Skyrim: kicking dragon ass

I had an annoying quest last night, I found this ladies wedding band and presumed I just had to take it back to the husband to show she was dead (earlier he had hired me to find her), but he had vanished off the face of the Earth. Weird. I think I’m going to go assassinate the dude for The Dark Brotherhood to get it out of my system. An annoying thing about the game is committing crimes are almost impossible. I had to kill an optional lady with the main hit and she was alone in the halls of the dead and as soon as I offed her, no witnesses mind, the entire city guard poured in, so rather than pick up more bounty I ran like a girl for the city gates. Flipping unrealistic. And they couldn’t catch that damned serial murderer in the city for like months, til I came along. Which reminds me I saved lots of women from being torn apart by a loon. You’d think that would balance my karma, for war axing a defenceless woman with no mercy wouldn’t you? I call ass.

Gaining on the Daedric armour now, ebony armour is only mildly better than plate it seems, so will probably hold off getting it a bit as some of my plate armour has very good enchantments. The ebony weapons though do massive damage, so worth the perk. Laters. :slight_smile:

[tab]Well I don’t want to blog but seeing as Skyrim has become my life lately, I just did the Thieves Guild mission to rob some guy and torch part of his business. I knew it wouldn’t go well as my sneak is 30, even with the thieves light guild armour. I got the key alright after sneaking past the guards, but then when I came out of the bedroom after killing the mark for the safe key, I couldn’t sneak past the guard despite trying several times so my fall back plan came into action, kill ever mercenary in the house. Then kill every mercenary in the cellar then unlock the safe. In retrospect I should of just gone straight to the cellar because the safe was only expert, not master as I had suspected, but ho hum. Improving skills I seldom use so it’s all good. Light armour up 1, sneak up 1. level up because of that. :slight_smile:

I then forgot about burning the beehives and had to come back, it’s day time now, this aint going to end well either. :laughing:

Update, I just reloaded from a previous save point, cause I couldn’t from one that was near the house. This time, I killed the guard without arousing the whole house, not sure why, but gift horse and all that. Got the bee hives, only had to kill about 6 people, one day I may be able to sneak worth a damn, but even in light armour it seems I am as quiet as a train full of live symbol banging monkeys. :slight_smile:[/tab]

Spoiler: if you haven’t done the Thieves’ Guild quests, better late than never… the spoiler I mean. :slight_smile:

Although robbing people with only 1/3 of the skills is fun if messy.

i beat the game a while ago

it was a lot of fun

but eventually it got repetitive

spoiler
[tab]so then i google’d the cheat codes

had a couple more days of fun

it was pretty good for a single player only game[/tab]

It’s not got repetitive for me yet. Hope it doesn’t. Doing one of the main quests on master: just got into Sovengard, going through potions and heal spells a bit but there’s nothing too strenuous. I was on expert but decided it was getting a bit easy with 729 armour and weapons that do 123 damage. So now my magic does jack shit, even expert stuff, and my weapons are effective only on power attacks: well I did ask for it. :slight_smile:

Funny instant, I have a sword that makes all level 40 or lower undead flee for 30 secs, I ran across 3 and made them flee but made the mistake of following them, then there were 6. I had to hit each one in turn to get the buggers manageable. It was like playing connect 4 in 9 dimensions. Hard work but hella fun, as long as I didn’t have all 6 on me at once, it was ok. Lot of running around though… :slight_smile:

Well I’ve done the main quest, the last part was a bit too easy I thought even on master. So now just to clear up the side quests, of which I have about a zillion and I’m all done. :slight_smile:

Minor gripe the main quest as a whole is too easy and too short. That said these games have never been about just the main story and their strength is in the myriad of side quests. So can’t complain.

Have you chosen a Side in the Civil War?

