I realise that from a game coding point of veiw kids are imortal... but from an RP angle how utterly irresponsible would a parent have to be to give a child a dagger that has a chance to instantly slay anything it cuts?!! I one shotted a Legendary Dragon with that Razor for Talos's sake!

When I talk to my child I tend to go with whatever responses are highlighted thinking that might bring a better result. At first I thought a response wasn't highlighted because you already used it but sometimes "let's play a game" is highlighted and sometimes it isn't.

highlighted means you haven't reciently chosen that response.

I didn't think to enchant clothes for the children. can you? I'll have to try.

Yeah. What if they cut themselves?

The variable allowances and other things you do are the opportunity to role-play parenthood, without the dirty diapers, expensive ballet classes, and car repair bills that go with the real thing. That's why I say they'll get all the food and clothing they need, a reasonable sum of gold and a weapon adequate for self-defense: it's what I'd do with my IRL kids.

Parenting tips for Skyrim? (mine haven't asked yet but one gets whiny if I ask her to do chores or go to bed ... and she teases her sister )

It's a freaky animation. After you give the girl a doll, she'll run away with it, upstairs. Follow her. It's the only place you can see it. She'll hold the doll like the screen-load image, then start caressing it with her cheek. You'd think "Awww, how cute!" but, as I said, the animation is a bit freaky. It almost looks as though she's licking the doll. Angle... matters when watching it.


As for the topic, I had so much gold, parting with 1000g every time they asked wasn't even considered a loss. I didn't think they did anything with it, but I did notice the quality of the items in their drawer improved with the level of gold. Sorry, they're not going to buy ebony bows or anything like that, but the number of fine clothing items more than doubled.

Oh, and we've a pet fox. Thing sounds like I'll be burying it or tossing it into the smelter soon.

This. My Nord keeps acquiring so much of the stuff, that it's an absolute relief to be able to get rid of it in 1k increments. My Dovahkin trades and buys expensive junk from the TG, hold shopkeepers, caravans and merchants all around Skyrim. He started building the other 2 Hearthfire homes and trades frequently with his wife Mjoll.

But unfortunately, this still wasn't enough to put a dent in the fortune he's managed to amass so far. Worse yet, he now also owns Kataxia's Ciderhouse Restaurant and Brewery outside Whiterun. Business is really booming at both these establishments, so he no longer has to depend on hoarding treasure from his dungeon or quest exploits. But despite this, the rate at which he's burning money still isn't enough to offset the rate at which the septims are coming in.

What is the mighty Dovahkin's solution to this predicament? Basically treat his 2 little princesses as walking and talking ATMs.

The best part: he doesn't have to worry about them paying him back interest on the $2k he keeps depositing each week!

Well... just had that happen. I came home and Runa runs up all happy. "Hi Momma! look what I found, can I keep it?" turns out she brought in a small little rabbit. I told her its fine to keep it. She then asked if I had anything for her. I had a doll in my inventory so I gave it to her. She ran up the steps and so I followed her. Yes it was very freaky looking indeed The way she held it I couldn't really tell it was a doll. And the whole time her new bunny is sitting at her feet looking like it was licking itself. huh...

Needless to say "mother" went off and told father to watch the kids more closely. Runa may be spending to much time at the nearby draugr crypt...

Oh and pic of the freaky moment.

http://i.minus.com/iMR39MUKObwq0.jpg

I don't think they got the "cuddle" animation just right. But I think that's what they were trying to depict.

A lot of the animations concerning people interacting with objects are a little sketchy. Look closely at the lute players, for instance.

I got my Red Robes and Green Robes while reloading auto-saves after being "surprised" by either daughter with crappy-coated crap with creamy crappy filling "gifts" like pieces of plants (oh NIGHTSHADE?! LUCIA, how on EARTH did you know THAT WAS JUST WHAT I wanted? Just *a* single portion of Nightshade...wow, talk about intuition. I mean, I only have 300-500 upstairs! You know what? You should be a detective when you grow up!), potions that you'd use around level 10 (maybe...), a Staff of a Courage, Staff of Calm, some lame circlets, the most useless kinds of soul gems, and Silver Ore (actually, that was one of the better ones....). They are NOT expensive at all. Just rare, novel, and dare I say it, nifty.

