Cyan's *Must-Have* Skyrim Mod Recommendation Super-Gush Thread - daily updates

Well, I have already thought about the background of my very first character in Skyrim, when the game arrives at home. It will be an Argonian, I really fancy amphibians, they are nice creatures. I will play on Hard difficulty level, which is the most balanced difficulty level, as far I know.

I'm male. So he will be an argonian male. (I will take pics of my character when I get the game)

THE STORY OF MY CHARACTER

His name is Toaddio Vir Perdeulove. A good-natured, kind, well loved guy, the son of an argonian female who is a bondservant of a wealthy family of Imperials whose husband, and father of Toaddio, decided to live his life in a retired place, under some tall trees to try to forget a bad experience he had when he fell in love and the pain in his heart because he is unable to earn enough money to take his wife with him. However, he is not with his wife because he doesn't try enough, not because of his lack of money, something he doesn't realize, and the reason is he can't stop thinking about his one true love -a young woman who married another person- and that is his greatest failing and curse in life, to the point that he can't get over it, and it seems he never will. This is why he knows he will never save his wife, because his mind and will are in another place, and belong to a different person. He exiled himself from his own life because of the neverending pain in his chest. He is a lost cause, a fact deeply aggravated by the loss and death of one of his sons.

Yes, Toaddio also had a brother, who lived with his grandmother. She died relatively young because of a strange skin illness, which happen in rare cases but argonians are prone to suffer from it given the fact that their skin is fragile and velvety. His brother could never overcome the death of such a wonderful person, and carry on with his life. However, his actual pain was of a very different nature, and one day he thought it was enough and he committed suicide. After that, -his suicide happened because of a very bad experience with love, a family thing-, Toaddio lost the only person who brought him happiness in this world. Deep down he knew his destiny, and he decided it was time to seek glory, ventures, or either his life would be only oblivion, pain and death. He didn't know but there was something special about him that could change his life and the life of others forever.

When his brother died, and despite the appearances and having parents, he knew he was alone in the world. They took him away from his mother when he was a child and his father isn't emotionally well to take care of him. His grandfather also died. He appeared to be in good health, but when he was still in the egg, he suffered from an illness called "egg pain", which doesn't manifest at a young age, but it's chronic, and painful when argonians get old. It deprives them of mobility and causes a long suffering.

Even if his grandfather was healthy -which he wasn't-, his personality showed obvious flaws. His grandfather, as a grown up, wasn't very responsible, considerate of other people, he didn't pay his own bills -nor moral or material debts-, nor did his own laundry, and was a heavy smoker of skooma, apart from drinking a lot, and he seemed to do that because of his dull personality, although he began taking these bad habits when he was very young, the typical things that kids do thinking it makes them cool. Also, his father killed his mother because one day they started arguing, and his father accidentally overdid it and caused severe damage to her. His grandfather never got over it...

So Toaddio, one fine morning decided it was enough. He felt captive in his life and an inner voice was telling him that he was meant for really important ventures, thus he decided to leave his native Argonia. He was about to fulfill his destiny as a prodigal member of the argonian race and their finest person since they exist.

That morning was a very sad one. He took his scarce belongings and wrapped them up in a woolen cloth. He took a pole and hanged the woolen cloth in one of the ends. He lifted it on his shoulder and he felt ready to leave his beloved native land. A land where melancholy and homesickness seemed to be synonyms to its name.

His moist, humid homeland, where marshes and water flowered free, was one of the most beautiful places in all Tamriel. Leaving was very painful, like when an english leave England or you were born in Seattle and lived there all your life and have to leave, the melancholy envelops you if you are far from home. His eyes grew misty, and feelings of deep sadness and affection for his unforgettable homeland welled up inside him.

He began walking and closed his eyes and drifted on soft, wispy clouds trying to recall every place, forest, essence, taste, and smell of his beloved Argonia, its virgin Islands, and healthy water. He looked up to the mountains, with his tear soaked eyes, something inside him, beyond his will, told him to go to the north, and find the happiness and the love he had been needing and looking for, and wanting for so long. He knew that someday he would marry, and that the tales of dragons he used to read when he was a child acknowledged him of their existance, even if incredulous people had never seen them, they were among us.

