Is the Oblivion main quest really worth it?

[Lord P13rr3]

I've been playing Oblivion for quite a long time now, and, after having completed half the main quest, I'm wondering if the main plotline is really worth it. I mean, there are so many fun alternative plotlines, such as the Fighter's Guild quests and the Dark Brotherhood quests. These are fun and relatively short, compared to the long, and sometimes hard main quests.
If you've enjoyed the main quest more than all the other quests, please tell me why. I need something to plunge me back into Oblivion right now.

[Lenny]

I've played the game for 50 hours, so far, and I've just rescued Martin from Kvatch in the main mission.

I'll get it done some time, but first I'm exploring and getting side missions and what not done - I'm about halfway through the Arena, DBrotherhood, Thieves/Fighters/Mages guilds, and I finished Kot9 t'other day.

[Lord P13rr3]

Yeah, I finished the Dbrotherhood and Arena quest so far, and in the main quest...The same as you
I always tell myself that Ihave to do this main quest, but it always bores me to the point of quitting halfway through it. Who cares if an Oblivion gate is shut? It won't change your gaming experience, wich is, in my opinion, the greatest (and maybe only) flaw in Oblivion. Developers should really concentrate more on changing the experience as the game progresses (it would give you a way better sense of accomplishement than if a guard just came up to you saying " Hey, it' s the hero of Kvatch!", don't you think?)
Well, I'll get it done sometime, but for now, I'll focus on what else there is to do in this amazing world.

[Lenny]

Haha. I keep on getting a nice fuzzy feeling whenever I'm talking to someone and they say "Hey! You're that one they call the hero of Kvatch".

I also had a great sense of accomplishment when I had more knights come to see me, and have them follow me into battle and cheer me.

I must be weird, then.

When trying to find a place for a quest, do you ever get sidetracked by things popping up on your compass? I seem to scout out a sizeable area around each thing I'm supposed to get to before I get to it... and I haven't been back to any of them, yet.

[Somni]

I think the answer is both yes and no. For satisfaction reasons, it is worth doing the main quest and you get to pick up some nice kit and I got some ok armour as a reward. However, once I had finished it I had an overwhelming feeling of 'finished this game' and so struggled to be bothered exploring or doing side missions so I would suggest that you do what you wish to do before doing the last bits of the main quest

[Duchessprozac]

I have yet to complete the main quest and frankly I don't think I've lost out on too much. I got as far as having to collect the daedric artefact and kind of gave up as the one they point you to collect is a really valuable item and I couldn't be botherd to find any of the others.

[dangerousdan]

i have been playing on the oblivion main quest but im struggling on the great signil stone and im master of the fighters guild

[Cayal]

I put in a lot of time without even going to the first gate, but my character really sucks so I may have to start again.

[Fake Vencar]

The trick is to get over 100% reflect damage...then you are vaguely impossible to kill!

[zedlav]

Originally Posted by Jaire

I put in a lot of time without even going to the first gate, but my character really sucks so I may have to start again.

The game is fundamentally broken in that aspect and the best way to deal with it is downloading a leveling mod. The world scales to your character's level, so if your major skills and attributes do not directly aid you in combat (by increasing your damage output and resistance), you end up gimping your character and make the game needlessly difficult for yourself.

To illustrate how broken Oblivion is, a link to "Efficient leveling" article in a fan-wiki.

Oblivion:Leveling - UESPWiki

Seriously, do that.

[Prefx]

The last game scene is actually very visually pleasing. I wouldn't call the main quest the best thing ever produced, but it's certainly not a let-down.

[Tansy]

I've still not done the MQ - I keep dipping back into it and I think I'm abbout 2/3s of the way through it, but I kinda like not having it completed. I did complete the Shivering Isles MQ anad enjoyed that, but not sure why I'm not keen to finish it, maybe I don't want to feel the game is over. Mind you I haven't played it for so long.. I think I might actually load it up and give it a blast tonight

[Rae]

I have finished both MQs for Oblivion (Main and Shivering Isles) and found that its best to complete the MQ all the way to the Last Gate. Collect everything, but leave Martin hanging. Once you complete the Last Gate, you can no longer adventure into the Gates. Those Gates are great fun.

I've completed all the side quests (I have a Monk who is the leader of the Assassin's Guild, the Mage's Guild, the Fighter's Guild and the Rogue's Guild) as well as outfitted the mods from SI. My main character (a fighter) even has completed the Knights of the Nine.

I do need to go back and play again -- currently Witcher has my attention.

[Commonmind]

I think the most interesting thing about Oblivion, and other games like it, is that the experience is a personal one and how you choose to play and how that experience affects you is completely different than how it affects another player. My point being: if you find yourself uninterested, why force yourself into finishing it, as it's obvious that where you found your enjoyment in Oblivion is where you spent the majority of your time?

I've yet to complete a Grand Theft Auto game for example, yet I've clocked several hundred hours into each title in the series; I never felt completely compelled to finish the games in their entirety and so I never did, but my experience with it was just as fulfilling as some of those individuals who enjoyed simply playing the game from start to finish without deviating from the main mission path.

[Rahl Windsong]

I finished the main quest line at least 3 seperate times and I enjoyed it each time. A lot of people will tell you that it is best to complete the game without leveling or as little leveling as you can manage because the game scales the monsters up as you level making it harder and harder.

I for one would recommend not following that strategy because it seems much more realistic fighting the higher level mobs then it does fighting scamps the whole game.

I think the main quest line is well worth the effort. I wish they had done a few things a bit different thouhg. For instance the issues with Kvatch seem to be left hanging. Instead of that they should have made it so at the end of the main questline the player was then given command of Kvatch and a rebuild of it would then be up to the player to achieve. To me that would have been a far better reward then that silly suit of armor that you have to wait two weeks for it to be made....To be honest after the first time getting that armor I never bothered even getting it when I finished the game again a few more times, that armor is so worthless.