Buying this game a third time on Switch. So good.

 

I'm usually not one to resurrect zombie threads, but if there's a game that deserves it it's this one.

Lately I've been watching a ton of Skyrim videos on Youtube and I have the itch to start up a new game. I had over 100 hrs invested in my first playthrough, and there's so much I still never experienced. To reflect my own Scandinavian heritage, my first character was a Nord, and he became an expert in swords/shields, archery, heavy armor, sneaking, and enchantment, with not much magic other than healing spells (in games like this, I always try to make my first character true to myself in looks, demeanor, and playstyle, so this was the most natural combination of abilities for me).

After completing the game I tried restarting with a Khajit thief character, but by that point I was burned out on it and I haven't played it since. But now I'm thinking about starting again with some kind of elf, specializing in Conjuration and using bound weapons. The videos I've watched about conjuration look damn cool. It's just so different than my natural playstyle I hope I can cut it. Anyone have any advice for that kind of character? At the beginning will I have to use conventional weapons because I don't have access to bound weapons yet?

 

Use one of the magic oriented races, high elves, dark elves, and Bretons. And get the mage sign. Also for bound weapons just find a spell book.

 

The School at Winterhold quest line will also help a lot.

 

Bound Bow can be found in Fort Amol Prison rest you'll have to buy.

 

So I bought this again last week after not owning it for over a year and I have to say I’m just not feeling the magic like I did before. I’ve done just about every quest, and I have a really good memory too so nothing really seems new.

I went with a Khajit like I usually do, and I’m a Battle Mage I think it’s called. I specialize in heavy armor, one handed weapons, and Destruction/Healing spells. A good axe in the right hand and Flames in the other, with a full suit of armor and I’m an unstoppable force. I usually always level up my archey too so I can effectively tackle threats at all ranges.

I also did recently experience something new though. So while you can’t equip the Giant’s Club, there is one at a Giant camp just south of Nightgate Inn sitting on an overlook of the camp. You can’t pick it up, but you can order your companions too and they will automatically equip it.(Doesn’t show up in their inventory.) So I gave it to my main cat Kharjo, and he became an absolute tank. It has a damage rating of 90, so two hits is all it takes to take most people out. The problem is that Kharjo is slow and heasitant with it, so enemies will wail on him before he can deliver the final blow. This put me in the weird spot of becoming my companions support, something I never thought I would do in Skyrim. I mean, I help heal them all the time but I’ve just been their support. I’m used to always taking point and my companion just helping out.

I built Laveview manor though and a giant showed up. I told Kharjo to wait inside the house while I took it on with Ohdaving, but he ran out anyways and started fighting it and got launched into orbit. Due to the surrounding terrain and the height he was launched I can’t find his body either.  

 

OK, finally had some time to begin a new game and try out the more magic-based playstyle I contemplated earlier.
I picked an Altmer. I was stuck using a mace to begin with, but once I got to Whiterun I stocked up on spellbooks and got a bound sword.

I know this might sound funny to people who have played this game much more than I have...but so far this playstyle is so much f***in' fun. I'm using spells I never used at all during my first playthrough...Fury, Bound Weapons, Conjure Atronach...
Last night I came upon a room full of bandits, and summoned a Flame Atronach...BOOM BOOM BOOM they're gone, and they never saw me  
In another room with 4 bandits, I used Fury to get them to kill each other, and used my bow to pick off the survivor. Again, no one saw me. And I had the idea that Fury was completely useless...silly me.

Other magic I've dabbled in before has also become more useful. My overworld setup right now is Conjure Bound Sword and Chill. I used Chill a tiny bit in my previous playthrough but not much. Now it's extremely useful to slow enemies enough to buy time to conjure my sword.

I just love the multiple choices I have in how I proceed. When I was a Nord, basically all I did was sneak around with my bow, and hack enemies to death with my sword when they got too close. This character just feels much more versatile. I'm also working on becoming an assassin-type..I can't wait until I can turn myself invisible, then I can really start wreaking some havoc

 

Todd Howard: 'If You Want Us to Stop Releasing Skyrim Ports, Stop Buying Them' - IGN

 

Sound and simple.

Though, for giggles, how well did the SE ports do?

 

Really well only really have the numbers for PC where over 5 million have bought the game, it also sold really well on the Switch with it always being in the Top 10 most sold games

 

I’m playing on Switch. Anyone else?

 

Yes sir...started up a new game recently.

 

How is the Switch version? I've never played Skyrim, still have an unopened copy of the PS3 version that I never got around to. Would it be worth getting on Switch instead?

 

It's the only version I have played, so I can't make comparisons, but it seems fine to me. Looks great, runs smooth, and has minimal load times. I am getting some weird audio glitches occasionally - static pop sounds, usually from the left speaker.

 

The load times in itself are worth it on Switch. It is the most enjoyable version of the game I've played, and given the game is somewhat older, the graphics aren't a huge step down from even the PS4 version.

 

I’m just gonna tell a story that broke my heart while playing this game a year ago.

I main a sword dual wielding female Argonian. I married my favourite: Scouts-Many-Marshes, adopted a child, built Lakeview Manor, lived happily with my family and went on many adventures with Derkeethus.

I came home from one such adventure, only to see bandits attacking our home. Worried about Marshes, I attacked and killed the bandits, only to later learn Marshes had been killed in the raid. I don’t think I’ve ever been so upset over such an unexpected death, I actually cried. Cried over a fictional character!

In my paranoia to keep my surviving child safe, I had them move to my other house behind safe walls at Whiterun.

Geezus it was a stupid thing to get upset over, but I’m dearly attached to Marshes. He’s a good Argonian spouse. I would marry Derkeethus if only he didn’t bug out on my PS3.

 

So what's your folks' play style? Im pretty much just button mashing melee combat with some archery. Hardly ever use the shouts or magic.

 

Button Masher, just like you. Dual sword wielding and heavy armor, all 2-enchanted equipment. I suck at archery so I sell all my bows, and never used magic. Shouts are only used on dragons in the air.

If I ever start all over, I plan on using Light Armor and a big ass war hammer.

 

I’ve mostly used heavy armor and the big daedric warhammer you get. It makes short work of almost everything I’ve encountered so far, especially with two handed necklace and glove buffs. Recently I did switch to light armor so I can free up carry capacity. It does make a difference - certainly can’t take as much punishment as I could before.

 

I was almost exactly like that with my first character: Heavy-armored Nord, some archery, rarely used shouts or magic, but I used a short sword/shield setup instead of two-handed weapons.

I'm currently on my second time through the game, and I forced myself to try a different style. Almost 150 hours in, I can say this: Conjuration and Illusion can be a bit of a pain to start with, but EXTREMELY rewarding. Conjuring a bound weapon for every battle is kinda annoying, especially since it takes longer than just unsheathing a sword, and enemies quickly became too high-leveled for my Illusion spells.
BUT
With the right spells and perks, it really works. I can summon Atronachs or Dremora Lords to do all the dirty work for me, and I don't have to put myself in danger. I can make the enemies fight each other, then pick off the survivors with my bow. The AWESOMEST thing is Calming an angered enemy, sneaking behind him, and slitting his throat with my dagger. I have a number of options for each situation, rather than only "use bow until I'm seen, then smash everything".

Shouts still are not that useful, though once I got Aura Whisper I've used it quite a bit to show me where enemies are, and it doesn't suck away my magic.