I've played fallout 3, Oblivion and now Skyrim. I have never liked or really wanted to play in 3rd person. I tried it a few days ago and wow! Skyrim needs to be played this way. You don't realize all of the awesome animations you miss out on in 1st person. It takes a bit to get use to combat but once you do you see Skyrim in a whole new light. It's easier to see around you and doing things like power attacks and receiving a dragon soul are incredible.

I will still play in 1st person but now I'm gonns mix it up with 3rd. There are times when they both shine. Anyone else just play in 3rd person. I'm just in awe right now. It's so fun to play that way. Also at least now in 3rd person I care about what my character looks like.

I have trouble playing in 3rd person in combat. But I often switch to it in town and for conversations.

3rd person is completely immersion killing to me. It feels like having a hovering camera above your head, like that guy in Super Mario 64.

When I was got Skyrim, I've been playing in 3rd person a lot since I like seeing my character's animation. But when I get into certain combat such as archery or using spells, it's quite difficult in 3rd person, so I had to switch to 1st. But once in a while, I'd be in 3rd person when running to some other places or engaging in melee combats (which is obviously easier in 3rd person)

I've always liked the 3rd person view. I prefer it in Skyrim as well but I switch to first for bows and magic most of the time. Just easier to aim.

Super Mario 64 atmosphere is pretty freaky.

I love 3rd person vioew, I keep the camera kind of in the over the shoulder view, but I love seeing my armor, and it just, feels better to me, but, people who like 1st person is cool too, but, its just not for me, plus my FPS seems faster in 3rd

I love that we have both. I'm enjoying both perspectives.

I myself started to do combat and roaming around in towns in 3d person. And combat is actually feels great that way. I use shield so it really helps to be able to see more around u during combat. I can't believe I was missing this out all this time!!!

I used to always play first person. Generally speaking, it's easier. Aiming, striking, hitting with spells, grabbing objects, etc. are all easier in first person. I gave third person a try and have to say it is much more fun gameplay-wise. Sure, I'll still switch to first person if I'm having trouble grabbing an object, but third person is much more fun and immersing for me since I get to see the character I'm building. I find it interesting that some people find third person ruins immersion while others find first person ruins immersion. That's the beauty of having both!

I use 1st person when in sneaky mode, but third person otherwise. I enjoy seeing my character in action, and 1st person melee is terrible.

I also used to be a first person only type but was having problems in Skyrim with getting blitzed from the back by mobs. Found a nice little "mod" on Skynexus called "Improved_TTP_View". It's a little piece on how to alter the ini file so the bullseye is over the shoulder. It makes it a breeze to both use archery and magic in third person. I rarely switch back to first person except to loot some areas.

Third person is great in Skyrim. I like playing with both perspectives.

Third Person is better then ever before!
+ i use it all the time,mostly for looking at my character x) since we cant se our own characters in any menu...

Mostly play third person but do switch to first for archery, picking some objetcs and sometimes when sneaking.

The problem with first person is you have zero peripheral vision like a normal human does - and I suppose normal elf, khajit, etc. This lack of peripheral vision kills mêlée fighting for me. You just don't see attacks on the side, which you would in real life.

The thing I like most about 3rd person is that it sorta replaces the lack of peripheral vision and awareness in 1st person. I tend to misjudge distance when trying to ghost the enemy resulting in them seeing me. I also don't care for over the shoulder 3rd person. So I stick with 1st person most of the time. I tend to switch during conversations, more specifically when it involves more than one npc.

I use both. Inside and for close up work I use 1st person. Outside in the country I use 3rd person so I can enjoy the scenery. Rather hard to spot birdnests and beehives in trees when you're concentrating on watching the road in front of you.

I think its great that we have the option of playing either way.

Skyrim's beauty really makes me want to play in third. Although combat is a little tough.

im with ya buddy, i play in 3rd person 95% of the time...really like seeing my character

First person all the time with the occasional vanity check for armor. I did go to third person the first time i got a dragon soul to see what it looked like but other than that I'm always first person. I do have to say that the default FOV for first person in skryim is horrible. Once I increased it to 80 degrees or so the game was much more playable. This was one more indication to me that they didnt give a crap about PC gamers one bit.

Ugh. All the reasons I don`t play in 3rd person.

I really don`t need to see what I know I`m doing, running, fighting, farting. I know they happen.

1st person is also very immersive, I walk under a bridge, I feel like that bridge goes over my head. Someone looks at me when they attack me, it feels like they`re attacking me. Also, I have no problem seeing around me or enjoying the beauty of the world, in fact it feels more real running across that landscape or rushing the rapids over a waterfall.

3rd person removes me from that immersion, from the feeling of being there.

Let`s not forget that we see everything in 1st person in reality and we can`t go above and behind ourselves to see 360. We dn`t have eyes in the back of our heads, we must turn to see and that`s easily done in 1st person. Strafing and turning is also an essential ability to learn when fighting in 1st person that allows you to see round and fight with good use of audible cues (hearing what`s going on around you).

But I`m sure if people could they`d walk around in real life 10 feet above and behind themselves because of our real life limitation.

But all to their own.

p.s. However I will use 3rd person as a mirror (see how I look) since there are no mirrors in Skyrim.

3rd person is nice, can see how it can break immersion for folks, but having a controller or mouse in my hand does that enough for me.

As far as its practicality in gaming, it does make it easier.

First person is especially handy in precision instances though.

So glad I can zoom out 3rd person to a low hanging cloud or bring it on just over the shoulder, options... gotta love them.

Imagine super mario 64 in 1st person..WOW

I hate 3rd person.

I like both, but I hate how the camera backs up when I draw my weapon in 3rd person. I like to have the camera close enough that my butt is on the bottom of the screen (bad pun intended.)