Hello,

I've read about players at level 75 and up...weapons are high end, main story completed already...etc... (even my son says he should be the King of Skyrim, with all the things he's had completed)

I've just turned over to level 31 since the game has been released, first time through...I don't have lots of amazing weapons, but I'm okay with that...I guess.

I'm taking it slowly, walking to many locations, riding a horse to some, and end up tracking over areas I've been to many times previously.

The only thing I have a concern about is...am I playing this game TOO slow, or what? The weapons I've acquired don't seem to do much at times...I don't have the skills needed to upgrade or complete certain tasks...or weapons etc...And have been tromped on by a dragon countless times...

I know they say to play the game 'however you wish to play it'...but, am I missing out on the excitement and overall feel, buy dragging my ass at times...?

Is anyone else like this?

I have a life outside the world of Skyrim, which takes me away for days at a time...not allowing me much time to explore, conquer and so on...

I hear from many friends having these amazing experiences...battles, encounters, awesome armor, weapons, and powers, but it seems I never have the right perks, level or regents to achieve these...

I have a boatload of unfinished quests (main and misc.)...and sometimes find the game a bit overwhelming at times...so much to see and do...so little time...lol

Any help, guidance, hints would be appreciated in this matter...I don't need cheats or whatever...just maybe a diiferent way to approach this epic game, and still get the full potential, and enjoyable experience, even though I tend to go about it a bit slowly at times...


(btw, I've played Arena, Morrowind, and Oblivion in the past...so I'm familiar with the series...just feel maybe I'm getting to old for this intensity/complexity...)

Thanks for any input...

I didn't know that was possible.



I think if you are enjoying the game playing that way then there is no reason to stop.

Nothing wrong with that. If you want to change though just quit your job.. Maybe do a scene out of fight club so you can still get paid. Then all you have to do is ignore your family, they're old enough to fend for themselves

There is no way to play the game too slow. Some people race through it and then come here and complain about it. TES was meant to do exactly what you are doing. Taking it slow and exploring. There are alot of dungeon quests you do not get till you enter them and alot of small settlements you can find to get misc quests from them.

Take your time and do a little internet research on what interests you in the game, Smithing, Alchemy, Magic, etc. Do a little exploring or practice out in the wilds outside towns, but take plenty of potions with you, practice makes perfect! There are quite a few shortcuts you'll find for getting skills up quicker than usual, without cheating at all.

I spend the first two weeks of my game doing nothing but walking, exploring, fighting and dieing! (You'll do quite a bit of that), Save your game regularly!

I'm 52 by the way, some players on this board are in their 60s and 70s

Have fun!

As long as youre having fun, youre not doing it wrong.

You could spend 100 hours doing nothing but walking around looking at trees if you really wanted to(although I imagine that would bore just about everyone, but theres nothing stopping you from doing it).

I've played MW and OB, too, and a lot of other type games. I'm 64.

I walk almost everywhere - I like dungeon crawling - so it may take me a few days to get to a quest area. I've got as many quests as you do - that's not unusual, as far as I'm concerned, because often you can't help getting a quest.

Sometimes I quest all day, other days I dungeon crawl, etc. I have four characters - all different - and rotate playing them every day.

I think you're getting overwhelmed because you keep looking at all the quests you have. I had that problem till I relealized that there's no rush in finishing a quest, regardless of what the quest giver says. Now I do it on my terms, when I feel like it.

Take a day off and do some smithing, or do some enchanting - nothing says you have to do it all in one day.

Take is easy and enjoy, not many wide-open games like this around.

Good luck.

As you have played earlier games, then you know there is content up the wazoo to experience. That being said, starting with Oblivion, it was possible to rush through the game as the Level Scaling made it so that you did not have to buff up your character. In Morrowind and earlier games, you almost had to do things just to level your character to be ready for some dungeons, and quite frankly to get some quests. So, that game made you take the time.

Skyrim is an improvement on Oblivion, but it is still possible to rush through things in this game. It is much better to take it slow and savor the world.

As for your weapons, you may want to do some crafting to make better ones or improve what you have. But, this game does not level scale like Oblivion and I find myself getting killed by the game with level 40's character with buffed up combat and crafting skills. It is quite refreshing actually to look down at my corpse.

You play much the way I do...a bit here and there when I can. As others have already said, if you are enjoying it...don't fix it if it ain't broke...

Here's a short video that will help with Smithing and level ups - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNxdiyL_2GY&feature=context&context=G202a72aRVAAAAAAAAAg

Hope that helps.

no way bud! absolutely no wrong way to play, the only time you know your playing the wrong way is when your not enjoying the game. I just hit level 21 with my first character and im just starting to hold my own in combat. My advice would be to...''just play''. I strictly use a bow, no blades whatso ever, not the smartest strategie but i'll get by anyway and more importanatly i play how i want to.

Too slow? No, don't think that is possible. My favorite let's play, and it's anything but fast progress:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Nagidal146

OMG that was hysterical.I got thru 2 minutes and had to turn it off.