He had to be strong. He let his fears subside and leaned into the soil of Argonia a bit, like when the Pope used to kiss the soil of every country he visited, but without kissing it, just letting his heart melding into the ground as he knew it was the time to depart.

After a long while he pulled away, and wiped away his tears, and so lovingly looked within the ground, he saw his native land love for him, so strong and so soul wrenching, as if the earth wanted to pull him into it. It's hardly surprising that he promised he would be back. In that very moment he began his journey, to reach the Skyrim border.

When he got there he was captured, accused of stealing a hen, but he wasn't guilty, he would never do that because he is herbivore, something that the Imperial guards didn't know about some varieties of argonians. He had no money in that little package hanging from the pole on his shoulder, so the guards imprisoned him. His mother died that day, too. They were about to accuse him of murder, but it became obvious it wasn't him. Someone told his mother her son has left Argonia and she began to cry. She also needed some freedom and being with her son. He was her only true love. But when she was on the run to reunite with her son, she was unjustly killed. It's no surprise her son hates injustices. He also has a strong dislike for flies, but that's another story. The unfairness of some events in his life was about to change, and fortune would smile on him.

The magic of Argonia was with him. He is an artist of survival and strong will. He will learn a lot with age. And he will become the last bastion of the arcane wisdom.

From now on I am Toaddio, an argonian romantic and I will live in Skyrim.
 
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It does do the usual Elder Scrolls thing though (or at least it did it yesterday for me): the longer you play it, the more choppy it gets (the hdd is struggling like crazy). A restart remedies this. Not a PS3 exclusive issue though. That's been an Elder Scrolls trope since Morrowind on PC.

Hmm I'm not seeing that on pc, it's running solid 60fps for hours on end with everything maxxed out (1080p, 8xmsaa, etc....).


What's the gameplay bug situation like?

I'm on pc, but so far this game has been remarkably trouble free. Back when Elder Scrolls games were only on pc they were horrifically buggy, but I'm finding now that they also support console they are much more solid. I haven't encounted even one bug so far in many hours of play. Maybe the console certification process has helped clean the game up.

One odd thing I encountered, I got a companion a while back who fights with me and oddly she has the same name as my wife. Kinda cool but eerie at the same time. I found myself defending her more than normal :) Sadly though I walked into a cave with two strong magic users and my companion is no more :( Is there any way to revive companions?
 
I'm impressed at the bug situation. Actually, it's kinda disappointing, coz now I'm kinda wanting to play this. :p
 
Random I know but my hunter in WoW has a bat pet named Charlie. The flapping drives me absolutely insane!
That's a nice coincidence, I wonder which Charlie would look fancier, if yours or mine. :pI used to see bats at night where I was born, when I was a child. I live and was born in a very small place, with 30-40 regular inhabitants. It's been quite a while since I've seen a bat now that I think of it.

I would love to be able to have a pet bat in Skyrim if I was a vampire. I mean, not necessarily a malicious -an Evil Overlord of the world- vampire, but a normal dude if my character was converted into a vampire.
I'm impressed at the bug situation. Actually, it's kinda disappointing, coz now I'm kinda wanting to play this. :p
I think you are pretty safe in that regard. If you get the game for the PS3... this one is the less buggy of the two versions. I was a bit disappointed myself with the texture bug on the 360, but it's minor stuff they can patch easily, I think. This one bug needs to be fixed and it doesn't seem to be the kind of bug which might, in turn, give you three different bugs when you patch it, which helps. I give Bethesda some slack because they are awesome, bugs notwithstanding, and because the amazing open world they created.
 
Hmm I'm not seeing that on pc, it's running solid 60fps for hours on end with everything maxxed out (1080p, 8xmsaa, etc....).

On what? I'm on a 570+i5 2500 and can't get 60fps all the time. People with 580s report similar results.
 
