Skyrim

[dnbman]

Lvl 43. High level Nightingale gear. All archery perks.

Loving this game.

You?

[Keetch]

My Kids like it! I'm enjoying SWTOR at the moment instead.

[dnbman]

My Kids like it! I'm enjoying SWTOR at the moment instead.

Were you a Star Wars guy before you played it? I was never a huge fan of the series, but the game seems fun. Recommended for anyone?

[bing!]

Two characters:

- lvl 56 Imperial spell-sword/alchemist/smith (I had to shelf this guy because he was too overpowered, even on expert/master (20 secs paralysis & 25 over 10 secs lingering damage poisons which stack (dead dragons are DEAD), potions to boost my dmg output by nearly 150%, capped resistances (both magic and elemental) and legendary+ (boosted over 100 via potions) armor and weapons))

- lvl 11 Breton warrior/conjurer/alterer (this time I decided to make the game more challenging by not using +% dmg increase and +% smithing equipment, cutting my health per lvl gain by 25% via player.modav health command, relying solely on a single source of elemental resistance per type (i.e. no more stacking) and using a mod which lowers both the xp gain and the level cap (meaning, less perks and overall more trouble cleaning falmer/dwemer/vampire dungeons by virtue of being underleveled))

BethSoft guys tend to make their games fairly easy and allow them to be broken by combining certain skillsets which, in turn, forces one to gimp oneself either via mods or self-control and that, in my opinion, is not conducive to challenging and enjoyable gameplay. All said things aside, I'm loving the game.

[dnbman]

Two characters:

- lvl 56 Imperial spell-sword/alchemist/smith (I had to shelf this guy because he was too overpowered, even on expert/master (20 secs paralysis & 25 over 10 secs lingering damage poisons which stack (dead dragons are DEAD), potions to boost my dmg output by nearly 150%, capped resistances (both magic and elemental) and legendary+ (boosted over 100 via potions) armor and weapons))

- lvl 11 Breton warrior/conjurer/alterer (this time I decided to make the game more challenging by not using +% dmg increase and +% smithing equipment, cutting my health per lvl gain by 25% via player.modav health command, relying solely on a single source of elemental resistance per type (i.e. no more stacking) and using a mod which lowers both the xp gain and the level cap (meaning, less perks and overall more trouble cleaning falmer/dwemer/vampire dungeons by virtue of being underleveled))

BethSoft guys tend to make their games fairly easy and allow them to be broken by combining certain skillsets which, in turn, forces one to gimp oneself either via mods or self-control and that, in my opinion, is not conducive to challenging and enjoyable gameplay. All said things aside, I'm loving the game.

Wow. I don't feel so bad about making the game easier with extreme archery skills, now. It was definitely the case with Fallout 3 and Oblivion that once you acquired some good skills, armor, and weapons, most things were fairly easy. The nice thing about archery is that you still run into situations where multiple enemies close in on you and you have to figure something out. The bad thing is that usually just involves healing and continuing to shoot.

[TheBeagle]

Looking forward to starting it, but I know it's going to be a massive timesink (a la all Bethesda RPGs), so I'm still on Gears 3, MW3, and starting Saints Row 3 any time.

Not sure what race I'm going to choose, but I'll probably stick with the usual lone samurai class I tend to make for Bethesda's games (ie speed, stealth, melee). Then again, it looks like they've re-written the book with this one, so I might go in a totally different direction. Like I said though, looking forward to it, and using all willpower at my disposal to keep the shrinkwrap on it.

[bing!]

... and using all willpower at my disposal to keep the shrinkwrap on it.

Tried it and failed miserably. It distorts time perception and any sense of real life obligations.

[Toocool]

Finally ordered Skyrim after scrounging up enough money (and it was on sale).
Games here in Aus are far more expensive than in USA etc and I wasn't going to pay full price on it.
I'm excited!

[ziggy]

OK, I succumbed to the peer pressure and bought Skyrim last night. I plan to give it a run this afternoon.

