The Elder Scrolls XV: This is my Thu'um Stick

[Vinyadan]

For future reference, does anyone know if old edition Skyrim saves are compatible with the special edition?

[Caelestion]

Unmodded LE saves should be compatible with SE saves, but not modded LE saves.

[LibraryOgre]

I am not sure which mod is doing it, but all the containers have been replaced with yellow fields.

[Rynjin]

I am not sure which mod is doing it, but all the containers have been replaced with yellow fields.

Oscuro's, probably. I had a lot of issues with it so I stopped using it.

I made an article for work about Oblivion mods yesterday since your post reminded me it was in the backlog but I'm not sure how kosher it is to post stuff from other websites in that context here and I'm too lazy to retype all of them.

[Balmas]

Hmm. After watching the latest video from Mitten Squad, I'm kinda considering doing a runthrough of Skyrim with shouts as my only source of damage. It'd be almost a pure mage playthrough; besides Speech for more powerful shouts, he'd be focused on Alteration and Illusion, with enchanting and alchemy to help him survive. Don't know how I'd roleplay it; maybe a Breton clothes horse who simply refuses to get blood on his clothes?

The only issue is that I still have the Chadwick playthrough hanging over my head; while I want to give him a resolution, he's hit the point in the Skyrim power curve where it's no longer fun to play him. He's a steamroller in human form.

[Caelestion]

I am not sure which mod is doing it, but all the containers have been replaced with yellow fields.

That means you're missing meshes for some things (or that the meshes have been misnamed).

[Triaxx]

If I recall correctly there are one of two reasons for the Yellow Triangles. First is that Oscuro's didn't install quite correctly, and it's fairly likely. That's an annoying procress. Second is that you might need to toggle archive invalidation off and then back on. Oblivion was more sensitive to that than later games.

[DigoDragon]

My adopted daughter Lucia somehow got herself stuck inside a weapon case. I couldn't get her out, so I just closed the case and she sank through the floor. About 3 minutes later she fased through the wall in the basement and is totally fine again. Um... not sure if proud, concerned... maybe both...?

(I love the little glitches in this game)

[LibraryOgre]

So, according to a thing on Tumblr (which I can't access from work), the settlment creation system from Fallout 4 was originally slated for Skyrim.

[Rynjin]

That makes sense; Skyrim had a LOT of planned content cut (most notably the Civil War was meant to be the biggest and most important questline). IIRC Hearthfire is a DLC made of unfinished content that was meant to be in the base game.

[Divayth Fyr]

Not really. Hearthfire is largely packing up and polishing what some of the devs did as a part of the Game Jam.

[Resileaf]

It's so sad they could never make the civil war work out and that it was just too buggy and ended up having to gut it and make it what we got instead. What could have been...

[halfeye]

It's so sad they could never make the civil war work out and that it was just too buggy and ended up having to gut it and make it what we got instead. What could have been...

Sounds horrible. I hated the Sid Meier's Civilisation lite aspect of Fallout 4.

[veti]

It's so sad they could never make the civil war work out and that it was just too buggy and ended up having to gut it and make it what we got instead. What could have been...

I'm quite glad of it, myself. I detest both sides in the Civil War, and would resent having to support one in order to get the most out of the game.

[Resileaf]

I'm quite glad of it, myself. I detest both sides in the Civil War, and would resent having to support one in order to get the most out of the game.

Well that's a story problem, not a gameplay one.

[Rynjin]

I'm quite glad of it, myself. I detest both sides in the Civil War, and would resent having to support one in order to get the most out of the game.

I mean part of the cut content were options that ensured both/neither sides would win, so not an issue.

[Vinyadan]

Unmodded LE saves should be compatible with SE saves, but not modded LE saves.

OK, thanks!

That makes sense; Skyrim had a LOT of planned content cut (most notably the Civil War was meant to be the biggest and most important questline). IIRC Hearthfire is a DLC made of unfinished content that was meant to be in the base game.

