sisterof

Me too, mighty zog. My issue is not the lack of new content, but a closure to the story so there are no ambiguities - even a bad end, as I wrote in the previous post.

@Anska: I'm trying very hard to not be whiny and butthurt but I'm feeling quite betrayed that they didn't offer any sign of conclusion. The Dominion storyline is indeed too big for a DLC (and Gods help me if they skip it altogether in the next game too), but I wish they would at least give us a "after the Civil War, the Dominion invades and conquers Skyrim". As it is, we have a story with no end (unlike any other TES game) and we'll have to wait some 5 or 6 YEARS to know what happens. THAT, brothers and sisters, hurts me deeply. I just want the chapter to be closed, even if it means a terrible and sad ending with Ulfric or Tullius and the Dragonborn being overwhelmed by the Thalmor and dying to defend Skyrim (which is what I think will happen). On another point, I don't understand Bethesda's reasoning. Skyrim is a huge game, extremely successful and still not aged. Why don't they want to give it more? I'm still way too upset to talk about it reasonably, I guess.

Yep, I also got disproportionally upset, SlayerKnight. As pathetic and ridiculous as it may be for an adult woman to say, Skyrim has been my sole source of support and comfort during the past months when depression hit the worst again. It was literally the only thing to brighten my days in several weeks. So it's very hurtful to see that we won't get a conclusion not only to the Civil War, but to the Dragonborn's tale. Both are now way under the rug. BTW your argument about cooperation with the enemy should be applied to the Imperials too - they are effectively, directly allowing the Thalmor to spread influence and power. </Stormcloak'ing to the end> :biggrin: I guess that means that in the next game we'll learn that shortly after the Civil War got (mostly) resolved, the Aldmeri Dominion invaded. So the moot never happens, we never get to know who was the next king, and Skyrim loses everything. What do you guys think? I think I'll go weep some more.

You know, now that Bethesda announced that there will be no more DLCs and they're done with Skyrim, I think I'll need several days of mourning.

*slow clapping*

You can always try http://www.thuum.org/dictionary.php?letter=A or http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Dragon_Language

You can click edit, erase the contents of the double comment - substituting them with ASCII representations of free form dancing that describe your current mood. :P

Baldur's Gate I and II are two of my favorite games ever (and the list is pretty short). There was a mod for the Throne of Bhaal that added character development for Irenicus and by the Gods... what joy it brought me. Great characters, great villain, great voice actor for him. I never played pen and paper because of social issues. Since I'm a lousy gamer and a slow thinker, I'm afraid of multiplayers too - I get the impression my party will be killed because of my suckiness or people will just find my roleplaying shitty. Alas, woes of shyness. Being introverted also has little to do with not wanting interaction - humans are social animals. And that's why our current society makes it so depressing for introverts. We're made to believe that a happy life consists of massive socialization in person and on the internet, parties, family gatherings, community and so on, and that wanting to be alone means you're grumpy or sad instead of simply someone who enjoys your own company (something several people do not). Meanwhile, introverts feel drained even after short interactions, are labelled "boring" by the most extroverted folk (and by society itself) and made to believe there's something awkward or wrong with them for not "keeping up". If we can interact with a more selected group and on our terms, we don't feel overwhelmed. As for anxiety, which is unrelated to being intro/extrovert, now that's something that needs fixing, because it's not a trait but rather a disorder, and can indeed get in the way of a functional life. If you're having a lot of issues with it, I'll just grab my Captain Obvious hat and say you'd probably benefit a lot from meeting a good therapist. Social anxiety is a learned behavior and has deep roots. It usually has a cause too. It may be a traumatic event, or something much more subtle like high expectations from you and people around you. I've mentioned before Skyrim and some games pushed me into an epiphany not unlike your own - I too used them to reach out. My presence in this very forum is a direct consequence of my "this social anxiety is bulls***". I still cringe every time I press the "post" button or see one of my sentences being quoted - even if by someone I find less than worthy of such worry, the mere fact that someone is criticizing my words makes me nervous. That's a big part of anxiety - the feeling of vulnerability. Why is it so hard for anxious people to talk on youtube or forums? Because they put their very beings in line. So they cannot separate criticism (or sheer aggression) against their expression/art/etc, and against themselves as people. I see that now, and try to fix it in myself, but it doesn't happen overnight. About the videos - the 15min format is indeed much better. I have a hard time sitting through videos/movies/etc - passively receiving information makes me restless, so it's better when it's in smaller doses. The camera is a good idea too. If your girlfriend is in the same boat, then it's a great plan to drag her in too. The fact that you aren't doing this to, say... get a related job or whatever is very freeing. There's no pressure for "something to come out of it", so you two can use the time to have fun, run some social experiments and get some self-knowledge. INTP? I'm an INTJ. I'm still waiting for the "genius" part to manifest itself and balance out all the emotional/social inability. :biggrin: It's a very good and well based test. And my ego enjoyed being called "mastermind", when my strategical skills are indeed pretty much like a dog running after a car in movement (a quote everyone probably recognizes, and a perfect one too).

