One of Oblivion’s improvements is that it offers players a strong mapping system with visible waypoints. When you receive a quest, the next waypoint in the mission is put on your map as well as on the compass that’s always on your gameplay screen. It makes for a lot less misguided wandering in search of the next “trigger” in a quest, which slowed down Morrowind and added a bit more tedium to its quests. Additionally, you can place a marker on the map to designate other key locations—a feature I wish I’d had in dozens of RPGs before this.

With so much to do and see, I began to get a bit mischievous. Seeing a nice piece of armor, I went ahead and gave myself the five finger discount. Unfortunately the guards didn’t find the humor and threw me in jail. After getting out I was approached by a female dark elf. She hands me a note and disappears. The note is an invitation to the thieves’ guild. I find the meeting spot along with two other possible recruits. The test is simple, without killing, find a man, take a book that belongs to him, and bring it back. After giving some coin to a local beggar, he gives me the information I need. Unfortunately I’m a little too late as one of the other new comers is leaving the scene of the crime just as I’m arriving. After some pondering, I find where this would-be thief is sleeping and do what any good thief would do; steal what is rightfully mine. Midnight arrives and since I’m the one holding the book, I’m quickly recruited into the thieves’ guild.