching! :)
Movies worth of content!
I hope you enjoy it my friend! :)
Thank you GOAT
I hope you enjoy it my friend and thank you for your support! :)
Another like this and I may even subscribe
I appreciate the support!
Are you planning to do series like this with the other elder scrolls games?
What happens if you don't give back count's ring?
You don't finish the quest I believe
@@MephistonCalistarius i am asking cause theere was a dialog option NOT to give it back, i assumed you can keep it.
@MartinBaltuhin I get it, it's mainly just an option so you can level more since the armor you get after returning the ring is level based. I don't know if there is another reason for that option to be there but that one makes the most sense. 😅
The dialogue seems a lot better and the sound crisper. Is he using a mod?
BEST ACID TRIP EVER
Yay :3
Timestamps please.
It’s very strange! UA-cam says they do automatic ones but for some reason they aren’t, I can look into it
Brother Jauffre...I don't suppose you enjoy the writings of CS Lewis?! 😂
Engagement
What race of elder scroll character have you never made? Mines Redguard
Argonians man, the whole "water breathing" gimmick never really stood out for me. Might try them for Morrowind since they're considerably more misfortunate considered less than human there, could definitely make the run more interesting.
i have only made khajiits, argonians, bretons and nords.
When the blades were a force to be reckoned with, loyal to the emperor, and soon in time, the Dragonborn. How they have fallen in the era of Skyrim. Merely consisting of a paranoid old man any low-level field agent, making ends me as an in keeper, then both of them violate their oath to protect the Dragonborn because they’re afraid of dragons. Delphine sucks!
There has been an ad literally every 4-5 minutes
UA-cam puts an ad every 8 minutes
Everytime i try to get into oblivion i just get pissed because of the dated combat system and i don't understand what i'm supposed to do at some points, and jesus the font on everything you have to read gives me a headache because I have dyslexia, so I end up not reading like 3 things and then im in a dungeon somewhere not knowing anything other than im supposed to close the oblivion gates somehow
wrote this before finishing the video obv
❤
W
Be watching this today top class as always brother
Oblivion's Intro is interesting to me. It's both good and bad in different ways.
I feel it's a better intro than say the Imperial Sewers, Privateer's Hold, and the Census and Excise Office in actually doing as the video says, highlighting how to actually play the game. It has a few flaws in that regard since your only magical options are a heal spell and a fireball spell. So there's schools of magic that the player has no idea what they really do that they might have to choose later on like Illusion, Alteration, Conjuration, and Mysticism, not to mention Enchanting of course or an introduction to Armorer. But that's probably nitpicky. Overall I think it does a decent job at what it's trying to do in teaching the player how to play, so their choice of class feels more informed and less "Well better start a new save then".
Granted the universal scaling of Oblivion means that's actually kind of a trap, because you kind of don't want a class that does what you actually want to do so you can more precisely control your stat gains, and how important those are to control if you don't want to do Alchemy or Spell making.
But where the intro lets me down is the same problem Morrowind's had. It's slightly delayed by about 2 minutes, but both of them point out that you're a savior figure of prophecy right from the get go. And the urgency in Oblivion's Main Quest is higher. Because while in Morrowind you're told you're a figure of prophecy right away (which I don't care for personally) at least you don't have any idea of how to be said figure of prophecy until about halfway through the main quest. While in Oblivion they tell you right away what you need to do and put a lot of narrative urgency on it "Do this to stave off the apocalypse!" sort of thing. It's... a very breakneck pace to the Main Quest always demanding narrative urgency.
Which I think doesn't play to the strengths of the Elder Scrolls in general or Oblivion in particular. The game wants you to be slow and explore around. To try out different guilds and factions and quest lines. To explore all these dungeons that you'd never have a reason to explore otherwise as no one really points you towards. To really take your time with the world and setting. Which the urgency of the main quest kind of obliterates.
