Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
McBraas: Carpe Dovah - Seizing the dragon
Dragon Battles can be very perilous at first, and the roar of a nearby dragon can be devastating for your confidence - Especially since they have a habit of killing (me!)
After a while of levelling, without progressing through the main quest (so much to do <3) I eventually came to kill dragons quite easily - Regular and blood. My confidence rose, with each dragon slain and I came to enjoy the thought of actually hunting one down, instead of being chased and get lucky.
As I passed by a mill, near Riften, I was suddenly attacked by 2 Blood Dragons and... Died. Who the hell said that they could team up?! FML!
Anyway, I tried again, first making short work of one, and then heroically hiding under the safe roof of the mill. Eventually I manned up and kicked its rump, shouting "You just got buttered, bitch!" for no apparent reason. Seriously.
After that event, my confidence severely fell - Guess I wasn't so badass after all, huh?
That theory should prove to be true, as I went to visit and old word wall I never quite got to read, since a Dragon priest got in the way. That was long ago and I was ready to give it another go, with my new butter catchphrase and all.
...
Then I met my first Frost Dragon. 'Nuf said.
After a while of levelling, without progressing through the main quest (so much to do <3) I eventually came to kill dragons quite easily - Regular and blood. My confidence rose, with each dragon slain and I came to enjoy the thought of actually hunting one down, instead of being chased and get lucky.
As I passed by a mill, near Riften, I was suddenly attacked by 2 Blood Dragons and... Died. Who the hell said that they could team up?! FML!
Anyway, I tried again, first making short work of one, and then heroically hiding under the safe roof of the mill. Eventually I manned up and kicked its rump, shouting "You just got buttered, bitch!" for no apparent reason. Seriously.
After that event, my confidence severely fell - Guess I wasn't so badass after all, huh?
That theory should prove to be true, as I went to visit and old word wall I never quite got to read, since a Dragon priest got in the way. That was long ago and I was ready to give it another go, with my new butter catchphrase and all.
...
Then I met my first Frost Dragon. 'Nuf said.
Activity BOOM!
I must admit that I figured this site would go silent after the release of Skyrim, which was the single best day in the history of the world (who needs a cure for cancer?!) Yet, activity has actually gone up - The daily page views rise still, hovering just above the 30,000 ATM and we still get greeted by new members on the facebook page, on which people are still engaging and active.
You people surprise me. In a good way.
Better than chocolate and flowers - To which I wouldn't say no either.
Flowers are great - Especially when they come in a tiny basket, right after a very well performed musical <--- totally not a real life reference.
This activity boom is telling me that I should keep on writing. My major focus is on VEC, which I am guessing will be up and running in January, but activity shall remain here as well. I will try to divide my posts by pages, so that we can have categories called pre-release, post-release and mod reviews.
Easier access is the keyword... Along with squash. Squash is a funny word.
You people surprise me. In a good way.
Better than chocolate and flowers - To which I wouldn't say no either.
Flowers are great - Especially when they come in a tiny basket, right after a very well performed musical <--- totally not a real life reference.
This activity boom is telling me that I should keep on writing. My major focus is on VEC, which I am guessing will be up and running in January, but activity shall remain here as well. I will try to divide my posts by pages, so that we can have categories called pre-release, post-release and mod reviews.
Easier access is the keyword... Along with squash. Squash is a funny word.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Mod review: No Spiders by Luthien Anarion
I noticed a lot of worry from arachnophobia fans of the TES series, since there clearly were spiders in the game. I'm just letting you know that a temporary solution has already been released with the "No Spiders" mod.
What it does, is that it replaces all spiders with bears or mudcrabs, whichever you prefer, albeit the bears move a little "funky" it seems. Also, they are still named "Frostbite Spider," but It'll probably all be rectified once The Creation Kit is released.
What it does, is that it replaces all spiders with bears or mudcrabs, whichever you prefer, albeit the bears move a little "funky" it seems. Also, they are still named "Frostbite Spider," but It'll probably all be rectified once The Creation Kit is released.
McBraas: Skyrim is well balanced
Difficulty is a keyword in RPG gameplay and fortunately, Skyrim hits it perfect. In spite of the immense amount of worrying there has been over their change of zone-leveling system, it can barely be noticed once playing the game.First of all, the feeling of getting more powerful is there, but not in an overwhelming way. It slowly builds up and that is the way it should be done. As I move through the landscapes and dungeons of Skyrim, which BTW has gotten A LOT more entertaining, I feel the challenge varies and strategies needs changing, potions need drinking, and companions need taking the front and act as shield.
