Maybe I'm not far enough in the game to really know about the gates but earlier today I was riding out in the middle of nowhere in the mountain area in the north east part of the map. Fending off some imps and wolves as the usual things, while I'm looking for out of the way crypts or caves or whatever I can find and then I look farther up the hill and I see a gate to oblivion just sitting in the middle of nowhere. It just caught me by surprise I went out looking for caves and found another portal.

How many gates are open and how many can I find at the moment? I've closed the one at kvatch but have gone no further in the story and I've seen this one.

A LOT!
Check this map
Just turn on the gates.

Truth be told the first time I saw that there were like three Oblivion gates right outside the castle walls i was scared s***less, i also find it depressing when the sky goes red and it ruins the happy atmosphere of the towns

I still havent worked up enough courage to go into any gate besides that of Kvatch, maybe its just laziness cos i cant be bothered getting to the top of a tower and removing a stone again etc...

are the normal gates harder, easier or the same as the Kvatch gate?

two things about that map:

-one gate near Lewayiin is missing.

-and why is there a gate in Valenwood, i thought you couldnt go there? or can u travel on that little road only.

Is all of oblivion in a world of lava and fire?

It would be cooler to go into gates that had a change of elements.

Wow HyPNO, thanks a zillion! That map toggle link is a priceless tool for playing the game. How'd you find it, if I may ask?

what the?! i thought there where like 13 ! Holy shizzlee :/ Man i don't know about you but doesn't those gates get boring after a while? Get in, kill some stuff, get the whole bloody way up the tower, take that stone (which is useless meanwhile) crash the whole thing and repeat?

the stone useless? Ever clicked on it??? You enchant stuff.

On the gates not being there - They open gradually, not straight away. The map is simply saying there is a site for an Oblivion gate there, and a gate will appear in the future.

On Valenwood - You can go pretty much as the map shows into Valenwood so yes, gates can appear there. Of course there is no Settlements.

How do the gates open? Is it based upon level or progress through the main quest?

I find the gates kind of... Scary. They always have nasty beasties outside them and turn the sky a nasty colour. *shivers* Have to get rid of them and I do not want to have a whole load I need to do at one time. :-p

Well, I was the one who found it on the web and decided to post it here so that everyone could use it. Link

I think the gates open by level. All the gates go after you finish the main quest, and I finished it after entering only two gates.

Just as xycolian said he found it first.I was just ''distributing'' it further.

No,they don't open with your level.I was level 30 and no gate was open until i closed the Kvach gate.So there you go,the gates open as soon as you close the Kvach gate.

After you close the Kvatch gate the 'random' gates open 'randomly' They don't depend on level, and just pop up from time to time. For example, I was playing a quest and one popped up just outside Bravil. I ended up loading a save prior to the gate that opened, did a few things differently, and when I went back to that spot, no gate was there.

You may close as many as you like, but it will take a very long time. I closed 4 or 5 before going main quest and closing the ones you need to close.

The reason all of Oblivion looks like "hell" is because you are entering the realm of the Daedra Lord of DESTRUCTION!! That is how he shaped his lair. Yes other daedra lords probably have different atmospheres, but then, they arent tearing open gates trying to invade the mortal realms, so we dont get to see them...

Modders could make some though!! (hint hint, wink wink)

Cadaver

Well, xycolian - THANK YOU for finding the toggle map and how did you come acrost it? It's a great resource.

I googled it

Ok now I'm confused. I'm not terribly far into the story but you are saying that there is no other daedra then the destruction one?

no, there are a lot more than just One Daedric lord (I believe that there's ten and then there's two very secret ones (ones in my sig))

In the game messages it once said "there are 16 daedric princes/lords, each with his own plane of oblivion".

Yeah the gates open up in a completely random order, but I'm pretty sure there's a limit to how many can be open at a time, so if you ignore every gate you see don't start worrying that you're going to get a situation like on that map where they're as numerous as starbucks.

Well that is a relief. I do feel the urge to close them, though, if they are too close to the road. I like my happy skies. :-p

I'm closing them because I'm making a complete suit of glass armor all enchanted with the stones.

How do you make the glass armor exactly?

when you like lvl 12 I think you start finding it. The stone you get at the end of closing the gates if oblivion can be used to enchant items, so I'm collecting these stones (I have like 3 ascendents and 1 transcendent) in order to enchant every piece of glass armor I have when I get it (I always save before taking the stone to make sure I get a good one)

No, theres 16. Each with their own realm.

Dagon is just the only one who's invading and opening gates between Tamriel and his realm so he can invade.

whats the difference between transcendent and ascendent?

Transcendent sigil stones tend to have a slightly better enchantment.