The Elder Scrolls V:Dawnguard quests and story

While it is true that there is a light at the end of the tunnel — regardless of

which mythical beastie you decide to go with, when the story and quests in the

Dawnguard expansion are over you can seek out and obtain a cure that will turn your

character back into a human (or whatever passes for species for them)…  If you want

to.  I suspect that many gamers will not want to, because both the Vampire and the

Werewolf each come with some pretty amazing perks as well as formidable powers, and

bear in mind that unlike with the Vampire, the Werewolf form has very little actual

or intrusive impact on play as a human (or whatever you are).
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion image
With respect to the game, game play, and the story to be found here, history repeats

itself again as, just like with the base game, the folks at Bethesda brought gamers a

lot more bang for their buck and an intense, immersive, and very addictive story,

with a unique set of challenges to boot!  Sadly I cannot tell you about the things I

would change if I could, because 99% of those wants would constitute a spoiler if I

did…  Bearing in mind that there are only around ten things I would change, and

most of those relate to interpersonal relationships between the characters in the

game, and not any major game-changing issues, but still…  My respect for you is so

great that I simply will not risk spoiling any of this for you because — and I am

sincere when I say it — this is one awesome adventure and you should savor every

second of it!

When you consider that this expansion arrived just as the worse part of the annual

Summer Doldrums was setting in — that period each year when so few new games are

released that it often leaves gamers struggling with boredom and nothing to play —

and clearly here was something to play!  I can say that in many ways I envy the

gamers who had not played the base game until this summer, as I can easily imagine

their pleasure in playing through that prior to starting the expansion, and the

satisfaction that the experience certainly delivered!

So, as I wrap this up, I offer a hearty “Well Done!” to Bethesda and specifically to

Todd Howard, the lead designer and man with the iron fist who shaped the game and its

expansion.  While there is no official word on the matter, a quiet word at this

year’s E3 from someone who would know suggested that there will be at least three

more DLC offerings for TESV — and possibly more than that.  And if they are only

half as big — and half as good — as Dawnguard, we are in for a treat!

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Premium Edition Spied on Amazon

It’s been out for almost a year, but it looks like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim could be getting a new Premium Edition, which bundles the game in a big box with a whole array of Skyrim related goodies that might encourage anyone who missed out last year to invest when it releases in December.

The Skyrim Premium Edition, spotted on Amazon.de, includes an Empire logo T-shirt, six concept art cards, a world map, the soundtrack on CD and a copy of the spin-off novel ‘Die Hollenstadt’ (Hell City). Apparently, the package doesn’t extend to including the DLC released thus far, but these physical extras look nice enough.

According to the Amazon listing, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Premium Edition is scheduled for release om December 7th. Check out the image below to see all of the gubbins that will be shoved into the box.

The Skyrim Premium Edition, spotted on Amazon.de, includes an Empire logo T-shirt, six concept art cards, a world map, the soundtrack on CD and a copy of the spin-off novel ‘Die Hollenstadt’ (Hell City). Apparently, the package doesn’t extend to including the DLC released thus far, but these physical extras look nice enough.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim DLC Launch on PS3

Bethesda has today confirmed that all three chunks of DLC released for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim thus far will finally be making its way onto PlayStation 3 next month, starting with Dragonborn.

Dragonborn whisks you away to Solstheim, down Morrowind way, where you’ll face more quests with the aid of dragonmounts and more. That’ll be followed by Hearthfire later in the month, and Dawnguard shortly after.

Bethesda is aiming to have all three Skyrim add-ons released in February, although exact dates have not yet been specified. Update 1.8 will precede the whole lot, with a bunch of fixes and other stuff.

Dragonborn, Haerthfire and Dawnguard will be releasing on PS3 in February in that order, with 50% discount offered during the launch week of each on the PlayStation Network. Bring it on.

Bethesda has today confirmed that all three chunks of DLC released for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim thus far will finally be making its way onto PlayStation 3 next month, starting with Dragonborn.

