Support NeoGAF

[Zeliard]

I just got into the whole conjuring thing lately. I've got these two powerful staves (they come out when dragons come near) that destroy anything but they need a charge to work. So I bought the necessary spell, and now I've become the countryside terror for small and large animals. There's just something so awesome about sucking the souls from animals to charge my weapons. It's real satisfying.

Just be careful about not filling up your larger, more valuable gems with tiny shit souls.

I hope so. I have the Fireball spell and it takes 80% of my mana. Have 200, lvl 8 with Destruction at 45+. It's actually a pretty worthless spell for me right now. I have robes that give me 75% faster mana regen and something else that gives me 25% and I cast one and boom, all of my mana is gone and I'm stuck running around rocks for hours until it recharges.

I'm really thinking either I completely fucked up my perks so far, a co-worker is about the same level and he says he can get 2-4 of them off double casting.

Why is my mana being drained so much? Am I missing a perk or something?

Probably the one that halves Magicka cost for Adept-level spells. With that perk, single-casting a Fireball costs 44 mana.

 

[AEREC]

Is anyone else playing with their own little personal rules, for example I never use quick travel only because I think it takes away from the game if you just instantly teleport to wherever you want to go.

I wish they had a hardcore mode like New Vegas, but had certain restrictions like:

-no quicktraveling (though wagons are ok)
-no manual saving, it would be more intense if the game only saved when resting/sleeping or entering a dungeon

 

[Khezu]

Man, dragons must really hate mages or something, the college of winterhold is like a dragon graveyard right now.

 

[Davedough]

I got arrested going back into Whiterun for a bounty of 5 gold because I killed a chicken on someone's farm.

 

[Blizzard]

Is anyone else playing with their own little personal rules, for example I never use quick travel only because I think it takes away from the game if you just instantly teleport to wherever you want to go.

I wish they had a hardcore mode like New Vegas, but had certain restrictions like:

-no quicktraveling (though wagons are ok)
-no manual saving, it would be more intense if the game only saved when resting/sleeping or entering a dungeon

I assume most people use their own rules for each playthrough. I haven't done fast travel and I don't steal so far, for instance.

No manual saving in a Bethesda game seems like a recipe for having some bug or save file corruption problem destroy you, however.

 

[Gravijah]

Compass doesn't show them as red until your very close, so this is not helpful. I've yet to find any way around this but saving and then walking up to them, reload if their hostile, it really sucks.

detect life

I thought there was some spell you could cast where enemies glowed one color and non-enemies another (detect life, maybe?)

there's a shout that does it too

 

[Phreaker]

Compass doesn't show them as red until your very close, so this is not helpful. I've yet to find any way around this but saving and then walking up to them, reload if their hostile, it really sucks.

I thought there was some spell you could cast where enemies glowed one color and non-enemies another (detect life, maybe?)

 

[Kung Fu Jedi]

My Level 10 Mage killed his second Dragon last night, mostly with the help of a couple of Frost Giants who were none too happy with me after we dispensed with the Drake. I had to hang around long enough to absorb the soul and loot the corpse, but after that I ran like hell. I didn't want to be knocked into orbit.

 

[InVinoVeritas]

Is there a way to rotate or position items for precise placement on a table or shelf? I finally bought a house and an upgrade package, then promptly knocked a bunch of vases off of a shelf by accident. I spent 10 minutes picking them up and trying to put them back properly, but they're all lying on their sides now...

 

[Zeliard]

Is anyone else playing with their own little personal rules, for example I never use quick travel only because I think it takes away from the game if you just instantly teleport to wherever you want to go.

I wish they had a hardcore mode like New Vegas, but had certain restrictions like:

-no quicktraveling (though wagons are ok)
-no manual saving, it would be more intense if the game only saved when resting/sleeping or entering a dungeon

The wagons are lamer than fast traveling. At least with fast travel you can only go to a place you've already been to.

 

[HammerOfThor]

Did anyone else run into that Thief/Bandit after right when you come out of a dungeon who gives you fire books and some imperial guard armor?

Does that guy ever come back? I'm about ready to disenchant that stuff and sell it.

 

[flyinpiranha]

Do you have all the "X level spells are half mana" perks?

Well, there is a perk that reduces the cost by half (the Novice, Apprentice, Adept, etc. perks). There's also an entire Enchantment modifier that reduces the cost of spells by a percentage that stacks additively for some bizarre reason; you'll sometimes see it randomly on equipment (Steel Helm of Major Restoration, for instance) and then there's the Chest version of the same Enchant that also grants Magicka Regen.

