I'm level 26 and i've run into a stand still. every time i play i can't find something new to do... i don't like doing the main quest, and i feel as though i keep doing the same things over and over.

I remember the first time I ever played... wait the 3rd time because that's when i made it out of helgan with out restarting, it was so amazing, so much to do, but now i feel all powerful, i can kill any thing, yet if i put it up a notch on the difficulty i die instantly.

i've changed to a more RP style of gameplay like only smithing my own armor, being a native of Riverwood, yet still... it just won't do it for me....

so the point of this topic is, I'm on ps3 so no consoles or mods, when you hit a stand still, what do you normal do, with out doing console codes or mods, to spice up the game again, and i want to stay on track and get to 50 so i'm not looking to restart.

Post bellow.

time to move on to another game or wait for DLC I guess

Well improve your stuff and level up a few times and notch up the difficulty.
Alternatley try a different build.

Play http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_EaN2vsCFg(You might notice a lot of what influenced Mass Effect) without any sort of guide.

That should keep you busy until you get the urge to play again or DLC comes out.

Put up the difficulty and go explore any destinations that you haven’t cleared, unless of course you’ve been in and seen everything there is to see. Im lvl 27 and have endless things to do without even thinking about doing the main quest.

I've managed to play to Level 51 (and counting) on my very first character. I've never created another one. Here's some things you can do to keep playing that long:

- Finish the main quest.
- Collect all the Dragon Priest masks.
- Collect and read the books!
- Clear all of the Dwemer ruins (there's really only about a dozen in the game).
- Become a thane in every hold.
- Buy a house in every city.
- Grab a follower and do some good ol' hiking in the wilderness.
- Get a few mods to enhance (but not necessarily significantly change) your skyrimming experience. Follower improvement mods are nice, for example.

I couldn't appreciate that game much when I was younger but I should probably give it another spin some time. Thanks for mentioning that.

so you're level 26 and have done all the other big quests? not to mention the daedric quests, tons of misc quests and have found the word walls?

at level 26 I was up to my eyes in quests and still am at my current level 50. Although this is my 2nd character, I have figured out that alchemy is a great tool which has helped me level up much faster than previous character. smithing is level 100 which is so easy but besides that there are tons of things to do to help you enjoy the game.

what settings are you on? maybe you're dying because you're biting off more than you can chew?

I play on PC.. but even on PC it gets boring over a time.. My suggestion is you take a break from the game for some weeks, like i'm doing, because you used all your hype, all your excitement for the game already, it is like a Battery, let it recharge (hype and excitement) to play again.. I'm certain you'll thank me after this..

play morrowind . Skyrim is like its malnourished little beauty-pagent sister. She may look good, but she is thick as pig poop.

When I get board of questing I bugger off and explore and do what ever I want to do, your only Lv.26 you got like 3 Lv's to go before everything on the map can destroy you again. Just break out and do what ever you want not a go fetch quest or go kill this bandit leader quest, go out and do your own exploration until you reach Lv.30 or so and then return to doen quests, you will then be challenged once again.My first guy lasted 210hr and this was pretty much my routine, I would quest until I was stronger then other things and once I notice that (lets say a bear) bears where starting to be able to [censored] me out then I would return to questing and just repeat the cycle until your char. reaches it's Lv. cap then move onto making another char. Personally I have between 2-4 char. going at the same time so I'm rather busy most of the time.

Murder every Talos worshipper you find.

you could do something similar to this http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1356267-the-ertius-colollius-story/ I find that heavy RP opens up the game so much more. You don't have to do every quest go to every location and kill every bandit.

Yeppers. Stop relying on the game's storylines to tell your character's story. The game is the sandbox, the story should come from your imagination. If your current character doesn't inspire your imagination, then create one that does and let the story unfold thru gameplay. I know some struggle with relying on their imagination vs. the game for a character's story, and if you fall into that category, then your best bet might be what some others have said and simply take a break from the game for awhile.

Roleplay may feel silly to somebody who isn't familiar with it at first, I know it was odd for me when I got the game for Christmas, but the community around here has helped open up my eyes to the possibilities it presents. It opens up an infinite amount of doors. Your personal involvement with your character and the people he or she meets MAKES the game.

Another thing that has helped me is walking and working, eating and sleeping, bathing and meeting, and speaking to myself out loud (Silly, yes. But it really makes you feel involved). Slowing down the pace of the game for yourself makes every day count just a little bit more. Give yourself things to do, don't seek them out. Live in the world as everybody else does and you will feel more connected. Spend an hour or two every morning chopping a bit of wood for your gold. Go have a mead and a piece of cheese at the Inn for lunch. Find a nice little waterfall to shower in during the afternoon. Spend your gold, don't hoard it. Give yourself a reason to go to work every day.

Heavy exploration can be tiring, so initially stick with the NPC's and places you know from previous playthroughs. You met Faendal on your first playthrough just by reading his name, you weren't required to ask it. Turn off that HUD (Not to derail this thread). Pretend you've never met Faendal and literally introduce yourself. Say out loud to yourself "Hello, elf. My name is Vigilant Brennius, Inquisitor of the Vigilant of Stendarr. You may call me Brennius for short. What is your name?" Then, in your most Faendal like voice answer yourself. "My name is Faendal. It's nice to meet you, Brennius."

