So, I just picked up the Collector's edition of Skyrim for the PC. I have 12 minutes left before it finishes installing.

Anyone else pick it up? Been looking forward to it?

Yes just fit it, and took a week off work to play it (sort of... There's more to it than that, I'm not that far gone yet)

Making an Imperial warrior, about level 7 now. Couple of thoughts so far:

Holy monkey Jesus the landscape is beautiful. I mean, it's worth getting just for that. You could walk around and not actually play the game, it would be worth it. That's how awesome it looks.

Finally figured out how to shield bash. You have to hold the blocking button and then press that hit button. Sounds obvious now but took me a while to figure it out.

Look out for environmental helpers. Puddles of fuel on the floor can ignite. You can even use an arrow to shoot a lamp and make I fall and explode the gas. This is new in elder scroll games, so you have to adjust your thinking.

Perks, perks, perks. I was playing at expert, and before I started taking perks the game was too hard. Now, with basic perks, it's just right.

Crafting is fun. It's worth always sharpening or reinforcing your equipment.

Do not attack giants. Do. Not.

Being a truck driver, I have all the time I want to play.

Feh. Inferior race choice. Khajit poison master assassin, I am.

Yes. It is. It is beyond beautiful, and to enjoy it fully, I need to buy a new laptop.

Thanks for the tip, though I'm currently dual wielding daggers, or dagger spell.

Really? Hmmm... Poisoned dagger? Check. Fire spell? Check. Helping end the pain of the recently set ablaze? Double Check.

Really? So alchemy and stealth perks for me, then.

That alone makes this game time and above any other TES game thus far.

But... They're huge! I want to carve a home out of their bones...

Don't mess with their mammoths either.

Yeah found that out yesterday. The hard way.

In every review I've seen thus far... That's generally how people figure that one out.

Wonder if I can poison stealth kill it from afar...

My Breton mage (I want to say 14?) can kill giants by using a dual-cast destruction spell with the impact perk. The spells do decent damage anyway and the impact perk staggers them. Since they have a good number of HPs I generally stick to Ice Shards to kill their stamina and slow them down (and not eat my mana up). But I have over 350 magicka with +100% regen and a 15% discount on all my spells (arch-mage robes ftw!) so on apprentice and lower spells I can cast all day.

(Also have a dual longsword wielding Redguard and a Khajiit Archer (well, and daggers too, for that x16 sneak attack).

You can actually become a Vampire in Skyrim . .
Sad that you can't start as a necromonger and become a lich later on . .
I really liked that about Might and MAgic. Even if it was nintendo hard to do it . .

You can also become a werewolf now. I've become a werewolf khajit.

You haven't been able to be a werewolf or vampire in the newer games? I haven't really gotten into the Elder Scrolls game much except Daggerfall. I remember that curing yourself was a lot harder than becoming one, but not impossible.

Vampires were easily possible in both Morrowind and Oblivion, but no werewolves. There were mods out, but, eh. They weren't standard, so I was sad. But now, both are properly available out of the box.

There was an expansion for Morrowind that added in the ability to become a werewolf. Read - official.

Oops. Forgot about Bloodmoon. Thanks.

Oh yes. And even if you could, how to decide if lichdom is the way?

Lichdom is allways the way for me, if it's possible.

Just thought I'd put this one out. Seems relevant.

I see yours and raise you mine.

I just got the game and have gotten to the point where I just joined the Companions.

I get told by the old leader dude that the mastersmith will have a weapon for me better than, "whatever that thing is that you're using".

I was using a Skyforged Steel Greatsword.

I got to the mastersmith, and he gives me... a Skyforged Steel Greatsword.





-k

Has anyone noticed just how hardcore your enemies tend to be? They always seem to pop off a one-liner right when I execute a finisher.

"You dare face a DUNMER?!" says a dark elf as I impale him on my sword and lift him off the ground.

"Nobody bests an orc!" hollers the orc, whilest his bones make sickening crunches as I chokeslam him to death.

"Is that the best you can do?!" yells the random bandit whom I just decapitated.

Seriously, the people in Skyrim are just too metal for death.

It's because they're medieval. We don't do that today because we were made soft by commercialism and customer service. When someone decapitates us we tend to be too surprised to comment.

And here I was figuring it was all the metal armor they had on.

Honestly, the best we can spit out today is "F*** you" or something. Well, I'd say something awesome. I grew up on Metal.

I used to play elder scrolls games but then I got an arrow to the knee.

If we're going to meme it up this late in the year, we might as well kick it up a notch.

If you got adventure problems,
I feel bad for you son.
I dodged 99 arrows,
But my knee took one.

- from a shirt

Mrs. Crit's stuck at work overnight tonight (at least she got to wear Christmas scrubs, I guess?)...so I'm having a very Skyrim Christmas. Hey, at least the weather fits the season, right?

Maybe "HO HO HO" is a Thuum that summons wealth.