My first encounter in which I was overwhelmed by the power of my foe was not a dragon, no, it was a giant. It hit me and I literally flew 200 meters up in the air and landed smack on the ground, screaming Leeeeeroy on the way down - My neighbors were not happy.
After I had battled off the horde of complaining neighbors, who evidently can't take a little bit of "intense screaming and non-stop war cries" (I call it minor noise,) I went on through my weekend, with locked doors of course.
At one point, I felt screwed, as I had battled my way through a Nord temple, gotten the word "Tiid" (Time,) I found myself emerging on a balcony, about to battle the Hagraven I had chased all the way there. He was standing on the edge and I felt like pushing him off, firing off a funny, improvised pun in the process. Alas, it was not that easy, 'cause it summoned two Ice Trolls and they are NOT fun! Due to my rule about not changing game difficulty, I didn't win until my 10th try. Victory had never felt sweeter.
But the worst thing I ran into was not the Hagraven (of which I've killed three.) It was the Dragon Priest. They. Are. Hardcore!
The first I ran into, was at a word wall in the mountain. After killing the guardian dragon, I approached the wall, only to be brutally overwhelmed by a Dragon Priest, which there was no hope of defeating. I accepted my loss and decided to return later.
Then last night, I went through an entire Nord temple! It took 2 full hours (I died a lot!) But seriously; I could have had sex 21 times in that ti... Nevermind.
As I reached the end chamber, I was forced to swallow my pride and lower the game difficulty to defeat the hosting dragon priest - Even on the easiest level, I had a hard time killing him and his thralls. After my success, I gladly accepted the word "Strun" (Storm.)
-------------------------------------
That was just part 1^A second, yet shorter described, balanced system is that of economy. Allowing the different merchants to only hold a specific portion of gold, prevents us from gaining immediate riches and since we can't carry all that crap around with us forever, we are forced to get rid of it as quickly as possible, lest we'd want to make the painful decision of leaving something precious behind.
I am very impressed with the balancing of Skyrim and it will continue to amaze me, I am sure.
Hope you are all enjoying yourselves.
McBraas: Save your game
A comment on my last post, spurred the writing of this one!
Save your game!
Do you not know the agony in losing even just a few minutes of progress yet? One day you will! That is, unless that you save!
Whilst playing Oblivion, I evolved a compulsion, causing me to save everything I do at least every 20th second (yes, I've timed.) Whether it's playing the game, or writing this post, I will constantly and barely without noticing, press the hotkey(s) for a quick save.
I recommend that you do the same, lest you want to be the bitch of game difficulty, power shortages, or an angry mother.
Save your game!
Do you not know the agony in losing even just a few minutes of progress yet? One day you will! That is, unless that you save!
Whilst playing Oblivion, I evolved a compulsion, causing me to save everything I do at least every 20th second (yes, I've timed.) Whether it's playing the game, or writing this post, I will constantly and barely without noticing, press the hotkey(s) for a quick save.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
McBraas: Off to Skyrim, back again! (Not by choice)
I came home from school Friday and had a few hours to play before the arrival of my girlfriend (which is SO relevant later in this story.)
After completing the (awesome) intro, featuring our friendly neighborhood Alduin in the spotlight, I emerged from the tutorialistic cave and I had only one thing running through my mind: Find a spoon!
In spite of my rock-hard decision about not gong to Riverwood, I eventually ended up there anyway and spent nearly an hour before I left, further proving that this game is fricken huge. I found myself overwhelmed with the amount of options I had and so I felt I had no choice but to go Bleak Falls Barrow, in spite of my even harder rock-hard decision not to, but not before replacing my desired spoon with a ladle. 'Tis only a temporary substitute - I will find you, spoon!I went through Bleak Falls and quickly realized that the footage we've seen of it trough the last couple of months, were only like half of the content in there. I also realized that combat is a lot more fun, especially since the characters move a lot more realistically and that stagger not only affects our character, but also the camera angle - it fricken shakes! Awesome!
As I eventually came upon the last chamber, I eagerly awaited a Dragon Priest to come and combat me, but I was welcomed only by a Draugr which was slightly more hardcore than the rest - I was disappointed, but since then, I have learned to happily welcome the absence of Dragon Priests.I grabbed all the treasure, headed back to Riverwood, turned in the claw and sold all of my crap, and then I was off to Whiterun, which since then have been my central hub - I've barely spent time in any other cities than Whiterun and Markath.