Are you guys still having a good time with it?

[bing!]

I'm waiting for the Creation Kit and the editing applications to "fix" the game myself before proceeding with the proper playthrough I want. As dumb as it may sound, even after ~150+ hours across two characters, I still haven't finished the game.

[dnbman]

OK, I succumbed to the peer pressure and bought Skyrim last night. I plan to give it a run this afternoon.

Are you guys still having a good time with it?

Only have one major quest left, but loads of side things to do. Still enjoying it.

[ziggy]

I now have a level 5 dark Elf.

It's been fun so far, by I know I have only scratched the surface.

Which side did you guys choose in the civil war?

[dnbman]

I chose Storm Cloak, but they make it so both sides seem to have issues. You don't have to choose for a while, so listen to what people say and then make your choice.

[ziggy]

Last night I made it up to the top of that mountain to talk to those graybeard weirdos. On the way I had to flee from an ice troll who beat the snot out of my sidekick ( that's what sidekicks are for, to take the beating for you).

I heard that there were giants in this game. How far along do you have to get before you see one?

[bing!]

Just explore the plains around Whiterun, they have several camps dotted there. Once you spot a mammoth, you know there's a giant or two around, although they're not giants per se, just your run-of-the-mill 20 feet high, bearded, club-wielding, savages.

[ziggy]

I'll take a look tonight. My level 7 dark elf versus a savage 20 foot giant will likely be a massacre, but I'm game :cool:

[Toocool]

My dude is Listener of the Dark Brotherhood, and married some random Breton chick called Muiri.
ATM chasing dragons for moar souls, and I do have the almighty FUS ROH DAH!

[CatNation1]

lost my level 27 character due to a poorly designed prison and being a little too curious. oh well. dont know if i enjoyed it enough to start all the way over :(

[dnbman]

Older save?

Also just became Listener of the Dark Brotherhood. That's my last main questline.

Forged myself some Dragon armor and a Daedric bow too. Gansta!

[CatNation1]

all 3 of my autosaves were saved over in my attempt to figure out how to get out lol

[ziggy]

I found a couple of giants.

Those bad mofos swatted my level 8 ass up into the atmosphere.

[Ghost Kat]

I was against this game because I dont like the first person seeing out their eyes view. I can't play games like that, I want to see my character. But after reading this thread today I decided to watch a couple youtube videos. Lets just say its interesting. I saw a couple video's where it wasn't always in eyeball mode so do I get to switch the view?

[dnbman]

Yeah, you can play whichever view you want and switch back and forth pretty seamlessly.

[Ghost Kat]

The fighting engine seems a bit reckless. Looks fun though, I like big world adventure game that allow character development. I just dont know if I want to spend $60 right now. Bout to see what ebay has to offer

Edited: lowest so far is $35 on ebay

[ziggy]

The fighting engine seems a bit reckless. Looks fun though, I like big world adventure game that allow character development. I just dont know if I want to spend $60 right now. Bout to see what ebay has to offer

Edited: lowest so far is $35 on ebay

Kat,

For 35 bucks, jump on it. You won't be disappointed.

[Ghost Kat]

With a bit of quick google work I know that i have do some companions questline but when I do i get infected with Lycanthropy.
A wondering dragon fighting werewolf who knows magic and has a sword. Sounds interesting...

[dnbman]

With a bit of quick google work I know that i have do some companions questline but when I do i get infected with Lycanthropy.
A wondering dragon fighting werewolf who knows magic and has a sword. Sounds interesting...

Just be careful about reading too much online. If you have too much info, the game cae th seem very paint by numbers. In my opinion, the best way to play the game is just walk around and explore, letting the story come to you naturally.

[TheBeagle]

Just to put this out there: I know Skyrim is a fantastic game (haven't started up mine yet, but I'm sure I'll love it) but there's other great games out there that are insane fun.

