After sinking incalculable hours into Oblivion, it’s undoubtedly my favourite RPG, if not game. The breadth of depth, variety (ignoring the repetitive voicework; it’s there if you look 
) and memorable experiences keep me coming back, once a week at the very least. I enter and leave periods of obsession and fascination, and often strive to find alternative playstyles in this drained well. My last attempts at such a feat were trying to make more rigid and defined classes as seen in other RPGs with a Nord Fighter with virtually no magicka -it was a pure Dungeon Crawl affair-, and a Bosmer merchant who would hire a troupe of guards upon his missions to aquire assets.
Undoubtedly, the greatest aid to the (apparently) infinite replayability is the burgeoning mod community- the game is practically unrecognisable with enough modification. I’m currently cracking into a playthrough of the epic, german total conversion “Nehrim: At Fate’s Edge” (http://www.moddb.com/mods/nehrim-at-fates-edge), which I anticipate largely for a fresh world in which to reside. There’s no end to my adoration for Oblivion, and I await TESV with bated breath.
If I can stretch the term “role-playing game” beyond the video game implication, I cannot bestow enough accolades upon Dungeons & Dragons, the actual pen-and-paper one. There’s something utterly refreshing at an modern experience that is as interactive- the only limit to the play is one’s imagination. As cheesy as that sounds, once you’ve played a session or two with dear friends, it’s an incomparable feeling.
Both playing and performing the duties of the Dungeon Master hold substantial merit, with each leaving me craving for the opportunity to do the other again. As a player, you thrill at the encounters: brutal struggles and combats that forces you to rely on your party, and reward you with adrenalising moments as the roll of the dice decides your fate.
The role-playing aspect is also enthralling, as you enter dialogues with both NPCs and your party members; it adds a rich, convincing texture to the world, and engages your imagination. Yet as a Dungeon Master, the satisfaction can equal or rival that the player experiences: to use an analogy I recall Mike Krahulik of Penny Arcade using, it’s as though you prepare a meal- an opulent feast of the senses that you take delight in pleasing and thrilling the party with. I’m paraphrasing though.
Overall, Dungeons and Dragons is a unique, fascinating game, one which my fellow players and I all agree shall be enjoyed until old age. It’s definitely worth a go, and offers something for everyone.
