Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

[hoot]

I enjoy just going out on a hunting expedition with my bow. With headphones on, you can work out pretty accurately where the beasties are and then it's a case of stalking them without being rumbled.

I have been completely consumed by this game, it's all I think about whilst I'm at work. I couldn't get in to Oblivon, but I love this so much.

[Talk Show Host]

So, any suggestions for a good and relative cheap set of 5.1. headphones?

[MrPogo]

Do arrows simply fly straight and true forever in this, or is there and Oblivion style arc to their flight? I havent used them much yet, but instinctively aim a couple of feet above a targets head when I'm shooting from distance, but seem to get a much better hit rate when I do aim directly at them!

[snowbind]

They usually fly true, however I am sure there is a bit of dice rolling behind the scenes, combined with a bit of Bethesda jank that can cause some weird issues. Usually 90% of my arrows go straight into the target over a medium distance.

[ThePinkNinja]

So I've tried climbing the steps to the grey beards a couple of times but after only getting a fraction of the way up I end up having this big snow tiger/leopard thing come charging at me which kills me in hardly any time at all.

Am I missing something? It still happens when I sneak up the stairs and being mostly skilled in stealth and bows it is proving a bit difficult!

I just ran past anything that was too tough for me...

[robdood]

Do arrows simply fly straight and true forever in this, or is there and Oblivion style arc to their flight? I havent used them much yet, but instinctively aim a couple of feet above a targets head when I'm shooting from distance, but seem to get a much better hit rate when I do aim directly at them!

The game auto aims for you: watch when aiming at targets in the distance, if you point right at them the arrow automatically arcs up to make the distance.

[kiroquai]

I just ran past anything that was too tough for me...

[Teeohbee]

The game auto aims for you: watch when aiming at targets in the distance, if you point right at them the arrow automatically arcs up to make the distance.

I've been shooting like in Oblivion aiming slightly above my target. So there's no need? I should be aiming directly where I want to shoot?

[scottcr]

I wish this game didn't have American accents... doesn't seem right, especially not for fantasy so obviously based on the UK/Europe...

[Teeohbee]

People should post more pictures of their characters I have decided.

[PaB]

I wish this game didn't have American accents... doesn't seem right, especially not for fantasy so obviously based on the UK/Europe...

Medieval/fantasy with American accents is plain wrong, of course. Its like having a spaghetti western with broad somerset accent.

[Broker]

Thought this was interesting on UESP:

References to other Elder Scrolls Games

Morrowind

• During the Dark Brotherhood Quest "The Cure For Madness", you will encouter an Uderfrykte, which made its first appearance in Bloodmoon.
  
• Dwemer ruins and the machines that inhabit them make a return.
  
• In eastern Windhelm there's a cornerclub called the "New Gnisis Cornerclub".
  
• East of Windhelm there's a farm called "Hlaalu Farm" named after the Great House Hlaalu from Morrowind
  
• There is also a cave called "Redoran's Retreat" to the west of Whiterun. This, of course, is a reference to the Great House Redoran of Morrowind.
  
• There is a well-researched book about the Dwemer by one Hasphat Antabolis, though it lacks any mention of puzzle boxes.

Oblivion

• During the Dark Brotherhood questline, one of the rewards is a spell summoning the ghost of Lucien Lachance, your recruiter and, later, questgiver in the Dark Brotherhood.
  
• Sinderion the alchemist from Skingrad who studies Nirnroot apparently moved to Skyrim somewhere around 4E52, in hope of discovering more about the strange Crimson Nirnroot. He met his demise in Blackreach, where his skeleton and journal can be found.
  
• During the Dark Brotherhood questline you will be tasked with finding Amaund Motierre. He might be related to Francois Motierre, who is involved in a quest for the brotherhood in Oblivion.
  
• During the quest Mind of Madness you will run into Sheogorath who re-accounts all of the major adventures from Oblivion with Pelagius the Mad. He even gives you the Wabbajack to use during the quest. This leads you to believe that "Sheogorath" is actually the Champion of Cyrodiil (Who took the place of Sheogorath.)
  
• The last Dark Brotherhood mission could be a throwback to Oblivion's first Dark Brotherhood mission, as they both take place on a boat.
  
• There is a book entitled "The Oblivion Crisis" that provides an overview of the events in Oblivion.
  
• Near the end of the Dark Brotherhood quest "Death Incarnate" Astrid offers you the Blade of Woe, the blade presented to you by Lucien Lachance with which you are to complete your first contract.
  
• At one point after you will get a note about a Mythic Dawn museum in Dawnstar. Which contains a burned page of the Mysterium Xarxes, the book Martin used to gain access Mankar Camoran's Paradise. It also contains a copy of all the 4 parts of the Mythic Dawn Commentaries and Mythic Dawn robes. Also the owner claims his ancestor was involved in killing Uriel Septim VII.
  

The Infernal City

• There are Dunmer refugees in Windhelm who travelled from Morrowind after Red Mountain erupted. If you speak to some of the refugees and ask them why they are in Windhelm despite the discrimination they face, they will tell you that when the Red Mountain erupted, they began traveling west and the first city they came to was Windhelm. They will often say they wish they had kept walking.
  
• Also, just before the Volcano erupted, those following Azura had a premonition from her of what was about to happen, giving them time to flee. It was the refugees who build the Shrine of Azura on one of Skyrim's mountains.
  

Anyone spotted any hints at where the next game might be set or what it might involve yet?

Edited November 16, 2011 by tyler
spoiler tags added

[Schnibbles]

Could you spoiler that, please?