Not really I hate both sides, the Empire is a shadow of its former self and is under the control of a shady organisation of Dark Elves. Where as Ulfric is a political machine who overwhelmingly desires fame and the High Kingship no matter what the cost. That said I have taken back Whiterun, so I guess I am nominally on Ulfric’s side. Frankly what Skyrim needs even now the main quest is achieved and the world is a safer place, in fact because of it, is peace and to rebuild, it’s full of ruins, very few forts are occupied by Nord/Imperial troops, it’s a mess. A civil war should drag on for centuries but seeing as one of the game outcomes is take Winterhold or Solitude I guess it ends there, at least for now. I’d like to take out the Thalmor from Skyrim permanently, arrogant it seems all of them. But I don’t think you can. :slight_smile:

The Empires seen better days yeah, but everything in game tells me their just biding time too strike back at the Thalmor.

Really, since I’ve done nothing for the Empire I don’t get quests or much conversation with them… I suppose if I start again at some point, I could explore the Empires side of it more. I know Ulfrics side, I have to admit I don’t like him much as a character, so playing the other side would be easy.

Realistically The Empire should lose I think if I’m honest, they just don’t have the military presence to protect their interests. The attack on Whiterun was far too easy, simply because the imperial numbers were laughably low. ideally I’d like Ulric to die in the process of the war as I don’t think he’d make much of a high king. Loyal bar steward aint I. :slight_smile:

One odd thing is I seem to have freed Falkreath from the Empire just by completing the main quest. I got the reward just then. I didn’t do anything? I guess I’m just so mighty the Imperials broke and ran before I even got there… :wink:

Yeah the low numbers are really because of the restrictions of the game rather than not having a presence in the area.

No excuse really, they should have siege weapons and stuff too, but I know what you mean. They should of had some epic final battle in Dragonhold, where I got to ram my sword through the old Jarl’s skull. Incidentally I was one of his Thains. Lol, loyalty is not my strength in this game.

I’m basically a Paladin in whatever fantasy game I play.

A real Heros hero, none of that anti-hero crap. :slight_smile:

My main character is a Legionary, Beloved by the Gods, With Thuums that strike his foes with Holy lightining and make the priestesses of Dibella wet. :laughing:

And whenever he needs a Drink he just takes a trip to Sovngarde.

Hell The Empire should just make him High King of Skyrim, there will be no rebellions with him on the throne.

I agree. Skyrim needs a high king who isn’t only out for his personal glory.

Yeah usually I’m quite honest, but after a while I got corrupted by the quests and decided to go evil for a change, anything that comes up, murder, thieving, mindless and unrepentant slaying, I’m in. I think though I’ve dirtied my soul enough, the guilt weighs heavy for one char, so like you maybe if I start over the next guy will be a shining beacon of light in a dark place.

The game is so detailed and so rich I would have a hard time thinking of a RPG that has captured my imagination so much, and kept me interested so long. Sure it’s a flawed masterpiece. I mean the menus are a pain, your companion likes to go walkabout at times, leaving you in the lurch for seemingly no reason, horses can fly and so can I. But somehow you overlook the flaws because this is a very good package overall, a lot of love went into this game. They took their time, it fulfills its promise in my opinion. I am a cynical git whos played everything for nigh on 30 years so it takes a great deal to impress me. :slight_smile:

Ok well it seems my heinous and extensive crimes have finally caught up with me, the weak goody two shoes types will be glad to hear it. I can’t enter Whiterun without being arrested for murder, and it’s damned near impossible to escape jail atm, I have 76 lock pick, but with one lock pick and without the perk to make expert locks easier to pick I am relying on blind luck when it comes to getting out, and then what do I do, go on the lamb? Well I have no regrets in fact I can justify every one of my actions. Evil men never believe they are evil, and I can see that now. I am not evil I am just a person who took a contract to kill someone in cold blood, after my soul had been corrupted, it wasn’t my contract I was just paid to do a job. She needed to die, she was evil not me. :wink:

Anyway bullshit moral ambiguity and lying to oneself aside. Can I join the imperials once I’ve taken two cities back for the rebels? If not how do I escape jail without being on a wanted list?

