Playing Skyrim for the first time!

This Fat Girl Runs

I looked for an 'introduce yourself here' thread but there didn't seem to be one.

I got Skyrim a while ago for my PC (laptop) but haven't started playing it until now. I can tell it's going to be one of those 'I know it's 2am but I'll just finish this quest' kind of games.

I'm looking forward to it and really glad for this forum because I've already learned a lot just reading the threads!

So, for my first time around I'm playing without mods or expansions. Or should that be something I should re-think?

degrassinoel

you'll be grand without any DLC, hundreds of hours worth of play by itself - the dlc's add a lot to the game too but they also add an element of randomness too imo - could possibly add confusion to any of the main plots you're going to go ahead and complete

Personally i'd recommend not buying DLC until you've completed the game, that way you've got yourself another bunch of stuff to do when you've completed it

diegroblers

Welcome! Am I to presume you're a girl because of your username? That would be awesome, we need all the female gamers we can get!

I second waiting to get the DLCs.

It's like getting a bar of chocolate for later, but eating it now, and later you're sorry that you've already finished it. And if you get the DLCs now, you can't appreciate them as much, because you're not familiar enough with the game to know what the DLCs adds to the game.

I also note you play on PC rather than console, so then after you get the DLCs and you think that's it, then there's more good news! Mods! Mods for everyone! Everyone gets a mod! But what goes for the DLCs, also goes for the mods; you need to know the game to appreciate what the mods adds. When you're ready, check out http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/?. But take a guide, Nexus can be overwhelming if you don't know what you're looking for.

This Fat Girl Runs

degrassinoel wrote: »

you'll be grand without any DLC, hundreds of hours worth of play by itself - the dlc's add a lot to the game too but they also add an element of randomness too imo - could possibly add confusion to any of the main plots you're going to go ahead and complete

Personally i'd recommend not buying DLC until you've completed the game, that way you've got yourself another bunch of stuff to do when you've completed it

That was my plan. I'd like to just explore and get into the game before complicating matters with add ons.

diegroblers wrote: »

Welcome! Am I to presume you're a girl because of your username? That would be awesome, we need all the female gamers we can get!

I second waiting to get the DLCs.

It's like getting a bar of chocolate for later, but eating it now, and later you're sorry that you've already finished it. And if you get the DLCs now, you can't appreciate them as much, because you're not familiar enough with the game to know what the DLCs adds to the game.

I also note you play on PC rather than console, so then after you get the DLCs and you think that's it, then there's more good news! Mods! Mods for everyone! Everyone gets a mod! But what goes for the DLCs, also goes for the mods; you need to know the game to appreciate what the mods adds. When you're ready, check out http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/?. But take a guide, Nexus can be overwhelming if you don't know what you're looking for.

Yes, I'm a girl! I've been gaming since I can remember. The first computer my family ever had was a Commodore 64 and I played loads of games on that...since then I've been hooked on games!

I definitely will research any mods before I use them, but am kinda looking forward to when I get to that point! Thanks for the tip about Nexus, I'll take a look!

SterlingArcher

This Fat Girl Runs wrote: »

That was my plan. I'd like to just explore and get into the game before complicating matters with add ons.



Yes, I'm a girl! I've been gaming since I can remember. The first computer my family ever had was a Commodore 64 and I played loads of games on that...since then I've been hooked on games!

I definitely will research any mods before I use them, but am kinda looking forward to when I get to that point! Thanks for the tip about Nexus, I'll take a look!

Expansions yes, but mods hmm. Not so sure. Some make the game look and feel a lot better. Skyrim takes a lot of time. So maybe you won't be as bothered to play through again using mods afterwards.

Sonics2k

This Fat Girl Runs wrote: »

I looked for an 'introduce yourself here' thread but there didn't seem to be one.

I got Skyrim a while ago for my PC (laptop) but haven't started playing it until now. I can tell it's going to be one of those 'I know it's 2am but I'll just finish this quest' kind of games.

I'm looking forward to it and really glad for this forum because I've already learned a lot just reading the threads!

