When you bring Faendal as your companion...

I fired up my sword and board Nord tonight, and was reminded how much I enjoy melee combat in this game. It's got heft. After a trek through Embershed mine (backward, I found the exit first - that was fun) on Adept, I bumped it up to Master for Bleak Falls Barrow. The harder difficulties really force you to be smart with perks and to really make use of crafting. I didn't think I'd pull it off that early, but it was not too bad. It added a lot of tension to every fight.

I went in with smithed and improved steel armor and a steel sword, tossing on oakflesh before every fight, and by the time I got to the boss (a deathlord, when I was level 6 - oof) had +40% in heavy armor and +40% in one handed. It's all that made the boss doable. Though the spider was harder, with that poison.

Plan is to go all in with one handed, heavy armor, Alteration (oakflesh ftw) and Illusion (frenzy/calm) and shouts. This character's charter is the main quest, Companions, Dawnguard and Dragon Priest masks.

My archer is taking a break, having just joined the Dark Brotherhood. I just needed to mix it up a bit. I'm so glad to see save slots - on 360 saves were still all blended into one list. It makes running multiple characters possible. Woo!

Duel wielding is fun but I wish I could turn off certain kill animations. The scissoring head cut off animation looks stupid wonky every time.

Stupid Hearthfire duplication glitch. If it weren't for the achievements, I'd put the unofficial patch on my main.

Anyone got any suggestions on a good arcane archer type build? Got one started with a Breton. Obviously going Conjuration since I'm going bound bow (but don't know if I go with atronachs yet) and Archery but haven't decided if I go clothing w/Flesh spells, mostly Light Armor w/a Hood and the aforementioned Flesh spells, or Full Light. Also don't know if I want to go smithing or not. Trying to make a Ranger type Arcane Archer but not sure how to go about it.

Henchmen21 said:

Anyone got any suggestions on a good arcane archer type build? Got one started with a Breton. Obviously going Conjuration since I'm going bound bow (but don't know if I go with atronachs yet) and Archery but haven't decided if I go clothing w/Flesh spells, mostly Light Armor w/a Hood and the aforementioned Flesh spells, or Full Light. Also don't know if I want to go smithing or not. Trying to make a Ranger type Arcane Archer but not sure how to go about it.

Click to expand...

I'm not sure if you're using mods, but if you are there's one that adds gem smithing to the game and includes four new magic arrow types. I highly recommend you check it out. It's made my mage archer so much more fun.

Rex_DX said:

I'm not sure if you're using mods, but if you are there's one that adds gem smithing to the game and includes four new magic arrow types. I highly recommend you check it out. It's made my mage archer so much more fun.

Click to expand...

On this character yeah. I've only got two w/o mods and those are just to get the achievements. I'll be deleting them once I've got all the achievements.

Am I doing something wrong?
PS4 -
I am a heavy bow user and it always defaults to the shittiest arrows in my inventory.
Like, I'll set it up for ebony arrows and when those run out, it defaults to like iron or Riekling spears.

How can I get rid of my wife if I want to? Will other characters ask to be my wife if I'm already married? I took my ring back lol and even went so far as to try and kill her in the middle of nowhere and she wouldn't die but stopped following me. I stop back in at the house a day or so later and shes there waiting - " I've missed you, my love!" lol the woman is loyal, I'll give her that.

Alright, gonna play Skyrim for the first proper time (played about 5 hours years ago). What game style (magic, bow, melee) do you guys recommend that would let me extract the most enjoyment from the game?

Zushin said:

Alright, gonna play Skyrim for the first proper time (played about 5 hours years ago). What game style (magic, bow, melee) do you guys recommend that would let me extract the most enjoyment from the game?

Click to expand...

Two options in my mind.

If you're going to put in hundreds of hours as is very possible with this game, don't specialize. Go sneak archer/ dual wielding daggers for the Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood. Go one handed sword and shield for the main quest and the civil war. Go two handed for the Companions. And go destruction or conjuration for the mage's college. All the while need up smithing and enchanting (and alchemy if you want). If you've got the time, you can level all these play styles up and they give a more varied experience than sticking to one. A beauty of skyrim's simplified RPG systems. By the end game you'll also come out with a character who's truly skilled in just abou everything.

If you're more interested in a shorter, perhaps role play heavy playthrough, I recommend a sneaky archer with some points going to onehanded just in case. Melee combat is not amazing in Skyrim but archery is very fun. Magic is fun but short lived without mods.

Also, if playing on the standard difficulty (adept), consider saving your perks by not using any in either armor tree. By level 10-15 these will be almost useless depending on your build.

Have fun!

Zushin said:

Alright, gonna play Skyrim for the first proper time (played about 5 hours years ago). What game style (magic, bow, melee) do you guys recommend that would let me extract the most enjoyment from the game?

Click to expand...

My recommendation:

Archery for distance, plus Sneak, plus either 1-h + shield or 2-h for up close. Supplement with a little restoration magic.

