What can I say? We are huge fans of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, as we gave both the PC and Xbox 360 versions both perfect scores, thanks in large part to its huge, open ended world, letting players play how they want instead of how they are told to play. Bethesda has also done a great job of continuing to provide content, and they look to up the ante with the upcoming Knights of the Nine, which will be available as both a retail unit for PCs and downloadable content for 360 owners. We got to ask Pete Hines some questions about the game, just to see what we are in store for when Oblivion is expanded even further.
 1. Besides being available for download, Knights of the Nine will also be coming out in a retail version. Is it coming to retail for both the PC and Xbox 360? How will the retail edition work? Will players be able to purchase just that disk and have the full game as it is now, or does it only include the Knights of the Nine content? Will players have had to have bought Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion first? The retail version will be PC only, at this time. We are very interested in having a retail SKU for Xbox 360 but apparently there are some issues with that on the console side and so we can't do it right now. Should things change, we absolutely would make Knights available at retail for Xbox 360. We're very disappointed we aren't able to at this time. The disc for PC includes Knights of the Nine plus all the other downloadable content (DLC). So you have to own Oblivion and have it installed to play it. 2. Knights of the Nine will contain the previously downloadable content: Horse Armor, The Orrery, Wizard's Tower, Vile Lair, Thieves Den, Mehrunes' Razor, and Spell Tomes. Are these the exact ones that people have downloaded before or have they been tweaked a little if at all for the Knights of the Nine release? Nope, they're the same as originally released. 3. For fans who have already gobbled up that content, there is still new content coming they haven't played yet such as an "all-new faction and quests for noble characters." What is this new faction called and what are they about? Good? Evil? What types of goals will you be accomplishing in this faction? The new faction is basically the opposite end of the spectrum from the Dark Brotherhood. So you have this really evil faction in Oblivion, but there's no really good guys. No noble knights going out to do good and protect the innocent and all that. So you basically get to restart an order of holy knights that has been defunct and is now needed to help fight this sorcerer-king that has shown up and is causing problems. 4. In the press release it says "all-new faction and quests for noble characters." Are these all quests pertaining to the faction or are these in addition to the faction? What types of quests will people be doing? They all pertain to the faction. So you have to go out and find all these powerful artifacts that have been lost, the Crusader's Relics. The quests are a little more "adventurous" in that you have to figure some things out on your own and piece together the clues...that kind of thing. 5. Continuing with the "all-new faction and quests for noble characters" statement. Does the "noble characters" part simply mean those up for the task or will have players have had to have reached a certain level or achievement, like say beating the main story of the original game, before they'll be able to access this new content in particular. So one of the things about this faction is that it's only for "good" guys. Meaning if you have any level of infamy, you have to go on a pilgrimage before you can join, or continue (if you're already doing the quests). So if you join and start doing the quests and go off to do something else and kill an innocent person, you'll have to do the pilgrimage all over again.  6. Oblivion is such a huge game even without this inclusion of the new Knights of the Nine content. After people download or purchase the new Knights of the Nine content, how will they be able to find it so they can tackle just those new events. Does Knights of the Nine take place in its own country or region, or will it be scattered about the already existing Oblivion world? It takes place in the existing world. It starts off in Anvil and when you go there folks will be talking about it and if you go to the Chapel there you'll see it's been defiled and someone asks for your help. 7. The press release says that in the game you'll be able to found your own order of holy knights. Can you talk about this a little? How will characters go about finding these knights to recruit? Will they join you in battle? If they join you in battle do they react on their own or can you give them commands of some sort? They'll come find you throughout the storyline and ask to join. You get your own priory that you can fix up and make your own. And yes, they can fight alongside you. Companions still act like they do in Oblivion and will decide for themselves how to fight in battle, you don't control him. Flip On Over To Page Two To Read The Rest Of The QA
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