The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim

[Stouffer]

Never played this game but I love reading this thread. It's better than Hollyoaks that's for sure.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

It's really repetitive isn't it.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

I married the slag whose brother owns the Riverwood Trader. We moved to Whiterun and that cunt Faendal keeps leaving my house as I enter the city. Even in a game I can't keep a relationship...

 

She's my back up plan in case Aela ever cops it. She seems needy enough to take me on the rebound, always chirping "It's a fine day with you around". Plus I'm always in the store as her brother leaves pinchable gold on the counter, the big plum.

 

I've considered killing Faendal though.

[Red Phoenix]

It's really repetitive isn't it.

 

Not really because there's so many different ways you can approach playing, fighting, etc, and so much to find in the game. When it comes down to it though, if you're not into RPG's that much then it could seem that way.

 

I could play a shooter for instance like Call of Duty, Battlefield, etc, and get bored quickly because I just don't like those type of games, but this for an RPG is one of the best. If you go around various places on the map there's a lot to the game, if you follow the main story no idea as I've not done that yet much.

 

Have played for around 80 hours now I think, have been addicted badly as well. I think it's one of my all time favourites without a doubt, and I've still got by far most of the areas to play in, but at the same time I'd really like it if Bethesda would work on their bug testing team.

 

I won't list the bugs I've found, but the worst are the crashes every hour or two when walking around outside, especially because I like being outside a lot for alchemy ingredients. (this might have been fixed with patches, but I'm not connected to the network. The thought of fixing this has tempted me to get connected though.) It's usually outside too, in fact maybe always, and seems exactly like what would happen in Fallout, as if they're causing the same bug to occur from those games and haven't managed to locate the source of it for years on end.

 

I just think it's bizarre when you think of the funds they must have and the money they could put into investing in their bug team. Am only saying because when I get into some of their games they're the best I've played, but those crashes and other issues can get frustrating at times.

 

Am still playing regularly though. I said I was freaked out a couple of times at the thought of how addicted I'd become to this ages ago, but didn't think it'd get me like this! There's loads of things I've yet to do. I'd go into what I like, etc, but will spare you the long post, because it'd go on for ages.

 

I just think they're the best by far at RPG's, but in the future I still hope they locate the sources of some of those bugs.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Yeah. Play the story. Go to a cave. Fight. Come back. Rinse. Wash. Repeat.

[Red Phoenix]

Yeah. Play the story. Go to a cave. Fight. Come back. Rinse. Wash. Repeat.

 

Haha, it can be great if you mix up the way you play though and you're into RPG's enough.

 

For instance I like getting ingredients, making potions and discovering them, collecting books to learn more about the world, enchanting, smithing, and so on. (I freely admit I'm an RPG nerd, just saying.) Then when I've done that for a bit test out how much I can handle in whatever dungeon and try to mix up what enchantments/armour/items I have and what spells and shouts I use. (and also see what I discover in there that tells me more about the story and world that the game is set in.) There's a lot of strategy in combat if you try different things, I think the monsters scale to your level too and some are genuinely hard to battle against, so it can be a great challenge.

 

You could say it's a dungeon crawler to an extent (Like most RPG's.), but there's also a decent bit more you can spend time doing and your strategy (what I play the most for.) can be mixed up a lot.

 

If you really want to boil games down you could simply say that most of them are running around and attacking things. But if they're done properly, you at least get a decent world, the chance to learn about it, freedom to do your own thing to a decent extent if you want, and you can use a lot of different strategies.

 

Personally I still hope they do one set in Valenwood where the Wood Elves are, that might be the best game I ever play, especially if they suss the bugs out!

[Red Phoenix]

Sorry, ranting was due to birthday alcohol. Paying for it now with a bit of a hangover.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

My main gripe is that there doesn't appear to be any way to light your path in dungeons beyond constantly castling Candlelight or switching back and forth between a torch.

 

The world's massive, but I far preferred the sun-drenched style and magic casting system of Oblivion.

 

Still, I have clocked in 160 hrs.

