[Blue Ninja]

OT1 | Modding discussion | PC performance discussion | Console performance dicussion

News and Updates:

• Dragonborn is coming. Get it December 4 on the Xbox Live Marketplace, for 1600 MSP.

Hearthfire is the second piece of downloadable content for Skyrim. It allows players to build houses, adopt children,
and protect their homestead from vicious giants and marauding bandits.

Hearthfire is now available for Xbox 360 and PC. It'll cost you 400 allards, 5 dollars, or nothing, if you get a free mod instead.



Dawnguard is the first piece of downloadable content for Skyrim. Players are introduced to Harkon, an ancient vampire
living off the coast of Skyrim. Harkon is opposed by the Dawnguard, an age-old group of warriors who seek to thwart the vampires
and avert their ultimate goal: the destruction of the sun. The player can side with either of these factions.

Features:

• Two new faction lines, working against eachother. Make your choice!
• Upgradeable player housing: Castle Volkihar and Fort Dawnguard
• A new realm of Oblivion to explore: The Soul Cairn, the realm of lost souls
• A new weapon type: the crossbow
• New weapons, craftable from the bones of slain dragons.
• New Dragon Shouts
• An undead mount to traverse Skyrim with
• New enemies (including legendary dragons) and new dungeons
• A transformation ability for vampire characters: the vampire lord
• Perk trees for vampires and werewolves
• The ability to change your character's appearance

Dawnguard is now available for the PC and the Xbox 360. It'll set you back 1600 allards, or 15 dollars.

• Notes on patch 1.8.
• Notes on patch 1.7.
• Notes on patch 1.6. This patch introduces mounted combat.
• Notes on patch 1.5. This patch introduces Kinect functionality to the 360 version.
• Notes on patch 1.4. This patch solves the issues the PS3 version has.
• Notes on patch 1.3.
• Notes on patch 1.2.

The Pocket Guide to the Empire: Fourth Edition
From the quills of the Imperial Geographical Society

It has been exactly 200 years since the previous edition of this Pocket Guide was released. Since then, many things
have changed: an Empire has fallen and been reborn, borders have been redrawn and wars have been fought. So far,
the Fourth Era has been a time of great turmoil. However, we at the Imperial Geographical Society are convinced
many conflicts can be avoided with some simple common sense and knowledge. After all, one who knows what the Green Pact
is won't be so eager to accept an invitation to a Bosmeri banquet! That is why, on the 200th anniversary of our previous
guide, we bring you this new, updated version. This is not a simple update, but a complete rewrite, to paint an accurate
picture of Tamriel as it is today. We hope this guide keeps you informed, and more importantly, safe.

Excerpt: On Tamriel



Tamriel. It is a name we all know and all take for granted. Yet our continent has had many names over the course of history:
the Arena; Starry Heart; Dawn’s Beauty. It has seen great unity and great strife. During the last years of the third era, in the
time leading up to the Oblivion crisis, the land was relatively peaceful. To be true, even then there was unrest between
the provinces, but the Elder Council handled their grievances while the Legion kept their more violent client states in line.
After the collapse of the Empire, however, unrest between the provinces increased. Black Marsh annexed part of Morrowind,
while the rest became an uninhabitable wasteland when Red Mountain erupted. The Thalmor seized control of the Summerset Isle
and Valenwood and resurrected the Aldmeri Dominion. The Great War bathed the land in blood and fear. Not even the Imperial City,
jewel of the Empire, was safe from the Aldmeri onslaught. Even now, after the White-Gold Concordat, peace is fragile.

Excerpt: On Skyrim



Skyrim has an abundance of two things: freezing cold and ancient history. Long ago, the rugged land was inhabited by ancient elves.
When humans first arrived in Tamriel from the northern continent of Atmora, they arived on Skyrim's frozen shores. There, they
came into contact with the Snow Elves. Despite their differences, the races were initially at peace with one another. As time went
on, however, the elves began to feel threatened by the ever increasing human population. In an event that later came to be known as
the Night of Tears, the elves attacked, nearly wiping out all humans in the process. Only King Ysgramor and his sons escaped
with their lives. They returned to Skyrim with a new Atmoran fleet and drove the elves away in a bloody war of conquest.
And so, Skyrim became the first human kingdom on the continent.

