How to master the persuasion minigame in Oblivion so you aren’t constantly eating your words

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As an ardent fan, I must confess that the persuasion mini-game in Oblivion often gets overlooked by many players, and I can certainly understand why. When you delve into it for even a fleeting moment, its quirks and inconsistencies become glaringly apparent. Why on earth should we have to flatter and pressure every individual we attempt to persuade? It seems unrealistic at best and downright bizarre at worst.

However, I’ve found myself drawn to this peculiar mini-game, and I thought it might be helpful to walk you through how the persuasion system functions in Oblivion so that you can navigate these encounters with more grace and finesse. After all, understanding its nuances can make your character’s interactions with NPCs much smoother—and who doesn’t want that?

In certain adventures, persuasion is crucial for obtaining information. Some Non-Player Characters (NPCs) might refuse to speak to you altogether or only disclose desired details if they view you favorably. To initiate persuading an NPC in Oblivion, simply click the button displaying a face or silhouette with arrows beneath your dialogue options during a conversation with them.

How does persuasion work in Oblivion?

The minigame for persuading characters in Oblivion can be described as an unusual, somewhat unpredictable puzzle. Here are its essential guidelines:

[This version attempts to use more colloquial language and simplify some of the sentence structures.]

  • Each NPC makes facial expressions to indicate which topics they love, like, dislike, and hate
  • Clicking disliked topics removes disposition points while liked topics earn them
  • You need to use all four topics (admire, joke, boast, coerce) exactly once, even the disliked ones
  • The wheel rotates a quarter turn clockwise each time you click a topic
  • The game is timed—you lose disposition points each second, so don’t dally
  • The goal is to end with more disposition points than you began

In essence, Oblivion’s persuasion minigame serves as a light strategy puzzle. You understand that you need to press each of the four segments at least once, and each press rotates the wheel. Your objective is to strategically position the segments with the greatest influence over the NPC, corresponding to their favorite topics, while avoiding pressing the segments associated with their disliked topics, especially when they align with smaller wedges on the wheel.

Each time you initiate a persuasion game, first glance at each of the four topics briefly and observe their expressions to determine which ones they seem to favor or dislike. Then, consider your wheel’s initial position. If a disliked topic has a small wedge or a liked topic has a full wedge, click it immediately to lock that topic in as your starting point!

1. If the character’s favorite subject hasn’t been placed correctly, determine the number of 90-degree rotations needed to place it in the correct position.

2. Allocate your clicks tactically, focusing on subjects you dislike less and those you like more.

Persuasion in Oblivion Remastered

In Oblivion Remastered, topics you’ve tried persuading an NPC on are color-coded for convenience: red means they hate it, orange indicates dislike, yellow signifies like, and green shows love. This lets you understand their preferences without relying too much on facial expressions. However, be aware that the differences between orange and yellow can sometimes be hard to tell apart at first glance. Additionally, each topic now presents as a set of four concentric bars, making it clearer which factors hold the most sway over them.

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Persuasion skill buffs

In the realm of Oblivion, much like honing other abilities, your proficiency in Speechcraft will grow through practice – specifically, through instances where you persuade others. As you ascend levels, you’ll uncover perks that smooth the path for more effective persuasion.

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2025-04-23 22:47