Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

[Dog Pants]

Being nearly an arch-mage I really should get my own place, for keeping up appearances.

Spoiler:

If you become the actual arch-mage, you will. That's where I live.

[friznit]

I hadn't realised there were any mods yet - the game's only been out for a couple of weeks after all. But just see the Steam / PCG article about gfx updates - there's shit loads! I'd prefer to complete at least one run through before modding, but it's nice to see the community will be as active as Oblivion

[FatherJack]

One final thing I would recommend is to hold off joining factions until you finish the 'Blood on the ice' quest (about the serial killer) in Windhelm. Apparently if you join a faction (though it's probably the dark brotherhood quest, but don't join anything if you want to be safe) the quest won't trigger and you are unable to buy the Windhelm house (which is awesome and better/cheaper than the Solitude one). It happened to me and since Bethesda hasn't fixed it yet it's pretty damn frustrating as I have a shitload of money just waiting to be spend on that house, but I can't.

It worked ok for me and I've joined every faction (except Imperials) and done plenty of quests for each. I hadn't done very much in Windhelm other than Stormcloak quests, infact I hadn't really explored the town very much, when I came across the graveyard where the 'Blood on..' quest starts. I didn't actually collect all the clues, but ended up catching the killer red-handed. I know I didn't find all the clues, because I found a couple after I'd bought the house and moved in.

I only have the big house to get, which since I blew most of my money upgrading everything I could in my existing dens I need a few more coins for - I easily have enough things to sell, probably even enough in black mage robes to buy the house several times over, it's just the merchants never have enough gold to buy it all off me.

My houses look like the shop in Mr Benn with all the mannquins dressed up as kings, chefs, pirates and so on. I've found a few bugs with the houses - one bookshelf in Vlindrel Hall (top right of the three) ate all the books I placed on it and is now broken, and the shield+2weapons holders sometimes seem to go wrong if you place a weapon on them before a shield, either disappearing the weapon or leaving it randomly sticking out of a wall somewhere. It took a while to stop my nudie gold statue collection from toppling over if I slammed the door too hard when I came in, but they seem to be okay now - though I suspect my housecarl has been fondling them when I'm not looking.

[Roman Totale]

I think I've managed to solve those murders before the quest has even triggered. I just find locked chests too tempting to ignore.

How long do you have to spend in Windhelm before it starts? I'm just bumming around doing random quests so I can get it out of the way. Mind you the random quest rewards are amusing: go and kill a dragon - 100 gold; deliver some nightshade 100 yards up the road - 750 gold.

[FatherJack]

How long do you have to spend in Windhelm before it starts?

It was maybe the second or third time I'd been in that (graveyard) area, but the first time I'd approached from the castle (having fast travelled there). That may be the key - going into the castle perhaps reset the scenario, as it involves following bloody splats which I don't think are there normally. I'd just done the quest to rescue Stormcloaks from a prison, which is also the trigger to be able to buy the house.

I'd heard some mutterings about a killer the very first time I'd entered the town, from the guards and some old woman, but had forgotten all about it until I stumbled on the murder scene. I'd pretty much fast-travelled to the castle to hand in quests rather than walking through the town, but I had just had a bit of a wander into the grey district on my previous visit.

Also, I don't know if it's just me, but I seem to have the F5 key bound to 'summon dragon'.

[Dog Pants]

I've been given the murder quest and I've never set foot in the castle. In fact I think I pretty much exclusively use Windhelm for the market. Triggered for me on maybe my third visit. I may have slept at the inn, which I occasionally do.

I haven't actually tried to solve the quest though; evil, self-serving bastard I'm playing thought fuck 'em.

[spoodie]

I hadn't realised there were any mods yet

I've just installed the 4GB mod, just because. I can't tell if it made any difference really but it didn't make things worse for the hour I played.

[Dog Pants]

Without the 4GB mod my game crashes frighteningly often. To the point where I know if I've accidentally launched through Steam because I can't get more than a few minutes in.

[shot2bits]

Without the 4GB mod my game crashes frighteningly often. To the point where I know if I've accidentally launched through Steam because I can't get more than a few minutes in.

this

bethesda have said they are adding large address awareness in the next patch which should eliminate the need for the mod

[spoodie]

Mine certainly was more stable, usually crashes at some point. Also lose textures sometimes and have to restart, hopefully another thing that goes away.

[FatherJack]

I didn't apply the >4G patch as I only have 4GB. It doesn't crash that much on me in all honesty - maybe once every other evening on average, but trying to take a screenshot with either XFire or Steam can crash it instantly. I get the missing textures sometimes, but just quit and reload - once everyone in a castle was sat around in glowing, pink armour, but sadly an attempted screenshot crashed it.

[friznit]

Two really irritating bugs: when I first load up, the mouse doesn't get captured properly and I have to alt tab to fix it. And occasionally on Alt tab the game loose a bunch of textures, forcing a restart.

Anyone else getting these issues and/or know of a fix?

[Sheriff Fatman]

I get the textures issue on Alt/Tab also. I've not really looked for a fix as I just put it down to all games these days hating anyone that A/T's.

/unhelpful.

[FatherJack]

Found out last night it crashes much more on Ultra settings - I don't have any performance issues, but had apparently been running it on High. Switching it back down made it a lot more stable.

[Roman Totale]

After pissing around trying to get the Windhelm murders quest to trigger, I went off to look at the wiki. After following its advice I fast travelled into the city after certain criteria were met hoping that it would now work. Alas, all it did was trigger a dragon attack. Although the frosty bastard was offed with ease, it took down one of the characters vital to the quest. Balls.

Not only will the quest never trigger for me now, but I can't even kill the killer (and I've tried). I've even dropped his journal in front of Ulfric, but he don't give a shit.

[HereComesPete]

Press the tilde button whilst next to the dead body, click on said body and type resurrect. If that doesn't work then you can reset the quest to the start. I think its called blood on the ice? Type in SetStage MS11 1 I think. That should reset it all including the people and allow you to start it all again.

[HereComesPete]

This page lists the quest stages a the bottom if you want to pick a more precise point.

[Roman Totale]

I considered that when I saw it on the wiki, but I just decided to roll with it in the end. Only used the console commands to get rid of the items from the Bards College quests - I need my inventory space, damn it!

[friznit]

Just made some Daedric armour. Very sexeh stuff. My bag carrier/torch holder/Zappy mage companion got my old Ebony stuff - does wearing heavy armour effect your magic abilities in this game? He seemed pretty happy to wear it instead of the the archmage robes he has as well.

I must have found a stonking great smithing potion at one point, cos the ebony axe I made ages ago is still considerably better than anything else I've picked up, including the Deadric one I just made (120 damage ... take down an elder dwagon in 3 hits bosh bosh bosh).

[Roman Totale]

Just found a Minecraft Easter egg - The Notched Pickaxe. I really should get around to mining more ebony now so that I can craft some Deadric assless chaps.