Cheers, brother. My thoughts exactly. I wonder if there's even enough lore-friendly, realistic female armors to make a list. :dry: All my current characters are male and the lore-friendly armor pack here from Nexus is one of the great joys of my life. (Yes, I have a pretty sad life overall.)

They do, but somehow those arm rings really don't do justice to my Dragonborn's mighty biceps. I have a few pictures of him in the exact same position with and without the outfit, and measuring it on the screen it doesn't scale perfectly. It leaves quite a bit of muscle out. It's not much, but seeing him in those robes makes him look overall smaller. So the outfit scales but not flawlessly. I'm waiting until the wave of exams passes (and crashes...) and then I'll play for a while to get the Dragon Smithing perk and get him that Dragon Priest armor that is here on Nexus. Maybe that one does justice to his physique. :biggrin: Much less awesome than Miraak's, though, but alas, he's not a mage and that's a mage's outfit.

Eh, my opinion has been stated very eloquently by other users - it depends solely on your character. A "True Nord" isn't a definite term either. A True Nord would want the best for Skyrim, to get rid of the Thalmor and to strengthen his own homeland with proud and honorable Jarls. That said, this True Nord could either believe the Empire is the way to do that, or the Stormcloaks. We fall again in the same question. This hypothetical True Nord could put more value in getting rid of the Thalmor immediately and not fighting anymore for an Empire that already failed Skyrim and has no plans of getting back to its feet, or he could still hope the Empire (founded by Talos himself) will come around to acting. tl;dr: You can have either a Stormcloak or Imperial "True Nord". Once again, it's all about what your character values the most, and what he's willing to sacrifice.

He totally does, though. When you first meet him, he goes: "Oh, you're a Dragonborn too, huh? Small world." Then he sends you home, specifically so you can: "await my return with the rest of Solstheim." That means that: A) he doesn't really give a damn wether you live or die, or he would have killed you right there, and B) he doesn't actually need your soul to leave Apocrypha. The only reason you meet him again is because you go through the trouble of hunting down another Black Book so you can broker a deal with Hermaeus Mora so you can get the final Bend Will shout so you can go back to Apocrypha via the Black Book and face Miraak again. And then he's all like: "Oh, you again? Alright then, let's fight." I just get the impression he doesn't really give a damn about you. Er, no see, I'm arguing that he isn't like that at all. He literally doesn't do anything especially evil. He's just some guy with a weird accent who hangs out with Cthulhu and brainwashes medieval villagers to renovate his house. We're asked to kill him on the assumption that he's a megalomaniac Disney villain. When I said "he doesn't let you leave the Summit" I mean... the Summit, as in, Apocrypha in the final quest. He does let you go the first time you meet him, in a very Dovah style arrogance - like when Alduin gets bored and leaves Helgen without making sure the Dragonborn is dead. He indeed doesn't give a damn. But after you find him again, he becomes convinced you have grown powerful, and consequently into a threat and proceeds to value your soul as a way to empower himself. In that point, you can't simply leave as he's got an interest in your death. And I get your point now about the assumption that he's a Disney villain being the reason we're pushed to defeat him. Indeed, come to think of it, he does some really minor things and we presume he wants to take over Solstheim upon his return, thus beginning the chase. Does he ever say anything megalomaniac, though? I can't remember. The only thing I can think of is the chant "And when the world shall listen, and when the world shall see, and when the world remembers, that world will cease to be." Even if he makes no explicit threat to take over the world, he does go on a lot about how almighty he is and greater even than Alduin. So he comes across as a huge potential enemy. But only potential nonetheless, that's true. Either way, what were we supposed to do as he brainwashed people into building some weird obelisks? BTW, "Oh, you're a Dragonborn too, huh? Small world." I lol'd in the depths of my souless being. :biggrin: *goes check Miraak's crotch* I don't see the issue. Are you sure you looked right? I'm looking at some pictures from google images (including the big awesome promo one that has been my desktop's wallpaper on Windoze for eons). His fancy belt thing is somewhat above his bellybutton and goes up, not down, so he has all room in the world. The only issue I see is if he bends down in some serious Yogi fashion, it's gonna go right up his stomach. The tattered bits make the robe so much cooler. It's a pity my Dragonborn is a bulky barbarian who ends up looking like some skinny mage in that outfit.