Dovakiin: "I got mad at him so I yelled at him."
Guard: "Was this before or after you dismembered him?"
Dovakiin: "During."
Guard: (backs away slowly) "I see. I think I need to go now."
Dovakiin: (yells) "Wait, don't go!"
SPLAT
Dovakiin: "Damn it. Now I owe another thousand gold. Chosen One my ass."

Skyrim is $40 on steam right now, is it worth the jump?

Yes.

Yes.

And just because nobody's posted them yet:

Epic Skyrim Gameplay Trailer

Epic Skyrim Live Action Trailer

Epic Skyrim Physics


-k

Not enough Arrows in Knees.

Just got it. So far, my Ork has found out that FIRE IS BAD!!!

But are the trees pretty?

As I crumple to the ground in agony and pain, yes.

Here you go.

(warning, kinda loud profanity)



-k

Got this a week ago (the lovely bought it for a giftmas presant, so no, I couldn't buy it earlier or I'd be dead) and am having a ball...after the first 5 "tester" characters so far...

Try not to spoiler yourself. Wandering about the semi-frozen wastes of Skyrim is made all that more awesome when you discover awesome stuff without having a guide to hand.

For the love of all that's holy, DO try and have a viable method of offence (Destruction, conjuring, 2-handed, one-handed/block, archery) and keep levelling it. Don't get sidetracked by all those awesome perks for "non-essential" skills or you'll walk out of the local town having levelled your lockpicking/pickpocket/sneak to 100 and then being swarmed by the angry, angry blood dragons and your semi-starting gear/skills.

Yes, the "rubberband/rock on the keyboard/controller works (as do console commands, natch) but as mentioned previously, those flying lizards level nicely (unless you're level 12 with 100 conjuring, you powergamer you) and the sneak ability isn't anywhere near as powerful as in the previous editions of "stab-in face-in-the-middle-of-a-lit-and-crowded-room" scrolls.

Archery hurts. Them AND you. Hide and use terrain, don't forget basic arrow-drop physics and enjoy that sweet snap shot you couldn't BELIEVE saved your ass. (Nothing like dropping a uber-scary necromancer 0.1 seconds past monologue with an arrow in the eye.)

Armour up, those pissy robes look pruty but are better used as disenchent fodder while you apply said enchants to your awesome ebony armour. Or dragonscale. Or Glass...there's sooo many to choose from.

Skillz! So many.....but try and find a playstyle that works for you with associated skills to match.

Note: Even though Destruction is ungodly powerful from ~ 1-20, after that, a lot more resistances are seen and your spells won't be as unbalanced.

Note: Sneak attacks occur when the target is unaware of your location (they may be suspicious, but you do usually get the multiplier) and you strike at them with a physical weapon (Or there'd be millions of bandits littering Skyrim with ice-daggers out of their backs). This goes for "resting" enemies (ie: Undead in their alcoves and in one memorable campsite, every single bandit in their bedrolls. There was blood spatter 4 stories high on the cliff face backing that site after that one...)

If using PC: Learn to hotkey (select desired opbject/skill/equipment and press 1-9) Down potions like Brittany at a kegger, mainline those stamina pots for non-stop shield/smash action. (Also, sneak-shieldbashing someone to death is downright hilarious)

Stop and take a look around! Everythings so goddamned pretty...<Roar><you're on fire again><Kill dragon><Admire scenery>

Stop, watch and listen! The AI is a lot better at picking you up now...although less than brilliant at attacking you (Giants.)

Giants! They hurt.

Clear out a dungeon/camp/etc and in a months' game time, there will be renewed enemies! Sometime they scale with you (Can be a horrible shock) and sometimes they don't. (Summon something, sit down in the middle of combat and just watch it take apart your fearless foes, "Skyrim is for the NordsaRRGH!")

Enemies! Although 90% of people you see in the wilderness are going to want to kill you as it makes robbing/eating you easier, do NOT lead off every sighting with an arrowstorm and summoning of deamons. Those local law-enforcement officials have no sense of humour.
Edit: That also goes for chain lightning over a town. Messy.

Werewolves don't use armour or weapons (except for a very limited semi-glitched few) so don't expect to level your skills much, apart from unarmed and "cleaning entrails from hair". This makes the WereKejiet a fearsome foe, as the "claws" racial trait stacks the werewolf stuff. Yes, this means you CAN instakill a dragon (If sneak-attacking) but do it in the wilderness as people don't like the whole warewolf thing much. And frankly, if your dungeon has turned into a tomb of horrors, you can clear an awful lot in 2 1/2 minutes, certainly long enough to find a hollow and magic/heal up properly.
Edit: Can only insta-kill dragon if using the glitched "Dagger of Woe" which means you get the x 16 damage bonus (if you've perked it that way.) Dammit.

Don't trust the Elves. Those sommerset isle jackbooters made my dagger hands itch.

Stormcloaks are a racist bunch of good ol' boys who use their race-card a trifle too often. At least the Empire can be honest about their screwups.

Fire is fun, frost is resisted by nords, lightning makes you into the Emperor from Starwars. Nothing like a corridor of sword-wielding meatsacks charging at you and a full mana-bar for fun.

