Skyrim V: Skyrim

[NineThePuma]

Being someone who likes basing his characters in non-standard cities, I've found that Morthal lacks a general shop (and a black smith) while Ivarstead has no shops whatsoever. It's irritating to have to book it over to, say, whiterun when all I want is to dump off the crap I picked up trawling through a dungeon

[Avilan the Grey]

For now I have decided to forgo the bound bow. The main reasons are A) I don't want to grind Conguration and B) If my memory is correct one downside with it is that if you have to summon it anywhere close to an enemy, there is a HIGH risk they will notice you.

[Triaxx]

Yeah, you need the Illusion perk for silent casting, which is half-way up the bloody tree.

I like to bring a normal bow mostly, and break out the Bound one only for the purposes of sniping heavy hitters, like Bandit Thugs, or Outlaws.

[DigoDragon]

Originally Posted by Avilan the Grey

Even if you don't grind it, it is a good way to make money early on.

Yes, this is true. It was a nice way of encouraging me to explore the forests around Riverwood. Those pelts were fuzzy gold!

Originally Posted by Triaxx

If you're on PC, SkyUI, which is basically a requirement, has the option to sort by value/weight by clicking the column.

I think I'm the only PC player left who hasn't installed SkyUI yet.

[SlyGuyMcFly]

Originally Posted by The_Jackal

I've never had so much as a hiccup when I play Skyrim in combat, though my system is admittedly defense-budget expensive. What's your current hardware setup?

I was playing with a below-minimum spec graphics card (nvidia 8600gt). I'd forgotten that that was before I upgraded to a newer 1 gig card. The game auto-set itself to medium settings and is running smoothly now.

[super dark33]

Konahrik is the best.
and there is nothing more to say on the matter.

[TheEmerged]

You won't have to grind conjuration. It practically levels itself. Summon a weapon with enemies around? Skillup. Do damage with a conjured weapon? Skillup. Get your hands on the Transmute spell? Hellooooooo skillups, money, blacksmithing skillups, and enchant fodder.

[Avilan the Grey]

Originally Posted by TheEmerged

You won't have to grind conjuration. It practically levels itself. Summon a weapon with enemies around? Skillup. Do damage with a conjured weapon? Skillup. Get your hands on the Transmute spell? Hellooooooo skillups, money, blacksmithing skillups, and enchant fodder.

Yes, but this negates sneak. I am a sniper and a thief, even if I use magic. This means I cannot get the skillup for summoning the weapon in the precense of an enemy, since if I do that, my sneak breaks and I am detected. I have to summon it with nobody around...

[wiimanclassic]

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/24445
SPERG is the best perk mod I can think of, granted it is not compatible with other mods that change perks or ASIS, although the ASIS the part is going to be fixed later appearntly. For now just make sure ASIS doesn't use SPERG.

It's really nice getting some of the filler perks(50% cost on xth level spells or 20%more bow damage) as your skill goes up so you can spend your perks on things that matter. The new perks added are also cool.

[NineThePuma]

I use Perky, as I feel like it offers more. And it really does. There are tons of options with this tool, and it's a great thing.

I combine it with CCO and Live Another Life for maximum "variety" in terms of what I do.

[CreganTur]

I'm playing on the 360 and I just wish that there was something else I could spend my dragon souls on. I've already got every shout, so what good do the 14 souls I'm currently hoarding do me?

[Triaxx]

I like Random Alternate Start over LAL. I still like to have the shouts and dragons, but I'm sick and tired of Helgen. I can still ignore it if I like though.

[Tychris1]

Originally Posted by CreganTur

I'm playing on the 360 and I just wish that there was something else I could spend my dragon souls on. I've already got every shout, so what good do the 14 souls I'm currently hoarding do me?

Shove them into soul gems?

Oh wait, Dragons are too epic leetz to be of any use aside from annoying fly by attacks and camping at spots waiting to attack the Dovahkiin like goofy Saturday morning cartoon mooks.

[Avilan the Grey]

There is an official Face Sculptor now? I assume he came with the DLC?
Perfect... I am not satisfied with the mouth area and I want to switch warpaint. And I am going to Riften anyway...!

[Triaxx]

Yes, he was added by Dawnguard. No go if you're a vampire though.

Honestly, I'm surprised it took them this long. They remembered it with Pinkerton in Fallout 3, but not in Skyrim. Think Bethesda. Yeesh.

[Avilan the Grey]

okay, so, thanks to the face sculptor my path has been set for me. I was trying to decide if I should do the college or the thief guild first... Thief guild it is. At least until it is nightingale time, I don't want to get that armor too early.

