Max Level in Oblivion Remastered: Will They Change It?

Introduction

The rolling hills of Cyrodiil, the menacing gates of Oblivion, the haunting soundtrack – all unforgettable hallmarks of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. For many, it remains a pinnacle of the open-world RPG genre, a game that defined countless hours of exploration, questing, and character building. With persistent rumors swirling about a potential Oblivion Remastered, anticipation is reaching a fever pitch. While graphical improvements and quality-of-life updates are expected, one burning question looms large in the minds of veteran players: what will become of the leveling system? Specifically, will the maximum level be altered?

Oblivion’s original leveling system was, to put it mildly, unique. It allowed for an unprecedented degree of character customization, but it also possessed quirks and eccentricities that could lead to frustration for the uninitiated. The existing maximum level of two hundred and fifty-five was both a distant dream and a potential pitfall.

This article will delve into the complexities of Oblivion’s original leveling system, explore the significance of the maximum level, and speculate on the potential changes that a remastered version might bring. We’ll consider various possibilities, from preserving the status quo to completely overhauling the progression mechanics, and discuss the impact these changes could have on the overall gameplay experience. If an *Oblivion Remastered* ever makes it to market, this is going to be the biggest question everyone will have.

Oblivion’s Original Leveling System: A Recap

At its core, Oblivion’s leveling system is based on skill progression. Your character improves by using skills relevant to their chosen playstyle. Swing a sword, and your Blade skill increases. Cast a spell, and your Destruction or Restoration skill improves. Each skill has its own experience bar, and once a skill reaches a certain threshold, it levels up.

The key to leveling up your character as a whole lies in your Major Skills. When you create a character, you choose seven Major Skills. Improving these skills is the path to raising your overall character level. Once you’ve improved your Major Skills a total of ten times, you can sleep to level up. This leads to the next important layer of this system: attribute bonuses.

Each time you level up, you have the opportunity to increase three of your eight attributes: Strength, Intelligence, Willpower, Agility, Speed, Endurance, Luck, and Personality. The amount you can increase each attribute depends on how much you’ve used associated skills during that level. For example, if you’ve increased Blade, Blunt, and Hand to Hand skills a total of ten times, you can increase your Strength by five points. If you only increased them five times, you can increase Strength by three points. Any less, and you only receive a single point.

This system is where the “broken” or “exploitable” aspects of Oblivion’s leveling system come into play. To create a truly powerful character, players often resort to “min-maxing,” intentionally manipulating skill progression to maximize their attribute gains. This can involve grinding skills that are unrelated to their character’s desired playstyle, leading to a less immersive and more tedious experience. The need for many people to resort to this to make a balanced build that can handle the mid-to-late game is why this system got the reputation that it has.

Furthermore, Oblivion’s enemy scaling system means that enemies become more powerful as you level up. This can lead to a situation where players who haven’t optimized their attribute gains find themselves struggling against enemies that are significantly stronger than they are. While the game wants you to play whatever you want, it really wants you to play a certain way. All of these reasons and more are why people consider the leveling in Oblivion to be so flawed.

The Max Level in Original Oblivion

The maximum level in original Oblivion is two hundred and fifty-five. However, it’s a level that few players ever reach legitimately. Reaching that cap requires an incredible amount of time, dedication, and often, exploitation of the game’s mechanics. The amount of planning alone to reach the maximum level is enough to ward off most people.

Reaching the maximum level in Oblivion isn’t necessarily required to complete the main quest or most of the side quests. In fact, many players find that the game becomes too easy long before they reach the maximum level. The power scaling of enemies plateaus, and a well-built character can easily overcome most challenges. However, for some players, the pursuit of the maximum level is a goal in itself, a testament to their mastery of the game and its intricate systems.

Players have introduced several mods over the years that fix this system and make it fair for players. Things like making it easier to gain skill experience, or just simply changing how your attributes scale and add to your character in general. An *Oblivion Remastered* must learn from the playerbase on these mods to make their own version.

