So I picked up the game when it came out but have not been able to play it due to me crappy old computer. I recently managed to get me a brand new one build for gaming.

I really want to experience both sides of the game so am going to be creating a Nord warrior/archer giving my allegiance to the Stormcloaks and another giving my allegiance to the imperials.

Getting back into the game has just found me overwhelmed cause I suddenly realize that there is so much to do. I don't really know where to begin. Which faction would benefit my class? I am guessing the companions. How should I basically go about playing the game? I have not made it past the escape before.

However, I was wondering after you escape the execution, how do you make your way to Whiterun?

Well You should build your character however you see fit. If you're planning on the Being a melee class check out the companions in Whiterun. Whiterun is really easy to get to right after the execution attempt. Just follow your quest marker and you'll be there before you know it. As far as playing the game....Just play it, explore a little bit and have fun! I'm pretty envious that you have a gaming rig, that opens you up to mods to expand your gaming experience. I know my post may be a little vague, but the best way to play Skyrim is just to play it, and see where you end up.

Thanks. Well it isn't the best gaming rig out there, But its good enough for me to play Skyrim on medium settings.

Secondly, the map isn't something that I am quite use to. Well the only MMO that I have played, World of Warcraft had an actual map I could see. It wasn't just a line on top of your screen. It was more of a circle if you know what I mean. Is it easy to navigate?

Thirdly, I don't really plan on using any mods due to people's various experiences with them such as they either cause them to get crashing, losing their save, etc. And I prefer to play the game the way it is.

Lastly, can I sell every item I pick up from guards, tankards, etc? Cause IIRC they didn't display any gold value on the screen.

The Companions are the best faction for warriors and archers alike. As I'm guessing you've discovered, they're located in Whiterun.
From Riverwood - the town you end up in after following Hadvar or Ralof - cross the bridge across the river, and follow the road to the right. Just follow the road down the hill, and you'll be in Whiterun before you know it.

The Companions can be found in Jorrvaskr, their mead hall, in the Wind District of Whiterun. Upon entering the town - again, follow the road - follow the main road through town up past the blacksmith and marketplace, up the stairs and to the right of the Gildergleam, the huge tree. Jorrvaskr is a huge, upturned Viking ship. Hard to miss!

And welcome to Skyrim. If you're anything like me, you'll love it!

It sounds like you're talking about the compass at the top of your screen, that is not the map! Press M on your keyboard to bring up the map. Pressing L will toggle you between the interactive map of Skyrim and a local map which can be helpful if you are navigating through a cityspace or large interior.


With a less powerful gaming rig you may not be able to add a lot of high end textures or add a lot of extra "stuff" into the world that has to be loaded up, but there are also some mods that change other gameplay things you find annoying or fix various bugs. I would suggest the Unofficial Patch as a must have, because it has tons of bugfixes that you really don't want to play without.

But in general I think it's usually best to play for a while and when you find things you WANT to change, then you can go looking for mods that will do that for you.


Most clutter or loot that you pick up is sellable however at the beginning of the game you will find that a lot of low value items will show with a value of 1 or 2 septims in your inventory but no merchant will pay anything for them, leading to a value of 0 when you are in the buy/sell menu with a vendor. You will need to increase your speech skill and/or take some perks in that skillset in order to get an increase in what vendors will pay for your stuff (the same things will also lead to you getting better prices on their stuff)

My advice is that you not bother picking up anything that shows a value of 1 when you look at it unless it's something you plan to use. If you have to pick it up to see the value in your inventory (and you should be able to) and its value is 1, just drop it if you don't intend to use it in the near future. There is a limit to how much you can carry and there's no point in loading yourself down with stuff that you will not make any money from and have no use for otherwise.