Elder Scrolls SKYRIM

[Firewind]

Re: Elder Scrolls SKYRIM

There are plenty of quests where you are stuck with an NPC following you around and you can't do much about it.

[cidbahamut]

Re: Elder Scrolls SKYRIM

Killing them is usually an option, and when it's not you just let them do all the work for you.

[Mezlo]

Re: Elder Scrolls SKYRIM

because Bethesda let Mezlo write the combat AI.

/bow

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Elder Scrolls SKYRIM

Major Skyrim Dragonborn details leak out - SlashGear

Seems like there's a substantial amount of content this time out, at least compared to Dawnguard.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Elder Scrolls SKYRIM

Been playing the expansion for the last few hours. I've already veered off the main quest doing misc quests and exploring. Almost right off the bat I met some friendly werewolf pack that sold me werewolf-specific rings, which is a nice addition since werewolves didn't get much beyond the perk tree in Dawnguard while vampire lords got gear. The rings are bought and only available to werewolves (anyone else and this band of werefolk are likely to just attack you) - that and they're 3-4k a pop.

I've not met any companions beyond one quest-based on. I think they figured you were just going to bring along Serana anyway so they didn't really try to top her. And they're right - I did bring her with me. Still can't marry her, though, they're sticking to that.

The area doesn't seem all that familiar this time, but then, 200 years have passed, Red Mountain blew its top and now half the place is covered in ash, dark elves and their architecture, replacing some of the old Imperial and Nordic establishments, but not all.

This other Dragonborn, Miraak, is a troll, too. Slay a dragon in Solsthiem and he shows up to absorb its soul, laughs at you and disappears. So hopefully you stocked up on souls in Skyrim before travelling north east to Solstheim. He's a jerkass.

A nice touch is they integrated some of the Morrowind OST into the mix. More or less Morrowind, Skyrim and a few new compositions weave in and out. I like the reuse of the Morrowind stuff, though. Feels appropriate.

There are new shouts, along with armor familiar to the region, a new nord armor popped up which looks pretty nice, but you can also find it in Skyrim. Nothing too fancy for weapons yet, but then, since i built The Crossbow That Killed the World its really hard to find something that impresses in that regard. Hopefully something besides those rings - at least something Atherium Crown calibur will turn up. Since this is a region connected to Morrowind, there's likely to be some Dwemer ruins here.

[Raydeus]

Re: Elder Scrolls SKYRIM

Sounds like a good expansion. Can't wait to see the mods that will spawn out off this when it finally releases on PC.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Elder Scrolls SKYRIM

Bought a bow made from the new Stalhrim ore in the expansion, then upgraded it to legendary. It tpales in comparison to my dwarven crossbow, but the ore's arrows are the best in the game so those with a Aruriel's Bow (Legendary) would be pretty badass. If you're interested in the new weapon and armor class made from the ore, you just have to have Ebony unlocked on Smithing.

[Mezlo]

Re: Elder Scrolls SKYRIM

So i have my ps3 working better now adn I could download the new content from the online ps3 store, but is the new content really add that much material and add much more of a challenge? I loved the game, but towards the end, with enchanting capped, blacksmith capped, i forget what level i am, but i was a 2 handed fighter, i pretty much just destroyed everything. There really was no challenge left and I had bumped the difficulty up one from the normal level. Again, I'd love to play more if theres alot more content and more of a challenge, I'm just not sure if any of the new DLC adds that or just more lore.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Elder Scrolls SKYRIM

Things are a little tougher in Dragonborn (the new enemy types tend to hit harder), but if you've got weapons and skills all maxed out, you still might want crank difficulty up toward Adept and Master.

This DLC (along with the others) isn't available for PS3 yet, though. If I had a PS3 I'd wait and see if there was a bundled deal on the DLC to be honest since PS3 users have had to wait so long for it.

Dawnguard added new areas to the existing world and vampire and vampire hunters were a new fun lens to look at the world through, but it lacked that organic experience of stumbling onto a new objective while following another which TES and Fallout tend to be loved for. Dragonborn brings that sensibility back to the mix and while Solstheim isn't huge, it is quite dense with content to stumble all over and get distracted by.

The dungeon puzzles are also a step up from the general fare found in Skyrim. Not Zelda caliber puzzles, perhaps, but still thoughtful to say the least.

What I do find ridiculous is they felt the need to have yet another tier of drauger deathlords - the Drauger Deathlord Overlord. Because it wasn''t deathy and lordy enough..

[Mezlo]

Re: Elder Scrolls SKYRIM

I'll wait for a bundled DLC like you suggest. The Dragonborn and Dawngaurd bundle.

[DakAttack]

Re: Elder Scrolls SKYRIM

Draugr Deathlord Overlord Jarl

and

Draugr Deathlord Overlord Overjarl

say hi.

[Yygdrasil]

Re: Elder Scrolls SKYRIM

I liked the Shivering Isles Expansion to Oblivion because it added a whole new chunk of the map. Dawnguard, as an expansion, reminds me more of Knights of the Nine.

- - - Updated - - -

The dungeon puzzles are also a step up from the general fare found in Skyrim. Not Zelda caliber puzzles, perhaps, but still thoughtful to say the least.

I agree. Although some of the ones that were in Skyrim still tripped me up from time to time. The solutions to some of them were simple enough, but lacked the necessary hints to guide you to the right solution. One that comes directly to mind is one of the Ancient Nordic Ruins, the final chamber of which was barricaded by a door that said "you do not posses the necessary tokens to activate this door". None of the writings on the walls indicated anything, there were no books... nothing. As it turns out, the "tokens" were 2 weapons uniquely named "Ceremonial Sword" and "Ceremonial Mace". One was found on the body of one of the random Duragars I killed... and the other was hanging on a plaque looking like nothing special at all. If I weren't the type to scour every last container for even so much as 2 gold to salvage, I never would have found either one of them particularly interesting. I only picked them up because I liked their unique names and was intending to display them in my own home. Had I done that and removed them from my inventory... damn... I never would have gotten through that door without the help of some guide.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Elder Scrolls SKYRIM

Usually I check everything when I enter a dungeon. If its darker, I get the torch out and look harder. Search every enemy corpse and urn, chest, etc.

I started out my dungeon crawling on Zelda, Metroid and Dragon Quest, though, so try/search everything is pretty much the only way I go about it. I'm just glad not all searching entails block pushing and square-hunting like back then.

[Firewind]

Re: Elder Scrolls SKYRIM

I do like how Skyrim has devices and traps set up that you can use to turn on monsters and bandits as stealth characters. Like the oil and burning lamps in the tombs or tripwires that trigger rolling log traps in bandit caves. it is always fun to see a bunch of angry Bandits or Duragar running around and trying to work out what is going on while you stay hidden in the corner of the room.

I do also like how AI is less psychic. In Skyrim I can shoot an arrow or throw an object, or set off a trap or lamp + oil thingy to cause a distraction. In Oblivion or even Fallout New Vegas, if I did that the AI would instantly know where I was unless I broke the game and had 100% Chameleon (Oblivion) or I sniped the mob from way outside of its aggro range (New Vegas).

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Elder Scrolls SKYRIM

To be fair, in Fallout sniping without a silencer is asking for people to zero in on you anyway. I think this also because AI reacting to all audio isn't quite as in depth as it could be.

Wearing light and heavy armor and sneaking they seem to have gotten right, with the rustling of heavy armor being more audible. Firing an unsilenced sniper rifle in Red Rock should create confusion and have people scrambling to find you, but instead the loud bang just helps them find you. In a narrow underground passage them finding you makes more sense.