After a few quests, involving killing my first dragon, I found the Lunar Forge and then my girlfriend came - invited her to try it out - After spending 10 minutes learning how to walk, she went to a camp'o'giants and... Well, died.
That was the first 3-4 hours. The beginning of my very long weekend.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Post #200
This will be a quite subjective post, so read on your own peril, my friend. We will go over future plans and projects, a few shout outs and most importantly: Did you know that a penguin can dive up to 700 metres? Seriously!
Now, a little history.
I've always disliked forums! I found them dull and tasteless! But my love for Skyrim, lead me to the forum of GameSpot and totally dragged me in, like comical anecdotes draw in Seth MacFarlane. I craves the discussion of the game and eventually I became a quite progressive member of the forum - That is where Skyrim Coverage began.
It began with a list/post I made over 5/6 hours, entitled "Skyrim no Detail" on June 3rd, which was immensely appreciated, which made me decide to make a version 2.0 - I worked on it in a MS Office word document and quickly got bored.
I kept visiting the forum and noticed that a lot of people was falling behind on the info and I got tired of answering the same question over and over - Almost like grade school. So to make it a lot easier for everyone, I decided to make a website, serving as a database for all Skyrim info - Naturally, I didn't think I could handle the entire website on my own, so I asked people to join. None were interested.
I went ahead and made it, updating it frequently along the way, which you've all born witness to. I received fan mail from time to time, as well as a request to translate my work from an Ignacio, which was more than enough to keep me motivated - Also, I had coffee and a lack of social engagements.
It wasn't until the arrival of Mike, who was brave enough to venture the dusty realms of comment sections, that I saw a rise in this sites activity level - Which was one of the best things in the world. Thank you, Mike.
It wasn't long, then others came, including Brad T. - With his "Statues and limitations." Awesome!
There are others too, and I certainly appreciate all of you, but I'll pass on making a list.Then we're at this point. Right now. I feel like I've created a community - But you know what? I'd be wrong. You have. You are the reason, that I even write. You have all been pieces to the puzzle of forming a wonderful online community, that we can all benefit from, including myself. Thank you.
Shout outs
I adore shout outs, and I wouldn't miss this glorious opportunity to do one.
First of all, a dragon shout out to a friend I made along the way, whom showed a lot of support - That's right, I saw that you always recommended my site on forums, you little rascal - Thanks, Luke. Or Leon Dragonheart, if you prefer.
Of course also a shout to Hijacked Apocalypse <--- They invited me to join, because... Well... Okay, I don't actually know, so would you mind telling me? Bring CAKE!!
A shout to T McS, who says he will be naming his dragon-slaying stealth warrior after me - It is a great honor, thank you.
Of course Mike! He's really the main reason for all this comment section activity, I believe.
For Brad, Who's right up there on the pedestal with Mike! Statues and Limitations, Brad; Statues and Limitations!
To Jace too! I like that guy! He has a cool name!
And who could forget my two most active facebook members: Chris Healy and Jethro Rule, ladies and gentlemen!
Finally, I'd like to commend Jamie Kelly, who didn't show up 'till late, but has shown great enthusiasm and an extreme willingness to assist me in finding information. Really impressive stuff.
Thank you to everyone.
Apologies
Whilst I'll gladly admit that I've brought a lot of stuff to the table, sadly I must also admit that I made an error or two, no doubt given that I am new to this - I'd like to apologize for a few mistakes I've made.
First of all, I was too fast on the whole "were-yeti" thing, which was basically just crap. It said so in a Dutch magazine that I had a guy translate for me - evidently, it was all BS.Second of all, it has occurred to me within October month, that my notion about the Altmer owning the Empire was wrong. I was told so early on and in my head, it has been fact the entire time. Recent sources shows that I was wrong - The Imperials are still in control, but it is merely another family (the Mede.)
Third of all, I've been a real ass at covering Falmer. Seriously. At first I mistake Thalmer for Falmer and then I mistake Falmer for Goblins.
My sincere apologies.
Skyrim Coverage - Post-release
I had been wondering what to do after the release of the game - I suppose no one needed it covered anymore and I am absolutely right. I decided to leave it dormant.
...
...
... Then it was suggested that I kept it going, informing on DLC news and made mod reviews, and that is exactly what I will do. The activity level will fall, sure, but I will still be lurking in the dark, waiting to review the next mod. I will also post it on facebook, when I make an update here, so feel free to join in there.
If there's anything else, feel free to ask - K'?
Future Projects
I've been loving this "hobby" and your "company" so much, that I decided to be a real go-getter and make my own talk-show about flying farm animals.
