Elder Scrolls V

[Fire Me Boy!]

So the guys at Bethesda let it slip a few months ago that Elder Scrolls V was in the works for 2010, and a friend said he read a possible release in 2009... I'm looking for the article, but I'm friggin' STOKED about a new Elder Scrolls game coming out in the next 12-18 months!!!

I think they can learn a lot with the successes and failures of their previous landmark releases like Morrowind, Oblivion and Fallout 3 and make ESV an absolute KICK ASS game!

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Holy shit!

I played Divinity Ego Draconis for almost a full year (my father-in-law died and we moved in there, though) and spent 6-7 months on Kingdoms of Amalur (240-odd hours in-game).

At this rate, I'll still be playing this game in 2014!

I still haven't finished Amalur. I picked up Amalur and then put it aside for Skyrim. Skyrim has now lost out to Borderlands 2.

[Frazod]

Doesn't help that there's not much out there I'm interested in right now. I'm currently trying to play Assassin's Creed 2, but remembering why I quit playing it when it first came out - because far too much of it is completely ****ing annoying. Honestly don't know if I'll last much longer. Didn't like ME3, hated Diablo III, so I tend to fall back to the last Fallout games or Skyrim.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

I still haven't finished Amalur. I picked up Amalur and then put it aside for Skyrim. Skyrim has now lost out to Borderlands 2.

I really enjoyed Amalur, but dropped it when ME3 came out and never started again. Perhaps I should give it another shot.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

I still haven't finished Amalur. I picked up Amalur and then put it aside for Skyrim. Skyrim has now lost out to Borderlands 2.

Amalur's combat is far superior to Skyrim's.

At times, I'm enjoying the combat, especially getting a finishing shot on a bandit captain or similarly powerful foe.

At other times, I'm ****ing cussing at my TV as I'm getting my ass kicked by giant rats because it's in a stairwell and the collision detection is so piss ****ing poor.

[Imon Yourside]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Amalur's combat is far superior to Skyrim's.

At times, I'm enjoying the combat, especially getting a finishing shot on a bandit captain or similarly powerful foe.

At other times, I'm ****ing cussing at my TV as I'm getting my ass kicked by giant rats because it's in a stairwell and the collision detection is so piss ****ing poor.

Heh, it's been the same way since the original Arena game. The interface is very clunky.

[Swanman]

Originally Posted by frazod

Doesn't help that there's not much out there I'm interested in right now. I'm currently trying to play Assassin's Creed 2, but remembering why I quit playing it when it first came out - because far too much of it is completely ****ing annoying. Honestly don't know if I'll last much longer. Didn't like ME3, hated Diablo III, so I tend to fall back to the last Fallout games or Skyrim.

Haveyou thought about Torchlight 2? I know a lot of folks are loving that as an alternative/replacement for Diablo III.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by KILLER_CLOWN

Heh, it's been the same way since the original Arena game. The interface is very clunky.

I restarted last night and combat suddenly got WAY easier.

I usually like to play as a straight-up tank. So I picked an orc.

After playing for a while, I found myself settling into a hunter-warrior archetype, dual-wielding axes, sniping with a bow, and sneaking around in light armor.

The orc just didn't feel "right" so I decided to check out some online wikis.

Lo and behold, I was trying to ram a square peg in a round hole. The orc gets starting bonuses using heavy armor and heavy weapons. I'm sure as I leveled, it would have evened out but in the early game, I was starting off in a hole.

I read up on the Redguard and saw that they got starting bonuses with 1-handers, bows, and light armor - PERFECT for what I wanted.

So I started with a Redguard and what do you know? It's WAY easier all of the sudden...

[Imon Yourside]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

I restarted last night and combat suddenly got WAY easier.

I usually like to play as a straight-up tank. So I picked an orc.

After playing for a while, I found myself settling into a hunter-warrior archetype, dual-wielding axes, sniping with a bow, and sneaking around in light armor.

The orc just didn't feel "right" so I decided to check out some online wikis.

Lo and behold, I was trying to ram a square peg in a round hole. The orc gets starting bonuses using heavy armor and heavy weapons. I'm sure as I leveled, it would have evened out but in the early game, I was starting off in a hole.

I read up on the Redguard and saw that they got starting bonuses with 1-handers, bows, and light armor - PERFECT for what I wanted.

So I started with a Redguard and what do you know? It's WAY easier all of the sudden...

The Game engine still needs major improvements, not Bethesda's strong suit but ya what you post is certainly true.

[Imon Yourside]

Originally Posted by frazod

I really enjoyed Amalur, but dropped it when ME3 came out and never started again. Perhaps I should give it another shot.

