The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim!

[Red 13]

Everytime i buy a horse it just gets killed after about 5 minutes!! The horses obviously aren't as sturdy as in Oblivion.
Does anyone know if there's a difference in what type of horse you get, depending on where you buy it?

 

[Brian G Turner]

Brian, how far along are you? Specifically, how big's your largest save file? It's meant to be around 8-9MB plus that the serious lag begins.

Level 20 something - only frozen once, though not sure how big the files are.

It's getting played about 5 hours per day among all the family, and only had a couple of problems freezing - not often at all.

 

[devilsgrin]

Everytime i buy a horse it just gets killed after about 5 minutes!! The horses obviously aren't as sturdy as in Oblivion.
Does anyone know if there's a difference in what type of horse you get, depending on where you buy it?

All the generic horses are easily killable.
Frost and Shadowmere (this horse seems almost identical to the Shadowmere in Oblivion, and is actually a powerful combat monster, so essentially with him, you can have up to 4 companions (counting Follower, Dog, Shadowmere and a Summoned Monster fighting for you)... function more like companions in they seem to go down, but not die.
So complete the quests for a certain non-lighted grouping of brothers...
or Steal Frost. (theres a quest to make him "legally" yours, but its still stealing technically)

 

[LadyLara]

Gah. I've got to stop coming in here and readin this thread. I haven't got the game yet and don't want to spoil a thing but I can't help myself!

 

[Wiggum]

Just bought. Haven't opened. Wanna fight dragons.

 

[devilsgrin]

All the generic horses are easily killable.
Frost and Shadowmere (this horse seems almost identical to the Shadowmere in Oblivion, and is actually a powerful combat monster, so essentially with him, you can have up to 4 companions (counting Follower, Dog, Shadowmere and a Summoned Monster fighting for you)... function more like companions in they seem to go down, but not die.
So complete the quests for a certain non-lighted grouping of brothers...
or Steal Frost. (theres a quest to make him "legally" yours, but its still stealing technically)

Amending my comment. Appears only Shadowmere is "unkillable," my poor Frost was slain in combat..... and no amount of reloading saves could save him.

 

[Red 13]

Amending my comment. Appears only Shadowmere is "unkillable," my poor Frost was slain in combat..... and no amount of reloading saves could save him.

I have a theory on the week ass horses in Skyrim and that is that they've done it on purpose because they're going to bring out a payable add on where you get horse armour like they did for oblivion,hahaha! This time people will really want to buy it!

 

[TheTomG]

(tries not to have spoilers by mentioning no locations, but just in case, this does describe a short sojourn through an area)

One of Cromarty's tales

I was riding along, and suddenly I was assaulted by a stream of bolts of frost and fire from an unseen enemy, my strength rapidly sapped by the onslaught. I back off and dismount, and move forward carefully again through the undergrowth, taking pains to remain unseen and unheard, letting them think their attack had sent me fleeing.

Witches! The whole area is patrolled by them, around what I guess must be a central camp of some sort. I manage to locate them one by one, and with my bow alone I slay them. Most never even realize the direction their death comes from.

Eventually I have ended all the lives of the lesser witches, and I approach the camp, still unseen and unknown to whoever is in there, and I discover their "witch mother." A game of cat and mouse follows as I pick at her with arrows and she searches desperately to find a target for her fierce magics. She is much tougher than her followers or students, whichever it might have been, and there are times I fear for my life as I try to hit home with my arrows while remaining in shelter from her magical attacks.

In the end, I triumph! I am feeling very pleased with myself, more so as I find an item to complete a task I had been asked to do. It is with much smug glee that I leave the area and return to my faithful steed.... who is on his side on the ground, quite dead.

My joy stolen, I pause and wonder who has done this deed, slain a lone horse. He has always been safe before when left alone, but now he is here, his corpse still cooling and full of arrows.

There was a dead bandit who had wandered into an arcane trap back there at the witches demesne, perhaps they had slain my unnamed charger on their way? Perhaps stray arrows from my engagements, since my aim is not perfect, had found an unintended target in my own mount?

I realize I will never know, and take what is useful from the body - waste not, want not - and rise from my crouched inspection to continue on my way on foot.

I stick to the paths and roads in this mountainous and unknown area, deciding not to head to the cities just yet. A fort is marked on my map, information gleaned from an earlier exploration of a map room, and perhaps they have horses for sale there, or at least ones that can be 'obtained' if needed. The ability to move about unseen has advantages beyond those in combat.

