Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

She gets stuck behind things.

i get worried bc she's carrying all my dragon scales

If you lose her completely, save & reload or sleep/wait for one hour and she'll just appear.

which reminds me, i really need a house or something to stash all my gear

Wait what? You can give her stuff? I've been selling all my dragon scales.

one of the options when you talk with them is "i need to trade some equipment". They're basically pack mules with crossbows.

what are the popular options in this thread for housing/storage?

xp omg awesome

Storage, I'm going nomad atm. Dumping stuff or selling it.

So horses are kinda shit in this? Am I doing it wrong? Barely faster than walking and getting on and off is a nuisance. I just ditched mine in the woods. Sorry horsey.

Fucking vampires in groups are bullshit.

You should try fucking them 1 on 1

Got stuck in a stupid loop with this bloke who insisted I pick a lock and pickpocket someone. Like fuck. Apparently no way to get out of it, so I restored an older saved file and the whole PS3 crashed.

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/11/15/skyrim-companion-lydia/

Comments not short on ways to get the most out of Lydia.

well this came in the mail but i dunno if i'll have time to play it much until the weekend.

the map that comes with it, just, why. there is a LAKE GEIR tho.

Read mayor jingleberries' comment as an xpost to clay. Seemed like strange advice, but unusually to the point!

So horses are kinda shit in this? Am I doing it wrong? Barely faster than walking and getting on and off is a nuisance. I just ditched mine in the woods. Sorry horsey.

I haven't ridden a horse yet, but I did read that the sprint key works for them.

so my initial impression of this is that at some point I should actually read the manual and figure out the controls, because my strategy of "mash buttons and run away" doesn't seem to be effective past a certain point

do you guys like not try all the buttons when you play a game

fyi, mario could jump.

Dan, my big tip is to use the favorites menu to the full extent, switching from bow to 2 handed to onehanded plus spell on the fly is super key

also at least for me the normal setting is pretty challenging - anyone have any good tips on the cave full of vampires or should i just level up for a while before i give it a shot again?

fyi I did try all of the buttons; I think at one point I was able to block using my weapon but I haven't been able to replicate it (although it has led to some amusing "jump up and down while zombies hack you to bits" moments)

the giant spider in the barrow kept 2-shotting me until I perfected the "set it on fire/run away/run back and chop it" pattern

I am liking the favorites menu but HATING the decision to enable sneaking by pushing in the left stick, which has also led to some amusing "turn around and try to slowly skulk away while bandits stick swords in you" moments.

Yeah, normal is hard enough for me. Maybe I'll try hard on a second playthrough.

another thing that i didnt get until recently is how to use power attacks (hold attack button and push the directional stick) which also really would have helped during that spider fight. also sneak attack with bow is key in any of the dungeons full of draugrs on shelves, i think on the last one i didnt actually have to fight any of them.

Do you have power attacks from the beginning?

yeah, it's all tied to how long you hold down the attack button

Dan, my big tip is to use the favorites menu to the full extent, switching from bow to 2 handed to onehanded plus spell on the fly is super key

...and as it's not obvious, for PC users; you can still hotkey weapons and spells, just click a numeric key when you have the item selected in the favourites menu.

Blowed if I can work out how to make it do LH / RH right though, it keeps giving me Healing in both hands, doh.

click = press

yeah, it's all tied to how long you hold down the attack button

Do you have no be still when you do it, or can you be moving forward (or etc.) and then change direction?

lol dunno, I am still trying to keep from dropping into sneak mode mid-battle

i keep accidentally sneaking too. i may try to remap the buttons a lil' bit tonight

just a lil' bit

it is kind of hilarious though, to watch my character leap into swashbuckling warrior mode and then suddenly crouch down and MOVE VERY SLOWLY around my foe like he's playing a violent game of peek-a-boo or something

I keep doing that and then clicking the right stick and ending up in third person crouching combat. Many a foe has been knee-capitated.

you guys are frustrating the hell out of me!!

i'm having basically every above issue. also playing it on the harder (but not hardest) difficult level and i am getting two hit killed A LOT

i haven't tried dual-fisting magic yet, but can you wear heavy plate and dual magic? presumably the only thing stopping you would be that the robe stuff is all enchanted with the magic user goodies -- but can't you just level up your enchantment a bunch and enchant your heavy armor with magic user enchantments?

magic tank build ftw?

i'm wearing full heavy plate armor and occasionally dual magic. it's a pretty ridiculous combo but it's working out pretty well! other than that i'm really slow and can barely carry any extra shit.

i kno someone described above how dual magic works -- ie: why you don't just get smashed to bits the moment an enemy gets close enough -- but I don't remember the explanation?

i'm certainly no pro (first elder scrolls game, and also i don't dual magic too often), but i generally try to a) decimate the enemy before they get too close, b)be ready to switch to a healing spell in one hand to offset any damage you might receive, and c)be ready to use a potion or two if necessary.

also d)continually run backwards and maintain distance, of course

is there some kind of slow or freeze spell, so you can lock them in place and then unload DPS?

i wish you could explore more constellations in a single playthrough. like i really want to screw around with alchemy + enchanting on top of archery, lockpicking, all thieving skills, etc. i get that this gives the game more replayability, but i can't imagine wanting to play thru this game again finishing my first 1,000 hour session

i still havent used any of my perks, which i know is stupid, but i am *paralyzed by options*

totally understandable imo. tho some of them are great. the archery perks really make archery fun. esp the one that slows down time when you zoom in. that one perk is really a chunk of my enjoyment of the game.

I am only a level five and I already have two spells. But I really don't have a knack on how to use them well yet. I'm not sure how precisely I have to aim or how close I need to be.

totally planning on nerding out to this tomorrow (day off)

i am magic tanking btw. Level 13. i'm basically healing/oakflesh, then flame or firebolt attack then switching to axe/shield up close or greatsword if i think i can just smack them the fuck down