I am not a big fan of magic in the game. I tried destruction magic on my first go-around, and it was pretty underwhelming. I like archery combined with Sneak better. However, you'll have to level Archery up to around 70 or so before it becomes really effective.

p.s. And I forgot, work on Smithing skills as well. You're aiming to eventually craft Daedric armor (assuming you are wearing Heavy Armor). After that, work on getting Enchanting skills up.

I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed Master difficulty. Early on there is perpetual danger at every turn - even skirmishes with individual lowly bandits are tough and I survived by the skin of my teeth, with nothing but a sword, a shield and a few potions. As my build slowly develops each situation turns into a challenge to be cracked with problem solving - which tool will get me through. I'm going sword and board, with illusion, alternation and shouts (and lots of crafting) to back me up. I need all the help I can get.

My current medium-term goal is to buy the house in Markarth. To pull it off I need to be level 20, and have lots of cash. Cue adventuring, and by adventuring I mean ping ponging off one insurmountable danger to the next.

To get gold for my new house, I tried to ransack the bandit camp just north of Whiterun, the guys that are mammoth poachers. I used fury to get the encampment whaling on each other, and then tossed on oakflesh and waded in to thin the pack. Down below was another issue though, as both the magic user and the bandit chief chased me back out the entrance - fury is too weak to work on them and the chief was one-shotting me with his greatsword.

I kept trying to sneak back in, but he never left the entryway - bastard was waiting for me. I couldn't brute force it. I had a solution in my arsenal, though - paralysis. I had the ingredients (a trip through the swamp south of Solitude took care of that) but not the potions. I moved on and decided to make my first trek up the 7,000 steps.

It wasn't too bad but for the frost troll, who even with oakflesh whomped me for half my health - while blocking. I fled up the mountain, to kick off the quest for the horn. Problem was that meant draugr, and my armor showed I wasn't up for it. I ended up dumping all of my gold into materials and potions to smith myself a full suit of dwarven armor, and a new dwarven flaming mace. I had 18 gold left (RIP Markarth house) but went +20 on armor and +10 on attack from it.

The ruins the horn was in proved no problem - armor and oakflesh ftw - until the giant spider at the end, amidst a sea of flame-shooting pressure plates. He could kill me in two hits, assuming the fire didn't do it first. But I had Become Ethereal in my arsenal, which I used to dash across the flaming plates and kite the spider onto them, where it burned to death. Onward to the (lack of) horn.

I took a detour to Solitude that went sideways, as I swung by Meridia's shrine to clear it out. Pretty brutal but now I had good gear, oakflesh, lots of potions and level 2 unrelenting force in my arsenal, and I inched through it. Which worked until the last room - four shades and the bad guy at the end, and his magic is one-shotting me. I found a way to get past the shades and whomp him to death with paralysis, chugging health potions along the way, forgetting that he resurrects as a shade (RIP paralysis effectiveness) and that was that. Back out the entrance I go.

Paralysis potions in hand, I head back to the bandit camp. I had a beef with the chief. Who, it turns out, still had one with me as he was still waiting right inside the goddamn door. "Well isn't this a surprise?" is says and crushes my skull in a single downward smash. Yes, yes it was.

I reload and stagger him with unrelenting force, then beat his paralyzed ass into the ground with my (newly armor-ignoring) mace. Challenge overcome.

I head back up the steps to High Hrothgar, again dodging the frost troll, who still kicked my ass despite the new gear. Once I had unrelenting force part three learned I went back down the path and launched that asshole right off the side of the mountain. I followed him down for his delicious globby fat, and landed right in the Standing Rock witch coven. Fire and ice bolts chased me away - I really need to up my magic resistances.

One witch followed me down the road, though. And that's when I realized I could use unrelenting force to both damage them and knock them down from a good distance, close the gap and finish them with a couple whacks. I had to use paralysis on the hagraven at the end, but it was worth it - turns out she had Nettlebane on her. (I didn't have the quest active.)

My next goal target is to finish up Meridia's shrine. To get there I need to jack up my magic resistances. I just learned the resist magic enchantment, and looking at my in-use skill trees, I can block 50% of incoming magic with my shield in just a couple perks, and absorb 10% more on the Alternation tree with a couple more. Between enchanting my armor and those, I should be able to plow through his attacks okay.

In the meantime I'm heading off to prove to some innkeeper that I am indeed the Dragonborn - for some reason using unrelenting force on her didn't prove the point - as she's been hanging out near some dragon bones waiting for me for the past week or so. I'll work on getting my magic resistance up along the main quest, and then settle my beef with that dick who's been defiling Meridia's shrine.

Onward.

^great post.

^ Definitely going to start at a harder difficulty when I get Skyrim Remastered, thanks to the above story post.
I remember playing X360 Skyrim on default difficulty, and not feeling threatened very much. Or the need to use much strategy other than sneaking around.

Two things I still don't get about this game.

