Angle the pic (right stick) in any direction and slowing try to spin the lock (left stick). It's basically just trial and error. If the controller vibrates and the pic starts shaking, you're not in the right place. The harder the lock, the smaller of a sweet-spot it will have.

ever play fall out? Just pick up lock picks. with the left joystick button you spin the knife, and the right joystick you move the pick. If the pick starts to shake and jiggle, then you know you have the pick in the wrong spot..then you move the knife all the way clockwise and it should unlock..

I was looking at the northern lights, and a dragon attacked, however there was a giant with his mammoth nearby and they helped me slaughter the dragon. Awesome, the dragon concentrated on the giant and left me alone.

HA! I had a dragon show up last night and he got completely obsessed with these two mammoths nearby and just kept trying to roast them. I sat back and hit him with a bunch of arrows. Once he got on the ground the mammoths beat the holy shit out of him. It was awesome!

Nah never played Fallout. I once moved the LS all the way to the right and RS keyhole started moving but it broke.

OK, you guys finally convinced me. I am going to give up a chunk of my life and pick up Skyrim next week. The wife will hate me for it, but fuck it.

Anyone else finding it hard to play this game for anytime less than 2 hours in a single setting? Time moves so fast while playing this game.

I forgot to ask but why and what can you do with the straps?

Forge weapons and armer. I don't really bother with it much myself.

Best way to practice lock picking would be to just keep re-loading your previous saves till you get the hang of it.

Larry - bookmark the Skyrim wiki - http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/TES_V:_Skyrim (not sure if there's a better wiki or not?), tons of info there.

Thank you its blocked at work but I'll take a gander once I get home.

If you continually choose not to level up (but your skills have been increasing), will enemies remain at lower levels too?

If the pick starts to wiggle/rattle, then you need to move the lockpick around to find that sweet spot. Like Noonan said..the easier the level of the lock, the bigger the sweet spot is.

Although in Skyrim, it is much less forgiving, I remember in Fallout it would allow you three rattling of the lockpick before it broke, so I always X'ed out and tried again (Since lockpicks were hard to find). With Skyrim, it gives you 2 shots and a break.

You use them to craft/smith items.

You craft items, then you can enchant them..and then sell them. Ups several different skills anda good way to make money

Yep. You'll learn everything you need to know about the world and the game itself from talking to everyone and exhausting all their conversation options. The blacksmith in the very first village teaches you all about forging, smithing, tanning, etc.

Totally agree. I started playing around 7 after work yesterday, and a few quests later it was already 10:30. It was awesome and terrible at the same time.

I really, really frickin love this game. I haven't felt this way about a game since I was a kid. I am just obsessed with it. It is the kind of game I have always dreamed of playing. Oblivion, Fallout, these were great games, but there is just something about Skyrim that is pulling me in like nothing has in years.

I just ordered the soundtrack. I'm pissed I can't download it.

Anyway, has anyone been doing the Dark Brotherhood quests? These have always been my favorite in previous games, and they are even better in Skyrim. I love some of the early dialogue trees, especially with the main woman whose name escapes me atm. Especially the first night mother quest.

I love when she suggests



And also Nazir. "You reek of death, I salute you!"

So I've caved to peer pressure and ordered this game. I have a heck of a tough time just figuring out what to do with these huge open-world, American non-linear RPGs like Fallout 3 and Oblivion. It sounds like this one is more streamlined though. Do you guys think I'll need a guide, or will this one be easy enough for me to just pick up and play?

I'm finding that due to some of the changes in the menus and play style (such as the inability to cast spells with a shield in hand and a sword) I'm rarely using a shield and instead using a lot more magic than I did in Oblivion. Perhaps that was there intent. I still think the graphics look muddier and less pretty compared to Oblivion but I'm getting into it more.

While some of the things I don't like fall into the "it plays more like Fallout" category, I love that they took the Fallout lockpicking style. I never understood how to do it in Oblivion so I would always just force the lock. Luckily I got the skeleton key eventually

I bit too, with the Amazon/MC deal. I liked Oblivion, it just got too big and too nitpicky (all the stuff to pick up, collect 1,520 Nirnroots, etc) and I didn't like how magic was used. I played it about 30 hours, so if I get that much out of Skyrim, I'll be satisfied. I loved Fallout and New Vegas though, and from some of the videos and comments, they've improved some of the things I didn't like about Oblivion.

I thought Fallout 3's (and New vegas's, as well) quest structure was pretty good. The world and people were interesting enough that I enjoyed walking around and talking to people, which would often give quests. Only rarely and briefly was I without a quest or destination that I could (didn't have to) go to, which I like. If Skyrim is similar, that's a good thing.

There are a ton of quests in Skyrim. I have gotten them from books, from bodies I looted, from dogs (seriously), people, and monsters.

It seems like every other person has some sort of quest.

If you just want to play and see where the game takes you, you can get along just fine without a guide. But the same was true of Fallout and Oblivion, IMO. On the other hand, if you want to be sure you do every last quest, see every location, and/or build the most perfect character, you'll definitely need a guide.

To me, this game is an advancement over Oblivion and Fallout, but it's a change in degree, not in kind. If you found those games overwhelming, unenjoyable, or difficult to get oriented while playing, I don't think you'll find Skyrim any better.

Thanks for the input. I have found the other two overwhelming (especially Oblivion), but I'm still willing to give this one a try and see where it goes. Hopefully it'll click for me in a way that the others didn't. If nothing else at least I won't have to agonize over the character selection screen, apparently.

Anyone has cool moments that are not quest related? Here is one of mine:

*Forgive the names, I am awful with names*

I was leaving Winterhold on foot, and ran into a winter storm. I couldn't see much ahead of me since it was getting dark. Walking in the dark trail, I was surprised or ambushed by a White Saber Snow Cat. Powerful creatures that they are I have always died when encountering them. Knowing this I was able to find a rock against the mountain that the Cat was unable to climb. After I shot the Cat with many arrows, the Cat left the area...

So I decided to venture on the same trail. Once I immediately got back on the trail. I ran into a mercenary heading towards Winterhold. She indicated she was on to something or looking for work. I left her so she can continue her journey. Than all of sudden the Winter Saber Snow Cat attacked her. I ran back to help her, thinking that if both of us fight the cat we will win.

But alas the mercenary died from the cat's paws. The Winter Saber Snow Cat decided I was next but the cat was low on health and I killed it with my Axe. I searched the mercenary to see if she had any notes that might have to be delivered as a quest but no. The heavy armor she wore was Dwarven in nature and it was a full set of armor. Not to be of one to lay things to waste. I am currently using the Dwarven armor.

So a cool moment that resulted in me obtaining a nice set of Dwarven armor for my low level warrior.

I posted this on another forum but I didn't see anyone post their stories probably because the thread was way to long...