Torchlight 2, Borderlands 2...Epic games.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by KILLER_CLOWN

The Game engine still needs major improvements, not Bethesda's strong suit but ya what you post is certainly true.

The thing is, since there's no target lock, I find myself strafing - moving, swinging, moving out of the way, etc.

With the orc, I would move and ultimately end up in a spot where I couldn't hit them but they could hit me!

With the Redguard, it's very fluid. I can move side-to-side, swing, move again.

No, the combat isn't great but it's MUCH better than I initially thought.

[RustShack]

I've only used Redguard before. I just wear heavy armor and carry two axes typically and **** shit up.

I'm decked out in sexy Dragon armor.

[htismaqe]

One of the things I'm disappointed with in this game is that lack of any real good explanation of the controls or at least some limited tutorial mode. Even an on-disc manual would have been good (I've gotten used to games not shipping with manuals and this one I bought used so it didn't have one).

I kept seeing references to "power attacks" in the game but had no idea that holding down the attack button actually did something different than tapping it until I read about it on one of the wiki sites.

All of that being said, the discovery of power attacks, fighting in 3rd person view, and the change to Master difficulty has COMPLETELY changed my opinion of the combat in this game.

There is a tower on the mountain north of Riverwood that contains 3 bandits. On default difficulty with my orc, I struggled to beat all 3 but ended up doing it without using any potions. It really felt like button mashing as both myself and AI just flailed away.

I just tried it again on Master and they fought COMPLETELY different. I beat them but it was a real tactical challenge. I did have to use 1 potion. But by NOT button mashing, I got the two melee dudes separated. I'd move in, hit one of them, move around some more. They actually fought DEFENSIVELY instead of just swinging away. They'd block, I'd move, we'd trade a couple blows. A truly tactical battle. And just when I needed a spark to turn the tide, I unleashed a power attack with both axes, felling one of them instantly.

Honestly, some of the most satisfying combat I've had in a roleplaying game.

[Dave Lane]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

One of the things I'm disappointed with in this game is that lack of any real good explanation of the controls or at least some limited tutorial mode. Even an on-disc manual would have been good (I've gotten used to games not shipping with manuals and this one I bought used so it didn't have one).

I kept seeing references to "power attacks" in the game but had no idea that holding down the attack button actually did something different than tapping it until I read about it on one of the wiki sites.

All of that being said, the discovery of power attacks, fighting in 3rd person view, and the change to Master difficulty has COMPLETELY changed my opinion of the combat in this game.

There is a tower on the mountain north of Riverwood that contains 3 bandits. On default difficulty with my orc, I struggled to beat all 3 but ended up doing it without using any potions. It really felt like button mashing as both myself and AI just flailed away.

I just tried it again on Master and they fought COMPLETELY different. I beat them but it was a real tactical challenge. I did have to use 1 potion. But by NOT button mashing, I got the two melee dudes separated. I'd move in, hit one of them, move around some more. They actually fought DEFENSIVELY instead of just swinging away. They'd block, I'd move, we'd trade a couple blows. A truly tactical battle. And just when I needed a spark to turn the tide, I unleashed a power attack with both axes, felling one of them instantly.

Honestly, some of the most satisfying combat I've had in a roleplaying game.

The game is incredible thats for sure. I'm playing Oblivion now since I never played it before, and the improvement between IV and V is breath taking.

[Sorter]

Morrowind is still better IMO.

[Imon Yourside]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

One of the things I'm disappointed with in this game is that lack of any real good explanation of the controls or at least some limited tutorial mode. Even an on-disc manual would have been good (I've gotten used to games not shipping with manuals and this one I bought used so it didn't have one).

I kept seeing references to "power attacks" in the game but had no idea that holding down the attack button actually did something different than tapping it until I read about it on one of the wiki sites.

All of that being said, the discovery of power attacks, fighting in 3rd person view, and the change to Master difficulty has COMPLETELY changed my opinion of the combat in this game.

There is a tower on the mountain north of Riverwood that contains 3 bandits. On default difficulty with my orc, I struggled to beat all 3 but ended up doing it without using any potions. It really felt like button mashing as both myself and AI just flailed away.

I just tried it again on Master and they fought COMPLETELY different. I beat them but it was a real tactical challenge. I did have to use 1 potion. But by NOT button mashing, I got the two melee dudes separated. I'd move in, hit one of them, move around some more. They actually fought DEFENSIVELY instead of just swinging away. They'd block, I'd move, we'd trade a couple blows. A truly tactical battle. And just when I needed a spark to turn the tide, I unleashed a power attack with both axes, felling one of them instantly.

Honestly, some of the most satisfying combat I've had in a roleplaying game.

Nice I played it only for a while then moved on, I will have to try it again now because this is all new info to me.