I'm impressed at the bug situation. Actually, it's kinda disappointing, coz now I'm kinda wanting to play this. :p

Warning...it will consume you :) It's an incredibly addicting game. Not a whole lot different than Oblivion in general play so if you didn't like Oblivion you likely won't like Skyrim. But if you liked Oblivion by all means, jump in!


On what? I'm on a 570+i5 2500 and can't get 60fps all the time. People with 580s report similar results.

4.3ghz i7-2600k, 580gtx sc, 16gb ram. I keep fxaa off since I can't stand blur, everything else is maxed.
 
Did you find the staff of paralysis? I just found that and its definitely made some situations far easier.

no, not yet!

but I did finish the mage gilde quest...and got a mighty fine 100% mana regen item :)
also, the fireball spell is rather powerful and "mana cheap" imo, now I feel rather okish during battle also bought a better heal spell. I also finished the quest I once struggled, am now at level 13 or so...
found also a time manipulation scream...helps during battle as well, and just get a ice freeze scream

also, managed to open one master lock...although I do not have any lockpicking skills at all...increased my experience level by two just opening this lock :D

game is a sensation, already 24 hours of my life spend on this one...cannot wait to hunt more dragons...and searching for lost ponys ;-)
 
Warning...it will consume you :) It's an incredibly addicting game. Not a whole lot different than Oblivion in general play so if you didn't like Oblivion you likely won't like Skyrim. But if you liked Oblivion by all means, jump in!




4.3ghz i7-2600k, 580gtx sc, 16gb ram. I keep fxaa off since I can't stand blur, everything else is maxed.

I recommend you to do the shadow resolution fix, mentioned in the PC thread...helps a lot imo!

But I somehow have the feeling that the light in this game is off, it seems everything is so dark...I can hardly distinguish dark in dark stuff...had to crank up gamma to make things better, but I am curious whats going on...as I did not read about complaints from others...I guess my eyes are somehow off :D
 
Hmm I'm not seeing that on pc, it's running solid 60fps for hours on end with everything maxxed out (1080p, 8xmsaa, etc....).

Gonna take a while until Skyrim maxes out a couple of Gigs worth of ram I guess. (a while as in going for 30 hours or more without a break)

Mostly talking about consoles here, but Oblivion on my 360, FO3 and especially FO: NV (both on PS3) had that very same issue. The games simply remember every little thing you do and can never be bothered to clear the cache until you restart them. Morrowind on PC was the worst for me though. That game usually went from smooth sailing to virtually unplayable in 2 hours tops.
It's just a bit baffling how after so many games and so many complaints, Bethesda still hasn't addressed that issue.
 
I think you are pretty safe in that regard.
the worry is that it'd be too time consuming.

Warning...it will consume you :)
Exactly! Something like Uncharted 3 I can whizz through the campaign and jump in to multiplayer every now and then, so I'm okay buying that or maybe War In The North. But epic RPGs are too involving, so I'm skipping lots of games that I used to enjoy playing.
 
I lost my first companion last night. She literally vanished and all that was left was her weapon!! Until I got to the lower level and there she was! Hanging from the ceiling by one leg...
 
faceOff is here... http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-face-off-skyrim

like i predict the framerate is bad and not "smooth as butter" :) .. drops down to 18 FPS while fighting is not funny anymore its unplayable ... stuttering is there too with some shockingly LOD differences + heavenly blured image thanks to FXAA ... but what is pissing me most is the shoddy work with the shadow off-set bias

Did you have at least play it to say 'gotcha'? A lot of people here has said otherwise & even the face off claims the dips don't touch the game experience, but I imagine when we want to see only in a negavite way, counts only that :???: By the way seem almost more a bunch of bug problems than others, how ever, a classic of Bethesda on the ps3... I can't believe they have the courage to release a game in this conditions, to me seem pretty obvious a beta testing never crossed the ps3 platform in a single moment of the development...
 
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But epic RPGs are too involving, so I'm skipping lots of games that I used to enjoy playing.

