A few Skyrim/Steam related questions

[Lord Revan]

PS. the Warcraft Paladins are more warrior/healer with generally emphasis on the warrior(lore wise that is), so in Skyrim that translate to heavy armor, Two handed (favoring war hammers), restoration and possibly destruction, and one handed if possible.

Fuck that, Prot Pally is best Pally! And you best check the model for WC2 paladins, sword and board all the way baby.

You'll run into issues with two-hand and spell casting it will force you to sheath your weapon and run away to heal or cast your spell. I did this all the time. It is completely viable, but you're going to give up something in one area to get more in another.

obviously when playing a hybrid there will be sacrifices it's to be expected, the question really is are those sacrifices too big or not.

Oh, just a minor nitpick but knights (and by extension pallies) use a shield and 1h warhammer in WC2, so it's "sword and board" only metaphorically, Also healing skills is what separates Paladins from you base warriors, so in the RTS games pallies have always been Holy/Prot hybrids

[TheFeniX]

obviously when playing a hybrid there will be sacrifices it's to be expected, the question really is are those sacrifices too big or not.

No. You'll be fine. Heavy Armor and Two-hand is just broken as Hell either way. Once you get your skill up to 50 or so with a few perks, there's almost no reason to jack the difficulty down from Master at all. Dragon Priests can be dangerous if they're allowed to kite, but other than that: you're almost invulnerable if you keep your armor upgraded and enchanted. In the event you take some damage, you can quickslot into dual-wield "Healing" and burn all your mana to get topped off, then get back to killin' while your mana regens.

The only way to gimp yourself is to do something like playing non-stealth with Light Armor and One-hand. You can't take the hits and you can't put out the damage (especially in the Cleave department like 2h) in order to be viable at high-levels and difficulties.

Oh, just a minor nitpick but knights (and by extension pallies) use a shield and 1h warhammer in WC2, so it's "sword and board" only metaphorically, Also healing skills is what separates Paladins from you base warriors, so in the RTS games pallies have always been Holy/Prot hybrids

Details my good man. Details.

[PainRack]

With enchantment, one handed is way better than 2 handed due to the sheer amount of flexibility you get, although it also depends on the mods you play with.

You tend to do enough damage with even just one sword that the 2H stagger just doesn't apply. Combine this with shield perks for anti magic effect and a sword and board is more impressive than a 2H. Even an assassin with 2 daggers is going to deal more rapid DPS due weapon enchant. As for stagger, a mace with power attack is sufficient to stagger most NPCs and a good number of the mobs you meet in the dungeon.

On the basic game, going to Master Level isn't a problem for gear, whether its 1H or 2H. However, some of the mods such as populated Forts/dungeons change the enemy density significantly, which means 2H becomes more viable in narrow corridors.(Cleave as well as better stagger/crowd control).



I highly recommend populated Forts and Interesting NPCs. Seriously. Get interesting NPCs. The NPCs added give you some very interesting NPCs and quest/storylines,bards............ they're just way better than the vanilla NPCs story and side quest lines. Populated Forts also make the dungeon crawling slightly more immersive although it also seems to KO my computer.........


If you're playing Frostfall, Cloaks of Skyrim is non-optional.Well...... ok, the clipping does distract from the game but Cloaks, especially the shorter ones are just way too cool not to use, especially for the magic and survival benefits it gears.

One thing to note is that once you activate frostfall in game, swimming in cold waters becomes nearly impossible without a high frost resistance.

Dragon Combat Overhaul is also similarly epic although I haven't started on Civil War Overhaul. DCO changes dragon behaviour and makes the dragon fight less 'gimpy'..... you get ragrolled more often from dragons landing and I once died because my Killing move put me within the Dragon Fire Cloak spell for too long.

Combine DCO with Deadly dragons and you get some very tough dragon fights, although I haven't tried Deadly Dragons yet.

[Grumman]

One thing to note is that once you activate frostfall in game, swimming in cold waters becomes nearly impossible without a high frost resistance.

The first time I went to Solitude I crossed the river, half froze to death, then huddled in front of the fireplace in the Winking Skeever until I was no longer in danger of dying. Good times.

