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Today is Skyrim's birthday - it is 13 years old. Tell us your memories.

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
First skill issue moment in this game when you first climb the 1000 stairs to High Hrothgar (amazing experience by itself, so cool) and that Snow Troll pops up and just absolutely fucks you up when you're at normal level. Dude was so hard to fight.

They actually made you climb all those fucking stairs. I was blown away at the level of commitment in the game design.
 

nowhat

Member
I bought the game, initially, on a 360. Modded and subsequently banned, but hey, it was cheap. I really don't care about multiplayer, so that's no issue.

...except, it was a buggy mess. I was unable to get patches. I've since bought... I don't know how many versions of the game, but some of the bugs still persist. But hey. At least now we have god rays and fishing.
 

Paasei

Member
Remember that one time it crashed?
I get reminded of it everytime I play the game.

In all seriousness, this game is still really fun to play even today with mods.

Considering it can look like this it's quite impressive:
 
The game I was most hyped for as I keep watching interviews and previews of it before it was released more so than any other game. Easily one of the great games of all times along with the other Elder Scrolls and Fallout games excluding ESO and 76.

Skyrim is also the most modded game in gaming history as the mods clicks well into it's world.

Had a lot of fun with this game from the vast amount of dynamic random encounters that was further enhanced by many mods.
 
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BlakeofT

Member
This was one of the last times I ever went to a midnight release. The only one more recent would be the Nintendo Switch launch. I drove by a huge line outside of Gamestop on my way to Walmart, and found that it was basically just as long passing them on the way back. I walked right in and out at Walmart. They even had some sample Mountain Dew and Doritos (or maybe that was the Halo Reach launch...). The game was fun too I guess.
 

R6Rider

Gold Member
I don't remember now if I originally bought it on 360 or PC, but damn what a great time this game was.

Sure it had its issues and also did some things worse than Oblivion (and Morrowinid), but I also thought it did some things better, like scaling.

I still occasionally play it too.

Also, it's damn fun in VR.
 

Loomy

Thinks Microaggressions are Real
Finished the intro mission. Saw a mountain. Decided to just walk there. Saw some mammoths and though "neat, let's go get a closer look". A giant clubbed me to death, and I quit the game for a long time lol.
 

scydrex

Member
PS3 mess. Waiting 24hr for the merchant to have more money. Same inventory always. Ended the game and nothing changed. Civil more but never saw one. Dragons had the same pattern. Worse than Oblivion. Nothing memorable for me.
 

Hunter 99

Member
Got in on release in 2011,2nd year uni and I was living in a studio flat which was awesome.uni was only 3 days a week so I had loads of time to get immersed in that beautiful world.

It was INCREDIBLE , I used to roll and smoke zoots and play for like 4 hours straight.have some food,listen to some music then another zoot and play into the early hours of the morning.i clocked 150 hours in total and got the platinum back then.

What a time that was,getting high and just completely immersed in the open world.defo in my top 5 games of all time for ps3.
 
I remember playing this that winter on my 360 in the upstairs bonus room of my parents' house that had become my "apartment" while I was unemployed; my brother's dog chilling at my feet next to the space heater. Taking breaks to eat some Kraft Mac N Cheese. Nostalgia overload.




Also, Jeremy Soule deserves justice. The soundtrack in this game is beautiful and stands on its own even outside of the game.

This song makes me feel feelings:

 
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I played a bit of Oblivion, was really enjoying it. I think I reformatted or something and lost my save file. I do have the regular version and I think I picked up the VR version at some point. Was going to play it. But then I took an arrow in the knee. (is that the right joke? I can't remember)
 

Gp1

Member
My memories...

Install
Install a truckload of mods,
see if it's working
Install a bunch more mods.
Play for 10-20 hours
Install a bunch more mods
install a bunch of new areas and not visit any of them
performance went to shit, break the save.

rinse and repeat in a year or so.
 