Damn I’m enjoying being evil, never usually do it, and weirdly the stories are so well written I even feel guilt. I should perhaps role play better and slowly become a psychopath so remorse troubles me not any more.

I saved Skyrim from the Dragon threat, am I not allowed to then follow my maxim that doing what I want, and for money is the whole of my law. That selfishly anything that benefits me should be done? I think so. I’m a hero. :wink:

incidentally crimes I have committed today, I killed an old man because a Daedric Lord told me to, and I got increases in all magic skills for it. I ruined a man’s career so that a corrupt Jarl could take over his operations. And now I am going to lead her to a hegemony in the mead market. I could of done more evil but meh, the day is not over. :wink:

Really cool perspective on the nature of video games as a medium for narrative, self-narrative, art, and entertainment:

http://www.gamespot.com/shows/gamespot-live/?event=twisted_metal_david_jaffe_dice_session20120209

If I could embed the video in my post instead of just the link I would much rather do that.

In other news, I still haven’t beat Skyrim but now that I’m constraining myself to just the main quest it shouldn’t be too long. I’m about to be level 60 after a couple skill increases, I’ve completed a shitload of side quests, I have a shit load of money and items (thank you 650+ carry weight w/ enchantments), but I’ve only just spoken to Paarthurnax for the first time on the Throat of the world and now I’m at the Mage College of Winterhold getting some key texts from the Arcanaeum.

Yeah the main quest is not that tough, I’d say the last quest can be a challenge, but since I had the sword of Lothar or whatever, I luckily wasn’t that mobbed even on master. At 60 you should be the all singing all dancing crap o’ the world at the game by now. Kudos by the way, 60 is a logarithmic amount away from 49. I’m running out of side quests at 49, maybe I’m doing something wrong.

Good luck.

On a side note, how does one find Daedra to kill, I have only ever found one place they lived in and I cleared that. Trying to make all the Daedric armour but I’ve only found 2 hearts so far, 1 in an alchemists shop, 1 in the companion leaders rooms. Ie me. :slight_smile:

Also why is ebony armour worse than steel plate? I get less armour when wearing a legendary ebony full suite, than wearing a legendary steel plate full suit? I’m thinking they forgot to include the all armour of a type bonus from the higher skill armours? It is odd. I’m just praying that Daedric includes the 25% bonus otherwise, I recommend no one who’s heavy goes beyond it? And that seems such a shame!

Glad I cottoned onto this game a little late too. I just did another Daedra quest, it was clearing out corrupted spirits from a tomb. At the end her blessedness brought me up to near space and gave me a “mighty” weapon, then she let me free fall at terminal velocity to the ground and die. Now it might be just a sick Daedra jape, but I checked the web and the only easy way to avoid instant death on PC is to turn on TGM, The God Mode so you don’t die. I turned it off again I am already good enough. :wink:

I’ve done the Thieves guild stuff and am on the Assassins guild stuff now, using a bow for the first time, and the cool Thieves guild stuff to make my sneak worth using with my nice light armour (improved of course). Kinda fun learning new skills and I think it’s essential to diversify to get up levels, even though I’ve always been a jack of all trades type char, I’m missing a lot of skill sets.

I leveled up my combat skills and armor a long time ago (by lvl 30), so now every time my character levels up from other skills (sneak, healing, etc.) enemies grow a little stronger and it’s no longer quite as effortless to obliterate them. That’s good though because as I round out my character by developing other skills, the game actually becomes a little more challenging. I’m playing on master, too.

I haven’t done much with Daedric weaponry or armor. I like the look of the Ebony and it’s worked well enough so far. I also have the ability to cast two enchantments on a single piece of equipment, so there’s that. Also, I haven’t encountered any dragon equipment yet, I’m guessing that’s saved for some of the final quests or something?

