Navigating the Treacherous Terrain: What to Avoid in Skyrim for the Ultimate Experience
Skyrim, the sprawling open-world RPG from Bethesda, offers unparalleled freedom. However, this freedom comes with a few hidden pitfalls that can hinder your adventure. Avoiding these common mistakes will make your journey through the snowy peaks and dragon-infested ruins of Skyrim far more enjoyable. So, what exactly should you avoid?
1. Spreading Your Skills Too Thin: Resist the temptation to be a jack-of-all-trades, master of none. While experimenting is fun, focusing on a few core skills will make you far more effective in combat and exploration. A mage who dabbles in archery will never be as potent as a mage who dedicates themselves to destruction magic. Choose your path and specialize!
2. Ignoring Essential NPCs: While you have almost limitless freedom in Skyrim, it is imperative that you don’t try to murder essential NPCs. You will quickly find out the main characters and quest givers of major questlines cannot die, but you still shouldn’t kill them as it can disrupt the natural path of the game.
3. Neglecting Enchanting and Smithing: These skills are powerful, but they take time and resources to level. Invest in them early, gather materials diligently, and craft the best gear possible. Don’t sell enchanted items – disenchant them to learn their properties and apply them to your own gear!
4. Overburdening Yourself: Skyrim is a hoarder’s paradise, but resist the urge to pick up literally everything. Carry only what you need and regularly sell or store excess items. A character weighed down by loot is a slow, vulnerable character.
5. Disrespecting the Law: While a little thievery can be fun, don’t fight with the guards unless you are absolutely prepared to pay the price (or reload an earlier save). The consequences can be severe, especially if you accumulate a large bounty across multiple holds.
6. Trusting Unsafe Storage: Don’t store items in places you don’t own. Containers in dungeons and random locations are not safe. Your items will disappear, and you’ll be left with nothing. Invest in a house or join a faction with secure storage.
7. Underestimating Alchemy: This skill is often overlooked, but alchemy can be incredibly powerful. Craft potions for healing, damage, and buffs to enhance your abilities and survive tough encounters.
8. Rushing the Main Quest: While the dragon threat is pressing, don’t feel pressured to immediately complete the main questline. Explore the world, join guilds, and complete side quests to level up and gain valuable skills and gear.
9. Forgetting to Save Regularly: Skyrim is prone to glitches and unexpected events. Save often and in multiple slots to avoid losing progress due to crashes, bugs, or unfortunate decisions.
10. Being Afraid to Experiment: While specialization is important, don’t be afraid to try new things. Skyrim is a game of discovery, and you might find a playstyle you love that you never expected.
11. Ignoring Follower Equipment: Your followers can be invaluable allies, but they need good gear to be effective. Equip them with the best armor and weapons you can find or craft to maximize their combat potential.
12. Skipping Dialogue: Skyrim’s world is rich with lore and interesting characters. Pay attention to dialogue to uncover hidden quests, learn about the world’s history, and make meaningful choices.
13. Neglecting Shouts: Dragon Shouts are a powerful tool in combat and exploration. Collect Word Walls to learn new shouts and experiment with different combinations to find the ones that suit your playstyle.
14. Failing to Explore Dungeons Thoroughly: Dungeons are packed with loot, enemies, and hidden secrets. Explore every nook and cranny to find valuable items, uncover hidden quests, and test your skills.
15. Ignoring the Lore: Skyrim’s world is deeply rooted in Elder Scrolls lore. Read books, listen to conversations, and explore the environment to learn about the history, cultures, and mysteries of Tamriel.
By avoiding these common mistakes, you can enhance your Skyrim experience and fully immerse yourself in this incredible world. Remember that Skyrim is a game about choice and exploration, so have fun, experiment, and forge your own legend! If you’re interested in learning more about the educational aspects of games like Skyrim, check out the Games Learning Society at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I actually break the game by killing the wrong NPC?
While you can’t completely break the game in the sense of making it unplayable, killing certain NPCs can lock you out of quests or even entire questlines. The game usually designates vital NPCs as “essential” meaning that the player cannot kill them, however there are plenty of NPCs that aren’t essential who if killed can disrupt the questlines, leaving the player unable to complete them.
What’s the best way to avoid over-encumbrance?
Invest in the Steed Stone for increased carry weight, level up your stamina, and use followers to carry excess loot. Alternatively, prioritize valuable, lightweight items and sell or store the rest. You can also use a horse to fast travel even when over encumbered.
Is it worth it to join the Thieves Guild if I don’t want to be a thief?
The Thieves Guild offers unique quests, valuable skills training, and access to fences for selling stolen goods. Even if you don’t plan to be a dedicated thief, joining can provide useful benefits.
What are the most important skills to focus on early in the game?
Smithing, Enchanting, Alchemy, and your chosen combat skills are all valuable early on. Prioritize the skills that align with your preferred playstyle.
How do I avoid getting caught stealing?
Sneak effectively, invest in the Sneak skill, and use invisibility potions or spells. Steal when no one is watching and avoid detection by guards and witnesses.
What’s the best way to make money in Skyrim?
Crafting and selling potions, smithing and enchanting items, completing quests, and selling loot are all effective ways to earn gold. Crafting potions is a quick way to make money fast.
Should I join the Stormcloaks or the Empire?
The choice is yours! Both factions have valid arguments. Consider your character’s background, beliefs, and the impact of your decision on the world.
What’s the deal with dragons? Are they all evil?
Not all dragons are inherently evil, but most are hostile. Some, like Paarthurnax, offer guidance and assistance.
How do I cure vampirism?
Complete the quest “Rising at Dawn” by speaking to Falion in Morthal. Be sure to cure it early, or else you risk becoming a vampire lord and drawing the ire of other factions.
What’s the best way to deal with trolls?
Trolls are weak to fire. Use fire spells, weapons, or dragon shouts to defeat them quickly.
Are there any missable quests in Skyrim?
Yes, some quests are time-sensitive or require specific conditions to be met. Pay attention to dialogue and complete quests promptly to avoid missing out.
What’s the point of marriage in Skyrim?
Marriage provides a spouse who can cook meals, open a shop, and provide a home to live in and sleep in. Your spouse will provide you with one free meal a day.
How do I become Thane of a hold?
Complete quests for the Jarl and assist the citizens of the hold. Once you have earned their trust, you will be granted the title of Thane.
What’s the best way to level up quickly?
Focus on skills that you use frequently, complete quests, and explore new locations. Utilize Standing Stones to boost skill experience gain.
Is there a level cap in Skyrim?
There is technically no level cap in the Special and Anniversary editions of Skyrim. You can theoretically level every skill to 100 and keep playing the game, though the game gets extremely easy at a certain point.