The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

[Edward64]

Due out in this Nov. Anyone else excited about it?

Long video but pretty cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ic6dKnv3WdU

Here's an early review.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim preview | PC Gamer (http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/03/18/elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-preview/)

[Scoobz0202]

Twenty minutes of gameplay:

Chasing The Dragon: 20 Minutes Of Skyrim | Rock, Paper, Shotgun (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/09/12/chasing-the-dragon-20-minutes-of-skyrim)

This winter should be pretty easy to get through with the amount of games we have coming, especially Skyrim. Can't wait.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Due out in this Nov. Anyone else excited about it?

Only upcoming release I genuinely give a damn about.

There's one or two others I'm sure I'll play, this one however I'm sincerely looking forward to.

[DaddyTorgo]

Am I better off playing this on my new laptop PC, or on a PS3? I know with Oblivion there was a gazillion mods for PC - I kind of liked the ability of that to fix things...but I imagine graphically it's super ridiculously nice and all on a PS3?

[Scoobz0202]

With their track record, PC, so the community can fix the bullshit for you.

[DaddyTorgo]

With their track record, PC, so the community can fix the bullshit for you.

That's what I was thinking.

[Scoobz0202]

But hey, maybe Skyrim will be different? If you can wait a month or whatever for feedback and not be a day one purchaser...... I understand the whole, sit on the couch, big screen.... but if you have the PC for it I just think the PC would be much more satisfying..

[MizzouRah]

That looks........ unreal....

I think I'll pick it up for the ps3 or x360.. I don't have the gaming rig.

[DaddyTorgo]

But hey, maybe Skyrim will be different? If you can wait a month or whatever for feedback and not be a day one purchaser...... I understand the whole, sit on the couch, big screen.... but if you have the PC for it I just think the PC would be much more satisfying..

I can wait.

I have a brand new laptop, so we'll see I guess.

[MizzouRah]

I didn't play Obilivion much.. is that needed before playing this one, or can one just jump right into this one?

[Scoobz0202]

Oblivion isn't necessary at all.

EDIT: I think Skyrim takes place 200 years after Oblivion so outside of lore and stuff that experienced players will get the experience itself will not be hindered.

[MizzouRah]

Oblivion isn't necessary at all.

EDIT: I think Skyrim takes place 200 years after Oblivion so outside of lore and stuff that experienced players will get the experience itself will not be hindered.

Thanks!

[JonInMiddleGA]

I didn't play Obilivion much.. is that needed before playing this one, or can one just jump right into this one?

I never played any of the earlier installments but fell right into Oblivion so you ought to be able to pick up pretty much anywhere & be fine.

[MizzouRah]

I never played any of the earlier installments but fell right into Oblivion so you ought to be able to pick up pretty much anywhere & be fine.

That's great news.. although I really didn't get into Obilivion.. hopefully I can get into this one.

So many great games... so little time. :)

[frnk55]

Very excited for this game. I've sunk many hours into Morrowind & Oblivion and I'm sure I'll do the same with Skyrim.

[tyketime]

Just starting to watch the video now, but had to comment on the first 30-45 seconds. They talk about how every game how they rewrite everything - rendering, graphics, engine, etc. I remember reading a blog (Tobold, I think...) that asked the question why do most companies do that. The point was - I understand the "cool factor" by advertising the latest & greatest. And goodness knows I've had to drop a few dollars over the year to upgrade my graphics card, more memory, new desktop in order to keep up and play the latest.

But one of my questions is "why". Let's say a company rolls out their new "Unbelievable Engine 2.0". Invariably, there will be bugs & performance improvements fixed in subsequent patches. So when they are ready to write the next game in the series, why do they have to create Unbelievable Engine 3.0? This will introduce a new set of bugs & performance issues. Instead, how about coming up with a great story, and then a few minor tweaks to the underlying game engine. Wouldn't that reduce some of the costs of production? Game should also be ready to ship much earlier (thus more sales). More time & energy focused on making the game as enjoyable and bug-free at game launch instead of the expected Day 1/Week 1 patches.

Now that's not to say the game doesn't look phenomenal. Shit, the first minute and the scenery looks amazing... but couldn't they stick with this engine version for Game#6 as well?

[SportsDino]

I am very much looking forward to this game, had it on preorder since about March.

I'd generally suggest the PC if you have a beast of a machine, Oblivion for Xbox plays so damn poorly in terms of visuals (I am playing through vanilla Oblivion again on Xbox). Hopefully they don't severely gimp the gameplay like they did in Oblivion, so the PC is a safer bet for overall experience because it will be modded by the community if it has too much wrong with it.

That said, I'll be getting it on Xbox (because my gaming machine is broke and I'm too lazy to build/buy one when I already have 4+ other computers).

As for engines, building them is horribly expensive, except for premier games you usually see them being reused. Also highly successful portions of engines (like Havok physics) are often reused even within these 'new' engines.

I think there is a market for the episodic game series that doesn't reveal massive engine upgrades each time but keeps pushing the gameplay/content experience, but the industry in general does not agree, and look no further than the Fallout 3 vs Fallout New Vegas comparisons. From the get go it was put out there as basically an episode like release, a full game's worth of content and more gameplay modifications than the usual expansion pack, but no new engine. Generally it had trouble with people saying it was not different enough from Fallout in every single review.

Most reviewers at least put in 'why break something that was completely awesome in Fallout 3', but it certainly set a negative mood for what I think is one of the best game releases recently (Fallout 3 engine with slightly better gameplay and story).

Of course I hope they follow this model again, we basically got two full Fallout gameplay experiences within a small time period, where as the wait for the inevitable Fallout 4 is no doubt going to be measured in years from this point (I'd guess at least 2). In terms of fun I think that is the best maximization of development effort, but in terms of fanboys silly expectations all of the market noise pushes developers towards constantly reinventing pixel shaders on football players shadows instead of keeping the graphics engine and fixing gameplay or content issues.

I know if I ever get this indie developer thing off the ground that I'll be reusing my engine constantly to try and deliver more games out there. But I'm in the special situation of being unable to compete on graphics engine in the first place, for me I need to focus on content/gameplay or else I will not release until 2020.

[tyketime]

Now having said that, the demo videos were awesome. It just compelled me to pre-order. I love that magic ability to identify the enemies ahead, and then he switched to his longbow to kill them. Clairvoyance spell was also totally cool.

Hmmm... Steam no longer giving 10% discount for preorder. But looks like D2D is.

[sabotai]

They did reuse the previous engine a few times. The Fallout games use the same engine that was built for Oblivion. And Oblivion was released 5 1/2 years ago.

Eventually you do have to update/rebuild your engine to take advantage of new technology. Every 5-6 years seems about right.

[CAsterling]

The videos look great - the only thing that annoyed me in Oblivion was the monsters leveling up with your character, so no matter how good you became a Goblin was still a tough fight.....I much prefered Morrowind, where you learnt to avoid the tough monsters until you were good enough.

I hope that they don't do the same with Skyrim as it took a lot of the fun out of Oblivion for me until I found Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul Mod.

No matter what Skyrim is a definite purchase for me.

[JonInMiddleGA]

the only thing that annoyed me in Oblivion was the monsters leveling up with your character, so no matter how good you became a Goblin was still a tough fight.....I much prefered Morrowind, where you learnt to avoid the tough monsters until you were good enough.

I probably lean the other way, since it adds to the open world aspect of the game by not forcing/funneling you into certain areas as you avoid this/that/the other.

[gstelmack]

I'm with CAsterling. I hate getting more powerful just to keep up, not actually get any better. I gave up on Baseball Superstars on my Android phone for the same reason.

[bhlloy]

When the alternative is a game that inevitably becomes way too easy towards the end, I don't mind levelling. It also gives you an incentive to specialize your character and really think about where you are putting your points and which skills you are working on.

And like Jon says, it actually helps with the open endedness of the game and allows you to do interesting stuff at the beginning rather than having to either stick to the main plot or find things to do that won't get you killed in a matter of seconds

[Drake]

That's where some of the big mods really stood out (I'm thinking specifically of OOO and Francesco(?) here.) They were like, "Hey, so let's have monster tables. Rats can level with you from 1-4, but can never go any higher than 4. When you're Lvl 100 and run into a rat, it will be level 4."

Which is so obvious, you sort of wonder why the Bethesda folks didn't think of it.

That said, I've never played a game of vanilla Oblivion. I don't even know what it's like out of the box. My kids played it on the 360 that way...and it's like we're talking about different games about 3/4 of the time unless we're just referring to original quest lines.

[sabotai]

I'd prefer a system (for an open-world game) that didn't really have levels. Not exactly sure how that would work, but if you're just going to have the rest of the world level with the player, than you might as well not have levels at all and try to create a new skills/abilities system.

And the biggest issue with the world-levels-with-you system is that the loot levels with you too, so every time I looted in Oblivion as a level 20 something, I get tons a great magical loot. Money was not an issue at all after that.

[dubb93]

That said, I've never played a game of vanilla Oblivion. I don't even know what it's like out of the box. My kids played it on the 360 that way...and it's like we're talking about different games about 3/4 of the time unless we're just referring to original quest lines.

I played in on the 360 and TBH I don't rank it as anywhere near my favorite RPGs of this generation even. The whole world levels with you concept was so poor that it completely ruined that game for me. I seriously was leveling non combat skills and making my enemies tougher in the process. By the time I figured out what the hell I was doing I was in spots that were nearly impossible to get through and had already invested too many hours to consider a restart.

I thought I read that they learned from that and dropped the world leveling thing for Skyrim. Please tell me I actually read that somewhere and they aren't doing that again.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I thought I read that they learned from that and dropped the world leveling thing for Skyrim. Please tell me I actually read that somewhere and they aren't doing that again.

