that's it exactally. sorry for that!

Ah ok I'll let you off then

If you've just started playing skyrim what you said is probably the best way to go about this dlc . But I've put over 400 hrs into my first and only character and I've completed everything there is to do in skyrim. I obviously can still get the random fetch and deliver quests that are never ending but if a new dlc comes out are you saying that I can't purely focus on the new game content. I have to restart the game from scratch and incorporatethe the dlc into a new play through. I don't think that is a good enough answer for dlc that is very shallow. Or shall I say ' crap'

I think the mentality that any DLC that doesn't dovetail into your finished 400 hour run as crap is rather short sighted There's plenty of room to expand on existing content, or provide content that works alongside existing content.

Dawnguard has a sizable story addition, but if by the time you got it you'd completed everything else in Skyrim, you'd miss all the small improvements and additions everywhere else to the game. It's silly to discount them just because you've decided the only context DLC can be judged is having everything in the base game already completed. There's tons of room to improve the base game still, whether you've personally completed it or not.

Regardless it's cheap, and completely optional. Skip it if you feel the only value DLC can provide is additional quests. No one's forcing you to own every pay for DLC.

I skipped dawnguard because I wasn't interested in it. But I thought hearthfire would have some form of customisation with the house as I knew there would be no quests for hearthfire. But unfortunately it didn't really offer anything to make your house feel like it was yours and not a rented house that you can't modify. But it was a cheap dlc so no worries i just put out to the back of my mind as a small mistake i made. and hopefully the next dlc will also interest me but not be as cheap and crap as hearthfire. I just wish I could copy the dlc onto a disc and send it to a ps3 user for free to show them that they are not really missing much.

Actually, I'm not suggesting anything at all--just making an observation. There are many ways to skin a cat And just for further clarification, I've also been playing the same save game since it's release date last year. That's right. The exact same character in the exact same save game.

Your statement here:

"I've completed everything there is to do in skyrim".

epitomizes the different approaches we take in playing this game. You appear to take a tactical approach to the game, while I opt for a more strategic one. So basically your statement only applies to gamers who will never see value in the open sandbox opportunity Skyrim offers. Your next statement about getting random fetch and delivery orders proves this. Which is the response I'd expect from a casual, goal & trophy oriented gamer. Casual gamers feel the game is incomplete as long as something (i.e. a major quest/tasking, side quest, unexplored game design feature etc.) exists for them to accomplish. It's the basic formula get information/tasking from X NPC, go to location Y, then execute Z in order to complete the mission for X. So that would explain why you might find greater value in an expansion like Dawnguard (heavily quest/task and purpose oriented) over Hearthfire (heavily sand box and game play independent).

My original point was: Don't bias this dlc for someone else, just because you don't understand the value it adds. And especially because this added value is not just beneficial to the game in general--but for console gamers who CAN'T access PC mods on Nexus and Steam.

As a sandbox gamer, I typically invest the majority of my time in exploring and getting to know my gaming environment. I go off road on foot or horseback (I've NEVER fast traveled) and do completely non MQ related activities. Things like fishing, hunting, and crafting. Professional skill devleopment like becoming the DB and TG Guildmaster etc. That's how I basically spent the first 4 months. I gradually leveled my Battlemage Nord in smithing, weapons and potion making skills etc. Now that he's a master Alchemist at a high enough level not to die from a mud crab attack, I've begun the Mage's faction quests. This is to gain him some experience in the schools of magic before introducing more challenging opponents like dragons into the game. Yes. Because after all this time, I've yet to begin the MQ.

As an open sand box gamer, I don't play with a specific achievement in mind. It's not important for me to do any part of the MQ to feel as though I'm making progression in the game. I only perform side/favor/faction quests whenever I feel they're necessary to develop my Nord's character.

In all fairness, I suppose another reason why I haven't completed everything there is to do in Skyrim, is because I don't have a extensive amount of free time on my hands on a daily basis. I believe in balance and that life exists outside of Skyrim. So I enjoy other real life hobbies which range from soccer, to sailing and sky diving. As a result, I typically average 1-2 hrs per gaming session every other day or so.

But even if I obsessively played Skyrim every day, I still wouldn't need to restart the game to incorporate any of the new content as you indicated. And the reason for that is a wonderful TES feature called mods. I recently began my own use of CK to generate my own game mods. So even if I ran out of stuff to do in the game, I wouldn't need to rely on the devs to produce the next bit of dlc in order to stay entertained by the game. I'd be busy creating new content to enjoy in my game. Besides this, other free (and far superior) gaming content is constantly being added to my gaming universe. All thanks to the creative genius of the SkyrimNexus and Steam workshop modding communities. They've kept my gaming experience fresh, dynamically interesting, and unique since November last year. So when the devs produce vanilla content like the last 2 EPs, this is simply adding icing to the cake.

Sometimes it's not the attainment of the end goal which matters, but how you enjoy the journey