Probably the one that halves Magicka cost for Adept-level spells. With that perk, single-casting a Fireball costs 44 mana.

Awesome, I'll look into this. I don't think I have the Adept perk but I did do a novice perk. I might look into some more gear with the modifier too.

And ... is there anyway to find your horse? I have no idea where my champion steed is =(

 

[Midou]

Is anyone else playing with their own little personal rules, for example I never use quick travel only because I think it takes away from the game if you just instantly teleport to wherever you want to go.

I wish they had a hardcore mode like New Vegas, but had certain restrictions like:

-no quicktraveling (though wagons are ok)
-no manual saving, it would be more intense if the game only saved when resting/sleeping or entering a dungeon

Even daggerfall had quick travel, even to places you've never been.

 

[Treemonkeys]

Man I really can't stand how farm plants aren't property, I run around a field taking everything as they are working the field and no one complains.

Is it like this for everyone or is my game broken? Just seems weird.

 

[Incendiary]

Man, dragons must really hate mages or something, the college of winterhold is like a dragon graveyard right now.

I had a frost dragon attack me right as I came out of the doors of the college. I ran around in a circle and eventually beat the shit out of it with the help of my Flame Atronach. Meanwhile, two of my "teachers" were standing around cowering while I solo killed the stupid dragon. Get off your asses and help me, you're supposed to be better at magic than me!

Then later I went to Winterhold, and somehow the dragon's corpse glitched and teleported and plopped down right in the middle of the street. Freaked me the hell out because I thought another one was attacking me.

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

So I put a few points into Enchanting. I don't know why, but I'm just not feeling enchanted weapons and armor in this game.

 

[Moofers]

"Fugitive" ran up to me and put an item in my inventory that I'm supposed to hang onto until he finds me again later. Says if I tell anyone or do anything to the item, he'll kill me (ha!) but I have no idea what the item is in my inventory.

Also, anyone know where you can buy a horse? Is it worth doing?

 

[Ether_Snake]

I'm surprised how I can easily make really realistic female characters with the character creation system (as long as they are bald, hair is hideous), probably the most realistic I've seen in a game, but men never look realistic.

I'm having trouble chosing between Nord or Imperial so far.

BTW at the beginning before I go in the tower, can I really follow the imperials instead of the Stormcloak rebel?

 

[SpeedingUptoStop]

How many abilities are you guys focusing on leveling up with perks?

I'm pretty much only trying to upgrade my Speech, One-Hand weapons, Two-Hand weapons, and Destruction magic.

Just wondering what you guys are doing with your characters.

I've only been doing Heavy Armor and Two handed weapons, but I think I need to get on leveling up smithing real fast. I want dat good shit.

I got arrested going back into Whiterun for a bounty of 5 gold because I killed a chicken on someone's farm.

I had to drop 4 gold in Riften for like no reason one time when I emerged from the Flaggon. how do you find out why they're arresting you before you pay up? They never tell me.

 

[Zeliard]

I find it somewhat fishy that the only dragons I've fought so far are frost ones. It almost feels like the game is keeping the basic fire dragons away from me because my Dunmer and his huge fire resistance (50% inherent + 40% dwarven boots) would just bask in the warmth of their flames.

 

[grim0451]

I didn't realize this at first, but if you want a better look at your character click the right stick in and use the left stick to zoom the camera in and out. You could do that in fallout and oblivion I believe but they changed the button to do so in skyrim.

 

[GhaleonEB]

A bear killed my horse.

I've grown attached - and quite protective of - my horse. I'd be crushed.

I wish we could name our horses. "Luna's Horse" isn't the same as Nall.

 

[Zeliard]

I didn't realize this at first, but if you want a better look at your character click the right stick in and use the left stick to zoom the camera in and out. You could do that in fallout and oblivion I believe but they changed the button to do so in skyrim.

On PC if you press C on the inventory screen you get a full-screen view of the item in question. Found it out by accident, heh.

 

[AEREC]

The wagons are lamer than fast traveling. At least with fast travel you can only go to a place you've already been to.

Well Wagons only take to one of the Nine holds since they are reachable via the main roads...so it makes sense.

 

[Zeliard]

Well Wagons only take to one of the Nine holds since they are reachable via the main roads...so it makes sense.

Much more interesting to travel to those places manually. Also gives you a reason to actually read the signposts, Morrowind-style.

 

[Alchemy]

For anyone confused about item storage, the only safe place is your house. I had a loading screen message warning me that items stored in public chests can get stolen.

Then again, people are saying that your house can be burgled...

I wonder if its possible to have your house burgled when you use your housecarl as a follower to go adventuring with. I leave my housecarl at my Whiterun residence and haven't had any issues yet.