The Elder Scrolls V: Hearthfire and Dragonborn DLC

European release dates have yet to be announced, but hopefully, they should follow suit. All three The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim add-ons will be marked down by 50% on PS3 during their first week on sale too. Finally!

Having revealed a tentative ‘February’ launch date for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’s absent DLC on PlayStation 3, Bethesda has today gone one step further, confirming proper dates for all three add-ons, starting with Dragonborn.

Certification is being cleared with SCEA, SCEE and other PS3 territories for title update 1.8, but in the meantime, the North American release dates for all three add-ons have been revealed. They are as follows, offering up a DLC a week from February 12th:

European release dates have yet to be announced, but hopefully, they should follow suit. All three The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim add-ons will be marked down by 50% on PS3 during their first week on sale too. Finally!

Having revealed a tentative ‘February’ launch date for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’s absent DLC on PlayStation 3, Bethesda has today gone one step further, confirming proper dates for all three add-ons, starting with Dragonborn.

The Elder Scrolls V: Hearthfire and Dragonborn

As previously announced, you’ll be able to pick up each DLC at 50% off during their first week on sale on the PlayStation Network. Good news. Not long to wait now, folks!

Friday finally saw confirmation of the launch dates for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’s DLC on PlayStation 3 in North America, and today sees Bethesda updating with the European and UK arrival dates for the add-ons.

They’ll be available the day after the North American releases, in keeping with standard release scheduling on the PlayStation Network. They are as follows:

Dragonborn – releases Tuesday, February, 13th
Hearthfire – releases Tuesday, February, 20th
Dawnguard – releases Tuesday, February, 27th

As previously announced, you’ll be able to pick up each DLC at 50% off during their first week on sale on the PlayStation Network. Good news. Not long to wait now, folks!

Friday finally saw confirmation of the launch dates for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’s DLC on PlayStation 3 in North America, and today sees Bethesda updating with the European and UK arrival dates for the add-ons.

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ‘Legendary’ Update

Bethesda has announced that the Skyrim 1.9 Legendary update that’s available today on Steam as a beta version, will be available on consoles later in the month, offering up a bunch of Legendary features and bug fixes.

Said Legendary features include a new Legendary difficulty and Legendary skills, which in essence removes the overall level cap.

“For console players out there, we’re hoping to release 1.9 later this month — we’ll keep you updated when we have specific dates,” a post on the BethBlog claims.

Here’s a list of the features and fixes the Skyrim 1.9 Legendary update will bring:
Skyrim 1.9
New Features
Legendary difficulty setting
Legendary Skills – Skills of 100 can be made Legendary. This will reset the skill to 15, return its Perks and allow the skill to affect leveling again. This effectively removes the overall level cap.

