I've been a console gamer up to this point, mainly due to financial reasons. Just bought a great gaming pc so after I test run it with Crysis (it passed ) my next move is obvious...play an elder scrolls game. I was about to buy Skyrim (again) but I figured I'd give Morrowind a run and mod it out. I played a lot on Xbox way back when but never really attacked the main quest and to be honest don't remember getting very far in any kind of questline. I think the exploration factor drew me in so much that ignored all that "game" stuff of the game. Anyway, after the Overhaul and some other mods I'm blown away with how good the game looks and already I'm feeling the richness of the experience after starting the main quest and being told to join one of the many factions and work my way up.

So I'm running my way over to Gnisis to join the Imperial Legion and I'm attacked by a kagouti. I quick save too late, it sees me, and now I'm screwed. My major skills include destruction and axe but my magick is gone and I can't hit anything with my axe. I'm dead in three hits. Over. And over. And over. And over again.

I'm trapped into cheating and using the console to either jack up my axe skill or simply sethealth the beast to zero. Before this I saw a cave and attempted to run through it but the first guy I saw killed me in the same manner and I was powerless against him. I'm completely dead in any combat situation that doesn't involve a rat or a scrib.

I know this can't only be happening to me, everything I'm sure has been in this situation especially early on. What to do? I really don't want to have to go to Skyrim just for the combat at the sacrifice of a deeper experience, more interesting places / creatures / environments, and that stupid everything levels around you thing.

Create a new pc, pure if you can. try slowly leveling up, then join the legion.

Did you walk to gnisis? Take fast travel from seyda neen.

First, you must absolutely have more than one save for these kind of situations (also bug and crash problems) I recommend at least 3 "real" saves kept up every 5 or 10 minutes.

What race are you? and what sign? what specialty?

lol, i save every 3-4 minutes, i once had a bad psu that surged and my pc would turn of every few hours. habit i guess.

As fragonard says, you need to save more often. You should make full saves, too, not quick saves. Quick saves have been known to cause corruption for some players, over time.

So always make regular full saves, often. ShadowFlame's practice of saving every 3 to 4 minutes is a good one. You should follow it. This is just basic gaming smarts.

what i do sometimes, is make a backup save folder on my desktop, my morrowind save folder corrupted once when i had a mod crash.. I just copy my save folder, and data files folder tii sometimes.

@tds787

where did you encounter the kagouti?

@tds787

Open the console and select with the mouse that damned Kagouti. Type SetHealth 0. Enjoy. And by the way, remove the guy in the cave too. Much easier. Do not abuse and save, save a lot.

You're not going to be ale to hit much of anything until you raise your axe skill to at least 40 or higher.. (or get your Agility really high)

The mud crabs and otbher small vermin around Seyda Neen are good to "practice" your weapon skills on.

And then there is Adamasartus down by the silt strider platform if you want a little bit of a challenge. Keep in mind that one of the NPCs is a mage and throws pretty good fireballs, the other two should be relatively easy, just make sure you're not fatigued. There's some nice loot and a few illegal substance items as well.

I know that kagouti. It killed my Legionnaire-wannabe as well. I took as just not being Legion material and started a new character (playing hardcoe or dead-is-dead as some like to call it).

Between Ald'ruhn and Gnisis. I fast traveled from Balmora to Ald'ruhn and figured I'm run to Gnisis and see some of the new creatures from the Creatures X pack. I don't want to rely on fast traveling too much and avoid conflict because I'll never level

I was trying to avoid that. I'd hate to have a constant "get out of jail free" card


Reminds me of playing Pokemon when I was a kid and running around the grass before a gym leader to level. You remember, the worst part about any rpg

Instead of "practice" leveling I might just bump my skills up a bit with the console to avoid the tedium. It feels guilty but really it's the same result minus the time taken, right?