Hide Armor - It's aesthetically ugly and it's weaker than the stuff you get out of helgen. It doesn't even sell for much if any, so why is it in the game?

Flames & Healing spell books - Every single character starts with those 2 spells so why are they in game? The only thing I can figure is that, at one time, no character was going to start with them but time crunch or creative decision changed it to everyone starting with those two spells but why didn't they remove the spell books from the game?

Rex_DX said:

Two options in my mind.

If you're going to put in hundreds of hours as is very possible with this game, don't specialize. Go sneak archer/ dual wielding daggers for the Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood. Go one handed sword and shield for the main quest and the civil war. Go two handed for the Companions. And go destruction or conjuration for the mage's college. All the while need up smithing and enchanting (and alchemy if you want). If you've got the time, you can level all these play styles up and they give a more varied experience than sticking to one. A beauty of skyrim's simplified RPG systems. By the end game you'll also come out with a character who's truly skilled in just abou everything.

If you're more interested in a shorter, perhaps role play heavy playthrough, I recommend a sneaky archer with some points going to onehanded just in case. Melee combat is not amazing in Skyrim but archery is very fun. Magic is fun but short lived without mods.

Also, if playing on the standard difficulty (adept), consider saving your perks by not using any in either armor tree. By level 10-15 these will be almost useless depending on your build.

Have fun!

Click to expand...

Anderson DL said:

My recommendation:

Archery for distance, plus Sneak, plus either 1-h + shield or 2-h for up close. Supplement with a little restoration magic.

I am not a big fan of magic in the game. I tried destruction magic on my first go-around, and it was pretty underwhelming. I like archery combined with Sneak better. However, you'll have to level Archery up to around 70 or so before it becomes really effective.

p.s. And I forgot, work on Smithing skills as well. You're aiming to eventually craft Daedric armor (assuming you are wearing Heavy Armor). After that, work on getting Enchanting skills up.

Click to expand...

Fantastic, thanks heaps!

Henchmen21 said:

Two things I still don't get about this game.

Hide Armor - It's aesthetically ugly and it's weaker than the stuff you get out of helgen. It doesn't even sell for much if any, so why is it in the game?
Lore-Friendly/World Building. Same reason that useless clutter like brooms exist
Flames & Healing spell books - Every single character starts with those 2 spells so why are they in game? The only thing I can figure is that, at one time, no character was going to start with them but time crunch or creative decision changed it to everyone starting with those two spells but why didn't they remove the spell books from the game?
There are some mods that remove these spells for the player's starting repertoire, so it's convenient that they are in the level-list. Also, it's Lore Friendly since there are other people in the world that haven't learned those spells.

Click to expand...

Bold

I've been playing as a Battle Mage on Master difficulty for the past couple of weeks, really enjoying it. My right hand is Bound Sword and my left hand is whatever awesome destruction magic I need for the situation. I'd played Skyrim a handful of times before but never finished it, never really got to far with the main story and hadn't seen over two thirds of the world, especially the cities, everything feels new to me.

I'm terrified of anything mechanical, the dwemer ruins have been a nightmare for me. I seem to destroy anything that's flesh and bone though. Really enjoyed the Mage's college quest line and the daedric quests I've done so far have been awesome.

SuperChoco said:

Bold

Click to expand...

Also: loot to sell.

SkoomaSuckinSwit said:

^ Definitely going to start at a harder difficulty when I get Skyrim Remastered, thanks to the above story post.
I remember playing X360 Skyrim on default difficulty, and not feeling threatened very much. Or the need to use much strategy other than sneaking around.

Click to expand...

Adept is a pretty good sweet spot, and what I play most of the time. But I have an affection for punishing difficulty now and then, which Master definitely is.

GhaleonEB said:

Adept is a pretty good sweet spot, and what I play most of the time. But I have an affection for punishing difficulty now and then, which Master definitely is.

Click to expand...

Absolutely true. A good rule of thumb is to begin on adept and bump it up to master between levels 25 and 35 depending on your desired challenge.

GhaleonEB said:

I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed Master difficulty. Early on there is perpetual danger at every turn - even skirmishes with individual lowly bandits are tough and I survived by the skin of my teeth, with nothing but a sword, a shield and a few potions. As my build slowly develops each situation turns into a challenge to be cracked with problem solving - which tool will get me through. I'm going sword and board, with illusion, alternation and shouts (and lots of crafting) to back me up. I need all the help I can get.

My current medium-term goal is to buy the house in Markarth. To pull it off I need to be level 20, and have lots of cash. Cue adventuring, and by adventuring I mean ping ponging off one insurmountable danger to the next.

To get gold for my new house, I tried to ransack the bandit camp just north of Whiterun, the guys that are mammoth poachers. I used fury to get the encampment whaling on each other, and then tossed on oakflesh and waded in to thin the pack. Down below was another issue though, as both the magic user and the bandit chief chased me back out the entrance - fury is too weak to work on them and the chief was one-shotting me with his greatsword.