Developer quote from April 2011
“The levelling system is very much like Fallout 3. There were definitely moments in Oblivion were it was a rollercoaster of pain because the world levelled faster than you.”

Community manager quote from August 2011
n Elder Scrolls V, enemies will scale with your character as you progress throughout the game. A community manager from Bethesda recently touched on the subject to members over at the Elder Scrolls V forum:

“Since people are asking, wanted to briefly touch on level scaling. All our games have had some amount of randomness/leveling based on player level. Skyrim’s is similar to Fallout 3’s, not Oblivion’s,”

Based on those quotes (and my own experience with F3) they've changed the way it works but in the opposite direction of what you wanted. I agree with the first quote, there were times in Oblivion where the level tiers left you at a big disadvantage (which is why I consciously slowplayed / slow leveled) whereas with Fallout 3 combat was rarely a challenge once you managed to get past the initial no gear/no caps stage.

[tyketime]

So far - D2D is still only one I found that is offering 10% off. Other than absurd $150 collector's edition, I don't see any other specials (retailer-specific exclusives, etc.). Where are you pre-purchasing from?

[terpkristin]

This is still the game I'm most looking forward to this year. I hope I'll have time to give it a lot of play...work's going to start going a little crazy..

/tk

[Groundhog]

It's sorta sad that I'm disappointed that I'll be overseas on holiday when this is released!

[SportsDino]

I prefer the Fallout leveling system over Oblivion, and prefer no leveling with player over both. There is a thrill in being a little outmatched and having to use your wits to overcome your statistical disadvantages.

Geographic difficulty allows you to seek out challenges higher than some designers growth curve says is comfortable. It also allows for tying story with challenge, if I am waltzing into the Enclave base I want lots of high tech loot and high level 'trained' soldiers coming after me, and not have it nerfed because I raced over at level 3.

For the casual player though the scaled difficulty in open world RPGs is a feature that is going to stick around. The average player is not going to reflect on how they play the game and how that relates to difficulty, they are going to push through and if it feels too easy they complain, if it feels too hard they complain. So the race towards mediocre will push towards scaling with the player to try and keep everything within a range of meh difficulty (with the difficulty slider being the boring old damage multiplier which to me is just annoying, I don't want to lose because it takes 20 shots instead of 10 to kill a bad guy, I want to lose because I screwed up or the enemy did something interesting).

All that said, I think the game will be great fun, particularly if they are closer to Fallout than Oblivion. I still enjoy vanilla Oblivion (which I'm playing now) despite the scaled leveling pissing me off constantly (it does get borderline unplayable, not from too hard/too easy but from the blandness of the experience, particularly loot scaling). As mostly a content tourist I like differing difficulty levels as I explore, the too easy sections and the too hard actually complement my experience... although i wish it leaned towards too hard more since RPGs give the great mechanism of leveling/gearing up so you can always balance the playing field if you want to.

[mckerney]

Good news, Skyrim takes about 30 times as long to beat as Morrowind (at least when going by current speed run records).

Skyrim can be beaten in just over two hours (if you're a developer) | Joystiq (http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/13/skyrim-can-be-beaten-in-just-over-two-hours-if-youre-a-develop/)

[Honolulu_Blue]

I have never played any of the Elder Scrolls agames, but I loved both "Fallout 3" and "Fallout: New Vegas", so I am going to pick this one up.

Looking forward to it.

Hopefully, I will finish BioShock (the first one) before this comes out.

[Edward64]

Almost here.

[MizzouRah]

Almost here.

I took the wrong week off.. :)

Oh well, at least MW3 is coming out this week.

[mckerney]

Preordered Skyrim and really looking forward to it, though with my luck I'm pretty sure I'll end up getting a Dota 2 beta key on the 11th too.

[Maple Leafs]

I think Mrs. Leafs is more excited about this than our wedding day.

[Draft Dodger]

yeah, a friend of mine is scheduling a vacation around it and will be picking it up at midnight. good for him, I guess.

I liked but never managed to finish either Morrowind or Oblivion. I'll get this at some point...but can wait until the price drops.

[mckerney]

I liked but never managed to finish either Morrowind or Oblivion.

You're not alone in that, I've read of people playing hundreds of hours without really touching the main story.

[sabotai]

Tuesday is Modern Warfare 3 Day. Then Friday will begin Skyrim Weekend. Don't think I've looked forward to two games more than these two all year. Gonna be a good week.

[sabotai]

You're not alone in that, I've read of people playing hundreds of hours without really touching the main story.

That's me. I don't think I ever got more than one or two steps into the Oblivion main quest line. Mostly just traveled around doing all of the side quests and still put in 100+ hours into it.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Tuesday is Modern Warfare 3 Day. Then Friday will begin Skyrim Weekend. Don't think I've looked forward to two games more than these two all year. Gonna be a good week.

Same here ... except that my son & I are both stuck traveling for the football webcast Friday (with a 2a-3a Saturday return likely) so we'll be delayed until at least Saturday morning.

[DeToxRox]

Tuesday is Modern Warfare 3 Day. Then Friday will begin Skyrim Weekend. Don't think I've looked forward to two games more than these two all year. Gonna be a good week.

Change this to Friday and next Tuesday for Assassins Creed and you got me described well enough.

[Scoobz0202]

I need to get as much work done this week as possible so I can dedicate this weekend to Skyrim. I for some reason thought it came out next Tuesday so I would have been pissed if I procrastinated all week and saved work for the weekend.

[Izulde]

It's been a long time since I've been this excited about a game coming out.

[TroyF]

preordered on the PC. I've passed up lots and lots of A+ titles so I could spend my time with Skyrim and Football Manager 12. Add in a couple of Wolverine titles I want to pick up soon and that will be it til the Christmastime Steam sales. I figure I'll pick up some games I've really wanted around that time. (Deus Ex and Witcher 2 will be high up on the list for discounted titles when those holiday deals roll around)

[mckerney]

Change this to Friday and next Tuesday for Assassins Creed and you got me described well enough.

For me it's working my way through Uncharted 3 after it came out on the 1st, Skyrim on the 11th, and Arkham City on the 22nd.

[MizzouRah]

Tuesday is Modern Warfare 3 Day. Then Friday will begin Skyrim Weekend. Don't think I've looked forward to two games more than these two all year. Gonna be a good week.

You speak the truth here!

I'm going to run through MW2 again in preparation.. you know, to get my mad skillz up to par!

[Buccaneer]

Morrowind was one of the worst games I had ever played (horrible, ugly, empty world) yet I went ahead and played Oblivion. I can't say that it was worse but it certainly was in the bottom 10 of all games played. I think I learned my lesson and will leave Elder Scrolls to those that think that is something worth playing.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Morrowind was one of the worst games I had ever played (horrible, ugly, empty world) yet I went ahead and played Oblivion. I can't say that it was worse but it certainly was in the bottom 10 of all games played. I think I learned my lesson and will leave Elder Scrolls to those that think that is something worth playing.

I can't fathom that reaction to it, but then again there are other things in life I can't comprehend in the slightest (camping, for example) so that's fine.

At least you're smart enough to know what doesn't appeal to you & keep your money in your pocket rather than buying it just because everyone else does.

[BYU 14]

The only bad part of this is that I am nowhere close to finishing Fallout New Vegas and with this coming out it may never see completion now :(

[Qwikshot]

Buc, I wouldn't change your mind, but when I played Morrowind, I was just drawn in. I mean the world can be sparse in some ways but it was yours to literally go anywhere, /anywhere/ and do you whatever you feel liked. You could clean out a settlement and make it your own. You could do anything at your own pace, and furthermore there was story upon story, some of which you may never have resolved. It was immensely layered.

It was also incredibly frustrating the first few forays, I got killed by all types of creatures. But that made the world truly dynamic to me, it was dangerous. I remember being a thief and actually breaking into an armory and getting all the treasure. That was cool.

Oblivion, I lost interest in with the leveling issue, some creatures were meant to be easy kills...if everything was a slogfest. I also didn't feel the same excitement of the world as I did with Morrowind. With Morrowind, as I improved, the world was less dangerous, but with Oblvion that would never be.

I did pre-order...I'm excited for Skyrim. I only get a month or so before the baby comes, so I know it'll be trying to enjoy as much as I can before forgetting storylines...and then of course Mass Effect 3 comes.

[DataKing]

I'm definitely looking forward to picking up Skyrim this week, but I'll be going either with Xbox or PS3 (haven't decided which yet). As much as I would love to get and enjoy it on the PC, my gaming rig has chronic stability problems with Bethesda games.

[Mantle2600]

It'll be interesting to see how much I can play this game with my second kid being born the same day, something to do in the middle of the night in between feedings I suppose.

[JonInMiddleGA]

It'll be interesting to see how much I can play this game with my second kid being born the same day, something to do in the middle of the night in between feedings I suppose.

Where the hell are your priorities?

[GrantDawg]

I can't fathom that reaction to it, but then again there are other things in life I can't comprehend in the slightest (camping, for example) so that's fine.

At least you're smart enough to know what doesn't appeal to you & keep your money in your pocket rather than buying it just because everyone else does.


I am another one that these games have just failed to suck me in. It is funny, because I played the heck out of Arena back in ancient times on my abacus. But Morrowind never lived up to the hype for me, and Oblivion was purchased and barely played. I don't know why. I guess it is just to big and open. I think I like games to be a bit more in-between wide open and hand holding. *shrug*

I'll still probably end up getting this. Too many of my friends way too excited for it, and I am a sucker for hype. If this was multi-player, I'd get it without question.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I think I like games to be a bit more in-between wide open and hand holding. *shrug*

Although the open nature is the basis of the game's appeal to me, I think you could make it a much more linear experience with a little effort.

