Official Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim thread!

[rajpoot]

Everyone I've seen is complaining about the interface. Guess I'll have to wait to see until I get my copy.

[lars573]

Works very well with a controller but it is hideous using keyboard and mouse. On controller it is a flick of the thumb to go through it all.

Well it was designed to be used with one.

[Gregoshi]

Works very well with a controller but it is hideous using keyboard and mouse. On controller it is a flick of the thumb to go through it all.

This doesn't sound encouraging. One of my biggest complaints about console games is the controller - I suck with the controller and can't aim with them to save my lives.

[thefluffyone93]

Well, unless your sniping with arrows or spells, aiming should be much of a problem.
Just swing at the enemies general direction.

[Nelson]

This doesn't sound encouraging. One of my biggest complaints about console games is the controller - I suck with the controller and can't aim with them to save my lives.

Neither can I. It's an aquired skill that I will never aquire myself. I was planning to get this game but if they can't make the keyboard and mouse work on a PC, it ain't happening. Fighting some spring loaded constantly-trying-to-autocenter joystick contraption as I try to keep my aiming reticle on target is not my idea of fun. I want to fight the enemies, not the control interface.

[Beskar]

Neither can I. It's an aquired skill that I will never aquire myself. I was planning to get this game but if they can't make the keyboard and mouse work on a PC, it ain't happening. Fighting some spring loaded constantly-trying-to-autocenter joystick contraption as I try to keep my aiming reticle on target is not my idea of fun. I want to fight the enemies, not the control interface.

Oh, it isn't the combat I was referring to. It was the Menu's.

Keyboard/Mouse works fine enough for combat, it just a real pain when I comes through toggling through menus (which happens often).

For example, on the character creation part. the focus wasn't "sticking" to where it should be, so moving the sliders to change your character was a nightmare. Even when using the keyboard for the switching, you would use the mouse to turn your character at a different angle then the keyboard pressing seems to freeze, so you got to go from another menu option, then back again, so the keyboard part works right again.

It is those kind of difficulties I had, mostly.

[a completely inoffensive name]

This proves consoles have killed the days of truely epic gaming, I don't care if arena was generic it was still an epic game. The elder scrolls started on PC and should stay primary for PC and console second, what they are doing now, as in basically making a console game and then porting it to PC just does not do any justice to the series at all.

Larger land area != more epic.

[TinCow]

Too busy playing to make a long post, but I've been going at it all day and have dedicated my entire weekend to this game. So far, it's very good. Good graphics, easily the best combat system in any of the ES games, and the usual superb exploration fun of Bethsoft open world games. For once, I'm not upset with the loss of even more skills. I don't miss the ones that have been removed, and the addition of the 'perk' system actually gives back more customization than I think the loss of the skills takes away. This game also has the best crafting/alchemy/enchantment system of any of the ES games, IMHO.

So, far the only negatives I've encountered are that the menus are not good, and keyboard customization is even worse. Half the commands can't even be rebound from within the game, and some display incorrect tooltips.

[Monk]

Only have three complaints.

The interface is god-awful. Absolutely terrible with a keyboard and mouse and I wish there was a way to change it. Others have commented more on it.

Dialogue options are very strict, you are given one or two paths and not much else. The Witcher series does something similiar, you often only have investigative avenues, and then when it comes time to choose what to do, only a few options. I've been ruined by games wherein there always seemed to be more than one way to do something. It's not bad, really, but you'll wish you had more options in dealing with people.

The Main Story has terrible pacing and is overall pretty lackluster in the first part.

Everything else though is pretty solid and I am enjoying myself quite a bit. The side-quests are particularly fun, especially the warrior's guild quest line that had some surprising twists and turns, and was a real treat to play through. Similiarly, other side-quests have proven to be pretty far reaching, sending you to the far corners of Skyrim for whatever it is you're doing. If i had to give you any advice in playing this game, it'd be two-fold. Buy a horse at your first opportunity first off, and never use fast travel again. Ever. You will miss so much by zooming around everywhere.

Getting held up by bandits, freeing prisoners from the Imperials, stumbling on side-quests hidden in the wilderness, or simply staying at an inn and talking to the locals while you wait for day break so you can continue your journey. Thats where the real fun is to be had in Skyrim. The world is so engaging and rewarding to traverse that fast travel feels like i'm cheating myself out of the best part of the game.

[johnhughthom]

A few tweaks to improve PC Skyrim.