[Lord Revan]

with a lot of the difficulty enhancing stuff I'll probably check what the base un-modded difficulty is like for me, after all I don't want to install millions of mods only to see that game has become too difficult to be enjoyable.

well something like frostfall I might install sooner but any combat difficulty enhancers will have to wait.

[PainRack]

Its possible to disable Frostfall by using console commands once its activated but otherwise, Frostfall has only two 'issues'.

1. It curtails water exploration, especially those sunken ships in lakes or worse, the Sea.

2. It 'may' mean you skip some minor plot exposition because you're rushing to run into the inn and a fireplace.

In return, you get some immersion and a need for frost resistance, a resistance that you would otherwise have very little need for. Its quite...... fun to see yourself shivering and the screen blur from being frozen. It also makes certain trips more 'tactical' as you have to also plan on how to avoid being ambushed in a long fight in bad terrain(blizzard!)


I also added the Skyrim Heartrate mod, which measures how 'tired' you are after constantly running or fighting. Its not intrusive but significantly increases immersion by slowing down your stamina and speed once you become very tired from a dungeon crawl.

I'm looking at installing Deadly Diseases if I ever create another character run through, as the diseases in the game is pathetic, as well as some mods that scale Skyrim wildlife and dungeons traps, although I might cheat by making all my followers essential if I do that.

But again. Get. Interesting. NPCs. Best NPC mod ever. A whole plethora of interesting NPCs with backstories added to the game and some fun story quests as well as bard songs.

They're great. I'm still exploring some of the NPC questlines...... well, all of it actually since I stumbled into tons of it but only completed the most basic fed ex quest as of yet.

[TheFeniX]

With enchantment, one handed is way better than 2 handed due to the sheer amount of flexibility you get, although it also depends on the mods you play with.

You tend to do enough damage with even just one sword that the 2H stagger just doesn't apply. Combine this with shield perks for anti magic effect and a sword and board is more impressive than a 2H. Even an assassin with 2 daggers is going to deal more rapid DPS due weapon enchant. As for stagger, a mace with power attack is sufficient to stagger most NPCs and a good number of the mobs you meet in the dungeon.

On the basic game, going to Master Level isn't a problem for gear, whether its 1H or 2H. However, some of the mods such as populated Forts/dungeons change the enemy density significantly, which means 2H becomes more viable in narrow corridors.(Cleave as well as better stagger/crowd control).

I found DW to be extremely limiting. With life-steal on one weapon, it could do the job, but then that meant your attack speed shout wouldn't work. You also lacked a block and your power attack rooted you and was only single-target with no cleave that I was aware of.

Sword and Board worked pretty well, but was also single-target outside shield bash. I found the extra survivability just wasn't needed with the right enchants.

2h sword has a ridiculously damaging charge that you could maneuver while performing, unlike the 1h and 1h and shield that slowed you down and locked you into a forward animation while it performed. A sword bash combined with a sweeping cleave could wipe out lines of stupid NPCs and was invaluable during mob heavy encounters like during the CW quests.

You probably figured out something I didn't (which is one of the thing I like about Skyrim) when it comes to 1h. Once I went 2h with a bow for backup, I was a killing machine. Even many of the overpowered shields I got just ended up hanging in my armory.

[Lord Revan]

this reminds me can you "block" arrows or just side step away?

[TheFeniX]

this reminds me can you "block" arrows or just side step away?

I know you can block arrows, but I think you have to get a shield perk for it. Yea, Deflect Arrows. I don't remember if block affects arrow damage otherwise.

[Lord Revan]

it seems I was able to easily restore my Steam account, as it was bound to a E-mail account I still use. I'm installing the game at this point.

EDIT: is the civil war quest line compulsory or optional?

[Mr Bean]

it seems I was able to easily restore my Steam account, as it was bound to a E-mail account I still use. I'm installing the game at this point.

EDIT: is the civil war quest line compulsory or optional?

optional but mandatory for a few quests lines related to it. Nothing main story or dlc related.

[Grumman]

EDIT: is the civil war quest line compulsory or optional?

Almost entirely optional.
Spoiler

You don't have to pick a side to finish the main quest. All you have to do is persuade the leaders of the two sides to enter into a cease fire while you deal with more important matters.

[StarSword]

My only real criticism of the game is that Bethesda seriously missed a beat there. In my experience people tend to care way more about the civil war plot than the "Tamriel's in mortal peril for the umpteenth time" plot, and they hate the Thalmor (read as "Nazi elves") way more than Spoiler

Alduin, the dragon-god trying to eat the universe.

