Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

[Ack]

Yeah, I had my first encounter with a snow troll, and he messed me up pretty bad. I had to resort to hit-and-run tactics, mainly with me hitting him once and then running like a little girl.

It's been a great experience in world-building overall. I've come across pilgrims being eaten by spiders, Stormcloaks slaughtering bears, and a roaming pack of bandits that decided not to attack until I was literally in the middle of them.

So what exactly is the history of this game, anyway? I know that Oblivion took place 200 years before and that there's some kind of Elvish empire that's taken over the Redguards' homeland, but what all has happened with the Empire? And what happened to the Blades? I saw something pop up on a loading screen, but I didn't get the chance to read it.

[darthmunky]

The cool thing about this game is that there isnt really any classes. You just do what you like and those skills level up. My character is going to be good at everything. Planning on getting every skill to 100.

Hmmm, I still like to stay within the initial parameters of each class specialization. This is my first ever Nord in an Elder Scrolls game. I'm a walking tank!

I can't imagine getting every skill to 100 for one character. I've been primarily focused on smithing, one-handed, heavy armor, and enchanting.

In TES games, I usually tick with one character until everything in the game is 100% completed and he is basically a God.

[dsheinem]

So if I've never warmed to previous ES games, what is the likelihood I'd dig this one?

[ZenErik]

So if I've never warmed to previous ES games, what is the likelihood I'd dig this one?

I couldn't stand more than an hour or two of Oblivion, but I love Skyrim. Played it for hours the past two days.

[MrPopo]

I'm running a Norde specializing in heavy armor, smithing, enchanting, and one hand (dual wield). I've been running around with twin axes. As it turns out the crafting skills are some of the easiest to level, as they level at a fixed rate which is independent of the quality of gear you produce. So a disenchant always gives X experience, an enchant always gives Y, and for smithing making an item always gives Z. So very early in the game I managed to level smithing to 100. I got lucky, too, as I discovered an ebony mine, so I had a set of ebony armor while I was still sub 100 smithing. Then when I hit 100 I made the dragon armor. Daedric ends up being the best heavy armor, though, as it has a few more points of armor and I think a bit more enchanting capability. It's much harder to make, though, as you need a daedra heart for every piece you create. But because of my ridiculous armor I don't worry about physical fights anymore. Magic damage is still a cause for concern, though I have been making a point to stack resist magic enchants.

I don't know if any of you have discovered yet, but there are a series of stones in the world that confir the power of previous games' birthsigns. You can only have one at a time but you can switch by visiting a different stone. Some of the effects are the same as before, or the near equivalent (like Atronoch) while others are changed significantly due to the change in the stats (Warrior, Thief, Mage).

So what exactly is the history of this game, anyway? I know that Oblivion took place 200 years before and that there's some kind of Elvish empire that's taken over the Redguards' homeland, but what all has happened with the Empire? And what happened to the Blades? I saw something pop up on a loading screen, but I didn't get the chance to read it.

Much of this actually gets explained in the supporting dialog for the main quest. So I'll let you discover it through there.

So if I've never warmed to previous ES games, what is the likelihood I'd dig this one?

It depends on what specifically turned you off about previous games, but I'd say outlook not favorable.

[isiolia]

So if I've never warmed to previous ES games, what is the likelihood I'd dig this one?

I couldn't stand more than an hour or two of Oblivion, but I love Skyrim. Played it for hours the past two days.

Same. I'm finding it easier to get into. That said, it'd depend on what you didn't take to in the previous games. For me, Oblivion just never "clicked", though the 3D Fallout games did. If the formula as a whole has been hit n' miss for you, then I'd give Skyrim a shot. They've obviously learned a little since Oblivion. If you just plain don't like what Bethesda tries to accomplish, then I wouldn't bother.

[AmishSamurai]

I know that through experimentation it has been discovered that a dragon will lose to a giant, but a giant will get whooped by a mammoth. Also, even at higher levels the giant's downward club swing is more or less an instakill. I killed a giant at level 12 through timing of Unrelenting Force/Battlecry, some lucky power attacks, then changing into a werewolf and leading the guy towards a cave bear I knew was in a nearby shack.

My smithing is nearly at 100, I've become Harbinger of the Companions, and I'm about to go to Riften for the story mission (should make sense for those who have gotten that far, and not spoil for those who haven't).

Also started a second character- Breton magic user. Going to probably go Destruction/Conjuration/Alchemy/Enchanting.

[s1mplehumar]

I'm running a Norde specializing in heavy armor, smithing, enchanting, and one hand (dual wield). I've been running around with twin axes.

You sound like my twin, spare the dual axes. I'm outfitted in a full suit of dragon armor with x3 upgrades and some enchantments. I haven't stumbled upon any ebony yet.

***Potential spoilers***

I kind of assumed my companion Janessa was mostly immortal since she suffered countless beatings by dragons, trolls, sabre cats, etc. She ended up getting whacked by a trio of weak little Silver Hands.

Giants and Mammoths are fairly easy for me to down now with ranged attacks and some sprinting to safety every 5 seconds, revolving around rocks. A couple Wisp Mothers can make short work of me though. They have fairly low HP, and a few solid solid hits with a melee weapon seems to work the best on them.

[emwearz]

To beat my first snow troll I had to just find a spot where he could not get me and just use the bow and arrow until he slowly died. Someone who was following me from a earlier time died, I was pretty happy because she was annoying me.

Im doing this ride solo.

[AmishSamurai]

To beat my first snow troll I had to just find a spot where he could not get me and just use the bow and arrow until he slowly died. Someone who was following me from a earlier time died, I was pretty happy because she was annoying me.

Im doing this ride solo.

Only times I work with another character are when I am forced to- mainly because my character tends to graze allies in close combat.

At this point, I can handle Trolls and Bears just fine. I was two-shotting the former even before I enchanted my blade, and now that I have a fire enchantment on it, the results are pure slaughter. Get me in a room of mages dual-wielding spells, and I'm wrecked though. One silver hand mission I had to go through a part like 5 times because a dark elf kept volleying fireballs one after the other and just ended up pinging me to death.