I kept trying to sneak back in, but he never left the entryway - bastard was waiting for me. I couldn't brute force it. I had a solution in my arsenal, though - paralysis. I had the ingredients (a trip through the swamp south of Solitude took care of that) but not the potions. I moved on and decided to make my first trek up the 7,000 steps.

It wasn't too bad but for the frost troll, who even with oakflesh whomped me for half my health - while blocking. I fled up the mountain, to kick off the quest for the horn. Problem was that meant draugr, and my armor showed I wasn't up for it. I ended up dumping all of my gold into materials and potions to smith myself a full suit of dwarven armor, and a new dwarven flaming mace. I had 18 gold left (RIP Markarth house) but went +20 on armor and +10 on attack from it.

The ruins the horn was in proved no problem - armor and oakflesh ftw - until the giant spider at the end, amidst a sea of flame-shooting pressure plates. He could kill me in two hits, assuming the fire didn't do it first. But I had Become Ethereal in my arsenal, which I used to dash across the flaming plates and kite the spider onto them, where it burned to death. Onward to the (lack of) horn.

I took a detour to Solitude that went sideways, as I swung by Meridia's shrine to clear it out. Pretty brutal but now I had good gear, oakflesh, lots of potions and level 2 unrelenting force in my arsenal, and I inched through it. Which worked until the last room - four shades and the bad guy at the end, and his magic is one-shotting me. I found a way to get past the shades and whomp him to death with paralysis, chugging health potions along the way, forgetting that he resurrects as a shade (RIP paralysis effectiveness) and that was that. Back out the entrance I go.

Paralysis potions in hand, I head back to the bandit camp. I had a beef with the chief. Who, it turns out, still had one with me as he was still waiting right inside the goddamn door. "Well isn't this a surprise?" is says and crushes my skull in a single downward smash. Yes, yes it was.

I reload and stagger him with unrelenting force, then beat his paralyzed ass into the ground with my (newly armor-ignoring) mace. Challenge overcome.

I head back up the steps to High Hrothgar, again dodging the frost troll, who still kicked my ass despite the new gear. Once I had unrelenting force part three learned I went back down the path and launched that asshole right off the side of the mountain. I followed him down for his delicious globby fat, and landed right in the Standing Rock witch coven. Fire and ice bolts chased me away - I really need to up my magic resistances.

One witch followed me down the road, though. And that's when I realized I could use unrelenting force to both damage them and knock them down from a good distance, close the gap and finish them with a couple whacks. I had to use paralysis on the hagraven at the end, but it was worth it - turns out she had Nettlebane on her. (I didn't have the quest active.)

My next goal target is to finish up Meridia's shrine. To get there I need to jack up my magic resistances. I just learned the resist magic enchantment, and looking at my in-use skill trees, I can block 50% of incoming magic with my shield in just a couple perks, and absorb 10% more on the Alternation tree with a couple more. Between enchanting my armor and those, I should be able to plow through his attacks okay.

In the meantime I'm heading off to prove to some innkeeper that I am indeed the Dragonborn - for some reason using unrelenting force on her didn't prove the point - as she's been hanging out near some dragon bones waiting for me for the past week or so. I'll work on getting my magic resistance up along the main quest, and then settle my beef with that dick who's been defiling Meridia's shrine.

Onward.

Click to expand...

Great fucking story, Ghal. Always a pleasure to read.

I'm gonna delve back into Skyrim once I'm done hunting the Tapu's in Pokémon Sun.

Some screens on PC with ELFX

Nice screenshots, the first one especially.

Here's some I took on the ps4.

Finished the main quest last night. I'm overleveled and overpowered, with nowhere useful to spend my perks or money. I still find doing various quests interesting, even though there is no real reward. I have a bunch of unfinished quests, including the DLC.

I'm skipping some of the questlines because they don't jive with my character. I supported the Empire this time around, so it doesn't make sense for me to be aligning with the Dark Brotherhood, for example. And I'm playing as a generally good person this time, so luring someone to their death (Boethias quest, I think) isn't consistent with my character, either. I played them during my first run, 5 years ago, so I'm not missing out, just trying to do more of a genuine role play this time.

The lack of voice actors bothers me a little. I keep hearing the same voices over and over. It takes me out of the game, because it makes me think about a voice actor in a studio, recording his lines. Oh well, it's better than Oblivion, where I think they had a total of 8 different voice actors (or at least it seemed that way).

Anderson DL said:

Finished the main quest last night. I'm overleveled and overpowered, with nowhere useful to spend my perks or money. I still find doing various quests interesting, even though there is no real reward. I have a bunch of unfinished quests, including the DLC.

I'm skipping some of the questlines because they don't jive with my character. I supported the Empire this time around, so it doesn't make sense for me to be aligning with the Dark Brotherhood, for example. And I'm playing as a generally good person this time, so luring someone to their death (Boethias quest, I think) isn't consistent with my character, either. I played them during my first run, 5 years ago, so I'm not missing out, just trying to do more of a genuine role play this time.

