Sunday, May 6, 2018

Playing a Klepto-Kitty in Oblivion

So, I started a new character in Oblivion. I've been wanting to do a new thief playthrough, with the goal of actually doing the whole Thieves' Guild questline- something I have yet to accomplish. I've played thief and stealth-focused characters before, but none of them found the Guild a very good fit. I had a Bosmer who stole purely for the thrill, and didn't have any interest in dealing with fences or Robin-Hood codes of honor. Another, "ethically-challenged" Argonian, joined the Guild but soon found that he preferred the more exciting (and less self-righteous) life of an assassin.

But I figure that it's high time I actually played through the Thieves' Guild proper. Introducing Kzhirra, a fun-loving Khajiit open to new and radical interpretations of the concept of personal property:

She loves fashion, especially when she can get her clothes for free!

She's actually one of the Khajiit sub-breeds added by the Elsweyr mod, which I am very much looking forward to playing through for the first time. I actually have a number of mods revolving around the province; the nightmare of sorting through and patching all these has been one of the biggest things delaying this playthrough. Hopefully I've got it all sorted out right (hope is a lie).


Though Kzhirra is still low-level and hopeless at combat, she's been a blast to play so far. I've been having a lot of fun moving through the various underground communities added by Nernie's Thieves Grotto mod. This modder does wonderful work with the poor and lower-class areas of the game, creating places that are beautiful, unique, and yet authentically rotten.

I always roleplay my characters to some extent; though I'm definitely not as hardcore as some people, I find that even a little roleplay can really breathe life into the game mechanics. For example, I know that when Kzhirra's stealing something, as long as that sneak crosshair isn't lit up at the moment of theft, I've gotten away scott-free. It could be broad daylight with half a dozen people in the room, yet none will be the wiser. But I find trying to actually remain undetected- working at night when a mark is asleep, staying in the shadows, cut-and-running if a guard does see me prowling about, has been a lot of fun and actually makes me feel more of a proper cat burglar. With the balance changes added by Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul, it's more of an effort climbing the ranks and gaining the respect of the Gray Fox. When Kzhirra does eventually earn her place among the legendary thieves (or gets run out of the province), I'll know that she's definitely earned it.