You can be sneak-attacked as well! (Makes a lot more sense as I use the 360 and don't get a few of the messages that PC users can enable) So be damn sure that Drugar's dead before it hits you for x 2-3 with that honed nord axe of hurtin'.

Melee combat is awesome fun, until your stamina bar has gone. Strike wisely, bash your foes (you ARE using a shield, aren't you?) and enjoy those over-the-top takedowns. Not much can be better than an unresisted Power attack "kill" animation with blood and fire spraying around.

Cave Bears will fuck you up. They're like 8-foot tall honeybadgers, and we all know that honeybadger don't give a shit. Seen one of them tank a blood dragon down to nothing before expiring due to an anally-applied elven arrow. Dragon died when Lydia fell off the cliff trying to hit it and the lizard broke her fall. (Her main attacks are: Trap=mutally-assured destruction, Arrow or sword and "fall off a cliff with opponent".)

Lydia cannot sneak and thinks traps are for rolling around on. Get some armour on her and a decent 2-hander (sword, for preference) and she can be a pretty good distraction while you backstab, blast and buggerize the opposition. Also fun: levelling Restoration trying to keep her upright. (Healing hands)

Horses! See under: Dosen't give a shit. They will murderize with extreme prejudice any and all that threaten you. Keep healing that gluefactory for Dragon shame, ie: In Dragon Heaven, "So, how'd you die, I was stuck down by the combined might of 2 city's archers and mages!" "<Silence">

Dragons in a city/town are AWESOME. So many places where you can hide from flames, good times, good times. Don't use area-affect spells unless you want a 6-figure bounty. (Staff of Lightning Storm. Just don't.)

SHOUTS! (Enough said:))

Bucket on head! Best thief tool yet!

Buckets on EVERYONES' head, and then a dragon flies over and sets them on fire and soon the whole town is screaming, running around with buckets on their head. (Had to take a break for that one, laughing too hard.)

PC: Once modded: Kill that brat of the Jarl of Wheresits, "Oh, another traveller here to lick my father's boots" and Mr: "Do you get up to the cloud district much? Oh, of course not.".

Note: also need to mod in a "sacrifical site" where you can bring people and chain them up for dragon-consumption. I have a list....

-Tir:)

My brother gave me this for Christmas, and it's fun. I think they missed a few obvious plot lines, though.

Whispering Lady quest: Find out what's wrong with my son, would you? Ya think ol' daddy-o might wanna know that a Daedric artifact is corrupting his son? Maybe even hire a competent stonemason? Naaaaah.

Think said jarl might also want to know you overheard someone planning to attack his town? Naaaah.

Got it from the handy-dandy Red Box. The wife is so hooked on it though we'll probably be buying it.

Question though: How the hell do you recharge items? The wiki I glanced out was vague. Using the enchanting station isn't doing it. Got the Soul Squeeze to "recharge 5%" and that doesn't seem to be doing it. What am I missing?

You have to have a soul gem with a trapped soul in your inventory first. When your weapon is low on charges, select the weapon in your inventory, then hit the button for "Recharge" (T on a PC).

Yeah, a proper manual is also lacking, but that's pretty much any game nowadays.

I remember when the manuals were wonderful and gave story and character to a game, and...

GIT OFF MAH DAMNED LAWN!!!

W3rd.

Seconded.

Is it just me, or do we all miss the "general publicity" that your character achieved in Morrowwind?

I mean, after killing a couple of dozen dragons and striding around in their dragonbone armour (Legendary) with my follower in a matching set, all I could get was a comment (funny one though) from a couple of guards. You used to get, "Oh, I see you're doing quite well for yourself" from the other npcs if you were dressed in the Exquisite clothing.

And if word travels fast, shouldn't they be a little, "Well, we have a problem, but clearing out those forsaken from a mine shouldn't be too much problem for you, Dragonborn." All the NPCs were "Oh you'd be mad to try!" AFTER I shouted a dragon down from the sky, arrowed it to death and ate it's soul.

Bloody provincials....


-Tir:)

Just be glad they're not Colonials!

I wanna say it's the RB (right shoulder) on my 360 game. I know it's not terribly intuitive, whatever the heck it is, and I'm echoing the general complaints about not having a decent manual included.

Thanks Crit, was about to ask about 360 controls. Wife just "discovered" how to unlock the shouts after offing dragons. Progress.

ORK RAGE! ORK PRIDE!!! AXES TO THE SKY!!!

Surprisingly the Nords seem to get along with my character. Wonder why.

The trick seems to be just slowly cycling through menus, looking for new info tabs on the bottom of the screen. Like if you just scroll from a magical weapon to a nonmagical, it's easier to spot the difference, when the "[whatever button]: Recharge Item" thing pops up.

Wife discovered that you can name items you create. She still doesn't know how she did it, and neither did I. Hopefully we'll be returning the game at some point and actually buying it. Had it for something like two weeks now.

I think you get a chance to after you select the item, enchantment and soulstone.

Yeah. It's right as you're enchanting it, after confirming all the other selections (item, enchantment, soul stone), you get the option to pick a new name for it.