Simply put, this is an attempt to see if I can survive inside the PC game The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion if I run my character like any old random NPC (Non-Player Character). You know, those nondescript, friendly-enough but not terribly important characters you brush by on your way to sell the hundreds of pounds of loot from your latest fortress raid? That’ll be me.

Along the way, I hope to answer some questions:

Does the economic system in Oblivion really work? Can I find a job, and earn enough money to live comfortably? Can I can scrape together enough to move to the big city, maybe even own a small hovel of my own?

Do the other NPCs really lead interesting, multi-faceted lives, or are they just mindless robots following a predetermined path? Will I fit in with them either way?

Is it even possible for a player to live as an NPC? How hard is it to avoid getting sucked into the enormous, sprawling adventure the game has planned for me? Will trouble find me even if I’m not looking for it?





With the help of the idiot pictured above, I’ll find out. No quest to light the Dragonfires, no mansions crammed full of treasure, no heroic deeds of legendary proportions. Just an ordinary guy trying to scratch out a living and blend in with the crowd.