If you get it & find yourself having problems getting into it like you did with Oblivion, try sticking to the main story line as much as possible. Don't wander aimlessly (as I have spent hours doing), use fast-travel to limit random encounters and so forth.

I actually found myself annoyed at times with the feeling that I "should" be advancing the main quest at least occasionally even if I wasn't all that interested in doing so, but I imagine that if you focused closely on it then a lot of the open-world aspect is diminished considerably. I really don't know if there's a location in Oblivion I haven't trod upon, but that was a very deliberate choice on my part. I'm pretty sure you could narrow the scope considerably if you wanted to. (I'm extremely sure that's true with Fallout)

[Atocep]

Morrowind without mods wasn't a fun game at all to me. With mods it was an incredible experience. I never did get into Oblivion because by the time I got back to trying it with mods Fallout 3 had been released and it really showed how dated some of the design decisions in The Elder Scrolls series had become.

With Skyrim it seems Bethesda is merging The Elder Scrolls world with the best parts of Fallout gameplay and it has me pretty excited to see if it matches the experience I had with Fallout.

I have it preordered. I'll be playing at midnight Thursday night and if it matches the feeling I got playing Fallout 3 I may not sleep this weekend.

[TroyF]

Where the hell are your priorities?

I don't think his priorities are in the wrong place. The kid is first, he just wants to find a little time to play a game he likes. :)

Buc,

We've had this discussion before. I loved Oblivion and played the hell out of it. I have zero doubt I'll love this as well. I never played Morrowind, so I have no idea if I'd have loved that one or not.

[Buccaneer]

Yeah, I've written so much about my hate for these games that I didn't want to explain it again. I guess it comes down to that I don't role-play and that I loved the Gothic (v.1-3) series so much with their very full worlds and superb, diverse geographies. I hope Skyrim meets your expectations.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I never played Morrowind, so I have no idea if I'd have loved that one or not.

FWIW I tried it on 360 with backwards compatible regular Xbox disc. Found it to be an unplayable mess, with virtually impossible combat (can't hit a thing, even the lowest rat took me down suffering only the tiniest damage). That killed it for me, although what I saw of the non-combat I think I would have liked a functioning version fine if I played it before I ever saw Oblivion.

[Galaril]

So I guess I am getting old but $60 for a PC game is high but I know common now. Is there any chance a deal pops for this say at $50 anytime soon even if the game is a big hit as is expected? If no chance then shit I guess I will take the plunge and buy and from steam and pre load this bad boy. I like morrowind alot and Oblivion was pretty good too. I am off this Friday so it would work well;)

[DaddyTorgo]

So the conclusion was to buy this for PC due to the ability to mod it there, right?

[JonInMiddleGA]

So I guess I am getting old but $60 for a PC game is high but I know common now. Is there any chance a deal pops for this say at $50 anytime soon even if the game is a big hit as is expected? If no chance then shit I guess I will take the plunge and buy and from steam and pre load this bad boy. I like morrowind alot and Oblivion was pretty good too. I am off this Friday so it would work well;)

FWIW, cheapest thing I saw this week was $56.99 pre-order from Amazon (on MW3 that is). Combined with the lack of noteworthy pre-order bonuses anywhere, I'd be surprised if you saw any discounting until at least the holiday shopping season.

[Atocep]

So the conclusion was to buy this for PC due to the ability to mod it there, right?

If you have a PC that can run it I think it's definitely worth getting on PC. Bethesda games will have their share of crashes early on, but nothing that's ever made them unplayable for me.

For Fallout I played through both 3 and New Vegas when they were released and then went back to both of them when the DLC was released and played them again heavily modded. I'm usually not a person that plays through games more than once so it's nice that the modding community can add that much to the games.

Mods I've used for fallout have added better textures, more quests, more items, new areas, and gameplay tweaks. Texture packs, items, and gameplay tweak mods tend to come out rather quickly (within a few days). Getting enough mods that add new areas and quests to justify a 2nd playthrough can take a few months though.

They're still great games on the consoles. I've watched my son play them on 360. The difference is I get an extra playthrough out of the PC version.

[Galaril]

FWIW, cheapest thing I saw this week was $56.99 pre-order from Amazon (on MW3 that is). Combined with the lack of noteworthy pre-order bonuses anywhere, I'd be surprised if you saw any discounting until at least the holiday shopping season.

Thanks man...figured that and was the answer I really wanted so preordering makes it easier;)

[JonInMiddleGA]

edit: crap, posted in the wrong thread :(

[mckerney]

So the conclusion was to buy this for PC due to the ability to mod it there, right?

Yep.

[tyketime]

So I guess I am getting old but $60 for a PC game is high but I know common now. Is there any chance a deal pops for this say at $50 anytime soon even if the game is a big hit as is expected? If no chance then shit I guess I will take the plunge and buy and from steam and pre load this bad boy. I like morrowind alot and Oblivion was pretty good too. I am off this Friday so it would work well;)
The best price I saw for a digital copy was $53.95 at Direct2Drive, so that's where I ordered my copy. They did add tax for me, so it only ended up $2 cheaper than Steam. I hope we can start the preload today or tomorrow.

[CrimsonFox]

when you guys talk about mods what exactly are you talking about? cheats?
things that give you bonuses/stats/slots/change the gameplay?

[JonInMiddleGA]

when you guys talk about mods what exactly are you talking about? cheats?
things that give you bonuses/stats/slots/change the gameplay?

The number of scenarios, as well as items, characters, NPC's, etc created (for PC) by modders for the Fallout series is truly astonishing. As in, thousands of them, if not tens of thousands. There were also no shortage of cheats, hacks, etc. to go along with those.

IIRC, Oblivion received the same sort of attention (not sure if it was to the degree that Fallout was however, but it was still significant).

[Coffee Warlord]

Oblivion had an absolutely massive collection of mods as well, even including an extremely comprehensive graphics update, upping the resolution of pretty much the whole bloody game (I'm pretty sure Fallout got a similar treatment from the mod community). If you had the machine for it, it was beautiful.

[mckerney]

Oblivion had an absolutely massive collection of mods as well, even including an extremely comprehensive graphics update, upping the resolution of pretty much the whole bloody game (I'm pretty sure Fallout got a similar treatment from the mod community). If you had the machine for it, it was beautiful.

And also things like changing the UI and removing level scaling.

[TRO]

It'll be interesting to see how much I can play this game with my second kid being born the same day, something to do in the middle of the night in between feedings I suppose.

So, are you naming the child Dovahkiin?

Bethesda Contest (http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/22/bethesda-proves-its-really-serious-about-baby-name-contest/)

[Maple Leafs]

That's me. I don't think I ever got more than one or two steps into the Oblivion main quest line.
Mrs. Leafs did the same, which to me as an outside observer was hilarious.

Villagers: Please, oh mighty hero! The demons doth overtake our town and murder our children! Quickly, travel to the nearby dungeon and fetch the sword of smiting, for it is our only hope.

Hero: Sure thing! (Goes off and spends the next three years collecting flowers and spices.)

Villagers: DUDE, WHAT THE FUCK???

[DataKing]

I naturally find myself doing the same thing in these sorts of games, so I usually set myself a schedule of sorts. Something like this:

1. Side quest
2. Explore nearby area
3. Storyline quest
4. Side quest
5. Explore nearby area
6. Storyline quest

etc etc etc.

[Thomkal]

So has/do you think combat has changed/will change much from Morrowind? I could not get very far in Morrowind because I sucked so much with the way the Elder Scrolls games handle combat-I skipped Oblivion because I figured it would be much the same. I'm a big fan of games with an "auto-attack" button. :)

[sabotai]

Oblivion was much better than Morrowind, but if you're going for an "auto-attack" option, I doubt you'll get anything like that in Skyrim.

[BYU 14]

So has/do you think combat has changed/will change much from Morrowind? I could not get very far in Morrowind because I sucked so much with the way the Elder Scrolls games handle combat-I skipped Oblivion because I figured it would be much the same. I'm a big fan of games with an "auto-attack" button. :)

I was horrible in Morrowind, but Oblivion was much better. Still timing involved, but I never got frustrated in Oblivion because I was getting my ass handed to me, though a lot of that was probably due to the way leveling was set as well.

[tyketime]

My download link just appeared on D2D. Preloading now! :D

[Lonnie]

I went ahead and bought it on Steam. Hope I didn't have anything important to do this weekend.

[DaddyTorgo]

Cool...I'm off in Texas until tomorrow morning, but this (along with MW3 and Assasins Creed) is on my agenda now. Fucking expensive games month.

[frnk55]

I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!! Love it that it's being released on friday rather than tuesday.

[SportsDino]

Although the open nature is the basis of the game's appeal to me, I think you could make it a much more linear experience with a little effort.

If you get it & find yourself having problems getting into it like you did with Oblivion, try sticking to the main story line as much as possible. Don't wander aimlessly (as I have spent hours doing), use fast-travel to limit random encounters and so forth.

I actually found myself annoyed at times with the feeling that I "should" be advancing the main quest at least occasionally even if I wasn't all that interested in doing so, but I imagine that if you focused closely on it then a lot of the open-world aspect is diminished considerably. I really don't know if there's a location in Oblivion I haven't trod upon, but that was a very deliberate choice on my part. I'm pretty sure you could narrow the scope considerably if you wanted to. (I'm extremely sure that's true with Fallout)


I've done this before numerous times in Morrowind, Oblivion, and the Fallouts, particularly with concept characters (prototype theif/mage/etc). It holds up in my opinion to most linear design games when played that way. However the pacing is a bit different than most linear games, which tend to be crawling with a higher density of creepy crawlies and more obvious progression paths (ye olde corridor level design with minor elements of backtrack branching based on 'keycards').

