stimresp

I'm a total dunce when it comes to this stuff, but I've been using the Nexus Mod Manager for months now and it's brilliant. I've only experience one mod conflict in that time, but NMM allowed me to find the problem and eliminate it quickly and without breaking a sweat. I use about 20 mods at any one time, some with overlapping features. Apart from installing Skyrim Script Extender, I haven't needed to understand what;s happening under-the-hood. Everything just works. The integration with this site is also fantastic. Very happy (and grateful) user here.

I love the Alternate Start - Live Another Life mod. It has really opened-up the game for me. Also the Flora and grass mods mentioned above, as well as Climates of Tamriel (V good!) Props to Duel - Combat Realism and Crimson Tide also, along with the complete crafting Overhaul and associated mods.

When I played it first back in November I rushed through the main quest, finding it fun but ultimately unrewarding. After a long break I recently came back to try out some mods. The Alternate Start mod has been a revelation. It allows you to start from a variety f locations/scenarios. It doesn't force you to do the main quest, though it is still available when you want it. I started out Camping in the woods and I've been happy-out for 30 hours-or-so just exploring, hunting, cooking, selling, etc. Taking it easy and enjoying it immensely.

This week the EU court of justice ruled against Oracle in a case that is relevant for Steam users who want to re-sell their games: http://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2012-07/cp120094en.pdf Basically it says that downloaded software licences may be re-sold by the buyer. Personally I find Steam to be a great idea, but poorly implemented and run by incompetents. However, I buy games from Steam fully aware of these issues, and I take steps to minimize their impact.

I dunno. I play on PC with a 360gamepad without issues. Vanilla Skyrim bored me quickly (no depth!) but now that I have access to all those brilliant mods, the gameplay is much more rounded, challenging and satisfying. Still far from perfect, but I've given-up that particular ghost.

Similarly, when I played the game first, I became overwhelmed. It's easy to fall into OCD mode and drive yourself crazy. I then realized I was rushing it too much, and that it's practically impossible for me to do everything anyway. On re-install, I tried the 'Live Another Life' mod. I suddenly feel no pressure to follow any quest lines, however these can still be activated if desired. I've put-in about 70 hours now and haven't touched the main quest. Just enjoying progressing my perks, making money from hunting/gathering and Alchemy.

Let the market decide.

Guys you are amazing. Thank you all. There is enough here to keep me bus\y for a very long time. Respect all round. :)

@ PsxMeUP This is great! Thank you so much. Just the start I need.... x :)

Hi, I'm coming back to Skyrim after a break of several months. I bought the game on day one and played perhaps 70 hours on PC Vanilla version. At the time I was a tad disappointed with several aspects fo the game, and I decided to leave it and come back when better mods were available. That time has come :) and I see that indeed there seem to be many excellent mods to improve the gameplay look and experience. However I feel overwhelmed and so need some advice on which mods to choose for my situation. First of all I'm more interested in the gameplay experience that having perfect graphics. Indeed I was using less than optimal graphics first tie to ensure I was getting a smooth gameplay experience. I am running on a i7 laptop, 4Gb ram, ATI Mobility Radeon 1gb. I'm not saying no to better graphics, but they are not the priority atm. Things I wanted improved from first time-round: 1. More character interactions! I found Skyrim largely empty with most character interaction quite meaningless. Not really interested in companions but rather meeting new characters that enhance the story arc or add new and interesting quests. Also, are there more factions and adventures available yet? 2. Combat - I found this quite clunky and difficult to control. Are there any worthwhile combat overhauls? 3. Creatures - I think it's a feature of TES games that creature randomly attack. I prefer hunting. Any good hunting mods? 4. Better inventory management - a nightmare the first time! I had bought a house yet storing my gear in all the different containers, sorting it, etc was a a big time sucker. I preferred the system in Oblivion - anything improved for Skyrim? 5. Controls. I want to use a combination of xbox gamepad and the keyboard, and be able to select different weapon/spell combos with a single keypress. Is skyUI the best? 6. Any truly essential mods I should use? You may say I shoud just try the mods and see what I like - I agree, but I work 60hours a week and I'd like to come home and play rather than spend all my time fiddling with mods. I'm prepared to put in some legwork, but I need a direction. Any suggestions would be deeply appreciated. Thanks :)

No offence intended, but this is the internet. Haven't you figured a way to filter out all the crap yet? It's an essential skill to prevent you from going mad. Don't let the trolls win.

What age are you? Do you have any idea what it takes to soundtrack a game? You can probably do a better job, right? I do sound design myself and I believe it is one of Skyrim's strongest points. Yes there are some flaws, but dismissing all that effort so blithely and rudely makes you look ridiculous.

Can you point me towards the official, acknowledged bug-list? Thanks

It's comparable to winning car of the year by using a recycled engine, a rusted chassis and misaligned wheels. Oh but forget all that - look at the paintwork and those shiny interiors!

True, consoles rule the roost, but PC sales in the first 3 days were 14% of total (3.4 milllion units according to this. That's hardly 'insignificant'.