The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

[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]

Originally Posted by 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.

Where the hell are your priorities?

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

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]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

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]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

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]

Originally Posted by TroyF

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]

Originally Posted by 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

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]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

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]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

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]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

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

Yep.

[tyketime]

Originally Posted by 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

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]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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

[TRO]

Originally Posted by 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.

So, are you naming the child Dovahkiin?

Bethesda Contest

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by sabotai

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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!

[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]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

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!

[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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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.

[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]

Originally Posted by Lonnie

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 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]

Originally Posted by CleBrownsfan

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.