What's Your Style?

[whiskey]

I figured there is probably a thread about this already but I'm very curious as to how everyone else plays the game.

I know some people really hone in on certain skills and what not so I'd love to hear about that.

I've had two characters, the first one I played and worked on heavy armor and two handed weapons ... I was a level 41 when I experienced a game breaking glitch and started another character.

It seems that most people 'look down on' well rounded characters, but that's what I decided to make this one. I've been working on my mage skills, weapons and heavy armor (I'll switch to light here shortly) and am already level 34. I've found by spreading out what I do has really allowed me to level quickly.

When I first started playing I dove into every cave I could find. This time around I'm trying to do specific quests (started by recovering the Daedra artifacts I knew of) and then went on to work on my magic.

Also, I would consider myself an in game hoarder. Every time I head out on a quest I try to leave with as little on me as possible, collect everything I can and then sell it all except for enchanted artifacts (which I break if I don't know the enchantment or save if I do) ... I've been able to amass a small fortune and I have an extensive inventory of well ... crap. lol

The other thing I do is get all the miscellaneous quests that I can and then spend a day going through them one by one and seeing if they start any larger quests. And then I deal with those when I'm ready.

So how do you play and what are your goals of the game? I know that I'm not worried about when I "finish", I'm just looking to accomplish all I can.

So how do you play?

 

[MushroomGenius]

Hey whiskey,

I'm currently on my 2nd full playthrough (3rd character). My first character was a Dark Elf that was a bit "well-rounded" I suppose. Sneak skills, destruction magic, 1h, archery. I found that I really didn't like it. Too many options for me is a bad thing. From the start I had planned to play through the game multiple times so I didn't have to "see everything" on my first go-around. I stopped at around level 40 or so to start over.

2nd character was a Khajiit Sneak/Assassin type. I focused primarily on Sneak/1h/Archery/Alchemy/Smithing/Illusion. I finished the Main Quest, Civil War (Imperial), Thieves Guild, Dark Brotherhood, and College of Winterhold questlines. I picked up about half of the Daedric Artifacts and about half of the Dragon Priest Masks. I built my smithing and enchanting high enough to make whatever I wanted, but I just stuck with the Thieves Guild stuff as I preferred it aesthetically. I found this playstyle too easy to clear entire rooms before even being detected. While "cool" it was kinda boring.

My current character is an Altmer Pure Mage. I'm using a zero-armor build, robes/hoods/boots/gloves only, nothing with an armor rating over zero. I've also taken to avoiding the main questline as much as possible while going the StormCloak route. The first large questline I finished was the College of Winterhold. I'm playing with quite a bit of restrictions that I won't go into detail here. I'm enjoying this style much more than either of my first two runs. It's much more challenging for me anyway. Life and death now run a very fine line, even routine skirmishes can turn challenging.

While I wouldn't say I "look down" upon anyone's choice in playstyle, that just it. It's their own choice on how they want to experience Skyrim. Personally, I'd rather have focused disciplines that force me to find different solutions to problems rather than just run in like a beast and annihilate everyone.

Once I've had enough of the Pure Mage, I'll probably run a 2H character and possibly a Pure Archer Bosmer, using only Bows and animal-type followers.

 

[whiskey]

I find myself too limited if I just choose to focus on certain skills, which is why I like the way I'm building my character. There are some things I haven't touched yet, sneak, archery and light armor but I will be soon. I too stay away from the main story line, at least I have so far.

I just get the quests going so their available and then pick and choose as I wish. Actually in my second character I couldn't figure out why there were no dragons until I realized I didn't do that part of the main story line yet. lol

I would love a pure mage character, I know people who have done that and maybe I will do something similar once I complete the entire story line, but I'm in no rush. I do know sometimes I'll go into a cave and decide before hand to use all magic, or all one handed weapons, all two handed, stuff like that which keeps me from well just running around using everything at my disposal. I like the challenge that's presented by doing that but don't like being limited by not having built up a variety of skills (if that makes sense)

 

[MushroomGenius]

I find myself too limited if I just choose to focus on certain skills, which is why I like the way I'm building my character....

... I like the challenge that's presented by doing that but don't like being limited by not having built up a variety of skills (if that makes sense)

I guess I don't mind that I don't have a "fall back" should I run into a tough spot. It forces me to think, re-think how I approach a situation since my options are so limited. I end up dying, but that's okay, I save often.

