Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

[eldargal]

So, my brothers bought me a copy of Skyrim even though I didn't like Oblivion, and now I'm hooked. Even though I do stupid things like ride my horse off that really tall mountain with the Greybeards on and spend like 5 minutes bouncing off rocks.

I've noticed a few other people talking about it, so, who else is hooked? I'm only at level 5 at the moment. As I only played Oblivion for a few hours I really have no idea of the worlds backstory but it seems nice enough. I think this is the first open world rpg I've played since Arcanum.

[Kieranator K82]

I can give you a rundown on what's happened in the 200 years since Oblivion (Spoilers for the ending of Oblivion):

When Martin Septim sacrificed himself to send Mehrunes Dagon back to Oblivion, the Septim Dynasty died with him. Thus ended the Third Era.

Soon after the start of the Fourth Era, Red Mountain exploded, destroying the province of Vvardenfell in Morrowind.

Black Marsh, the land of the Argonians, secedes from the Empire, followed by Elsweyr home of the Khajiit. The Argonians invaded Southern Morrowind.

Titus Mede is crowned Emperor, by conquest.

The Thalnor, an Altmer group of arrogant, elitist Mer-supremists seize control of the Summerset Isles, their homeland, and rename it Alinor.

Alinor and Valenwood, home of the Bosmer, form a union known as the Aldmeri Dominion, headed by the Thalnor.

Two moons disappered from the night sky, returning two years later with the Thalnor taking the credit. The Khajiit hail the Thalnor as their saviours, and Imperial influence wanes dramatically.

Fifteen years later, Elsweyr is divided into two parts, both client states of the Aldmeri Dominion.

The Aldmeri Dominion declare war on a weakened Empire, which last for four years, with the Dominion victorious. Both sides sign a treaty, the White-Gold Concordat, which gave the Dominon a large portion of Hammerfell and free reign to stamp out Talos worship throughout the Empire.

Hammerfell rejects the terms of the Concordat and are removed from the Empire by Titus II. The Redguard continue their war against the Dominion for 5 years before the elves leave.

Torygg, High King of Skyrim, is assassinated by Ulfric Stormcloak, causing a civil war in Skyrim.

The Dragonborn (you) enters Skyrim, and then the game begins.

[Morgan Darkstar]

It's very good...
...
...
Now going back to playing it!

[DrLove42]

First of all the high king of skyrim is not assassinated...he dies in a fair duel

And 2ndly i'm waiting for christmas for this. Got enough on my plate for the time being. Very excited though

[Psychosplodge]

Just waiting for a sensible price...
three months it'll be down to twenty notes then I'll lose two hundred hours or so...

[scadugenga]

I hear marvelous things about it.

I have not tried it yet, as my harddrive is now doing a great impersonation of being a poncy git and BSoD'ing me.

I have to find those damn boot disks somewhere and locate the issue first.

Argh.

[Kieranator K82]

DrLove, I would hardly consider it a fair duel if Ulfric Stormcloak killed him with his Voice, as the Whiterun Guards say.

[eldargal]

I need to find some magic resistance buffs or something, I can smack apart a sodding dragon but throw in a couple of novice spellcasters and I'm dead faster than you can say 'oh drat, spellcasters'. Also just found out companions can die. Finally killed this wight thing with a couple of spellcasting bodyguard things, barely survived. Searched everyone and stripped them of all their stuff and hought 'wow one of the wights turned into an attractive, dead female in her underwear, what an amusing bug. Hey she looks like Lydia... *gasp*'. I ended up reloading that because the only other female companion I've found is ugly as sin.

[Gotthammer]

EG, if you're on PC you can use the command console to set her to unkillable (it's what I did). Lydia seems to have a few bugs with her in that she doesn't level with you properly and the tag for her to be marryable is b0rked. Again, fixable on PC.

I'm currently playing the 'super brutal heavy metal challenge' - namely kill everything big (bosses, dragons, giants etc) in hand to hand, no magic or bows, and using only axes. It's rather fun

Edit: Also having fun with the perk that lets you decapitate people.

[eldargal]

Ther decapitate perk ameliorates one of the problems I have with the game, namely that the combat is really tame. I mean you smack some poor sod into the ground with a two handed axe and he doesn't have a mark on him? Not right. I'm hoping they mod that soon, at least lopping off a head is an improvement. I