[Husar]

If i had to give you any advice in playing this game, it'd be two-fold. Buy a horse at your first opportunity first off, and never use fast travel again. Ever. You will miss so much by zooming around everywhere.

Does the game world load in the background or do you hit invisible borders where it reloads and then you can move on?

[Monk]

Does the game world load in the background or do you hit invisible borders where it reloads and then you can move on?

It loads in the background. It's pretty seamless really. When you do hit load screens (in and out of dungeons, ect) they are incredibly quick. My cpu is modest and honestly nothing special, and still they only last for 1-2 seconds for me. Technically Skyrim is pretty amazing.

[Drunk Clown]

It took me a while to figure out you can "favorite" your weapons. Having it under Q makes it better, but it's still a drag.

I also wonder how you can lift a body/object. In Oblivion and Fallout 3 this was done with Z, however Z is a shout in this game.

Anyone knows?

[econ21]

I also wonder how you can lift a body/object. In Oblivion and Fallout 3 this was done with Z, however Z is a shout in this game.

Anyone knows?

On the PC, hold down the E button, I think.

[Husar]

Technically Skyrim is pretty amazing.

Actually I just wanted to know whether it had picked up to what Gothic already did in 2001...

That includes day and night cycles, dynamic weather, the seamless world, fully spoken dialogues and probably some things I'm forgetting right now.
Another reason I skipped Oblivion was enemies that level with you, I hear that's out as well?

[Monk]

Actually I just wanted to know whether it had picked up to what Gothic already did in 2001...

I was more referring to how nice it works in comparison to how nice it looks, which i was building to in my last two sentences. But lets not get caught up in details, i guess.

[rajpoot]

Another reason I skipped Oblivion was enemies that level with you, I hear that's out as well?

It has been toned down. More like Fallout 3 now. Some places are for low level characters some for higher level. Enemies strength will depend on player but only to a certain limit. For instance you won't find easy dragons when you're level 1, and neither will you find killer rats at level 10.

I installed the game this morning but didn't have time to fire it up. Let's hope it runs smoothly. My rig is pretty dated.

[Husar]

I was more referring to how nice it works in comparison to how nice it looks, which i was building to in my last two sentences. But lets not get caught up in details, i guess.

I only find that amusing because they had a trailer where they praised these things like they were oh so innovative or something.

At the moment I can't get Skyrim anyway but I'm considering to get it once it's a little cheaper and complete (DLC).

Thanks for the answers, you may go on now.

[Fragony]

This doesn't sound encouraging. One of my biggest complaints about console games is the controller - I suck with the controller and can't aim with them to save my lives.

Half an hour of trying should be enough to come to terms with it, try flipping the y-axis if it feels weird, that's usually the problem

[econ21]

One thing so far that is an improvement on earlier titles is the quality of the NPCs you meet in the world. The ceaseless "yes, dunmer?" comments from them in Morrowind became one of the most immersion breaking things in an otherwise very vivid alternative world. In Oblivion, the NPC dialogue and characterisation got better, but was undermined by the abysmal voice acting. In Skyrim, I am really liking the voice acting and the things that the NPCs say, while not of the depth of a Bioware game, are quite interesting. Lots of backstory, politics and varied personal motivations that so far is doing a very good job of immersing me in the world.

On the negative side, I am getting quite a lot of crashes in the game. My computer is good enough to have been picked for high quality settings, but the game hard crashes at quite unpredictable points (it's not like it is failing to cope with a large number of NPCs, spell effects or whatever - it just seemingly randomly fails).

[Beskar]

My Xbox copy arrived. It is a big downsize in graphics quality compared to PC version I played which is unfortunate, but they are pretty good overall.

[naut]

My brother kindly let me play for 2 hours.

It's very pretty, very polished, in fact I'd say gorgeous. The combat is decent, especially on the hardest settings, takes some getting used to though (keep over shooting and missing my enemies). The kill moves though, they kill the immersion, very, very tedious and annoying. The UI sucks - period. The dialogue isn't exactly bad, but it certainly isn't enjoyable, I could only describe it as Asperger-esque, random transitions, abrupt changes, etc. The quests so far are also abrupt: Walk into building, "Hi! Here's zero context, but do this for me!". Why am I doing these quests? Please give me some form of information to flesh out this world of yours. Which brings me to the game-world, love the setting, yet it feels so soulless and empty, I find it impossible to get immersed or enthralled by the game world, almost the exact opposite of Fallout, a game that sucked me in completely. This one, well it feels clinical and almost dull. In true Bethesda fashion an excellent amount of bugs and glitches, but that's to be expected these days.