Excellent points, Anska, about motivations after entering Sovengarde and so on. @RighthandofSithis: If you mean the Stormcloak supporters, we're still here. HighKingUlfricStormcloak left because he's gonna be a father and has to prepare to train a little Stormcloak, he may jump in when he has the time. I don't know about Lithium Flower, probably in the same boat as me with stuff getting in the way of fun. I'm quite less active this week and the next one because of work overload. I have a huge exam coming, some personal issues and my thesis that is still simply a skeleton of what it should be at this point. I check the forums every once in a while since I work mostly on my pc (and Gods bless amusing distractions), but answering requires way more engagement than I can provide at the moment. By next weekend I'll be spamming my precious thoughts all over the forums again. I'm sure everyone is holding their breaths in anticipation - so make your offerings to the Gods for my success. :biggrin:

^ Yep, greatest frustration of my Dovahkiin's life. First, to need help to defeat Alduin when it's his goddamned Destiny. And then have Hermaeus Mora troll him in the last moment and steal his only chance of winning against a major foe (who may have escaped anyway).

@Jaradin: being an introvert has little to do with speaking ability. It's more about how much energy one has to deploy in social undertakings and how much one enjoys being surrounded by people versus being alone. An introvert may excel in communication and empathy and all things social, but finds engaging in socialization extremely taxing - not to mention the anxiety before, and the "omfg did I do something wrong?" afterwards. @ShiverTwitch: as Jaradin pointed out, you do have a great voice! I've had a similar experience with Skyrim, which I avoid talking about since I'm still not in good terms with "a simple game changed my way of life", but in a time when life sucks real real real real (ad infinitum) bad, Skyrim was there as an escape route. The game was pure escapism for me in the beginning but then it changed into a life lesson, so I relate a lot to what you described. Your girlfriend gave great advice - exposing yourself to criticism in a controlled environment is the way to go. Kudos for the project and good luck on the next chapters too! Edit: I'll share criticism later only, right now I'm still actually only taking peeks at things online to better escape the fact I have a hundred university stuffs piling over me. :confused:

If disabling the mods solves the issue with not being able to leave, it's clearly a mod incompatibility. Try enabling a few at a time to isolate which one is causing the problem. I don't get what you said about travelling... You mean that even with mods disabled and being able to leave the city, you cannot fast travel there?

It's his wife but he's a king. Don't you find strange that he seems to care for nothing, absolutely nothing else? Interesting that you point out he was sick of hearing about Skyrim's issues from Ulfric and so on.... So it means Ulfric did try to reason with him before the duel. Wasn't "Ulfric murdered him without trying diplomacy first" a main point you were defending before? And we've been talking about the characters themselves from the beginning... Going for Torygg and Elisif is as fitting as going for Tullius and Ulfric. I have too. I wanted to hear both sides openly before choosing my Dragonborn's allegiance, even though my other character who's not Dragonborn is Imperial.

You could try set playerfollowercount to 0 The game will treat you as if you had no followers. I'm not sure that, if you find your follower again, he won't keep following you. But if that happens, you can try hiring and dismissing him again.