Now that gold diamond necklace I got from Lucia or Runa after a 1,000 allowance? THAT was a kid who appreciated moi...

another thing to keep in mind is that if you just give 1,000 allowances from the beginning, or even twice in a row, they stop making a big deal out of it. It gets the same reaction as a nice dagger ("YOU'RE THE BEST! THANKS!") I say give them 100 or 500, and every fourth or fifth time give them 1,000 and watch them go bonkers.

another tip? No spouses. I have all homesteads and thane-related homes, and Ysolda (just like everyone else I've tried, especially Muiri...oh god, don't get me started...) just turns into a mental defective with Hearthfire. Sometimes I just violently sprint at her to get a semi-human reaction. If I have one more play thru left in me (at least before Dragonborn...), my tough but hot (yep--I actually succeeded in making not just an attractive female character on a game, but a very attractive character! Even the scars on one of her cheekbones, which looks like she got it in a fight with that Rancor thing from ROTJ, is sixy!) Nord character is playing the field this time.

I thought that I was the only person who thoroughly disturbed by some of the animations of supposed "human" interactions and actions, especially the children, in Hearthfire. For a game that basically treats a 360 slim like its dominatrix and otherwise had perfect animation and graphics, I do not get what is up with some of these "gestures." I mean, at the risk of sounding like a huge jerk (I feel like a heartless sociopath just for thinking it...), watching kids play with dolls is like watching those poor, damaged kids in third/peripheral world orphanages and hospitals rocking back and forth as if it's entertaining to them or something...just a wee bit unsettling.

As for the lute players, I've played guitar for (oh God, I'm old...) 20+ years now and the Oud for about 13 (an Oud is like the Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African predecessor to the Lute), and the Bard at Lakeview Manor was so friggin' annoying that I didn't even notice. how authentic his playing looked. I was too busy regretting "ordering" him or whatever and wanting that space back.

Sooooo, don't get married or adopt in Skyrim if you hate it that bad.

the difference is 995 gold

No, don't get married if you want to adopt kids etc with Hearthfire. I think it changes the way the kids and your spouse both act (maybe it's wives more than husbands? I've been playing with the same character married to different women) and svcks the fun out of it. Hearthfire seemed like a lot more fun before my dumb ass got hitched...

Also, I should have been much more specific. There seemed to more give and take and more fun stuff happening without a spouse. Like you are the center of their universe, even with a house carl and a follower. Throw a spouse in there though, they're just confused--half the time they don't even know how to get around the house (don't get me STARTED on watching Lucia or another kid try to get up or down stairs with somebody else on them...I've never been embarrassed for a video game character before, but then I saw Ysolda and Lucia "interact" with each other in just about every part of Proudspire Manor, and I prayed to God to strike me blind...). Ugh. It can be really agonizing.

Now it's just chores (as in they voluntarily, out of nowhere JUST DO CHORES ALL DAY LONG), being greeted with "wanna play a game?" "look momma I done founded a purty rock for yooz! I even named it momma! Bye! I'm gonna run go through the streets of Solitude at 3 AM in my underwear now, mama #2 said it was okay and stuff!!"

Without a spouse, and with one kid or two kids, I used to get bugged about a pet like every other day, and I've had that happen ONCE WITH EACH KID that I have now (Lucia and Hrefna--I ended up adopting Hrefna out of guilt, since I was passing through Darkwater _____ and a Vampire attack killed almost everybody...kinda worked out for me though!), and I only adopted them AFTER I got married. Coincidence...? I think not...

Maybe it is just wives, or maybe just game buggy for you. I never had any issues with husbands. My two characters are both married, one to Marcurio and one to Vorstag. I only have kids with Marcurio, and they are fine, just kids, but working out well. Can't really compare my situation and yours though, my spouses are combat followers, and male. Sorry you're having so much trouble.

Well yeah, having a spouse who follows you in the game is a wee bit different than having one who never, ever, ever leaves your house (excuse me--she will go outside at your homesteads once or twice a day, but its just to walk in a perfectly straight line adjacent to the side of the house until she gets to some kind of imaginary line of death and stops, then stares intently at absolutely nothing -- keep in mind this is between several trees and the ginormous friggin' house -- for several hours at a time...sometimes she's out there at like 3 AM!) and asks if you're okay/need anything if you so much as twitch the stick in their general direction while the game characters are like 30 feet away (i.e. about 9x per minute!).

My kids are cool too (as in like your kids, not my ferkakta wife) but they would be a lot more fun without Ysolda hovering over them--that is, when she's not standing 2" away from and staring directly at a wall for long periods of time (why oh why did I marry an essential character?). I think I might just go back to an earlier save cause this is getting to be irritating.

Think Aela the Huntress would be better? I have never tried her as a spouse. Usually, by the time I'm done with Purity and the Werewolf Totems quests, I pretty much feel like I've actually dated her.