But the Skyrim Civil War is basically just a string of mostly identical sidequests with little to no bearing on the main plot. (Somebody on Skyrim Nexus was working on a civil war revamp mod last time I looked, though.)

I also wish it was possible to call out Jarl Ulfric on his ghettoization of the Dunmer and Argonians. Felt more than a little hypocritical to have my dark elven sellsword join the Stormcloaks. But for RP reasons I was more sympathetic to their aims than the Imperials'.

Here's hoping they take notice and give TES6 a more down-to-Nirn plot.

[PainRack]

I found DW to be extremely limiting. With life-steal on one weapon, it could do the job, but then that meant your attack speed shout wouldn't work. You also lacked a block and your power attack rooted you and was only single-target with no cleave that I was aware of.

Oh god, don't remind me. DW is essentially fun only if you're an Assassin, just for the kicks in kill animation and the decapacitation move:D.

Sword and Board worked pretty well, but was also single-target outside shield bash. I found the extra survivability just wasn't needed with the right enchants.

Not survivability. Flexibility. With board, I could easily switch over to magic for runes, healing or etc, and I found I just loved that kinda playstyle as a Paladin or Spellsmage. Lol. I once fought through a dungeon as a 1hder sword just for kicks, the game is just too forgiving on damage once you geared up. Even 'undergeared' as I am in Steel armour, I could plow through bandits and vampires.

Also, I understand the base combat is quite boring to others but I just like the darting nature of 1H shield bash and stab. I plan to install some mods that affect the Shield mechanism in the future to make the combat more interesting but Bash and stab, or shout and charge attack works pretty well for most encounters:D

Rereading my post, I think I didn't pay enough attention to the fun factor so a 2H does have its perks there:D

You probably figured out something I didn't (which is one of the thing I like about Skyrim) when it comes to 1h. Once I went 2h with a bow for backup, I was a killing machine. Even many of the overpowered shields I got just ended up hanging in my armory.

Oh god:D There's that fun fact of it alright:D I'm playing a female character(don't judge) so it just seemed more appropriate to use a SwordnBoard tactic than a bigass Sword but I loved weilding and charging into the meelee as a 2Hder:D

More fun than bash and dart:D

The difference in fun I guess is darting around the wave of draughr with a one hand, constantly bashing and sidestepping away from the enemy vs HULK SMASH:D

this reminds me can you "block" arrows or just side step away?

Both. There's a shout that slows time down, allowing you to dodge magic and arrows. Use it and Shout time reducing gear if you're playing a 2Hder for some Matrix lite fights.

For block, without a shield. the block damage reduction is minimal and there's a perk that increases the amount of damage blocked. But it doesn't matter for a dungeon crawl.

[Lord Revan]

there's 2 things I dislike about the civil war quests, first is the "there's an ancient evil that burned down a whole town about, so lets fight among ourselves instead of trying to work together to stop it", second is that they favor the stormcloaks heavily at the start so that the choice seems rather artificial.

[Grumman]

there's 2 things I dislike about the civil war quests, first is the "there's an ancient evil that burned down a whole town about, so lets fight among ourselves instead of trying to work together to stop it",

IIRC, both sides blame the other for the dragons returning. The Empire guy thinks that Ulfric can control dragons with his voice (which isn't that out there, given you can learn to do the same thing), and the Stormcloak guy thinks that the Thalmor are behind the attack.

second is that they favor the stormcloaks heavily at the start so that the choice seems rather artificial.

I don't have a problem with that. While there's definitely a tendency to say "You tried to murder me! Go to hell!", the city where you join the Stormcloaks shows that things aren't all roses and candy. The Empire might have tried to execute you, but non-humans living in ghettos isn't really much better.

[TheFeniX]

IIRC, both sides blame the other for the dragons returning. The Empire guy thinks that Ulfric can control dragons with his voice (which isn't that out there, given you can learn to do the same thing), and the Stormcloak guy thinks that the Thalmor are behind the attack.

No one really believes/knows what's going on anyways. Dragons are bad, but no one really thinks the world is going to end. The Jarl of Whiterun even goes as far as saying something to the effect of "I don't know about all this, but I trust you."