[SportsDino]

If you have the machine for it then PC is the way to go. I can't speak much for Fallout mods, but in the case of Oblivion the modded game was easily twice as good, which is hard for a random mass of humanity in my opinion.

The graphics were vastly improved, not just textures, but the viewable when distant was clearly envied by Bethesda which made a point of using the effect right out of the gate in Fallout 3.

Battle AI was improved (as much as it could be tweaked), level design was improved, scaling was fixed so it made sense, tons of creatures, locations, and items... so much that if you only downloaded the highest of the high quality ones it numbered in the dozens and they fit in the game like magic (although there was a lot of junk every major message board had a rundown on the best loadout for mods after a while).

Hell, something as small as saddlebags on my horse was a major gameplay changer for me in Oblivion. With all the loot you wanted to carry and the distances you had to travel the ability to stuff a 200 pounds on my horse made trekking across the country in real time much more viable to me.

So mods are a way to probably double the value of your investment for free if the community puts out anywhere near as much as they have lately in these games. But... games are buggier on computers than they are on consoles... and without the mods, save yourself the hassle.

I am intending on playing vanilla and expansions on console and then buying a PC version later on once the mods are out in force and vetted. But I'm the sort who will build a new machine just to play one computer game (the last time was for Fallout 3, although I went back and played Oblivion at full graphics with mods and got another good 150 hours at least out of it, almost all mods). Back in the day I had to work all sorts of magic just to get Oblivion to play at lowest quality settings and then not to crash (although patches helped a lot with that).

[Scoobz0202]

Those with a steam pre-order can now pre-load.

Restart steam if it doesn't allow you to.

[Peregrine]

Nice new trailer - I really like how they put this together - no crazy battles, just show off the world - looks great!

<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fn0N294NFy0?feature=player_embedded" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" width="640"></iframe>

[CrimsonFox]

Go to any town and kill someone, then you'll get your fight :)

[CrimsonFox]

Is that Ian Mckellan?

[BYU 14]

The world looks amazing. I would love to get this on the CPU for mods, but my rig wouldn't do the graphics justice, so it looks like PS3 version for me.

[CrimsonFox]

Oblivion was much better than Morrowind, but if you're going for an "auto-attack" option, I doubt you'll get anything like that in Skyrim.

Skyrim is worth it for the duel wielding alone. Using left handed fireball and righthanded sword is just awesome.

[spleen1015]

Battlefield 3 two weeks ago, Uncharted 3 last week, Modern Warfare 3 yesterday, Saints Row the Third next week and Zelda the week after.

I was going to pass on Skyrim for a while, but I don't know if I can. :D

[MizzouRah]

I bought a new x360 silver controller just for MW3 and Skyrim. I love it.. seems like it has hours upon hours of battery life, maybe my other two controllers are just worn out. :)

[DataKing]

PC is out for me. So for those of you with 360 and PS3, which console would you prefer to buy this for? All I have for the PS3 is Gran Turismo 5, so I don't know what its capabilities are like for games like this.

[Lonnie]

My preload is done. A day and a half early!

Funny thing is I bought it for PC, and my son bought it for 360. Our 360 and my PC desk is in the same room. So We'll both be playing at the same time most likely. Better get my headphones ready.

[tyketime]

My preload is done. A day and a half early!.

I downloaded mine from D2D, but when it tried to "install" within Steam, I got an error saying it can't install because the game has not been released yet. So when you did your preload, did you get further in the process than that? If so, I may click the <Preload> button inside Steam tonight.

[CleBrownsfan]

Is there ever an issue with loading mods to a Steam game?

[spleen1015]

Preload only allows you yo download I believe. You install it once it is released.

[mckerney]

Is there ever an issue with loading mods to a Steam game?

I've never had any issues with mods not working with Steam. Valve has always been mod friendly so Steam shouldn't prevent them in anyway, plus any made for Skyrim will be designed to work with Steam.

[Lonnie]

Mine says pre-loading is complete. When the game is released, you'll be able to play immediately.

[mckerney]

Yeah, with Steam it installs as it downloads. When it is released you'll need to wait for it to decrypt, download the day one patch (though hopefully that will go online before release) and then you might have to wait for some direct x or other drivers to install before you play.

[Thomkal]

Okay so I caved. ;) The various previews I've seen are intriguing enough for me to give it a try. Besides my birthday is Monday and I needed to give myself a present. :) I'm probably going some kind of mage/archer to try keep everything from getting into hand to hand range since I struggled with the combat in Morrowind.

[MizzouRah]

I'm excited just to read the IGN review tomorrow.

[Peregrine]

The funny thing about this game is that I knew I would immediately buy it no matter what, so I haven't really been following the changes from the previous versions. So when I just read an article about the perk trees, shout system, dual handing spells, etc, well - my mind exploded.

Graclll-dmogy-wejeasd-qashdr Friday....

[CleBrownsfan]

Some reviews are out:

Gametrailers video review (http://www.gametrailers.com/video/review-hd-elder-scrolls/723801)

IGN video review (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bH1GUi8rNQk)

Gamespot (http://www.gamespot.com/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim/videos/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-video-review-6344698?tag=summary%3Bwatch-review)

[Peregrine]

IGN's gameplay commentary was really cool - to get an idea of how everything looks in gameplay.

Skyrim PC Version Gameplay Commentary Video - PC - IGN (http://www.ign.com/videos/2011/11/10/skyrim-pc-gameplay-commentary?objectid=93395&show=HD)

[tyketime]

I downloaded mine from D2D, but when it tried to "install" within Steam, I got an error saying it can't install because the game has not been released yet. So when you did your preload, did you get further in the process than that? If so, I may click the Preload button inside Steam tonight.

I did go ahead and click the Preload button on Steam last night. The bad news is it downloaded the entire game again (~5GB), but my game status now says Preloaded. I can't wait for tomorrow morning - a quick decryption and patch, and goodbye weekend!

[TroyF]

12 est tonight, right?

If that's the case, I'll get a couple of hours into it tonight before bed.

[tyketime]

12 est tonight, right?

If that's the case, I'll get a couple of hours into it tonight before bed.

I haven't checked in past two days, but it seemed to me like it was closer to 4am EST. But I hope you are right! :p

EDIT: Couldn't wait, so checked from work. Currently 10:30ish am EST, and screen says it will unlock in approximately 14 hours. So... that makes it close to midnight EST. Awesome!

[Izulde]

Just got the text from Gamestop to be there at 10 pm to finalize payment even though I already paid for it.

Should probably show up a couple hours early anyway, as the BF3 midnight release was surprisingly packed when I went by my location.

[tyketime]

Just got the text from Gamestop to be there at 10 pm to finalize payment even though I already paid for it.

Should probably show up a couple hours early anyway, as the BF3 midnight release was surprisingly packed when I went by my location.

I haven't picked up the latest COD, but for Black Ops midnight release, Gamestop had three lines. First was to finalize payment. You got a different receipt at that point. Those people then filed into Line #2 to wait until midnight. Finally, Line #3 were for those who had not preordered, and were hoping extra copies would be available.

[GrantDawg]

I've watched the reviews, and it does indeed look like an incredible game. IGN rates it as the "best RPG ever made." Sadly, it still not one I would play. The combat system is not one I can work. If they had an "auto-attack" option, or something like that, fine. But I can't do the button mashing, move with keyboard thing. It kills me, because it really does look fantastic. They said the PC version looks much better than the console versions.

[Thomkal]

I've watched the reviews, and it does indeed look like an incredible game. IGN rates it as the "best RPG ever made." Sadly, it still not one I would play. The combat system is not one I can work. If they had an "auto-attack" option, or something like that, fine. But I can't do the button mashing, move with keyboard thing. It kills me, because it really does look fantastic. They said the PC version looks much better than the console versions.

Grant this has been my reason for not getting more involved in the Elder Scrolls games as I mentioned earlier in the thread-I think it may be a bit easier to handle this time around though. I'll let you know when I get into the game. I have a feeling there's going to be a lot of defenseless trees and rocks very unhappy with me that I used them as a testing ground. ;)

[GrantDawg]

Grant this has been my reason for not getting more involved in the Elder Scrolls games as I mentioned earlier in the thread-I think it may be a bit easier to handle this time around though. I'll let you know when I get into the game. I have a feeling there's going to be a lot of defenseless trees and rocks very unhappy with me that I used them as a testing ground. ;)


Please do. I look forward to your report. :)

[DaddyTorgo]

Ugh. Expensive gaming month this.

[stevew]

Anyone have a link to a PC Can I Run This tool for Skyrim?

[CleBrownsfan]

Ugh. Expensive gaming month this.

No kidding!

[mckerney]

Wot I Think – The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim | Rock, Paper, Shotgun (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/11/10/skyrim-review-pc/)

Every time Bethesda reveal a new game, one of the first queries they have to deal with is how big its world is compared to previous games, with the general onlooker sentiment being that their open worlds are shrinking with every new generation. I can promise you that Skyrim is an enormous game, perhaps Bethesda’s biggest yet in my perception of it, and that isn’t anything to do with landmass (of which there is a vast and wonderfully varied amount). It’s because there’s so damned much to do. Hours fly by, great adventures are embarked on, and it barely dents what’s on offer. The thieves’ guild questline alone, the closest thing my time with the game had to a fixed purpose, offers more than do most other big-budget games’ singleplayer modes.

