Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

[SpagMasterSwift]

SPAGGLEHORN and his mistress have been spending too much time down at the Torture Garden instead of main-questing, I'm getting a bit too into the 'dress up' element of this game...

[Guest]

That someone dislikes a game that you love isn't a sign of them being 'immensely ungrateful', it's a sign that they have a different taste to you. Which, you know, is entirely reasonable.

That went straight over your head didn't it. Of course it's got nothing to do with me, why would I feel aggrieved?

That someone costantly bashes a game that they keep playinf is rank idiocy of the highest order - because not only are they still playing and thus getting enjoyment out of it, this means they are rewarding the devs by putting hours and hours into it.

And hey! It's a standout game of this generation, nothing else comes close in its genre. Look at the balls that are Two Worlds 2 and Arcana Gothic 4 and tell me this isn't head and shoulders above them. "Ohh it should be better, it's do crap ohhh, waaaaa."

By then crying that it's shit is ungrateful to those who've made tor and yet most ironically to ones self...because you're saying how awful it is and yet putting yourself through it and then you keep on playing like some childish game of self harm. "I don't like the pain but I like the stick, my life SUCKS!!11".

Idiotic.

[Wiper]

And you missed the part where I agreed with that part of your argument, which was entirely separate from your utterly separate statement, that I quoted, where you called anyone who "can't see the wonder in this game" both "shortsighted" and "ungrateful".

[Klaark]

No you unlock in the shout menu...something I only recently realised after 30hrs of play.

I have the shout menu. Is there an option within that to activate some of the words I've discovered?

[sir stiff_one]

You've got to be kidding.

[DC]

I have the shout menu. Is there an option within that to activate some of the words I've discovered?

You need to level up your reading.

[Klaark]

You've got to be kidding.

Genuinely not a clue. I rely on my bow so much that I've not touched any magic or shouts.

[DjSatansfur3h]

You've got to be kidding.

Actually, it took me a fair few hours into the game to realise the words for the shouts could be unlocked, as well as the shouts. Its not immediately obvious (on the PC at least) that you have to spend souls to gain access to them.

Least I didnt think so anyway.

[Cosmic_Guru]

I was just finishing up by doing the Dark Brotherhood quest line, but now I can't progress. I reach a point where the game always freezes on a black screen. Seriously, anyone who played this in 2011 was a beta tester.

If this is the point near the end of the DB questline there seems to be a very long black screen with no sound and no indication it's not a glitch - the first time I turned off and reset but the second time after maybe 5-6 seconds the scene progressed.

Wah! Terrible bug at the end of Thieves Guild quest Darkness Returns.

I fall down the well, talk to Nocturnal, and then my quest marker gets stuck to the floor. I then spotted Karliah, try and talk to her and kept getting 'This person is busy messages'. Waited a few hours, I could speak to her but it was just for a second, she then walks off and disappears, my quest updates to 'Talk to Karliah' and an exit marker appears I can't get to, and I can't talk to Karliah!' I have repeatedly reloaded but no luck. Typically, I'd relied on a few autosaves before I entered so I'm hoping I don't have to redo a couple of hours and then all of this again. Sad face.

Any suggestions?

Edit: As I was typing that I just uninstalled it from my Xbox and tried again and it worked, up to a point. Gallus has just turned up but Karliah has disappeared again. Bah! It has completed the quest though, I just would have liked to see there little chat.

That section is hugely buggy - all sorts of variations of problems with Karliah. Waiting for 24 hours fixed it for me and I have never been so happy to see an NPC show up

Is there somewhere you can display all of the Dragon Priest masks?

Sadly not but the house in Markarth has at least one of those glass topped display cabinets which would keep at least a couple more in place. There really should be more storeage options and furniture you can buy.

And hey! It's a standout game of this generation, nothing else comes close in its genre. Look at the balls that are Two Worlds 2 and Arcana Gothic 4 and tell me this isn't head and shoulders above them.

Second sentence spot on. Of course I can't let the second go uncontested - TW II is a fine game on its own terms.

Oh, and how is the kitty massacre coming on? Funny, every time I go to an Orc camp and look for work, the only thing the head man can suggest is a spot of fisticuffs. What idiots, stick to blacksmithing and butchering you runt-of-the-litter elves you.

[Guest]

I haven't played one of these games before (except Fallout, which is pretty different) and I really don't have a clue about a lot of things yet.

I've heard talk of binding and enchanting weapons in here and I've got absolutely no idea what that is. I'm guessing I haven't progressed the story far enough to find out yet, as I've only just arrived at the Greybeard's and nobody I've come across has said anything about it yet.

I've been quite happy using the axe that the Jarl gave me earlier for killing a dragon, mixed up with a bit of archery when I've got some distance.

[FuzzyDunlop]

I found out pretty quickly when I tried equipping one, and couldn't, and again when I got another soul, but it didn't do anything. You have to press square, or whatever the equivalent of that is, on the one you want to unlock. They don't really sound like 'shouts' though, they sound like someone being punched really hard in the stomach.

