So I just spent 75 hours racking up 37 levels and about two dozen dragon kills in Skyrim. I maxed out Smithing, forged and enchanted some badass armor, and turned into a werewolf.
Then I ran into a game-halting bug that's forcing me to roll a new character.
Basically, the last dungeon of the main quest line has a door puzzle that bugs out for some people. You can halfway fix it, but it's almost a guaranteed game-killer because the area can't be fast-traveled out of and you can't get past the door to complete the quest. The best solution online so far: "Wait for a patch."
To be honest, I knew this was a possibility going into the game. With something this big it's practically impossible to do all the QA needed to fix things like this. It's kinda disappointing that a significant bug late in the main quest line made it through that process, but it's a reality when dealing with A) Bethesda, and B) a game of this immense scope.
So, here's a few tips should you decide to go adventuring into Skyrim that may help you avoid my fate:
1. SAVE EARLY AND OFTEN. Save before going into a dungeon. Save before doing a lot of crafting or selling. Save before fast-traveling to some distant but important location. And don't just save, save NEW files so that if something happens you will have a previous save to fall back on.
2. Upgrade everything. Smithing is a great way to get just the right armor and weapons for your needs, and keep them relevant for a long, long time through the grindstone and workbench. I was able to upgrade the Wolf armor you get as part of the Companions quest line past Legendary status, giving it similar armor ratings to base Ebony or Daedric armors. Even if you don't want to keep it, it'll make it worth a lot more!
2a. "Upgrade everything" includes your followers. Don't just give them the heaviest stuff in your inventory, give them armor, weapons, rings and amulets they can actually use. They'll last longer in combat and could even keep that next dragon busy long enough for you to get in position for an arrow, spell or Shout.
3. Don't be afraid to disenchant. Instead of hanging onto a fiery axe or a half-dozen shields with different resistances, disenchant them to both raise your skill AND move that enchantment onto a more flexible piece of gear, like a ring or an amulet. You might sacrifice a portion of power early on, but throwing just a few perks into Enchanting will go a long way.
4. Spend some money! Splurge on a few soul gems, buy that lockpicking amulet you've got your eye on, and for goodness sake get a HOUSE to put all that stuff in. What good is 60,000 gold if you die in the next dungeon because you were too cheap to buy a half-dozen healing potions before leaving town?
5. Join a Guild. They Skyrim Thieves Guild, Mages College, Dark Brotherhood, and Companions (fighters guild) offer massive benefits for new characters: a place to stay, people to buy and sell relevant gear, quests and trainers to get you practicing your skills and making money, even starter gear to give your chosen profession a boost. The Thieves Guild gear is particularly nice: a full set of leathers all enchanted to make your rogue-y skills better and let you carry more stuff, a must for any profession. If you follow the main quest line it actually introduces you to all the major guilds (or at least puts you in their proximity) during the first couple of acts. I recommend seeking them out as early as possible: once you complete their line of quests you're in a great position to tackle the rest of the main quest line with little trouble.
So I'm bummed that after learning all that, I don't even get to finish the game on my first character (unless a patch comes out soon). However, the good news about being forced to roll a new character... is that I get to roll a new character. And really, it's a testament to Skyrim's size and fun that starting fresh is actually enticing, even after a nearly-solid first playthrough.
I want my television back!
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