Decided to take some screenshots:

Zarathustra lvl 8 (older screenshot)

Zarathustra lvl 60

Thanks :slight_smile:

I have one set of dragon armour gloves I found randomly in a chest in an almost deserted tower that lead to a dungeon, it’s light armour, but obviously very good light armour. So its worth getting if you want to magic it up and go burgling and what not. I presume all them scales and bones are what you make the armour with, so I’ve saved about 12 of each so far. No idea though obviously. 3 bits of Daedric now, gonna get it and magic it up, as an all ebony suit is worse than steel plate for some bizarre reason. Hoping all the perk bonuses apply to Daedric at least? Otherwise it’s a pretty stupid bug.

Lvl 51 now

Spoiler for Assassin final quest, ish.

[tab]I killed The Emperor but he was such a ruddy nice bloke about it I granted him a last wish an killed his contractor for him also, after I found out where the payment was of course. Seriously The Emperor, bloody nice bloke, no begging for his life, rational, resigned and totally unafraid. He even turned his back to me so I could kill him fast. The Councilman (Proconsul Senator I guess) was a coward and it felt good to end him.

Decent chap all round Titus, I would of felt sorry about it but I’ve done much worse, and if I hadn’t done it lets face it sooner or later some novice would try and get lucky. :slight_smile:

With the Assassins Guild when they say marked for death they tend to mean it. :slight_smile:[/tab]

Archery is 25 now and sneak 51, light armour 42. With the thieves guild armour and the Assassin power I can go anywhere, although I still get caught sometimes. Smithing is 96, but I’m in no hurry to get the dragon armour, as the Nightingale armour is pretty sweet when improved. Enchanting is 72, as is Alchemy too. It’s useful for healing potions and invisibility potions which sell for 600s-700s sometimes. I don’t think I’m going to get enough perks for the double enchantment, but meh we shall see.

Fuse is that the Ebony bow or the Nightingale bow? I presume its the Nightingale bow as that one’s better with +30 frost and +10 lightning damage. Daedric arrows are quite rare though, and you can’t make them. So I use mostly Ebony and give the Daedric to my companion who can shoot straight at least. :slight_smile:

The Daedric armour looks evil, I gave it to my companion for the time being, until I get the last bit.

I seriously underestimated archery though, because I specialised in magic and 1H weapons, it’s pretty effective from sneaking and with perks I bet 1 shot kills are easily possible. The Expert destruction spells kinda blow tbh, although the restoration heal is pretty good. I’m hoping the master spells make up for them, 84 destruction, 74 Restoration atm.

Kinda forgot, I’m back on the Stormcloak war side, I got arrested outside of Windhelm, and this time the penance involved money and no jail time. So I paid it off, well I am loaded. I’m still miffed though that I got caught in the first place, sneak attack from behind no witnesses and yet the psi squad turned up in force. Definitely a flaw with the game there. Doing a job earlier as well, I couldn’t sneak up and kill the target without getting 1000 riften bad boy points even with an invisibility potion and success in being undetected, in the end I managed to avoid being “seen/heard stroke psychically radar caught” by psi squad by killing her, and jumping in a lake. But ffs why that worked and the other times didn’t is beyond me! I’m fricking invisible and have sneak bonuses so far up the whing wang, with armour etc, that God couldn’t detect me! People, throw me a fricking bone, do these guys who aren’t around anyway have some sort of superhuman powers to see and or hear the invisible from miles away! Ah well. Quests are turning up in unexpected places, but being down to only 10 side quests unnerves me.

addendum to Assassin guild quests:

[tab]still evil but killing a poor fishwife I thought was a bit unnecessary, I think the guild mother is a bit mental, but will reserve judgement for the time being. Emperors yes, they deserve it, hazard of politics, but nobodies? I should start questioning the contracts more, I do but what are you the client doing making a contract on harmless people? Ah well I suppose money is money, and a life’s a life of equal value no matter what its status, it’s a kill or be killed business, I wouldn’t be the leader of the guild if I had any morals…[/tab]

I always wished you could join the Penitus Oculatus and take part in the same missions, except you defend the people marked for assassination(the higher ranking ones anyhow), seeing as how certain parts of the story only progress if you join the Dark Brotherhood.