The lack of voice actors bothers me a little. I keep hearing the same voices over and over. It takes me out of the game, because it makes me think about a voice actor in a studio, recording his lines. Oh well, it's better than Oblivion, where I think they had a total of 8 different voice actors (or at least it seemed that way).

Click to expand...

Even though the voices repeat themselves a lot, there's over 70 voice actors for Skyrim's NPCs, which is quite a lot.

http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Voice_Cast_(Skyrim)

Santiako said:

Even though the voices repeat themselves a lot, there's over 70 voice actors for Skyrim's NPCs, which is quite a lot.

http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Voice_Cast_(Skyrim)

Click to expand...

I think the problem is they reuse the same ones a lot, despite having 70. For example I swear I hear Farkas and Jarl Balgruuf in every major city. Same with Ysolda, you can even witness her talking to herself (same VA) in Whiterun lol.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1814884/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast

That list shows the issue, there are a lot of voice actors, but some of them voice so many characters and they don't even try to sound different.

Santiako said:

Even though the voices repeat themselves a lot, there's over 70 voice actors for Skyrim's NPCs, which is quite a lot.

Click to expand...

Yeah, that's more than I imagined. I still hear a lot of them time and time again, though, and it takes me out of the game. There are a few guys in particular who seem to be used over and over. "You again," I say when I hear them. "I killed you earlier." Voices are very individualistic -- think of voice prints, like fingerprints -- so it's jarring to hear them come out of a dozen different bodies.

Holy crap Storm Atronach is fucking awesome. I swear Conjuration is making me see colors in Skyrim that I never knew were there all these years.

This game is still so much damn fun. Loaded up my save from a few weeks earlier today, and I found myself outside the gates of Windhelm. Always loved that city, with its ancient snow-covered stonework, but I've never actually bought the house there as I never support the Stormcloaks and by the time I can buy it by supporting the Imperials, it's already too late. A murderer had taken up residence inside the city walls, killing young women at random, and it was up to the Goddamn Dragonborn to stop him.

Now, 'Blood on the Ice' is a quest that can break in a multitude of ways. It's a great idea for a quest, but it's own that also showcases a lot of Skyrim's flaws. Thus, it can feel very mechanical. I discovered the killer's lair and ultimately ended up outside, in the freezing cold, at 11 PM, waiting for him to strike his next target.

My geography skills are a bit wonky, so I forgot where the stone quarter actually was. Instead, I hung out around the graveyard where his previous victim was found. True enough, after a short while I see a young woman strutting by... Closely followed by the killer, without a care in the world. He's literally two meters away from her at all times, but she's not bothered by it one bit. I end up trailing the unhappy couple for a few minutes until they reach the place where their scripts trigger, and I shove Dawnbreaker through the would-be killer's back before he can ensnare his next victim.

After that, I decide to leave Windhelm for a while and head back to Ivarstead and the Throat of the World. I hand Arngeir the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller and am finally anointed Dragonborn, learning the final word of Unrelenting Force in the process.

I decide to go exploring a bit in the wilds around Ivarstead, instead of following my next objective. I end up encountering a lowly dragon guarding a Word Wall on top of a ruined watchtower. It's an odd location, but from this high vantage point I notice some Nordic ruins in the distance. A rush of memories comes flooding back, so I head out to investigate.

I come upon Froki's Shack, talk to the old man and his grandson, and set up camp beside their house for the night. Their wood chopping block provides ample fuel for a big, comfortable fire, and the Goddamn Dragonborn can go to sleep feeling warm, well-nourished and safe.

That feeling ends quickly the next day. I wake up early, grab a bite of breakfast, and set off upon my merry path. As I climb higher and higher into the mountain pass, the cold winds start howling around me. I don my thick fur cloak to shield myself from the elements as I push on, further ahead. The Nordic Ruins I spotted the day before lie greet me around the next bend. The lid of a nearby sarcophagus pops open and a Hulking Draugr emerges. I've only seen these guys a few times, so I'm a bit taken aback. He deals a whallop of damage, but I can ultimately dispatch him rather easily. As I pull Dawnbreaker from his rotting corpse, it explodes into a shockwave of magical energy. Suddenly I noticed I got surrounded by Skeletons during the fighting. They turn around and flee, burning bright with the Turn Undead spell's effect. I send a few arrows after them with my trusty Imperial Bow, which I've carried with me since the start of the game. They take a few arrows to shatter, but ultimately each skeleton clatters to the ground in a pile of bones.

I now come upon the center of the mountain pass, as a half-forgotten name scrolls across the screen. 'ARCWIND POINT DISCOVERED'. I remember encountering this place for the first time, five years ago: in the dead of night, during a heavy blizzard, attacked by Draugr and a high-level dragon at the same time. My current situation couldn't be further removed from that predicament, as the dragon that awaits on top of the ruins is one of the weaker variet. It is easily vanquished with a few sword swings, even on Expert difficulty. At this point, I decide my character may be ready for Master difficulty and change the settings.