I had a weird encounter on the Winterhold college series of quests. I got to the end of the second dungeon, Fellglow Keep, and...

used the freeze shout, or whatever it's called, against The Caller, disabling her for a bit. She trapped her flame atronach in place when she froze, so I focussed efforts on disposing of that, making sure she'd get caught in its dying explosion. While that was happening I legged it and picked up two of the books, and then had a look around to see where she was. She was stood facing the only book I failed to pick up, and she was totally inactive.

I hit her a few times, and she vanished and reappeared at one of the other lecterns, again, totally inactive. Couldn't be aggro'd, she'd just teleport after I'd done some damage, until I killed her.

It was weird. Bugs are inevitable in a game so large and free-form, so they don't bother me if they don't break the game, but they seem a bit more drastic than they were in Oblivion. I don't remember much in that other than freezes and the dodgy physics.

[Cosmic_Guru]

I've heard talk of binding and enchanting weapons in here and I've got absolutely no idea what that is. I'm guessing I haven't progressed the story far enough to find out yet, as I've only just arrived at the Greybeard's and nobody I've come across has said anything about it yet.

I don't think there is any in game tutorial for this but there is a section in the help menu. The best thing is to go up to the first enchanters table you come across - likely the one in the mages quarters in Whiterun castle, and see what you can do with it. Look out for loot you come across which has some additional property such as fire resistence and rather than selling it, break it down to enable you to enchant other gear with that property.

[SHarris78]

I haven't played one of these games before (except Fallout, which is pretty different) and I really don't have a clue about a lot of things yet.

I've heard talk of binding and enchanting weapons in here and I've got absolutely no idea what that is. I'm guessing I haven't progressed the story far enough to find out yet, as I've only just arrived at the Greybeard's and nobody I've come across has said anything about it yet.

I've been quite happy using the axe that the Jarl gave me earlier for killing a dragon, mixed up with a bit of archery when I've got some distance.

I wasn't (still aren't) sure on binding and enchanting, and what soul gems are used for for that matter. Hasn't hindered me though, i'm 32 hours in and between my sword/shield combo, archery skills and destruction/restoration spells i'm doing very nicely thank you very much.

Just hope that carries on

[Cosmic_Guru]

It was weird. Bugs are inevitable in a game so large and free-form, so they don't bother me if they don't break the game, but they seem a bit more drastic than they were in Oblivion. I don't remember much in that other than freezes and the dodgy physics.

Achieved 1000 gamerscore with a final total of 4 quest related bugs -

First - defeating the magical anomolies in Winterhold caused Enthir and other Winterhold NPCs to be unresponsive. Sorted by reloading repeating this quest later in the game.

Second - non-appearance of Kaliah at end of thieve's guild questline - sorted by waiting 24 hours

Third - non-appearance of named NPCs in the daedric quests which starts in the orc encampment - sorted by reloading and repeating.

Fourth - cook in DB quest did not leave with stew but revolved on spot - sorted after several attempts by backing out of conversation a bit more sharply than before.

I find there are 17 dungeon related quests not yet done, most of which locations haven't yet been discovered, and 14 more words to find.

[polygon_monkey]

I was just finishing up by doing the Dark Brotherhood quest line, but now I can't progress. I reach a point where the game always freezes on a black screen. Seriously, anyone who played this in 2011 was a beta tester.

I thought this was a bug and the first time I reset the xbox. It happened again but then I left it and after about 3 minutes you "wake up" or whatever. Not sure if it's part of the quest or something.

[Victoria]

I thought this was a bug and the first time I reset the xbox. It happened again but then I left it and after about 3 minutes you "wake up" or whatever. Not sure if it's part of the quest or something.

Yeah, it's part of the game. I thought mine had crashed too.

[Guest]

I don't think there is any in game tutorial for this but there is a section in the help menu. The best thing is to go up to the first enchanters table you come across - likely the one in the mages quarters in Whiterun castle, and see what you can do with it. Look out for loot you come across which has some additional property such as fire resistence and rather than selling it, break it down to enable you to enchant other gear with that property.

I take it the enchanter's table is the one with the potions on it?

To be honest I'm not sure what to do with it. I had a quick go on one early on, but couldn't seem to do anything. I don't think I've picked anything up that has magical properties either.

I'm guessing it's similar to building makeshift weapons in Fallout then. I never seemed to have the required components to do that either, so just stuck with the standard guns.

[SqueakyG]

I thought this was a bug and the first time I reset the xbox. It happened again but then I left it and after about 3 minutes you "wake up" or whatever. Not sure if it's part of the quest or something.

Yeah, it's part of the game. I thought mine had crashed too.