That explains why it felt so weird. For a while, I was convinced I was playing a mod. And it didn't have any effect, anyway, because no king was elected: we were still waiting for that council in the end. From a narrative point of view, it left me really puzzled. Zero payback. Even the crown -- actually a pretty good helm -- was never seen again. And the new jarls didn't have the decency to dress like one.

[Balmas]

Well, I've started a new playthrough. Mercury ventures forth into Mundus with magicks magnificent, finery fantastic, alchemy to astound... and the rough musculature of a twig. As such, he can cast with the best of them, but asking him to wear armor or swing sharp metal sticks is just not in the cards.

I have to say, playing a pure mage is a very different experience than I'm accustomed to, especially on master difficulty. Normally, by level 5, I can tank a few hits, and sword-and-board means I can usually whittle enemies into submission with no problem. As a mage, though, any hit will knacker my health, so I've been playing keep-away with summons, Fus-ing enemies as needed to summon more. It's a very different playstyle, and I'm kinda digging being a total glass cannon.

[DigoDragon]

I'm quite glad of it, myself. I detest both sides in the Civil War, and would resent having to support one in order to get the most out of the game.

Hmm, an independent third option would be neat. Worked for New Vegas quite well. Who would be our "Yes Man" for Skyrim tho...?

[Lord Raziere]

Hmm, an independent third option would be neat. Worked for New Vegas quite well. Who would be our "Yes Man" for Skyrim tho...?

Hm.

well just to spitball.....

the Greybeards or Paarthurnax since they're not political guys, could be good ones. after all, first emperor like, went to the greybeards or something as well, and they're just concerned with you using your power responsibly and if your objection to both factions is that neither is morally right and both should shape up, I don't see the Greybeards being against you. I don't see them helping you other than advice, but Paarthurnax and his dragons could be your robot army.

I could see Miraak being our checkered suit man, some Thalmor head honcho being the evil corporation guy,which you give you two completely evil options to join as well.

or the College of Winterhold using that Ol' Eye of Magnus to do something, maybe say screw the Psijic Order to actually use the Eye for something?

or just take the Blades, and like, go on a quest to like, repurpose those stupid Dwemer ruins lying about eternally producing new automatons for themselves to like, kick out the Thalmor and such.

Balgruuf strikes me as a relatively neutral guy who was like, chill with the Dragonborn doing crazy things and actually solving that dragon problem, so it doesn't seem out of bounds to me that some really persuasive dragonborn could persuade him to become some third faction for a more reasonable Skyrim.

maybe you can get the option of sparing Alduin and he like, becomes okay with you as long as like, he gets to cause destruction and takes names like a badass or something while you command him to get rid of whatever you want.

[Vinyadan]

Been a while since I played Oblivion, but the three ones I recall the most are:

Francescos Creatures and Items - dramatically changes (improves IMO) the whole everything "levels with player" aspect of the game
OblivionXP - swaps out the usual elder scrolls leveling system for an XP-based one. Purely a matter of taste, obviously, but I found it helpful in Oblivion because it ensures you don't have to worry about running and jumping too much leveling you up.
Midas Magic - adds a lot of new and very different spells.

Make sure to give the watermelon atronach a spin!

Hmm, an independent third option would be neat. Worked for New Vegas quite well. Who would be our "Yes Man" for Skyrim tho...?

Paarthurnax. Take that, Dumb Blades!

Or Potema. Or that priest of the Vomiting Church of Peryite.

Or Randy Savage.

[Keltest]

Hmm, an independent third option would be neat. Worked for New Vegas quite well. Who would be our "Yes Man" for Skyrim tho...?

I could see Balgruuf heading up a "lets stop being bloody morons for two minutes please" faction in the civil war if the Dragonborn offered their support.

Having said that, ultimately I think that faction would end up largely indistinguishable from an Imperial victory anyway. As much as the Imperials can be nasty at times, anything short of unity with them leaves both the Empire and Skyrim isolated and vulnerable to a Dominion invasion.

I'd take it every time though if it let me kill Maven Blackbriar.