Saints Row The Third is some of the most fun I've ever had. It's just so over the top and has its tongue planted firmly in cheek, it's like a Looney Tunes cartoon but with an engaging campaign. Great voice work, customization and ridiculous weaponry.....all I can say is fuck GTA, this is how an urban sandbox game should be.

Shadows of the Damned came out late last summer and is a fucking hoot. Gore, a terrorized damsel in distress, a road trip to hell, and dick jokes...this one has it all. Gunplay is awesome, the guns themselves are hilarious (Big Boner is the name of one for example, as well as the devesatating Skullsmasher 9000) and there's even old-school side scrolling platfrom missions sprinkled in. I guarantee you've never played anything like this one before....and that's a good thing.

These are the two games I'm playing right now, and I'm sure you can get both of them online at a great price, especially Shadows. Sure, Skryim is (will be) fun, but don't box yourself in to just one game when there's so many other great under-the-radar games out there at reasonable prices....you're doing yourself a disservice.


****PSA for games that exist that aren't named Elder Scrolls V or Skyrim now over. Thank you for your time.

[SWedd523]

My buddy won't shut up about Skyrim. So much so that I think I may have to give it a shot if I can find it cheap online. I've really soured on the COD franchise now so I'm looking for something else to take the helm. But by that same token, I really don't play video games much anymore. Is Skyrim a game you can pick up and play for an hour or two once every 3 or 4 days and still get a sense of satisfaction? Or is it something that you need to devote some time to since it's such a huge storyline?

[dnbman]

These are the two games I'm playing right now, and I'm sure you can get both of them online at a great price, especially Shadows. Sure, Skryim is (will be) fun, but don't box yourself in to just one game when there's so many other great under-the-radar games out there at reasonable prices....you're doing yourself a disservice.

Dude. Shut it.

(Sidenote: picked up Orange Box yesterday. Started playing Half Life 2, but I think I might move to Portal.)

[dnbman]

My buddy won't shut up about Skyrim. So much so that I think I may have to give it a shot if I can find it cheap online. I've really soured on the COD franchise now so I'm looking for something else to take the helm. But by that same token, I really don't play video games much anymore. Is Skyrim a game you can pick up and play for an hour or two once every 3 or 4 days and still get a sense of satisfaction? Or is it something that you need to devote some time to since it's such a huge storyline?

Yes and no. Yes in a sense that you can do things in a short period of time. However, I find that I take a while to do things just because I like exploring and trying to upgrade my character best. If you're not sure, I'd try borrowing from someone for a few hours and see if you like it.

[ziggy]

I'm enjoying the help out of skyrim. I can say with certainty that this will satisfy my gaming Jones thoroughly until the even more epic Mass Effect 3 comes out.

[TheBeagle]

I'm enjoying the help out of skyrim. I can say with certainty that this will satisfy my gaming Jones thoroughly until the even more epic Mass Effect 3 comes out. ME3!!!


SWedd: Don't be a lemming, bro. If it sounds like something you have to be sold on are given a hard sell to interest you, it's probably not your cup of tea. dnb has it right: try renting it or buying it at Gamestop and returning in a week. Judging from your gaming background, I'd recommend Saints Row The Third over Skyrim, so give that one a shot too.


dnb: :p Like I said, I know I'll love it when I get into it, but as a gamer in general, not just an RPG/fantasy/Behthesda fan, I hate to see the game overshadow other worthy games. With that in mind, I really do need to get into Skyrim because when The Witcher 2 hits the 360 later in the year, that'll be my life.

[dnbman]

when The Witcher 2 hits the 360 later in the year, that'll be my life.

Yeah, that game is definitely on the radar. Saints Row looks fantastic, but I have to play games that can be played with a four year old hanging out in the room.

[TheBeagle]

Yeah, that game is definitely on the radar. Saints Row looks fantastic, but I have to play games that can be played with a four year old hanging out in the room. Ouch! Yeah, good call on staying away from Saints then.

I think we'll love Witcher. From everything I've read the company that makes the game is going all out in making it the console version as good, if not better than PC (not a "port" according to them).

