Skyrim

[fick]

Have to agree Jonno, Fallout looked a bit clunky, but if the improvement with Skyrim is anything to go by, then the next Fallout will look bloody fantastic!

I'm torn between the two games though. I loved Fallout 3 (the first Fallout game I had ever played), it's view of a post apocalyptic world, allied with the freedom afforded and the RPG light, ease of use, makes it both engrossing and liberating. But there is still that bit of me that loves a mage zapping an orc with magics. It's a beard thing I guess.

 

[Jonno394]

I'm weird in that I can jizz all day over the fantasy world of a game like Zelda, but then in a game like Skyrim I cant stand the magic or fantasy stylings. Perhaps it is because I expect the fantasy with a game of the visual aesthetics of Skyward Sword?

That is where Fallout 3 excels for me, the whole atmosphere of the world and the exploration of it mixed in with the semi-realistic nature (mutated creaturs etc I can deal with) make for a game I happily pumped 50+ hours into.

New Vegas would have received even more play time had it not been for the god awful save files size problem the PS3 version had which meant some areas froze as soon as I entered them, constantly after the 35 hour mark where i'd done barely anything in regards to the main story.

Very poor and imo lazy development releasing a game that became unplayable as a final product and not doing anything to fix it. This issue exists in skyrm, and even though they have said they will look into it, I highly doubt it will be fixed as they said the same for F:NV

 

[fick]

NV was definitely lazy. For me it was more bug ridden than Fallout 3, despite feeling considerably smaller. Other than the issues I've highlighted in this thread, i have found a lot less problems with Skyrim than expected. If Bethseda and co can do the same with the next Fallout...? Well, let's just say you won't be the only one risking getting a sticky controller and fuck all sleep!

 

[Original?]

A major visual drawback is that offhand weapon is invisible when sheathed. I like details, and this one fails miserably in that department.

This is about the only gripe I have with the game as I do like my dual wielding.

 

[Jonno394]

Blame NV on Obsidian for trying to do more than they could.

The root of it remains the Bethesda engine from Fallout 3, it just wasn't capable of performing and storing all the decisions you made during the game that affected everything. I mean, there were like 6+ endings all determined by different choices, and you could do two or three different things with each faction etc

 

[Sabatasso]

I'm weird in that I can jizz all day over the fantasy world of a game like Zelda, but then in a game like Skyrim I cant stand the magic or fantasy stylings. Perhaps it is because I expect the fantasy with a game of the visual aesthetics of Skyward Sword?

The bold part made me laugh... are you actually saying that you prefer Skyward Sword over Skyrim?

 

[Jonno394]

are you actually saying that you prefer Skyward Sword over Skyrim?

Yes.....yes I am.

 

[Sabatasso]

Skyward Sword is basically Super Mario 3d in a fantasy wrapping. I won't argue with you that Zelda is a cult franchise, and that I once enjoyed it. But in all fairness, it's a child's game with a completely different approach than Skyrim.
You can't really compare them, as it would be like comparing Sensible World of Soccer with PES 5.

And I'm not trying to say you are wrong or have bad taste, your opinion is fair enough. Skyrim has its flaws, but I've modded most of it away. Ini tweaks, texture updates and esm mods can fix this game up quite nicely. Skyrim Nexus is your friend! I prefer Skyrim over Fallout, but I love them both. Those games are "the same but different" in my eyes, and I prefer fantasy marginally over post apocalypse.

At Skyrim Nexus, take a look at some "essential" mods and fixes;
3rd person animation fixes:
http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/cat.php?id=51

Lush environment:
http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/search.php

Etc.

I have to run now, I can update this list later if anyone is interested. But just take a look at the site, and pick what you want.

I also recommend fixed normal maps for male and female faces, but I couldn't find it just now. It's in the "hot files" section.

Gotta run!

 

[Jonno394]

Skyward Sword is basically Super Mario 3d in a fantasy wrapping. I won't argue with you that Zelda is a cult franchise, and that I once enjoyed it. But in all fairness, it's a child's game with a completely different approach than Skyrim.

I wasn't comparing the two, I said earlier If Skyward Sword wasn't so good then this could probably be my GOTY, i'm not that stupid to try and say they are at all similar, seeing as I have played both for 25+ hours and I can comment on both.

Have you actually played Skyward Sword?

I have put a part of your post in bold, it syncs well with an earlier comment you made

The bold part made me laugh

 

[Sabatasso]

Yes I have played it. I thought you were comparing the two, so never mind. But I completely disagree with you assessment of Skyward Sword. It's an awful game with a decent story in my opinion.

 

[Jonno394]

Yes I have played it. I thought you were comparing the two, so never mind. But I completely disagree with you assessment of Skyward Sword. It's an awful game with a decent story in my opinion.

