I'm pretty sure that the non-preorders get a paper map, while the preorders get a cloth map.

 

No, the cloth map comes with the collector's edition. I thought something similar, but...

 

Merp, I'm just repeating what they told me in the store, it's probably poster size or something, did the preorder at gamestop.

 

Some guy made a list of the skill list and racial bonuses after playing it.

Also an Elder Scrolls novel has been released and the first fifty pages has been posted online. For anyone interested,click here for a peek.


edit:Apparently I double posted the same thing. :facepalm

 

From http://www.gamesradar.com/skyrim-pre-order-bonus-is-a-premium-map/

 

Nice, though i wish they were doing the coin thing again. I can't believe those are worth so much now.

 

I'm right there with you. I've been trying to implement precisely this as a homebrew version of D&D for years now (no class/cross-class skills, just skills - EVERYTHING turned into a skill - even HP and AC).

Personally, I hate the idea of classes and major/minor skills. I've never picked a class in Morrowind - always did custom. Now that I've finally gotten around to Oblivion, I custom-classed too.

The star signs were stupid, too. That you can go around and decide "Hey, I need some warrior boost instead of Mage boost, and just switch your active standing stone to the mage from Warrior, thrills me.

I love the idea that you can actually get in on the economies of these towns now.

What I want is a mod that basically lets me do exactly what Taure said in an earlier post - escalade the socioeconomy.

I like that there's no longer some bizarro psychic connection amongst the guards throughout the entire land. Somehow news that my character was a criminal managed to reach distant lands faster than I could use the consul to COC her to that location.

Oblivion is worse than Morrowind on this account: In Morrowind, my character could commit a crime unseen and get away with it. In Oblivion, the whole "psychic connection" thing amongst the guards got taken to its logical extreem: guards know you're comming crimes - what you did, and which of your goods are stolen, even if you go unseen.

The spell casting system looks great to me, though a lack of spell creation irks me some. I like being able to just go get a catch all "bound everything" spell that only lasts 10 to 15 seconds (I really only need 1 second anyway).

We'll see.

I really like the dragon calls. Mainly because it really does set you apart from everyone else. I keep getting the feeling in Oblivion that nothing I'm doing would be particularly hard for anyone else in the game. With this, ability, I'll literally be the only one in the game who can do the calls (well, except the dragons themselves).

 

I never really saw this - if I am seen committing a crime, yeah, everybody everywhere knows I did it which sucks, but if I go unseen, then nobody knows it. I've looted plenty of houses and even murdered a bunch of people while sneaking, so I know that it's possible to get away with theft, murder etc. (although the stolen tag is always on the goods).

As for the rest, yeah, I've always made a custom class too (Denarian ftw!), and am really looking forward to the new system. I hope Bethesda can get it right this time around, without the need for mods.

I replayed Oblivion recently and was struck by the huge differences in combat and movement between it and Mount & Blade: Warband. After that, Oblivion's clunky movement, stupid horse controls and fighting style all seem rather... dated. It annoys me that a small time developer managed to do so much better than Bethesda, who have built multiple series of RPGs and should really have mastered such a basic aspect by now.

 

What skills/sign did you pick for Denarian? I'd imagine destruction and illusion would be majors, at the least.

 

Obviously. IIRC, Destruction, Illusion, Athletics, Sneak, Blade, Light Armor, Acrobatics. I don't remember too well, I tend to vary it according to what I want to do. Once, I dropped Illusion for Marksmanship, but aside from that I don't remember most of my builds.

 

I love the dragon shouts too, though I disagree that nothing you could do in Oblivion felt unique. I was damn sure that no other being in Cyrodiil could kill fifty guards with their bare hands in the Imperial City's market district before they were taken down.

Kill a guard. No matter what you do, no matter how you do it or where you do it from, it's reported. Almost anything else you can get away with, but off a guard and the crime goes right to the hive mind. Even if you one shot them with an arrow from a hundred feet away while sneaking and 100% chameleon'd, while out of bounds using toggle collision.

 

I don't remember too well, so maybe you're right about vanilla guards, but I know for a fact that I got away with Adamus Phillida's murder after I killed his bodyguard too. No bounty, nothing. And IIRC both of those are in the guard faction.

 

Dark Brotherhood quests were scripted exceptions as far as I know.

 

The bodyguard commits suicide when you kill Adamus Phillida, and assuming you shoot him with the Arrow of Sithis like you're supposed to, it only counts as assault. Aside from that, I don't remember.

 

Bumblebee what have you done to yourself?! D:



So, there's this new book out. Are either of the Elder Scrolls books I keep hearing about any good?

 

Just found this 'What We Know So Far' series on Youtube. Pretty cool. Also, no werewolves, it's been announced.

Edit - Also found these pictures of each race as it will look in Skyrim. Pure awesome.

Edit the Second - Scans of the Xbox 360 manual, leaked on October 11th.

 

I hope to god that the faces are at least customizable similarly to Oblivion, or we're going to have a problem. Most of the female faces (and some of the males) are pretty plain.

 

The best news I've heard is the confirmed ability to summon a dragon to fight for you. I will abuse the everloving hell out of that.