Finally – I got it ;D. The postal delivery service found its way to my home – after several attempts and in spite of GPS, DHL, ESP and an absolutely correct home address
. I found the hidden path from the Pale Pass over the Jerall Mountains to Skyrim much more easily.
Oh, how I felt guilty about leaving Vilja alone back there in Cyrodiil. Although I left her several houses and homes (all the work of others), a lot of loot and monstrous money to keep her shopping everyday – there is this strong emotional link…
. At least I really should have taken her Wolfcry armour with me
. But as it is, my hands were bound. At least in the introduction sequence.
Quite an idea for an introduction. Seems the game is over for yourself before it has even started.
Coming from a warm and colourful land like Cyrodiil – “like in a fairy tail” a recent post said so fittingly – Skyrim is of a harsh and defying beauty. The landscape is absolutely gorgeous – and there are so many of them – (sorry for my English) - gorges I mean
. The Beth people have put so much love in every detail.
When wandering along the rivers, with their foaming brine and the jumping salmons, you get really attracted by the water, whishing you can put your feet in it - so crystal clear and ice cold – really mesmerizing, that’s the word Jackowords used. You can stand there and watch all the time, almost like being on a holiday in Kanada, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, the Alps, the Karakorum or wherever. Skyrim is again a vast playground with more than ever believable realism. And it extends more in 3D than Cyrodiil.
The land is authentic through and through and I guess the atmosphere is very Morro-windy, especially up there in mountains with the wind blowing snowy veils over the rocky edges, although I had only watched my children playing it.
First I was really insecure, whether I should play the game, for the videos and some of the screenshots looked so gloomy and had such an artificial tint. The in-game-experience was such a difference. A very subtle change of the settings in the .inis depending on your graphic card and your monitor and it looks quite natural and fitting to the different weather conditions and atmospheres.
So far, so positive. But the wooden faces of the people seem to have the same deep and porose veining as the logs in the sawmills. Weather-tanned and just natural would have been enough. The Nords look quite good though, the Dunmers look just like they behave, the Kahjiits and the Argonians are quite improved in my opinion, but I feel sorry for the Imperials etc. and especially the Highelves and the Woodelves (Can’t get the Tolkien-Elves out of my head). One thing I liked most with Oblivion was, that the people were talking to you and smiling at you face to face. In Skyrim it’s hard to get their facial expression and they are all sulky or unemotional (so far). I can’t imagine Vilja with such a face.
Some animations give a spastic impression for folks who are spoiled by motion-capture animations. But I suppose they are getting rheumatic in the cold
. Although the inns and houses look really warm and cozy.
The companions are quite simple in their functionality. They just do their job, if they don’t get lost. No personality, but I once was surprised, that the woman I had in tow – a grim looking steel-cladded battle-matron with an upside-down-smile – warned me and was aware that a cave was dangerous! Oh, how I miss Vilja! But would she really fit in here, into Skyrim?
It seems the Bethesda Team did learn quite a lot from the modders. They have included so many features and even aspects of role playing into the game, such as improving your weapons and armour or preparing meals practically and visibly. I know who came up with this idea first. (Btw, when my guy is forging the glowing iron, he holds it upside down, hitting the wrong, the cool end with the mallet, and is – OUCH! – terribly burning is elbow
)
Amgepo is right, that the early levels are too easy in combat. But there is an expert mode, but I didn't try it yet.
The game is running completely stable on my system. But as Amgepo pointed out, it is not advisable to load from a running game back into the same scene. I had no crashes, but there will be very probably lacking animations or other minor issues. (The banners of the stone piles in the mountains ceased to move) So just load from the main menu.
The GUI looks more like an App on a smartphone. It’s the only thing not fitting into the atmospheric setting of the game and I’m missing shortkeys. .... Edit: I missed reading something. You can assign hotkeys from the Favourites Menu....
Well, that is - very comprehensive and in short
- my first impression.
PS: Does anyone know, which version of Nifskope it needs to open the .nif files of Skyrim and if the newest version of Blender and Python-Plugin works with these files?