Do I get in the Dark Brotherhood the same way as Oblivion? Just kill an innocent? How about the thieves guild?

What is a easy race/class ( I know there are no classes, but skills) for a newb to pick up and get right into?

Picking up the game later today.

I think Imperials are pretty well-rounded, aren't they?

I chose an Imperial for the first play through because they seem like a good mix of characteristics.

Pre-release I heard the Radiant AI was supposed to really open up the npc interaction. For instance: if you drop an item, npcs would pick it up and use it, etc etc. I've left a long bow and a perfect garnet on the ground in the middle of a busy village and no one is touching either one.

disappointed

Maybe because they knew you were watching. It's THAT smart!

Quick question: I have the Xbox version and i noticed as soon as I loaded it yesterday it downloaded something that I assume was a patch. I bought a good (good, good) friend a copy as well, but she lives in the mountains and has no Xbox Live access (no internet up there). Is there a way to copy the patches onto a thumb drive? I know how to transfer saves and profiles but can't figure this out. I know more patches are coming soon too and may be dramatic.

actually i left the village for a couple of day/night cycles. came back, everything still there...

I dropped a piece of equipment in a house to make room in my inventory for all the stuff I was stealing, and then I walked over to one of the residents and she mentioned that she wanted it. I don't remember the exact wording, but I even had the option of saying "Go ahead, I don't need it" or "Keep your hands off, it's mine." I told her she could have it and she didn't do anything right away, but I haven't gone back to see if it was still on the floor or if she had taken/equipped it.

So, maybe it only works if you drop something in an "owned" property. I didn't even know about this feature before playing, so it was kind of a pleasant surprise when it happened. I've run into a few other neat little things like that as well.

I'm really enjoying the game so far. In these games (the last 4 Elder Scrolls and othe CRPGs) I always end up plauiingthe same kind of character, a straight up bash 'em fighter with some sneak abilities (for those 6X attacks). I started out that way here with a Nord fighter type but quickly changed my mind after a few hours. I went back and remade it as a Breton, focusing on mage, and now am having a blast. The magic here kicks ass. Maybe I just never paid attention to it much in Oblivion but it seems so much more pwerful here. The fact that you can combine spells as well as keep them firing continuously (turning a fireball into a flamethrower) is great.

Now, I need to find a mages guild.

I always end up playing the same character as well. Typically a mage/thief that uses bows to administer poison and then daggers and spells for hand to hand. I also always invest heavily into Alchemy and run with a ton of potions/poisons on me.

This game I haven't played with enchanting at all yet whereas in Oblivion I was a potion and equipment making fool.

From what I've read, no. You need to be connected. If it was PS3, it's possible to set up a proxy server and download updates to a PC, then to the PS3, but the 360 doesn't have a proxy server option.

Really? That completely sucks. There must be some other way. Not everyone has internet.

Has anyone found the arena yet? That was my favorite part of Oblivion. Hope they didn't take it out in this one!

And once again, as usual for me and a Bethesda game, I am trudging across the landscape, over encumbered and too much of a miser to drop valuable stuff. And so, inch by inch, I make my way to the closest merchant. Who is, truth be told, not very close at all.

I won't pick up anything that isn't worth at least $10/pound. Unless I will use it.

I came across what I thought was a troll tonight. Turned out to be a giant who one hit killed me. After my quick save loaded, i went back to the giant and hit him with a ranged magic attack. I then high tailed it to the nearest large shelter and proceeded to attack him from the safety of the shelter.

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Yeah, uh, that doesn't just happen to the guards. Not that I know from experience or anything.

I dropped a few pieces of stolen merchandise (I stole it from some other town) and the guy at the counter said "One mans trash is another mans treasure. Don't expect that to be there when you get back."

Oh and as for the equipment dropping thing, I remember Fallout 3 did it. It was funny to see the bandits or poor people running around in power armor

Oh and you can't sell stolen items? Or just not where you stole them from?

I was going to see the Greybeards (and by the way, fuck their tower up in the mountains, what a complete slog it was to get there), and right near the entrance to their keep is a goddamn frost troll, the toughest kind of troll in the game. I tried to kill it, no good. I tried to sneak past, no good. I ended up using a shout to keep him at a distance until I made it into the keep and finally the Greybeards helped me kill it. Fucking pain in the ass.

Loving it so far...

I've had one lockup where I had to reset, and a few people fall through the floor/wall, but hasn't really been irritating.

I had an important moment where a courier ran up to me to deliver a message, and right in the middle of his conversation a dragon swooped down and blasted us with fire. Luckily after we killed it, the courier found me and finished the message.

The random dragon encounters in the wilderness are pretty awesome, especially with the accompanying music.

Wow, HUGE glitch just happened to me. I was in the middle of a quest and died and it sent me back to a much older save, and wiped out every save I had since this one. I'm going to have to redo an hour of gaming at least. Son of a bitch.

There's a handy perk in the Pickpocket tree that adds 100 to your carrying weight. Your Pickpocket skill has to be at 50 to get it, though. I always have this same problem with Bethesda games, so nearly every pocket in Whiterun has now been picked, and I now have the extra 100 weight capacity (which will, no doubt, soon be full). I'm working on getting the 5,000 gold for the house so I can store the excess stuff there. I'm ready to go out and actually explore, but I've spent all my time in this one town.

You couldn't sell stolen items in Oblivion either, until you met the conditions for certain merchants to buy them. In Oblivion I believe it was tied to completing quests for them, but in this game it's a perk you unlock in the Speech tree.

Haven't looked back in the thread....you on PC, PS3 or 360?

Yikes, I've never heard of a glitch that erases saves. That kinda defeats the purpose of "save often".

Which is why I never jump in on Bethesda games until a patch or two has come out.

Wait until a glitch hits you that makes it all for naught as it kills your ability to continue the main quest or the like.

Until a couple of patches come out fixing a laundry list of critical glitches, I'll be running through New Vegas or playing something else.