[Red Phoenix]

Am approaching the first 24 hours without playing in two weeks now, mainly from drinking last night. Glad though, the addiction was driving me pretty mental. Will get back on it later or tomorrow.

[robbiefowler9]

I finished my exams today but none of my friends are done yet. So I spent the day getting my smithing up to 100 and made Daedric armor. No shame. No regrets.

[Red Phoenix]

Using a glass bow now with shock damage enchanted on to it, pretty fucking decent, had no idea it'd work so well without the archery skill being levelled that much and so few perks. It must cause some huge damage when that's done. Am going to enchant necklace/ring and maybe another couple of things to add to the damage as well, then just switch to other items when enemies close in if they're still alive.

 

It's good to finally be able to add poisons/debuffs, etc, to arrows as well, have just been using magic so far so hadn't tried that out.

 

Only just went into the first Dwarven place yesterday too, thought it was great and looking forward to visiting the others.

[Strontium]

If you go into sneak you can do 2x damage with your bow, and 3x once you get the perk. I have been picking off mammoths with one shot of my enchanted Daedric bow, marvellous.

 

Backstabs are the most lethal attack in the game, though. With perks and Dark Brotherhood gloves you can deal 30x damage if you sneak up on some fool from behind.

[Red Phoenix]

If you go into sneak you can do 2x damage with your bow, and 3x once you get the perk. I have been picking off mammoths with one shot of my enchanted Daedric bow, marvellous.

 

Backstabs are the most lethal attack in the game, though. With perks and Dark Brotherhood gloves you can deal 30x damage if you sneak up on some fool from behind.

Yeah have been noticing the 2x damage as I started levelling sneak from the off, didn't know you could get 3x damage though and will check for that.

 

Had seen the stab damage on the sneak perk tree early on too and made sure to keep it in mind. Definitely looking forward to doing that, and should be doing it next after making the bow attacks good enough. Between daggers, bows and spells it should be a good mix. Was just wanting to use spells at first but it can be an issue at times keeping enough mp and so on, so it's good to have back ups.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

Anybody bothered going Legendary with their skills?

[Hades]

I finished my exams today but none of my friends are done yet. So I spent the day getting my smithing up to 100 and made Daedric armor. No shame. No regrets.

 

The Armor Cap is 567, so you're just as well off wearing light armour, assuming you have enough fortify smithing/enchanting gear and potions to hit the cap. My glass armour set has a rating of 1065.

 

It's annoying that in order to play this game, you have to be able to restrain yourself from exploiting the broken crafting system.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

I've left crafting alone. I find there's more than enough decent equipment to be gained through looting and quests.

[Red Phoenix]

Anybody bothered going Legendary with their skills?

 

I think several have, Strontium was talking about it on the previous page too : http://www.liverpoolway.co.uk/index.php?/topic/94782-the-elder-scrolls-skyrim/?p=3772741

 

As for the crafting system, I'm currently trying to get to 70 for glass armor, but to grind all the way there from even past level 50 is something I can't imagine doing. I think you mean exploit in the way that you could just level and kit yourself out with the best stuff by buying materials, crafting and selling repeatedly, then get the best items without having to fight?

 

Because if so I think that actually doing that would drive me mad, and also ruin the game for me. If others do it and still enjoy playing, fair enough, but I can only manage to level 2-3 times now before I go off to do other stuff. I fight in mines too instead of just buying materials so that it doesn't become boring, and am also mixing that up with enchanting, alchemy, and going off to fight in random areas.

 

There's an interesting post here on some of the problems : http://hubpages.com/hub/taleof2exploits

 

The main thing for me is probably the loading screens though; to just grind and grind one skill without fighting, those loading screens (leaving crafting area and then going around merchants to sell and buy again and again.) would add so much time to the whole process that I'd probably get sick of playing. If the game can be exploited though that's fair enough. It's Bethesda after all and it can still be avoided if you want to enjoy it instead.

