I play Skyrim

Dawnguard, first Skyrim DLC revealed

2012-05-01T10:22:00.000+08:00

Bethesda revealed The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dawnguard. At first, I thought it is an expansion. But it turned out, it is just a downloadable content. Nevertheless, Bethesda promised that DLCs for Skyrim will have tons of content and will feel more like expansions.

Dawnguard will be released this summer for the XBox 360, exclusively for one month. More details to come at E3.

Skyrim Holiday Mods

2011-12-27T10:55:00.000+08:00

I guess it's not too late to post something about the Holiday Season. This is a collection of Skyrim Christmas Mods to keep the spirit of the holiday season high while playing Skyrim.

I've read some of them at GameSpy but I added some from Skyrim Nexus below.

Skyrim Santa Claus

This mod changes the colors of the Fine Clothes outfit into that of Santa. It even changes the Dragon Shout "FUS RO DAH" into the familiar "HO HO HO" of Santa Claus.

Christmas - Festive Armor

Replaces the jester armor texture and steel shield texture

Christmas - Festive Weapons

Works well with festive armor. Replaces Akaviri Katana, glass dagger and Hunting bow/ steel arrows! A retexture for the festive season!

Santa Hat

The famous Santa Hat in Ebony Mail, Daedric boots, ebony Gauntlets, And Spellbreaker flavors.

Christmas Elf Costume

Christmas Elf Costume; a retexture of the Jester sets.

Nicer Snowflakes

Better-looking, high-res snowflakes improve the experience in snowy regions all-year-round and not just during Christmas. There are four types to choose from.

Happy Skyrim Holidays!

2011-12-25T09:09:00.000+08:00

Happy Skyrim Holidays Dovahkiins!

Steam is offering TES V: Skyrim today for only $40.19. Grab it now!

Merry Skyrim Christmas or Happy Skyrim Holidays, whatever you prefer! The image showing a dragon pulling Santa's sleigh was posted on the Facebook Elder Scrolls page. Neat! Santa must be having a wild, fiery Christmas ride! Spare them dragons even if only for one day will ya? They do make the kids happy on Christmas day.

Also, check out Steam's deal for today. Skyrim for only $40.19! That's 1/3 or 33% off of the regular $59.99 price. This is the best deal you could ever get for this GOTY-winning game.

Me, I got my Skyrim for around $43 which is the regular price here so it's not too big a discount for me.

The Elder Scrolls Lore in a Minute

2011-12-20T09:04:00.000+08:00

Here's a brief summary of the Elder Scrolls lore... so brief it's just 1 minute long...

Basically it summarizes the plots from the Elder Scrolls games Arena, Daggerfall, Morrowind, Oblivion and finally Skyrim. I don't think the other spin-off games like Redguard and Battlespire were mentioned. Maybe those games are not part of the canon Elder Scrolls lore?

Literal Skyrim Trailer

2011-12-15T03:06:00.000+08:00

This is how the Skyrim trailer would sound if it had "literal" lyrics...

There is the official Skyrim trailer, the Skyrim trailer in different languages and then there is the literal Skyrim trailer. Obviously, not all Skyrim trailers are created equal. This particular one is funny...

Lyrics:

Bethesda Game Studios
Should probably fire their helicopter cameraman
Ominously lit carving of some dragons
Cameraman running through the forest
Slow zoom on a carving of Gandalf and his friends
Confused dragon trying to mate with some birds. The first Tie-Fighter
Overworked cameraman running through the snow
Carving of an ancient tug-of-war (slow dramatic zoom)
Running towards a tiny hill. STOP!! That's a cliff
Carvings of dragons breathe carvings of fire
Dude, turn around or you'll die
Shaky rocky formation
Pan down then it opens its eye
Pull out your sword on a ledge
Carving is rooting for the dragon
Sword-fighting a dragon in the snow's gotta be cold. OR NOT!
Show the fire carving burning the shield carving
Leg carving. Medium-shot carving
He's regretting wearing a sleeveless tunic for this fight
VOICE ATTACK! But his voice went too far right
It went to a mountain town and a forest. Stop for the night
In the morning, pass the windmill to a natural stone rocky formation bridge
Then it snows on a stream.
There's a giant. Follow him, then him.
Shave a dragon, and a werewolf, and the patron is next
Battle axe! Help him floss!
Shoot a frostbit at a wall, spin attack (FAIL!)
Fire-bomb, dragon leaves when his barber is done
Shoot a puppy with an arrow, make a ball in your hands (Get stabbed!)
Dragon wants a refund, sneak-smack a big spider
Then barber gives dragon free touch-ups on his way out
That's why you should sit still at the barber
Dragon's soul tells off the clumsy barber
Then it goes through the trees to tell its back-up "Thanks for nothing."
Skyrim. The Elder Scrolls, V. 111111. Dots.

Skyrim is VGA 2011 GOTY

2011-12-12T01:47:00.001+08:00

Skyrim won the Game of the Year award in Spike's Video Game Awards 2011 as expected. On top of that, it also won the Best Role-Playing Game title. Bethesda Game Studios was named the Studio of the Year.

