2701

I’ve never had any trouble with the ice trolls, but I think it’s because one of my characters shoots fireballs, and the other shoots fire arrows. It’ll be interesting to see what they’re like when I make a melee character. Of course, he’ll probably have a fire axe…

2702

you can carry a torch in your offhand.

2703

That would be rad, but I don’t think I’m willing to give up blocking

2704

Exactly how does that perk work and how does it help you? I’ve been unclear on this one.

2705

When baddies are raring back to power attack you it slows down time and makes it easy to execute a shield bash, which interrupts the attack.

I’m level 58 and Frost Trolls are nothing to me, but I’m guessing the first part of that has something to do with the second. Okay, more than 58, because I’m holding the level up until I need a quick heal, but you get the meaning.

2706

If you have your shield up and your opponent does a power attack, time slows down. You get more time to shield bash or sidestep.

2707

When something power attacks you while you’re blocking, time gets very very slow. It makes it extremely easy to interrupt power attacks.

Ice trolls seem to only have power attacks.

2708

You are the most entertaining Skyrim player evar! :-)

2709

Don’t encourage him!

2710

Hey, now - in my defense, the great big book of the game even advises that you do this sort of thing. Which I understand, because it is a remarkably useful little quick heal for those times when you forgot all your potions back in the potion barrel and you weren’t expecting there to be a large, angry dead person. I’ll have to burn it soon anyway because I’ll need to perk up some of my magical schools (the other benefit of my travel afternoon was that I cast Muffle about ten thousand times and now my Illusion is at 99), and you can’t do that without triggering the level up.

2711

I saw that perk but I’m nowhere near being able to get it yet. I guess I’ll go let some bandits whale on me out in the woods so I can level up block.

I don’t know about the combat being bad. Maybe compared to Dark Souls. But to me, this is the best combat in an Elder Scrolls game has even been. It feels weighty, kinetic, and dangerous, just as it should be.

The other day I was running through the woods and heard a buzzing sound, and something green made out of bees killed me. I think this was a reimagined creature from Morrowind (I never saw them in Oblivion). Man, that thing killed me fast. I wonder how I’m ever going to take on a dragon. I can barely scratch a giant (though I LOVE the giants in this game).

My character’s name is Old Conan (he is bascially Conan the Barbarian, post-king, who has lost everything, and is now an old man with a beard). In the books he kills everything in his path. In my game he gets beat up an awfully lot. I’ll pretend it’s because he’s old.

2712

That was a Spriggan welcoming you to the forest. They’re bitches at low level.

You’ll be knocking down dragons before you know it, though. In fact, if you follow the main quest through the High Hrothgar part (“The Way of the Voice”) you’ll be in better shape for dragon-poking sooner rather than later.

2713

Actually giants whack dragons routinely and are a more dangerous opponent than dragons.

2714

Some dragons. There’s a lot of different kinds of dragons. I’ve only seen one kind of giant. But the Jarls do agree with you - you won’t start getting giant bounties before 20, but you’ll get dragon bounties as low as 10, I believe.

2715

Spriggan Matrons are nasty, in part because they have a massive DoT that doesn’t generate any feedback if you’re a good distance from them. Your health just silently melts away.

2716

Do the Jarls give you a bonus if you defeat the dragons while carrying 500 pounds of gear?? ;)

2717
  1. Or 71. One of those.

And no. No they do not. I’ve actually only gotten two dragon bounties at all. Guess I shot from 10 to 20 in dungeons and never picked up any bounties. And I’ve still got an outstanding bounty for a frost dragon I killed but didn’t cash because the guy was in Riften and I’m trying to clean quest markers OFF my map that I expect will give me an hilarious hundred bucks or something.

2718

I do want to be more powerful, but being weak is pretty fun too. I have to watch myself when walking through the forest, and it’s better to travel during the day so I can see everything around me. I always feel nostalgic for the beginning of a game like this where you are weak and everything is fresh and new and unexplored.

2719

Four thousand pounds? More proof of your insanity/hilarity, Brian.

And yeah, ElG - I get the same way. I have a self-inflicted problem where I almost avoid progressing in some games because I want all that potential to remain. Luckily in Skyrim, there’s no way I could do everything in one playthrough, or even two, so I’m not too worried. (Also, keep in mind that even in your 30s, you’re still getting challenged by walking through the forest and such, because the enemies level with you. Cave Bears still can and will eat my face off if I’m not careful.)

2720

Yeah a bear started chasing me the other day so I ran back into town. Every time I thought I’d lost him I’d hear a growl, turn around, and he’d be barrelling down on me. I finally got to town and he mopped the floor with a few guards, but they hurt him enough I could kill him.