After that fails, here's what will succeed: VEC
VEC (Virtual Entertainment Central,) will be a freelance project, much like Skyrim Coverage was/is. It'll be a site, featuring news, details, mod reviews and all kinds of info on games and movies. It'll be the surpreme seat of our empi... community.
From there, I will link to several coverage sites, much like this one, which will be created as games are announced.
We (Yes, we) already have a server client in our sights. We've got me, a web designer, another writer and a WebComic artist for the site, and his comics are seriously hilarious! I'll add one to this post.
----------
VEC will probably not be up and working probably until January, but I do have a request for all of you: If you've enjoyed this site, please stay tuned for VEC - If we get off to a good start with that site, then maybe we can expand and make an awesome community, where the administration is more in contact with the readers and their wishes.----------
Apart from that, I'll be running a new coverage site soon. I've already discovered, through cold and hard experience, that managing more than one at a time alone, is near impossible - But maybe it won't be, when it's not such a huge game as Skyrim.
Anyway, feel free to throw in some suggestions! Personally, I'm thinking Grand Theft Auto V.
Oh, and I'll definitely do Assassin's Creed III, which will be out in 2012 (Sort of an annual thing, no?)
Prologue
That's it for now. In posting moment, there's currently 39 minutes left in my time zone until 11/11/11 - It's been a great ride. Thank you.
My top 5 Skyrim videos
I don't share enough - Or so I've been told.
And sure, the one who told me this might be the alcoholic, cat-eating man who always sits near the playground every morning, tilting back and forth whilst watching the by-passers with eyes of envy and regret, but hey! There might be something to it!
This is why I will now do something I have always wanted to do, but never done! Make a top hit list!! I will share with you my 5 favorite videos, starting with 5 as my least favorite and 1 as my absolute favorite. Enjoy!
# 5 - The World of Skyrim
I consider this one of our last teasers, and I thoroughly enjoy watching it, time and time again. This is the perfect testament as to why my girlfriend is soon to be very pissed at me, due to prolonged absence.
If I don't make it, I want my copy of Skyrim to go to charity.
# 4 Sons of Skyrim - Metal Cover - (SBeast64)
Okay, I don't know about you, but I love me some metal covers, and this is one of the better ones. LOOK AT IT!! LISTEN TO IT!
I started headbanging when I heard this! Until I hit my head against the wall... AND THEN I HEADBANGED SOME MORE!!
# 3 LITERAL Skyrim trailer - Tobuscus
I imagine that this videos presence on my top 5 is less than confusing. Everyone can enjoy this video by Tobuscus, who came up with the wonderful "Literal trailer" concept. Du-nu-nu-nu-nu-nu-nu-Subscribe!
# 2 SKYRIM - Harry Partridge
It is surely not a surprise that I like musical approaches to, well, everything - And Skyrim is no exception. When I discovered Skyrim back in January, I drew a picture of Matin Septim, to get all of the excitement out of my body.
Harry Partridge on the other hand, made a much more expressive piece of art, in his animated video, simply entitled "Skyrim!"
# 1 EPIC SKYRIM RAP - Dan Bull
This rap is simply put: Complete, clean and brief awesomeness. If anything has ever gotten me excited about this game apart from dragons (You know, those flying reptiles trying to kill everyone,) it is this video right here!
And sure, the one who told me this might be the alcoholic, cat-eating man who always sits near the playground every morning, tilting back and forth whilst watching the by-passers with eyes of envy and regret, but hey! There might be something to it!
This is why I will now do something I have always wanted to do, but never done! Make a top hit list!! I will share with you my 5 favorite videos, starting with 5 as my least favorite and 1 as my absolute favorite. Enjoy!
# 5 - The World of Skyrim
I consider this one of our last teasers, and I thoroughly enjoy watching it, time and time again. This is the perfect testament as to why my girlfriend is soon to be very pissed at me, due to prolonged absence.
If I don't make it, I want my copy of Skyrim to go to charity.
# 4 Sons of Skyrim - Metal Cover - (SBeast64)
Okay, I don't know about you, but I love me some metal covers, and this is one of the better ones. LOOK AT IT!! LISTEN TO IT!
I started headbanging when I heard this! Until I hit my head against the wall... AND THEN I HEADBANGED SOME MORE!!
# 3 LITERAL Skyrim trailer - Tobuscus
I imagine that this videos presence on my top 5 is less than confusing. Everyone can enjoy this video by Tobuscus, who came up with the wonderful "Literal trailer" concept. Du-nu-nu-nu-nu-nu-nu-Subscribe!
