Recommended Posts

I have a question regarding the skills/perks: since the way skill points are allocated now, how do you focus on stuff like stealth? Do you just sneak around and build up points that way? For someone who wants to do a stealth assassin, any tips for the opening game?

Say again? ... left-click = RH , right-click = LH??

Why is it back to front like that?

Shield (Right Mouse) in the left hand, sword (Left Mouse) in the right. Makes sense after you use it for a while.

It's easier to combo shield block+smash with it anyway.

Just fought my first random Dragon encounter. Not in the best place. I'd just fought through a small dungeon got outside and next thing the music kicked in and i wondered why that music suddenly played, next thing i'm on fire. I managed to stop myself from panicking and took my time and managed to kill him. During the fight i realised i had Rockjoint and knocked 25% off my melee attacks. I really wish other than the odd townsfolk saying i look sick. That they'd have an icon in the hud or something to let you know you have a status alignment.

Still loving the game, now i'm getting used to the mechanics again, i'm really starting to enjoy it. The first couple of hours were a nightmare.

I installed it on my SSD and it loads from double clicking the icon, to playing the game in about 20 seconds

From clicking "Play" to Bethesda logo ~2s, 2-3s from that to the main menu itself and 10-15s to load up my savegame (inside a large town) (2xSAS 10k drives in stripe)

Running mine off my 120GB Vertex 3, loading into the world and transitioning between different areas in the world takes just a few seconds, which is awesome but I can't read most of the hints since they appear and disappear too quickly. Looks like game developers will have to come up with a new way of providing game hints :p

I am currently level 10 playing a pure archer, using sneak and archery skills primarily. Really enjoying it, best part of the game for me so far

was finding the Kyne shout, just before I found it there is a room with about 10 graves, each skeleton rose up and I was hiding in the corner, took all of them down using my trusty bow with 1-2 shots. Loving the skeletons breaking into different pieces, especially when hits with an arrow some parts go flying.

Also enjoying shooting the wild life, unfortunately I fear I might be bringing about the extinction of the Wild Elk :D

I have ten shouts and five unused Dragon Souls, but all I want to know is how the **** the do I unlock the remaining words of power for the shouts I already have? I just want to unlock the last two words of the Fire, Breathe Fire shout but I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

I've been loving it so far on Xbox 360. Graphics are amazing for the platform, but I can tell by watching some YouTube videos that the PC version has a lot more potential visually.

Really loving how the world opens up more and more as you progress.

The load times suck (even after doing a game install). The shadows are also low quality on the 360. I'm not as critical on the games textures, but I'm also playing @ 720p.

My turn:

Is there any negative to wearing heavy armor as a mage??

I believe heavier armor slows you down, at least until you get high enough in that type of armor to get the right perk. Beyond that, robes generally have much better mage-type stats (spell cost reduction, magika regen, etc). Now if you go enchanting and can enchant heavy armor with equivalent robe stats, then there is little to no reason to not wear robes, other than the movement speed reduction and weight requirements.

That being said, I've been playing a thief based character so far, lvl 18 I believe, and its great and all to be able to kill enemies with sneak attacks in only a few hits (30x damage multiplier on sneak attacks from behind with daggers, with a 12 dmg dagger, thats 360 dmg, I don't even have 300 health myself, going mostly health with some stamina here and there), and at range, bows have a nice 3x multiplier (total of 60+ damage with my current bows). But in a straight fight, where I can't sneak attack, or sneak attacks don't 1-2 hit kill, they are freaking difficult to kill. I went through one part, where I killed a troll, followed by 2 boss fights in a row, and I use all my magika for the healing spell during the first fight, and all but 5 or so healing potions (saved from the beginning of the game, never bought or used until this point). The 2nd boss fight was significantly easier, but I still had to use 2-3 potions to get through.

One thing I really dislike so far, is how it forces you to craft a ton of weapons or enchant a ton of things if you want any decent gear better than what you get from the guilds. My thief and brotherhood armor is still leagues better than anything I've found anywhere, and I got it like 10 or more levels ago. Plus I can't even refine it because I haven't spent enough time crafting gear yet......it's a neat system, but it requires taking too much away from the story to get anywhere quickly with it.

All things aside though, I just started putting points into pickpocketing, and on normal items, I have around a 70-75% chance to pickpocket them with only 1 point into pickpocket. It's really nice to instantly see a payoff to pickpocketing NPCs, and with the speech option to bribe guards, you can get off pretty easy if you do get caught.

Started another playthrough with a mage though, and straight combat is much easier so far....summon fire atronach, sit back while it pwns things (shoots fireballs or does a melee attack that kills normal mobs in 2 hits, as well as passive fire damage to everything around it). If it keeps up, I think conjurer is going to be a bit OP when I can summon 2 of these things.