Today, Skyrim is the home of the descendants of those first humans to set foot on the continent: the Nords. It is a cold land,
but far from the frozen wasteland it’s sometimes made out to be: from the grassy tundra of Whiterun to the rocky badlands
of the Reach, Skyrim is a province with a diverse geography. The province is divided into nine Holds, each ruled by a Jarl.
Above the Jarls stands the High King, a Jarl elected to the highest seat of office by his peers. However, the land has been
leaderless since Ulfric Stormcloak - the Jarl of Windhelm - assassinated the High King using his gift of The Voice. The Stormcloak
Rebellion seeks to rid Skyrim of the Empire and, by killing Skyrim's ruler, has sparked a civil war.

The Stormcloaks and Imperials are not the only factions in Skyrim. The Blades, the ancient protectors of the Dragonborn Emperor,
have survived well into the fourth era, though greatly diminished in number. Skyrim’s mages have organized into the
College of Winterhold. The Companions offer swords and axes for hire. The Thieves Guild, hidden in plain sight, is always
looking for new ways to make the poor richer and the rich poorer. The Dark Brotherhood, shrouded in shadows, recruits
individuals with a knack for ending lives. And atop the Throat of the World, the highest mountain in Tamriel, reside
the enigmatic Greybeards, masters of the Voice.

Excerpt: On the Way of the Voice

A wise man once said that words are wind. The Nords of Skyrim interpret this quite literally. Every word they speak, every whisper
they utter, every shout they bellow: all are proof to the Nords of the existence of their goddess of wind and storm, Kyne.
In the Empire, Kyne is better known as blessed Kynareth of the Eight Divines. Worshippers of Kynareth have, long ago,
developed a form of magic that honors the godess with every use. Using the Voice, practitioners - often called Tongues - can form
a thu'um - a shout. Depending on the words used in the shout, a large variety of effects can be achieved: from sharpening
one's weapons to setting an enemy ablaze. Mastery of this craft comes with a great cost, however, as even talking in day-to-day
matters can potentially cause great destruction. For this reason, the most potent Tongues are often kept gagged to avoid any accidents.

Excerpt: On the races of Tamriel

The Empire's influence may have declined, but its multiculturalism has endured. Many races inhabit Tamriel. While each has their own
home province, small populations of each can be found throughout the entire continent. Variety, as they say, is the spice of life.

• The Elder Scrolls
• Bethesda Blog
• The Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages
• The Imperial Library
• Screenshot Gallery

[odin toelust]

good title

[ced]

OT2!

[Babalu.]

hmm, was this OT2 faster then dark souls? I remember that getting to OT3 really damn fast.

[MRORANGE]

great OT2 :) this game is going places!

[upJTboogie]

Favorite game of the year! Just started doing some Thieves Guild missions, barely touched the main storyline.

[bengraven]

I finally find that chick from an early screenshot and she's not only not marriage material but just go to Morthal and do the quest. It's fucking awesome..



(yeah, I have everything turned down quite a bit...I think I lost a stick of RAM this morning... :/ )

[Lakitu]

Nice OT2. Damn, this came fast.

Just got into a brawl with that guy at Riften Stables. :)

[tehbible]

Haven't gamed in years.

Can anybody inform me why Skyrim is so great? I keep hearing about it.

[Lucius86]

Liking the title.

Anyway, just my 2 cents on the game - GOTY. Sorry Portal 2 and Deus Ex, but Skyrim is just awesome, quirks and all.

[Maleficence]

Woah OT2, nice!

I'm level 20 something now, dark elf. Going for a sneaky archer /destruction mage build.

Feel I may be spreading myself a bit too thin though, may have to focus on one or the other.

[Lakitu]

Liking the title. Anyway, just my 2 cents on the game - GOTY. Sorry Portal 2 and Deus Ex, but Skyrim is just awesome, quirks and all.

