Hi people. I just received Skyrim (Xbox 360 version) in my mail and I'm about to start a new game but first I need to ask some stuff...

1) Is 1.3 currently stable? I mean stable enough to play the whole game? Should I wait for 1.4 (which I heard should come around January). I'm asking this because I don't like to mix up game saves from an older version when the game gets an update. It tends to mess things up. Either I'll start with 1.3 and finish the game once or I'll wait for 1.4 - I need some directions here.

2) I'm a huge fan of Fallout 3 and New Vegas (and previous Fallout games). I'm not really into TES, the last TES game I played was Daggerfall and that was like years ago lol... I'm kind of an obsessive gamer. My question is... should I read some character FAQs before I start the game? I don't want the best super duper character possible but I tend to regret things in the long run. I rerolled many Fallout characters because of that. How does Skyrim play in that regard?

Start the game up... have fun. Play for about a week to get your feet wet and find out what you enjoy doing. Do some quests, and do some exploration. Cut wood and catch some butterflies. Use 1.4 coming out as an excuse to start a new character and get "serious".

The game was stable enough to play on Day 1, it is now stable enough to finish most quests and you will enjoy yourself immensly.

Skyrim is specifically made so that you don't have to reroll, you go up in any skill you use and you can choose bonuses to whichever archetype you want.

That's actually a good idea Shagsbeard, thanks. I think I'll do that.

1. Seems pretty stable. I've not come across any problems that I couldn't solve by reverting to a earlier save. Thats on PC. It was developed for the 360 so it should be better on it. It does seem to vary though. Some people have never encounterd a bug, others have a regular bugfest. I've had far less than in any previous Bethesda game I've played.

2. You will probably want to plan out your character perks, decide if you're going to commit to enchanting and smithing etc.

Your XBox 360 version played pretty well straight out of the box. With the latest patches it runs even better. You're free to install it to the hard drive without suffering any adverse affects.

Think of what sort of character you'd like to be and perform actions you'd normally perform.

When you use a skill that's how you increase it.

As you level up you may choose perks. The WHOLE perk tree is available from the beginning so if you read up on your perks first you shouldn't have any trouble making appropriate choices.

It's a great game. You'll have a fantastic time.

Azrael
The Nord with the Sword

Skyrim seems stable enough for me, though I'm only about 30 hours in. You shouldn't need to put off playing, waiting for the next patch. It's the PS3 version which many call broken and really needs the patch.

If you have played Daggerfall, you should have a good idea on how to play the game, especially with the first person view and the Elder Scrolls' unique way of leveling up.

Skyrim scrapped the class system, and so there's no major/minor skills to worry about. Every skill used contributes to leveling up, so you don't really have to worry about screwing up your character; just try to plan out what perks you pick up.

I would give a link to the wiki site, but it seems that it's currently hacked and blocked.

I don't see the point in waiting for 1.4, just play it on 1.3 now and then you'll get 1.4 sometimes in Feb when they bother to release it. I don't understand what you say about problems mixing up game saves from previous versions I've never read anything on here about that, if you start on 1.3 and then move to 1.4 and have problems those problems would be a glitch that is still present in 1.4, if you start on 1.4 then you would just get the same glitch. In two hundred hours I've only had one problem with quests - tiny radiant side quest thing where I had a bounty to kill someone in some cave that I had already cleared out so there's no one in there now and the quest is stuck in my quest log forever.

As for number two, what does it matter if you chose a character who isn't the best for your playstyle?, just start another one most people on here have a few on the go. Basically anyone character can play any style, it just depends on what you level up. They all have head starts in different areas and they have differing racial abilities.

For instance if you wanted a Mage go for a high elf, they start with 150 magicka as opposed to 100 for the others, or if you wanted a strong melee character try an Orc, they have the racial Berserker power which dishes out double damage and reduces damage taken by a half. Maybe you want someone with strong resistance to magic in which case you would go Breton. I would say the two best racial powers are highborn (high elf) which refills magicka ten times faster and hist skin (Argonian) which refills your health ten times faster.

Hi mate start playing I to play on Xbox 360 and have compleated main quest after 253hrs at only lvl 40.the only glitch was the Morie Mask ( mage)WOULD DISAPEAR AFTER A SAVE, LEAVING A VOID WHERE THE HEAD SHOULD BE ..but a quick reload last save sorted it. This was the only glitch I had and THAT went after my first upgrade. The 2nd glitch is in the MARKETH city after the attempted assasination of some guy in prison. All the guards jump on you and try to arrest you even if you offer to pay the fine. (Work around) In the dialog menue Click ..OK TAKE ME TO JAIL and before he answers run and hide, even if you run into another guard ..do the same. And if you need to go back to Marketh there is another way in...Look to the grating where water is coming out??to the left looking at the main gate...Not A spoiler if its a glitch...

I haven't had any glitches that I couldn't work around, except one. Had to do with the perk tree, at about lvl 42, got scrabled, worked itself out a couple lvl's later. ( I started another char though mostly cause I wasn't happy with some things)

Seems most of the problems are not platform specific that I've run into. ie manniquins moving, bookcases not working right.

I'm about 330 hrs in 3 different chars and I haven't run into anything that was game breaking ( except I cracked my disk and had to get another one)

Areial
Do you think as I am on my second char, are you saying the glich i had on my first char (mage) might not be there with my new char (Nord fighter,thieve)?? In MARKETH THE Forsworn quest..??

hmmm if it's the one i'm thinking of I didn't have a glitch on either of my run throughs. But I did on another quest with one char and not the other. outa Riften for the house mage. 1st run through no glitch this run through is. I just make sure I have a save at the begining of any quest, before I actually start the quest.

I'm still playing with the release version
considering what i've read around forums that kinda works better than the patched versions

Thx for that... I walked away from a chap that was about to offer me the quest agian.. I declined as a was on another mission but in view of what you said . i will go back and save and see.

Definetly save before hand, cause you never know.

Don't go into lots of caves and dungeons just for a quick look and then come out again with the thought of returning to them in weeks or months to come. They well be skill levelled the first time you enter any of them so be aware of that. And hold back on your perks until you really know what your character will play like.