So, for my first time around I'm playing without mods or expansions. Or should that be something I should re-think?

It's an amazing game, especially if you have a good PC or laptop. I've played it pretty solidly over the last 3 years now and I don't think I've actually completed every quest in the game just yet.

A few good mods to pick up would be Frostfall and Cloaks of Skyrim. Great for that added bit of immersion. If your laptop isn't very powerful, then skip on the graphical mods, they'll just cause tears and heartbreak.

diegroblers

SterlingArcher wrote: »

Expansions yes, but mods hmm. Not so sure. Some make the game look and feel a lot better. Skyrim takes a lot of time. So maybe you won't be as bothered to play through again using mods afterwards.

I'm on my fourth play-through. If you head over to reddit.com/skyrim, you'll see how many people there are that doesn't just do one play-through and quit.

This Fat Girl Runs

Sonics2k wrote: »

It's an amazing game, especially if you have a good PC or laptop. I've played it pretty solidly over the last 3 years now and I don't think I've actually completed every quest in the game just yet.

A few good mods to pick up would be Frostfall and Cloaks of Skyrim. Great for that added bit of immersion. If your laptop isn't very powerful, then skip on the graphical mods, they'll just cause tears and heartbreak.

Thanks for the tip! I'll look into that. i definitely want the expansion packs but I know I will have to be careful with any mods. Unfortunately I just have a basic laptop so I'll have to skip the graphics, as you say. Which is a little heartbreaking in itself as I've seen some stunning screencaps of some amazing graphics.

SterlingArcher wrote: »

Expansions yes, but mods hmm. Not so sure. Some make the game look and feel a lot better. Skyrim takes a lot of time. So maybe you won't be as bothered to play through again using mods afterwards.

I'm the kind of person who can read a book many times over and still find it new and exciting each time. I am the same with games, especially ones with the kind of variety in Skyrim, Different characters, different dialogues and answers to questions, I think the second time will be vastly different than the first.

diegroblers wrote: »

I'm on my fourth play-through. If you head over to reddit.com/skyrim, you'll see how many people there are that doesn't just do one play-through and quit.

Thanks for that! I'm nearly as addicted to the reddit threads now as I am the game!

paulbok

If I was starting again, I would get going with Heartfire early enough, plenty of resource collecting for that so better to be picking up bits as the opportunity arises throughout the game.
The other 2 definitely leave until the main quests are substantially finished.

Oh, and its more of a 'I know it's 2am two days later, but I'll just finish this quest' game.:D

Rebel Rebel

for a first time play I would play as a Sword & Shield with Heavy Armour, here is a example on what to put point into 1st http://ie.ign.com/builds/the-elder-scrolls-5-skyrim?d=000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000010001111111111111011111100000000000050110003005

or a Stealth Archer in Light Armour,http://ie.ign.com/builds/the-elder-scrolls-5-skyrim?d=0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000111111000000000000000000000000000000000000000051111111100000000011111111111011

with Marcurio as a follower, just give him a bow only as back up so he does not get in your way in battles and attacks from range.

but it is really play the way you what, me i like my poisons,

Canis Root + imp stool + mora tapinella

, being my favorite as you can grow them in the garden.

Sierra Oscar

Whatever you do don't feel the need to rush the main quest at all. I have put 100+ hour into the one play-through and I haven't even finished the main quest yet. I find the side quests the most enjoyable.

Toots

You'll love skyrim, it's definitely addictive! You'll be like "I know it's 2am but I'll just finish this quest" but suddenly without you realising it, you've been in the same spot on the couch for 48 solid hours wearing an adult diaper and drinking red bull in one of those beer hats. I think I'm on my 5th playthrough now and the novelty hasn't worn off in the slightest. In fact I just recently built a gaming PC (with the help of the good people in the PC building & upgrading forum) just so I can play Skyrim even more (OK, I say 'I' but what really happened was the guys in PC building told me the bits I'd need, then my husband put it all together while I tried to 'help' and just ended up getting in the way)

I'd recommend leaving Dawnguard and Dragonborn until you're either finished most of the main quests or have advanced pretty far up level-wise. You'll enjoy them more that way. Hearthfire I'd install pretty early on because it doesn't do a whole lot other than allow you to build your own house, and you can also adopt a kid or two if you have one of the regular houses in the various cities. Also AFAIK, the option to buy the plot of land to build your house doesn't become available until you're above level 20 or thereabouts.