That would actually be pretty freaking cool.

 

[Treemonkeys]

The wagons are lamer than fast traveling. At least with fast travel you can only go to a place you've already been to.

Yeah but it's not like a society with roads and wagons is going to require you to walk everywhere first.

I just wish travel was handled like it was in Morrowind. =/ There were enough fast travel options that you could get almost anywhere quickly but you had to learn them and build up to being able to use all of them. Then at the same time, going through rough regions was a journey you had to prepare and stock up for, you couldn't just bail if you got in trouble or ran out of supplies.

I prefer this but to me it seems like arbitrarily forcing it on myself with Skyrim is counter productive because the game just isn't designed to be played that way. Morrowind worked because it had silt striders, boats, intervention spells, mark and recall, and indexes all as different methods of fast travel.

 

[webrunner]

My fiancee was given a random "kill the bandit leader" quest, but when she got there, the place was full of guards. Actual "Guard" guards.

Guards that,
1) didnt' aggro on her even when she attacked them
2) decided they really hated her loaned horse and aggroed on him on sight
3) one of which counted as the bandit leader.

It was.. bizarre.


Regarding wagons: I think the main problem is that the wagon is so cheap.. it's pocket change to go somewhere you haven't seen yet. If it was 500-1000 instead of 50 I can see it having a use but not game breaking.

 

[SpeedingUptoStop]

I just ain't comfortable enough in the badassness of my character to not use the wagons. I'd hate to travel literally all the way across the map and get killed realizing I forgot to save at some point.

 

[Incendiary]

I've grown attached - and quite protective of - my horse. I'd be crushed.

I wish we could name our horses. "Luna's Horse" isn't the same as Nall.

Yeah, naming them would be neat.

I think my horse was a little touched in the head, though. It would rush in and attack anything I fought even if I left it a ways away. While I admired the bravery, the last bear it decided to attack did it in. The worst part was, I had just journeyed from Whiterun all the way to Ivarstead and was right outside the town when the bear attacked and killed it. If I'd just made it a few more yards.

 

[Zeliard]

Yeah but it's not like a society with roads and wagons is going to require you to walk everywhere first.

I'm not saying it's incongruous with the game world at all. Just that it's a lot more fun and rewarding to go to the big cities manually. Feels adventurous, and of course there are usually plenty of things to find/do along the way. With the wagons you're basically skipping whole chunks of the map.

I just wish travel was handled like it was in Morrowind. =/ There were enough fast travel options that you could get almost anywhere quickly but you had to learn them and build up to being able to use all of them. Then at the same time, going through rough regions was a journey you had to prepare and stock up for, you could just bail if you got in trouble or ran out of supplies.

I prefer this but to me it seems like arbitrarily forcing it on myself with Skyrim is counter productive because the game just isn't designed to be played that way. Morrowind worked because it had silt striders, boats, intervention spells, mark and recall, and indexes all as different methods of fast travel.

Agreed.

 

[RyanDG]

Mages have pissed me off today after dealing with three straight forts filled with elemental mages flinging electrified crap at me. Though it was a minor annoyance thanks to my heavy resistances on my shield, I've decided now that I am going to expel all mages from Skyrim forcefully, starting with the mage college.

 

[froliq]

It's annoying that the cloak spells can make followers attack you. I have Illia as my companion and she regulary uses the Ice Cloak spell. I was on a quest where I had 2 followers including her and they were just fighthing with each other while none being hostile to myself. Of course all 3 of them can't die so they were just shooting at each other all the time untill I went through a loading screen. Atleast I still had you Flame Atronach for helping me out!

 

[fastford58]

I am falling into the ES trap that I always do when playing these games. I spend ~80 hours doing guild and misc quests and by the time it comes for main quests, I am a god.

I just realized I'm 16 hours in and haven't even done any main quest stuff outside of the opening sequence lol. I haven't traveled out of the bottom right hand of the map at all.

 

[Alchemy]

Is anyone else playing with their own little personal rules, for example I never use quick travel only because I think it takes away from the game if you just instantly teleport to wherever you want to go.

I wish they had a hardcore mode like New Vegas, but had certain restrictions like:

-no quicktraveling (though wagons are ok)
-no manual saving, it would be more intense if the game only saved when resting/sleeping or entering a dungeon

I fast travel only to places I've been to before if the distances are really great. There is honestly no reason to keep exploring the same land over and over. I also don't use the carriages ever, I make sure to explore everything on my own.

In dungeons I just use a single save as I progress. Losing progress when dying is just annoying.

