The Arena holds a special place in my heart. I can still remember the late summer day playing it at my friends house. As I was leaving his house, all I could think was, "I want to play more." The only other games I can think I felt that with was Halo (CE & 2) and WoW.
@@ABardsBalladalso the most annoying way to ruin the crusader DLC, getting all the way through it and then killing him, only to have to walk all the shrines again
Poor agronak if he only believed that it isn’t the ways of ones birth that matters it what you do with your life and how you uphold yourself that matters. He was a true champion, a grand champion.
Heyo, someone who also likes the Arena. It's a pretty mindless questline, but sometimes all you really need is some good, mindless fun. The Arena knows exactly what it wants to be, and that's exactly what it sets out to do. Nothing more, nothing less. And in an age where seemingly _everything_ has to be needlessly complex, that's something I can respect. Like you said, there's just something so satisfying about moving up through the ranks. I've always accepted the "Origins of the Gray Prince" quest, but I almost never complete it until after the Arena's over. And if I _do_ take out Lord Lovidicus before becoming Grand Champion, I *NEVER* tell Agronak what I found. The fight against the Gray Prince is one of the more fun early boss fights in the game, and having him just stand there while you wail on him just feels _really_ anticlimactic. Besides, I think it's better for him to die thinking he was an unrecognized nobleman who died a warrior's death, as opposed to a "spawn of evil" who basically lays down and lets you kill him. Doing it this way allows me to complete the "Origins" quest (in a manner of speaking), while also not having to break Agronak's will to live and fight. A win-win, in my book.
The Arena indeed does exactly what it should be. Sure, there are ways to weave in a big storyline, but it doesn't need to. Simple and straight to the point gladiatorial combat.
The arena was where I picked up my preference for archery and destruction magic in Oblivion. My main strategy was to constantly run backwards while alternating between the bow and the weak fireball spell. The cheese was off the charts, but I'm not complaining lmao. I chose the Black Arrow as my arena nickname, which as a dark elf was just poetic
Another thing is that its one of the few quests/questlines that has a non level scaled reward of gold. I feel like the devs repurposed the faction to be intended for early game characters as the gold and disposition boost from the fame you get is just enough to buy the waterfront house.
The easiest (and most predictable) would probably to have the player imprisoned and forced to fight. Which adds story, but nothing new. And a rivalry with another faction would be just repeating the fighters guild questline.
The Arena is my favorite guild questline in terms of pure fun. Also, Gronak is probably the most unique mortal character in the series who is not very magical given his background. His entire existence also has big implications given that we know, because of him alone, that at least some vampires can have kids.
I was just thinking this too! It seems like he got all of the buffs of being a vampire and none of the nerfs, I think there might be a case for that being the most powerful mortal 😂
The only thing wrong with the arena is that you kill your opponents in these matches. In reality, gladiators rarely were killed. Maimed and scarred sure, but not killed.
Whenever I start a new playthrough, this and the stolen inventory quest are the first two things I do. It helps me with my heavy armor and hand to hand. I do this for to max out my Endurance(so I can have max HP) and Strength(because I'm a hoarder and carry everything).
I would like to say 2 things . Firstly I really like the Grey Prince. In a lot of aspects i wish that he was able to continue after the arena. Just because your family has a dark background or your friends what have you does not mean you have to fall down that same path. The second thing I would like to add is that what the skull of corruption you can use it on your opponents and after they die you can check their inventory and take their items without penalty. One of the combatants has a shield thing called the Aegis that has magic resistance on it that you can only get with the skull of corruption
I once finished Gronaks quest and then swore never to take it on again. I really didn't like seeing him so down. Really wish there was a way to help Gronak to cope with it.
Arena is perfectly fine questline. Exactly what I expected when signing up. Also, I was supposed to join arena from start, but didnt find the door there so went to do other stuff and joined around lvl 6, as opposed to lvl 1.
Yes! It was really interesting with Agronak after you tell him he’s a vampire! Maybe that’s one of the few ways to join TDB without killing an innocent person!
I join the arena, and never finish it. Not because I'm lazy, or forget, but because I can't bring myself to kill the atmosphere in there. Agronak remains a mysterious champion, the blue team gladiator remains happy, and the yellow team champion can keep mean-mugging her days away. I LOVED the arena as a kid, and I still make it my first stop for some gold and glory early on.
I agree with you 100%! It feels so empty after you defeat all of the other combatants and the blue team gladiator just ends up hating you! I always found it sad too that Owyn barely acknowledges us after becoming the grand champion!
My favorite thing about the arena is that there's a 100% magicka resist steel shield that you can get (with glitches) that makes max difficulty runs much smoother
To this day the Arena is my first faction I join on every playthrough. I feel bad for the Blue teams champion though. He seemed to have a working relationship with the yellow champ and Agronak or at the least friends as he's sad after.
