The difference isn't necessarily bad, its just something i think would be interesting to discuss. It makes sense, a snowy mountain area rather than a forest filled with stone walls and magic, but its not just that.

In Oblivion when i walked into a house or even a ruin, i had a warm, joyful feeling rush over me. Maybe it was the art style. It wasn't just that it felt warm or cosy, but it felt inviting. Skyrim is extremely gritty and realistic. Exploring every inch of the world was a passive thought that you didn't think twice about. I played oblivion for half the time i have skyrim, yet i remember all the wonderful quests. The ice mage that ambushed you on the side of the road. The heavy ring in the well you had to return. The dream quest. Why were they great? I don't know, there was nothing spectacular. Maybe nostalgia is just getting the better of me. Roleplaying seemed to come much easier to me in Oblivion.

Though in Skyrim, i always feel.. out of place. Cold. Stale. I have to force myself to look around for loot or explore houses. Not that it isn't fun, because it is. I remember when Skyrim was first released, after playing for about an hour i went to get something to eat. When i returned.. i thought, meh ill go to bed. Woke up, i had no desire to play other than the excitement of another elder scrolls. I just remember thinking back in Oblivion i would spend hours just looking through houses, walking through the mage guild grounds, but don't get that so much in Skyrim.

I guess what i'm saying is, i've played Skyrim for over 400 hours yet spent half that in Oblivion, and i have so many memories. I guess not much stands out in Skyrim.

In oblivion we had a state of peace and security with big bulky legion guards making sure you were safe. But I agree with you. Oblivion was warm....it was magical. I think it's because there was so much order and the cosmopolitan imperials were welcome to everything. There was magical beings running around in the forests and it was much easier strolling around lush countryside rather than scaling up a Rocky Mountain. You also had different guilds , everyone got on well with each other and imperial architecture was simply amazing. It also didn't have the free for all feel.

Despite this Skyrim also has it's own magic. It just doesn't compare with the purity , magic and security of Oblivion.

For me it's the opposite. I feel at home in Skyrim, Not Cyrodiil.

It's not that I don't like Cyrodiil. I'm playing Oblivion right now in preparation for Dragonborn. It's just that, personally, I find it is hard for me to roleplay anything other than a "good" character in Oblivion's happy, Disney-fied version of Cyrodiil. I'm trying to play an assassin right now, in fact, to go through the Dark Brotherhood quest line, and it just feels wrong to me. My character feels out of place in Cyrodiil's bucolic setting and with its soothing music.

I enjoy Oblivion. But it doesn't inspire me to roleplay many different types of characters. I feel more at home in Skyrim

Skyrim does indeed have its own magic, its why i've played it for such a long time.

The only time it bothers me is when i think back to oblivion, and compare it.
I think its because Skyrim is surrounded by more human affairs. Oblivions was more of the unknown.

Actually yes , I suppose that is also a big difference. I just can't find the right word to describe how magical Oblivion was though.

Re-playing Oblivion right now.

I thought about the events of the Great War and the White Gold Concordoct that caused the events of Skyrim to occur when Baurus said "May Talos guide you."

Yeah, I see where you're getting at. I love Skyrim. For me, Oblivion has always been a bit warmer than Skyrim's atmosphere because everything seemed so stable. There was no Aldmeri Dominion, no Civil War, and certainly no Dragons. Everything just seemed status quo until the Mythic Dawn whacked Uriel Septim.

When I saw him die again I got that slight pang of fridge horror when I realized that with his death the Empire crumbles, the Thalmor rise, the Great War breaks out, the Civil War breaks apart Skyrim, and the Dragons return.

I agree , but if Skyrim's dark fringe areas could be combined with oblivion's magic it could make a truly amazing game.

Dragonborn seems to move towards this thought. I'm going to enjoying exploring the fringe of Morrowind once more.

one thing that i find funny about Oblivion is that we indeed had a state of peace and security in Cyrodiil, but the mothaf***ing Oblivion Crisis was happening at the same time

Lol. The thing is , is that we knew if those creatures came outa their lil gate the captain of the guard would personally beat their asses back to their prince

Maybe so but I personally don't think anything can get in the way of Skyrim's stark reality. We'd need another game to do that.

i loved oblivion played it 1000's of hours
skyrim maybe a couple of hundred
i much prefer oblivion

I am finding Skyrim very suited to the wandering gameplay. I get lost for hours, when I and my character decide "ok, let's go to Riften and see what's up with this Brynolf guy who pestered me last time I was there." I head out from Breezehome and hours later, me and Stenvar are laden with loot, we've found side quests, shrines, found a cave we needed for a Bard's College side task, fought a dragon, pvssyd with some random people we met on the road or in smaller settlements, fought some crazy necromancer at a shrine and somehow, don't as me how since we were headed for Riften... I've managed to end up at the wreck of The Pride of Tel Vos.

I find the atmosphere at times, particularly in the gray snowy wastes past Windhelm and up by Winterhold to be conducive to the character I have in my head for my toon. A lonely wander - she is a character I played in both Morrowind and Oblivion -being a dark elf, I think she could easily be long lived enough to still be around, still in her prime. The gray moodiness of some areas is then offset by the autumnal warmth of other areas.

This game, more so that Oblivion, which I loved, and perhaps close to Morrowind, has given me a just the pure fun of just wandering, allowing myself to be distracted (happily) when my initial intent was to do a specific quest. I find the world life paced pretty well. I am not being bombarded constantly as I wander, but night time wandering seems to be a bit more hazardous. But during the day, you can find nice stretches with only normal animals, not hostile ones... and then BAM! A sabrecat nails you from behind. (honestly, they have startled the bejeebus out of me on occasion.)

So, I am finding Skyrim's environment rather lively and varied and fun.