Oblivion talk:Blackwood Company

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[edit] Blackwater

I'm not so sure the Blackwater reference is appropriate. There's considerable controversy as to whether they are actually mercenaries (which is considered a disparaging term) or just contractors. Additionally, the Blackwood Company gets its name from the Blackwood region, which existed in Elder Scrolls lore a few years before Blackwater did, so it's a bit of a stretch to say that there's a definite connection. See This section for a page rebutting the claim. I not necessarily taking their side on the issue, but I think we probably don't want that kind of controversial statement made on the site unless there's some hard evidence. --TheRealLurlock ^Talk 13:43, 19 April 2007 (EDT)

• Blackwater Worldwide is named after the region it is located it in as well; the term "Blackwater" coming from the local name given to the Great Dismal Swamp in North Carolina (the company's HQ).

• I came here because I just heard the name "Blackwater" and made a connection with "Blackwood" too and wanted to hear everyone else's thoughts on it. I knew that Blackwater was named after the region, but I didn't know if that region appeared before or was new to this game--added for the purpose to give background to the company. I didn't know that there was already heated debate over this connection. It's certainly a strange coincidence. 68.73.55.54 23:39, 20 September 2007 (EDT)

• There are just too many parallels between Oblivion's "Blackwood Company" and "Blackwater USA" to ignore. Certainly, if you pay attention to the subtleties of Oblivion's plot-lines you will notice that there is no shortage of relevant social and political commentary. In my opinion, to deny this link is to do a disservice to the ingenuity of the game's writers. Sure, you can dismiss the Blackwood/Blackwater link by saying that Blackwood has long existed in Elder Scrolls lore. But that certainly says nothing of the emergence of the Blackwood Company and its choice of location. It could have easily been placed in Skingrad and called the "West Weald Company". But it wasn't.

• However there is also a book series called The Black Company which is about a mercenary band in a fantasy setting who do tend to take contracts regardless of who puts them forward and Oblivion has referenced many fantasy novels in the past.