One tip I'll give you about Hearthfire: you can never ever have enough iron ingots. Ever. When you're building the houses everything needs iron. Got 300 of them sitting in a chest in your house in Whiterun? Double it!

once you buy your plot of land, there'll be a chest and a drafting table there. They stay there regardless of whether or not you've built anything, so what I usually do is when I've got a lot of iron ingots, glass, straw, or other bits in my inventory and I'm getting near my carry weight limit, I'll go and drop them off in the chest so I'll have a decent stockpile before I start building.

If you're modding the game, you need to bear in mind that a lot of mods can be very heavy on ram and graphics. I used to play on the most basic piece of crap PC from 2005, it was so old I had to play in windowed mode because if I put the game in full screen the graphics card couldn't hack it and the whole game would crash. Even with that, I was still able to run a fair few mods, so even if you're on a basic laptop it shouldn't stop you from modding a bit.

When the time comes that you do want add a few mods, this guy on youtube has a great beginners guide to modding playlist which is well worth a watch - he rambles a bit, but he knows his stuff. You don't have to use all the things he does (for example, I prefer not to use SKSE and SKYUI) but he'll give you a good background to what you need to know before you jump in with both feet and end up crashing your game because your load order wasn't right or something.........not that I ever did that....:p

Without giving any spoilers, a few of my favourite mods are Immersive Armors and Immersive Weapons. These add tonnes of extra armors and weapons so if you like to change it up a lot these are good fun. They're not quest-related, so you can install them whenever and it won't affect your game playthrough. A Quality World Map With Roads is also a nice one, purely because the crappy vanilla world map annoyed me. I like seeing the roads. There are literally thousands to choose from, and one of the great things is there's usually someone on YouTube who's reviewed it, so you can have a peek at it and see if it's something you'd like before you go and download it!

Just try not to take an arrow to the knee!

Taylor365

I'm starting up a fresh play through myself fully modded.

Think I've spent 200+ hours on skyrim and yet to complete it. Half that time was modding to be fair :pac:

+1 for Gopher. He makes adding mods simple as. Also easy on the ears :P

This Fat Girl Runs

Thanks for all the tips!!

I'm currently trying to get enough gold to buy that house in Winterrun. It's not easy because I keep picking up too many items and having to go back and forth to sell stuff. With my armour and weapons I don't have a lot of 'space' left over!

I'm not really paying much attention to the main quest right now. I'm just enjoying exploring and seeing how far I can run in a day.

I did see a dragon during the night, but I hid under a tree until it went away. I'm only level 7 so don't feel capable of tackling a dragon on my own!

SterlingArcher

This Fat Girl Runs wrote: »

Thanks for all the tips!!

I'm currently trying to get enough gold to buy that house in Winterrun. It's not easy because I keep picking up too many items and having to go back and forth to sell stuff. With my armour and weapons I don't have a lot of 'space' left over!

I'm not really paying much attention to the main quest right now. I'm just enjoying exploring and seeing how far I can run in a day.

I did see a dragon during the night, but I hid under a tree until it went away. I'm only level 7 so don't feel capable of tackling a dragon on my own!

Ah Whiterun my old stomping ground , has so many different shops to sell to. 2 smithys, and 3 big buyers. Then I married a girl that had a shop muhahaha moved her to my house in whiterun. I was like J.D Rockefeller. Make sure your companion is carrying loot loot loot. And keep your strength potions.

My curse was I became addicted to enchanting. Ending up some untouchable god like killing machine. But also the stuff I made sold for thousands, it was a vicious circle. Made me sometimes long for the simple life when a dragon was not just a bloated meat bag of bones that I gutted like a fish.

Sonics2k

Jesus. I just checked Steam and I have over 700 hours put into Skyrim.