# 2 SKYRIM - Harry Partridge
It is surely not a surprise that I like musical approaches to, well, everything - And Skyrim is no exception. When I discovered Skyrim back in January, I drew a picture of Matin Septim, to get all of the excitement out of my body.
Harry Partridge on the other hand, made a much more expressive piece of art, in his animated video, simply entitled "Skyrim!"
# 1 EPIC SKYRIM RAP - Dan Bull
This rap is simply put: Complete, clean and brief awesomeness. If anything has ever gotten me excited about this game apart from dragons (You know, those flying reptiles trying to kill everyone,) it is this video right here!
Part of your (limited) world
[Guess the title reference]
Ask and you shall receive, as I always say. Everyone is welcome to ask their questions, and I'll do my best to give a proper answer. This time around, I was asked what I consider a surprising question. It wasn't about indigenous info, randy rumors or comforting confirmations! It was about how immersible and viable it would be to stay in the same area, on an entire playthrough.
To clarify: Is it viable to stay in a specific area for the entire game, focusing mainly on only one guild, one house, one wife, one life? - A sort of immersible roleplay, I suppose.
So how viable do I believe it will be? Very viable!
The reason for this? Radiant Story.
Although we will definitely be sent to far-away places, should we choose to follow the questline of a guild, it should be perfectly possible to maintain and on-going, slowly-changing life, since Radiant Story will look at all of our actions and give us varied experiences!
As with everything else, I'd imagine this eventually getting dull, but for people who enjoy roleplay, this is actually pretty amazing. Now I know that some people don't even make a story for their character, but solely wish to complete the game, but I am absolutely positive that the majority of TES fans enjoy doing a little solitary roleplay and a refined glass of pepsi.
In all seriousness. TES games have always let us create our own story, more so than providing their own, and that is the beauty of the TES games! They flesh out the major parts, and then we can take care of all the little details in our mind - Radiant story or not; That will always give us a different experience for each playthrough.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Thane (Not Mass Effect!)
I was seriously miffed when I found out that penguins can't fly.
Do you remember buying houses in Oblivion? I remember that the cheapest house you could buy, was a crappy shack on the Imperial Waterfront. I also remember that the best you could buy, was a big house in Skingrad, which you could supplement with a maid - Rawr.
To skip straight to where I wanna go to: We're getting an upgrade! We can become Thanes! Huzzah!
Thanes are kind of representatives of the supreme power (say king, for example) and they own land - And not just a sweet abode, but it can also be that of towns and fields, which is why I hope that we'll be place in such a position, that we can demand taxes! And maybe cookies!
Thanes' homes are usually (not Skyrim, just historically) big and "noble-like" and sometimes even a fort or a small castle. That said, we can also own smaller homes, so worry not, if you wish not become a big, fancy overlord, you do not have to.
The concept of Thane is always hard to perceive in modern times, since they are rarely portrayed in a historically correct sense - They are most often portrayed as nobles (which in a way they are.... It's hard to... Ah, screw it!)
Do you remember buying houses in Oblivion? I remember that the cheapest house you could buy, was a crappy shack on the Imperial Waterfront. I also remember that the best you could buy, was a big house in Skingrad, which you could supplement with a maid - Rawr.
To skip straight to where I wanna go to: We're getting an upgrade! We can become Thanes! Huzzah!
Thanes are kind of representatives of the supreme power (say king, for example) and they own land - And not just a sweet abode, but it can also be that of towns and fields, which is why I hope that we'll be place in such a position, that we can demand taxes! And maybe cookies!
Thanes' homes are usually (not Skyrim, just historically) big and "noble-like" and sometimes even a fort or a small castle. That said, we can also own smaller homes, so worry not, if you wish not become a big, fancy overlord, you do not have to.
The concept of Thane is always hard to perceive in modern times, since they are rarely portrayed in a historically correct sense - They are most often portrayed as nobles (which in a way they are.... It's hard to... Ah, screw it!)
YOU CAN BECOME A THANE
BE HAPPY!
Last batch of Pictures
May this last batch of pictures tease you, like a meatball sub teases Joey Tribbiani and like an opportunity to be an ass, teases Mel Gibson.
We are nearing the release and I've taken a bunch of pictures, that I think you will really like. This'll be my last post containing pictures, since we won't need them in 2 days time. I hope you enjoy them. (Remember to click them)
We are nearing the release and I've taken a bunch of pictures, that I think you will really like. This'll be my last post containing pictures, since we won't need them in 2 days time. I hope you enjoy them. (Remember to click them)
