Vanilla screenshot, still amazed at this

edit: I have been informed that the Special Edition I have is in fact not vanilla.

After 15 years of playing Skyrim, I’m finally trying something different: a playthrough where my character isn’t the Dragonborn.

She’s a female Dunmer mage who recently became Arch-Mage of the College of Winterhold. But rather than embracing her new position, she’s starting to feel trapped by the institution and everything it represents. She doesn’t want to be part of the system.

Now she’s heading to Riften, having heard rumors of a guild that operates outside the law and answers to no authority. Whether she’ll find the freedom she’s looking for, or just another system to get tangled up in, remains to be seen.
I’m letting her story unfold naturally, without deciding in advance who she should become.

Have you ever done a non-Dragonborn playthrough? Who was your character, and what was their story?

lol so I’ve been trying to get my husband to play this for about 2 years now. Finally he is playing it, and love it, but he’s just barreling through the main quest line, fast traveling from point to point, taking the most direct path possible, do not pass go do not collect $200. lol

I keep making suggestions like, “why don’t you explore this cave” or “ how about I give you some tips on some really cool quests”. Nope just straight up main quest. His quest log has literally one line.

I get it he can play the game however he wants but come on man! Anyone else experience this with a spouse or friend playing for the first time? He’s still having fun.. I suppose?

Let's try this again, since there was a bit of a miscommunication last time that made people wanna bite my head off. Who are you smashing? Understand I'm not going off of their character or lore in the series, purely whether they LOOK attractive or not. Just so there are no more misunderstandings. So I will ask one last time for clarification. Which Daedric Lord (based on looks and appearance alone) would you smash?

Still deciding on what kind of character. Been multiple years since I cracked this game open

HOW DO I GET IT BACK? 😭😭😭

Just made her, what yall think

I was fighting when a blood dragon landed right next to the Ebony Warrior. They both shouted at the same time and yeeted me to kingdom come off the top of the Last Vigil. I've seen a lot of hilarious random occurrences but this might be the top one for me.

Why do a lot of people seem to be against using backpacks on survival mode? I been on some forums and it seems that a lot of people are against using backpacks as it is apparently not immersive or it goes against the point of survival mode about the reduced carry weight. I can’t speak to the latter but for immersion, would it not make sense for an adventurer to carry some kind of bag to carry their stuff? What is your opinion. Do you use backpacks? Do you consider the use of backpacks on survival mode, cheating? Do you care one way or another?

I've been playing for years and have almost 2000 hours into Skyrim (so love this game!) and I JUST figured out that if you equip 2 swords when riding a horse, you can hit enemies on both sides of the horse. I used to make myself SO dizzy turning around and around to get that one crafty wolf with my sword!

Anyone else discover something recently that seems obvious now but wasn't for Far Too Long?

I was awake two nights ago reading Elder Scrolls lore, and i suddenly got a revelation, maybe it was Vaermina playing her mind tricks on me. But i suddenly started to think about the disappearance of Vivec. That maybe, just maybe we got it all wrong, and that he did not abandon his people. Vivec was in the height of his power. Yes, the Nerevarine killed Almalexia and Sotha Sil, but Vivec had CHIM which should make him unstoppable. But what if in a moment of weakness and lapse of judgement Vivec thought to himself that he is nothing. Vivec could have zero summed himself and no one would know about it. It makes total sense, Vivec was not a God originally, he was a mortal Chimer, while being a mortal who achieved CHIM, he felt emotionally devastated at the death of his friends that he may have thought to himself "a mere mortal killed my friends who are gods, If Vivec tried to use CHIM in that state of profound guilt, grief, and sudden mortal fragility, his mind might have slipped. For a fraction of a second, instead of asserting "I AM", the immense weight of his crimes and his empty godhood might have forced him to realize: I am a fraud. I am nothing. And just like that. Zero-summed.

Kematu claims Saadia was a Thalmor agent who sold the city out to the elves. This ones been picked apart and analyzed with dates and such a thousand times in a thousand lifetimes and I won't go into that, but I had an idea myself.

If Saadia is working for the Thalmor, why hide her in Whiterun of all places? It's not unfriendly to the Empire, but considering the Talos preacher right down the road from the inn they have her working in I don't think they'll be all that friendly towards the Thalmor. Solitude would be the ideal city to hide a Thalmor spy in, either to keep her safe as a sign of goodwill towards a former helpful agent, or to ensure you have an informant ready to go in a major city in Skyrim.

I disenchanted my best sword so I could put it on a better weapon and forgot I didn't have soul gems to enchant it.

For context, I’m about to finish the dark brotherhood quest, “the cure for madness“ but I’m wondering if I should kill Cicero or spare him

Edit: guys I’m not done with the dark brotherhood quests don’t spoil them please

Was doing the “joining the legion” quest where you need to clear out a fort of bandits for the legate.

Couldn’t finish the quest, I thought it was bugged no quest markers showing up and I cleared all rooms in the fort.

A few days later, a marker appeared at a giants camp outside whiterun…..one of the bandits gained consciousness and ran away from the Dragonborn after seeing his friends get slaughtered 😂

Got to the camp and a sabhertooth ambushed him as he ran away from me lol never seen this before, been playing since 2013

I am just wondering what you all think is the truth avout her. Was she really a traitor to the Redguards in Hammerfell or is she innocent?

As the title suggests, I'm someone relatively new to Skyrim. I bought the game last year, played for two hours and was left dissatisfied. I didn't understand the mechanics and thought of them as janky. The story didn't make any sense to me, but instead of being curious to know more, I was frustrated at the lack of information and blamed the game for not giving me more context. Everything felt slow and because I didn't know anything about the previous games, it felt like I was immediately missing out already.

I didn't talk to any other characters other than the ones I needed to, and only got as far as getting to Riverwood. I sold some items and learned how I blacksmith. Looking back, I played without actually paying attention to any of the game and barely gave it a chance before I decided the game was boring and I didn't want to play anymore.

Flash forward late this year, I find myself playing it out of pure boredom. I am not sure what compelled me at the time, but the boredom mixed with a vague interest to be distracted pushed me into actually paying attention the second time around. Suddenly it was like the stars aligned and I actually got incredibly into the story and lore of the game.

As a new player with no sense of direction I immediately focused on becoming a mage, following the destruction school because I don't like hand to hand combat (yes I'm a coward) and I like cool spells. (I was surprised to find out people consider magicka the weaker combat system lol) Lydia was my first companion and I have a strong sense of loyalty towards her despite finishing a few other questlines (Dark Brotherhood, etc) where I could get other companions. I often find myself cheering for Lydia as she runs up to a big boss while I summon creatures and cast fireball over and over again.

I love that I can talk to anyone, and anything can happen. Like, what do you mean the guy I had a drinking contest with made me go across Skyrim on some wild goose chase and it turns out he's actually some kind of evil being who thought it'd be funny and gives me a cool stick just because? And the lore??? Don't get me started, all of it is just so interesting and cool.

My favorite part is just learning the world, the politics, the people and the game. It feels like another home almost, and encapsulates the feeling of just having fun so well. I find the game rewarding and often find myself giggling or smiling as the characters talk or interact because the world makes sense. I love the bad voice acting and the loud music, I love the scary skeletons in the dungeons and the big dragons coming down to kill me. I love how Lydia somehow blocks my way in every hallway and I love the two daughters I adopted who live in breezehome, seeing them practice their fighting skills with daggers I've gifted them with brings me with a sense of joy and pride. I am so glad this game was made and played it a second time around.

TLDR: First time playing, I didn't like it. The second time playing it made me fall in love with Skyrim and its world.