Regardless of how pissy I might sound, I'm not losing any sleep over a game. I find most of this stuff absolutely hilarious...that's one of my fave things about Hearthfire, actually: all of the unintentionally hilarious things that happen! that is also why the Ysolda et al drama is so annoying, because it takes the hilarious stuff and makes it feel like work!

'ferkakta', LMAO

I think there is so much hilarious about Skyrim and it's dlc, but the glitches can be more than irritating, that is also why these forums have been SO important to me! They have helped me avoid a lot of the crap in the game and enjoy the good things more. (not to mention talking to people of like minds....well mostly )

I have heard Aela can be a good spouse, but have also read that she's got her glitches too. I am of the opinion that perhaps going to a previous save would be a good idea at this point, regardless of what has to be made up from loss. I think we all have had to make that decision at some time or another, at least I know I have.

I know, not much help am I? lol

Well I was at Level 68 with 100 Illusion, Enchanting (that's the worst for me--so much of it is just annoying, boring busywork), Alteration, Archery, and almost 100 Restoration (is it just me or...SONUVA[censored], IS THAT UNUSUALLY, MIND-NUMBINGLY HARD TO GET TO 100 OR WHAT?), along with really high combat and stealth skills, and I had all of the Houses, all of the Homesteads, Lucia, Hrefna, and that crazy, psycho hose beast named Ysolda. Plus I had the greatest set of gear that I've ever made (that'll take about 10 min to remake, whoopdee doo!)

Now I'm almost level 60, just barely finished Lakeview Manor, and have like 50 Enchanting and oh, everything else svcks too : )

Luckily for me, I actually kept track of how I made my crazy or even eerily perfect Alchemy gear during last game (using the fortify restoration trick, but not overdoing it....I just like to make things that you can find or buy but can't otherwise make...well, except for the fortify carry weight +150 stuff...), so this shouldn't take too long.

All I can say is, Ouch! I haven't lost that much, I did have to go back a couple of levels once, lost training, gear, etc. That was when I had turned the auto save off, don't ask me why I did, I don't remember, probably for something stupid! I keep it turned on now, because even though I save a lot, there have been too many close calls, and a few losses.

I don't think the cuddling animation is too awful, until you see it from behind her. Then it looks like she's tearing into it, like eating it or something. Eww. I had to check the eyes.....

Given the creepy nature of human/object interactions, it's probably a good thing that there are no human/human ones like spouses holding hands or people hugging their kids. I guess the Skyrim engine had a few weaknesses in it.

My girls never play with their dolls. They are more into HADOOKEN style dagger fighting in the cellar. LOL! And why hasn't any of them brought home a cute bunny or fox?

Oh good God, woman! That is about 10,000x more disturbing than anything I've ever posted, anywhere, in a very long time...!

In other words, Mazeltov on the uncomfortable silence! (That was actually a game my friends and I used to play at parties that got lame...one of us would randomly blurt out something super disturbing and creepy in front of a bunch of strangers, then we'd judge it like it was Olympic diving. Good times...)

You know what? Starting over from that point (that I described before) hasn't been bad. It didn't take me long at all to get back to where I was. The biggest pains in the ass in the game for me, level wise, are getting Heavy Armor to 70 for the Conditioning Perk and, I feel like I'm chewing on tin foil as I think about it, leveling up the last 50 or so points of Enchanting. You can about halfway there just by disenchanting most stuff, but good GOD ALMIGHTY the rest of the time it is torture.

When I restarted this time though, it was the first, ever, I think, that I actually succeeded in recording how I get my special gear. I make a pair of of Wolf Armor (meaning the torso part) and Dragonscale Armor, along with the whole sets. the torso armor has 100% alteration and 100% restoration (down to the friggin' decimak point...I got bored one night and thought I'd see if it could be done, and it can, and it didn't take me that long to figure out) on one each, then 100% alt. and 100% Illusion on the other, F. Carry weight +150 and muffle on the boots and F. Carry Weight +150 and +250 Magicka with the gauntlets.

In case I don't already sound enough like a total serial killer or something (or at least someone with a ponytail and a van...), I also enchant the helmets with 35% Archery (like the Ancient Shrouded armor...YES, I'M A DORK. I said that already!) and Underwater breathing...I actually spent an hour one day going through potion after potion and Greater soul gems figuring out which one would give me 35%, I kid you not (FYI, it's 54%, but keep in mind I only go up level 4 of enchanter. did it once on accident without realizing it and just kept on doing it)

It IS disturbing! LMAO