How long does the game take to load on a regular hard drive?

I installed it on my SSD and it loads from double clicking the icon, to playing the game in about 20 seconds

From double-clicking of the icon to finished loading a saved game it takes about 10-15 seconds. Definately have no SSD, just a SATA II 640GB HDD (7200RPM). If you have not perhaps a defrag is in order, the game itself was a lot slower until after I did one so I can at least say it helps.

Is anyone playing this with a GTX 260? If so, how does it perform and what settings are you using? Undecided if I should play it on PC (GTX 260, Q9550) or 360.

I can run it on max settings but its a tad laggy so I turn off AA (Anti-Aliasing) and AF (Antistrophic-Filtering). I have an EVGA SuperClocked 896MB GTX 260 :)

Say again? ... left-click = RH , right-click = LH??

Why is it back to front like that?

Primary click = primary hand, secondary click = secondary hand. It makes sense from a functionality standpoint, but it can be a bit confusing at first.

I have ten shouts and five unused Dragon Souls, but all I want to know is how the **** the do I unlock the remaining words of power for the shouts I already have? I just want to unlock the last two words of the Fire, Breathe Fire shout but I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

You have to find them.

The graphics are ok. Not Blown away. I have everything set to ultra on an ati 4780. Graphics are good but not OMG.

Huh... I have a 4870 and can't run "Ultra" in any setting. In fact, there is no Ultra, only high. And even then, I can't run them all at high. Textures are High, radial blur is medium, and the decal option is "none". Maybe because I have the 512mb version of the card. Either way it still looks okay and runs fine.

Honestly I wasn't enjoying the game too much until I had my first wild dragon battle. I'm traveling in the middle of the night during a thunderstorm with Lydia, and all of a sudden the ground shakes. "???"...then the scary music....AND OH SHOOT A DRAGON FJDSLKFJDSLKDF. I was only level 5 and thought there was no way I could kill it. Good thing I somehow managed to pick a master lock earlier in the game with only novice skill and obtained a cool Conjuration spell. So me, my ghost wolf conjure, and lydia started fighting the dragon. We were losing and then....DUN DUN-DADA! To the rescue, a mammoth and a giant troll. We all teamed up and took the dragon out.

I thought giants were enemies, but apparently not. Or they were just defending their turf. Whatever the case, the sense of teamwork was so cool. "I Just beat up a dragon with the help of a ghost wolf, a mammoth, a troll, and lydia".

The most frustrating things are the omnipotent all-knowing NPCs / Guards. Accidentally hit someone inside of their home and the entire town comes after me. I really don't like that.

Having a heck of a time getting Feralda to let me in to the Mages College in Winterhold.

I see where alot of people get asked to cast something easy like flame atronach. She asked me to cast Fear..so I bought it off her..and cast it, and the game tells me she is too powerful to be feared. Wow. Really? Lol, this after I just spent 10 minutes in front of her killing a freaking Dragon. Think maybe that would give her the idea I was a badass...but nooooo lmao. Anyone know a way I can get accepted?

Having a heck of a time getting Feralda to let me in to the Mages College in Winterhold.

I see where alot of people get asked to cast something easy like flame atronach. She asked me to cast Fear..so I bought it off her..and cast it, and the game tells me she is too powerful to be feared. Wow. Really? Lol, this after I just spent 10 minutes in front of her killing a freaking Dragon. Think maybe that would give her the idea I was a badass...but nooooo lmao. Anyone know a way I can get accepted?

isn't that the part you cast fear on the rune on the ground...not actually on her?

isn't that the part you cast fear on the rune on the ground...not actually on her?

Thanks for the reply...lmao...I guess I should go try that....I didnt even notice what was on the ground ...>< doh I'll come back if it doesnt work...if it does...thanks :)!

Huh... I have a 4870 and can't run "Ultra" in any setting. In fact, there is no Ultra, only high. And even then, I can't run them all at high. Textures are High, radial blur is medium, and the decal option is "none". Maybe because I have the 512mb version of the card. Either way it still looks okay and runs fine.

Either something is wrong or it's your CPU. It seems the game is mostly CPU depended - not suprising seeing the engines a few years old now.

I'm running on a measly 512mb 4850 and I am always above 30fps with everything on high with 8x AA and 16x AF.

Game seems ok so far. More like an oblivion expansion than a new a true sequal though. The graphics are a little underwhelming after all the hype. An upgraded lighting engine would do the world wonders. I suppose consoles are to blame for this.