A passing hunter has nothing interesting to say or sell, but a nearby cave grabs my attention. Inside I find... vampires! I feel the thrill of excitement. I have longed to be turned, as the expression goes, as I know (or at least, I think I do) the benefits that come with that, and yes, I am aware of the drawbacks too, or at least what the legends of other times say about the pros and cons of such a thing.

I slay a few, but decide I will wait to be converted to one of their kind. I have things to do yet that might be hindered by the downsides of such a change; at least I know where to come to invite their bite.

I resume my journey to the point marked on the map, and indeed find a fort, but it is no longer under the control of those who built it. I had hoped to find a refuge, a place for rest and companionship, to buy and sell, and to search for a new faithful steed, but instead I find it overrun with bandits.

Most are easy pickings as I move around unseen and they look down in surprise at their body to find that an arrow is embedded there and they slump from their chairs, dead before they had time to rise. Clearly they are lazy and complacent, fresh from their conquest of the building and thinking it theirs now.

Their leader proves to be a significant challenge, and yes I must call upon the dark magic of the amulet of time (I have to reload after dying ahem) more than once before he finally lays dead at my feet. Some further exploration reveals a worthy haul, some new armor to keep me safe in my battles, and I feel the pang and regret at the loss of my horse lessened.

Now, where to go from here? So many choices, so many choices....

 

[LadyLara]

Got this today, haven't played it yet. Got to say I'm a bit disappointed with the manual though. I do like a nice big manual and Oblivion and Fallout 3 both had decent sized ones, this one is just a bit of a pamphlet in comparison. Maybe the PC version has a proper one and they just assume console owners don't know how to read.

 

[thaddeus6th]

The manual is too thin, I agree. No info about the races (either in terms of lore or racial bonuses/weakness/abilities) is a bit disappointing.

 

[Snowdog]

The manual is too thin, I agree. No info about the races (either in terms of lore or racial bonuses/weakness/abilities) is a bit disappointing.

They wanted to a) save on printing costs, and b) get you to buy the strategy guide. I usually do end up buying the strategy guide for these games, so a poor manual isn't that big of a problem, but the quality and depth of manuals has definitely gone way down in the last few years, for most games.

"and they just assume console owners don't know how to read". Well they don't, do they?

Does anyone remember a game called Star Fleet 1 for the PC? It was a Star Trek clone and was virtually a text-based game. The manual was absolutely huge.

 

[thaddeus6th]

That seems a bit weird to me. There's a ton of free info online, particularly for a series like the Elder Scrolls.

Mind you, I did used to buy game guides.

 

[Brian G Turner]

For a good online guide, this place is usually good - though the Skyrim section is still in development: http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Skyrim

 

[LadyLara]

It's not about that though, it's about having a neat little package all in itself. I've got old RPG games for the Amiga or whatever that I've got off ebay where the box is really big and it's full of maps and loads of extra things and it's all a really nice thing to own in its own right. I know I can find info about it online, or maybe the game itself even has a comrpehensive tutorial in it, but it's not the same.

I know this is pretty much the same mentality as all those people talking about the feel and smell of real books that I'm always arguing against in those ebook thread, but hey I'm only human and I can't be expected to be consistent all the time

 

[Dozmonic]

I always did love manuals when I was younger. With the advent of steam, direct2drive and the like, I don't even bother trying to find the manual half the time. Games are so simple they generally don't need them

 

[TheTomG]

The in-game help covers most of what is needed, but I know what you mean about enjoying a good manual too. Hope you enjoy your new purchase!

 

[Red 13]

The manual is a bit small but i really like the map of Skyrim.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Finding myself not too bothered about playing this too much - gameplay very much like Oblivion, but felt Oblivion had more of a fun element.

 

[Bugg]

I've switched from the 360 version to the pc version. Soooo much better. Runs like a dream on my pc, plus 'no spiders' mod!!

Haven't encountered any crashes or bugs ... yet ...

For anyone in the UK still undecided, there's a 24 hr deal on the Game website today: 360/PS3 versions £22.49, PC version £19.99

 

[Wybren]

I've started playing this, I am up to level 23 now, playing as a Nord. I haven't done too much of the main quest yet, but I am thoroughly enjoying it. The only issue I have had with it so far was my power supply going bang and the computer not working, not really a problem with the game though