[Broker]

Sorry! Spent so long properly formatting the list I forgot to put the spoiler tags in

One minor thing, when you buy a house and buy all the bits that go in it you get a weapon rack yeah ? Well I've bought the house in Solitude and it doesn't let you put your weapons in the weapon rack, also sometimes when you return home all the stuff is all over the floor and the tables missing ! Just a couple of little bugs but nothing that's gonna stop my love for this game.

Yeah I've had this, on one save the weapon racks and display racks in my house in Whiterun work fine, one my new save I can't interact with them at all.

[polygon_monkey]

Got this awesome mask after defeating some ghoul at the top of a mountain.

[Space Gibbon]

I wish this game didn't have American accents... doesn't seem right, especially not for fantasy so obviously based on the UK/Europe...

You realise, of course, that in the days when Europe resembled the world of Elder Scrolls, those in Britain were speaking Gaelic, Old English and later Middle English, none of which closely resemble British English as it's spoken today?

No modern accent really makes sense, it's just conventions of TV and cinema that make us think everyone in mediaevalist fantasy should be British. Like when Brad Pitt tries to affect an English accent in Troy, when he's supposed to be an ancient Greek. Makes no sense whatsoever.

[robdood]

I've been shooting like in Oblivion aiming slightly above my target. So there's no need? I should be aiming directly where I want to shoot?

Yup. I was doing the same as you at first and wondered why I was missing!!

[kiroquai]

Got this awesome mask after defeating some ghoul at the top of a mountain.

Those masks seem to be part of a collection - one of the loading screen shows a whole rack of them in different colours (presumably different effects too - mine gives me added defence against elemental magic). Got my one venturing through an crypt full of Daugr things. I'm determined to get them all now

[MrPogo]

The game auto aims for you: watch when aiming at targets in the distance, if you point right at them the arrow automatically arcs up to make the distance.

Ah. Bit of a shame really; there was a real sense of achievement when you put an arrow through their head on the first attempt from a hundred yards away, after calculating it perfectly and aiming the crosshairs 10 feet above them!

[Captain Kelsten]

The American accents are rather jarring, particularly since most of the performances attached to them are so poor. The guy who voices Farkas of the companions - as well as a host of random characters - has a terrible gruff 'I'm so macho' voice but reads his lines in the most monotone, boring way, with no hint of emotion.

The ones voicing the children are also bad - you can clearly tell they're just reading something in front of them rather than 'acting' it as they put pauses and inflections in all the wrong places.

[scottcr]

You realise, of course, that in the days when Europe resembled the world of Elder Scrolls, those in Britain were speaking Gaelic, Old English and later Middle English, none of which closely resemble British English as it's spoken today?

No modern accent really makes sense, it's just conventions of TV and cinema that make us think everyone in mediaevalist fantasy should be British. Like when Brad Pitt tries to affect an English accent in Troy, when he's supposed to be an ancient Greek. Makes no sense whatsoever.

yawn - yes.. of course I do. In fact, most of gentrified Scotland were speaking French... and we didn't speak Gaelic down here either. Old Scots please.

It's just that American accents are associated with lack of culture, class and history and don't fit into a historic environment.

[Guest]

LOL! Barbas!!

[FuntimeDave]

I had some text yesterday in a loading screen that mentioned 'Mage Armour' perk, however I couldn't see it in the skills list screen. I can see Light Armour and Heavy Armour but no Mage Armour. Having a quick look I couldn't see it as a sub set of either of those two. Does it exist?

Also will I be told how to use soul gems in any way, shape or form. I don't even know the basics but am keen to learn from the game not use a guide - however I don't know if assumes I know already.

Quite enjoying the game so far. Need somewhere to offload the 600 books I seem to be carrying for no reason.

Thanks

[Takizawa]

I had some text yesterday in a loading screen that mentioned 'Mage Armour' perk, however I couldn't see it in the skills list screen. I can see Light Armour and Heavy Armour but no Mage Armour. Having a quick look I couldn't see it as a sub set of either of those two. Does it exist?

Thanks

It's part of Alteration.

[snowbind]

I wish this game didn't have American accents... doesn't seem right, especially not for fantasy so obviously based on the UK/Europe...

Can't say I have noticed. There are a load of Nordic voices, even an Arnie one!

[MrPogo]

Can't say I have noticed. There are a load of Nordic voices, even an Arnie one!

Yeah, I must say they really stand out to me (Arnie in particular), whereas any American ones I've encountered have simply gone unnoticed. Presumably with the latter I'm simply happy to apply my imagination, whereas all the Nordic represent them having gone to some effort and taken it outside what I'm used to hearing in a game.

[snowbind]

Those masks seem to be part of a collection - one of the loading screen shows a whole rack of them in different colours (presumably different effects too - mine gives me added defence against elemental magic). Got my one venturing through an crypt full of Daugr things. I'm determined to get them all now

Yeah, they are from the Dragon Preists. I want to say there are 8 but I might be wrong. I've got one and a hood and look like Dr Doom!

[snowbind]

Yeah, I must say they really stand out to me, whereas any American ones I've encountered have simply gone unnoticed!

Yeah completely. It really adds to the lore of the Nords and gives the whole area that bit more depth. The American voices, like you say, just fade away to.

[A Hen]

A question for anyone playing this:

When you're wandering around in this game, how often are you attacked? Red Dead Redemption (an otherwise ace game) threw random encounters at me too quickly, for my liking, and didn't just let me enjoy the scenery. Is it about the same as Oblivion?

[Sng]

Completely depends where abouts you are, really. I've gone ages (tens of minutes) without seeing anything that attacked me.