BTW, did you get around to playing Bioshock? If so, wasn't it a masterpiece on every level?

[dnbman]

BTW, did you get around to playing Bioshock? If so, wasn't it a masterpiece on every level?

No, I own it, but I've been waiting for the right time when I can play it-- again, with out child present-- and be able to enjoy it for an extended period of time.

[Ghost Kat]

I went out and bought Skyrim. I was ashamed of myself for buying it until i realized I'd play'd it for three hrs. I have a Redguard female warrior goddess. I wanted a normal character that fights well, i just want to kill. The first hour i was killed by just about every single thing that laid eyes on me. I've kinda got the hang of it, but I need a horse and I need a house and I don't know how to make quick money.

Ziggy, I bet I know the troll you were talking bout fighting at level 7. I ran away, I knew i wasn't ready.

[Ghost Kat]

I'm enjoying the help out of skyrim. I can say with certainty that this will satisfy my gaming Jones thoroughly until the even more epic Mass Effect 3 comes out.

My gaming Jones is waiting for the new Tomb Raider game.

[dnbman]

Kat,
You might do two things:
1. Spend time making armor. You can hang out with a blacksmith, buy ingots, make armor (iron daggers are the cheapest) and sell them back to the blacksmith. If you've discovered a few cities, you can fast travel from black smith to black smith in a cycle so they reset their gold and money. You'll have the dual benefit of making better armor and raising your skill levels.
2. Fight a few fights and then fast travel to a shop to sell stuff.

The availability of armor and weapons rises as you level. I found that I'd get some of the best gear simply from killing people and looting.

There are a bunch of "cheats" to get money quickly, but I wouldn't do them if I were you until you've played a while.

Oh! And do Thieve's Guild. I know your character is a bash'em type character, but Theive's Guild will get you some quality weapons and lots of gold.

[ziggy]

Just left Windhelm... there is some serious ant-dark elf racism going on in that town.

[Ghost Kat]

Level 10 warrior Goddess vs. 12ft tall tree welding giant equals that giant hitting me so hard my body flew into space.

[TheBeagle]

Okay, so I finally started it up after having it sit in my bedroom unwrapped since release day and the verdict it, as I knew it would be, fantastic. To say they have improved voice acting and NPC faces during conversations is an understatement. Likewise the varied dungeons. And the combat. Great stuff.

Level 33 Redguard. Sneak perks (backstab animations are fucking awesome...especially the throat slit!), archery, one-armed, shield, heavy armor/light armor mix, with the barebones restoration and destruction perk. Trying to improve smithing so I can make/improve armor and weapons but it's a struggle.

My M.O. is to always sneak: when outdoors I have a bow equipped (Galdur's Bow is the name of it I think), if I'm bumrushed by wildlife I switch over to fire and sword, if I'm reckless and let some bandits find me out, I switch to shield and sword (superior Ebony shield and superior Glass sword) and always using shouts (love Marked for death!). When in dungeons I dual wield daggers (superior Elven and superior Glass) unless there's a roomful of fellers, and then I just snipe and withdraw. If a group of draugrs arise I revert to the shield and sword tactic (some of these critical kill animations are awesome as well).

My claim to fame is taking out a giant at level 3 and a frost troll at level 6. Of course the giant battle took half an hour and convenient saves but I still felled the beast. With frost troll I just pummeled him with Fire breath shout, flames and a poisoned sword and made quick work.

But yeah, fun game.

[ziggy]

I'm still playing it when I can squeeze in a few hours here and there. I'm currently a level 15 dark elf and if The Beagle took out a giant at level 3 then dammit I'm going on a giant hunt tonight and giving him a beatdown.

The most fun weapon I've come across is the staff of paralysis. It's hilarious to see a bear charging at you and having him fall into paralysis mid stride.

What level is everyone else at.

[dnbman]

What level is everyone else at.

81 on my first character. (primarly archer) Shelved him until the DLC comes out.