I don't have a problem with that. While there's definitely a tendency to say "You tried to murder me! Go to hell!", the city where you join the Stormcloaks shows that things aren't all roses and candy. The Empire might have tried to execute you, but non-humans living in ghettos isn't really much better.

I couldn't finish the Stormcloak questline. Ulfric is a racist douche and what you're forced to do at Whiterun is lame. I liked how the game turned this around on you.

[Lord Revan]

second is that they favor the stormcloaks heavily at the start so that the choice seems rather artificial.

I don't have a problem with that. While there's definitely a tendency to say "You tried to murder me! Go to hell!", the city where you join the Stormcloaks shows that things aren't all roses and candy. The Empire might have tried to execute you, but non-humans living in ghettos isn't really much better.

I know that the Stormcloaks aren't exactly saints but the first thing the Imperial Legion do to you is try to execute you cause essentially you were there and they didn't want to have brought you there for nothing, I mean even the bloody horse thief is on their "to be executed" list but you aren't, it's not the fact they try to execute that's the problem for me it's that there doesn't seem to be even a flimsy excuse as to why they try to do it, basically the Stormcloaks seem way to "nice" and the Imperial way to big of dicks at the start.

Just another question though is it possible to play more then 1 character a time?

[Grumman]

Just another question though is it possible to play more then 1 character a time?

Technically, yes. But Skyrim is a very big game, and I don't think I'd want more than one playthrough running at a time.

[Wing Commander MAD]

Just another question though is it possible to play more then 1 character a time?

Technically, yes. But Skyrim is a very big game, and I don't think I'd want more than one playthrough running at a time.

Yes, but I wouldn't recommend it without using the Profile feature of Wryebash or a similar program. By default all saves get thrown into one folder. You can manually change this by editing the .ini file* located in your documents folder, there should be string for savepath, but it's far easier to use a program that makes the change for you.

Note:I remembered one other thing, I know you said you don't plan on fooling around with .ini edit's (which is probably for the best) at this time, but never edit the files located in the Skyrim directory. All edits should be made to the copies located in your documents folder (same place your saves are located).

[TheFeniX]

I found the easiest way was to create a shortcut to the folder that contains the "Saves" folder. When you want to roll a new character, rename the "Saves" folder to your character names (or whatever), then reopen the game. It will auto-create a new "Saves" folder. Then, swapping characters is as easy as closing Skyrim, renaming a folder containing your PC to "Saves," then reopening the game.

Then again, I don't know how far save organizers have come. When I played, they were all garbage.

[StarSword]

I know that the Stormcloaks aren't exactly saints but the first thing the Imperial Legion do to you is try to execute you cause essentially you were there and they didn't want to have brought you there for nothing, I mean even the bloody horse thief is on their "to be executed" list but you aren't, it's not the fact they try to execute that's the problem for me it's that there doesn't seem to be even a flimsy excuse as to why they try to do it, basically the Stormcloaks seem way to "nice" and the Imperial way to big of dicks at the start.

As I recall the legionnaires actually object to your execution on those grounds specifically but they get overruled by a paperwork-averse bureaucrat who doesn't give a shit.

[Darth Tanner]

object to your execution on those grounds specifically but they get overruled by a paperwork-averse bureaucrat who doesn't give a shit.

One soldier objects (and later cuts you free), but is overruled by his superior officer. None of the other soldiers or the General who is watching the entire process object. It makes even less sense when your playing as an imperial or other non nord race seeing as its patently obvious you wouldn't be in with the stormcloaks.

[Lord Revan]

object to your execution on those grounds specifically but they get overruled by a paperwork-averse bureaucrat who doesn't give a shit.

One soldier objects (and later cuts you free), but is overruled by his superior officer. None of the other soldiers or the General who is watching the entire process object. It makes even less sense when your playing as an imperial or other non nord race seeing as its patently obvious you wouldn't be in with the stormcloaks.

And just as it wouldn't ironic/stupid enough normally my first character was An Altmer (or high elf) and the Thalmor are present and don't say a word, sure the Thalmor are dicks but you would think they'd protest to get diplomatic leverage against the Empire.

[PainRack]

Let's not forget that the Thalmor doesn't want Ulfric dead, as a continued struggle with the Empire will weaken it only further