Big mistake.

I remember fighting a high-level Draugr at the heart of Arcwind point, so my disappointment is great when a mere Draugr Wight Lord pops out of the central sarcophagus. He gives me a tough fight, but nothing the Goddamn Dragonborn can't handle. I cast aside his body and absorb the knowledge recorded on a nearby Word Wall: the first word of Drain Vitality. That could come in handy later.

I cast my eyes upward, to the watchtower standing guard over the mountain pass. I evade the trap, gather the potions strewn on the table, and head outside through the back door. As I step over the threshold, I hear the familiar 'pop' of a sarcophagus lid being blown wide-open. With a start, I turn around, to see a hulking, horned figure emerging from the smoke.

It's a Draugr Death Overlord.

Now, I'm the Goddamn Dragonborn. I just vanquished a Dragon with a few swings of my sword. This punk-ass glorified skeleton will surely offer me no challenge whatsoever.

Those are the words going through my head as the Death Overlord swings his Nordic Sword at my head, throwing me back against the wall and killing me outright in one hit.

Reload.

I decide to play it smart for the next go round. This guy decided to make his lair on a mountaintop, and I just so happen to have an excellent tool in my arsenal to exploit that little fact. As the Death Overlord emerges from his slumber once more, I rush towards the edge of the mountain, kiting him towards me with a few arrows. My Imperial Bow does little more than sting him a little, but the enraged bonewalker still rushes towards me, slinging a Frost Breath shout my way that neatly takes off a quarter of my health. I hold my shield high, as its magical effect starts recharging my health. I've got only one shot to take this guy down: if he hits me, it's back to the last save again.

He swings. Time slows down. I drop my shield and step backwards, positioning myself so that the Draugr finds itself between me and the cliff edge. It stops and looks at me, almost as though it knows what I'm about to do. I let loose three simple words.

FUS. RO. DAH.

Thunder cracks through the air as the Death Overlord is catapulted away from me, hitting the mountainside below. His lifeless body disappears from view, taking his valuable loot with him. I do a little victory dance. Then, I'm hit in the back by an arrow.

The Draugr had friends, and they're pissed.

A couple of Wights are pelting arrows at me from a distance, doing quite a bit of damage in the process. My own bow and arrows are worthless, taking off but a sliver of their health with every hit. I ready Eidolon's Ward and Dawnbreaker again, and charge up the stairs. The first Wight gets thrown off the cliff, following his Overlord buddy. The second Wight meets Meridia's signature weapon in person. He, too, explodes in a blast of magical energy.

I reach the top of the tower. Wating for me is a book that upgrades a skill. A pretty lousy reward, all in all. At least, until I notice the dead body sitting next to the pillar. Clutched in his skeletal hand is a bow. A glass bow. As I take it and equip it, I notice a few red dots moving around on my compass. I turn around and see a group of four armored Skeletons scaling the stairs, eager to avenge their fallen Overlord.

I let loose four shots from the Glass Bow. Each finds its mark. Each slumps back down the stairs a few moments later. Content with today's progress, I head back down the mountain, to continue my quest - and find the Death Overlord's carcass, if I can.

That Overlord ends up having only a Nordic Sword and fifteen gold coins in his inventory. I decide to drag his corpse a bit further and throw him off the edge again. I'm not petty, but that guy deserved it.

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Quick question:

I am trying to finish a quest, but when I was leaving the camp ground, I thought I was mounting my horse and in fact it was not my horse. Now everyone in the campground attacks me on sight. I completed what I needed, but the person I need to talk too at the camp also attacks me on sight and I cannot finish the quest. There is no option to pay a fine or anything. Do they eventually "forget" and will not attack me anymore? I have been able to do a bunch of other things, but this is part of the main quest line and I would like to finish it. Oddly, the person I need to talk with is the one that chases me down the furthest.

So...the quest Diplomatic Immunity.

The Elf Dude keeps glitching and won't take me to my stuff after I do the distraction in the party. He just stops in the pantry and won't move. Well, actually, he does move, but he goes back to the starting point at the bar and asks me tell him when I'm ready again. I've loaded and reloaded the game, unlocked all the doors to see if I could progress myself, and even pushed him to the chest holding my stuff in an attempt to trigger the next part, but nothing happened.

I'm pretty sure I'm screwed, but I want a second opinion. Otherwise I won't be able to finish the main quest with this character.

Blue Ninja said:

This game is still so much damn fun. Loaded up my save from a few weeks earlier today, and I found myself outside the gates of Windhelm. ....

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Haha. I love these little stories.

Loving the story posts

Found Talsgar the Wanderer getting beat on by a bandit randomly near Ivarstead. The immersion, man.

Prototype said:

Loving the story posts

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Yeah, they're great.

