Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

• stroups

  

  I bought the game over the weekend and I think I am a level 9. I am new to this so what are the best caves to loot and any pointers on leveling up fast?
  
  I have done a little bit on the main story line and have also joined the thieves guild trying to get the skeleton key.
• McFly1955

  

  stroups;1002967 wrote:I bought the game over the weekend and I think I am a level 9. I am new to this so what are the best caves to loot and any pointers on leveling up fast?
  
  I have done a little bit on the main story line and have also joined the thieves guild trying to get the skeleton key.

  Not sure about the best caves to loot...just go in them all
  
  Some are just 1-2 rooms and just a few minutes to finish, some are elaborate and may take 30 minutes or more.
  
  
  You automatically level up by doing the things you want to level up...Use a one handed weapon a lot, you will level up one handed weapons, etc...If you want to level up 1 handed, equip a 1 handed weapon and go clear out some caves, or you can google and find people who can train you in 1 handed by paying them gold....You just find the person and pay them and they will instantly level you up. IF you want to level up alchemy, gather/buy a bunch of ingredients and taste them all, then mix them into potions, etc.
• Commander of Awesome

  

  Quick level up guide.
  
  [video=youtube;yNxdiyL_2GY][/video]
• Heretic

  

  McFly1955;1003009 wrote:Not sure about the best caves to loot...just go in them all
  
  Some are just 1-2 rooms and just a few minutes to finish, some are elaborate and may take 30 minutes or more.
  
  
  You automatically level up by doing the things you want to level up...Use a one handed weapon a lot, you will level up one handed weapons, etc...If you want to level up 1 handed, equip a 1 handed weapon and go clear out some caves, or you can google and find people who can train you in 1 handed by paying them gold....You just find the person and pay them and they will instantly level you up. IF you want to level up alchemy, gather/buy a bunch of ingredients and taste them all, then mix them into potions, etc.

  Yeah. I think the one problem I'm running into with leveling is that I want to have my cake and eat it too when it comes to weapons. So I build one-hand and two-hand evenly, so if I get a good magic weapon, I can immediately use it. Which leads to problems with boss-types in dungeons (and dragons) where I have to use the cheese tactic of sneak + arrows + enemies too stupid to realize someone HAS to be there because arrows don't magically lodge themselves into faces = easier fight. If I focused on one of the other, I'd be a lot more powerful because of high-level perks. Instead, I'm at just below 60 on both.
• McFly1955

  

  Heretic;1003050 wrote:Yeah. I think the one problem I'm running into with leveling is that I want to have my cake and eat it too when it comes to weapons. So I build one-hand and two-hand evenly, so if I get a good magic weapon, I can immediately use it. Which leads to problems with boss-types in dungeons (and dragons) where I have to use the cheese tactic of sneak + arrows + enemies too stupid to realize someone HAS to be there because arrows don't magically lodge themselves into faces = easier fight. If I focused on one of the other, I'd be a lot more powerful because of high-level perks. Instead, I'm at just below 60 on both.

  Yeah, I'm like 30 something in 1 and 2 handed, and like 65 in archery.
  
  I'm to the point where my sneak attack arrows send lower level enemies flying. The bigger enemies get an arrow to the face then say "huh, is someone there?". lol
• Commander of Awesome

  

  I've just starting using my bow and arrow. In Oblivion Sword and Board was the way to go, so that's how I started out in this game. I quickly realized though that since you can't do magic when holding a shield so its a useless tactic. Skyrim has been much harder for me combat wise than Oblivion ever was, which I suppose is a good thing. I was almost never worried or concerned about dying before, where now I save all the time.
  
  I've pretty much just been one handed and a destruction spell the whole game.
• hoops23

  

  I will play this game for about 4 to 5 hours tonight. It's been far too long. I need to become a werewolf by the of my playing time.
• McFly1955

  

  hoops23;1003476 wrote:I will play this game for about 4 to 5 hours tonight. It's been far too long. I need to become a werewolf by the of my playing time.[/QUOTE
  
  That can be done in 1-2 hours -- just did it a few nights ago.

• Commander of Awesome

  

  Ha 1~2 hours if I could stay focused. Played a few hours tonight and only did two side quests. Keep getting distracted.
• hoops23

  

  Commander of Awesome;1003739 wrote:Ha 1~2 hours if I could stay focused. Played a few hours tonight and only did two side quests. Keep getting distracted.

  Bingo. I set myself straight to focus on a single task, then something within the world grabs my attention and I spend hours doing something entirely different.
• Heretic

  

  hoops23;1003772 wrote:Bingo. I set myself straight to focus on a single task, then something within the world grabs my attention and I spend hours doing something entirely different.

  Yes. Like on Sunday, I was just clearing out the Forsworn ruins around Markarth and Karthwasten that I'd gotten quests to do and randomly ran into a mine where the workers needed some help because they'd mined into a crypt and Draugr were loose. Or last night, when in Markarth, I killed the big, named spider in the ruins...only to get a quest that had me go all the way into them to find what happened to a team that explored them. This game EATS time like a fat person eats McDonalds.
  
  Tonight, I do have to focus for a little bit. Got Molag Bal's Mace last night. It has the auto soul trap ability. Which means it's the perfect time to do Azura's Shrine quest, since in the Elder Scrolls games, that leads to getting an infinite-use soul gem. That would come in handy.
• Commander of Awesome

  

  Heretic;1004228 wrote: Tonight, I do have to focus for a little bit. Got Molag Bal's Mace last night. It has the auto soul trap ability. Which means it's the perfect time to do Azura's Shrine quest, since in the Elder Scrolls games, that leads to getting an infinite-use soul gem. That would come in handy.