My first character went like this: Start MQ, stop at about the middle of it, do LOADS of exploration, then finish MQ. Then I rushed through the guilds.

Quite frankly I have spoiled the game upon myself. So now I try with newer characters and take it slow, even roleplay a bit when I feel like it. And quite frankly, the game has been MUCH better since I do it that way.

Believe me, you can't rush through an ES game, AND enjoy it. It's like eating cake, but so fast that you don't taste it

"... maybe I'm getting to old for this intensity/complexity ..."

I doubt it. One of the nice things about being retired is I have a lot more time for gaming. My son bought me Skyrim as a Christmas present and I am about 230 hours in on my first character. I have just turned level 42 and so far have only scratched the surface of the main quest (just enough to get the shouts which sounded interesting) and not looked at the civil war stuff at all. Taking it slow and enjoying it. Mind you, I do fast travel - I don't want to take it that slow.

Well, thanks so much everyone.

I'm not the only old boy playing this game...lol

I guess like many of you have said, I'm doing it right if that's the way I want to.

I just felt that I was falling behind, compare to many others playing Skyrim...your replies are encouraging, and I'll continue to play the exact same way I've been doing then.

I'm 52 years old, and have absolutely loved RPG's for many years...remember Wizardry?...haha

Skyrim takes me away from daily life...and I can get lost in it for hours. I've done artwork/sketches and graphics over the years, and always look for detail, and visual stimulation.

This game delivers, I love everything about it. The attention to detail and small things along the way is staggering...more than I've seen in other games.

Thanks again...

Mike

The kids have a tendency to play these games like teenagers drink beer... get drunk quick, pass out early, and wet the bed. Now, there's nothing wrong with that and on Skyrim you can certainly do that, but I for one, would like to kick back and enjoy such an epic masterpiece.

Oh yea, a tip. Take notes, so after your down time, you can get back into the train of though that you left the last time you played.

If anything, you are a great example on how you SHOULD play the game.
It frustrates me when my friends go on about their legendary daedric and how they've completed all the guilds and done some exploit to get all their skills mastered, fast travel etc. yet, I've spent about twice as long as them and I've only completed the main quest and two of the factions and refuse to fast travel.
I think the only way to FULLY feel the epicness of the game is to take it slowly.

I played Fallout: New Vegas for a year and never beat the main quest. I'm 90 hours into Skyrim and have only done the main quest as far as the firs dragon battle. I spend 90% of the time just wandering around doing dungeon crawls collecting quests and doing them at my leisure.

I'm 34, have a job two kids and my wife works nights. I play on wednesdays and weekends when I've got time.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the way you play the game. Just enjoy it.

Ah, Wizardry. My all time consecutive-hours-played record is 16, playing the original Wizardry. Skyrim is the dungeon-crawl game I've been waiting for since I was disappointed by Wizardry 8. It would overpower the game, but it would be fun to put a 6-person party together in Skyrim. I'd take 3 warriors and 2 mages with me. I'd be the thief. Y'all fight while I open this here chest.

I assume most of us older gamers (I'm 45) started with the red box, sitting around a table. Or little black box, if you were into sci-fi. These kids today don't know how easy they have it! We used to have to roll dice! Uphill! In the snow!

I do quests slowly. Most of my time I just explore, not even going into dungeons just getting close enough to find them. I like to savor the games and once a quest is done it's over. Like buying a box of chocolates and only letting yourself eat one a day. The enjoyment lasts longer.

You are playing the game perfectly. If the experience isn't frustrating you then there's no issue, and if you feel you need to have something a bit more powerful, then your gut is probably right. Take your time and learn some smithing, maybe some alchemy. I find hunting/gathering extremely relaxing and enjoyable and helps me level up my smithing when I bring all my hides back and make armor. I only got into alchemy for the money and since I like to gather all the ingredients I set my eyes on, it at least help me fund a bit for smithing.

"I only got into alchemy for the money and since I like to gather all the ingredients I set my eyes on, it at least help me fund a bit for smithing."

That is a nice idea, do one thing to fund another. However, the one thing I have never lacked in game is money. The economics of Skyrim is the one bit that the I wish the developers had spent more effort and thought. It is just too easy to amass more than enough money to do anything one wants, especially if you are a thief and your fences have 4k with which to buy your loot. Additionally, once past the early levels, I can see no point in this game of improving one's ability at haggling - getting higher prices just means that the merchants can't afford to buy all the stuff you bring back from a dungeon and then you are stuck with carrying around/storing a lot of stuff you don't want but can't get rid of.

I think you are doing fine. Try to plan your build and where you want to put your perks ahead of time. Maybe even bank some perks for later. Keep doing what you are doing and good luck.

And you are not alone in the age group. I have great, great, great, great grand children your age. Hang in there.

Wow...I had time to check out some of his video's today...too funny...lol

But he is very serious...takes his time to smell the roses, hehe

I must say...I'm playing my game a little faster than that...thanks for a good laugh.

Mike