Now I'm building a character (Lvl 38, I think? Been a few days) more focused on magic and one hand. I've also been summoning a lot more, especially summon Dremora with the Sanguine Rose.

Beagle: Smithing is by far the easiest thing to max. Let me know if you don't figure it out.

Sidenote: been reading the two Elder Scrolls novels. They're not bad, but they should have been published as one book.

By the way, here are some possible additions to the game that are pretty cool, especially distance kill animations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SE5owAIPmk

[Ghost Kat]

Level 30 warrior werewolf redguard goddess. My favorite armor is the Wolf armor, not for strength i just like the look. Trying to get Mjoll the Lioness to be my follower right now. Favorite shout is ice form. Nothing funnier than having a enemy run at you, jump to attack and get frozen solid midair. I've started soul trapping ,way to many soul gems now.

Am I the only one that's seen the Headless Horseman?

Smithing is super easy to max. Buy a bunch of leather and leather strips and make about 100 leather helmets or arm braces. Sell them back, go buy more leather and repeat. I'm up to level 70 now

[adam187]

my friends and i finally bought this like 2 days ago. i have a dark elf, i just started. in the main first little town though, after i got back from one of my first quests, this woman started swinging a knife at my face for seemingly no reason. i tried to run away but the crazy woman would not stop, even after i went deep into the woods. i finally dodged her by jumping into the river and floating back into town. but there, some more people tried to kill me. i finally had enough of it and just lit everyone on fire who tried to attack me. i'm not sure how this will affect my game. i will keep you guys posted.

[bing!]

Did you kill their chicken? They hate it when you do that.

[dnbman]

You might have done the Phinis Maneuver inadvertently. If you're below level 40, I'd start over.

[adam187]

ha, i definitely did kill the chicken. i could not for the life of me figure out what made that woman go psycho, and i think retaliating against her i inadvertently hit someone else and all hell broke loose.

anyways, i wandered back into town, feeling like i owned it, since i basically had a set of everyone's keys. i started rummaging through people's stuff, talking shit the whole time (who's dead now, give me your fucking cheese wheel bitch). sven sent me a letter congratulating me on killing that elf archer guy who was competing for the same women (although, he must not have realized that i killed that woman as well, oops). in one of the houses, i was just walking around taking everything (it wasn't lit up as stealing) when i turned around and there's just some creepy dude staring at me. freaked me out. i said, enough of this, i went and sold all my stolen goods to the local trader (who also didn't care that i killed his sister, just happy i got him that claw). i went to the inn to practice my alchemy, when the woman who owns the inn attacked me (bitch i bought a room there 3 days ago). i killed some dude who was with her, but she was invincible and chased me deep into the woods, i got her in that weakened stance and finally escaped just barely, ready to accept my fate as an outlaw. i discovered a mine shaft and have just been taking out my aggression on all the people i meet in there, killing them, stripping them naked, raising their corpses, then killing them again so they turn to dust. then my game froze so i turned off the xbox.

dnbman, i would restart, but it's my friends xbox and my other friend's game and we're all moving out in less than 2 weeks, so i'm just gonna keep going around doing random stuff and killing as many people as i can.

stupid fucking chicken.

[dnbman]

dnbman, i would restart, but it's my friends xbox and my other friend's game and we're all moving out in less than 2 weeks, so i'm just gonna keep going around doing random stuff and killing as many people as i can.

I was just kidding. Keep rolling and have fun!

[Toocool]

I got full dragon plate armour set, and I haven't even finished the main quest. Took an absolute truckload of time to get it though, 100 armoury is a pain in the bottom.

[dnbman]

I got full dragon plate armour set, and I haven't even finished the main quest. Took an absolute truckload of time to get it though, 100 armoury is a pain in the bottom.

It's actually very easy if you haven't gotten any of the updates, as you can make iron daggers for a couple of hours and get there. With the updates, smithing levels with you, making it much harder to smith.

I made two characters with 100 smithing before the update, just so I'd have two guys to play with that had the best armor.