Toots

If you're in to alchemy, poisons are worth decent gold and don't take up much weight. Also improves your alchemy skill so the more potions you make, the more your alchemy skill goes up, meaning the potions are stronger and therefore more valuable. also never underestimate the importance of smithing!

This Fat Girl Runs

I'm playing as a Wood Elf but somehow have ended up using a two handed battle axe which I like and which I'm getting pretty good at! Concentrating on smithing right now; I've never been a big potions/spells kind of player as I tend to forget to use them!

I'm ranging far and wide in my exploration, not really concentrating on quests at all even though I've a load of them to complete. I'm having too much fun just checking things out and adding to my gold

Taylor365

Started my playthrough as a beserker orc.

This is what i was greeted with when leaving the first cave:



Giant feckin trees everywhere. Started raining too for good measure:





Wonder how long before it crashes :pac:

paulbok

Played Skyrim on the PS3 initially.
Bought the PC version last January to play again with mods, but the laptop I had was barely able to play it.
Have a new one now with good specs and it plays well even with several mods loaded.
however I'm in the final straight of finishing a college thesis so I have to wait until mid January to get into it.

Really want to add the mods that cause the environment and hunger to affect my character.

I wasn't a big alchemy user, save for healing potions, or selling them for cash. Same with scrolls, I hardly ever used them.
Might need to lean in that direction on the new play through.

This Fat Girl Runs

Killed two dragons yesterday! All by myself!

SterlingArcher

This Fat Girl Runs wrote: »

Killed two dragons yesterday! All by myself!

Hope you teabagged them. I read one of the scrolls, It helps them rest in peace.

Toots

What mod is that?

This Fat Girl Runs

Make that three dragons!

I have a feeling I'm completing quests before I even start them because I'm just randomly running around killing things and clearing areas. But it's so much fun!

Also, any tips for how I can gain smithing points? It seems to take forever!

Toots

Get a butt load of iron ingots and smith iron daggers. Look for gold ore veins and dig up gold to make gold ingots then use those to make jewelry. The more expensive the item is, the more it raises your smithing skill. There's also a pile of silver ingots in the dragonsreach jarls quarters, you can steal them and smith them into jewelry. If you can get your hands on the spell tome "transmute" it's a spell to turn iron ore into silver or gold ore.

This Fat Girl Runs

Taylor365 wrote: »

Started my playthrough as a beserker orc.

This is what i was greeted with when leaving the first cave:

http://i.imgur.com/j1Ck5Ipl.jpg

Giant feckin trees everywhere. Started raining too for good measure:

http://i.imgur.com/pWEi1wml.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/lE34Kgdl.jpg

Wonder how long before it crashes :pac:

Those are fabulous screenshots!

paulbok wrote: »

Played Skyrim on the PS3 initially.
Bought the PC version last January to play again with mods, but the laptop I had was barely able to play it.
Have a new one now with good specs and it plays well even with several mods loaded.
however I'm in the final straight of finishing a college thesis so I have to wait until mid January to get into it.

Really want to add the mods that cause the environment and hunger to affect my character.

I wasn't a big alchemy user, save for healing potions, or selling them for cash. Same with scrolls, I hardly ever used them.
Might need to lean in that direction on the new play through.

I'm not sure I'd be very good with those mods, but it would make the game more realistic! The amount of times I've stood in the fire or jumped off something a little too high. :rolleyes:

Toots wrote: »

Get a butt load of iron ingots and smith iron daggers. Look for gold ore veins and dig up gold to make gold ingots then use those to make jewelry. The more expensive the item is, the more it raises your smithing skill. There's also a pile of silver ingots in the dragonsreach jarls quarters, you can steal them and smith them into jewelry. If you can get your hands on the spell tome "transmute" it's a spell to turn iron ore into silver or gold ore.

Awesome! Thanks for the tip! I'm not the best at thieving but I'll try, the smithing skills will be worth it!

Taylor365

This Fat Girl Runs wrote: »

Those are fabulous screenshots!

Thanks i might hijack your thread with a few more when i get time to play.

