First time player advice

[Out4mods]

Im somewhat new to the game and forum. Would you suggest playing out the original game first and download the DLC later? (hearthfire,dawngaurd etc)

Or get to the DLCs right away?

[gsmanners]

I would say play it vanilla in whatever way seems best for your character, then start maybe thinking about mods. Then DLCs.

[Wavecannon]

Play through the vanilla questlines first imo.
Focus on the Companions,and make sure to climb the Throat of The World to see the Greybeards + Blades questline (Make sure to avoid triggering the Peace Treaty Meeting until you have had some fun with the Blades and their radiant quests).
After those it's a crap shoot: Thieves Guild (Riften), Dark Brotherhood etc. etc. etc.
Oh and I would install Ultimate Follower Overhaul ASAP. ;)

[Nudedragon]

Personally I would get all the DLC and get the unofficial patches before playing. Running into the numerous, massive, and downright depressing vanilla bugs is god awful. It breaks immersion like nothing else. The DLC is meant to be played as a part of the game. It's silly to do all the DLC stuff once your character is already lvl 60, it makes more sense, IMO, to treat those as part of vanilla skyrim, even though they're not.

 

Beyond that, grab mods as you encounter the though "I wish skyrim had x," and you'll find most of your prayers answered.

Edited June 9, 2013 by Nudedragon

[AlexZander40]

I do not recommend playing the game Vanilla style. I got to playing Skyrim a bit late. I am still installing and playing some great mods for Oblivion and Fallout 3. I installed about 40 plugins for Skyrim before I even left the Helgen tutorial. I am now sitting at 190+ plugins and absolutely love the game.

 

I say take the time to follow some tutorials/guides on installing mods for Skyim. And install some of the amazing work that is done by the Skyrim modding community. Start out with just a few that interest you, and then the madness will begin. Before you know it, you will have a 100+ plugins going on. :biggrin: Just take your time and thoroughly read the descriptions and Readme for each mod. Vanilla just cannot compare what modders have done with this game. I highly recommend Skyrim Redone game overhaul. A masterpiece mod in my opinion.

 

Gopher has some great videos on YouTube reviewing many mods.

http://www.youtube.com/user/GophersVids

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfR2Sts6jXM

 

Skyrim GEMS has some great mod recommendations. And I have installed many of the mods that are listed in the 100 Most Endorsed Files of All Time. Good luck and hope you enjoy a modded Skyrim as much as I do.

[Out4mods]

Thanks for the input. Im level 20 or 30. I dont think I would have to much trouble starting over with the DLC content. I just dont wanna get to set in the way the game plays and be flipped with the new type of gameplay if there is any. I have been looking at some mods I like but not to much. Simple things to speed the game a bit like fast mining, glowing ore. Nothing to intrusive.

[Netons]

I'd get the unofficial patches that you can get for the game. The game's great, but the amount of bugs is simply astonishing. You should end up with a big load order before you even create your character, just to make the game properly playable. Look around on youtube a little bit for what the other players recommend. That's usually the best to do when you start out for the first time, after which you should get the mods that YOU want.

 

I'd probably get all of the DLC's at the start, simply because I will need to get DLC patches and make the mods I use work with them. If I play through the game, and then break it by loading a DLC that my mods don't support, then that'll just give a lot of hassle. Just get them, and see if they conflict. You won't be forced to play the DLC's, either way.

 

Also, I wouldn't immediately just follow the main quest. Try exploring the world of Skyrim first, before trying to rush through the main quest line. Talking about rushing, try not to rush the main quest line. Take your time for it, and the same goes for all the guild quests. Never rush anything in this game, it takes away from the experience.

[Nudedragon]

Thanks for the input. Im level 20 or 30. I dont think I would have to much trouble starting over with the DLC content. I just dont wanna get to set in the way the game plays and be flipped with the new type of gameplay if there is any. I have been looking at some mods I like but not to much. Simple things to speed the game a bit like fast mining, glowing ore. Nothing to intrusive.

 

The dlc change gameplay very little. I personally enjoy a number of mods that alter gameplay, but unless you get an overhaul such as Skyrim Redone, Requiem, or ERSO, most gameplay tweaks are very specific and small. Many, many more mods exist to alter vanilla values, graphics, audio, or add new content with the same vanilla gameplay.

[Shubal]

If it means anything..... I got the game this past November and after many exciting quests (won and lost) to mod the game the way I want it , I'm about 2 weeks into what I think may be my first real play thru. All mods are not created equal. Some can be tried on and discarded like underwear and have no affect on your game save, some other kinds of mods tatoo their signature into your game save and change it forever and can be fatal to your save if removed. Read everything about each mod you consider. Enjoy the madness of the mod candy store!