So in summary, it's beautiful, but, um, I guess retarded is the most accurate adjective. Did I enjoy what I played so far? Kinda yes. Would I play more? No, and if I did want to it would only be at such time that there are mods to breath life into the game-world and fixes for the bugs.

[Beskar]

The dialogue isn't exactly bad, but it certainly isn't enjoyable, I could only describe it as Asperger-esque, random transitions, abrupt changes, etc.

It isn't that bad. There are only a few cases where you can tell the voice actor read it from a card out of context and they were unsure of how to express the line, but generally, it is ok.

The quests so far are also abrupt: Walk into building, "Hi! Here's zero context, but do this for me!". Why am I doing these quests? Please give me some form of information to flesh out this world of yours.

I am unsure what you are talking about here. If anything, they don't seem to shut-up about giving me information to flesh out the world. As much as I enjoy finding out how two NPC families absolutely hate each others gut and how they used to be close-friends, before the whole civil war broke out and they chose separate sides, one for tradition, the other for honour and how Skyrim has always been part of the Empire and it was built on the blood of the Nords. This is just the tip of the iceberg from the masses of different stories, side-gossip and all you come across. If you go through the options as well, you can get information overkill. I have to admit, I love the information overkill, it ended up really changing my mind from some first impressions into the game, and those impressions keep changing as you hear different sides and different views. The immersion is there.

Which brings me to the game-world, love the setting, yet it feels so soulless and empty, I find it impossible to get immersed or enthralled by the game world, almost the exact opposite of Fallout, a game that sucked me in completely. This one, well it feels clinical and almost dull. In true Bethesda fashion an excellent amount of bugs and glitches, but that's to be expected these days.

So in summary, it's beautiful, but, um, I guess retarded is the most accurate adjective. Did I enjoy what I played so far? Kinda yes. Would I play more? No, and if I did want to it would only be at such time that there are mods to breath life into the game-world and fixes for the bugs.

There is a couple of bugs but I am confident they will get ironed out. But I oppose your statement and say there is life in the game-world.

[JagRoss]

Are you noticing large loading times on the Xbox version?
I remember reading a blog post complaining about the loading times on Xbox.

[Beskar]

Are you noticing large loading times on the Xbox version?
I remember reading a blog post complaining about the loading times on Xbox.

They are longer than the PC version, whereas on the PC version they were a couple of seconds, they are a few seconds on the Xbox. No where near Dragonage 2-esque though

Edit: Installing the game onto the harddrive sped up the loading times.

[Drunk Clown]

Finally, magic is done right.

It feels great.

In previous ES games the destruction skill was so petty.
Magic in this game.. it's epic. I even want to be a mage, unlike in Oblivion and Morrowind where I hated being a mage.

Anyone tried the spell blizzard? I was impressed.

[rajpoot]

Fus Ro Dah

You click on that button enough times and you'll actually start believing in it. I know. I've been doing it since over ten minutes.

[Beskar]

Here is mobile phone picture of the pre-order map. It is printed on high quality paper.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Edit: Another mobile phone picture of my Shield-Maiden

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The women in the game look pretty realistic. The warrior types look like they are warriors, the old hags look like old hags, the dairygirl looks like a dairygirl. None of them seem to suffer from "Porn Star" syndrome neither.

[Slyspy]

Maybe, but in Oblivion (and Morrowind?) you could make up your own spells which were almost always better than the stock ones.

[Kekvit Irae]

Short, collected thoughts:

Elves look uglier than in Oblivion. I never thought it would be possible for them to do that, but they did. If another Elder Scrolls game comes out, I'm betting all elves will look like Amy Winehouse.

RIP Stats, hotkeys, and the spell maker.

I do enjoy the wide variety of perks.

Slow motion critical melee kills return from Fallout 3 and NV. NO NO NO NO NO NO NO! Thankfully, there's a mod for that.

Alchemy, once again makes its return virtually untouched. This is good. This is very good.

You have no control over character creation except for sex, race, and name. LAME.

If you are a melee character, be prepared to fall off a LOT of cliffs due to your stupid power attacks.

Dual-wielding combat, one of the major focus points of the game's marketing, is nothing to write home about. It is neither good nor bad. Just mediocre.

Cyrodiil, being the seat of the Empire, was extremely cosmopolitan. The cities all looked wonderfully different. Skyrim cities look the same, no matter where you go.

Dragons are pathetically easy. I found more challenge in fighting a random giant than I did with the two dragons I have thus far encountered.