And it’s good stuff too, this thievery corporations’ tasks: long, ambitious, twisty quests that take you all over Skyrim, require lateral thinking and exploration of the outer limits of stealth, plus offer bona fide drama and intrigue whose outcome I was invested in for reasons beyond money and power. I’ve only made early inroads into the Companions arc and that seems similarly huge – add in the other guilds and factions, and the reputation quests offered by each city’s rulers, and the purportedly infinite roster of procedurally-generated favours for random NPCs, and you have something of grand magnitude, and an RPG that no sane person would consider writing a review based on a mere four days’ play. Sigh. Still- expect follow-up pieces, particularly on the main, dragon-y questline that I’ve seen nothing of, so happy was I in doing my own, primarily kleptomania-based thing.

...

Maybe I’ll do all that next time. First though, I really fancy a nice set of Glass Armour, so time to explore a few caves for ore to mine then spend some good, honest hours at the forge. I may be some time. I may be the rest of the year, and beyond. Not only is Skyrim, for my money, the game of the year, but… oh this is hard. Very hard. I’m sorry Morrowind – I love you, but I don’t need you anymore. I think, at last, there is a new Best Elder Scrolls Ever.

[DaddyTorgo]

Anyone have a link to a PC Can I Run This tool for Skyrim?

Good idea. I need to verify that myself tonight (although I assume I can, I want to see where I stack up to its requirements graphically).

System Requirements Lab (http://systemrequirementlab.com/)

it's listed under T for "The Elder Scrolls" by the way - that threw me

[Thomkal]

PC Gamer Review:

Skyrim PC review (http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/11/10/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-review/?ns_campaign=article-feed&ns_mchannel=ref&ns_source=steam&ns_linkname=0&ns_fee=0)

[Honolulu_Blue]

Good idea. I need to verify that myself tonight (although I assume I can, I want to see where I stack up to its requirements graphically).

System Requirements Lab (http://systemrequirementlab.com/)

it's listed under T for "The Elder Scrolls" by the way - that threw me

Sweet! My almost 3 year old laptop can run this.

[Thomkal]

There's been a couple small patches this morning on Steam-I saw one which was very small, so you might get Steam going just to get up to date.

[MizzouRah]

I've been watching that live feed.. can't wait to get into this tomorrow.

[Scoobz0202]

The Giantbomb one, Mizzou?

[tyketime]

So I've read a couple reviews that mention the controls for the PC are awkward (my term). I went with PC version because of better graphics and ultimately the mod community. Just read that the XBOX community will also get a 30-day head-start on the first 2 DLC's, and that the interface is "better". Any reason I should be concerned? Are most of you getting the PC version?

[Scoobz0202]

The major concerns right now I'm reading from people who are playing because they used a VPN are that the keyboard/mouse is pretty weak, mainly in the menus. A lot of the menus you can't even use your mouse. Which is absurd.

This can be fixed, or at least it can be from the mod community I am sure, but out of the box that is ridiculous.

edit: I still think in the long run, due to the modding communities ability to fix the menus and enhance the graphics through texture packs, the PC is the way to go. Just disappointing that something so simple can be so stupidly implemented. Worst case, the way my system is set up, I'll just plug my PC into my big screen and use a controller and get the best of both worlds (PC on high settings, and a interface obviously set up for a game controller)

[stevew]

Good idea. I need to verify that myself tonight (although I assume I can, I want to see where I stack up to its requirements graphically).

System Requirements Lab (http://systemrequirementlab.com/)

it's listed under T for "The Elder Scrolls" by the way - that threw me

Thanks. I was having a hard time finding it. Sometimes Google is unbearable to search.

[mckerney]

The major concerns right now I'm reading from people who are playing because they used a VPN are that the keyboard/mouse is pretty weak, mainly in the menus. A lot of the menus you can't even use your mouse. Which is absurd.

This can be fixed, or at least it can be from the mod community I am sure, but out of the box that is ridiculous.

edit: I still think in the long run, due to the modding communities ability to fix the menus and enhance the graphics through texture packs, the PC is the way to go. Just disappointing that something so simple can be so stupidly implemented. Worst case, the way my system is set up, I'll just plug my PC into my big screen and use a controller and get the best of both worlds (PC on high settings, and a interface obviously set up for a game controller)

Ah, so it they didn't even bother doing a PC UI if you can't use the mouse in some menus. Hopefully Bethesda fixes it and we don't need to wait for mods, no reason there should be console style controls for menus and inventory when doing it mouse based is so much easier. It also wouldn't surprise me if they didn't both making the text smaller for PC than console like with the last couple Fallout games.

[Drake]

Ah, so it they didn't even bother doing a PC UI if you can't use the mouse in some menus. Hopefully Bethesda fixes it and we don't need to wait for mods, no reason there should be console style controls for menus and inventory when doing it mouse based is so much easier. It also wouldn't surprise me if they didn't both making the text smaller for PC than console like with the last couple Fallout games.

If Bethesda doesn't fix it, I'm sure DaRN's UI mod will. That's not insider knowledge, I just can't imagine an Elder Scrolls game without a DaRNified interface.

[cthomer5000]

Pumped for this. Been intentionally avoiding a lot of coverage since i've had it pre-ordered since June.

Only felt so-so about Oblivion, but i only played that after Fallout 3 (which is probably my favorite game of all time). It seems like they've made a lot of sensible interface and upgrade changes though based on Fallout. I did find Oblivion needlessly complicated when it came to leveling.

I am pretty sure i'm going to end up loving this game. Even if i think it's 'OK' im sure i'll get a ton of playtime out of it.

[terpkristin]

Got my shipping notification....will be here tomorrow... :D

/tk

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'm honestly scared to death that the changes - specifically the ones to dual-hand weaponry - are going to be too much for my poor button mashing skills.

I grew to be pretty comfortable with the pause-menu-change-resume sequence of combat, and since I'm not very good a shield was pretty much mandatory, so right-hand wielding only was plenty for me.

[frnk55]

Going to be a long day tomorrow at work. Feel like a kid at Christmas.

[CrimsonFox]

I'm still trying to get Reilly's dumb guys off the dumb hotel roof and find the dumb kid in greyditch a place to live AND find the dumb sewers to kill more dumb molerats.

[Mustang]

All pre-loaded... just have to wait 2 hours now.

[Thomkal]

One potential warning here from reading the forums over at Bethesda-it's probably best not to change your keybindings from the default yet-several people are reporting that the menus do not update to reflect the changes-the menu will continue to say to hit the default key to do something rather than the key you changed it too. Appears there's a fix for it in the next patch-unclear if its any patch we might get tonight when the game unlocks

Edit: This is for the PC version

[mckerney]

I'm still trying to get Reilly's dumb guys off the dumb hotel roof and find the dumb kid in greyditch a place to live AND find the dumb sewers to kill more dumb molerats.

Reilly's Rangers were a pain in the ass. Definitely not cut out to be Rockin' Rangers of the Junior Jimmy Brigade.

[Thomkal]

Steam says we can play now :)

[sabotai]

Decrypting now.

[tyketime]

Mine doesn't yet... restarting...

EDIT: YES! Restart worked... decrypting now

[lighthousekeeper]

decrypting is pretty slow.

[tyketime]

While waiting for midnight, I saw this. Looks like $27 online (ouch!). I wonder since it is digital if they will keep it "up-to-date"...

Work began on the official guide in early May, when I commenced an overwhelming trek into every frigid corner of Skyrim. Initially, I was thinking this would be a similar experience to my work on the Fallout 3 guide. But then phrases like “even more epic” and “five times the size” were whispered to me. More than five months, close to 2,000 man-hours of work (between myself and co-author Steve Stratton), several thousand cups of tea and packets of Monster Munch later, and with a massive support structure from both Bethesda and Prima, the guide is complete.


This weighty tome clocks in at 656 pages. It is around 550,000 words. It has over 150 maps and well over 1,000 screenshots. It has an interactive online version with a malleable world map (and an iPad map app). But more importantly, it’s been designed to fundamentally aid the adventurer no matter what their skill level, knowledge of the series, or familiarity with past Bethesda titles.

[Thomkal]

yeah stuck on 35% for a couple mins, now moving quickly and downloaded :)

[Thomkal]

now downloading a directx file :::sigh:::

[tyketime]

Preparing to launch now! :D

[tyketime]

now downloading a directx file :::sigh:::
I thought I read something about a Day 1 patch as well...

[Thomkal]

and after the game detects my video settings for Ultra High, I'm in. See ya :)

[Thomkal]

I thought I read something about a Day 1 patch as well...

There were two small patches over Steam this morning, not sure if that's what you are talking about or not.

[Izulde]

This is the first time I've ever hated living in PST.

[Mustang]

This is the first time I've ever hated living in PST.

It might be unlocked on steam for you if you have steam...

My game is unlocked around 11PM CST. I think I heard rumors earlier the unlock time was going to be 12:01AM EST so... might as well check it out. :)

[Atocep]

My game is unlocked and I'm west coast.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Time to get Dragonborn :)

(3hrs 10m from leaving home to standing in the cold to listening the opening chant soundtrack thingy)

[Thomkal]

okay already stupid question time-I've gone through character creation and the you know what happened, and now I'm supposed to go to the keep-problem is I either can't see any way to get there through all the debris, or I don't know how to open the door to that tower

[tyketime]

okay already stupid question time-I've gone through character creation and the you know what happened, and now I'm supposed to go to the keep-problem is I either can't see any way to get there through all the debris, or I don't know how to open the door to that tower
I followed another character (marked with a diamond), and then when he said get inside the keep, I just moved into the doorway. It let me in. Does that help?

[BYU 14]

Great timing, set to pick this up tomorrow and now my PS3 is overheating and turns off anywhere between 10 minutes and an hour into a session.....Awesome....

Another 150 bucks to Sony to fix, may just end up getting a refurbished one for the same price.

Unless anyone know a do it yourself way to fix this problem??