 

[MrCheez]

Lydia died defending me from a dragon

*single-tear salute*

 

[Atomski]

I've only been doing Heavy Armor and Two handed weapons, but I think I need to get on leveling up smithing real fast. I want dat good shit.


I had to drop 4 gold in Riften for like no reason one time when I emerged from the Flaggon. how do you find out why they're arresting you before you pay up? They never tell me.

You can check your stats and see if you stole anything.

 

[angelfly]

I am falling into the ES trap that I always do when playing these games. I spend ~80 hours doing guild and misc quests and by the time it comes for main quests, I am a god.

I just realized I'm 16 hours in and haven't even done any main quest stuff outside of the opening sequence lol. I haven't traveled out of the bottom right hand of the map at all.

I actually did a few main quest but after I while I stopped since I wanted to explore some other stuff. It's interesting since with Oblivion after the first gate I just said screw the story quest but I find the ones in Skyrim to be really good. I felt like I was rushing through by sticking to the story.

Lydia died defending me from a dragon

*single-tear salute*

That's why I leave my housecarl in the house.

 

[Dresden]

Just bought Iron Ore and Leather Strips and grinded Smithing up to 90. Finally, Daedric Daggers.

On the other hand I'm completely broke now but hopefully it was worth it.

For people who are dual wielding, do you alternate slashes between each weapon, just slash with one, etc?

 

[AEREC]

Much more interesting to travel to those places manually. Also gives you a reason to actually read the signposts, Morrowind-style.

Ya for my first time visiting a hold Ill travel on foot there since it's exciting seeing a new area of the map, you would otherwise miss with fast travel.

Though if I have to much loot on me I will make my way to the nearest hold and catch a wagon back to my Whiterun house for storage.

 

[SpeedingUptoStop]

I'd be way more comfortable traveling the open land if there was rarely ever things that ran out no where and attack me. only getting into fights with things I aggravated or dragons (obvs) would be best.

Random wolves and elemtnal tree dudes fucking coming out of nowhere gives me way too uncomfortable of a jolt.

 

[Alchemy]

I've grown attached - and quite protective of - my horse. I'd be crushed.

I wish we could name our horses. "Luna's Horse" isn't the same as Nall.

I've gone through two horses and it sucked. I lost the first one walking into a bandit camp and expecting it to be a friendly location.

The second one was killed by some random forsworn, moments after helping me kill a dragon. He tanked it while I provided ranged DPS with my conjured bow. It was epic and I was horribly crushed when he died.

T.T

 

[krameriffic]

So it's official, smithing, enchanting and alchemy are retarded:

http://forums.bethsoft.com/index.ph...ng-smithing-alchemy-enchanting-only-31-perks/

 

[webrunner]

Lydia died defending me from a dragon

*single-tear salute*

I still don't understand the situation in which Lydia can die to an enemy. But every time I've seen Lydia take a killing blow from an enemy she just gets back up in a few minutes, but when it's an accidental hit from you she just dies.

 

[Esch]

Just bought Iron Ore and Leather Strips and grinded Smithing up to 90. Finally, Daedric Daggers.

On the other hand I'm completely broke now but hopefully it was worth it.

For people who are dual wielding, do you alternate slashes between each weapon, just slash with one, etc?

alternate slashes a couple times then finish with the power attack.

 

[Ether_Snake]

I'm surprised how I can easily make really realistic female characters with the character creation system (as long as they are bald, hair is hideous), probably the most realistic I've seen in a game, but men never look realistic.

I'm having trouble chosing between Nord or Imperial so far.

BTW at the beginning before I go in the tower, can I really follow the imperials instead of the Stormcloak rebel?

Anyone on that last point? Is there a sort of branching path established early on there?

 

[SpeedingUptoStop]

I still don't understand the situation in which Lydia can die to an enemy. But every time I've seen Lydia take a killing blow from an enemy she just gets back up in a few minutes, but when it's an accidental hit from you she just dies.

She once got toasted by some crazy fireball slinging mage, that dude was nuts. But otherwise for me, if like 3 guys with weapons come at her when I'm busy, she does the "gets back up" thing.

 

[Teknoman]

 

[froliq]

Anyone on that last point?

Yes, it doesn't really matter who you follow.

 

[angelfly]

I've gone through two horses and it sucked. I lost the first one walking into a bandit camp and expecting it to be a friendly location.

The second one was killed by some random forsworn, moments after helping me kill a dragon. He tanked it while I provided ranged DPS with my conjured bow. It was epic and I was horribly crushed when he died.

T.T

I've only had one horse and was forced to put it down myself. I was attacking a bandit with the flame spell and it ran to attack it as well and caught some friendly fire and decided to turn on me.