ArgyleReptile said:

So...the quest Diplomatic Immunity.

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You've no auto save from a little further back?

I thought I was screwed on this quest recently because I forgot to give him some arrows to go with my bow. But I bare handed an archer and got some.

Is the chest "key locked"?

Can you just skip getting your stuff?

Nice post, Blue Ninja. Arcwind point is one of my favorite places in the game; I've been trying to nudge my daughter there but I'd forgotten where it was (I just checked a map), as she's never been there. Last time was there, back on 360, I had a totally bananas fight with an ancient dragon whomping on a zillion high level draugr in a snowstorm. It was one of the most vivid, crazy scenes I've had in Skyrim.

I have my eye on Frostflow Lighthouse as my introduction to Falmer for this build. Of all the story bits in Skyrim, that place is the one that resonated with me the most when I first when through it. The bittersweet unmarked final quest step there is one of Bethesda's best story/gameplay fusion moments in the game.

I'll get there around level 35 or so. Right now I have a score to settle with some Silverhands who bounced me out of the first Companions dungeon. I has stoneflesh, +25% for wearing all heavy armor and a dozen paralysis potions now. It won't end well for them. I need to add a silver sword to my collection.

Finally found a arcane archer build I like. Going full Flesh spells Breton with points in Conjuration/Restoration/Alteration/Archery/Enchantment.

As I left the cold college halls of Winterhold, I knew my next task would be to find Labyrinthian, so I could foil the idiot Ancano's efforts to tamper with the Sphere of Magnus.

Upon doing so, I quickly traveled to a nearby bandit camp, which I had cleared out previously. When I got there, I didn't see any new bandit types trying to move in, and I found that I had to start venturing north.

So North I went. Climbing the hills and mountains was an engaging and riveting experience, coming across what I assume were the bandits I had previously thought were going to move into the new bandit camp. Not today, buddy. My bandit camp will stay clean!

I immediately came across a funny little shack at the base of the mountain - the door was wide open, and I went in seeing if I could talk with the owner.

Unfortunately, the owner was a raving mage madman, covered in all black Ebony gear, screaming and yelling at me to die. Unsheathing my dragon greatsword at breakneck speed, it came straight across his chest, and his body flung into the dirt at the floor, crumpled in a heap. I don't take lightly to aggressive manuevers from someone I was just trying to have a chat with.

Checking his place, apparently he was doing some research on bad stuff* and I was a good guy to put him down. Noting that I was carrying a bunch of items, I couldn't take his Ebony Mage Armor for salvage, and noted the place for later.

Exiting the hut, my ears perked up.

Dragon sense tingling.

Rather, my ears just picked up the distant but distinct echoing roar of a dragon. Far off that it's not a roar yet so much a rush of air with a melodic tinge to it.

I head towards Labyrinthian again and sure enough, there is the Elder Dragon flying above me near a nest I can feel nearby. This one would be tough. He kept sneaking up on me through the trees, landing where I wouldn't expect. Flames and burned ground later, and I knew this wouldn't be as easy as I thought. I had to retreat, run to safety, it was a losing battle with no hope to win without excessive save reloads.

After hopping across mountain walls, I reached Labyrinthian, but so did my Elder foe ahead of me. He wanted a brawl outside the entrance, which I gave him more to tangle with in my own dragon-sized weapon, but he still proved a threat. I headed inside and waited until he gave up the chase.

Upon leaving, I decided it was time for some proper flame resistance gear, so I headed quickly back to Windhelm for some quick smithery. Several back and forth trips between the Skyforge and Enchanter later, and I had three pieces of good flame resist gear. The dragon would be my next kill for sure, and his shout word with it.

GhaleonEB said:

I have my eye on Frostflow Lighthouse as my introduction to Falmer for this build. Of all the story bits in Skyrim, that place is the one that resonated with me the most when I first when through it. The bittersweet unmarked final quest step there is one of Bethesda's best story/gameplay fusion moments in the game.

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Damn straight. Piece of heartbreak, that one was. xP

I forgot how fun this game was. I got the original back at launch and put 40 hours into it, but I never bothered to finish it and I also just kind of stopped playing. I also never bought any of the DLC. So it seemed like a good idea to pick it up again. Even after five years this game is still pretty damn good.

Back in Soltheim, doing the Dragonborn expansion. I forgot how they added the old Morrowind music to it. Nice touch, brings back memories.

2blackcats said:

You've no auto save from a little further back?

I thought I was screwed on this quest recently because I forgot to give him some arrows to go with my bow. But I bare handed an archer and got some.

Is the chest "key locked"?

Can you just skip getting your stuff?

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Just one going back to my character at level 15, which is ways back to say the least.

I can get my stuff without him, but I still need him to finish whatever animation he needs to finish so I can continue the quest.

ArgyleReptile said:

Just one going back to my character at level 15, which is ways back to say the least.