Again with the bolding, I think you have a fetish

In my opinion, it is a better game than Skyrim......

 

[Ali]

I wasn't comparing the two, I said earlier If Skyward Sword wasn't so good then this could probably be my GOTY, i'm not that stupid to try and say they are at all similar, seeing as I have played both for 25+ hours and I can comment on both.

Have you actually played Skyward Sword?

I have put a part of your post in bold, it syncs well with an earlier comment you made

Sounds like you have less of a social life than I do! :shocking:

 

[Jonno394]

Yes, the last two weeks have been very quiet for me.

The last weekend I booked off Friday and Monday for SS specifically, and thats all i did Fri-Monday (barring teh odd session on Fifa and the Chelsea game sunday). Sad but i've been waiting for this for 5 years.

25 hours for skyrim is a bit too far though, it's actually 20 iirc (12 hours saturday and sunday after launch again, no going out and no TV) then 8 hours in the past 10 days.

 

[Dale C.]

Finished the main quest a few days ago so decided to start again with a pure mage type. Long story short I can't carry on because the damage scaling for destruction spells is awful man. Kind of makes playing as an almost Destruction purist redundant, because i'm going to have high Destruction skill, coming up against massively tough enemies? No thanks.

So i'm going to start again as a Ranger/Theif type of character. I plan on using Archery, Alchemy, Illusion mainly. Obviously using Light Armour, and possibly some dual wielding thrown in for when things get personal. Speech for the selling stolen goods, pickpocketing speaks for itself really, and lockpicking. Sounds like it could be a winner. Probably play as a Khajit.

 

[fick]

Skyrim has its flaws, but I've modded most of it away. Ini tweaks, texture updates and esm mods can fix this game up quite nicely. Skyrim Nexus is your friend!

That's as may be, but Jonno is on PS3 and I am on 360, so modding isn't an option...

Finished the main quest a few days ago so decided to start again with a pure mage type. Long story short I can't carry on because the damage scaling for destruction spells is awful man. Kind of makes playing as an almost Destruction purist redundant, because i'm going to have high Destruction skill, coming up against massively tough enemies? No thanks.

So i'm going to start again as a Ranger/Theif type of character. I plan on using Archery, Alchemy, Illusion mainly. Obviously using Light Armour, and possibly some dual wielding thrown in for when things get personal. Speech for the selling stolen goods, pickpocketing speaks for itself really, and lockpicking. Sounds like it could be a winner. Probably play as a Khajit.

By the main story, do you mean the dragons, or the civil war?

I've completed the main crux of the civil war, but other than that the only one I've fully done is the companions. I'm just getting the basic "go here, kill him" missions now, even though I'm the top dog, I am still having jobs doled out to me as if I'm still a pleb! Seems odd.

Would love to know exactly how many locations I've yet to discover (not there whereabouts mind you, the searching is half the fun), the map is looking pretty well populated, yet I still see black icons of places yet to go.

You'll have to let me know how the Kajiht plays. I've done the other races on Oblivion, but never the Kajiht.

 

[Lörd TH]

Is the main story quite short then? Fallout 3 took me quite a while to finish.

 

[fick]

Is the main story quite short then? Fallout 3 took me quite a while to finish.

The main quest in Fallout 3 was bloody short in reality. What took the time was the exploration on the way. Oblivion and Skyrim follow pretty much the same pattern. Skyrim especially makes it very difficult to follow just one route as it throws so many options and quests at you. While it can take something away from the impact of the main story it does by it's very nature force you to search and discover. that for me is it's best feature.

 

[Sminky]

I completed everything on Fallout3 (trophy whore!) and found my favourite play through was where I steered well clear of the main story until I hit Level 20.

A grumble I have with FNV which Skyrim appears to subscribe to is bombarding you with a million side quests and using terrain to keep you from completing the main quest early doors for specific trophies.

 

[fick]

I completed everything on Fallout3 (trophy whore!) and found my favourite play through was where I steered well clear of the main story until I hit Level 20.

A grumble I have with FNV which Skyrim appears to subscribe to is bombarding you with a million side quests and using terrain to keep you from completing the main quest early doors for specific trophies.

I've not found Skyrim particularly restrictive. Yes there are some locations that you can't access unless you have initiated a quest, but there are so many others and so much else to do that it never feels like you are being reigned in, or restricted.

 

[Dale C.]

Went for Bosmer in the end mate, Khajit will have to wait.

Anyway, being a theif/ranger character is fantastic man. I'm having much more fun doing this than playing a mage. The quests are better, the rewards are better and I actually feel part of something. Part of a movement to bring the theives guild back to its former glory and I actually want to help. Within the mages college it just felt like I was plonking along with whatever they told me to do, but with the theives guild it feels like I have to do things my own way.

This game truly is fantastic.