The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

[Dawnwing]

Fun! You're really leveling up fast.  I think it took me a lot longer.

Anyway, I've become quite a fan of a YouTuber called MiracleofSound.  He writes songs based on video games.  He's done several Skyrim songs, and yesterday he came out with one for Elder Scrolls Online, and I think it's quite possibly the best of all his songs that he's done.

Here's the songs, with the new one last:

Sovngarde Song

Nord Mead

Khajiit Like To Sneak (I don't like this one all that much)

Legends of the Frost (my favorite before his newest one. A collaboration with Malukah, who is known for her covers of the Skyrim bard songs.)

The Call (his new Elder Scrolls Online song)

[Redwaller]

I love those! 

I find the Khajiit Song funny.

And the Elder Scrolls Online looks awesome!

[Sailears]

Good game, wonderful soundtrack (as many game soundtracks are better than movies or even modern popular music).

I play it on and off, though it doesn't draw me in as much as it ought to.

Really dislike the spell equipping system - you can't wield two handed + spell at all, and one handed + spell requires a user made mod in order to block. Combat system is not great for those reasons - for to keep equipping and unequipping in order to dual cast, then switch to greatsword or whatever.

Oh, I always play as an argonian.

[Sailears]

kill kill kill kill!!! Can you save anyone in this gane?

Sad fact of many games.

You can role play as a healer or something, though its pretty hard to avoid killing in a sandbox rpg like this. I can only think of a few off the top of my head that are "peaceful" of sorts - things like portal.

You can get more gritty titles that allow for non-violence; deus ex human revolution has an achievement for completing it without killing anyone.

To be honest you kill other pieces in chess too!

[Dawnwing]

Good game, wonderful soundtrack (as many game soundtracks are better than movies or even modern popular music).

Oh, yes, I can't begin to say how much I love the soundtrack.  It's made me quite a fan of the composer, I love his Morrowind and Oblivion soundtracks too, and his Guild Wars 2 one is also excellent (for example).  He also did a Kickstarter for his own original symphony (which he describes as "a continuation of the energy of Skyrim's soundtrack"); he just finished writing it a couple weeks ago.  You can add him as a friend on Facebook and he adds everyone who requests, it's all fans.
I've got so many favorites in the soundtrack.  I've played the game for something like 450 hours, and outside of that I've listened to it so much in the car and at work, and I'm still not tired of it.  You know you're composing music right when you can do that.

Here's my "favorites" from the soundtrack:
Ancient Stones
The Streets of Whiterun
Around the Fire (my favorite tavern theme)
Far Horizons (played the first time I ever climbed up High Hrothgar.... it was awesome)
Wind Guide You (very majestic piece.  Reminds me mostly of climbing mountains in The Rift.)
The City Gates
"Solstheim 09" (from Dragonborn)
"Solstheim 11" (from Dragonborn)


Funny picture I saw posted elsewhere:

[Sailears]

Hmm, I haven't heard the dlc music (I haven't played them yet either!)

You know he's doing something right when you often play the game for the sake of being immersed in the music.

My favourites are "Dawn", "From Past to Present", Sovngard", "Kyne's Peace", and of course "the streets of whiterun"... there are more but I can't bring the names to mind off the top of my head. Will check them when I'm at my computer.

All the ES soundtracks from previous games are good too.

I've played quite a lot of guild wars 2 (asura make me think of hyper-intelligent hares/rabbits!), but I don't think the music is as memorable. There are one or two decent melodies, although I couldn't name them without looking them up first.

[phoenixfoden]

kill kill kill kill!!! Can you save anyone in this gane?

Sad fact of many games.

You can role play as a healer or something, though its pretty hard to avoid killing in a sandbox rpg like this. I can only think of a few off the top of my head that are "peaceful" of sorts - things like portal.

You can get more gritty titles that allow for non-violence; deus ex human revolution has an achievement for completing it without killing anyone.

To be honest you kill other pieces in chess too!

theres racing games! But then again,is the person in that crunched police car wreak still breathing?
Ive finished red dead redemption an you can make bison extinct i you kill all of them

AAAANYWAY,is skyrim really addicting?ive been told it is,that could be a big problem if i play it! (i usualy finish games withe every side quest and collectible) i should have this game when i can get my paws on it!

[Redwaller]

It's one of the best games ever made! There's about 12 extensions.

And did you know that Bethesda is making Skyrim II?

[phoenixfoden]

Whens its release date?

[Sailears]

It's one of the best games ever made! There's about 12 extensions.

And did you know that Bethesda is making Skyrim II?

12? What do you mean?

And also don't you mean TES VI? Hopefully it will be somewhere like Black Marsh or Valenwood.