It's part of why I appreciated Skyrim's intro as much as I did. Even though it's a meme now and everyone slags off Helgen. Think what it does, like Oblivion it sets up the primary factors of the story (Stormcloaks, Imperials, Thalmor, Dragons), it gives you a chance to explore the various play styles as well (One and two handed fighting, blocking, light and heavy armor, archery, alchemy, lock picking, stealth, only two schools of magic unless you're playing a race that starts with a spell, enchanted gear, books that can give you spells, etc). Gives you a choice to make between Stormcloaks and Imperials but doesn't lock you in. But also.... once you escape Helgen? No one has said "You're the prphecized hero that needs to solve this" in the slightest. It has the most open ended situation since you crawl out of Privateer's Hold in Daggerfall. Hadvar/Ralof says "Hey, we better split up and lay low". It gives you a natural reason to just go off on your own (and I did my first run). Experience the world without a driving push to do a particular thing. Though if you're absolutely bad at that, after a short bit they'll give you a hook in joining the Legion/Stormcloaks, and a short bit after that will say "Oh I got somewhere to lay low, you can go there with me if you want.".
Perfect sort of opening bit in my mind for those games so far. If you just want to run around and be an adventurer and ignore the main plot? It makes 100% sense roleplay wise. No one knows you're involved in any way with the main quest (much less the character/player who is going through the first time). While also giving you some structure if you're a person who likes that which will eventually lead to the main plot if that's what you want.
As well since you're not a Career Criminal who somehow got a life sentence in Tamriel's Justice System. The system that says "You slaughtered like 40 people in a massacre? Go to prison for a month and then you're free to go", it's more open for roleplay as well. In Skyrim you were just someone in Darkwater Crossing for some reason (and based on dialogue, not a Skyrim Native if you want to stretch that). So who were you? A Stormcloak hopeful? A questing knight? A merchant making a run to Riften? Really anything can make sense and you don't have to strain your brain too hard about how the character you want to play somehow got a life sentence in Tamriel.
I appreciate those touches a lot more than most I suppose.
I hope the next game leans harder on that. Don't try to make your character a "Prisoner" because Tradition. Even though it's not actually traditional to the series.
After all:
Arena: You're a prisoner, yes, political of a coup because as the manual laid out you're a particular known figure in the Imperial Court.
Daggerfall: You're not a prisoner, you're just the best friend of Uriel Septim sent on a covert mission.
Battlespire: You're not a prisoner, you're a student at the Battlespire when things went horribly wrong.
Redguard: You're not a prisoner, you're an infamous pirate/mercenary.
Morrowind: Yes you're actually a prisoner who had a long sentence somehow, you're also very much "a particular person" based on the prophecy with things decided for you like being an orphan bastard, Dragonborn, and from the Empire.
Oblivion: Yes you're actually a prisoner who somehow had a life sentence in Tamriel, somehow. But beyond being Tamriel's Most Wanted and Prophecy Hero nothing actually set.
Skyrim: You're not actually a prisoner, at least not in the sense of a long term prison stint and such. You were just someone Wrong Place, Wrong Timed and having to deal with the only insane Imperial Legionnaire in the world who doesn't want to hear anything about it.
Blades: You're not a prisoner, you're the (you think) last Blade in hiding after the Thalmor do Thalmor things.
Elder Scrolls Online: Not really a prisoner last I played the intro to it. You were just someone exploring Ayelid Ruins who got trapped and goes on to help a research team delving into it.
So you're kind of only a prisoner in 3 out of 9 games there. It's hardly the given/"tradition" most play it out as something you "always" are or that Daggerfall was unique in not doing it. Not counting like... the one game I haven't played/seen but know exists for... Dawnstar if I recall? I've barely heard about it, never seen a copy, no idea how it actually plays out.
Though surprised with a level 26 character that your Kvatch Guards survived to "distract" at all. I found myself playing Oblivion that past like level... 7 or so? They don't. Because Guards in the game are one of the few things (along with random civilians) that don't scale upwards. That Kvatch Guard is just as strong at level 1 (where they might carry you) as they are at level 30 (where they'll crumple to 1-2 hits on average difficulty). Must have turned the difficulty down for the video? Only thing I can think of since otherwise they should have been toast. Unless maybe some mod that helps guards scale up properly.