Remastered: What Could Change?

With the potential for an *Oblivion Remastered* on the horizon, several possibilities arise regarding the maximum level and the broader leveling system.

Preserving the Existing System

One option would be to keep the maximum level at two hundred and fifty-five and largely preserve the original leveling system. This would appeal to purists who appreciate the game’s quirks and intricacies. It would also allow modders to continue their work without having to adapt to major changes. If an *Oblivion Remastered* keeps this feature, it might have to include an in-game mod store to give players access to the necessary mods that fix this system.

However, even without changing the maximum level, some tweaks could be made to improve the overall experience. For example, the enemy scaling system could be adjusted to provide a more consistent challenge. Skill progression could be re-tuned to make it less reliant on grinding.

Increasing the Level Cap

Another possibility would be to increase the maximum level beyond two hundred and fifty-five. This would allow for even greater character customization and potentially address some of the attribute issues that plagued the original game. Players would have more room to experiment with different builds and skills without feeling constrained by the level cap.

However, increasing the maximum level could also exacerbate existing balance issues. It could require significant re-tuning of the game world and enemy encounters to ensure that the game remains challenging and engaging.

Removing the Level Cap

A more radical approach would be to remove the maximum level entirely. This would allow for truly continuous progression, eliminating the need to min-max and allowing players to develop their characters without artificial limitations.

However, removing the maximum level could lead to extreme power creep. Players could become virtually unstoppable, making the game trivial. It would also require a major re-balancing of enemies and challenges to ensure that the game remains engaging.

Overhauling the Leveling System

The most ambitious option would be to completely overhaul the leveling system. This could involve replacing the skill-based progression with a more traditional experience point (XP) system, or implementing a perk-based system similar to Skyrim or Fallout 4.

This approach would allow for a more streamlined and intuitive progression experience, but it could also alienate players who appreciate the complexities of the original system. A complete overhaul would require careful consideration of the game’s core mechanics and a deep understanding of what makes Oblivion unique. While Skyrim’s system may be good, it’s also too simple for those looking for depth. So any change would have to find a happy medium.

Balancing Leveling with Content

Regardless of the specific changes made to the leveling system, the Oblivion Remastered must ensure a balanced and satisfying experience. This could involve scaling content more appropriately to player level, introducing new challenges or difficulty modes, and making certain skills more or less impactful.

The goal should be to create a game that is both accessible to new players and engaging for veterans. This means providing a clear and intuitive leveling system while also offering depth and complexity for those who want to delve deeper. Mods could also solve these problems.

Community Expectations and Desires

The Elder Scrolls community is passionate and vocal, and there are already countless discussions online about the potential changes to the leveling system in an Oblivion Remastered. Many players express a desire for improvements to the attribute system, while others are wary of any changes that could fundamentally alter the game’s character. Many believe that this could be fixed if skills also add to the attribute they are connected to.

It’s important for the developers to listen to these voices and carefully consider the community’s expectations when making decisions about the leveling system. Striking a balance between preserving the original experience and making improvements for modern audiences will be crucial to the success of the remastered version.

Conclusion

The question of whether to change the maximum level in an Oblivion Remastered is just one piece of a much larger puzzle. The overall leveling system has long been a point of contention, and any changes to the maximum level must be considered in the context of the broader progression mechanics.

Ultimately, the goal should be to create a game that is both faithful to the original and enjoyable for modern audiences. This means preserving the core elements that made Oblivion so special while also addressing some of its more glaring flaws. The key will be finding a balance between honoring the past and embracing the future. This is also one of the biggest make-or-break points for a remastered version that could easily flop with the fanbase if not done right.

Will the max level stay the same? Will it be removed? These are questions only time will answer, but whatever path the developers choose, it will undoubtedly spark a lively debate among fans and shape the overall experience of the Oblivion Remastered for years to come.