And one day, just decide you're going to move on. Tell Faendal good morning for the last time, tell him that he's a good friend to you and that you will be back to see him soon. Pack up your gear and meager earnings and be on your merry way. Find a new Inn to stay at, meet some new friends, but don't forget to go tell Faendal hello once in a while.

As I said above, RP makes the game. Build a connection with your character and the people you meet. Build personalities for your character and those people you meet. You will love every character that you make to a new degree.

Start a new game and roleplay even more. That's if you like roleplaying. If you only like crafting/killing/getting stronger then the game doesn't last long.

A fact is that if you want most out of the game you get the PC version. With mods you can tweak features in the game you don't like making it much better.

Hell yeah. It's 2nd in my best games of all time list. UFO: Enemy Unknown is 1st.

Need more info. Which difficulty setting are you playing on, what is your current build, do you roleplay, etc.?

Now I am level 44, I haven't even started the civil war or the theives guild or the DB or the Companions I haven't even gotten that far in the main quest. For someone to get All that done in under 26 lvl's is amazing and rather bored by now. I don't try to play the game to "do" what is set up for me. I like to explore but I am feeling the need to do some quests again. I play it on the default setting difficulty and I feel that is best for me right now. But I am working on the idea of a 4th character for the future. My 1st character got to level 25 I think, then I started another and she is under level 10 if I remember correctly and I haven't touched at acct in a while. I think the person needs to play a RPG as an RPG not something to buy and run through as fast as they can.

It's ok to take abreak from the game, however I find it odd that you've run out of stuff (a.k.a. quests) to do at level 26.

If you feel too powerful, you can downgrade your gear a little.

What I would normally do is play a different character for a while, but it sounds like you want to keep going with this one to get to level 50. In that case maybe try out some different skills.


Also, I don’t know if you’ve been rushing through quests, but that would bore me. Most of my fun happens in between. Maybe think less about goals and more about what you’re doing at that moment.

Or just take a break.

I stopped doing the main quest right at the part where I have to go look for the elder scroll. Is that close to the end or is there still lots more to go in the main quest?

The OP is being affected by the weakness of Skyrim at it's foundation. The cures are admirable, but nothing is going to change this. You can't change the weakness of the game, but you can change your attitude. I always stop fast traveling and go on foot when this experience happens to me.
It isn't helped that on console you travel at a snails pace, but that's the way it is.

Hmmm... the last time I hit a stand-still, I tried the "permenant level 1 game style."

This is pretty different, and really allows you to role-play more. The basis is... you never level up. As you play, your skills will increase. The game will prompt you to level up... but you just never visit the perk screen. If you don't, you'll remain level 1 forever. You'll get slightly stronger as your skills go up, but never really too crazy, and health\stamina will stay at the base 100. As a result, enemies do not level up either. They stay balanced with your level. The game is just a lot more fun because the balance is better this way. A battle with 3 bandits is no longer a cake-walk. Easily a life-or-death situation around every corner.

When you get stronger gear, it makes a bigger difference than before. You can't craft anything crazy (no perks, remember), so all the stuff you find is way more valuable. Dungeons become more rewarding. Keep in mind though... that until you manage to get some pretty decent gear (skyforged steel items are actually very strong for this), you won't be able to take on a lot of enemies like sabertooths or trolls (unless you kite them with arrows).

When I played this style, I tried to play an average person just trying to get by. I'd take on bounty quests for money so I could buy the stuff I needed (the mod that increases bounty rewards helps a lot). I smithed my own gear, but it was never too powerful. According to my skill levels, I'd normally be 30-40. But the game still sees me as level 1, and wolves and such are also level 1-2. Giants are 32 by default... so be careful around them.

I tried to play as though I'm actually NOT the dragonborn, so I never completed the quest to bleak falls barrow. Therefore, no dragons in the world.

It's nice to give your character goals. Say, for example, you eventually want to make enough money to buy a house. Get a wife. Lots of possibilities here.

Level 26 and nothing else to do? My best guess is that you simply don't like the game. And that's cool. But through 4 characters thus far, I've never been powerful at level 26 and usually don't feel all that powerful until well into the 40's. But that's because I play exclusively on Master setting.

Someone else said they're in the 40's and haven't done the Thieves Guild, DB, Civil War, etc. Same here. And I'm only Thane of Whiterun. I haven't even begun to take the steps necessary to become Thane of any other city. Most of my map is still unexplored.

But like I said in the beginning, this game may be one that just doesn't appeal to you.

@Bacillus anthracis he might not like the game. He also hasn't posted in the last 24 hours to what we all have said.

I am now Thane in 4 cities but that is nothing. You help out the people and you're a Thane.
For those that do the Level 1 style, I am happy you can do that. I might try leveling up half as much or something like that. Maybe.. I like the perks I get even if I only get 1 perk per level up. I am in my comfort zone and need to leave it for some other type of character but right now I like my characters.
Maybe what he needs is to change up his character(s) to find the game more fun. We all go through our "stand still" some time or another.