Yeah I agree and I loved Portal 2 and Deus Ex probably more than any other game this year except for Skyrim. Skyrim has lived up to my very high expectations.

[bengraven]

Nice OT2. Damn, this came fast. Just got into a brawl with that guy at Riften Stables. :)

I loved that guy because he helped me pay for my horse.

"I'd like to buy a horse"
"You don't have enough money...but hey, let's fight"

*fight*

"Okay, here's your money"
"I'd like to buy a horse."
"Sure, got one saddled up for you over there [pay 1000 gold]"

[cackhyena]

At the moment, I'm really torn on whether it's this or Batman. I really wasn't expecting this game to be as good as it is. The upgrade in art direction alone is worthy of a lot of praise for this team. Soooooooooo much better than Oblivion.

[Yoshichan]

Well deserved OT2 :D

[jon bones]

Just got the CE guide in the mail - damn, this thing is beautiful! can't wait to go home and play!

[Atomski]

Currrvvved... swords.

[Eschaton]

Guard might get nervous, man approaches with his weapon drawn....

[Houston3000]

Let's start with what characters your playing and your current level

Wood Elf -- Archery/Illusion/Alteration/Alchemy -- Level 22

Finding this build really fun, lots of sneaking and one-shot kills and brain-washing everyone else. I find the alchemy system engaging. So many ingredients(!), I always feel accomplished when I make a new potion with many multiple effects.

[Deified Data]

Re-posting my character bio for posterity. Level 30 Altmer Battle-Mage.

Knight-Evoker Zetheles was an fresh-faced Imperial Battlemage stationed at the Arcane University during the Oblivion Crisis. He stood alongside the Champion of Cyrodiil during the siege of the Imperial City, though they did not necessarily recognize eachother. He played his own small role in protecting the city he loved, and was pained at the steady decay of the Empire in the years to follow. He remained with the Mage's Guild for as long as he was able. It would not be long, however, until the Mage's Guild disintegrated. The Great War ravaged the Empire further, and Zetheles began to doubt his purpose. When the War ended, and the Thalmor came, he was scouted. Being a well-bred Altmer well-versed in magicka and martial skill, he was a prime candidate for recruitment. Bitter over the Empire's shaky peace with the Dominion, Zetheles spurned their advances, refusing to sell his soul to an organization he believed morally bankrupt. Branded a heretic and a race-traitor, the Thalmor saw him expelled from the city, never to return under threat of death. And so he wandered. He began to seek knowledge and guidance elsewhere, for, while powerful, he was still relatively young (for an Altmer) and craved some form of structure. That desire led him to consort with Daedra cults. He spent many a dream-addled night in the grove of Vaermina; hunted an all-mighty Lich under the guidance of Meridia; drowned his sorrow in wine and nubile women in the court of Sanguine; had his left eye blinded and his face scarred by a furious Molag Bal; revelled in the ruthless, singular purpose of Boethiah's bloody feud. But he knew that this would never be enough, and so he departed Cyrodiil for parts unknown...until he was captured during a border crossing into Skyrim. With the Thalmor and Daedra furious at his heels, Zetheles would go on to forge his own legend. Some know him as "The Cyclops of Winterhold" because of his haunting, milky eye; he is whispered of in hushed, nervous tones amongst the esoteric of Skyrim - that he is perhaps the true power behind the College, allowing others to govern it in his stead. Some of witnessed him breath fire like a dragon - others have seen him move at impossible speeds, as though time were slowed around him. Others speak of his beloved Janessa, Dunmer femme-fatale of Whiterun, mercenary, and keeper of this stoic mer's heart. Most, however, wouldn't recognize the weary, golden face at the corner of the bar as anyone other than a non-descript elven adventurer. How much of Zetheles's legend is true, and how much is fancy? That remains one of Skyrim's greatest mysteries.

...and reposting a question that's probably been answered repeatedly: is there any consensus on how to resolve (or deal with) framerate slowdown on the PS3 version save starting over or shutting down the PS3 every 30 minutes?