Like many players who have had Syrim as their top pick even before the game's release, the VGA Council chose The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim as the Game of the Year 2011. There's no doubt that the other games who vied for the title are AAA-games but Skyrim toppled them all. They just don't compare to the epicness and scope Skyrim offers!

Skyrim also won the Best RPG award. Seeing that it already won the GOTY, Best Role-Playing Game should follow. Having a massive, open world offers players limitless roleplaying possibilities.

Skyrim's impact also helped Bethesda Game Studios to win the Studio of the Year award. I'd like to note that Bethesda Softworks published four games in 2011 (Skyrim, RAGE, Hunted: Demon's Forge, Brink) but only Skyrim was developed by Bethesda Game Studios.

There are 4 other nominations that Skyrim and Bethesda failed to win: Trailer of the Year for Skyrim & Prey 2, Best DLC for Fallout: New Vegas - Old World Blue, Best Shooter for RAGE and Best Graphics for RAGE but that's OK. As the saying goes, "give chance to others." xD

By the way, the Diablo III opening cinematic was shown for the first time in VGA 2011.

iBuyPower Skyrim Giveaway

2011-12-10T21:23:00.001+08:00

To all Dragonborns out there, iBuyPower is giving away The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Game Bundles - include game, official game guide & more. So if you are ready to slay dragons, enter now!

Prizes:

2x Ultimate Skyrim Game Bundle (Skyrim game + Official Game Guide + Skyrim Developer Signed XBox Game Sleeves)
3x Skyrim Game Bundle (Skyrim Game + Official Game Guide)
5x Skyrim T-shirts
3x Dragonborn hats

The Contest begins at 12:00 PM Pacific Time ("PST") on December 7, 2011 and ends on 12:00 PM PST on December 21, 2011.

Like iBUYPOWER on Facebook
SHARE this giveaway on your wall
E-mail your name and age to giveaways@ibuypower.com. Include "Skyrim Giveaway" in the subject line.

iBuyPower Skyrim Giveaway

Contest Rules:
By participating in this Contest, you agree to these Contest Rules: No purchase necessary to win. A purchase does not increase or improve chances of winning. Void where prohibited by law. The Contest is open only to legal residents age 18 or older who reside in the United States and the District of Columbia ("Entrant"). Entrants must be an iBUYPOWER fan and e-mail their name and age to giveaways@ibuypower.com to be eligible for our contest prizes. Limit one winner, per prize, per address. Employees, officers, and directors of Sponsor and its parent, affiliated, and subsidiary companies, distributors, retailers, licensors, advertising and promotional agencies (collectively, "Sponsor's Entities")(and the immediate family members, including parents, spouses, children, and siblings, of all the foregoing) are not eligible to participate or win. The Contest begins at 12:00 PM Pacific Time ("PST") on December 7, 2011 and ends on 12:00 PM PST on December 21, 2011. All winners will be selected randomly from the pool of eligible entrants. Winners will be announced on Facebook. To redeem their prize, winners will be responsible for replying to the Administrator's confirmation e-mail with their name and shipping address. Odds of winning depend upon the number of eligible entries received by 12:00 PM PST on December 21, 2011. iBUYPOWER reserves the right to modify the rules of this contest in any way, at any time. This Contest is void where and to the extent prohibited by law and is subject to all applicable laws, including, without limitation, federal, statem and local laws and regulations. In the event of non-compliance by any winner with the official rules of this Contest, an alternative winner may be selected. Inappropriate comments, images, videos, or artwork will automatically result in a disqualification of the entrant. Once announced, winners will have till 3 days after the winners' announcement to redeem their prize(s). Prizes are non-transferable. Return of any prize or prize notification as undeliverable will result in a disqualification of the winner and an alternative winner may be selected. Except where legally prohibited, acceptance of any prize constitutes permission for iBUYPOWER to use each winner's name, photograph, likeness, voice, address (city and state), email address and testimonials, in printed, broadcast or other media, whether now known or hereafter developed, in perpetuity, in any manner it deems appropriate in connection with promoting this or any other Contest and/or promotion sponsored by it, without further compensation to the winner. This promotion is no way sponsored, endorsed, or administrated by, or associated with, Facebook. You are providing your information to iBUYPOWER and not to Facebook.

Song of Skyrim

2011-12-09T15:57:00.000+08:00

This is the 2nd animated cartoon by Harry Partridge.

Animation by: Harry Partridge and Emma-Louise Wakley
Colours by: Joyce Oder
Written and Performed by: Harry Partridge

The first video

Lyrics

What happened to you gamers?
It seems somewhere along the way
You turned from doing good
And so now evil's holding sway

Rhythm games and fitness games
And even cooking sims!
What else are we to do?
Fight the fight in old Skyrim!

