Favorite Builds

[Drac]

I was wondering which build you guys like. My main build is an Imperial with the following skill trees:

- Heavy Armor
- One-Handed
- Block
- Archery

[CEPHY]

STEALTH ARCHER

Or, if I have the self control do actually play a different playstyle, Heavy Armor, Two Handed and Enchanting.

Then again, I'm using the "Wildcat" and "Combat Gameplay Overhaul" mods together, so going melee is actually pretty fun now.

[Vul†s]

Nord Heavy armor, 1handed and shield or Orc Light armor Dual Wield (Axes). I like to play with Vampire heavy armor 2handed also, but requires some mods to full immersion and better gameplay.

[no1schmo]

Everything. I get bored after a while and change it up, so usually when I play, I wind up with a guy good at most things. Playing 100 hours purely using two-handed swords is not fun to me.

[alexander_dougherty]

I usually end up levelling every skill to get my character level up to level 80 to try to see the Ebony Warrior and Legendary Dragons....

[Melkolf]

Problem with Skyrim is, unless you forcibly refuse to use certain skills, every character ends up basically the same - just about proficient in everything. Thus there are no actual discrete builds, unlike in MW or Oblivion where discrete builds were more possible, outside of 1H v 2H, archer or mage, sneak or no hiding.

Try playing a speech-led, illusion distracting pacifist healer, for example - it's fun for a while but you don't get very far in the game at all.

To an extent that's the joy of Skyrim - unlike DnD etc where one is a captive of ones class and background, here one can be basically the same as the next guy and all those that came before you.

It's all so refreshing to break the chains of class and background. Utter freedom from overt systemic control to be exactly the same as everyone else...

No, it's just boring, really!

[kharille]

In early game I went for conjuring. Seems to be the only way to have unlimited encumbrance but it takes so much work to level up dead thrall. Its only late game past level 100 that I'm levelling up light and heavy armour and one and two handed.

I think I'd like to max out pickpocketing, that might come in at the end. Need to travel alone so that my companion doesn't set off attacks, so I can pickpocket bandits.

[John]

Everything which is not the Meta, so basically no stealth archer, no sword & board, no light armor.

[no1schmo]

Originally posted by Melkolf:

Problem with Skyrim is, unless you forcibly refuse to use certain skills, every character ends up basically the same - just about proficient in everything. Thus there are no actual discrete builds, unlike in MW or Oblivion where discrete builds were more possible, outside of 1H v 2H, archer or mage, sneak or no hiding.

Try playing a speech-led, illusion distracting pacifist healer, for example - it's fun for a while but you don't get very far in the game at all.

To an extent that's the joy of Skyrim - unlike DnD etc where one is a captive of ones class and background, here one can be basically the same as the next guy and all those that came before you.

It's all so refreshing to break the chains of class and background. Utter freedom from overt systemic control to be exactly the same as everyone else...

No, it's just boring, really!

I see both sides. Alot of RPGs do feel pretty restrictive in their roles, like if you choose this class, you WILL be using the same gear, the same moves, etc. If you don't, you're not really getting a different experience, you're just straight gimping yourself. I like both. I also think TES has always been hamstrung by thinking in DnD terms, with spells and equipment that would work great in a team but don't really work when it's just you or just you and a rock-stupid follower (unless you go out of your way to have a follower, 2 thralls, a pet, and your follower and thralls are all necromancers that raise more helpers, etc).

Also, I think, for some odd reason, that Bethesda expected you to "finish" a playthrough no higher than level 50, if that. Especially before DLC. No vanilla follower goes higher than that (except J'zargo and that's probably not intentional), no enemy (I think) goes higher than that in vanilla either, except the Ebony Warrior and he's supposed to be like this super high-level challenge. Most enemies and companions don't even go that high, usually stopping between 25 and 30. So Beth probably thought the average player would only level, I mean really level, like 4-5 skills at most. By that logic, different builds are entirely possible. It's like they never though that people would actually DO alot of the side-quests or explore alot of the dungeons and therefore go beyond that.