I was sorely tempted to call this Skyrim SE: More Brains than Brawn but though I'm certainly not playing a "brawny" Skyrim character it still remains to be seen how "brainy" I turn out to be.

Here's the backstory.

I've once again found myself waking up in that cart, bumping down the road in Skyrim that's heading towards my execution.  I've been here once before, back in 2011 when The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim first came out, and the whole experience was a bit of a hot mess.

Apparently though I spend a considerable amount of time in Second Life , a true gamer I'm not.  I'm clumsy, hate killing things, and would rather spend my days crafting than hunting down vampires.  I loved being immersed in the world of Skyrim but was rather overwhelmed by it all.  According to my statistics, I played 170 hours, reached level 37 and unlocked 24/75 achievements before I threw in the towel.

When the  Skyrim Special Edition came out in October I saw an opportunity to start again, using my hard-earned knowledge to create an experience more conducive to a "demure" Dragonborn.  I thought I'd blog a bit about this endeavour in the hope that it might encourage others of my ilk, if only by illustrating what not.

System Requirements:

Minimum:

• Windows 7/8.1/10 (64-bit Version)
• Intel i5-750/AMD Phenom II X4-945
• 8GB RAM
• 12 GB free HDD space
• Nvidia GTX 470 1GB /AMD HD 7870 2GB

Recommended:

• Windows 7/8.1/10 (64-bit Version)
• Intel i5-2400/AMD FX-8320
• 8GB RAM
• 12 GB free HDD space
• Nvidia GTX 780 3GB /AMD R9 290 4GB

Back in 2011 my PC barely made the minimum.  Fortunately, I've upgraded since then and though not quite at Recommended with my graphics card, I'm well above the minimum.  It makes a huge difference.  No more getting blown out of my boots by an incoming dragon before I even had the chance to turn around to see it!

Xbox One Wireless Controller

I treated myself to an Xbox Controller.  If you are going this route you will also need an Xbox One Wireless Adapter for your PC.  Installation was surprisingly effortless and my game play is so much better.  Remember me mentioning how clumsy I am in-game, well I still walk into the occasional tree but overall my movement is improving at an amazing rate.

These default Controls  will help you get started though the game does a pretty good job of telling you what control to use.  I may look into a Mod to provide more functionality (more than 2 hotkeys, print screen etc.) but for now I'm happy just learning the ropes with the default.

References

My favourite online reference has to be The Unofficial Elder Scroll Pages    I also Google for quick references.  Having said that, I did invest in the official strategy guide since, among other things, one of my worst nightmares is being lost in some dungeon with no clue how to get out.  The guide does an excellent job of talking you out of those dark places as well as including nicely detailed maps.

I enjoy using it to plot my next quest and I've picked up quite a few good tips along the way.

Strategy

Speaking of plotting, I love the open world of Skyrim and all the vastness of its possibilities.  Unfortunately, given that I'm "a bit of this - a bit of that" kind of person, in my first go-around I found myself spread too thin with regards to my character build .  It became a tad confusing.  This time I've narrowed down my focus a bit to those things I really love and though I'll probably never follow one of the character archetypes I think it's going to be a lot of fun.

More on strategy in my next installment The Demure Dragonborn Level 01 Strategy .

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I boldly go where other testers fear to tread no matter how many arrows I might "take to the knee". I am the Dragonborn!
updated by @tatiana-tester: 22 Nov 2016 08:54:52AM

I love the open world of Skyrim and all the vastness of its possibilities. Unfortunately, as I mentioned in my previous post I'm "a bit of this - a bit of that" kind of person.  In my first go-around I found myself spread too thin with regards to my character build and it became a tad confusing. This time I've narrowed down my focus to those things I really love and though I'll probably never follow one of the character archetypes I know it's going to be a lot of fun.

Defining My Style

Given that I've identified myself as the "Demure Dragonborn" it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that I'd much rather craft than fight. Smithing, Alchemy and Enchanting are not only a pleasure but are going to bring me both wealth and protection.

Speaking of protection, I definitely don't want to wander around Skyrim as a defenseless fool.  I also want a modicum of magic in my life, I mean who wouldn't!

I intend to be fleet of foot using light armor with a sword in one hand and spells in the other.  I'm also going to rely on my potions & enchanted items to pick up any slack where my spells and/or skills are lacking.

During my initial researching (something I never even thought to do the first time around)  I was pleasantly surprised at the wealth of Skyrim Character Builds that are out there.  The time & effort people have spent analyzing & documenting their characters is amazing.  Hopefully I've managed to incorporate some of the best ideas into my own strategy.

Read more ...

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I boldly go where other testers fear to tread no matter how many arrows I might "take to the knee". I am the Dragonborn!
updated by @tatiana-tester: 15 Nov 2016 08:56:03AM

Your strategy sounds quite a lot like my daughter's! She's spending more time playing it than my son is (he's still firmly on the Brawn path.)

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Antiquity Hedgewitch

That's good to know, Tiamat  I figured I wasn't the only one trying to do more crafting than fighting but it's hard to find evidence of it through casual "googling".  I'm hoping I'll connect with more "demure" dragonborns because of these posts

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Proprietress of Tatiana's Tea Room ~ Owner of the Provence Coeur Estate ~ Webmistress of this site

updated by @tatiana-dokuchic: 17 Nov 2016 10:25:34AM

When it comes to Skyrim, I'm definitely a homebody and not a wanderer.  I know from experience that being homeless is painful; having to haul ingredients and travel to forges, alchemy & enchanter stations; having to sell my loot immediately.  As I mentioned in my last post , one of my first priorities this time around is building a home, adding all the amenities and then sticking to it.

I choose Lakeview Manor  for its beautiful location.  The most southerly of the three homes that can be built, it's also close to my favourite town, Riverwood, and city, Whiterun.  Living in real-life Canada, I appreciate a place that's as far away from snow as possible!

I did hear rumblings that Lakeview Manor was also the most dangerous location for a home but I turned a deaf ear and went ahead and bought my plot.  After all, being the Dragonborn should mean being able to defend your home, shouldn't it?  Shouldn't it?!  More about fending off various attacks later ...

Saving, Spending & Skills

Being house-hunger means that I currently hoard most of my gold so there's no spending on training or fancy gear.  My first "big" purchase was hiring Marcurio as a follower so that I could drag him to the marriage altar.  I made those 500 coins back in five days from my share of profits from our store.

My next big purchase was the lot for Lakeview at 5000 coins.  Now my first time around I was building a house came much later in the game when I had money to burn and so I blithely purchased fully furnished rooms from my steward.  This time, money is tight and I'm building everything myself which does have a lot of benefits skill-wise as well.

Most of my money goes into buying iron ore, logs, and filled Petty Soul Gems.

Smelting iron ore and then using the ingots for building components is a great way to increase Smithing skills.

I disenchant most of the enchanted loot that I find to increase my repertoire of enchantments. I then use the Petty Soul Gems to enchant regular weapons & armor.  Not only does this quickly increase Enchanting skills but the resale value of the newly enchanted items is much better.

I actually find this much more satisfying/productive than the old "make a million iron daggers & enchant them" scenario and when I run out of loot it's time for another quest!

My finally source of crafting income is of course my potions.  Growing ingredients in my garden saves a lot of foraging time and I'm increasing my Alchemy skills all the way to the bank.

Read more ...

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I boldly go where other testers fear to tread no matter how many arrows I might "take to the knee". I am the Dragonborn!