Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim announced

[Morrolan]

Well after the last patch I had no vertical mouse movement and after this patch I still have no vertical mouse movement. The game was running so well up till then too.

I had that problem as well. I had to go back to the previous save, I think the save file must have been corrupted. Its worked fine ever since.

[Calistas]

Looking forward to machinima like this in Skyrim!

[DeepT]

That was quite entertaining. It would be nice if they actually put stuff like that into the game.

[Telefrog]

Looking forward to machinima like this in Skyrim!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2fxVeAVl2I8

That was incredible.

[Juste]

Just got the collectors edition Prima guide yesterday. Holy shit! This thing is huge!

[kerzain]

Yes, and packed to the brim with info. The only real tips I can suggest for navigating it is A) if it isn’t in the index, it’s probably in the glossary (specifically, quest names etc). Also, if it isn’t in the index, it’s probably somewhere else in the index.

Seems like common sense info, but there’s plenty of stuff I’d expect to be in the index that just wasn’t there, or listed in another section for some reason. There almost needs to be a guide on how to find stuff in the guide.

Tip #2: There are a few discrepancies in the effects->items section of the alchemy tables, namely Damage Magika (3 incorrect components in that category). If something looks like it should combine, but doesn’t, check the two/three specific items you’re combining (on the item->effects table) to make sure each effect is actually on the item.

[mjgreeny75]

Bethesda actually put a justification for why you can’t block with dual weapons in a textbook on combat that you find quite early in the game: your grasp isn’t strong and secure enough for blocking unless you hold a weapon with both hands!

That even makes sense for the kind of “hold your weapon rigidly in front of your face” blocking which is the only available option. Of course what you’d actually do is parry and deflect an incoming blow, rather than throw up a rigid shield-like block… but the combat system doesn’t allow for that.

Other then that, there’s simply a pratical problem with dual weapon blocking: there’s no available key for it: the default is used to attack with your offhand, and on xbox atleast there’s no alternative.

But to be honest, I think that’s fine. You gain an advantage (more damage) so you lose something too. Up to you to choose what’s worth more and play accordingly…

[Chris_Nahr]

Now that you mention controls… perhaps you could implement dual-weapon block as crossing your blades in front of you by pressing both triggers? That should work as a control scheme and makes some sense in terms of realism.

[TheWombat]

One thing I’ve come to believe now that I’m going through this a second time is that archery is problematic. Not because it’s weak, but because it’s so friggin’ strong. Not only that, but it seems nearly indispensable, unless you plan to bull rush everything. It allows you to attack from stealth, and from early to mid game to one-shot most enemies, even with no perks in Archery. It’s nearly impossible to run out of arrows of some sort or another. It’s easy to hit stuff. Most importantly, there is no real alternative ranged combat that is anywhere near as effective. Magic doesn’t hit hard enough, especially at low levels, and doesn’t get bonuses from stealth AFAIK. It also isn’t stealthy, in that spells tend to wake up everyone whereas an arrow shot often won’t.

So no matter what type of character I try, I find myself using a bow half the time when creeping through a dungeon, or encountering things out in the open. In Skyrim, apparently, everyone is Robin Hood. It’d be nice if the game had more types of missile weapons at least, like crossbows and throwing knives. Even as a sneaky stabby-stabby dagger type I find myself using bows because it’s nearly impossible (and slow) in the early-mid game to sneak up on people in well-let areas, but it’s trivial to one-shot them with arrows.

At least, shooting them with arrows is fun.

[Arkon262]

I have played 4 characters now to level 40+, and none of them use archery at all. I am sure it is powerful, but it is by no means indispensable.

[extarbags]

Yeah, I’ve only used archery when mandated by some quest I’m on, and not really cared much for it then. Far from indispensable.

[kerzain]

Archery is so far my most neglected skill. I mean, I carry bows to shoot down hawks, but that’s about it.

[Joe_M]

Yeah, this isn’t an MMO. You aren’t going to be derided for dragging the group down because you aren’t min-maxing with archery. I recently started up a mage after playing my sneaky archer to 40ish and I don’t carry a bow, have not been tempted to pick one up and don’t plan on using one ever on this character.

And speaking of mages, here is a dumb question: is there any way to craft robes, or do I have to make do with what I pick up or buy?

[kerzain]

I don’t know of a way to make plain robes, but you can enchant fine clothes, and there is a variety of styles to them.

[ShivaX]

Have to make do with robes and keep in mind you simply cannot craft or enchant anything as good as what you can buy. The numbers on a premade stuff will always be light years ahead of what you can enchant, so if you’re going that route you might as well go with heavy or light armor so you get some defense out of it.

[SuperJay]

At least, shooting them with arrows is fun.

Yeah. It’s not indispensible, but it’s hard to rationalize NOT using it given how effective it is. My Nord warrior had no intention of being an archer, and has invested zero points in the Archery tree, but he’s still one-shotting most enemies using stealthed bowshots. When I realized my highest skills were Sneak and Archery, I realized I should probably just switch over to my dark elf assassin and put Captain Platemail on the shelf for awhile.

[Two_Sheds]

Stuff about bows

Are you on the PC? Have you tried the archery tweak to turn off auto-aiming in . . . one of the threads around here? It makes things interesting. Sometimes you’ll miss, and sometimes those will be important times.

[Joe_M]

I don’t know of a way to make plain robes, but you can enchant fine clothes, and there is a variety of styles to them.

Have to make do with robes and keep in mind you simply cannot craft or enchant anything as good as what you can buy. The numbers on a premade stuff will always be light years ahead of what you can enchant, so if you’re going that route you might as well go with heavy or light armor so you get some defense out of it.

Okay, thanks guys! With a game this massive I wanted to be sure I wasn’t missing something terribly obvious. I thought about making some light armor but I was looking forward to playing a glass cannon with no armor whatsoever (I’m a little weird).

[TheWombat]

I miss occasionally with a bow, but that’s not my issue. I understand some folks don’t use it, but for the life of me, I can’t figure out how you’d avoid barging in head first if you’re not using archery. The way the game rewards you for plinking people from stealth, and the way it doesn’t give you any other viable means of doing that, pretty much means (for me at least) that I either use a bow more than I want to or I charge in and melee everyone, and as a light armor character (I haven’t run any heavy armor dudes yet) this is pretty problematic.

When people who are not using bows are in dungeons, do you not stealth at all? Do you just rumble through and kill what’s in your way? I guess maybe I’ve been too focused on caution perhaps.

[Erik_J]

I miss occasionally with a bow, but that’s not my issue. I understand some folks don’t use it, but for the life of me, I can’t figure out how you’d avoid barging in head first if you’re not using archery. The way the game rewards you for plinking people from stealth, and the way it doesn’t give you any other viable means of doing that, pretty much means (for me at least) that I either use a bow more than I want to or I charge in and melee everyone, and as a light armor character (I haven’t run any heavy armor dudes yet) this is pretty problematic.

When people who are not using bows are in dungeons, do you not stealth at all? Do you just rumble through and kill what’s in your way? I guess maybe I’ve been too focused on caution perhaps.

I play light armor w/shield and have no trouble melee’ing things to death.