[Red Phoenix]

As for general bugs, my current main issue is my only built house at Lakeview, and the only one I wanted to have, having a dragon skeleton constantly spawn outside the door. As in dropping out of the sky spawning, or juddering around half stuck out of the ground or the house. I've got used to it though as I don't think it's going anywhere! (I tried moving it with a shout over a decent distance but it eventually came back.) I could always try making another house in another area if it gets to me more over time, but I just refrain from getting wound up by it for the most part as it doesn't affect gameplay at all.

 

Am still really enjoying playing though, and there's so much to still do in the game that I think I could clock up over 200 hours. The relief is that I'm no longer addicted, because the idea of doing over 200 hours when addicted is scary. Haven't loaded up two of the 3 expansion packs either, because I think it might break the game on the PS3 for me. (like the expansions did with the Fallout games. Luckily in this one though you get to install them yourself when you're ready, one by one.) If I'm ever done with everything else though will try loading them up.

 

Another potential bug is the perk to sell whatever you want to any trader. I had a trader break on me in Fallout and the idea of stacking up huge amounts of items with single traders brings it back to mind, so will avoid that perk too. There's other bugs that have been found, but they're not fully breaking anything in the game so can live with them.

[Red Phoenix]

Just had a find in a chest that saved me a lot of hassle : glass gauntlets. So the grinding of smithing to 70 is now over. It's at 62 I think, but still a headache to get to 70 if wanting to do it quickly, with all of the travelling around for materials and selling, etc. It was starting to really get on my nerves anyway. (I didn't grind it there just for glass smithing either, had originally done it so far for elven smithing anyway, a decent while ago.)

 

I thought the dragon skeleton spawning outside of Lakeview had gone as well, in fact it did for a couple of days in game, then just appeared again, the bastard thing. On a good note, I think I have a new pet skeever because of a bug in my cellar. Has anyone else seen them just walking around without attacking? Had a bunch of them down there so decided to level block to the next point, and when I was done and hacked them down this one was just walking around peacefully so left it!

 

Knowing this game there'll be more of them that'll appear down there in the future and it'll set this one off again attacking, hah. It just walks a little bit in each direction and looks badly miserable, but am still classing it as a pet.

 

Glad that smithing grinding is done though, back to random dungeons and hoping I find the other parts of the glass armor set as I go on. Well before I naturally get smithing up to 70 by doing it in more or less random bits anyway.

[Red Phoenix]

It's annoying that in order to play this game, you have to be able to restrain yourself from exploiting the broken crafting system.

 

I think I realize what you mean now. Did you mean more in the way of potions than armor/weapons? Because I'm starting to find that the challenge is removed if I stick to gathering up as many healing potions as I am currently doing. In the last dungeon I felt kind of empty because I just went into the menu and used as many healing potions as I needed, and the challenge had basically gone.

 

So I'm going to have to stop making/taking so many potions, I can just make tons of healing ones from :

 

Warning! The following content is NOT WORK SAFE. Click the Show button to reveal.

Blue mountain flowers and wheat. My garden for instance is split between both, and I've been finding that when I do get back to alchemy I can make dozens of them before setting out to the next place. When you add this to the flowers and wheat I can pick when travelling around and buying from sellers, yeah, it seems kind of broken.

 

(bit removed as its covered better in the next post.)

 

As it stands, one way could be to work with the idea of only having a few of them, and then trying more to last in battle with whatever else you have when approaching the enemy/enemies. Or even really role playing with the idea of when it's acceptable for you to take a potion as well. Like, when you're not being attacked, have the space and distance to have them, etc. But yep, it needs restraint and shouldn't have to really, so it is a clear issue.

[Red Phoenix]

Sorry, last post for now. After this I really am done for a while! This is just kind of game breaking for me and I'd not really had this issue until now. I've never been in the position before where I had access to so many potions so easily.

 

After thinking about it for a bit, the best idea I can come up with is another bar, like the small enchantment power bar that your weapon has to show how many charges it has. This one would be for potions, and as you use them it raises the bar in the opposite way the stamina one works. So as you use a powerful attack, the stamina bar goes down a lot, with the potions bar, if you use a powerful potion it raises it a lot instead. (but this bar can't be continually raised as you level like stamina, that'd defeat the purpose of it. It could be raised slightly with very rare and limited items though.)