It can't possibly how the quest was intended -- a frozen black screen for at least 3 minutes is a bug. Websites list it as a bug. I have just tried it again and thankfully it played out the way it was supposed to:

You enter the Night Mothers coffin (where everything goes black) and you hear the coffin falling through the window and splashing in the water; then you hear the voices of Babette and Nazir pulling the coffin to safety, then you get out of the coffin. Well, when this sequence is bugged it just freezes on a black screen before Babette and Nazir start talking. That's what was happening to me.

[Stig]

I still haven't seen a Dragon and I'm 9 hours in. Do I have to progress in the main storyline to start seeing more? I've only done the 1st part of te main storyline. Since then I joined the Stormcloaks and the other lot that begin with C (can't remember their name)

Also I've never really done this in te other games but how do I trap souls?

[scottcr]

A black screen for 3 minutes is a bug

[Monkeyboy]

degrading items

Y'know, I thought I'd hate this change, but I like that they got rid of it. I understand their reasoning behind it as well. You have an uber weapon, and as soon as you start using it, it stops working to its maximum potential, because of degradation. You're forever chasing its peak power with hammers and blacksmiths to repair it.

[OogyBoogy]

I still haven't seen a Dragon and I'm 9 hours in. Do I have to progress in the main storyline to start seeing more? I've only done the 1st part of te main storyline. Since then I joined the Stormcloaks and the other lot that begin with C (can't remember their name)

I believe that you have to complete the first three parts of the main quest for random dragons to start appearing.

Also I've never really done this in te other games but how do I trap souls?

There's a spell you can learn which lets you cast it on an animal, and if you kill it within a set period of time, you will absorb its soul into a soul gem. There's also a soul-trap enchantment somewhere if I am not mistaking, but I have not found it myself yet.

[MDY]

Just started this and I wish I had a capture card already.

Was waking down a path and saw a moose, chased it and it ran into the nearby river to get away..

It 'swam' across, got out of the other side then flying backflipped back into the water about a dozen times..

[jonamok]

I take it the enchanter's table is the one with the potions on it?

To be honest I'm not sure what to do with it. I had a quick go on one early on, but couldn't seem to do anything. I don't think I've picked anything up that has magical properties either.

I'm guessing it's similar to building makeshift weapons in Fallout then. I never seemed to have the required components to do that either, so just stuck with the standard guns.

Nah, that's the alchemist table. Arcane enchanter tables have a goat skull and pentagram. You'll need an enchantable item (weapon, jewelry etc.), a learned enchantment (acquired mostly by disenchanting other magical items in your possession at the same tables), and a soul gem to charge up the enchantment.

[bingowings]

about 30 hours in, going through a myriad of side quests instead of the main storyline - all kinds of Miss Marple shit, UPS fetching, killing left and right.

and this. my favourite thing about Skyrim.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W6ZwcVRR18

mess with Birgitta and you end up like a bag of crisps - soft on the outside, crunchy on the inside. tell your friends.

[Guest]

It's more fun using a firebolt spell to smash them off the edge, tumbling and spinning to they doom...

[Aardvark]

It 'swam' across, got out of the other side then flying backflipped back into the water about a dozen times..

Why the quotes round swam? Deer and moose are capable of swimming surprising distances.

[martingee]

I believe that you have to complete the first three parts of the main quest for random dragons to start appearing.

There's a spell you can learn which lets you cast it on an animal, and if you kill it within a set period of time, you will absorb its soul into a soul gem. There's also a soul-trap enchantment somewhere if I am not mistaking, but I have not found it myself yet.

Soul Trap is the spell you can learn and iirc the Jarls Wizard at Winterrun has a spell tome to sell that teaches you this.

The way i got the enchantment was to buy a weapon that had the soul trap enchant on it (think it was called Hammer of Animus or somesuch, basically an enchant that fills a soul gem) from a Stormcloak Quatermaster but anyone else who sells weapons may at somepoint have one in thier stock. Some sell it for alot of gold, 2k+, but you only need one that has the enchant and i've seen a couple of weapons that were selling for 500g so its worth looking around if you don't have the gold.

You may also find one doing quests and dungeons like anything else of course

[sir stiff_one]

Genuinely not a clue. I rely on my bow so much that I've not touched any magic or shouts.

What the post before yours says. I have given 3 answers to people's questions in the last few pages and each one has been ignored. I must have done that 'become ethereal' shout.

So I've levelled alchemy to the 90s now. If anyone wants any tips levelling, then the simplest way seems to just get hold of:

Giant's Toes and Wheat

I've managed to create some concoctions that are utterly useless, like they increase Magicka regen by 106% but also damages Magicka. But hell, they're worth over a thousand each and that levels you quicker.

With alchemy, unlike smithing, you have to create better/more valuable stuff to level up quicker. With smithing you can make a few hundred Iron Daggers to level yourself up and they give they same boost at 90-100 than they did at 15-25.

[Broker]

Which way does enchanting work? Do you need to start making better stuff later to boost your level or is the bonus always the same?