Worst part is the menus though! They are absolutely abysmil!!! Even switching between equipment is a chore and that's just the start. Seriously how the **** did this happen. For me the menus take the game from a 9/10 down to an 8/10 easily...

Think i'm gonna start Skyward Sword tonight and probably will end up not even touching Skyrim again untill after I finish that.

Just finished making full Dragon Scale armor (legendary quality) Now i just need to find/make replacements for my Glass sword and Bow :(, Not sure what is better yet though, need to level up a few more times so that i can do dwarven and ebony stuff.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Posts

    • Microsoft Weekly: new Surface, Windows 11 26H2, and more by Taras Buria This week's news recap is here, with Microsoft announcing Windows 11 version 26H2, launching new Surface devices powered by Snapdragon X2 processors, GTA VI preorder date and cover art, fresh Windows 11 preview builds, a quirky phone-sized e-reader with a physical dial, and more. Quick links: Windows 10 and 11 Windows Insider Program Updates are available Reviews are in Gaming news Great deals to check Windows 11 and Windows 10 Here, we talk about everything happening around Microsoft's latest operating system in the Stable channel and preview builds: new features, removed features, controversies, bugs, interesting findings, and more. And, of course, you may find a word or two about older versions. Windows 11 version 26H2 is now official. Alongside Windows 11's new preview builds released this week, Microsoft confirmed version 26H2, which is coming later this year as an enablement package based on the same platform as versions 24H2 and 25H2. A newly published blog post details what IT admins should do to prepare for the upcoming launch. Next, we have new Windows 11 bugs. Users report that this month's security updates for Windows 11 cause all sorts of issues, including BitLocker bugs, OneDrive issues, black screens of death, and third-party integration in Office apps. Microsoft has not confirmed those yet, but it acknowledged other issues with its operating system. What Microsoft has confirmed is a bug where Recycle Bin delete prompts display internal file names instead of actual ones, and a year-old Windows JScript compatibility bug caused by security-focused engine changes. Moving to more positive news, Microsoft and Adobe are working on improving Windows performance in popular creative apps like Photoshop. Thanks to SPGO optimizations, users can expect up to 20% better performance. Finally, we have a few useful articles that can help you recover your PC or make it perform better. For one, we published a guide detailing what to do if your computer cannot boot after a clean Windows 11 install. There are two important steps you can try to get your system back to working in no time. Additionally, there is a more detailed guide on various CPU performance modes that could notably improve performance. Windows Insider Program Here is what Microsoft released for Windows Insiders this week: Builds Canary Channel Builds 28120.2315 and 29613.1000 These two builds include a new built-in audio driver, improvements to audio Settings, and more. Dev Channel Builds 26300.8697 and 26220.8690 Not much is available here. Some File Explorer improvements, Start menu enhancements, bug fixes, and more. However, build 26300.8697 is now officially marked as version 26H2. Updates are available This section covers software, firmware, and other notable updates (released and coming soon) delivering new features, security fixes, improvements, patches, and more from Microsoft and third parties. This week, Microsoft announced its newest Surface devices powered by Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon X2 processors. There is the 12th-gen Surface Pro and the 8th-gen Surface Laptop. Both devices feature little to no visual differences compared to their predecessors from 2024, and most changes hide inside, including a better processor, faster graphics, enhanced NPUs, and more. The Surface Laptop also received a new haptic trackpad. Mozilla is currently working on a major Firefox redesign, and earlier this week, it published a roadmap of upcoming features and highlights of the upcoming "Project Nova" rework. Files, one of the best file managers for Windows 10 and 11, has been updated in the Preview channel with a long-requested feature. Tree View is finally available in version 4.1.4, allowing you to quickly browse deeply nested folders without leaving the main view. In addition, the update improved the Windows Fonts folder, allowing you to preview each font without opening the default viewer. Rufus, another useful Windows 11 utility, also received a notable update. Version 4.15 arrived as beta with important fixes for silent Windows 11 installation. It also includes patches for ARM-based Windows PCs, OneDrive removal improvements, and more. Here are other updates and releases you may find interesting: Microsoft faces shareholder lawsuit over masking AI costs and slowing Azure growth Microsoft now allows you to tweak Visual Studio to new extremes Microsoft brings Planner Agent to all