I have now officially had it with playing Elder Scrolls games as a stealth archer.
I’ve tried many times to play an interesting character and then by the time I step blinking out of the starter dungeon I’m somehow wearing a full set of leather armour and carrying a bow. Not entirely sure how that keeps happening but what can you do.
It’s not that I don’t like the stealth archer, there’s something deeply satisfying about clearing an entire bandit fort without a single guy spotting you, but it does lead to playing the same game over and over again. And on top of that some high level baddies can be a nightmare for the stealth archer. Anything that can survive a critical and then spot you can very rapidly violate you with a sledgehammer. On top of that I always end up a werewolf as well. And usually play as a wood elf or similar. Basically “Shouty Hairy Legolas”.
So I want to play something completely different. In fact I want to play two completely different things. A full on walking tank and a magic only wizard. For now its tank time.
Ive settled on a couple of rules for this run through:
- Never equip a bow or crossbow.
- Never equip light armour.
- No becoming a werewolf (ive never done vampire, might go for that)
- No magic (potions and food for healing).
- No fast travel via the world map, but carts are OK (I will almost definitely abandon this one once I get bored).
I think there’s a clear correct answer on what race to play as for this type of character.
This is crusher. Likes include heavy bladed and blunt weapons, huge lumps of meat, shouting at things and running shouting at people waving a heavy bladed weapon. Dislikes include non-violent resolution, small hard to hit things and enemies that arent dead yet.
Pretty soon I’d settled on axes as weapons. The swords seemed a little too close to my backup weapons from the stealth archer days. Hammers were frustratingly slow.
As soon as I left the starting dungeon I settled on a nice stroll to Whiterun, stopping on the way only to upgrade my weapons and armour in that town with the mill in it. Well I was going to go to Whiterun but Bleak Falls Barrow was right there where I could see it and do the Golden Claw quest.
Luckily by the time I finished that and made it to Whiterun I had money enough for an extravagant purchase.
I never usually buy a horse this early, if at all, but if I’m swearing off of fast travel then he should be a help, in that traditional Skyrim “my horse is walking down a vertical cliff face, holy shit the thigh muscles my guy must have to hold on”.
Fun Bonus: Now that I’m playing a melee tank mounted combat isn’t as bad as I remembered. Riding through a group of weaker enemies, circling them and smashing them with a big axe is kind of satisfying. I feel like I should have a lance and shout a lot.
The first dragon was quite the change of pace too, I’m used to hiding behind a tree stump until they stop shouting at me and then shooting them in the personals but that’s obviously no longer an option. Things went to a much less controlled “OH SHIT ITS LANDED, HIT IT HIT IT, SMASH ITS FACE IN SON WAAAAAGGGHHH” kind of style (this is NOT a complaint by the way).
It wasn’t too hard for the first one but I’ve a feeling that later on when they spend more time in the air it’ll become a challenge.
Then I picked up Lydia to carry all my shit around (at least until I buy a house) and rode off into the sunset for a nice jaunt around looking for some side quests. And immediately lost Lydia. She didnt even turn up when I rested at inns or waited. I might have to console her back…Why cant she have a horse?
You know what I feel like this run needs some mods….