I think I start that quest until I get a little bit on the way, then go do the college... Then we'll see.

[super dark33]

I wonder how they will resolve the plot for TES7.

Either vampires or dawnguard, stormcloaks or imperials,
These are 4 endings!

[Avilan the Grey]

Originally Posted by super dark33

I wonder how they will resolve the plot for TES7.

Either vampires or dawnguard, stormcloaks or imperials,
These are 4 endings!

Continuity is not a problem. All of it happened. And none of it. It's the way the world works.

[Triaxx]

It's actually part of the lore, and is called a Dragon Break. Or alternately, one of the games.

[Avilan the Grey]

Originally Posted by Triaxx

It's actually part of the lore, and is called a Dragon Break. Or alternately, one of the games.

Exactly my point.

Hey, anyone has an idea of best companion for me? I am right now running with whatserhname, the dark elf mercenary from the Drunken Huntsman.

Btw, has more people than me noticed that there is a problem getting companions to use bows after the last patch? Or is that a mod thing? If I have given them any kind of melee weapon that gives more damage than their bow, they won't use the bow.

[karpik777]

Originally Posted by super dark33

Either vampires or dawnguard, stormcloaks or imperials,
These are 4 endings!

The first two aren't a problem

Spoiler

they'll probably mention the prophecy and Harkon's death, saying the bow got lost/returned to the Lost Vale - so no artificial eclipses

The civil war is a more likely reason for a Dragon Break - I won't mind reading about the new High King Tulius Stormcloak ;)

[Calemyr]

You know, I originally felt stupid for buying it, but Hearthfires has given me my favorite home yet. The Lakeview Estate in Falkreath hold is in a pretty location, popular with kids, and pretty much at the center of everything. Also, with the right wings (I always go Bedroom, Alchemy, Armory), you can have up to 3 double beds, 4 single beds, and a coffin (I think. I've seen it in pictures, but never seen the option to make the coffin - probably have to be a vampire). In short, bedding for 10 people and a vampire. So I like to use My Home Is Your Home to build my own version of the Blades, only this time place them in a more comfortable environment and only recruit people interested in helping the Dovahkiin rather than trying to blackmail their supposed leader into furthering their agenda.

It's only a shame that there aren't any marriable female characters that are actually interesting. Serana refuses (more because she doesn't believe she deserves it than because she doesn't want to) and lacks any VA to change that. Vilja and Ceri supposedly will have the option in the distant future, but I doubt even Skyrim will last that long. Bah.

As for good and easy companions, I've made this list before but here are my favorites:

Spoiler

Easy: Requires a quest or two, but nothing taxing.

Lydia: Yeah, an obvious answer, but she's the obvious answer because she only canon follower a successful Dovahkiin has. It doesn't hurt that she's also a solid tank, has a pleasant voice, and even in the vanilla game has a decent face. Not good for a sneak, but a superb bodyguard for the less-than-subtle.

Erik: Costs a little money (he's a merc, and the quest to unlock him requires a speech check), but he's a very good skirmisher. Good with light armor and pretty much any weapon (though primarily 2-handers). He's also quite talkative and views the world of adventure with the proper awe of the neophyte. (Found in Rorikstead at the inn)

Aranea Ienith: The real perk for purifying Azura's Star. Aranea is a magical powerhouse that can be gotten for the easy asking price of a level 2 quest that most people will want to do ASAP anyway. She becomes REALLY nasty if you have Ultimate Follower Overhaul, which allows you to teach her more spells and sets all followers' level caps to 100, but she starts with all the good offensive frost and lightning spells in any case.

Serana (Dawnguard): Serana is probably my favorite non-mod follower in the game. She's essential, favors destruction (frost) and 1-handed weaponry, abuses the hell out of necromancy, and is actually quite pleasant company for a blood-sucker. She's also one of the very few people who really forms any sort of real connection with the Dovahkiin, siding with you every time she's forced to choose regardless of emotional or physical risk.

Challenging: Requires the completion of an entire arc - usually a guild or something.

Aela: Aela is a pain to unlock, but she is very, very good at what she does: sneaking and archery. She's just about the perfect follower for a stealthy player, if it didn't take so much effort to unlock her. (Companions Guild)

J'Zargo: Okay, this guy is your best friend if you are playing on a console, because the guy by default has no level cap (Only Dark Brotherhood Initiates and a few members from the Dawnguard faction share that distinction), so he never falls behind. He doesn't have any expert level spells, however, unlike Aranea.

Ingjard (Dawnguard): Like J'Zargo, Ingjard has no level cap, meaning she never falls behind. Unlike J'Zargo, she's a Heavy (Heavy armor, 2-handed weapons), which means she can make good use of the Giant Club if you find it. Like anything Dawnguard, she is not marriable.