Eh, I don't see why the gang banging on Sianna. What's wrong with thinking the powers-that-be in the Empire need to be changed, or that other Jarls need to step down? I disagree with killing them, as some of the ones she mentioned really cannot stand in a duel at all, but I still don't see reason for this hostility. Please people, remain civil, it's just a game, and it's real people talking here, who deserve way more respect than any fictional character regardless of how passionate you feel about said characters. Moving on, excellent point about Elisif talking only about how parties are great and the Thalmor are actually nice. The fact that she's a nice young woman has nothing to do with her ability to rule. She means well, I see that too, but she's largely naive and ignorant. She may grow to be a strong woman, but she is not one yet. And don't forget that Ulfric allows her to keep her title of Jarl in Solitude (an extremely important city), regardless of her childlike mentality, because her people like her for some reason. And of course her people would, their conformists as much as she and Torygg are - you don't need a strong, intelligent Jarl when all you do is sit back and accept the status quo while the Empire keep letting the money and comforts flow in. @TheLoreSeeker: It's great Torygg is such a nice guy as to be so in love with his recently-wed wife. But that is hardly synonym of "loves his family" - there is no family, there's his wife. We don't see him fighting for his sons and daughters, for he has none. All his sweetness could be true, of course, and he could grow to be a proud and caring father, but so far it could be nothing but infatuation with his bride. And I do find it majorly significant that he dies leaving Skyrim still being drained of resources by a failing Empire, with Thalmor running freely, and in the brink of a CIvil War, and all he cares is his lovely dear lover. I agree with you that compassion is a great thing, and he could have such gift, but all compassion I see from him could (and I'm aware we don't have enough evidence to say for sure either way) be simply love puppy talk.

@Anska: I think that as far as Nord tradition dictates, as Skyrim's culture dictates, the duel was honorable. I agree with you in all other points, Ulfric really pushed the buttons with that decision. It would have looked far better if he had tried to reason with Torygg before - and since Torygg would still be the spineless puppet he was, the duel would come to pass anyway. I've pointed out before that I think Ulfric chose the Thu'um as a first attack precisely because someone with a high willpower could withstand it (you can't disarm just anyone, and once you meditate with Paarthurnax you cannot be staggered either- so the Dragonborn has enough willpower to be immune to Ulfric's Thu'um). With that move, he proves Torygg was no High King at all, he simply fell to the ground dazed and unable to react. I like your point about it being also part of his "true Nord" act, as the Voice is the "ancient Nord art" the heroes and kings of past dominated. It's a good point about believing the story that Torygg died by the Voice. The people who tell is are mostly same people who say that say he was "shouted apart", which we know is only somewhat possible, in a few circumstances, by a very powerful Dragonborn - and it turns people to dust instead of nice gory bits. I'm not bothered by the killing in cold blood. It was a duel, which Torygg accepted - he would have been humiliated in case of denial but he had the option. Ulfric has been a soldier under the Empire, a warrior against the Forsworn, so he's pretty pragmatic when it comes to sacrifices. He even admits that "Whiterun is just a means to an end" - to prove his army has the same resolution and dedication he has. He has proven courage in marching into Solitude and defeating the High King knowing it would label him as a criminal and make him chased all across Skyrim by the Empire. With Whiterun, he is quite aware sacrifices will be made, dutiful guards will be killed, for the sake of showing his army means business. He talks about it with Galmar too - "we know the price of war".

I'm quite of the mind that it depends solely on the character. We, as gamers, as people outside the TES universe, have no business picking sides. We can have preferences, but going as far as saying "right" and "wrong" is purely naivety. The situation in Windhelm is quite strange, as in other cities the Dunmer show no issues with assimilation. I'm not sure what's wrong with Windhelm, or why the Dunmer seem to be less willing to take part in Nord society there while in Riften they simply joined the rest just fine. Maybe Riften had other races for longer, and in Windhelm is a recent thing? I can't remember right now. The fact that the Empire shows not a single tiny bit of remote inclination to refuse the Thalmor is what makes it very difficult to go to their side for all of my characters, even the ones I purposefully created to join the Empire. For all strength that may exist in numbers, the fact is that the Empire has not a single plan of striking back. Though I initially thought (and I'm still trying to believe) that Bethesda made both factions have pros and cons that made the Civil War utterly ambiguous, replaying the quests is making me feel like they did give the Stormcloaks the upper hand when it comes to a moral/strategic choice. As for playing in pure emotion... that's the fun of it! We as players may sit back and analyse but the character is immersed in that reality, all he has are his sensations, the things he hear around, the stuff he sees. That's the joy of roleplaying - ignore your own knowledge, sometimes your own morals, and play by those of your character. "In a way I envy you. The curse of much knowledge is often indecision." - Paarthurnax. :wink:

If the Hero of Kvatch became the Mad God, then yes, he'd kick ass all around. Mine didn't, though, it was a different character (I would have done it differently if I replayed, though). Without the Shivering Islands storyline, the Hero of Kvatch is the most useless of them in terms of power - he's just Martin's sidekick. But he's very heroic, as someone pointed out, by his sheer bravery and by achieving everything with nothing but a mortal's abilities. The Nerevarine was quite heroic too, and in my opinion far more intelligent/prepared than the other two. He was a king and warchief reborn, loved by his people. The Dovahkiin is by far the most powerful of them (minus Shivering Islands), but he has the issue of not having to work much for all that strength. He's born awesome, and that's much less heroic. He gets into the world, has the Thu'um instinctively, and fulfills a prophecy without question. He can be strong in battle without the Voice, but the fact that he had to work so little for his abilities make him just the lucky dude the Gods smiled upon. So, in terms of power, Mad God (optional) > Dovahkiin > Nerevarine > Hero of Kvatch (without SI). In terms of heroism, Hero of Kvatch > Nerevarine > Dovahkiin. In terms of intelligence/wisdom, the Nerevarine by far, while the two others probably rank the same.

I don't get why people keep saying that all Ulfric had to do was to sit and have a nice chat with Torygg over tea (since Torygg was such a fan). How come the High King didn't ever think of acting against the WGC (again, I point out it's not just the Talos issue, but the freedom the Thalmor enjoy, their sabotage and the impoverishment of Skyrim) by himself and needed someone to push him to it? It also strikes me as odd that everyone keeps saying Torygg only cared about court life and entertaining his queen. And once you find him in Sovngarde he proves exactly those words - all he cares about, all he asks about, is Elisif. Not Skyrim - his homeland and kingdom. Not the war. Elisif. His sole regret, those are his own words, as a man and king was leaving a widow. To me that speaks volumes about his ability to lead, and his initiative. We have conflicting accounts of the duel. Some people say Ulfric killed Torygg with the Thu'um, some say with a sword. Saying that the Voice defeated Torygg, though, suits both scenarios. He was defeated in the moment Ulfric Fus Ro Dah'd him, regardless of having his heart pierced later or not. We don't know if Torygg would have done anything had Ulfric talked to him - though I do agree Ulfric should have given him the chance. Ulfric cared more about proving a point - that the High King and Jarls forgot about Skyrim and became "milk drinkers" addicted to Imperial coin. And that the Nords were having not only their wealth drained by a failing Empire, but their culture crushed - both in the way Jarls ruled, the way High Kings were chosen, and the way Talos was worshipped. Another thing to keep in mind is that the "old Nord way" is not something ancient and nearly forgotten. It is the culture of Skyrim - Skyrim is not Cyrodiil. Just like in Morrowind slavery and so on were commonplace and part of daily life while in Cyrodiil it was not - you cannot push your own concept of law/civility into a different culture. It's the same issue we had with colonies in the real world, or with christianising. They are still barbarians, much like vikings were in the time they were around - it is not "wrong" and it is not "delayed". It is their culture, period. It's not like he is resurrecting a long dead code of honor - it is the way Skyrim operates, and would operate more if the Empire hadn't pushed their own laws and customs down the Nords' throats.

Does that really happen? That's hilarious. The mysterious friend has no identity, it's just a bunch of people who send you letters. Thought... their calligraphy IS kinda similar... :rolleyes: I like the Hermaeus Mora hypothesis. He's the only one who could be a singular entity and even so be aware of so much. Given the Dragonborn's connection to him (willingness notwithstanding), it would be a nice twist. The Courier hypothesis is good too. I cannot unsee what I have seen - never had that bug/feature happen before BUT as soon as I install anatomically correct bodies, a force greeting makes my hulky Nord turn around to the sight of very naked dude in boots. Always awkward to accept paper touched by strange naked dudes in boots. "Btw, aren't you cold? Nevermind, that's not an offer of warmth. :ermm: "

And with that, we have our answer. :biggrin: