Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Preview

The guys over at The Junkyard have written up a preview of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, based upon what we know about the RPG up to this point. An excerpt to follow:
The magic system in Oblivion has also undergone some serious renovations from the system that was present in Morrowind (thank goodness). One of the major changes is that you can now cast spells at any time... say goodbye to the "ready magic" button-so as long as you're packing a free hand, you can slice, dice, and simultaneously slow cook yourself a meal by using a sword and magic at the same time! Enchantment is no longer a skill, due to Bethesda's stress on game balance (in Morrowind, you could have a warrior with an enchanted Ring of Fireball, for instance, that gave him / her all the perks of being a great mage... with out being one). However, enchantment will be a guild perk for those who plan on joining the Mages Guild. Overall, Bethesda has promised to make pure mages a viable class, a veritable boon for those of us who discovered that being a pure mage wasn't exactly a viable option (and no, exploiting alchemy or using a two second soul trap to boost your magic and other stats does not count as viable).