Frostfall + cold & wet + realistic needs are the 3 mods that add survival to the game. You must stay warm and dry and eat and drink regularly, along with catching a good nights rest :P

Up north in the snow and blizzards, any quest takes ages as you have to stop off at any inn or house for a meal and to warm up. :pac:

The only thing i'm not liking right now is the combat - it feels soooo bad after playing Chivalry. Swinging an axe feels like your swinging an overweight cat!

Anyone know any good combat mods that actually work?

Cookie_Monster

Toots wrote: »

If you can get your hands on the spell tome "transmute" it's a spell to turn iron ore into silver or gold ore.

somewhere north west of white run in the mammoth slaying camp is that tome, plus plenty to mine. There's also a very good gold mine north on the road out of city on bottom left of map (mind blank). lots of gold = making expensive jewellery = lots of smithing experience.

This Fat Girl Runs

Soooo....I can kill a dragon but can't kill a mammoth. Go figure!

Toots

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

somewhere north west of white run in the mammoth slaying camp is that tome, plus plenty to mine. There's also a very good gold mine north on the road out of city on bottom left of map (mind blank). lots of gold = making expensive jewellery = lots of smithing experience.

I think it's called Halted Stream Camp or something, it's great! And it's got it's own smelter and forge inside, so you can get straight to it.

Taylor365

WELL, was fun while it lasted....

Updated my SKSE yesterday (to include the memory fix patch) and now she crashes after loading screen.

Looks like a clean install is in order

This Fat Girl Runs

Taylor365 wrote: »

WELL, was fun while it lasted....

Updated my SKSE yesterday (to include the memory fix patch) and now she crashes after loading screen.

Looks like a clean install is in order

Ouch!!

You won't lose any saved files will you?

Taylor365

This Fat Girl Runs wrote: »

Ouch!!

You won't lose any saved files will you?

Ah, only got as far as Whiterun. Level 1 so not too unhappy

But...if i have to sit through that Helgen crap 1 more time....i start Skyrim and go for a cupa at this stage :pac:

Taylor365

Taylor365 wrote: »

Ah, only got as far as Whiterun. Level 1 so not too unhappy

But...if i have to sit through that Helgen crap 1 more time....i start Skyrim and go for a cupa at this stage :pac:

Oh, you can get a mod for that. I think it's alternate start??? Just gives you options where to start the game, doesn't affect anything else
think this is it
https://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nexusmods.com%2Fskyrim%2Fmods%2F9557&ei=E7uJVM7SBrLZ7QbqmYC4Cg&usg=AFQjCNHMi4MXxhjQQfWb5a86jCKC8DOydw

Taylor365

bluewolf wrote: »

Oh, you can get a mod for that. I think it's alternate start??? Just gives you options where to start the game, doesn't affect anything else

I had seen that. Might give it a go

Also thinking of getting the legendary edition (for the DLC) as its cheaper than buying them separate. Roll on the Christmas sales!

Toots

God yeah, even if you only use the most straightforward option in 'Alternate Start' it's so worth it just to be able to avoid all the helgen crap.

This Fat Girl Runs

Sooo...I was just going to play for an hour...how'd it get to be midnight already?!

:P

diegroblers

Taylor365 wrote: »

I had seen that. Might give it a go

Also thinking of getting the legendary edition (for the DLC) as its cheaper than buying them separate. Roll on the Christmas sales!

I got legendary during the Summer sales for €10.19. Definitely worth waiting for the sales.

degrassinoel

wont be long before the steam one, and skyrim is usually always on sale

This Fat Girl Runs

Got a couple of funny screenshots from the game, thought I'd share them

I killed this Falmer and he just fell this way!

I got shot at...it was a close call! I think it makes my helmet look awesome! Wish I could've kept it!

diegroblers

Lol! It looks like you're having loads of fun!

This Fat Girl Runs

diegroblers wrote: »

Lol! It looks like you're having loads of fun!

I really am!

The first time I stole something (the silver ingots in Dragonreach) my heart was pounding! Managed to get it first try though!

And I used to run and hide from dragons but now I can take them down. Those mammoths though, they are a tougher fight!