I will always remember this game, not only because the date it released 11/11/11, but that was also the same date my gf and I got our first apartment together, boxes everywhere, 2 new kittens running around like maniacs, and there I was with nothing else set up but the TV and Skyrim. Marx (one of our cats) would come sleep on my lap while I played every night. Ahh, miss those days. That first save file will always be the most memorable playthrough, loved every minute of it. Sword and board for the win.
 

od-chan

Gold Member
I never understood how people were so amazed by Skyrim. I kind of get it for modding dragon maidens in to have sex with if that's your thing I guess, but I do not get how people would put up with this ridiculous battle system. It was alreasy bad in Oblivion, but that's like a 2004 game or something, so there's really no excuses for Skyrim following the same shitty formula. Also it was a really ugly game, with all the snow and the mountains. Don't get me wrong, I love snowy regions, but they just didn't pull it off well, artistically speaking. It just looked bland and horrible, the grassy sunny foresty vibe worked much better in Oblivion.

The story is meh, of course, but that applies to most stories in general (whether it's games, or books or films). And that wouldn't really be an issue, if you had an interesting world, or characters, to get people hooked instead. Alas, Skyrim offers none of these.

I don't say this to be contrarian or anything, I've maintained this position since 2011. I honestly don't understand how people can enjoy a game this bad that much. While Oblivion was at least still a 7/10 or 8/10 or something, this is honestly no higher than 4/10.
 

Dazraell

Member
My memories...

Install
Install a truckload of mods,
see if it's working
Install a bunch more mods.
Play for 10-20 hours
Install a bunch more mods
install a bunch of new areas and not visit any of them
performance went to shit, break the save.

rinse and repeat in a year or so.
That's my regular Skyrim experience as well lol
 

Lambogenie

Member
Was at some town, told to find something at some snowy mountain, got attacked by some random near some tomb, I think. Want to play it properly but also too lazy.
 

Trunx81

Member
iL6fBjZ.jpeg


Once I rose above the noise and confusion
Just to get a glimpse beyond this illusion
I was soaring ever higher, but I flew too high
 

RJMacready73

Simps for Amouranth
Completed it twice before playing it in VR and ho boy, even with the muddy PS3 like graphics of the original PSVR1 replaying it in VR felt like a new game, soooooo much more immersive and walking through familiar locales felt brand new and it really lent itself to my play style of stealth and using a bow, I would absolutely love them to release it again for PSVR2 with massively upgraded graphics as the first one really did suck balls and id love to replay it on PC with the incredible amount of mods you can add.

As for mods, some of the stuff people post over at skyrimporn Reddit looks like a whole new game with the total visual overhauls, some of them look like entirely different games


I mean look at that
 

Gp1

Member
...but I do not get how people would put up with this ridiculous battle system. It was alreasy bad in Oblivion, but that's like a 2004 game or something, so there's really no excuses for Skyrim following the same shitty formula. Also it was a really ugly game, with all the snow and the mountains. Don't get me wrong, I love snowy regions, but they just didn't pull it off well, artistically speaking. It just looked bland and horrible, the grassy sunny foresty vibe worked much better in Oblivion.

You can mod all of that as well. There are basically new games constructed inside Skyrim(and when i say new, it is new settings, new combat, new quests, new storyline, new progression, etc.), and some of them even jumped to a standalone release.

The main thing with Bethesda games is the engine.
 

GymWolf

Member
Had fun playing with the physics and screaming people out of ledges but then the shitty combat, generous amount of bugs and dull writing\meh plot creeps in after the first 15-20 hours and i bail out every single time, and i hate to install mods to fix the job of shitty devs so i probably never experienced the "real" skyrim :lollipop_squinting:

The game is definitely more than the sum of its parts but it's just not for me like most bethesda games.

I think i had more fun with oblivion tbh.
 
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mansoor1980

Member
Had fun playing with the physics and screaming people out of ledges but then the shitty combat, generous amount of bugs and dull writing\meh plot creeps in after the first 15-20 hours and i bail out every single time, and i hate to install mods to fix the job of shitty devs so i probably never experienced the "real" skyrim :lollipop_squinting:

The game is definitely more than the sum of its parts but it's just not for me like most bethesda games.