[tyketime]

I already had my first stupid moment. I jumped off a roof, and ended up behind a building. No way to escape in one direction, fire in the other. I had no choice but to run thru the fire. Ouch... but at least I was able to continue.

[jbergey22]

Great timing, set to pick this up tomorrow and now my PS3 is overheating and turns off anywhere between 10 minutes and an hour into a session.....Awesome....

Another 150 bucks to Sony to fix, may just end up getting a refurbished one for the same price.

Unless anyone know a do it yourself way to fix this problem??

Probably your power supply. Im not sure what that costs but if you replaced it Id guess it would fix it.

[Thomkal]

okay I went and looked at a lets play I missed the part where I had to jump through the hole in the top of the inn -I just dropped to the ground

[Thomkal]

alrighty, heading off to bed-not young anymore can't do an allnighter. :) Have fun with the game guys

[tyketime]

97,000+ playing Skyrim right now (according to Steam game stats)

[JonInMiddleGA]

okay already stupid question time-I've gone through character creation and the you know what happened, and now I'm supposed to go to the keep-problem is I either can't see any way to get there through all the debris, or I don't know how to open the door to that tower

Don't feel too bad, or at least not alone ... I had the same confusion, my son finally said "to the left dummy, look to the left".

[tyketime]

Does anyone know where the User Manual gets downloaded to? I want to understand the icons in the compass.

[Peregrine]

About 90 minutes in I've had my first crash - no error message, no anything, the game just disappeared and I was back to desktop - while looting a tomato of all things.

[Scoobz0202]

Just finished the golden claw quest. Had a fucking blast. Loving it so far.

I'm also not really having any problems with the user interface. Yea, could it have been designed better and as far as UI's go it's not great, but I was expecting much worse.

Edit: then again I'm playing a warrior. A Mage might be a little annoying.

[Izulde]

*impatiently waits for his PS3 to finish installation*

[Izulde]

Having a broken R1 button on my controller killed me at character creation. Wouldn't let me L1 my way to the other options, so that took a considerable amount of enjoyment out of it for me.

But after the intro run, holy shit am I loving this game at first impressions. Just gorgeous.

[Peregrine]

I know I struggled to figure out how to hotkey items in the PC version - you need to set your item as a favorite, then open the favorites menu with Q. Then when you have the selected item highlighted you can press numbers 1-8, this will now be your hotkey for that item. From what I've seen there are some limitations, like hotkeyed melee weapons only appearing in your right hand, but since I'm using two handed weapons right now that hasn't been a problem.

[CrimsonFox]

I usually don't advocate playing an RPG on a console but I really REALLY loved how they streamlined Skyrim on the 360 (and probably others)
Everything made sense. Everything was intuitive. Even the hotkeys were QUICK and EASY!

Everything just flowed wonderfully. And best of all I don't need to wrestle with PC settings and crashes and my PC overheating like it did with Portal 2. (Yes I realize that's a fault of the computer not the game but I have what I have)

[MizzouRah]

I usually don't advocate playing an RPG on a console but I really REALLY loved how they streamlined Skyrim on the 360 (and probably others)
Everything made sense. Everything was intuitive. Even the hotkeys were QUICK and EASY!

Everything just flowed wonderfully. And best of all I don't need to wrestle with PC settings and crashes and my PC overheating like it did with Portal 2. (Yes I realize that's a fault of the computer not the game but I have what I have)

That's great to hear as I wait on my 360 copy.

[Thomkal]

Don't feel too bad, or at least not alone ... I had the same confusion, my son finally said "to the left dummy, look to the left".

ah good at least I'm not the only stupid player. ;) And nice son you got there lol.

[GrantDawg]

ah good at least I'm not the only stupid player. ;) And nice son you got there lol.


Tell me. oh wise one. How is combat? All in all, it is not going to matter because I can't do much of anything very long with my right arm without pain. But I am itching for a cool game right now.

[CrimsonFox]

I think this game will break some sales records. Like Wow-territory

[Thomkal]

Does anyone know where the User Manual gets downloaded to? I want to understand the icons in the compass.

Went looking in various Steam and Skyrim folders-no manual to be found-so checked the forum on Bethesda's site-apparantly there was no manual in the initial download/patch. Uh...that's not good Bethesda

[Thomkal]

Tell me. oh wise one. How is combat? All in all, it is not going to matter because I can't do much of anything very long with my right arm without pain. But I am itching for a cool game right now.

Heh I'm very far from wise these days when it comes to games at least. :) I haven't tried combat yet actually-I just got through the very beginning of the tutorial before signing off for the night. I'm about to go play again though, and combat comes up very quickly so I will let you know.

[CleBrownsfan]

It's going to be an awesome weekend!

[Galaril]

So I got my on PC and 3 hours in it did over heat my laptop and crash. I am only running a Core 2 Duo 7550 with a Nvidia 9600m GT 512 MB card. The game did defualt me to medium settings so I might bump that down. I am also strong considering picking up a PS 3 if I can find one for a decent price maybe of Black Friday. It seems pretty apparent you should get a better experience on the PC playing with a game pad. So, really the main draw for a PC version looks to be mods and better graphics which is not a huge issue to me as the console versions are pretty good too from the looks of it

[CrimsonFox]

I am not seeing ANYTHING to complain about on the console version graphicswise. The water, mist, and fire effects are amazing.

If someone can prove me wrong with pics comparison please do.

[tyketime]

Tell me. oh wise one. How is combat? All in all, it is not going to matter because I can't do much of anything very long with my right arm without pain. But I am itching for a cool game right now.
I'm on the PC version. So far, 98% of my battles have been melee. Right mouse button to attack, left button to block with my shield. I've only fired my bow 4-5 times. Not sure I've hit the enemy with an arrow for any serious damage, but certainly getting their attention. Of course, I think I'm on Level 2 out of 5 difficulty (don't remember name), so I'm sure that will crank up the heat once I get used to game and interface.

[spleen1015]

I am going to be in so much trouble.

I should stay out of this thread, I think.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Tell me. oh wise one. How is combat? All in all, it is not going to matter because I can't do much of anything very long with my right arm without pain. But I am itching for a cool game right now.

I seemed to have a knack for running into trouble from my first few steps into Skyrim proper (after the opening sequence).

On whatever the default difficulty is, the combat felt surprisingly similar to Oblivion to me. I mean, I had no need to really think about what to do, it felt comfortable & familiar and I was killing bandits & wolves without much stress. Well, except for my first & only death so far, stupid me forgot to heal after dispatching two bandits, turned the corner around a boulder & ran smack into a bandit captain's battle axe. Two strikes later & I was down and out. Not the game's fault, just careless on my part.

Now I'm not exactly the most sophisticated fighter you're going to find, give me a sword, a shield, and a healing spell & I'll throw down with most anything that comes my way. Strike, block, evade, heal when needed, repeat.

[BYU 14]

Are you playing PC or Console Jon?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Are you playing PC or Console Jon?

Sorry. 360.

[BYU 14]

Sorry. 360.

I will be too, (PS3 when fixed) as I fair much better in combat on a console and from what I have seen the graphics are not much of a step down from the graphics on a high end PC.

[Thomkal]

Tell me. oh wise one. How is combat? All in all, it is not going to matter because I can't do much of anything very long with my right arm without pain. But I am itching for a cool game right now.

okay played a little bit with combat, both with weapons and magic. If on a PC, you're going to need to move the mouse around during combat to keep aimed with a spell, bow, etc. I lit up the poor guy who was guiding me out of the tutorial once because he was in the way when I did my flame spell. :) So far its been just push or hold down the left and/or right mouse button to attack/block, so that part is easy to enough. Its gonna take me some time to get used to combat, and I'll probably not ever be as good as I can be with it. So if using a mouse with your right hand, your going to use it a lot in combat. Using your left hand to move around with the WASD keys.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I will be too, (PS3 when fixed) as I fair much better in combat on a console and from what I have seen the graphics are not much of a step down from the graphics on a high end PC.

I'm guessing that the comments concerning visuals (console vs. PC) are mostly based on people playing on inferior setups. I'm playing on a 1080p/HDMI setup on the PS3 and it's jaw-dropping. Neighbor has a 1080P X360 setup and it's just as good.

[Drake]

I let my 13 y.o. stay home from school today to play Skyrim on my PC (I pre-ordered from Steam and unlocked at midnight, since my pre-order from Amazon likely won't show up until Tuesday).

He thinks it was a grand parental gesture.

He doesn't realize that I'm giving him 10 hours while I'm at work, because it's the last time he's going to see the game this weekend.

[DataKing]

This is going to be the longest work day ever. :(

[CleBrownsfan]

This is going to be the longest work day ever. :(

Your telling me - on top of that I'll have to wait until the kids go down to play....

[BYU 14]

I let my 13 y.o. stay home from school today to play Skyrim on my PC (I pre-ordered from Steam and unlocked at midnight, since my pre-order from Amazon likely won't show up until Tuesday).

He thinks it was a grand parental gesture.

He doesn't realize that I'm giving him 10 hours while I'm at work, because it's the last time he's going to see the game this weekend.

I like your style :)

[BYU 14]

I'm guessing that the comments concerning visuals (console vs. PC) are mostly based on people playing on inferior setups. I'm playing on a 1080p/HDMI setup on the PS3 and it's jaw-dropping. Neighbor has a 1080P X360 setup and it's just as good.

My set up is the exact same as yours so this is great news.

Also having our youngest drop off the PS 3 for repair in a half hour, so we should have it back tonight.....Romantic candlelight dinner and a massage for the wife tonight, since she won't see me tomorrow :)

[CrimsonFox]

My set up is the exact same as yours so this is great news.

