So here is the topic. For us gamers who play TES and juggle a busy lifestyle, how do you play? I personally am on my 2nd run with app 165 hrs on my first play through. Just reached 88 hrs on my 2nd. That is ~253 hrs since launch( PS3).I really thought I would not fast travel and concentrate on exploring the 2nd time around, however, I find that I carted myself 1/2 the time and have begun to fast travel again. I tried turning the compass off just to find that days later I have nothing accomplished. I try reading all the books.....then just start collecting them for a " later day". I love knocking out at least 2-5 levels a week and at leat 2-3 quests a session. I usually play 1-3 hrs a night, 3 days a week, sometimes longer on "days off".

Remarkably, I have yet to do the " main quest or any civil war quests, and have only completed the college of winter hod quest lines on both characters. I feel that anyone who plays with no compass,reads All books, NEVER fast travels, and is the "true" hardcoe TES gamer, easily has to " live" this experience for this type of play style. I simply do not have the time.

How do you play and juggle your busy lifestyle? I am curious on how other gamers play this amazing game and balance the immersion, fun, everyday life& busy schedules. Discuss.

I have 5 kids and work 1.5 hours away from home. I play late at night and don't sleep much. I rp all day at work in my office then play them out at night. I have 10 characters that I rp right now. See link below

Well, I work between 20-40 hrs a week. I usually get to play when I have a day off during the week and my son is at school. ( Skyrim is his game). I have only one character and she is lvl 31. Most of the time I'm playing between loads of laundry. lol

Friday and Saturday nights are my game times. I play 5-6 hour runs those nights. During the week, I get a couple hours here and there. I'm playing 4 characters and I usually switch every couple weeks. It takes me a few minutes to get reacquainted with a character.
I also have a caring (and forgiving) wife.

Hmm... I've had the game since Christmas. To be honest, I wasn't crazy about it for the first few weeks. I liked it but didn't love it. By January I had burned myself out on it. So, overall, I didn't play it much for that first month. Then I had to go on a business trip for 2 weeks. When I got home I started playing it again and I haven't stopped since. I've played it 1 - 2.5 hours every night for the last month or so. I wait until the kids go to bed and after my wife and I hang out for a little while. Just decided to stop playing my first character for a while (fighter) at level 51 with around 150 hours and started a new mage currently at level 7 and around 12 hours.

I'm tempted to take a short break to play some New Vegas though. I never gave that game a chance as I was always making comparisons with Fallout 3, which I loved. It wasn't a wise choice to go straight into New Vegas after completing all of my goals in Fallout 3. But, it's not hard to juggle as long as I hold to the personal rule of never letting it interfere with family life.

Well I don't have a family (not of the wife and kids variety), and currently I don't work (that should be changing very soon though), but I am an above full time student (15-18 hours a semester), who does theatre (often an additional 20+ hours a week), and balances my not at school time between homework and my girlfriend, so yea, Skyrim time can be scarce sometimes.

For my girlfriend, there are some days of the week where we just don't see each other, do to an incredible crazy schedule on her part, so I devote days where she's busy to my "me" time, which includes X-Box / Skyrim time. I just finished up my latest theatre production, which frees up a lot of time at nights for me, so basically, Skyrim is scarce until I finish up with my time consuming obligations.

I have too many games and not enough time.

I play a couple of hours a night (more if my wife goes to bed early) during the week if I'm not watching a movie or show.

Weekends I get a bit more time in, but not much.

I have games that are still shrink wrapped (Heavy Rain, Red Dead Redemption, Rage). Some that I am part way through (Fallout 3, Deus Ex:HR, Portal 2, Skyrim). Some that never end (Battlefield 3).

Well I have one beautiful wife and no kids. I work 40 hours a week and play on the weekends.

Doesn't sound like you actually get much work done at the office.

Hahahahaha, you're right but don't tell my boss that.

I work anywhere from 10-14 hours a day, come home with my fam, and spend time with them. I can an hour or so here and there but on the weekends i stay up.

Ive created about 20 characters and just recently found one i can stick with. I fast travel thru the week but tonight i get to immerse myself into the game. Im a assassin which ive mastered now its 1 handed and archery with enchantment.

illusion-94
Sneak-100
1hand-71
Block-41
Enchant-52
Restoration-42
Archery-74

My favs are nightngale armor and weap with nomads swordsman ring and nomads bowmanship necklace. I use the black star for enchanting.

I own proudspirer manor and currently. Cleaning out my questlog and leveli g up.

I play few hours in the evenings and go hardcoe on saturdays.

I have a dog and a girlfriend, does that count?

I've encouraged my daughters to study at universities far from Cardiff. Told them it was part of the learning experience

Not necessarily. I don't fast travel on my second character and stay permanently on level 1. I very much enjoy the role-playing self-imposed restrictions. I have 200+ hours on that character and i do have a busy life.

I simply take it slow. A couple of hours on the weekends, maybe a few hours after work during the week. I'm not in a rush, which also keeps it more interesting, i guess.

I play when I have time. Which is usually on Sundays. Though the past 3 Sundays I've been busy, so I haven't played at all.

yeah I usually play at night after work, but my fiance likes to play games too and watch tv, so we usually alternate nights. One night ill get to play my games most the night, and the other she'll get to watch tv, or play games. works out well except for days when i work most of the day and think of awsome ideas for skyrim and its not my night.....those can be frustrating, especially when she watches stupid shows

I tried sticking to RP rules and got more burned out than I did when I played WoW, so I blew through the main quest's later stages and felt a sense of relief...

I think I'm getting old.

For the 1st couple months I had the game, I had what anyone would concider a part time job....and housewife duties of course. And taking care of my animals and garden. As long as my "work" was done I could play 4 to 6 hr's a day during the week but usually only 1 or 2 hr's on the weekends when my husband and I go out and do things.

Now that I have found myself a fulltime job...plus still keeping the part time job, I only get in 3 to 4 hr's on the weekends ( I travel during the week). But with 1000 plus hr's already played, I was ready for a "slow down" anyway....that way I don't get burnt out.

I need my head clear. I can't come home from work to a messy house and sit down and play. I have to be relaxed and stress free.

So I come here instead.

Between working 40+ hours per week, spending 8-10 hours per week in the gym, and spending time with my niece and nephew, I don't have much time to game. Usually I spend much of Saturday evening jamming Skyrim. If I could figure out a way to get my 360 into the gym to jam between sets, I'd probably play a lot more.