I have a friend playing what he calls a "pure mage" too, but when he gets into a tough spot, he swaps out his robes for Daedric Armor and a shield. *groan*

 

[Novopo]

Deadric khajiit with daggers

 

[whiskey]

I guess I don't mind that I don't have a "fall back" should I run into a tough spot. It forces me to think, re-think how I approach a situation since my options are so limited. I end up dying, but that's okay, I save often.

I have a friend playing what he calls a "pure mage" too, but when he gets into a tough spot, he swaps out his robes for Daedric Armor and a shield. *groan*

I think I save after I've been walking for more than five minutes or right after I kill something particularly challenging. I don't mind dying either because like you said, it challenges me to rethink my strategy.

Even though I use certain skills a lot, I would never call my character pure anything. It's just a character I've worked hard on building and set up my perks accordingly. I really enjoy seeing the difference the different skills make.

 

[SaveVsBedWet]

My character is now a 45th level Breton who started out as a heavy armor wearing spellsword but has evolved into more of a...I guess, Ranger/Heavy Assassin type of character. Like a medieval version of a Navy SEAL. She's given to her Nightingale Armour exclusively, makes heavy use of her bow and has the archery damage perks to match, but does a true ton of wet work hand to hand using multiple combinations of swords, daggers, axes, and maces. All one handed types, both singled and dual wield. Her one-handed perk tree is nearly maxed out and she's at 98 base skill level with it. She dual wields a lot and has not carried a shield with her in probably 10 levels, although her blocking is great and she's able to shield bash with impunity.

Stealth is also very high and she's up to the backstab perk so she is deadly with that and the Nightingale armor boosting her efforts. She is nearly a master at smithing and all of her weapons are her own creation. Although her enchanting base is maxed out she hasn't really filled up that tree but instead went in a straight line up to dual enchantment. She conjures flame atronachs often with spells but usually relies on scrolls to handle this sort of thing, with occasional help from her Elder shout that brings an old guy from the battle with Alduin. Other than that, her main spell usage is in Restoration.

She doesn't like bandits. She doesn't like anybody who gets an attitude because she's breathing their air. She tries to help everyone who asks and generally just enjoys roaming the countryside, taking life as it comes. She's a member of the Bard's College, and Thane of Solitude and Whiterun, but other than that, she's not much of a joiner. She'll be more likely to finish the Thieves and Assassins guild quests because they're adventures than because she cares at all about their causes, and won't really feel any obligation to either if she does.

She's been known to pursue people who murder foxes from one side of Skyrim to the other. Those murderers, if they are lucky, are now catching sight of the foxes they killed as they trot into Heaven by craning their necks and looking upward, while riding the escalator to Hell.

She collects a lot of stuff, so she can come home and throw it on the floor. Then complains that someone rich enough to live at Proudspire Manor is rich enough to hire someone to tidy up around "that pigsty", but doesn't, because they're probably "a bad person".

If she lived in the world of D&D, you'd have to say she's Chaotic Good in alignment. She does the right thing, but she does it her way, and in her time.

 

[Monolith]

In response to the part about being a hoarder, I thought I was the only one who always sought to embark upon quests with as little gear and weight as possible. Before I set foot out the door I try to leave all my enchanting stuff in one chest, smithing stuff in another, alchemy reagents in this barrel, food in that one, and I try to sell all items and potions that I deem less than necessary. My goal weight is 135-145 kgs (or whatever units Skyrim uses). Jesus, I'm starting to sound like I have an eating disorder!
Ah, but it feels like a fresh start every time when I walk out of Breezehome or Honeyside carrying very little, knowing I can complete several quests in quick succession before again needing to unload my stuff. I try not to let it develop into a neurosis, though. Besides, I have so much gold (almost 500,000) that I really wouldn't need to hoard anything for the purpose of selling it; I could just take the stuff that I plan to use and leave everything else behind. I've slowly taught myself to just leave less valuable junk untouched, which will save me precious game time to spend on completing quests or finding new things to enjoy as opposed to playing inventory manager with the merchants.

Regarding my play style, I'm playing a 2-handed Nord warrior (pictured in my avatar), and he's my 1st character. I'm at level 42, playing on master difficulty + a difficulty increasing mod to push it slightly higher, and so far I feel like I made the right choice with character development. I've chosen to focus on all the crafting skills, heavy armor, 2-handed weapons, and some sneaking. I haven't bothered with magic at all, because I figured the shouts would let me experience that side of the game anyway, and they have. So he's a fairly focused warrior, but not exclusively so. He certainly hasn't been boring to play!