Microsoft 365 Copilot users Microsoft fixes one of Excel Copilot's most frustrating limitations Microsoft will finally let you sign in to Edge with a Google account Here are the latest drivers and firmware updates released this week: NVIDIA 610.62 with support for Empulse and various fixes. Reviews are in Here is the hardware and software we reviewed this week Earlier this week, we reviewed the DuRoBo Krono, a portable, phone-sized e-reader with some interesting physical controls. This device has an Apple Watch-like dial for page turning, frontlight adjustment, and more. Software is simple and no-nonsense, but it also lacks some useful features and customization. Overall, the device proved interesting, but not flawless. On the gaming side Learn about upcoming game releases, Xbox rumors, new hardware, software updates, freebies, deals, discounts, and more. Forza Horizon 6 received two big updates this week. Alongside the Series 2 content update, developers pushed plenty of bug fixes and balancing tweaks. However, they also had to acknowledge the Eliminator CR-farming exploit and shut down the online mode temporarily. Luckily, only a few days later, another fix arrived, which re-enabled Eliminator and patched the exploit. Microsoft announced new games for Game Pass subscribers. Those include EA Sports FC 26, Junkster, Call of Duty: Vanguard, Abyssus, RV There Yet?, and more. Some existing games are leaving the catalog, so be sure to check out the full list here. New games are also available for GeForce NOW subscribers, and they include Embers of the Uncrowned Demo, Aphelion, Megastore Simulator, OPERATOR, Citizen Sleeper, and more. Rockstart Games had plenty of GTA-related news this week. For one, the company gave GTA V players another free update. Those still playing the game on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 are no longer required to pay $40 to upgrade to the latest-gen version. More importantly, Rockstar Games revealed the GTA VI cover art and announced the preorder date. The Epic Games Store is giving away two games: Citizen Sleeper and Roboeat. These two titles are up for grabs until next Thursday, but if they are not up to your taste, you can always check out the latest Weekend PC Game Deal issue, which is usually full of discounts and specials that let you save a lot of money on new games. Great deals to check Every week, we cover many deals on different hardware and software. The following discounts are still available, so check them out. You might find something you want or need. GEEKOM X16 Pro at GEEKOM - $1,119.67 | 17% off Acer 4K Webcam for PC/Mac with All-Metal Unibody Sculpted - $59.99 | 14% off Samsung 990 PRO SSD 2TB - $369.99 | 42% off Nothing Ear Wireless Earbuds Bluetooth - $73.15 | 51% off PowerColor Reaper AMD Radeon RX 9070 16GB - $579.99 | 17% off This link will take you to other issues of the Microsoft Weekly series. You can also support Neowin by registering for a free member account or subscribing for extra member benefits, along with an ad-free tier option.
    • Weekend PC Game Deals: Cyberpunk 2077, Split Fiction, Sonic Racing, and more by Pulasthi Ariyasinghe Weekend PC Game Deals is where the hottest gaming deals from all over the internet are gathered into one place every week for your consumption. So kick back, relax, and hold on to your wallets. The Epic Games store brought along two games from wildly different genres this week for PC gamers to claim. Robobeat is a rhythm-based action game that lets you become a bounty hunter that can wall run, slide, and bunny hop around his opponents. All you have to do is stick to the beat for the built-in or custom songs. Next, Citizen Sleeper is a sci-fi RPG adventure taking place in a ruined space station. It uses tabletop RPG-inspired elements like dice rolls and timers to change up how players approach its activities, factions, and storylines. The Citizen Sleeper and Robobeat giveaways end on June 25. On the same day, RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 and Voidwrought will become the next freebies. The bundle space expanded with two more collections from Humble this week too. The June 2unes bundle is up first, carrying plenty of rhythm games. This carries Kill the Music and Rhythm Witch in the $5 starting tier, followed by Trombone Champ, Spin Rhythm XD, and Thumper in the $7 tier. Paying at least $12 gets you the complete bundle, which adds on Kalpa: Cosmic Symphony, Everhood 2, NOISZ, and Sixtar Gate: StarTrail. The next bundle is for virtual reality fans. This carries Among Us 3D: VR and Zero Caliber VR for $10. The next tier brings in Tactical Assault VR, Ancient Dungeon, and Arizona Sunshine Remake for $15. VTOL VR, Zero Caliber 2 Remastered, Metro Awakening, and Thief VR land to finish things off for $18. Free Events It's a big week for free event fans, as Valve kicked off another one of its Next Fest events. This one carries thousands of gameplay slices from upcoming indie games The promotion is set to run until June 22. Standard free events are also ongoing this weekend. This includes the sci-fi grand strategy experience Stellaris from Paradox and the hit SEGA management game Two Point