[veti]

I could see Balgruuf heading up a "lets stop being bloody morons for two minutes please" faction in the civil war if the Dragonborn offered their support.

Having said that, ultimately I think that faction would end up largely indistinguishable from an Imperial victory anyway.

Possibly, but I'd have no problem with the imperials if they weren't bloody morons.

My personal resolution to the Civil War would be to use my own authority as Dragonborn, Harbinger and Archmage, allied to the Greybeards if that's not enough already, to call a moot and have it elect a new king. And Tullius and Elenwen don't get invited.

[Keltest]

Possibly, but I'd have no problem with the imperials if they weren't bloody morons.

My personal resolution to the Civil War would be to use my own authority as Dragonborn, Harbinger and Archmage, allied to the Greybeards if that's not enough already, to call a moot and have it elect a new king. And Tullius and Elenwen don't get invited.

Ulfric's legitimacy as a jarl is a big problem there. Most of the imperial-siding jarls don't recognize him or his authority after he murdered Torygg, and Ulfric knows it. Without resolving that one way or another, the moot is a largely meaningless gesture as the losing side simply wont recognize the proceedings. Heck, he specifically calls out that the moot would be more or less deadlocked until one side's jarls are removed.

[veti]

Ulfric's legitimacy as a jarl is a big problem there. Most of the imperial-siding jarls don't recognize him or his authority after he murdered Torygg, and Ulfric knows it.

They don't accept his authority as king, but I don't hear anyone disputing his position as jarl of Windhelm. Heck, even Tullius allows him that. And as far as I know, there's no allowance in Skyrim law for jarls to interfere in the internal affairs of holds other than their own. If they don't want him to be king, that's easy - all they have to do is put up a candidate of their own who would attract enough votes to win.

It wouldn't be Elisif. But the jarl of Whiterun could probably swing it.

[Triaxx]

Trouble is... by Skyrim's standards Ulfric is not a murderer for killing Torygg. Only by imperial measure.

As for a civil war resolution alternative? Balgruuf accepts Ulfric's Axe, and the war becomes a diplomatic event, with you flipping cities once you become Thane. (Or rather having the option to do so.) There's still a grand assault on Solitude, but Elisif intervene's to save Tullius.

In exchange for a peaceful withdrawal of excess forces, Skyrim get's status similar to Morrowind. It's own laws and leadership, and religion, in exchange for continuing to send troops to the legion. And because I like the Thought, Elenwen turns up whine about it, and Riika cuts her head off.

[factotum]

so I've been playing keep-away with summons, Fus-ing enemies as needed to summon more. It's a very different playstyle, and I'm kinda digging being a total glass cannon.

Well, unless you're playing modded, that will rapidly turn into a total glass pea-shooter, given the way magic doesn't scale in vanilla Skyrim.

[Triaxx]

I vanilla you just let your summons tank, while you sit and use Impact to perma-stun everything.

[Keltest]

Trouble is... by Skyrim's standards Ulfric is not a murderer for killing Torygg. Only by imperial measure.

As for a civil war resolution alternative? Balgruuf accepts Ulfric's Axe, and the war becomes a diplomatic event, with you flipping cities once you become Thane. (Or rather having the option to do so.) There's still a grand assault on Solitude, but Elisif intervene's to save Tullius.

In exchange for a peaceful withdrawal of excess forces, Skyrim get's status similar to Morrowind. It's own laws and leadership, and religion, in exchange for continuing to send troops to the legion. And because I like the Thought, Elenwen turns up whine about it, and Riika cuts her head off.

The fact that half the jarls sided with the imperials would suggest that he is a murderer and traitor by Skyrim's standards as well.

[Vinyadan]

This kind of cultural difference between Skyrim and the Empire is rather odd, though. The Empire ruled Skyrim for what, 500 years? And Imperial values would have bled into Nord society through many sources, like priests and those who served in the Emperor's army.

Although I assume that defunct traditions can be revived (or semi-invented) by a political leader if they fit his interest.