I roleplay the character a little, occasionally stopping by at the inn just to sit by the fire and relax, listening to the bards playing their songs, enjoying a drink or a bite to eat. I also avoid fast travel when possible, only using it very sparingly. And I try to sleep at realistic hours (i.e. 10:00-2:00 AM till the morning) when possible, barring situations when I'm out in the wilds or doing some important quest which spans a whole day or more. I tried to play a neutral character who will do any job if the pay is good, but I've been sliding more and more into depravity and evil, as the game almost forces you in that direction at times. I was thinking my next character will be an unquestionably evil khajit or argonian assassin. No need to feel bad about my misdeeds if I decide from the get-go that he's rotten to the core!

 

[Su8tle]

Orc dual wielding war axes beserker.

Its my 5th character ive started and finally ive found the right race/playstyle that i want to take right through to the end. I still dont mind my lv. 23 Kajhiit Rogue but, he was fun.

 

[SaveVsBedWet]

Can I add how awesome it is that we're all playing a game in which we can achieve 45th level like I have, complete the main quest, do a ton of side and miscellaneous quests, play the game nearly every day from November 11th until now, and still be sitting here with a question mark over the head about fairly half of the locations and quests we read about in these threads? Plus still be looking forward to seeing the first werewolf?!

What a game. Faults it may have, but depth like this is the standard by which every game should be measured. And Bethesda has now done it 6 friggin times in a row. There should be a medal that covers that. Presented by Olivia Wilde and Jessica Alba personally.

Presented to Bethesda me for being hip enough to have heard of Elder Scrolls.

 

[Nick G.]

My first character was a Nord Warrior. Or at least I tried to be a Warrior.

I ended up doing all of the guilds and really changing my character a lot.
He used to be a Sword-Shield combo Warrior in the Companions, but then once reached the Mage Guild switched over to dual casting magic.

On that character I just mainly focused on like your post above being a well rounded character.

However I have recently started a new character, current early in the game and he is a Breton and I was determined to use only one style of play and I am currently enjoying it.

My Breton runs in with a sword in one hand and a spell in the other, but can quickly change to dual casting via favorites.

 

[Perkless in Skyrim]

I tend to be sneaky no matter if I try my hand as a mage or warrior. Happiness is an arrow to the back. *pop*

I've been through at least 7 characters. A couple were "pure mages" but as much as I love tossing fireballs I can't seem to get into playing that way and keep coming back to a thief/assassin style.

I am also a collector. Black-Briar Reserve. Columbian Brandy. Cyrodilic Brandy. ALL the dragon claws. Virtually anything in the game that's hard to get or one of a kind, I want it. I did the quest where you plant Balmora Blue on the Dainty Sload then after the quest was completed went back and took it for my personal collection.

My current play through is mostly about role playing. I'm staying at level 1 until I get most of my skills near 100.

 

[nightingaleassassin]

I play as an assassin, I find it much more satisfying to kill someone stealthily. Also I'm not a huge fan of the battle music in skyrim so I always try to avoid having to hear it , click the link in my sig if you want to see some of my gameplay

 

[nightingaleassassin]

My goal weight is 135-145 kgs (or whatever units Skyrim uses). Jesus, I'm starting to sound like I have an eating disorder!

I usually only have around 80 (wtv skyrim units) on me

 

[Desmodus]

I am a hoarder as well.
My house in breezehome has a chest in the bedroom pretty much stuffed with everything - old sets of armor, daedric artifacts, books, countless priceless gems that I can't sell, etc. I don't usually use it anymore because the chest is really laggy and takes ages to just take things out, partly because I have over 900 saves, as I am paranoid about glitches, and deleting them all would take forever.
As for morality, I guess my main character is something of a Chaotic Neutral, or of Orange morality. I tend to just do whatever if the reward is good. I like to think of Caa'si the Argonian as some sort of less-scary Eldritch Abomination, or someone who simply serves to represent an outside being, i.e me. One minute I can be playing tag with children, the next I can be slaughtering old ladies who live in the wild. I've done pretty much everything there is to do in the game, so I mostly just screw around.