Yeah I hear ya, I banned mmo's for the same reason. Although you can save anytime anywhere with Skyrim so it's much easier to walk away from it if you have to.


but I did finish the mage gilde quest...and got a mighty fine 100% mana regen item :)
also, the fireball spell is rather powerful and "mana cheap" imo, now I feel rather okish during battle also bought a better heal spell. I also finished the quest I once struggled, am now at level 13 or so...

also, managed to open one master lock...although I do not have any lockpicking skills at all...increased my experience level by two just opening this lock :D

game is a sensation, already 24 hours of my life spend on this one...cannot wait to hunt more dragons...and searching for lost ponys ;-)

Cool, I'm actually not a battle mage as of yet but I'm starting to work a bit more on my magic skills now to balance things out. How the heck did you pick a master lock? I found that staff of paralysis purely by accident by the way, it's one of the things I love about these Elder Scrolls games. I just happened to wander into some cave that had a couple of magic users in it and there it was sitting on a table for me. My companion died in the ensuing melee but so it goes, she knew the risks. I do wish there was a way to hot swap weapon sets with one press of a button on the 360 pad, do you know if that's possible? I only know how to do it with the favorites menu.


I recommend you to do the shadow resolution fix, mentioned in the PC thread...helps a lot imo!

Generally speaking I don't mess with game ini's. Sometimes features are left disabled because they aren't fully tested yet, or have unintended consequences, etc. It could be why all my last few pc games have run flawlessly with no crashes or issues at all, my pc has basically been working like a console for me, I plop on the couch and play without issue. Switching to an NVidia card has certainly helped as well :)


But I somehow have the feeling that the light in this game is off, it seems everything is so dark...I can hardly distinguish dark in dark stuff...had to crank up gamma to make things better, but I am curious whats going on...as I did not read about complaints from others...I guess my eyes are somehow off :D

Hmm I don't notice that either, although I do play in a dark room.
 
Yeah I hear ya, I banned mmo's for the same reason. Although you can save anytime anywhere with Skyrim so it's much easier to walk away from it if you have to.
My brain doesn't cope well with that. When I start a game I tend to play it heavily until complete. When it's a weekend adventure, great. When it's hundreds of hours...! :oops: I think Rogue Galaxy was the last really long game I played. I really liked Morrowind. It's sad these sorts of games aren't much of an option. I need someone to reinvent the genre to provide the same RPG experience but in more...I dunno. I mean, in something like Morrowind you'd think "I'll just do this quest" and then 3 or 4 hours have gone by!
 
I can play a game over a long time like I did for RFOM and the Souls series. But the game has to stay interesting throughout.

Gave up so many games half way because they drag on for too long.
 
the worry is that it'd be too time consuming.

Exactly! Something like Uncharted 3 I can whizz through the campaign and jump in to multiplayer every now and then, so I'm okay buying that or maybe War In The North. But epic RPGs are too involving, so I'm skipping lots of games that I used to enjoy playing.
I can tell you from my own experience that it isn't as time consuming as you might think. In fact it can be less time consuming than other games based on Checkpoints, because you can simply save the game at any given time and leave. A more interesting advantage than you might think.

I warn you that you can easily put 100 hours -and 500-1000 if you want- in an Elder Scrolls game. In fact, nobody can take away all the fun I will have in those "endless" hours playing Skyrim.

Ah, I loved Oblivion. It was so... intense. It's ridiculous, but when I'm playing, I get really into it. I've gotta make my character walk like 5 trillion meters in Skyrim so that I can impress that jackass dragon figure the game calls... whatever the final boss name is, if there is a final boss in this game....

I don't play much these days. A bit of FIFA 11, then Forza 4..., and a few -though I have many- games here and there. I also get easily distracted: phone, personal life, people, the one I love, etc etc.

When I get Skyrim I don't see things changing that much, although I know I will become engrossed in my thoughts.

Back in march 2006, when Oblivion came out, there were very few games on the 360. Also, a few months before, a good part of the house where I lived -not all the year, but part of it- got burnt, and we have to rebuild it. We hired a building worker we know in person, who is excellent at his job, but when he finished my siblings and me did the rest of the work ourselves.