I only bought Oblivion last year, but really enjoy the game. Don't really like arena type set ups, but this one is pretty good. Not sure why that is, do like playing it though. Great video, man.👍
Considering there was supposed to be an arena in every city, but it had to be cut down, I wouldn't be surprised if the same also holds true to any connected quests.
There should of been an arena quest where the player discovers that the arena is corrupt and the matches are fixed when they tell you to throw a fighr and you can either accept or refuse. If you refuse youll be hunted
ehh it's kinda boring, even the first time i went through by the time it was over i was asking "is this it". Sure it didn't need to be as elaborate as the other guilds, but just a few more quest to break it up would have went a long way into making me care. IDK it's just a lot of wasted potential.
Good people of the Imperial City, Welcome… TO THE ARENA! That will never get old to me, stuck with me all the way from 2006 when I was a boy.
Definitely one of the best lines in the game! Gotta love it!
The arena was the first quest I went to! It was always so fun even when you get to the end and beat the same monsters 😄
The Arena holds a special place in my heart. I can still remember the late summer day playing it at my friends house. As I was leaving his house, all I could think was, "I want to play more." The only other games I can think I felt that with was Halo (CE & 2) and WoW.
I love it! I was the same way! The unfiltered raw combat is just too good!
The Arena was also my favorite way to unlock the Dark Brotherhood, since killing the Gray Prince after doing his quest counts as killing an innocent.
Yes! It’s a really good way to unlock it without having to take the crime for it!
@@ABardsBalladalso the most annoying way to ruin the crusader DLC, getting all the way through it and then killing him, only to have to walk all the shrines again
Poor agronak if he only believed that it isn’t the ways of ones birth that matters it what you do with your life and how you uphold yourself that matters. He was a true champion, a grand champion.
Heyo, someone who also likes the Arena. It's a pretty mindless questline, but sometimes all you really need is some good, mindless fun. The Arena knows exactly what it wants to be, and that's exactly what it sets out to do. Nothing more, nothing less. And in an age where seemingly _everything_ has to be needlessly complex, that's something I can respect. Like you said, there's just something so satisfying about moving up through the ranks.
I've always accepted the "Origins of the Gray Prince" quest, but I almost never complete it until after the Arena's over. And if I _do_ take out Lord Lovidicus before becoming Grand Champion, I *NEVER* tell Agronak what I found. The fight against the Gray Prince is one of the more fun early boss fights in the game, and having him just stand there while you wail on him just feels _really_ anticlimactic. Besides, I think it's better for him to die thinking he was an unrecognized nobleman who died a warrior's death, as opposed to a "spawn of evil" who basically lays down and lets you kill him. Doing it this way allows me to complete the "Origins" quest (in a manner of speaking), while also not having to break Agronak's will to live and fight. A win-win, in my book.
I really like your take on the Gray Prince matter! If he is going to die anyways, might as well be with his honour and glory in tact!
The Arena indeed does exactly what it should be.
Sure, there are ways to weave in a big storyline, but it doesn't need to. Simple and straight to the point gladiatorial combat.
The arena was where I picked up my preference for archery and destruction magic in Oblivion. My main strategy was to constantly run backwards while alternating between the bow and the weak fireball spell. The cheese was off the charts, but I'm not complaining lmao. I chose the Black Arrow as my arena nickname, which as a dark elf was just poetic
I love it! It certainly is one of the best ways to fight in the arena, the backwards circle run!
Another thing is that its one of the few quests/questlines that has a non level scaled reward of gold. I feel like the devs repurposed the faction to be intended for early game characters as the gold and disposition boost from the fame you get is just enough to buy the waterfront house.
That’s a good point I think you’re right! The payouts are a little lacklustre but the fame points are great!
The Arena is one of the first places I go to when I get to the city.
Same here!
Arena is usually one of the first places I go when I start a new playthrough. The armor is decent for a new character with no cash yet.
I would love to see what they could do with a entirely new arena faction in the upcoming elder scrolls, if they decide to add one lol
I’d love to see them put it in the next elder scrolls game too!
The easiest (and most predictable) would probably to have the player imprisoned and forced to fight. Which adds story, but nothing new.
And a rivalry with another faction would be just repeating the fighters guild questline.
The Arena is my favorite guild questline in terms of pure fun.
Also, Gronak is probably the most unique mortal character in the series who is not very magical given his background. His entire existence also has big implications given that we know, because of him alone, that at least some vampires can have kids.