[JetBlackPanda]

this just feels right, Welcome OT2

I sit at work all day and wait for my Skyrim life to begin.

is that so wrong?

[blahblah...blah]

Is patch 1.1. the launch patch? Also why the fuck can't I buy a house in Windhelm, I've butchered the Butcher :(

[Corky]

The swedish voice actors are hilarious, I can't keep a straight face.

[subversus]

Game of the year! Let's start with what characters your playing and your current level Wood Elf -- Archery/Illusion/Alteration/Alchemy -- Level 22

Dark Elf - stealth/destruction/archery/illusory/conjuration/enchanting - level 27.

[Lonestar]

Game of the year! Let's start with what characters your playing and your current level Wood Elf -- Archery/Illusion/Alteration/Alchemy -- Level 22

Redguard -- 1 Hand/Destruction/Restoration/Professional Fast Traveler -- Level 20 something.

[Scythian]

Thread's moving really fast.

Anyway, I'm kinda disappointed with the quests so far, I'm still waiting for that engaging, well written quest instead of fetching assignments. Companion's quest line is close, but not enough.

[MmmSkyscraper]

Let's wait an hour for Lydia to arrive, then we can get started...

<3

Edit: Nord - Archery, Blocking, One handed - level 14 after 28 hours

[TemplaerDude]

Getting my ass kicked in one of the dungeons, which is a nice feeling considering that Oblivion held your hand for the entire game. It's a shame they didn't put as much effort into designing unique weapons and armor for the game as they put into building the world, diving through my 15th dungeon in a row that has 80 gold and the same shitty iron armor I've already found 1000 times is kind of shitty, but at least the game around it is a hell of a lot better than the previous entry in the series. I've also explored I suppose jack shit in the grand scheme of things and am only level 19, so maybe that will change but knowing Bethesda I doubt it. I really want to meet the guy who works there that just fucking hates Morrowind and find out what the hell his problem is with it.

[Gareth Bale]

35 hours, still only visited Makarth and Whiterun. Not joined the DB, Thieves or Mages Guild. Not touched the main quest either.

[balddemon]

can you say goddamn in the title? apparently

[rogerroger22]

Liking the title. Anyway, just my 2 cents on the game - GOTY. Sorry Portal 2 and Deus Ex, but Skyrim is just awesome, quirks and all.

I'd say Dark Souls for GOTY for me - but really enjoying Skyrim so far. Now, only if Skyrim had Dark Souls combat mechanics - then it'd be a GOTY - I'm having a hard time getting past how combat works in this game. Last night my play session made me hate it a little less - made a new character, spent stats/perks differently and going for a different play style. But still, I think that the combat is what is holding this game back for me from being 'the best game ever!'

But, the game is damn pretty, and just the richness of the world is unmatched and the amount of content is staggering.

[Phreaker]

Still loving this game, hope I get some quality time with it this weekend!

[BigJonsson]

Wow, just downed a Blood Dragon, went to the wall to get the shout and this undead magic dude came out of a coffin and started pwning me, so I came back and pwned his ass and got a lot of phat loot :D

[Trojita]

When Lydia fell to the ground after being hit by the enemy and said "I give up, have Mercy" I was thinking to myself "You're not going to get to Savengard with that attitude!".

[Xena]

21 hours in and can't get enough of it... too bad I have to work this week. Congrats OT2!

[Atomski]

Theres potions for better enchanting right? anyone know the ingredients?

[ced]

this just feels right, Welcome OT2 I sit at work all day and wait for my Skyrim life to begin. is that so wrong?

Nah I pre plan my adventures during work because if I go in with no plan I end up in caves all night and don't get a damn thing done on my quest list.

[Cudder]

There's been a random dragon circling over Whiterun for about 10 minutes with battle music playing..errm...how do I engage in a fight? Its almost impossible to hit with arrows and it never lands..

[Lucius86]

this just feels right, Welcome OT2 I sit at work all day and wait for my Skyrim life to begin. is that so wrong?

I dreamt of fighting a dragon last night. I felt pretty ashamed when I woke up.