Bug Fixes
General memory and stability improvements
Fixed issue with quest scripts that were not shutting down properly
Companions will equip better weapons and armor if given to them
Fixed rare issue where player is unable to learn the Clear Skies shout during “The Throat of the World”
Fixed rare instance where Alduin would become invincible during “Alduin’s Bane”
Fixed a rare issue where player could become stuck in Night Mother’s coffin during “Death Incarnate”
Fixed rare issue where protected companions could be killed from poison damage
Fixed rare issue with certain ash piles left from resurrected NPCs not clearing properly
Fixed rare issue with NPCs and creatures respawning improperly after player fast travels
Fixed rare crash when entering Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary
Fixed rare crash when entering a player owned home
Random dragon attacks will no longer occur during “Battle for Whiterun”
Fixed a rare crash when attempting to save your game during “Waking Nightmare”
Fixed issue where “Glory of the Undead” would not start properly if player is in combat with Eorlund Gray-Mane
The white phial is no longer consumed if given to a follower
If player marries Aela, the “Totem of Hircine” quest will be available
Unused briar hearts can be dropped after finishing “The White Phial”
Fixed issue with paying off a crime against the Companions that prevented player from getting Companions quests properly
Thieves Guild caches are now properly enabled in the appropriate cities
The Dragon Infusion perk now works properly when taking Esbern’s Potion
Cragslane Cave properly resets if player receives a radiant quest to clear it out
Fixed rare issue with bounty quest objectives not properly clearing after completion
Gallus’ Encoded Journal is no longer a quest item after completing the Thieves Guild
In “No Stone Unturned” Vex will now accept Unusual Gems if you’ve collected them all before starting the quest
Vekel the Man now gives rewards for completing “Toying with The Dead”
Fixed rare issue with being unable to turn in stolen items in “The Litany of Larceny”
Fixed issue with followers becoming over-encumbered after being repeatedly rehired
Fixed rare issue with visiting Kynesgrove on horseback not progressing “A Blade in the Dark” properly
Fixed issue with receiving a duplicate radiant quest from a Jarl
Fixed conflict with clearing Driftshade Sanctuary before starting “Trouble in Skyrim”
Fixed issue with using shouts while in jail and having guards unlock the jail cell
Fixed rare issue with quest NPCs not properly moving to quest locations
Fixed issue with NPCs not selling master level spells
Fixed rare issue where player gets control locked outside the Thalmor Embassy at the start of “Diplomatic Immunity”
Fixed rare issue with disappearing containers after upgrades in player owned house
Fixed issue with being erroneously attacked while as a werewolf during “Ill Met By Moonlight”
The Ebony Blade is now only improved by two handed perks
Locked door to Proudspire Manor can now be unlocked by proper key
Fixed issue with merchants not receiving the proper additional gold with the Investor perk
Fixed a rare issue where the player would be unable to learn a word after leaving for several days during “The Way of The Voice”
The Nord Hero Bow can now be improved
The Purity perk no longer requires the Experimenter perk
Fixed rare instance where Lovers Comfort would not be applied properly
If you approach Frostmere Crypt from the north, “The Pale Lady” will start properly
Fixed rare issue where player could be prevented from speaking with Atub to start “The Cursed Tribe”
Fixed rare issue where a dragon could appear in the Mind of a Madman realm and kill the player
Fixed instance where player could get stuck in Japhet’s Folly
Fixed rare instances where Arngeir would not teach Worldwind Sprint
Fixed issue with “Ill Met By Moonlight” if Sinding dies before the quest starts
Gharol can now properly train up to level 75
Fixed conflict with visiting The Karthspire before starting “Alduin’s Wall”
Reduced the instance of random dragon attacks after fast traveling post main quest
Recruited Blades now have appropriate dialogue while at Sky Haven Temple
Fixed rare issue where an incorrect dungeon could appear as a location during “Totems of Hircine”
Fixed rare instance in “Fetch me that Book” where books found before getting the quest would not be properly recognized
Fixed rare issue with traveling to Thalmor Embassy with companions during “Diplomatic Immunity”
Fixed issues with Matching Set perk not working properly with certain pieces of armor
Fixed issues with Custom Fit perk not working properly with certain pieces of armor
Fixed issue with NPC dying in a bear trap blocking progress in “Time of My Need”
Fixed rare issue with swinging door becoming stuck and blocking an entrance in Volunruud
Imperial Light Armor can now be crafted
Fixed issue with “Vald’s Debt” where Vald was not leveled properly
Fixed issue with Vilkas not giving proper greeting after completing “Battle for Whiterun”
Fixed issue with respawning actors that were raised by using the Ritual Stone power
Fixed issue with the Ancient Knowledge perk not calculating properly
The Palace of Kings now has patrolling guards on upper floors
Reduce percentage chance of getting a werewolf loading screen while player is a werewolf
Pantea’s flute is no longer a quest item after completing “Pantea’s Flute”
Placing an unread Oghma Infinium on a bookshelf in the player’s house no longer allows the book to be reused again
Adjusted dialogue priority to improve chances of hearing more combat dialogue from certain NPC enemies
Fixed issue with falling damage on high difficulty levels
Fixed bad collision on certain clutter objects
Fixed rare instance of couriers who would appear only dressed in a hat

The Elder Scrolls V: High Elves guide

Altmer are without a doubt the undisputed masters of magic. While the Breton may be

powerful spellcasters, and resist magic quite well, it is the High Elves who can bend

the forces of magicka to their will. Masters of all types of magic, they can draw

from deep personal magicka reserves to use their art more often than most other

spellcasters could hope.