@phoenixfoden - don't try to play this game as a completionist, it's not designed in that way and you'll drive yourself mad trying to explore every corner and every sidequest. Instead it's about being immersed in the world created, and role playing within that.
As for being addictive - depends on the player. Personally I struggle to maintain interest because the main story is always a weak point, as in all ES games - a side effect of being an open sandbox and not a linear story driven rpg. Secondly being singleplayer it becomes a bit boring after many hours.

However it is well worth playing to experience - the art direction is fantastic, as is the music, and the characters decent.

[Dawnwing]

Hmm, I haven't heard the dlc music (I haven't played them yet either!)

You should; they're fun!  Dragonborn is the best, it just adds so much, feels like a bit of an "ending", and the music is great.
As far as the music, both have a couple of new music tracks.  Dawnguard adds 4 tracks, but only one, the Forgotten Vale theme, is actually "musical" instead of just being an ambient rumbling thing.  Dragonborn adds more.  Most of it is the Morrowind soundtrack without any changes, but there's 5 original tracks.

I've played quite a lot of guild wars 2 (asura make me think of hyper-intelligent hares/rabbits!), but I don't think the music is as memorable. There are one or two decent melodies, although I couldn't name them without looking them up first.

Ah, I just started playing it this summer; my character is a charr and I'm only about lv 33.  (Asura actually remind me of house-elves from Harry Potter more than anything, haha.)  It was actually the song "Fear Not This Night" that got me interested in it.  That's become my top-favorite song of all time, I think; it's just so perfect, the background instrumentals and the words and her pretty voice and everything.  I also wanted to try an MMO before Elder Scrolls Online, so when I discovered that my cousin has Guild Wars 2, I played it a little on his account and then got it for myself.

AAAANYWAY,is skyrim really addicting?ive been told it is,that could be a big problem if i play it! (i usualy finish games withe every side quest and collectible) i should have this game when i can get my paws on it!

Like Curunen said, it depends on the person, but I personally find it extremely addicting.  I'm a completionist player as well; by the time I did all the sidequests and got all my skills and level to the max, it took me 428 hours.  Roleplaying and such does add a lot to it; I did it more and more once I got used to the Elder Scrolls world.  
And in addition to the things Curunen listed, one thing I love is that the world has such depth, so much history and lore.  It makes it so much more "real".  I'm at the point now where I'm finding it really interesting to read about said lore since I understand it all a lot better.

[Redwaller]

It's one of the best games ever made! There's about 12 extensions.

And did you know that Bethesda is making Skyrim II?

12? What do you mean?

12 Expension packs. Dragonborn, Dawnguard, Legendary, etc.

[Sailears]

It's one of the best games ever made! There's about 12 extensions.

And did you know that Bethesda is making Skyrim II?

12? What do you mean?

12 Expension packs. Dragonborn, Dawnguard, Legendary, etc.

There are only 3 as far as I'm aware - Dawnguard, Dragonborn and the Hearthfire house. Legendary edition is simply a package with those 3 DLC and the base game.

Now unofficial user made mods on the other hand... loads of good things there.

[Sailears]

I've played quite a lot of guild wars 2 (asura make me think of hyper-intelligent hares/rabbits!), but I don't think the music is as memorable. There are one or two decent melodies, although I couldn't name them without looking them up first.

Ah, I just started playing it this summer; my character is a charr and I'm only about lv 33.  (Asura actually remind me of house-elves from Harry Potter more than anything, haha.)  It was actually the song "Fear Not This Night" that got me interested in it.  That's become my top-favorite song of all time, I think; it's just so perfect, the background instrumentals and the words and her pretty voice and everything.  I also wanted to try an MMO before Elder Scrolls Online, so when I discovered that my cousin has Guild Wars 2, I played it a little on his account and then got it for myself.

It is a fun game - I started playing on the 3 day headstart on release. First character I made was a male asura thief, which was fun for a while - the asura personal story is absolute genius , and the male player voice actor is pretty funny. I love the tongue in cheek nature of the asura.

But then thief got a bit boring after a few weeks because of the combat system, so I created a new character - female asura mesmer. Mesmer is one of the most fun classes I've played in any game, and I've been playing that ever since. My last build was a sword/torch + staff stealth build (prismatic understanding, and then skills like decoy, veil, mass invisibility) - so so fun to play with.

I've also tried guardian and elementalist, although never levelled either above 40.

I found the lore/story of the game to be pretty good, especially the first quarter when you are with your character/race specific story, however it falls apart towards the end (Trahearne...), becoming increasingly cheesy and laughable.

However I quit playing a couple of months ago, as I had 100% all the pve map, and after that point you're left with pvp or wvw - I found wvw to be too much of a time sink, and although pvp is fun it is also quite stressful, and you do get many unpleasant people in there. Then the grind for all ascended items is such a waste of time - I was content with all exotics.

Good game, well worth experiencing, and no fees means you have no obligation to play when you don't have the time.

[phoenixfoden]

I have skyrim now,any tips?