Anyway, my character - Imperial -- 1 Hand/Destruction/Restoration/Archery/Drinking Contest Winner -- Level 19

[PhoReal]

Nord - Stealth/Archery/Illusory/Conjuration/1H - L26

[Sol..]

Let's start with what characters your playing and your current level Wood Elf -- Archery/Illusion/Alteration/Alchemy -- Level 22 Finding this build really fun, lots of sneaking and one-shot kills and brain-washing everyone else. I find the alchemy system engaging. So many ingredients(!), I always feel accomplished when I make a new potion with many multiple effects.

Brenton -- Conjuring/One-Handers/Alteration/Restoration/Enchanting -- level 24

Big pets, Mind Swords, and Backpack of Soul Gems I don't know what to do with.

[Eschaton]

Haven't gamed in years. Can anybody inform me why Skyrim is so great? I keep hearing about it.

It's hard to articulate, but it brings back that feel of when i was in high school or elementary school, and i'd be in class daydreaming about what I was going to do next in Dark Cloud 2. It's a world to dive into with real personality and atmosphere. The combat and quest content is all just really good.... But the 'checklist' of what the game does right feels kinda irrelevant. It's got the X-factor. The 'holy shit why did i spend 2 hours trying to find the right way up a mountain'? The 'should i go out with these girls tonight or just sit my tired ass down and fuck around with this game instead'? I can't even explain it. It's just good old fashioned gaming fun. Minimal gimmicks. Incredible world, and despite graphical shortcomings can be very beautiful.

Just buy it.

This is coming from someone who was pretty lukewarm until about a week before release.

[bengraven]

* Caerogg
* Imperial Techno-Viking
* Lvl 22
* Specializes in One-handed, restoration, light armor, destruction and sneak.
* Married to Ysolda

[Deified Data]

Wow, just downed a Blood Dragon, went to the wall to get the shout and this undead magic dude came out of a coffin and started pwning me, so I came back and pwned his ass and got a lot of phat loot :D

Lucky - usually he awakens during the dragon fight and makes things a lot more interesting.

[Tobor]

The swedish voice actors are hilarious, I can't keep a straight face.

De Guards here are laazzy. Dey lack discipline.

[Arjen]

The most scary thing happened to me just now, i was walking towards a dragons nest. When a blood dragon appeared, long hard fight, i beat it. I continued towards the nest, i open the chest and learn the shout. When i back out of the chest, a loud scream and fire, i stand face to face with the dragon that actually lived there.
Pants were shat.

[DangerStepp]

OT2 already, radical!

I'm 30-something hours in and absolutely loving it. I hope my love for it keeps burning for a long time.

[Houston3000]

Dark Elf - stealth/destruction/archery/illusory/conjuration/enchanting - level 27.

That's a lot of skills to specialize in

I haven't really done too much of the math but I'm assuming you'd be able to max out about 4 trees by the mid 50s. I guess if I play my Wood Elf all the way to 80 I'll start adding points into Enchanting or Smithing to take advantage of all those "game breaking" damage or mana cost enchants.

[Diseased Yak]

Level 24 Argonian Assassin (Stealth/Archery/1-handers/Destruction/Restoration)

Nothing better in the world of Skyrim than sneaking upon a bandit camp and killing them with single shots, one right after the other, while the others freak out and run around trying to spot where the shots are coming from.

[ROBOKITTYZILLA]

35 hours, still only visited Makarth and Whiterun. Not joined the DB, Thieves or Mages Guild. Not touched the main quest either.

51 hours, mainly operating in Whiterun still but have visited a lot of the other cities briefly (Markath, Riften, etc.). Haven't joined DB, Thieves, or Mage's guild. Barely touched the main quest (spoke to the Greybeards). Currently level 25 and loving every minute.

My plan for the rest of the week is to finish the Companion's quest (on the last part now), do the mage college while using only magic, then move onto thieve's guild and DB, saving the best for last. After that, I'll start tackling all the miscellaneous stuff and then think about doing the main quest.