The High Elves have never been a personal favorite due to the fact that they’re

totally focused on spellcasting. In most Elder Scrolls games the spellcasting system

was a bit on the tedious side early on and then became grossly overpowered as you

created your own spells. It is far more balanced in Skyrim, and the ability to dual

wield magic grants you a lot of versatility. Walking around with a protection spell

in one hand and Flames coming from the other grants you both offensive and defensive

options at the same time almost like having a sword and shield.

One thing to note is that the High Elf actually starts out with an Illusion spell –

something few others get. Unfortunately, this is Frenzy which costs a whole lot of

mana and doesn’t seem to work very often. You need to find other spells to help this

one work, and even then, it is of limited use. So that third starting spell is

something of a dud. Focus on your Destruction magic for the opening and then swap

over to whatever grabs your interest after you get to the open world.

An Altmer will have access to:

Starting Skills

Alteration: 25, Conjuration: 20, Destruction: 20, Enchanting: 20 Illusion: 20,

Restoration: 20

Passive Abilities

Highborn – High Elves are born with 50 extra magicka.

Activated Ability:

Highborn – Regenerate magicka faster for 60 seconds.

Character Suggestions:

Unlike the Breton the High Elves are basically steamrolled into playing as pure

mages. Luckily, they excel at that in a way that will make even the Breton envious.

So, if you pick a High Elf that’s something you’re going to want to embrace and

just go nuts with. Decide on what sort of spellcaster you want to be and just start

dropping your perks into those skills.

It is heavily suggested that you place most of your emphasis on your Conjuration and

Destruction magicks. Conjuration is so versatile that any pure mage will really want

to have that on hand to help out while Destruction will be your offensive bread and

butter. Restoration and Illusion are good for helping you to stay alive but you will

want to focus on the first two – unless you have a very specific idea for your

character.

The Elder Scrolls V: Imperial guide

Out of the various races, the Imperials are among the most versatile. Owing to their

expertise as merchants and soldiers they have plenty of skill at keeping themselves

alive whether it requires talking their way out of a problem or bashing enemies with

a club. The only skills they lack to begin with are stealth based, which means they

make much better fighters or mages than they do thieves or assassins.

Newer players who are interested in fighters may find the Imperial to be the ideal

race for them. Their skills are designed for them to suit up in heavy armor with a

heavy shield and one-handed weapon. If their weapon isn’t cutting it then they can

use Destruction magic to assist them. If you’re playing them right then you’ll have

very little need for Restoration, but it’s still nice to have it if things get bad.

However, their abilities are kind of spread all over the place, and this does hamper

them a bit. For example, if you don’t plan on using much magic then both Destruction

and Restoration will be going to waste. Their enchanting ability is in that very same

boat, since it’s not something every character will even want to bother with. That

leaves you with up to three dead skills, one of which is the highest skill the

Imperial starts with. So be very sure that you’re going to do something with those

skills before picking this race. It’s not like its active racial ability is anything

too special, although the extra money can be nice.

An Imperial will have access to:

Starting Skills

Block: 20, Destruction: 20, Enchanting: 20, Heavy Armor: 20, One Handed: 20,

Restoration: 25

Passive Abilities

Imperial Luck – Anywhere gold coins might be found Imperials always seem to find a

few more.

Activated Ability:

Voice of the Emperor – Calms nearby people for 60 seconds.

Character Suggestions:

The Imperial works well as either a straight up warrior who uses a few spells to

assist him (Restoration mostly) or a mage who wears heavy armor and focuses on

Destruction and Restoration.

If you choose to go with a warrior, then you should find yourself having a pretty

easy time of it for the earlier portions of the game. Later, you will probably want

to invest in Enchanting so that you can get the most of your enchanted items, or you

could simply invest in it early on. It will help you keep your enchanted weapons

recharged and possibly even make some equipment, helping you as the fighting gets

harder.