  I got the mace a few days ago, and its quite handy. I've been mixing that up with trying to replenish the Ebony Blade. Ebony blade is tough to do though because you have to kill ppl who trust you with it. So far I think I'm up to 6 of the 10 needed (been going to towns and offing my companions). I've heard that Azura's Shrine is the hardest quest in the game, so let me know how it goes.
• Heretic

  

  Commander of Awesome;1004237 wrote:I got the mace a few days ago, and its quite handy. I've been mixing that up with trying to replenish the Ebony Blade. Ebony blade is tough to do though because you have to kill ppl who trust you with it. So far I think I'm up to 6 of the 10 needed (been going to towns and offing my companions). I've heard that Azura's Shrine is the hardest quest in the game, so let me know how it goes.

  It was one of the few that was tough in Oblivion after I'd gotten my character built, so I wouldn't be surprised. Her vampire former followers there had me on the brink of death and by that point, my guy was near god-level. I think it was because three of them attacked me at once and one of them (that hung in the back) had some sort of Drain HP spell.
• gorocks99

  

  [video=youtube;Ip7QZPw04Ks][/video]
• hoops23

  

  [video=youtube;UoZWuvEtMvc][/video]
• Commander of Awesome

  

  lol I need to try that tonight.
• McFly1955

  

  I'm ticked.
  
  spoilers:
  So I play til 1am last night just doing companion quests. I go clear out a cave of witches and have to bring the head back. I return to find the companion headquarters was attacked while I was away and the old dude is dead. The guy is telling me we are going to go take out the headquarters of the people who did the attack, but there is no way to initiate the quest. I try for like 20 minutes only to google it and find out it's some sort of glitch that there is no way around right now on consoles and I have to wait for a patch. WTF.
  end spoilers:
  
  
  
  This is still the best game ever, though. It's been awhile since a game made me think about playing it while I'm sitting at work and researching crap on my lunch.
• Heretic

  

  I got diverted for a while in the "get Azura's Star" mission. Mainly because I came across a dungeon that was for a quest to get a crown for the Jarl of Winterhold and it took forever to beat the main Silver Hand dude in it. Had to use the "sneak + arrow" treatment again and it took awhile.
  
  But I'm back on the trail and in the dungeon the Star's supposed to be in. But then I looked at the clock and figured I should have been in bed an hour or two earlier, so that was the end of that.
  
  So far, it hasn't been OVERLY tough. Getting there was a bit tricky because you have to find the pass through snowy mountain areas and since it's in the NE part of the map, it seems that Snow Saber Cats and Snow Bears are around and they're tougher than other versions of those animals. And since I'm pure melee (except for the sneak + arrow moments), mage-types can be tough for me when they're high levels. Took a couple tries to beat a Master Necromancer on the first floor. And now that I'm on the second floor, I have to fight an Ascended Necromancer, which may be tougher.
• Commander of Awesome

  

  Heretic;1005642 wrote: But then I looked at the clock and figured I should have been in bed an hour or two earlier, so that was the end of that.

  Happens to me all the time in this game. They should put a warning on the game that you will time travel while playing it.
  
  First day I had the game I get hom from work, pop it in. Look at my clock and its 730, felt like 20 min and somehow almost 3 hours went by. I say to myself, alright soon as this quest is done I'll eat dinner. Next thing I know its 9 and I havent eaten or showered. SMH. Truly a nerd fest.
• McFly1955

  

  So what you guys do during loading screens?
  
  I spin the object/person on the loading screen, then fully zoom in....every time.
• stroups

  

  Finally got the skeleton key on a thieves guild mission. Fuck that was hard and a little strange.
• Heretic

  

  Yes. Azura's Star does wind up brutal. I'll have to save the final step for later, like when I'm better at enchanting and can give myself HUGE fire resistance. The final fight is against a boss wizard who summons (or is with) high level Dremoras. Who shoot many fireballs. If I charge the wizard (who backs off quickly to put the Dremoras between you and he), I'm dead by the time I reach him. If I lay back, the Dremoras just casually destroy me with fire.
  
  So, I redeemed a few Windheim quest rewards, did a couple local caves I had open quests on, redeemed a few Riften rewards and now am at some fort to activate Meridia's beacon (a different Daedra quest; her shrine where you get it is north of Solitude).
• Commander of Awesome

  

  Heretic;1007156 wrote:Yes. Azura's Star does wind up brutal. I'll have to save the final step for later, like when I'm better at enchanting and can give myself HUGE fire resistance. The final fight is against a boss wizard who summons (or is with) high level Dremoras. Who shoot many fireballs. If I charge the wizard (who backs off quickly to put the Dremoras between you and he), I'm dead by the time I reach him. If I lay back, the Dremoras just casually destroy me with fire.
  
  So, I redeemed a few Windheim quest rewards, did a couple local caves I had open quests on, redeemed a few Riften rewards and now am at some fort to activate Meridia's beacon (a different Daedra quest; her shrine where you get it is north of Solitude).

  That's what I've heard from a co worker about the sta mission. Its a bitch.
  
  I did the beacon quest, the cave/shirine associated with it is big. Took about an hour to get through it, the end boss at the end is pretty easy though. Sword you get for completing it is solid.
  
  I keep meaning to join the Thieves and companions guild and I keep getting distracted. Really disappointed with the Dark Brotherhood, I suppose I should just finish that and be down with it tonight. Still trying to charge the Ebony Blade as well, I think I'm about 3 people away from fully restoring it.
• I Wear Pants

  
• hoops23

  

  Finally became a werewolf. Didn't take as long as I thought.