No reason to apologize, just making conversation. My point still stands that it doesn't affect gameplay at all. Unless, that is, you're bent on rigidly sticking to the Stealth Style, which pretty much means avoiding all combat, because you can't attack. You can still get a big burly Follower to do all the fighting for you, while you do all the looting...
Attack with any melee weapon, besides a dagger (which have been given massive stealth potential in Skyrim do to the Assassin's Blade Perk), while sneaking and you will make enough noise to alert everyone you are there. A bow does not do this until the arrow hits an object. However, my original point on it being a stealth skill was that it is the primary attacking means of a stealth play style. By your logic Destruction should be a combat skill instead of a magic skill as it is used to attack and many people use it separate from other magic skills. However most people would argue it's a magic skill since it is the best way for a mage to deal damage. Archery is the best means of attack for a stealth player, as much as Destruction is for a mage, or some melee weapon is for a warrior. Each of the 3 trees were balanced by having the ideal type of attack skill given to them and the ideal form of defense chosen by what would complement and be complimented by their respective utility skills.
That's another headscratcher for me, as there isn't a whole heck of a lot you can actually destry with magic. I seem to remeber a total of 6 beehives you can burn (But you're supposed to leave half of them untouched) and that's about it.
OohH! {Headslap} I get it. I guess if you wanted to bookshelf train just stealth, you'd still have to go out, and actually train an offensive skill, huh? Good thing I don't use that damned thing, or I might run into the same problem. Big deal!
Not so, I tried everthing, and that includes the OI. The Mage Path is perfectly viable, and the only one with a race exclusively dedicated to it. I took an Altmer, balanced her skills all the way to Septimus, and used his bookshelf to reach 100 with 35 free skill leves from the Race menu. Yup, sure enough it turned out to be boringly OP. It only sucks for assassins. I'm just underwhelmed that this whole thing is motivated by Bethesda not making it 100% ultra simple to cheat the game.
Well, actually, it's more a legit complaint if someone was -not- using the bookshelf silliness, since if they are, it's completely trivial to just do other skills too. On the other hand, if you're only using it once like you're supposed to, and a stealth character, you get no damage skill boost. Especially with how the thief stone, as noted, does boost archery gains, apparently.
The most evil thing about it is how it can be abused via the glitch. From a Lore or RP point of view it is actually, in my opinion, the single most neutral artifact. It isn't inherently good or evil, was written by the scribe of Auri-El, Xarxex, the knowledge was used by Mehrunes Dagon to write the Mysterium Xarxes, but the actually book itself is not good nor evil by nature. Other artifacts are inherently good or evil, Ebony Blade gains power from betrayal while Dawnbreaker is meant to slay undead, where as the Oghma Infinium contains nothing but knowledge which can be used for either good or evil depending on what the reader chooses. The book is fitting for a being like Hermaeus Mora.
It's knowlege, pure raw information, and experience. It's deceptively evil, not like ZOMFG with spikes, and blood dripping from it, but more subtle than that. In essence, knowlege is Power, and of the two types that seek it, the Scholars who do so for it's own sake, like Septimus Signis, or Ulrag are fairly powerless against the Warlords, who want a fast track to 80 perks, daedric armor of invulnerability, and godslayer sword.
I found him to be more curiosity driven then malevolent. He wants to see what happens when he tosses he screwball into things, he drives you towards learning and the gathering of knowledge, both for his sake and yours, so that he can learn. In Oblivion he had me collect some souls so his followers could learn, gladly I helped him purely because I believe personally in the hoarding of knowledge.It's knowlege, pure raw information, and experience. It's deceptively evil, not like ZOMFG with spikes, and blood dripping from it, but more subtle than that. In essence, knowlege is Power, and of the two types that seek it, the Scholars who do so for it's own sake, like Septimus Signis, or Ulrag are fairly powerless against the Warlords, who want a fast track to 80 perks, daedric armor of invulnerability, and godslayer sword.
It's like The Ring, (you know the One) it doesn't look That bad, in fact it kind of pretty, but that's the deception. A lot of people think it's just a ring of Invisibility, because the little people who used it really wanted to not be seen. (And it backfired horribly) Instead, it was the one to rule it all, the Kings that became the Nazgul to take over the world, and rule by right of Magic. That's why Hobbits are the designated bearers, they're so powerless, it can corrupt them (like a Riverfolk named Smeagle) but not make them a threat. Anyone else would become essentially an 11th Nazgul (Boromir) Psychopathic Berserker (Legolas, Gimly) or corrupted black wizard, (Sarumon, Galadriel, or even Gandalf, who would likely be worse than Sauron himslef.) But the hobbits have friends, the fellowship to protect, and guide them.
The Dovakiin already has unstoppable power to beat down the World Eater. Give him Infinite knowlege, and I guess he could be benevolent, but just look at all the level 81 builds, including ones with names like "Utopia." And besides, you really think this:
Wants to just give it to you, no strings attached, out of the goodness of it's heart? (Assuming it has one, instead of a squeedily spooch.) Yeah, he really looks trustworthy. Ever wonder why it doesn't appear to you face to, uh, whatever?
Nice, but I'm not sure "he" is the proper term. That's the deceptive thing about Evil, the worst doesn't Look evil, the better to lure you in. That guy in the Black Metal Spikes warns you ahead of time so you can run away. To me, the greatest evil is Corruption, because it breeds. And most of the time, it appears as good, or neutral, so the corruptees don't even know they're being turned to the Dark Side. If only the serial killers, child molestors, and megalomaniacal tyrants all looked like Sith Lords, it would make Evil so much easier to avoid. But IRL, it's the evil that looks good you have to watch out for. For the first few years, Hitler was the best thing that ever happened to Germany. Then, it kind of went downhill.I found him to be more curiosity driven then malevolent. He wants to see what happens when he tosses he screwball into things, he drives you towards learning and the gathering of knowledge, both for his sake and yours, so that he can learn. In Oblivion he had me collect some souls so his followers could learn, gladly I helped him purely because I believe personally in the hoarding of knowledge.
Oh and I prefer this picture of him personally.