I can get my stuff without him, but I still need him to finish whatever animation he needs to finish so I can continue the quest.

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What if you get the evidence from the chest in the prison /torture area?

It doesn't flag that section as done?

Had a stressful day yesterday, my mind was churning. I played Skyrim and lost myself in that world. Felt better afterwards, like I'd taken a little mental vacation. I forgot how good Skyrim is at providing that sort of escape from real-world stresses.

I decided to head to Solitude from my home in Falkreath, swinging through Rorikstead and hitting the northern end of the Reach so I could start the quest for Spell Breaker. I'm making my way through Whiterun hold when I see three figures casually strolling on the path ahead of me. They're wearing pointed helmets.

Cultists of Miraak.

I whip out my new-found glass bow, but to no avail: they've already seen me and they start throwing fireballs at me. The damn things take out a quarter of my health with each hit. I wait until their magicka reserves run low and hit two of them with an Unrelenting Force. They go kareening into the tundra, buying me some time to deal with the straggler. As I turn around to face him, I suddenly see an enormous, translucent shape emerging from beside the road. It crawls unto the path using its four segmented limbs and comes at me and the cultist, pincers at the ready.

It's the Guardian Mudcrab.

The Cultist notices it too, and decides I'm a lesser threat than the hulking ghost monstrosity skittering towards him. I take the opportunity to run my blade through his exposed backside, as the Mudcrab now turns its attention towards me.

At that point, the two other Cultists show up again. They start attacking the Mudcrab and, while they're distracted, I eliminate them both. The mudcrab, now with a sliver of health left, is the last to fall to my blade.

Just happened, and it was so goddamn random and hilarious I just needed to make a story about it. I fucking lost it. :lol

Also, Climates of Tamriel is still one of my favorite mods. Makes the game look so much better, even shitty weather looks great.

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More screens. ELFX, Vivid Landscapes

Hey quick question, I've been playing on Xbox One and got curious to try out some mods, but saw that mods disable achievements. Is it possible to create a second character separate from my first and enable the mods there without screwing over my first character from being able to still get the achievements?

Hugstable said:

Hey quick question, I've been playing on Xbox One and got curious to try out some mods, but saw that mods disable achievements. Is it possible to create a second character separate from my first and enable the mods there without screwing over my first character from being able to still get the achievements?

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I'm on PS4, but yes, that works fine. At least on PS4, there are character slots and you'll be able to character hop easily.

Chumley, those shots are absolutely stunning. Wow.

I did it. I came out alive somehow! Ancano is dead, and the College is saved!

Let's go back.

You remember that Elder Dragon I was talking about? Easy. I kept circling him and laying into him big hits while he tried to make me into a flame-broiled dinner. His gaping maw clenched naught but air as I circled him with ease and dodged his flamethrower attacks.

Once his death and soul were produced, I went to his lair and found what he had been keeping from me: the ability to rip weapons from my foes' hands. Perhaps the ability will be useful someday.

Now my full attention could be turned to Labyrinthian - as I delved into that dark, dank place, I learned of Savos Aren's desperate attempt to keep a strange being captive inside. As I got to its captivity, I learned it was a Dragon Priest! Its mask and power were mine, as was the Staff of Magnus. Skeletons and Draugr alike were no match for my dragon carved greatsword.

As I returned to the College, things were getting out of control. I used the Staff to rip the magic away from the College, slayed a few strange anomalies, and confronted Ancano directly.

I used the Staff on the Orb, and the magic broke Ancano free of its empowerment. Now it was just us to tango, as he threw spells back and forth into my direction.

One power charge forward was all it took, as Ancano's eye lighted up in surprise when my greatsword slammed into his midsection, taking a clean gash through his entire body, pinning him to the wall.

He had not counted on such a mage being also an accomplished fighter. Battlemages were rare in these parts, or even the world. Though, he should not be surprised that I was a Breton. We pride ourselves on our duality.

His threat finished, I was told that I uniquely held the qualities of keeping the College in line, and was the best suited to be the new archmage, having none of the previous students rose to the challenge like I did. I gladly accepted, and took the post, but also let the students know that I would be dealing with the rest of Skyrim's problems first.

I took up the robes, and I was off once more. More adventure to be had. More loot to find. More enemies to take the brunt of my sword. ONWARD!

^ Cool story! Where'd you get that scarf? I had a similar mod on PC, but the Xbone version got removed like a minute after being uploaded. :'(

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Managed to get my hands on Spellbreaker. Good to have that one on me again. The quest to get there was tough as balls, though: those afflicted kept burning through my health. Got ganged up on by Dwemer Spheres on more than one occasion. And Orchendor was just ridiculous.

I need to start upping my magic resistance. And fine some better armor, Steel Plate isn't cutting it anymore. I've come across several Ebony helmets, I'm wondering where the rest of the armor is hidden. I can't craft it myself, since I've got a mod to make the loot more Morrowind-like.

Game is still a goddamn looker, too.