The OFFICIAL Anandtech Forums TeS V: Skyrim Thread

[dennilfloss]

Left Drusilla at level 60 without having done the Diplomacy quest, so barely into the main quest. It's just that I enjoy playing lower-level characters and watch them improve more than being godlike. Started again with a new Breton destructosummoner also called Drusilla, but cuter. This time I'll play with no companion and be ruthless, maybe even evil. Can't wait to get her out of this imperial armour when I escape the initial dungeon and into some nice mage gear.

Did make a save just before character creation this time and copied it elsewhere so I won't have to go through the intro sequence again.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

I killed a dragon last night over near Ivarstead, and didn't get a soul from it. Has anyone else had this happen? I have 11 souls stored up, so not like it was a big deal.

My roommate had this happen to him, but, like you said, you end up with a huge supply of extra souls so it's generally not an issue.

Is there a way to incrementally update our packs? Do I have to redownload Skyrim HD each time a new version is released?

If you download it manually and save it on your computer somewhere, you can just extract the file again (or point your mod manager to the file location). But, no, as far as updates go, Steam will verify the game files whenever you update so textures will all revert to default. Pretty good reason to hang on to the mod zips rather than downloading them through the mod manager.

Has anyone else seen the rocketing woolly mammoth?

That's right, I was over by some cemetary, cleared out the skeletons, turned to leave and saw the wooly mammoth close to Whiterun literally blast up about 75 feet into the air then float back down. lol

I had something like that which broke one of my side quests. I had gotten a message from the Steward of Markarth to kill a dragon, I found the poor bastard, shot it with a spell and it ended up launching hundreds of feet in the air and disappearing. The arrow for that quest on the map is now hundreds of feet in the air in the middle of nowhere and it seems as though I'll never get him to return to Earth. Damned cowardly dragon, come down here and fight!

 

[Sam25]

I started playing Skyrim a few days back and have completed about 40% of the main storyline quests and then ventured into doing side quests. Side questing so far has seen me complete the Companions quests and the College of Winterhold quests. Been highly addicted to side questing for the last few days, I'm enjoying playing this epic title a lot.

Btw... I have a question: which is a good order to go about handling all the questlines in Skyrim (I know there is no fixed order in this game!). I plan to do the questlines in this order:

Main Quests (40% done) > Companions Quest (Completed) > College of Winterhold Quests (Completed) > Remaining Main Quests > Dark Brotherhood Quests > Civil War Quests > Thieves Guild Quests.

Is the above order a good one or should I handle it differently?

 

[Skott]

I started playing Skyrim a few days back and have completed about 40% of the main storyline quests and then ventured into doing side quests. Side questing so far has seen me complete the Companions quests and the College of Winterhold quests. Been highly addicted to side questing for the last few days, I'm enjoying playing this epic title a lot.

Btw... I have a question: which is a good order to go about handling all the questlines in Skyrim (I know there is no fixed order in this game!). I plan to do the questlines in this order:

Main Quests (40% done) > Companions Quest (Completed) > College of Winterhold Quests (Completed) > Remaining Main Quests > Dark Brotherhood Quests > Civil War Quests > Thieves Guild Quests.

Is the above order a good one or should I handle it differently?

It's a matter of preference I think. I'm still scratching the surface myself so I'm no expert yet. Its a good question though.

 

[shortylickens]

I have gone DEEP into the rabbit hole. Dont know if I'll ever get out of Blackreach. Just keeps getting bigger.

 

[dennilfloss]

Ouch! Way tougher to play my new destructosummoner on higher difficulty without a companion and without shouts (I have avoided the golden claw quest and Whiterun so far for this purpose). Up to level 7 now still with just the one flame atronach but I did get the fireball spell just now. The latter should really help, at least outdoors. Been one-shotted a few times by falmer archers as I still wear no armour and am not enchanting my clothing so far. Nice thing though, I am going to the outdoors dragon walls to loot the chests but there are no dragons there so far. Of, course I know there will be a dragon priest at some of those locations. Gonna have to be vewwy sneaky...

 

[dennilfloss]

I have gone DEEP into the rabbit hole. Dont know if I'll ever get out of Blackreach. Just keeps getting bigger.

Blackreach is awesome. Make sure to shout at the big ceiling globe.

 

[shortylickens]

Blackreach is awesome. Make sure to shout at the big ceiling globe.

 

[thespyder]

I started playing Skyrim a few days back and have completed about 40% of the main storyline quests and then ventured into doing side quests. Side questing so far has seen me complete the Companions quests and the College of Winterhold quests. Been highly addicted to side questing for the last few days, I'm enjoying playing this epic title a lot.

Btw... I have a question: which is a good order to go about handling all the questlines in Skyrim (I know there is no fixed order in this game!). I plan to do the questlines in this order:

Main Quests (40% done) > Companions Quest (Completed) > College of Winterhold Quests (Completed) > Remaining Main Quests > Dark Brotherhood Quests > Civil War Quests > Thieves Guild Quests.

Is the above order a good one or should I handle it differently?

I don't think there is really a "Best" way. Due to the fact that there are so many, it would be really difficult to say there was a critical path. I have read that doing the Winterhold quests early rather than later is a good thing. but most of the rest scale (to a greater or lesser degree) relatively nicely.

 

[dennilfloss]

It's nice to restart and get to be low-level for a while a gain. I really dig the renewed sense of dread and danger that makes me thread vewwy carefully.

