So you've just retired a character, maybe restarted entirely, or maybe you're picking the game up after a few months. How do you start off? Do you instantly begin the Main Quest and get it out of the way? Or do you go join a Guild? Maybe you go enlist with the Imperials or the Stormcloaks? Or perhaps you do freelance work and raid dungeons and take bounties and other small quests?


Typically I usually make my way to Riverwood, then I go to Bleak Falls Barrow. This gets me some gold for the Golden Claw quest and I get Farengar's quest out of my way while I'm at it. After that I normally do the 'Dragon Rising' quest for Balgruuf. That's a typical beginning for me.

Lately however I've been going straight to Solitude/Windhelm for the Civil War, and a few times I've visited the Companions for work and quick leveling. I just have no motivation to do the Main Quest, as I do not care to use Shouts. I like rebuilding the Blades, and that's it!

Really depends on the character. I usually visit the same places at the very beginning with each character, but then it's usually different for each one.

I normally pick which side I'm going to help in the later points of the game. For my Paladin, Odronaaz, that was the Imperials.

After the whole, Helgen fiasco, I go right to the Embershard Mines to nab me some goodies to sell, and a level or two. I hit up Riverwood next, then Bleakfalls Barrows. From there, it's normally a bunch of Freelancing till about level 30. Then I do MQ because fighting stronger dragons is more fun, and I like being a badass in the CW.

Yeah i do the typical beginning just to level up my character quick without struggling.

It all depends on what I think my characters would do.

For example, one of my characters is a die-hard supporter of the Imperials, so as soon as he got out of Helgen, he headed on way to walk straight to Solitude to join up with the Legion. My Breton mage made his way to Whiterun, stayed in town doing odd jobs for a while, then made his way to Winterhold to join the College. My Nord went and started the MQ immediately. My Argonian went to Whiterun to learn a raise dead spell, then went out to practice necromancy in secret.

So, I don't really have a "typical beginning".

Same here. After that I do the Companions quest line.

Why not just collect as much loot as possible in Helgen, sell it in Riverwood, THEN go to Embershard. It's not that far really, and you'd get a bit more money.

And you freelance until.... LEVEL 30!? It's funny.... cause I never make it to level 30. It's probably a good thing to freelance until you have a fully built character (like a warrior maxing out 2H, Heavy Armor, and Smithing) so that way the gameplay can be more exciting when you actually do quests.

With me it sometimes depends on the character. I usually try to go about things in different ways everytime I do something, including just starting off in the game. I do always try to gather up as many valuables I can find though so I can get a good start with gold.

My Argonian is level 26 right now, and I haven't even begun the Main Quest yet. I probably won't until he's at least level 40, if ever.

I go to Whiterun and grab the elven sword I've been using for my last 8 characters(I take it by murder! ) then continue on my merry way. Laladidadaladadi

I like to get the lay of the land before signing on for anything big. So, after Riverwood, my main guy headed up to Solitude by way of Falkreath and Markarth. After ticking off the Imperials and Thalmor there, he fled to Morthal, then via Dawnstar and Winterhold to Windhelm. He signed up with the Stormcloaks, who then (in my head) sent him on a diplomatic mission to Whiterun, which then allowed him to start the main quest.

I've often thought about traveling the whole of Skyrim and discovering every location before doing anything myself.

I explore. A lot. I'm also Riverwood's hobo for a few in-game months.

Try this one on: Go first to Riften, since helping the stablehand is so easy. Once you do that you can grab a horse for free - and ride it everywhere (always supposing you save before doing anything dicey). Far as I know - if you get off that horse it will leave you stranded, so never get off it until you have explored everywhere you can....

Once this is done, you can FAST TRAVEL to just about any part of the map, or at least to somewhere clost to it!