Modder makes multiplayer Oblivion [update 1]

by Ross Miller { Jun 27th 2006 at 1:55PM }

While Xbox 360 players will be out of luck, PC Oblivion fanatics can now travel through Cyrodiil together. A computer science major at Charles Sturt University has just released an alpha version of MultiTES4 ("Multiplayer [for] The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion"). The alpha release is very, very minimal right now (two players running around, cognizant of one another but with no synchronization and limited participation options). Not bad for a one-man team, though.

The programmer, known online as the_FERRET, has been working on the project for just over a month (he started May 7th). The next release is promised to include eight-player action with some simple forms of deathmatch and maybe capture the flag -- keep an eye out on the official forum for more information. You can download the mod via the official page here.

[via 1up]

[update 1: plural-form verb for a singular subject in the title ... stupid, stupid, stupid! *pounds nails into ground with forehead*]

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Ymog @ Jun 27th 2006 2:05PM

I think this is an obvious evolution for TES its a shame that Bethsoft couldnt implement this, yet a one man team could... I stopped playing oblivion just because it felt unfinished,but good mods like this might bring me back. Now all we need is bosses geared toward multiplayer play, Oblivion raids anyone?

The ZeroCorpse @ Jun 27th 2006 2:35PM

If it can be done on PC by some dude, you can Bethesda has the ability to make it happen on 360.

Whether or not they'd bother is another story...

doubtful @ Jun 27th 2006 2:37PM

I think this is a testament to Bethesda that they built such a configurable construction set. These modders may well be the next generation of game developers (if not already)!

Andy @ Jun 27th 2006 2:37PM

I'm pretty hooked on Oblivion at the moment, and have put in about 100 hours. Fairly sure i have a long way to go (as ive pretty much ignored the main quest), but when i get to the end, i'm fairly sure i wont want to stop that easily! Hopefully by then we'll have deathmatch and CTF for me to continue my fun. Big thanks to they guy developing this!!

AoE @ Jun 27th 2006 3:41PM

Ymog, while I agree this is the obvious evolution of the series, it wasn't that Bethesda COULDN'T implement such a feature, but rather they had no desire (as I understand it, I recall from an interview or two before the game's release) to put multiplayer into their single player centric game. Also as doubtful said, it's a testament to their game building tools that modders even have the flexability to create such mods in the first place, and there's nothing shameful about that. ;)

kyou @ Jun 27th 2006 4:06PM

But seriously, that's just what Oblivion needs. MMOs screw your offline gaming. I stopped playing oblivion because it wasn't THAT fun, the story didn't have me hooked at all, the world is gorgeus but the character designs are ugly ass hell and well... I could not brag my character online. PC game developers really need to include co-op more often. I really can't remember the last good co-op I've played... probably Ikaruga or Alien Hominid.

Tim @ Jun 27th 2006 4:51PM

All games should have a co op component. It should be law. Nobody prefers to play stuff alone.

timmie @ Jun 27th 2006 5:36PM

The thing is the whole point of TES is that it's a single player game. Making it multiplayer breaks the concept, which I absolutely don't agree with.

Also, I do prefer to play some types of games alone. Certain games don't need a multiplayer component, and TES is one of them.

Anon @ Jun 27th 2006 5:56PM

Tim #7. "Nobody prefers to play stuff alone." You shouldn't generalize like that, I'm sure there are people that like to play alone, but the game needs to be good. Shitty games can usually get by if the have a decent multiplayer mode but single player games really do need to be well made.

The ZeroCorpse @ Jun 27th 2006 6:03PM

Nobody prefers to play alone?

I suppose that's why the GTA series has sold in the millions? Oh, wait. It's a single player game!!!

Some of us don't like to play online all the time, and prefer to get away from the screaming, cussing teenagers and enjoy a little "me" time in a recreational activity that's supposed to RELIEVE our stress, not add to it.

AoE @ Jun 27th 2006 6:31PM

Tim, don't get me wrong, I love multiplayer games... but there are experiences (storytelling games that have stories to tell) that just cannot be replicated in a multiplayer environment. Perhaps you aren't enough of a gamer to enjoy a single player romp (understandable, it seems everyone's playing video games these days), but most of the gaming moments I would consider truely memorable came from either single player games, or the single player component of multi player games.

How about rather than make it "the law" you just make a rule for yourself? something along the lines of "I will not buy single player games since I don't find them enjoyable." Meanwhile, the legion of gamers that do find single-player enjoyable can continue to enjoy our games with storylines and depth and objectives other than headshots ;)

Nick @ Jun 27th 2006 6:52PM

I prefer to play stuff alone. :)

crono141 @ Jun 27th 2006 8:47PM

The most fun I've ever had on PC was playing doom2 co-op with friends.