I was just thinking this too! It seems like he got all of the buffs of being a vampire and none of the nerfs, I think there might be a case for that being the most powerful mortal 😂
The only thing wrong with the arena is that you kill your opponents in these matches. In reality, gladiators rarely were killed. Maimed and scarred sure, but not killed.
Today I learned something new! Cheers!
Great upload! Love seeing you grow
Really appreciate the support! :)
My most favorite faction in Oblivion, sadly it's so short and fighting the leveled creatures once a week gets tiresome.
I agree! It’s unfortunate that the ending results in the player only being able to fight once a week!
Whenever I start a new playthrough, this and the stolen inventory quest are the first two things I do. It helps me with my heavy armor and hand to hand. I do this for to max out my Endurance(so I can have max HP) and Strength(because I'm a hoarder and carry everything).
I like the strategy! Definitely a good way to start it all off!
I ❤ the arena.
You don't always need a deeply detailed quest line. Sometimes just some good old fighting.
A great analysis man 😊
I would like to say 2 things . Firstly I really like the Grey Prince. In a lot of aspects i wish that he was able to continue after the arena. Just because your family has a dark background or your friends what have you does not mean you have to fall down that same path. The second thing I would like to add is that what the skull of corruption you can use it on your opponents and after they die you can check their inventory and take their items without penalty. One of the combatants has a shield thing called the Aegis that has magic resistance on it that you can only get with the skull of corruption
I once finished Gronaks quest and then swore never to take it on again. I really didn't like seeing him so down. Really wish there was a way to help Gronak to cope with it.
There was a comment from someone who said they never did his quest again so that way he can die with honour in the arena! I really liked that!
5:15 actually the last match is a complete walk in the park. cast invisibility and wait for Pork Chop to do his business. He'll finish them all off.
I didn’t know that! I’ll have to check it out! :) cheers!
Arena is perfectly fine questline. Exactly what I expected when signing up.
Also, I was supposed to join arena from start, but didnt find the door there so went to do other stuff and joined around lvl 6, as opposed to lvl 1.
I will say, the arena can be a little “harder” to join because not many people tell you to join it as opposed to the mages guild and fighters guild!
The one thing i always found interesting is how it counts as a murder that can lead to joining the DBH if you do the origin quest.
Yes! It was really interesting with Agronak after you tell him he’s a vampire! Maybe that’s one of the few ways to join TDB without killing an innocent person!
@@ABardsBallad yea it f.s is. I usually use this as a way to get in on my playthroughs tbh
I join the arena, and never finish it. Not because I'm lazy, or forget, but because I can't bring myself to kill the atmosphere in there. Agronak remains a mysterious champion, the blue team gladiator remains happy, and the yellow team champion can keep mean-mugging her days away. I LOVED the arena as a kid, and I still make it my first stop for some gold and glory early on.
I agree with you 100%! It feels so empty after you defeat all of the other combatants and the blue team gladiator just ends up hating you! I always found it sad too that Owyn barely acknowledges us after becoming the grand champion!
My favorite thing about the arena is that there's a 100% magicka resist steel shield that you can get (with glitches) that makes max difficulty runs much smoother
That would definitely help because the sorcerers you fight against are actually pretty tough!
Breton +mundane ring works too
To this day the Arena is my first faction I join on every playthrough. I feel bad for the Blue teams champion though. He seemed to have a working relationship with the yellow champ and Agronak or at the least friends as he's sad after.
I know! It feels kind of lonely down in the Bloodworks after everyone is gone and he no longer likes the player!
I only bought Oblivion last year, but really enjoy the game. Don't really like arena type set ups, but this one is pretty good. Not sure why that is, do like playing it though. Great video, man.👍
Thank you for the support! I agree! They did something right when making it! :)
Considering there was supposed to be an arena in every city, but it had to be cut down, I wouldn't be surprised if the same also holds true to any connected quests.
Keep up the great work love your content I got threw the dark brother hood I’m gonna play nights of nine next after the mages guild or fighters
I really appreciate the support! The dark brotherhood is another fantastic faction for the quest line! I’ll be covering it sooner than later! :)
Great questline for fun stuff and you get to help the grey prince with is problem.
Exactly! Just a really fun questline!
There should of been an arena quest where the player discovers that the arena is corrupt and the matches are fixed when they tell you to throw a fighr and you can either accept or refuse. If you refuse youll be hunted
Good people of the imperial city
Best line of the game 👀
Is this the same TH-camr who does fallout videos too? I feel like the voice is the same
ehh it's kinda boring, even the first time i went through by the time it was over i was asking "is this it". Sure it didn't need to be as elaborate as the other guilds, but just a few more quest to break it up would have went a long way into making me care. IDK it's just a lot of wasted potential.
This comment is for the algorithm.
It would make it easier viewing experience if you time stamped your videos