It's possible I'm clearing quests before I even get to them because I've encountered some crazy stuff like Draugr Deathlords and such! I had to reload those more than a few times but I got them in the end!

And I'm only at Level 18

Taylor365

This Fat Girl Runs wrote: »

And I'm only at Level 18

:pac:

I've near 100 hours and I've never reached level 18.

Toots

The thing I like about robbing stuff from Dragonsreach Jarls Quarters (or any of the main city Jarl's Halls) is that you can close a door when you go into a room, which reduces your chance of getting caught. Oh and those silver ingots in Dragonsreach respawn eventually so you can always go back and rob it again later

paulbok

Very easy to get sidetracked of main questlines which can eventually come back to haunt you.

If you are playing on PS3, there is one in quest from the Companions guild, something about catching an escaped prisoner. I left that for ages, and when I went back to it, the fe*{er had dissappeared off the map to some other part of Tamaril so I couldn't complete it, and couldn't finish that quest line out. Can be fixed on PC with command line though.
Bettr to do a few on each quest line until one has streched your skills/abilities. once completed don't ask for a new one, go do a few from another quest line and come back when you are stronger.

Taylor365

Just picked up the Legendary edition for €8.16 over on GMG.

Christmas is ruined!

Cookie_Monster

one that is definitely worth starting early is the 'strange stone' one, stones of barenzia. You'll get the first one in Whiterun and it'll send you to thieves guild in riften. pink stones in bronze boxes dotted around the place, one in Jarls quarter in Whiterun or the hall of the dead too. Thieves guild is also one of the best arcs. When you see a stone tap the pickup button super fast, you'll sometimes get 2 or 3 instead of 1 making things far easier.

diegroblers

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

one that is definitely worth starting early is the 'strange stone' one, stones of barenzia. You'll get the first one in Whiterun and it'll send you to thieves guild in riften. pink stones in bronze boxes dotted around the place, one in Jarls quarter in Whiterun or the hall of the dead too. Thieves guild is also one of the best arcs. When you see a stone tap the pickup button super fast, you'll sometimes get 2 or 3 instead of 1 making things far easier.

Or, if you're on PC, get the stone's marker.

Smiles35

Just got this a couple of day ago. That's where I am now, with the thives in Riften. A bit dispointed that Vex dosnt come with on missions to keep sketch.

Toots

diegroblers wrote: »

Or, if you're on PC, get the stone's marker.

The Barenziah Quest Markers mod has changed my life! Before that I'd resorted to making a list of the stone locations from the wiki and crossing them off as I got them!

One word of caution to anyone doing the thieves guild questline, make sure you don't advance too far before you get to the stage 'Diplomatic Immunity' in the main quest line. There's some sort of bug (apparently quite common) that happens when you've advanced really far in the guild that screws up the quest progression

at the end of Diplomatic Immunity you're supposed to meet Delphine back in Riverwood after you've escaped the Thalmor Embassy, but she doesn't show up, and no matter how long you wait she never comes. This means that you lose all the stuff you left with her when you were going to the embassy, and also the next stage of the main quest 'A Cornered Rat' doesn't start.

It happened to me, and even with the console commands to force start the next quest, it didn't fix it. :mad:

diegroblers

Toots wrote: »

The Barenziah Quest Markers mod has changed my life! Before that I'd resorted to making a list of the stone locations from the wiki and crossing them off as I got them!

One word of caution to anyone doing the thieves guild questline, make sure you don't advance too far before you get to the stage 'Diplomatic Immunity' in the main quest line. There's some sort of bug (apparently quite common) that happens when you've advanced really far in the guild that screws up the quest progression

at the end of Diplomatic Immunity you're supposed to meet Delphine back in Riverwood after you've escaped the Thalmor Embassy, but she doesn't show up, and no matter how long you wait she never comes. This means that you lose all the stuff you left with her when you were going to the embassy, and also the next stage of the main quest 'A Cornered Rat' doesn't start.

It happened to me, and even with the console commands to force start the next quest, it didn't fix it. :mad:

Have you got the unofficial patches?