I agree, all games should have the OPTION of co-op multiplayer. THe only problem I had with morrowind, and one of the many problems I have with oblivion, is that it wasn't co-op play. I would make great characters, my wife would make great characters. THey were destined to never meet.

Everything would be better with Co-op, except maybe FF type RPGs.

obo @ Jun 28th 2006 12:38AM

I think Bethesda didn't touch a multiplayer option because that would've put the game in development even longer, and it would have been buggy by default and we'd all be bitching about how poorly-implemented it is.

crono141: "except maybe FF type RPGs"

I would kill for a co-op FF.

Coyote @ Jun 28th 2006 9:29AM

Bethesda has always given the modders more tools than they know what to do with, but this is impressive nonetheless. The last good co-op game I played would probably be Pikmin 2 or hexen on the PC... thats sad
(excluding guildwars or other mmo's)

n8dogg @ Jun 28th 2006 10:50AM

As I recall, FF2 and FF3 (American version) on the SNES allowed two players to input commands. Is that considered Co-op FF?

Jared @ Jun 28th 2006 1:32PM

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles was a pretty good attempt at making a co-op FF. They just shouldn't have forced players 2-4 to use a GBA to play with.

Deozaan @ Jul 2nd 2006 1:26AM

While playing Morrowind, I always thought it would be so cool if it was multiplayer. As I thought about it, however, I came to the conclusion that it would absolutely suck as an MMO, especially if it had PVP (and it would totally ruin the game if there wasn't PVP). The coolest thing about TES 3 & 4 is that you can interact with almost anything in the game. You can steal things and if you're stronger, you can get away with it.

When I started playing WoW, I would walk up to vendors who had their wares out and think of how neat it would be to be able to lockpick their chests and steal stuff. Maybe pickpocket them or others. Or completely loot everything a character was holding (clothes and everything) when they died.

But again, TES it would absolutely suck as an MMO for that very reason. The higher level characters would get their sneak and lockpick/security skills up and you could never have your own stuff for very long. You couldn't even have your own house because someone would break in and steal everything.

But if Morrowind/Oblivion had a limited multiplayer function, almost like the NiWiFi with the friends codes, it would be perfect! You could play with your friends who (hopefully) would be less likely to betray you and steal your stuff. You could cooperate and do quests or you could kill each other or compete for quests and things like that. Or you could go on complete separate journeys across the vast landscape.

If TES had LAN/NiWifi with Friend Code capabilities, I think that would be perfect.

Deozaan @ Jul 2nd 2006 1:41AM

Oh, and my best single-player game memories are those while I was playing with a friend/sibling present to enjoy the adventure and story with me, even if they couldn't play the game.

My brother and I would take turns playing new RPGs. He'd play for a while, then I'd start a new guy and catch up to him and play a while longer, then he'd catch up to me and play a while longer. That way we both discovered the game at the same time and got to enjoy the experience of it for the first time and still kind of feel like we were the ones playing.

That was during the SNES era and Final Fantasy 7 & 8 on PSOne.

I do agree that some games are best played by one player, but I must reiterate that I like to have other people with me watching and discovering the story with me, usually people who don't play games (parents) or don't have time to play games but still enjoy them.

Or even people who aren't very good at games. I have a brother-in-law who likes games but he just takes a horrendously long time figuring out what to do in (seemingly) obvious situations. Or he just can't control the character well enough to make the jumps or defeat the bosses. It's frustrating to watch him because I hate it when people who have played a game tell me what to do before I ask for help so I feel I shouldn't just say "go left, now go through that tunnel." Metroid Prime was painful to watch. Then he started on Echoes.

I digress.

Fear The Fox @ Aug 17th 2006 8:13PM

There was a time when I also considered Morrowind having a multiplayer aspect. I even had dreams to that effect! But then it destroys the whole concept of you being the 'chosen one'. I'm not sure that 8 people on a LAN could start in prison, all be mysteriously let out and go on a quest where they all come to realise they are the reincarnations of a single god...

Not that I wouldn't have liked to see a sort of free-roaming approach with only the side-quests active (like Freelancer), but I feel this would only be fun for the first few minutes before you realise that the game is now utterly pointless (like Freelancer).

I salute the expertise of an obviously adept modder, but only conceptually. I'm sure it's impressive, just not fun. To the appreciating gamers of a true story based single player game, I phenamjulate joyfully at you all!