I think i had more fun with oblivion tbh.
309542352_459279412897361_2083727288164876818_n.jpg
 
Failed my exams my first semester of college due to it lol. I got completely sucked into Skyrim when it came out (it was my first Elder Scrolls game).
 
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Reactions: Gp1

MonkD

Member
Performance on PS3 was utter shite. How did we get used to so many games running like slideshows?
 

coffinbirth

Member
Completed it twice before playing it in VR and ho boy, even with the muddy PS3 like graphics of the original PSVR1 replaying it in VR felt like a new game, soooooo much more immersive and walking through familiar locales felt brand new and it really lent itself to my play style of stealth and using a bow, I would absolutely love them to release it again for PSVR2 with massively upgraded graphics as the first one really did suck balls and id love to replay it on PC with the incredible amount of mods you can add.

As for mods, some of the stuff people post over at skyrimporn Reddit looks like a whole new game with the total visual overhauls, some of them look like entirely different games


I mean look at that
I mean, if you have a PSVR2 and a capable PC, you can get two birds stoned at once here.
 
Skyrim was the game I played the first time I ate a 100mg THC edible and it was one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had while gaming. I felt so immersed and got lost inside a forest at one point. I remember legit freaking out while exploring a crypt and I was ambushed by Draugrs and Skeletons. I haven't played it in years, but I deeply love the game. I think I still enjoy Oblivion more, but Skyrim has given me many core gaming memories for sure as well.

Hopefully Bethesda return to form with Elder Scrolls VI.
 
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ahtlas7

Member
I collected everything I found and took it back to my house then empty the inventory onto the floor. Every time I entered the house it would load with an explosion of things flying everywhere. Ahhh, good times
 

King Dazzar

Member
They actually made you climb all those fucking stairs. I was blown away at the level of commitment in the game design.
First skill issue moment in this game when you first climb the 1000 stairs to High Hrothgar (amazing experience by itself, so cool) and that Snow Troll pops up and just absolutely fucks you up when you're at normal level. Dude was so hard to fight.
True fact, its meant to be 7,000 steps, but you actually climb 748.
 

winjer

Member
Easily, the game I modded the most.
And it really needed it, because this game was a buggy mess of a game. And it also had average graphics for the time.
But with the proper mods, it became a much better game.
 

The Stig

Banned
A skyrim mod made me laugh harder than just about anything EVER has.

I present to you........

MACHO DRAGON!


It gets better and better as it goes on.

edit - the original version had "burn bay burn, disco inferno" playing in the background, even more hilarious
 
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Humdinger

Gold Member
Loved it. I have scattered memories of many parts of the game, some dramatic (e.g., climbing the steps to High Hrothgar at night in a full moon), many of them quite ordinary (exchanges with shopkeepers, wandering along a stream, etc.).

I found it very immersive. It's my second favorite Bethesda game, next to Morrowind. It was Bethesda doing what they did best - open-world exploration. Imo, it's the last good game Bethesda made. It's like they used up what ever creative energy they had left on that game - understandable, it's a huge one - and after that, they just sort of coasted along, becoming primarily about the money.

I would play for 4 hours at a stretch, which is unusual for me. I ended up playing it through twice, once in the original form and again in the Special Edition, both on console. I put about 400 hours into it.

Great game; one of my top ten.
 
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I still remember leaving my first cave, it was nighttime and it was the first time I saw an aurora borealis in the game, and this song started to play which I hadn’t heard yet.



I had to stop and just let my character stand there for a while and enjoy the moment. I love this game so much and still play it to this day.

My favorite thing about Skyrim is probably the overall experience of exploration, and how much it rewards exploration, there are so many small added stories or details scattered throughout the world, such as…
whmlnmr.jpeg
 
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Brilliant game for its time. Incredible music, vast world to explore. So many happy memories playing this game during undergrad.

I miss exploring Dwemer ruins, and discovering black reach or whatever the underground area is was incredible at the time.
 

Sooner

Member
I recall playing it, thinking it was pretty good, beating it and moving to the next game.

Ah, memories.....
 

Euler007

Member
One of my best friend came over and we played through the first few hours together. I don't see him much anymore, bittersweet memories.
 
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