Museum. Asymmetric multiplayer horror title Dead by Daylight and the hit mech shooter MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries are also free-to-play over the weekend. Big Deals The Steam Summer Sale is a week away from launch, but there are plenty of publishers already putting their wares on sale to prepare for the event. Here's our hand-picked big deals list for this weekend: Battlefield 6 – $34.99 on Steam Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds – $34.99 on Steam Split Fiction – $32.49 on Steam Arma Reforger – $27.99 on Steam Sniper Elite: Resistance – $24.99 on Steam DayZ – $22.49 on Steam Two Point Museum – $20.09 on Steam Atomfall – $19.99 on Steam No More Room in Hell 2 – $19.49 on Steam Cyberpunk 2077 – $17.99 on Steam Sonic Frontiers – $17.99 on Steam Dinkum – $15.99 on Steam Stellaris – $14.99 on Steam Hi-Fi RUSH – $14.99 on Steam My Little Puppy – $14.99 on Steam FINAL FANTASY XII THE ZODIAC AGE – $14.99 on Steam SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS – $14.99 on Steam EA SPORTS FC 26 – $13.99 on Steam STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor – $13.99 on Steam FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE – $13.99 on Steam FINAL FANTASY XV – $13.99 on Steam It Takes Two – $11.99 on Steam FINAL FANTASY X/X-2 HD Remaster – $11.99 on Steam Axiom Verge 2 – $9.99 on Steam [REDACTED] – $9.99 on Steam Sniper Elite 5 – $9.99 on Steam Holdfast: Nations At War – $9.99 on Steam Arma 3 – $8.99 on Steam The Callisto Protocol – $8.99 on Steam A Way Out – $8.99 on Steam LIGHTNING RETURNS: FINAL FANTASY XIII – $7.99 on Steam MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries – $7.49 on Steam Slackers - Carts of Glory – $7.14 on Steam MIMESIS – $6.99 on Steam Need for Speed Unbound – $6.99 on Steam FINAL FANTASY XIII – $6.39 on Steam Sniper Elite 4 – $5.99 on Steam Tyranny – $5.99 on Steam Immortals of Aveum – $5.99 on Steam Far Cry 3 – $4.99 on Steam Zombie Army 4: Dead War – $4.99 on Steam Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed Collection – $4.99 on Steam Mass Effect Legendary Edition – $4.79 on Steam Titanfall 2 – $4.49 on Steam SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition – $3.99 on Steam Far Cry 3 - Blood Dragon – $3.74 on Steam Wreckfest – $2.99 on Steam Crime Boss: Rockay City – $1.99 on Steam theHunter: Call of the Wild – $1.99 on Steam The Saboteur – $1.99 on Steam Battlefield 1 – $1.99 on Steam Sonic Mania – $1.99 on Steam Golf With Your Friends – $1.49 on Steam Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri Planetary Pack – $0.99 on Steam Dungeon Keeper 2 – $0.99 on Steam Populous: The Beginning – $0.99 on Steam Citizen Sleeper – $0 on Epic Store ROBOBEAT – $0 on Epic Store DRM-free Specials The DRM-free store GOG has already kicked off its own summer sale. Here are some highlights: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl - $41.99 on GOG Indiana Jones and the Great Circle - $41.99 on GOG Cronos: The New Dawn - $35.99 on GOG SILENT HILL 2 - $34.99 on GOG SILENT HILL f - $34.99 on GOG Kingdom Come: Deliverance II - $29.99 on GOG MENACE - $29.99 on GOG Cairn - $23.99 on GOG Frostpunk 2 - $22.49 on GOG The Alters - $20.99 on GOG Resident Evil Classic Bundle - $20.99 on GOG System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster - $17.99 on GOG Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden - $16.99 on GOG Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered - $16.25 on GOG METAL EDEN - $15.99 on GOG REPLACED - $15.99 on GOG Hollow Knight: Silksong - $14.99 on GOG Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft - $11.99 on GOG Chants of Sennaar - $11.99 on GOG Alpha Protocol - $9.99 on GOG DREDGE - $9.99 on GOG Crow Country - $9.99 on GOG Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Anniversary Edition - $2.99 on GOG Keep in mind that availability and pricing for some deals could vary depending on the region. That's it for our pick of this weekend's PC game deals, and hopefully, some of you have enough self-restraint not to keep adding to your ever-growing backlogs. As always, there are an enormous number of other deals ready and waiting all over the interwebs, as well as on services you may already subscribe to if you comb through them, so keep your eyes open for those, and have a great weekend.
    • Lilly-Livered American Media Are Scared
    • Really? Despite the memory price rises, nothing can kill it? I thought something would.
  • Recent Achievements

    • Week One Done
      Genuinetonerink- Dubai earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Month Later
      Genuinetonerink- Dubai earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • One Year In
      hhgygy earned a badge
      One Year In
    • One Month Later
      AMV earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      AMV earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      514
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      171
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      84
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      74
    5. 5
      Michael Scrip
      72
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!