The mage route is a bit more unconventional due to the fact that you’re going to be

a mage who doesn’t use mage robes to enhance his abilities. Put on the hood you find

inside of the torture cell to increase your magicka pool and then just heap on the

heavy armor with a shield. Then you will want to swap between whatever weapon you’re

using to bean enemies in the face and a Destruction spell that fits your opponent.

The Elder Scrolls V: Khajiit guide

What do we have here? A race of cats that specializes in stealth skills? I’m fully

convinced that somebody made a joke about a cat burglar and the game designers ran

with it far too literally. Whatever the reason for them existing they are the single

best thieves in the game with a boost to basically every stealth skill that a thief

could want.

Basically every single aspect of the Khajiit is geared towards making them the best

stealthy murderers. There is no advantage to be had trying to turn them into

something else, so just don’t bother. A stealthy approach via bow and poisoned

arrows will get you through a lot of enemies, while your sword backup lets you handle

close range.

Much like the Argonians, the Khajiit have had the restriction on what armor they can

wear removed. This allows you to have a badass full suit of armor to compliment your

natural kitty thief abilities. The claw ability is pretty useless in the long run –

although it can be powerful in Helgen Keep and the first few dungeons. Use your bow

at range and then cat scratch the heck out of them when they get in your face.

Kitty Meow-Meow will have access to:

Starting Skills

Alchemy: 20, Archery: 20, Lockpicking: 20, One Handed: 20, Pickpocket: 20 Sneak: 25

Passive Abilities

Claws – Khajiit can do 15 points of damage with unarmed attacks.

Activated Ability:

Night Eye – Improved night vision for 60 seconds.

Character Suggestions:

Since a Khajiit is designed to be a pure rogue, simply embrace this and pick them

when you went the best of the best. Take a quick, light melee weapon like a dagger or

light sword and get them enchanted when you want a stronger weapon. If you like,

early on, you can stick with just your claws as they’re stronger than most knives

and early game swords, but their effectiveness peters off quickly. Otherwise, stick

with the bow and whatever poisons that you like to use.

A nice thing about the Khajiit is that their Night Eye ability is a power not a

spell. This means you can have your two hands assigned and access your night vision

at all times (unless you replace it with a shout).

The Elder Scrolls V: Nord guide

It seems that in the world of The Elder Scrolls, Vikings are renowned for both their

ability to bash your face in with a wide variety of weapons and chat with you. No

longer are the Imperials the renowned masters of chit-chat, the Nords are giving them

a run for their money. All joking aside, this likely reflects on the fact that you

are in the Nordic homeland and people are going to be more positively inclined to

their brethren.

As you can see, the Nord are designed to be straight up warriors although they have a

preference for light armor. This doesn’t mean that they like to sneak or anything

like that, they simply tend to prefer the maneuverability from bearing lighter loads.

Slap them in a suit of Imperial Leather, give them a few perks and they can handle

even the tough enemies like a trooper. If you do decide to use the lighter armor and

not train up heavy armor, then it is best if you use a shield to help bolster your

defenses.

It does bear noting that the Nord has very weak abilities. While Resist Frost is

decent enough, Battle Cry is incredibly weak. For the most part you’ll really not

want to bother with it as you should be killing enemies not chasing them off. The

worst part is that sometimes the enemies will return to blindside you with a random

ambush.

A Nord will have access to:

Starting Skills

Block: 20, Light Armor: 20, One Handed: 20, Smithing: 20, Speech: 20, Two Handed: 25

Passive Abilities

Resist Frost – Grants a 50% resistance to all Frost attacks.

Activated Ability:

Battle Cry – Targets will flee for 30 seconds although this can be resisted.

Character Suggestions:

Nords are Vikings. They hit stuff. Be a fighter. Yes, it really is that simple. All

of their options are neatly laid out before you here. You will always be making use

of Speech since it figures into buying and selling goods and you have your pick of

using one-handed or two-handed weapons, so there is no reason to look any further

than that. None of their skills or abilities give them much in the ways of

flexibility in this regard either. So pick a Nord if their skills appeal to you as a

fighter in a way that the Reguard or Orc don’t.