Also having our youngest drop off the PS 3 for repair in a half hour, so we should have it back tonight.....Romantic candlelight dinner and a massage for the wife tonight, since she won't see me tomorrow :)

You've got the routine down! :)

[JonInMiddleGA]

I let my 13 y.o. stay home from school today to play Skyrim on my PC (I pre-ordered from Steam and unlocked at midnight, since my pre-order from Amazon likely won't show up until Tuesday).

He thinks it was a grand parental gesture.

He doesn't realize that I'm giving him 10 hours while I'm at work, because it's the last time he's going to see the game this weekend.

Well done sir, I doff my chapeau to you.

[spleen1015]

Bravo Drake.

My wife would put my nuts in a vice if I let my kid stay home from school for a video game.

[mckerney]

I was looking to see if there was a solution for the X and Y axis on the mouse being different sensitivities and it looks like there are some tweaks to help, but it turns out the biggest problem that Y axis sensitivity is tied to FPS and X axis isn't. It's still playable, but a pain in the ass.

Also, the UI is total shit. I really wish more companies would do different UI for console and PC, and never include a radial dial control on PC for people using mouse and keyboard. Hopefully there's a mod for something more like the Morrowind UI soon.

Played through the Unbound quest and the gameplay was great though, can't wait to play more after work. I just wish it controlled better.

[CleBrownsfan]

I take it you'll be able to use a XBOX 360 controller for the PC? You think it will be "easier" to use a gamepad rather than keyboard/mouse?

[mckerney]

I take it you'll be able to use a XBOX 360 controller for the PC? You think it will be "easier" to use a gamepad rather than keyboard/mouse?

You can, there's an option for it right on the settings menu. The menus might be easier to use with the game pad as they were clearly designed for one, but there's no way I'd want to play the game with a 360 pad rather than mouse and keyboard.

[Peregrine]

I'm really enjoying the "killshot" animations so far - my character uses a two handed hammer and he has a thing where he drops down, takes out the enemy's knee with one smash, then finishes them off with a shot to the chest. Pretty cool - I hope there are different ones for different weapons?

[GrantDawg]

You can, there's an option for it right on the settings menu. The menus might be easier to use with the game pad as they were clearly designed for one, but there's no way I'd want to play the game with a 360 pad rather than mouse and keyboard.


Thanks Thom. I have started to think about maybe getting a gamepad for the PC if I get this to make it a little easier than the mouse. You seem to be against that idea McKerney. Any reason?

Also, can you just get a 360 controller, or should I look at another PC controller? Anybody have relatively cheap suggestions?

[mckerney]

Thanks Thom. I have started to think about maybe getting a gamepad for the PC if I get this to make it a little easier than the mouse. You seem to be against that idea McKerney. Any reason?

Also, can you just get a 360 controller, or should I look at another PC controller? Anybody have relatively cheap suggestions?

I just personally hate playing first person games with a gamepad. If you're someone who plays FPS on console you probably won't mind though.

Definitely get a 360 pad (and I'd recommend the new silver one with the better dpad if you can, though if you get one of those you may have to buy the receiver seperately), they may cost more but nearly every game I play with gamepad support is already configured with 360 pad support, while other pads working properly are hit or miss.

[GrantDawg]

I just personally hate playing first person games with a gamepad. If you're someone who plays FPS on console you probably won't mind though.

Definitely get a 360 pad (and I'd recommend the new silver one with the better dpad if you can, though if you get one of those you may have to buy the receiver seperately), they may cost more but nearly every game I play with gamepad support is already configured with 360 pad support, while other pads working properly are hit or miss.


Ok, now let me ask this. I actually hate hate hate playing in the fps perspective. Anyone playing in 3rd person view? What is that like?

BTW, I bought it like a sucker. Downloading it now, but may wait till I get the controller later today to start it.

[tyketime]

Ok, now let me ask this. I actually hate hate hate playing in the fps perspective. Anyone playing in 3rd person view? What is that like?

BTW, I bought it like a sucker. Downloading it now, but may wait till I get the controller later today to start it.
When I'm in tight quarters, I do switch to first person perspective. When I'm out in the real world, I go for the 3rd person view.

[Thomkal]

Ok, now let me ask this. I actually hate hate hate playing in the fps perspective. Anyone playing in 3rd person view? What is that like?

BTW, I bought it like a sucker. Downloading it now, but may wait till I get the controller later today to start it.

Welcome to the cult. :D

[mckerney]

For anyone who wants to play in full on hoarder mode, you can up your carry weight limit with this console command.

player.modav carryweight 9999

[mckerney]

Getting Skyrim Skytrim | Rock, Paper, Shotgun (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/11/11/getting-skyrim-skytrim/)

Changing FOV
My Documents -> My Games -> Skyrim -> skyrim
Create a backup of skyrim.ini
In Skyrim.ini add “fdefaultfov=xx”
Or from the console you can use the command "fov xx", better for testing the value you want, not 100% sure it saves after you exit though.


Also, graphics change from the RPS article.

Something you’ll also want to tweak if you have a reasonably meaty PC is self-shadowing, which means tall trees and the like cast shadows upon themselves – it adds rather a lot to outdoor scenes, making for a more integrated looking world. For this, you’ll want to edit SkyrimPrefs.ini: changing the 0s to 1s for Change bTreesReceiveShadows=0 and Change bDrawLandShadows=0.

[DaddyTorgo]

Now I'm really wavering on PC vs. PS3 version. I don't want to overheat my PC or anything...

[Apathetic Lurker]

I got Skyrim...Now i'm nervous about opening it and finding out either A)it doesnt work or B) it will be cheaper next week.....sigh

That and finding out im in SWTOR beta and in another beta this weekend is making my brain reach critical mass.......

[tyketime]

By looking at the readme.txt file, it indicated I could just plug in my xbox controller and it would work. I guess I'm late to the party because I didn't know that. My son just bought a new xbox wired controller. I plugged it into the USB Drive, and Skyrim automatically detected it. All buttons now correspond to xbox controller. So far (~ 10 minutes), I much prefer the controller. Could just be me getting used to mouse & keyboard, but since I have a choice, maybe I will end up with best of both - PC game version and xbox controller.

[tyketime]

I got Skyrim...Now i'm nervous about opening it and finding out either A)it doesnt work or B) it will be cheaper next week.....sigh

That and finding out im in SWTOR beta and in another beta this weekend is making my brain reach critical mass.......
I watched the pre-order prices, and there was very little savings to be found. I don't suspect you'll find it cheaper before Holiday deals start to kick in...

[tyketime]

Oh snap... Dragon 1, tyketime 0

[SackAttack]

Dragons? Ain't no thang.

Giants? *whimper*

[Scoobz0202]

I can't stop playing. I'll play for awhile then decide I'll quit, and an hour later I have to play again

[CrimsonFox]

Now I'm really wavering on PC vs. PS3 version. I don't want to overheat my PC or anything...

Then you've answered your own question.

Or dowhat I do and point a big fan at your computer. :)

[PraetorianX]

Dragons? Ain't no thang.

Giants? *whimper*

Agreed.

First time I made the mistake of running into a group of giants, I was looking around and they seemed to ignore me so I was like, okay, cool.

Then one of 'em took a swing at me and damn, he must have swatted me a mile down the road.

I just sat there like "WTF just happened?" Luckily they don't seem very interested in you as long as you don't stay near them too long.

[DeToxRox]

I creep around blasting people with the arrow. I was really far away and saw a figure in the distance. Figured I'd go for a long range kill. Well, turns out it was a Giant. Next thing I know I am flung fifty feet in the air.

[CrimsonFox]

I creep around blasting people with the arrow. I was really far away and saw a figure in the distance. Figured I'd go for a long range kill. Well, turns out it was a Giant. Next thing I know I am flung fifty feet in the air.

:lol::thumbsup::nono:

[Crapshoot]

Question folks - someone like me who hasn't played a lot of RPG's (but tends towards playing Bioware offerings - ie KOTOR may be my favorite game of all time, but loved KOTOR 2, enjoyed Dragon Age, was bleh at Dragon Age 2,) is this more old-school RPG-esque where your ratings / numbers actually matter, or is it the "action-RPG" type? Is there any sane reason for me not to get this given the other games I've enjoyed?

[CrimsonFox]

No there is not. Get it. You will love it.

[GrantDawg]

Ok, got an xbox controller (and boy am I glad), and playing. All I can say right now is "wow." Still have no idea what I am doing, and I know I am going to horrible at combat. But, wow.

[mckerney]

Now I'm really wavering on PC vs. PS3 version. I don't want to overheat my PC or anything...

Have there been reports of it overheating peoples PCs? I'm playing on a two year old laptop on high settings and it hasn't been runing hot.

[Bigsmooth]

Good gawd. Anybody else spend about 2 hours too long creeping around the Embershard Mine on the way to Riverwood right after the game starts? Hope it's okay to go at my own pace in that regard.

[mckerney]

I've spent most of my time so far exploring in and around the river, love that there's stuff to find underwater, and that some fish have eaten expensive gems. :)

I also really like the treasure maps. Found one on a bandit and was able to follow it to some nice loot. It's great that they're not so simple that it just adds a location to your map, but also not too obscure that you have little chance of finding it.

[TroyF]

Exactly what I thought this would be. I'm having a blast.

[DeToxRox]

Just joined the Dark Brotherhood. Feels really good.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Good gawd. Anybody else spend about 2 hours too long creeping around the Embershard Mine on the way to Riverwood right after the game starts? Hope it's okay to go at my own pace in that regard.

I was similarly tempted but managed to force myself to bypass it so early in the game ... but based on experiences with Oblivion and the last two Fallout games, I can't imagine it does you any harm.

