Obligatory Oblivion post:

GAH.. this game is SO GOOD. Especially with just a few choice tweaks and modifications. I've had some of the most immersive and interesting experiences with it in just the smallish geographical area I've been exploring in the last week or two of playing. Plus, with the amazing amount of community (and developer) made addons and modifications, this game is going to have a long, long playability.

I was finally able to scrape up enough gold to afford my first really nice bow, the Giant Bow in the Golden Archery Shop addon/modification. It's not magical and the reload is fairly slow, but wooo boy does it pack a wallop. Depending on the arrow I'm using, the standard damage is maxed out at about 26 points.. and with a sneak attack, three times that (compared to 3-5 for most standard bows max damage).

Pretty soon, I may even stop adventuring in the wilderness and even go on the main quest missions, or the Thieves/Fighters/Mages guild questlines. Or the Arena champion questline. Man, I can't believe I've played this much and haven't even scratched the surface. I just wish we could play it as parties together.

I just downloaded the "better water" mod and it sure is pretty. Maybe I'll grab a few screenies and post them for you fellas. What I don't understand is why the images on the box and in the game guide are so crappy compared to what the actual gameplay looks like.. doesn't that seem backwards?