That is, I believe (only played 12 or so hours so far), exactly what they've done. It feels far more fluid and free.

How close is it to what Fallout 3 had?

I'm curious about the skill system; whether there's a level cap or something. Because I'd quite like to get perks in quite a lot of things and I'm not sure whether I need to ration myself.

 

I've done a couple of quests so far, including my first dungeon, which was quite good, though it did seem relatively easy. The rest of the time I've been chasing dragonflies and throwing myself down waterfalls.

 

I'm going to do one or two more of the main storyline quests before I start properly exploring. I think I read somewhere that wandering dragons don't happen until you've got to a certain point, and if I'm going to run away from something then at least one of those somethings should be a dragon.

 

By the way, sneaky sniping Wood Elf. It was pretty much guaranteed that I'd go with that choice.

Very close, but better. Essentially the same, but the perks are arranged into trees under specific skills.

:D

I've done no quests (other than the one you have to do at the start). Though I'm doing one now.

Fighting got tougher quickly. First few levels it's easy, aye. But it ramps up so be ready for that. I'm actually using some magic, because it's fucking awesome this time.

I am, of course, a Wood Elf. Because that is what I am. I am using bows a bit, dual-daggers a bit (massive fun, them) and magic when it gets tight (often).

Throwing oneself off waterfalls is such a joyous thing in this game. I'm kinda using rivers as a fast way of getting around :Y

Skills stuff - yeah I'm in the same boat. Not quite sure about that stuff. I'm being kinda cautious at the moment and only getting perks I know will be useful to me based on how I'm playing.

Please will you stop making me want this game! :@

I don't have time to get sucked into something like this. :(

Wikipedia says "upon levelling fifty times, the player character can continue to level and earn perks, but the rate of levelling is slowed significantly", but it's source for that statement is an preview from February, and doesn't say anything about continuing past fifty.

I have used magic a few times, but I was very disappointed when I fired a stream of fire at a dried up old corpse that had got up and attacked me, only for the bloody fire to eventually go out. So I had to keep twatting it with a mace. I mean, shouldn't it have become an instant campfire?

I just got my ass majorly handed to me by a fucking giant. The cunt killed me with one swing from his hammer. Giants are dicks.

Well, fifty seems like a reasonable number, though still a bit low, probably. If it does work the way you quoted, then I'll be happier. It annoys me when all of a sudden I can't get any better.

By the way, the only reaosn i'm here posting this is because i had a crash to dektop. Anyone else had any such problems?

I had one, but I think that it was because I moved my mouse too far in a menu screen and effectively clicked in my second monitor, which took the focus back to the desktop, and Skyrim just disappeared.

The magic is awesome. I recommend using it. And you know how anti-magic I am. Put fire in both hands and then see how long motherfuckers last :Y

MrTrent: I tried backstabbing a giant just to see what happened (on a save, cos I wouldn't hurt giants, they're lovely). What happened was: he turned around and killed me in one hit.

Oh and we should do this. This is me. I am Drew the Wood Elf.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/132841/TESV%202011-11-10%2023-25-44-06.jpg

And here's me currently:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/132841/TESV%202011-11-11%2023-54-07-84.jpg

But but but... if I start putting perk points into magic, then how can I put them into sneaking and narrowing?

"narrowing" :?

The art of getting narrower, clearly.

Yes :Y

I'm a damned handsome Breton who currently seems hard as bloody nails. First impressions are: the world is beautifully realised as you would expect. Especially worthy of note are:

• water - just gorgeous
• much more organic and less obviously modular dungeons, buildings & towns
• Greater sense of individual purpose in NPCs (though not as much as Bethesda was bragging)
• Really nice light
• And the mammoths are bloody gorgeous. They and much of the other wildlife (a much greater diversity than in Oblivion) aren't that bothered about your presence, which I like. You can provoke them into a fight if you want, but if you don't they'll leave you alone

The contact of feet with the ground does suffer from Fallout's Flintstone physics - your character seems to slide to a halt, rather than stop. And more generally, the physics is still eccentric; I bumped into a cauldron & it flew around the alchemists shop like a beach ball.

But I've played it for about three hours non-stop, which has to be something of a recommendation.

Did you choose to be a skinhead, or is hair one of the things that is still depressingly shit?

I chose, basing it on my own No. 3 shave. There's about a dozen hairstyles, and a range of facial hair; though flowing locks are clumpy.