I'm actually not using anything, no weapons, no spells, nothing. Just walking around.

Yes

Honestly, no offense to you guys who are doing it, but it's stupid to not take advantage of the powers that basically define the story, because you want to play the same as you did in Oblivion. This is a new game, and will be tons better than Oblivion (hopefully) why would you want to play it like oblivion?

I may possibly do this in a later playthrough, just like I plan to do a RP-ish playthrough, but I want to experience all the game has to offer in a playthrough or two first.

To those wondering why I don't want to use them, I personally feel the phrases "Be whoever you want, do whatever you want" and "You are the last of the dragonborn, who kills dragons and gains their shouts" to be in contradiction. I also feel it cheapens the rest of the playstyle you want to use, I can't help but feel whether I want to be a mage or a warrior or a theif, the dragonshouts will overpower them and make them not seem like my main characteristics.

I'm a normal person. Right here. In the real world. When I turn on my 360 or PC, I want to be able to do the most ridiculous, impossible (censorship!) that I can not do in the real world. I do not see the point in RPing an "average Joe" in a video game.

Maybe if I was, like, a demi-god, or superhero in the real world? I dunno. I'd probably even then still try to be pretty badass in a video game.

In short, my answer is: "No."

But you have fun with that!

Not using dragonshouts doesn't mean I can not be a powerful character. That's like saying Han Solo is not a powerful character and is just an average Joe in Star Wars because he isn't a jedi, or like saying Hermione Granger in Harry Potter is an average Jane because she isn't the boy who lived or have some unique godlike ability.

lol. no

I know right. Like, just think of them as magic then... Why not use it? Or think of them like the enchantment orbs you got from fallen daedra after closing a hellgate in Oblivion.
Did you avoid using those too? Hardly.
Why avoid cool things? If you think the game becomes too easy, just ramp up the difficulty

Furthermore, Hermione IS pretty average tbh. And Han Solo would be nothing without his wits, Millenium Falcon and blaster skills.
If the game is balanced and designed around the player having dragon shouts, you can't just pick a random movie bloke like Han Solo and use that as an example of coolness without dragon magic..
Han Solo or Hermione never meant to have dragon shouts lol, if you take away that from the player in Skyrim you gotta take away something that makes Han Solo Han Solo as well.
Ugh, why do i even bother.

Isn't being the Dovahkin the whole point of Skyrim?

'Course they don't force you to take up that title. You could be a hoboy who steals from children and eats only mudcrabs... or maybe you could be sheogorath reborn.

I really want to try out shouts and kill dragons, they advertized that part so much, I want to see it in person. x)

My entire backstory is based on revenge against the dragons so why would i ignore the shouts when i plan on killing dozens and dozens of dragons

This is the point. "Han Solo would be nothing without his wits, Millenium Falcon and blaster skills." But the point is he has those skills. Same as Hermione is very clever, resourceful and an excellent witch. To use a slightly more obscure example, is King Bumi from "Avatar" an average joe because he is not the avatar? No. A character doesn't need to be the one prophecised being with a unique power given to them to be cool, powerful, unique, or interesting. They're not average because their own amassed skills and traits put them above the norm.

Not only wil I use shouts, I'll use every bit of magic, every magic item and even kryptonite if it is available.

Definitely using it.

http://www.threadbombing.com/data/media/24/lol_no.jpg

I know for a fact there's a few points in the main quest where you HAVE to use them. Not to mention, DRAGONSHOUTS ARE AWESOME!

No. Does "be whoever you want, do whatever you want" sound familiar?

I want to learn every dragon shout there is.

I was outside shoveling some snow just a bit ago screaming "FUS RO DAH" at the top of my lungs in real life. So, I'm sure I want to learn some more in game.

Going to be using them quite a bit. With my first character I'm going to try to stick to nothing but uses of Illusion magic and Shouts as the sole source of magic.

I wont use them because Ill forget I have them, like Greater Powers.

My first char was gonna be a straight warrior, that means no magic or shouts, but after seeing how cool the shouts are im definately using those.

ill only use non offensive shouts. wont be using things like fire,frost or lightning. doesnt suit my character and it seems to be easy

Not with my first character. I do intend to play as a farmer with a farm mod I'll make some time however so yeah I might just skip the mainquest and the whole dragonshout thing. Which are activated in the first quest in Whiterun I think, I just won't do it.

Yeah I'm not sold on dragon shouts. I thought they seem odd.

I'm gonna say that stealth characters won't use dragon shouts too much.

Well I will admit that the thought of roleplaying an old, physically frail little mage that occasionally bellows a deafening FUS RO DAH irks me somewhat, so for my first playthrough I decided to go for a character that fits the dragonborn theme. But yes, the shouts hurt our roleplaying options.