 

[pontifex]

Did a patch change how magic spell cost is reduced by items? I used to be able to cast Incinerate constantly and it would barely use my magicka because I had like 90% destruction cost reduction . Now I can only cast it a few times before I am out.

Also, I got a Storm Thrall tome and it costs like 790 magicka!?!?!? is that normal (without any conjuration spell reduction abilities or items)?

 

[Sam25]

I don't think there is really a "Best" way. Due to the fact that there are so many, it would be really difficult to say there was a critical path. I have read that doing the Winterhold quests early rather than later is a good thing. but most of the rest scale (to a greater or lesser degree) relatively nicely.

I agree. I had planned to go back to the main missions after completing the Winterhold College missions but instead went ahead and joined the Thieves Guild and now sneaking my way through quests!! It's amazing how open ended this game is and there is no "Best" way as you mention!

 

[zinfamous]

Blackreach is awesome. Make sure to shout at the big ceiling globe.

I finally unlocked blackreach a few days ago, after gaining entrance to the dwemer ruins that take you there (I randomly discovered those through aimless wandering).

Got in, picked up a few crimson nirnroots and thought--fuck, i'm getting out of here and finishing some other quests first. this is just too much.

 

[dennilfloss]

But pretty...

 

[dennilfloss]

Pic of my new character. I think she's a cutie.

 

[dennilfloss]

Here's a nice face mod called Cover Women, with different variants. I used #2 for my latest character.

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=3563

Eww... Found a cave full of mammoth-eating spiders. D: And some vampires...

 

[amish]

Blackreach is awesome. Make sure to shout at the big ceiling globe.

so i never did this and i'm feeling lazy...what happens?

 

[dennilfloss]

Vulthuryol happens.D:

 

[magomago]

i saw coverwomen but i was like 'blegh, this is skyrim...there is no way to have such beauty; too much dirt around the world!' Maybe i would take it from a princess that could be babied all day long...but that is about it

i finally got to play again last night for about 40 minutes. I owned some guys in a cave and killed their leader =) Still sneaking around owning people with the bow...I REALLLY should have rolled a thief rather than a 1H Warrior LOL

 

[Beev]

I don't even know what it's like to melee or cast spells in the TES series. I always, always, always use a bow, exclusively.

 

[Gheris]

Anyone ever actually worry about leveling skills at times? Last night I finally decided to go with a Nord skirmisher type. Currently I use bow, 1h, shield and wear light armor. However whenever speech or pickpocket levels I cringe. I am just so scarred from oblivion that I am even afraid to read books......=(.

"In the Elder Scrolls world, reading is not fundamental. This has been a public service announcement brought to you by the Dovahkiin. The more you know...."

 

[thespyder]

Anyone ever actually worry about leveling skills at times? Last night I finally decided to go with a Nord skirmisher type. Currently I use bow, 1h, shield and wear light armor. However whenever speech or pickpocket levels I cringe. I am just so scarred from oblivion that I am even afraid to read books......=(.

"In the Elder Scrolls world, reading is not fundamental. This has been a public service announcement brought to you by the Dovahkiin. The more you know...."

I wouldn't say "Worried" but definitely aware. I think Skyrim has done a much better job of it than Oblivion in that I haven't found you had to strictly adhere to any given skill set religeously. Definitely keep aware, and don't go crazy, but a couple of levels here and there with "Off" skills isn't going to hurt you (at least in my experience).

My current main is a Destruction wizard that, early on took up a bow just to survive. of course now he is totally focused on spell casting and at 31st level and I don't think the early advancement hurt me much. But then once I had spells that allowed me to get the job done, I was quick to not only drop the skills, but also the bow and arrows (so I wasn't tempted to go back).

 

[zinfamous]

Anyone ever actually worry about leveling skills at times? Last night I finally decided to go with a Nord skirmisher type. Currently I use bow, 1h, shield and wear light armor. However whenever speech or pickpocket levels I cringe. I am just so scarred from oblivion that I am even afraid to read books......=(.

"In the Elder Scrolls world, reading is not fundamental. This has been a public service announcement brought to you by the Dovahkiin. The more you know...."

I don't know why that is a problem.

could someone explain?

 

[Markbnj]

I don't even know what it's like to melee or cast spells in the TES series. I always, always, always use a bow, exclusively.

I do plenty of all three, but I lean toward the bow as well. Have always played cowardly archers in RPGs . And the bow in TES games is deadly. I love one-shotting Thalmor guards from a hillside.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Anyone ever actually worry about leveling skills at times? Last night I finally decided to go with a Nord skirmisher type. Currently I use bow, 1h, shield and wear light armor. However whenever speech or pickpocket levels I cringe. I am just so scarred from oblivion that I am even afraid to read books......=(.

"In the Elder Scrolls world, reading is not fundamental. This has been a public service announcement brought to you by the Dovahkiin. The more you know...."

I didn't play Oblivion, but I've heard about the issues with enemies leveling with you, and that really doesn't happen too much in Skyrim. It's more of an issue early on when you're trying to level your primary offensive/defensive skills, but it becomes a complete non-issue when you've got smithing and enchanting leveled up. I have a character I started as pure destruction mage with some archery thrown in, added some light armor and sneak skills, and I can go toe-to-toe with anything based solely off whatever gear I'm using. I haven't tried it, but I'm positive I could make some heavy armor and a battleaxe (despite not having leveled heavy armor or two-handed at all) and go toe-to-toe with absolutely anything in the game. Once you can make your own gear, the game becomes pretty easy.

So, no, I wouldn't worry about leveling your secondary skills in the background. You aren't going to face higher level enemies just because you sold some potions.