By the way I appreciate the comments. I was expecting a few to be the "dude it's not pansy Skyrim try roleplaying more" variety. I might have to visit these boards more often

The best advice I can think of is to ROTATE between at least 2 or 3 saves, with one of them only being updated when you're entirely secure and have everything under control, and with multiple exits (a Mages Guild is perfect, since you can use a Guild Guide to go somewhere else, even if Dagoth Ur himself is sitting just outside the front door waiting for you). That way, even if you find that you made a mistake a while back, or got yourself into a situation that you can't get out of, your oldest save should still be good.

Carrying a relatively affordable scroll of ALMSIVI or Divine Intervention (available at a Temple or Shrine) is another good precaution to get you out of messes like that one.

Enjoy.

Some around here are fanatical about saving....for me:

I have the quicksaves for when I'm playing, I have the autosaves turned on and they save regularlly too. Then I normally have just one Hardsave that I update every hour or so...normally whenever I get up from my computer. I've never had a problem.


One thing about Morrowind, unlike the later games, it is very easy to get killed at the start of the game...most enemies other then the weakest stuff 9aka mubcrabs) will kill you super quick at the start of the game. You are going to join the legion? Can I suggest instead you start out with the Fighter's Guild?, it is much better 'levelled' then any other guild in the game...starting off a bit easier. The legion has a really hard quest to start off with.


You'll find these forum quite a lot nicer, most around here are long time players and want to encourage more to play the older games.

I do the same. I do have any auto save from my last travel, which is right off the Silt Strider on Ald'ruhn. The bigger problem is I'm worthless in any combat situation. Granted, this is an RPG and much more an RPG than Oblivion or Skyrim but there's still a combat factor.


I'll do that. I avoided the Fighters Guild because it sounded more generic than the Legion. I also remember the first quest...with the rats...and I don't recall the Legions first quest. Although if it involves a mine I believe I do...

The legions first quest does involve a mine, also you have to kill a med lvl NPC as well.

my advice is to stick to your class's strengths, and keep a few almsivi or divine intervention scrolls, they are your reprieves, your i don't have to die today cards. Put one on a hotkey, that way you ensure you have enough time to escape.

Also, watch out for kwama warriors, their shock spell can own you real quick

I never found it that hard especially not against kagouti but some bandits can one or 2 shot you on low levels and use the weapon your class favors otherwise you'll miss and deal a lot less damage. morrowind is kinda unforgiving in some situations.

You simply need to be more cautious. Yes, you should keep plenty of saves, but constantly dying and reloading isn't fun or immersive. The scaling in the newer games may have given you the impression that you can simply wander around wherever you want without consequence. That is not the case here. There are creatures lurking just outside towns that can easily kill you, most caves and ruins are home to bandits just waiting to hand you your ass in a neat package. Travel by silt strider or stay to the roads, learn where the dangerous areas are. Generally the further away from civilisation you go the more dangers you will encounter.

you should try galsiahs character developing and also some gameplay mods that turns the game much more combo based instead

Don't know exactly how to help with your current dilemma, but in addition to what has been said about saves, it's a good idea to carry a Divine Intervention or Almsivi Intervention scroll early on.
They can get you out of a really tight spot.

[edit] I see your post now ShadowFlame. Good advice.

dude it's not pansy Skyrim try roleplaying more

He's just not used to combat in Morrowind, in Skyrim you can walk through the middle of the forest and never see any monsters. In Morrowind, walking out your front door can be dangerous.

Run & jump up a hill. My characters are cowards early in the game which conduces greatly to their survival rate.

lol?

Sometimes you can put a couple of obstacles or an abrupt elevation change between you and whatever's eyeing you up as "lunch". The AI's pathfinding isn't that great, especially if it's somewhere that requires jumping to reach, and sometimes they can't get to you. If you have a Spear, bow, or ranged spell, you can often find some safe "high ground" and shower them from above with impunity.

I find that backpedalling with a Spear can be just about as effective, and you can often stall or "stunlock" them to avoid taking damage in return.