[Toocool]

It's actually very easy if you haven't gotten any of the updates, as you can make iron daggers for a couple of hours and get there. With the updates, smithing levels with you, making it much harder to smith.

I made two characters with 100 smithing before the update, just so I'd have two guys to play with that had the best armor.

Yeah it was pre-update. It was more getting the iron for the daggers that was the annoying part =P.

[TheBeagle]

After about a 9 month sabbatical, I got back into it and forgot how amazing the game is. I remember how when it first came out, I tried taking up for other great games that had come out (Arkham City, Saints Row 3 come to mind) but was being swallowed by the Skyrim hype machine so that when I did play it, I enjoyed the hell out of it but didn't fully embrace it because of the hype machine and it had such a surprisingly wide mass appeal. So, now that enough time has passed since its release, I gotta say it is amazing. The vistas, the gameplay, the quests, the skill progression system? All perfection. Took your advice, dnb, and haven't gotten online with it so as not to get the update, and have got my smithing up to 78. Been hoarding my dragon bones and dragon scales and daedra hearts in my bedroom in Whiterun so I can go nuts when I level to 100.

All in all, this game's a winner.

[dnbman]

New DLC is about to come out too, and it looks legit!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4y4BrJlZNE

I like that this seems more like an extension of Skyrim than a vampire game using Skyrim.

[TheBeagle]

Yeah, I really want the DLC where you can buy land and build your own house but I know I'll be forced to get the update if I do so I'll hold off til I level up smithing to 100. Did you get that first add-on? The Vampire/Werewolves thing? It looked massively lame. This new one however...

[dnbman]

Did you get that first add-on? The Vampire/Werewolves thing? It looked massively lame. This new one however...

I did and I haven't played it much. The little bit I played was okay, but I just wasn't that interested in the vampire story line. I'm sure I'll play it at some point.

[CampNightmare8]

Getting the new DLC tomorrow. Started over yesterday thought. Can't wait!

[Ghost Kat]

I didn't think people were still playing this

[TheBeagle]

I didn't think people were still playing this From what I can tell, it's a game that never really ends. I'm at 110 hours and am nowhere near finished with the main quest, and have probably 35-50 side and misc quests I haven't finished not to mention the parts of the map that I've not yet set foot in.

[dnbman]

From what I can tell, it's a game that never really ends.

The main game definitely has some finality to it, as it eventually all the quests left to do are basically finding somebody/some thing and killing it for gold or goods. While this means you can technically play it forever, it gets boring with the same character after a while, especially once you're very high leveled and all you're doing is fast traveling places.

Though, building a new character is extremely fun, as the game feels completely different with different skill sets. Went ranged with my first character and had a lot of fun, but didn't have nearly the challenge or slow-mos as I did when I went blade with the second character.

[bing!]

Cicero Calls Roadside Assistance (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwhl5VIY4a8)

I shed tears.

[CatNation]

edit: nm saw i had already posted on my other accountlol

might try this game again

[CampNightmare8]

I took a week or two off of this game b/c I was busy w/ stuff & tried to come back to it. I lost all sense of what was going on, and wanted to start over just to get the feeling back of the story. This will be my 3rd or 4th time starting over lol. Never taking another big brake from this game, it always ends up ruining it for me.

I did get the new DLC thought. I love how Skyrim's DLC's are. On the Dragonborn DLC you'll just be walking and like 3 crazy looking guys will say someones looking for you or something like that. Kind of interesting. Playing the story on Master instead of expert now.

[CampNightmare8]

Guys you all need to join the dark brotherhood. It's the most fun quest-line in the game, basically its a group and they give you contracts to kill people. It's hella fun.

[dnbman]

Guys you all need to join the dark brotherhood. It's the most fun quest-line in the game, basically its a group and they give you contracts to kill people. It's hella fun.

That was good, but Thieves Guild was definitely my favorite.

Also, beta invite application is live for Elder Scrolls Online.