Modded: Available at skyrimnexus.com but not in the vanilla game.

Lylvieve Sisters: I have a hard time really recommending this one because of its adult elements (you can sleep with both sisters - no visuals, but sound is included), but I have to admit the sisters are good followers - an archer and a spellsword, both with good stealth. They both make good use of samples from the "Eager Young" voice set (used by such as Camilla Valerius) to tell their story - which surprisingly exists, at least in Julienne's case. Both are marriable (although Nanette will divorce you if you cheat on her).

Vilja: Vilja is Vilja. The Scandanavian Sweetheart from Solstheim is back in all her heavily accented glory. The girl has a lot to say (and a lot of sense, when you think about much of what she says), a lengthy personal quest line, and a lot more interaction with her environment. She comments on current quests (both hers and vanilla), can chat up Lydia, Aela, and Farkas, and can be set to behave like Serana - using any idle markers around her rather than standing at attention at all times. The voice acting of her supporting cast is kinda weak (although pleasantly present) and she is never going to be the heavy hitter of your group, but she adds a lot more to the game than any vanilla follower does. Supposedly will be marriable, but Talos knows when that will be.

Cerwiden: I have mixed feelings about Ceri. I don't like that she isn't lore friendly (she tries to be, but only in a stranger-from-another-world-land sort of way), and insists on worshiping a "Lord Donblas" rather than anything local. That said, she's probably the most useful follower, functionally, that I've ever used. Intelligent use of spellcasting, including heals and cure disease spells, makes her a godsend for non-werewolves who want to stay true to the Dawnguard in that DLC. Her voice isn't consistent with the rest of Skyrim (probably why she's depicted as foreign), but accent consistency in an Elder Scrolls game is a laughable concept to begin with. Like Vilja she is slated to be marriable, but is currently doing her part to keep the "interesting spouses" count to zero.

Hoth: I like Hoth. I really do. He looks cool, he sounds cool, he even has cool features. He just has no option to recruit him no matter what I do. So this mod currently does nothing for me but give Morthal its own resident badass.

[Triaxx]

Ceri should be marriagable in version 1.8, which is the next one.

My problem with Vilja is that she NEVER SHUTS UP. No matter how little I tell her to talk, or how often I do it, she just, won't STOP. And while the accent was cool at first, after a while I just can't stand it. She's taken flight more than any other follower. Not even Lydia has been blown off as many cliffs.

[Farix]

So I got back into Skyrim a few days ago and I've been enjoying it, been playing a straight sneaky destro build. Was running through a nord ruin yesterday when I got winged by a poison dart trap (nothin unusual). Made it through the rest of the dungeon, killed the dragon priest at the end, and left to fast travel back to sell my stuff when I got the message "You cannot fast travel while taking health damage." I checked active effects and found out that I'd been poisoned for 2 damage every second...for 32410 seconds (9 hours)... So now I'm screwed, can't fast travel, can't wait, can't rest and I don't have a save from before that's not 3 hours behind. Good news is my Restorations gone through the roof

[Avilan the Grey]

Well I uninstalled UFO to see if followers will use bows without it. Otherwise it goes right back in.

[Avilan the Grey]

(I have come to the conclusion that UFO, by giving "better" AI to the followers, make them too dependant on stats instead of situation, meaning they won't use a bow in ANY situation unless it can damage an enemy more than their melee weapon. KNOWING this however makes me want to reinstall it, and just adjust my "gifts" so that say Fendal only gets a good bow and an iron dagger).

This morning I ran into the hired thugs. I am way too low level to handle that, so I shot one of them in the chest, cried like a little girl and ran off while my mercenary friend killed them. What surprised me was that there were only two of them, not three, but that might have had something to do with the lowl level I am (lvl 4).

I got very good loot from them though.

[Triaxx]

That's pretty much how it works. I spent two hours jaunting about Windhelm with Open Cities, trying to get rid of some thugs that were after me. Finally got one by using Fury on him so he'd attack a guard and then was able to deal with the other two by a combination of running like a mad lizard and shooting the other one as he tried to swim across the river to get me. Hard to block arrows when you're fighting the current.

Never run into two. One must have gotten eaten by something.

[Flickerdart]

Dawnguard for $10 today on Steam. Is it worth it?

[The_Jackal]

I thought so. Plus, Hearthfire is also 50% off as well. I bought both, for myself and for my girl. Probably the only black friday shopping I'll do this year.

[Flickerdart]

Does Hearthfire let you build a house anywhere, or in preprogrammed locations, and does it come with quests?