That location is so obvious so early that I suspect it was almost planted there to provide exactly that sort of opportunity for those who were inclined to take it.

[SackAttack]

Good gawd. Anybody else spend about 2 hours too long creeping around the Embershard Mine on the way to Riverwood right after the game starts? Hope it's okay to go at my own pace in that regard.

I actually skipped it as I was trying to find the first NPC town, and the quests I've done since have just carried me right along. I keep meaning to go back.

[Izulde]

The fun factor for this game just in the first day I've been playing is already 10000000x better than Oblivion or Morrowind. In fact, the last time I enjoyed a game this much was probably the first Dragon Age.

[mckerney]

I've probably spent too much time catching animals, but I really think my bee business is close to taking off.

[Scoobz0202]

Have there been reports of it overheating peoples PCs? I'm playing on a two year old laptop on high settings and it hasn't been runing hot.

Not that I'm aware of.

[lighthousekeeper]

I've probably spent too much time catching animals, but I really think my bee business is close to taking off.

you mean there's more to this game than catching butterflies?

i don't think i really want to play an RPG but just want a good BPG (Botanist Playing Game)

[CrimsonFox]

I've probably spent too much time catching animals, but I really think my bee business is close to taking off.


Mckerney, the bee whisperer.

[Peregrine]

Yeah this game is so great, there's so much to do and the game is so gorgeous, I just love it. I knew you can catch bees, but can you really start a business?

Also, one amusing moment was in Embershard Mine - I didn't end up finding it until after I had done the Golden Claw mission, and had a funny moment - I was killing some bandits in there and there was a bandit archer taking potshots at me from a little bridge over the river. After I killed the melee guys I charged him - I don't know if it was a bug or a legitimate accident, but when I was charging him he turned to run across the bridge, then disappeared over the side, I heard a scream, and by the time I got there I saw his dead body on some rocks.

[CrimsonFox]

Yeah this game is so great, there's so much to do and the game is so gorgeous, I just love it. I knew you can catch bees, but can you really start a business?

Also, one amusing moment was in Embershard Mine - I didn't end up finding it until after I had done the Golden Claw mission, and had a funny moment - I was killing some bandits in there and there was a bandit archer taking potshots at me from a little bridge over the river. After I killed the melee guys I charged him - I don't know if it was a bug or a legitimate accident, but when I was charging him he turned to run across the bridge, then disappeared over the side, I heard a scream, and by the time I got there I saw his dead body on some rocks.


LOL! That is epic!

Mustn't run on mountains! Taint safe!


I'm wondering if this game will ever go on sale this holiday season. It's not like it NEEDS to. I'm wondering about Black Friday.

[RainMaker]

If I didn't play Oblivion or others, would I still be able to get into this? Or should I go back and play some other games first?

[Peregrine]

No, forget Oblivion - this is better anyway, and they have really streamlined the character system so it's easy to just go in and start playing.

[CrimsonFox]

Yeah none of their games have anything to do with each other storywise. They're just the same basic gameplay/concept/genre. The gameplay just gets better with each successive game so starting with skyrim will give you the most pleasure.

[Peregrine]

Has anyone figured out a way to have the game show you what diseases you have? I've gotten diseased and drank a few cure potions, but everyone keeps telling me I look sick.

[SackAttack]

Has anybody else found the book with the history of the Oblivion Crisis? :)

[SackAttack]

Has anyone figured out a way to have the game show you what diseases you have? I've gotten diseased and drank a few cure potions, but everyone keeps telling me I look sick.

Try getting some sleep with the character and see what they say then?

[Thomkal]

A couple links from PC Gamer-one on the number of concurrent Steam users playing Skyrim and another on some tweaks:

Skyrim reaches nearly 250,000 concurrent Steam users on day one, topples MW3 | PC Gamer (http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/11/12/skyrim-reaches-nearly-250000-concurrent-steam-users-on-day-one-topples-mw3/?ns_campaign=article-feed&ns_mchannel=ref&ns_source=steam&ns_linkname=0&ns_fee=0)

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim tweaks improve graphics, disable Vsync, change FOV and more | PC Gamer (http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/11/11/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-tweaks-improve-graphics-disable-vsync-change-fov-and-more/)

I have found a character type I can be somewhat comfortable with in combat-a dual casting mage, so have made my way into the Golden Claw quest-where I am now stuck. I find myself at an apparent dead end in a large cavern with a waterfall running down one side, into a small stream of water that runs through an iron gate-I open the gate and there's a small tunnel, but no apparant way of going forward from there-anyone have a clue where I should go from here? (you can put it in spoilers if you want)

And I somehow missed the Embershard Mine-I was following the NPC down the road to Riverwood and paying attention to what he was saying rather than looking around too much. :)

[Toddzilla]

This may be a stupid question but here goes.....

I'm more of a Civ, Portal, FM kinda guy. Would I like this game? I do play D&D every other Friday, so I've got that going for me, which is nice.

Also, PC or PS3 version?

Thanks!

[tyketime]

And I somehow missed the Embershard Mine-I was following the NPC down the road to Riverwood and paying attention to what he was saying rather than looking around too much. :)
Apparently I missed this as well. But that's part of what I already love about the game. Not a game on rails where you're guided from one thing to the next.

I find myself at an apparent dead end in a large cavern with a waterfall running down one side, into a small stream of water that runs through an iron gate-I open the gate and there's a small tunnel, but no apparant way of going forward from there-anyone have a clue where I should go from here? (you can put it in spoilers if you want)
When you pull the chain and the gate opens, I think you walk down the waterway for a bit, and I recall veering to the left to continue. Sorry I don't remember more specifically, but hope this points you in the right direction.

[Peregrine]

I'm really amazed by the variety of locations you can adventure in in this game - they seem to have really taken the criticism of Oblivion as too generic and repetitive to heart. For me there is a real immersiveness in this game - of course they had the advantage that Skyrim has crazy mountains and rivers, and a bunch of Nordic vikings, unlike the Imperial beauracrats of the last game.

[Galaril]

This may be a stupid question but here goes.....

I'm more of a Civ, Portal, FM kinda guy. Would I like this game? I do play D&D every other Friday, so I've got that going for me, which is nice.

Also, PC or PS3 version?

Thanks!

I would say you would like it if you like D&D going in knowing the game world with these games is always enormous and totally open with tons to do so you may or may not like that. I love that aspect as most. I would say definitely PC IF you have a 1GB or greater graphics card and a i7 processor prefefably the quad processor but the duo cores are ok it seems. I have been running it on a HP laptop I bought 3 years ago and it runs ok but does get real hot after 3-4 hours so I am even considering if I really like this of picking up a PS 3on black friday for this and a few other games that aren't on PC.

[CrimsonFox]

so I've got that going for me, which is nice.



Gungung gulunga!

[Shkspr]

Has anyone figured out a way to have the game show you what diseases you have? I've gotten diseased and drank a few cure potions, but everyone keeps telling me I look sick.

In the magic menu, check your active effects.

[mckerney]

Has anyone figured out a way to have the game show you what diseases you have? I've gotten diseased and drank a few cure potions, but everyone keeps telling me I look sick.

Go to the Magic screen where your spells are. Under the spell types like Conjuration and Destruction there's something like Current Statuses. I think when I had a disease it was shown as penalty to attacks and disease was shown by highlighting it.

Spoiler on diseases...
...if you're looking for a cheap cure and in Whiterun there's a small idol or shrine behind the loud preacher, if you activate it it will cure your diseases.

[lighthousekeeper]

does anyone know how to start a new game without sitting through the opening movie?

[mckerney]

does anyone know how to start a new game without sitting through the opening movie?

Quick Start at Skyrim Nexus - Skyrim Mods and community (http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=17)

[Drake]

A
I have found a character type I can be somewhat comfortable with in combat-a dual casting mage, so have made my way into the Golden Claw quest-where I am now stuck. I find myself at an apparent dead end in a large cavern with a waterfall running down one side, into a small stream of water that runs through an iron gate-I open the gate and there's a small tunnel, but no apparant way of going forward from there-anyone have a clue where I should go from here? (you can put it in spoilers if you want)


If you're where I think you are, you're at the top of the waterfall and there's like a land bridge at the bottom with a draugh patrolling it?

(Yeah, I died three different ways trying to jump off the waterfall.)

There's a tunnel down to the bridge off to your right. Hard to see until you know it's there.

[DeToxRox]

A couple links from PC Gamer-one on the number of concurrent Steam users playing Skyrim and another on some tweaks:

Skyrim reaches nearly 250,000 concurrent Steam users on day one, topples MW3 | PC Gamer (http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/11/12/skyrim-reaches-nearly-250000-concurrent-steam-users-on-day-one-topples-mw3/?ns_campaign=article-feed&ns_mchannel=ref&ns_source=steam&ns_linkname=0&ns_fee=0)

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim tweaks improve graphics, disable Vsync, change FOV and more | PC Gamer (http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/11/11/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-tweaks-improve-graphics-disable-vsync-change-fov-and-more/)

I have found a character type I can be somewhat comfortable with in combat-a dual casting mage, so have made my way into the Golden Claw quest-where I am now stuck. I find myself at an apparent dead end in a large cavern with a waterfall running down one side, into a small stream of water that runs through an iron gate-I open the gate and there's a small tunnel, but no apparant way of going forward from there-anyone have a clue where I should go from here? (you can put it in spoilers if you want)

And I somehow missed the Embershard Mine-I was following the NPC down the road to Riverwood and paying attention to what he was saying rather than looking around too much. :)

If I remember correctly, somewhere around the gate is a lever to open it. I don't recall there being a puzzle to solve for it. It might be a handcuff looking mechanism. I just remember it was in a dark area so I finally had to use my torch to find it.