 

You don't have to wait for it to go down if you have a potion that's going to use up more on the bar than you have either. You have the option of either waiting for it to go down so you can avoid knocking it over its limit, or you can take a more powerful potion if you really have to in an emergency, but this would knock the bar over its limit and place a status effect on you until the entire bar has gone through a cooldown period. (10-15 seconds or so.) This would be indicated from the menu for any potion that would do this by highlighting it in a colour that shows it'd knock the bar into cooldown.

 

Something like "mental fog" because there's something in every potion related to magic that does this to you slightly (which makes the status bar raise.), and if you have too much you just have to wait, because your mind can't handle just repeatedly taking potion after potion.

 

Other than that there's really limiting the ingredients you find so that health, etc, potions are a lot more rare, or doing the 3-5 seconds wait inbetween each potion.

 

But the aim should always be the same : to make "pausing" to go into the item screens to take whatever potions you want no longer possible, and instead making the player strategize with potion use, prepare more for battles with equipment, and learn how to fight in a better way. Even if they have to run off for a bit or spend time dodging around (some dodge skills could be added, or even a movement related skill tree with perks.), it still places the focus on movement, battle skill and equipment choices a lot more, which should be the case.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

They should just make taking potions an action whereby they must be equipped and a 2 or 3 second animation follows, sort of like what happens if you switch weapons in a fight.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if they did that for a following game, as they took out the ability to cast magic with a hand that was holding a weapon/shield.

 

I'll be honest, I rarely use potions. I've got a cupboard in a house full of them but I tend to use restoration spells. Most enemies are slow enough to allow you to do a little Benny Hill chase around an object while you heal yourself.

[Red Phoenix]

They should just make taking potions an action whereby they must be equipped and a 2 or 3 second animation follows, sort of like what happens if you switch weapons in a fight.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if they did that for a following game, as they took out the ability to cast magic with a hand that was holding a weapon/shield.

 

I'll be honest, I rarely use potions. I've got a cupboard in a house full of them but I tend to use restoration spells. Most enemies are slow enough to allow you to do a little Benny Hill chase around an object while you heal yourself.

 

 

Yeah that seems like a good idea. And I'm kind of the same now, don't use many potions or carry so many around, and have been doing the running around to heal thing every so often as well. I think you have to in some cases if you don't want to be just pausing and taking loads of potions. Have also done the role-playing part, where I'll take a potion every now and then, but only if I'm running off and feel that the char would realistically be able to get a potion out and have time to drink it.

 

Got glass armor last time I played too, so can leave smithing now for the most part and just concentrate on making sure armor rating is decent, get more defensive perks, and also focus on getting destruction magic levelled as much as I can. If I do that the whole potion problem shouldn't be much of an issue as the char should be able to handle most things.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

I think if there's one criticism that really sticks to this game it's that it can become too easy. I always felt that if I specialised too much in anything in Oblivion I'd be building a lop-sided character. In Skyrim however that's a sure route to success. I've now resorted to using weaker skills to defeat enemies in order to make it a challenge. I rarely play games at anything other than the standard difficulty, but I may have to up the difficulty with Skyrim.

[Red Phoenix]

Haven't even touched the PS3 over the last 48 hours or so, have been playing SMT: Strange Journey on the 3DS! SMT games (Japanese RPG franchise.) are up there with my fave ever games though so not surprising. It does seem weird that there's a PS3 sat there though and I'm using a handheld, haven't properly used one in well over a decade.

 

Am also playing Magic The Gathering and DC Universe Online on the PS3 though when I get back to it, so I think Skyrim (have passed 90 hours now.) will be having a rest for the time being.

 

And yeah, it does seem like you have to pick how you play even when it comes to the difficulty level, but at the end of the day I guess that makes it a lot more accessible to a wider audience so there's probably not much of a chance they're going to change that in a huge way. If you play in certain ways though it's good to know that it can still work, and of course when it works it can be truly brilliant.