I remember playing Oblivion meanwhile, from time to time, when I could, in a small humid room -we had no heating for about a year, while we were rebuilding, because we didn't have enough power and the adequate cables to to use three-phase electricity-, and thinking of it still brings me some nostalgia.

Friends watching me playing praised the game, despite being casuals, for its freedom, landscape, the visuals, and the music.

So I didn't spend as much time playing the game as you might think, but it was one of those games you could replay as much as you wanted, it didn't seem to get old.

I bought the X360 the first day it came out -November 2005- because I had purchased the Xbox 1 the year before and I really liked it. Oblivion, especially, and Rock Band brings me the happiest memories from playing games this generation.

Skyrim, they say, is way better than Oblivion, and I can easily see myself ending up thinking that it is the best game of this generation when, in a few years, the new consoles arrive. :smile: Let matters take their course.
 
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I can play a game over a long time like I did for RFOM and the Souls series. But the game has to stay interesting throughout.

Gave up so many games half way because they drag on for too long.
Time for a crash course in role playing! :p

But first... Hint: you can go directly for the main quest, which is 20 hours or so alone, and get into final boss territory and further on. I am not sure there is a final boss, but you get the idea.

I can try to describe Skyrim to you, based on my experience in Oblivion, so you can understand what is fun about this game for those who love it.

Role playing, strictly speaking, as I understand it, is just any videogame, cards game, etc, where you pretend to be a character in a situation. In this sense, a lot of the make-believe games the children play ("Ok, so I'm a bat and you're a dragon, and we are going to have an underwater tea party!") are role playing, although most of the grown-up role playing games tend to have a little more structure. In the end, the characters and situations which are involved in a role playing game can be any characters, millions of them in Skyrim, for instance, in any situations, although most gamers prefer science fiction or fantasy settings.

Role playing can be done in various formats. My favourite one is videogames. However, sometimes it's done in real life with a group of friends or people who get together for about several hours every week or month or so in order to play. A similar thing to role playing can be done over chat or instant messaging. Some people role play in the so called Multi-User Dungeons -last time I did this on PC was in 2000, but it bored me after a while- or the games joker454 mentioned in a posts, Massive Multiplayer Online RPGs, which to me are like chat rooms except with built-in environment to aid in role playing, -WoW doesn't qualify here- which can be as simple as just using text descriptions of your location or as complicated as an entire video game with its graphical interface with combat and their economic systems. Other role playing games can be played over email or message boards kinda like that one I mentioned in another paragraphs, although this is slower. In fact, many really large Internet communities such as Neopets or Gaia Online have subsections of their message boards completely devoted to role playing, albeit the quality is generally a bit poor there - I think you get much better results by going to other sites specifically created for the purposes of role playing. But I barely tried those during my PC gaming years. By the way, I think I have learnt most of what I know about life and its mysteries from Gaia Online. :LOL: Lulz.

Similarly, in games like Skyrim there're hundreds of different ways to handle role playing mechanics, especially now that they added perks and stuff, apart from specific bonus of each race in the game. Some gamers buy (or borrow someone else's copy of, or find a free online version of) a system based on rules. The used role playing game system in Skyrim is similar to Dungeons and Dragons, because it is geared towards adventures that are occurring in a medieval/fantasy setting and of course involve a lot of exploring and fighting different creatures and monsters. As you explore the world you fight more monsters, and also you get interesting treasures and some points for experience, and when you amass enough experience, your character slowly progresses and it learns more things.

Whee, that's a very very very basic introduction about what you might find in Skyrim. It's a game where you can feel people are playing many different games and telling thousands of different anecdotes -some Skyrim threads are really huge because of this-...

Anyways, depending on what sounds interesting to you, it might help you to get an idea about what you will find in the game. I gave up like 95% of my games half way for similar reasons, but I never experienced this in Elder Scrolls series.

It only happened with Morrowind that I wanted to complete the game as soon as I could because the Xbox 360 was about to come out. I purchased Morrowind in 2005 -the GOTY edition, and because of that goty logo I wanted to try and I didn't feel disappointed at all-.:smile2:
 
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