Beyond the frozen tundra
Lies the homeland of the Nords
Where radiant stories bloom
and you can dual wield magic and swords

Use perks just like in Fallout
Defend the family that you've reared
Kill dragons just by shouting
You can even have a beard

The game of life's a drag
It's filled with homework, filled with books
My job is lame and girls make fun
Of my less than stellar looks

Damn it boy why do you heed
To such shallow, mortal whims?
There's a battle that needs your steel my son
In the land of old Skyrim!

Skyrim patch 1.3

2011-12-08T15:00:00.000+08:00

Just a few days after the 1.2 update, Bethesda released the Skyrim patch 1.3. With this update, the company hopes to fix the game-breaking bugs and stability issues reported by players.

Perhaps due to pressure from players and big media sites like IGN (here and here), Bethesda released another patch. The last update was supposed to fix a slew of major bugs and glitches in the game but apparently, it didn't work for ALL players. The 1.2 patch even created new bugs according to some reports from players.

More stability and performance fixes in Skyrim patch 1.3 and more to go in the coming weeks. Why didn't Skyrim have these on day one? We could have been playing to the fullest from the start and we don't have to download patches one by one.

Skyrim 1.3 patchnotes/changelog:

General stability improvements
Optimize performance for Core 2 Duo CPUs (PC)
Fixed Radiant Story incorrectly filling certain roles
Fixed magic resistances not calculating properly
Fixed issue with placing books on bookshelves inside player purchased homes
Fixed dragon animation issues with saving and loading
Fixed Y-look input to scale correctly with framerate
We’re also planning on rolling out support for 4-Gigabyte Tuning (Large Address Aware) next week for our PC users. Stay tuned!

Update: Dec 21, 2011

A small, incremental update, Skyrim patch 1.3.10 for the PC adds support to 4 GB memory. This should make the game run more smoothly in PCs with bigger RAM.

Skyrim 1.3.10 patchnotes/changelog:

Support for 4-Gigabyte Tuning (Large Address Aware)
Fixed issue with accented characters not displaying properly at the end of a line

Alodia Gosiengfiao's GameSpot interview

2011-12-07T22:08:00.001+08:00

In an interview with GameSpot Asia, CosPlay queen Alodia Gosiengfiao mentioned that her favorite game right now is Skyrim.

She was in Singapore for the Sony Uphoria party during the interview.

Alodia Gosiengfiao is a Filipina cosplayer, host and gamer. She has appeared several times in Philippine FHM's 100 Sexiest Women polls. She was also named one of the Most Influential Women in the Philippines by Uno Magazine.

Alodia likes many games from different genres but her favorites are RPGs, Western or Japanese. She likes fantasy games and all the magic in them.

She did mention that her character in Skyrim is a High Elf and that it took her 2-3 hours to make it. 2-3 hours of tinkering with the sliders and controls to make that perfect look. That sounds like me. Anyway, I hope we get to see her dressed up as one of the races in Skyrim in the future. Now that would be cool.

Some notes:

Skyrim - facorite video game she's currently playing
Alodia Gosiengfiao @ Facebook
Ragnarok - first character cosplayed
She wrote a paper on Chrono Cross for school
WitchBlade - Toughest costume not based on a video game character
Baroness from GI Joe, and Elf costume - favorite costumes

the Skyrim Trailer in different languages

2011-12-05T01:25:00.000+08:00

Watch the Skyrim trailer in different languages.

I saw the Japanese trailer and thought it sounded different. It is similar to the animes like Naruto and Bleach that I watch. I thought it was amusing so I looked for other Skyrim trailers in different languages.

I'm just interested in dubbed versions, not those with subtitles only. So far, I've found only three Skyrim trailers dubbed in other languages.

Japanese

French

German(Deutsch)

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim official trailer
The Japanese one uses the World of Skyrim trailer

A Griefer's Guide to Skyrim

2011-12-03T14:51:00.000+08:00

Who thought you could only do griefing in online multiplayer games? Skyrim is such a massive world and there are tons of things you could do, the least of which is griefing. However, if you want to grief in Skyrim, you're only griefing lifeless (but lifelike) NPCs. If you're that kind of person who takes fun in making/seeing others suffer, here are some of the crazy things you could do in Skyrim.

Some of the activities mentioned here make use of bugs or glitches but most just take advantage of the game's artificial intelligence limitations. One thing is certain though: they are either fun to do or funny. xD

Beautiful Skyrim screenshots at Dead End Thrills

2011-12-02T22:54:00.001+08:00

Look at these Skyrim screenshots from Dead End Thrills. They're not your ordinary screenshots; they're picture perfect and of wallpaper quality. This is how Skyrim is meant to be played -- looking this good.

Reading the descriptions of these screenshots at Dead End Thrills, it looks like you can't achieve this high quality no matter how hard you try tweaking the options in the settings. (And we're still waiting for Bethesda to release HD textures for the PC version) Duncan had to use several tricks to get these desired results: using console commands, editing INI files, using mods and even using edited EXEs (?).

Just a list of in-game console commands he uses. To know more Skyrim tweaks he uses, read here. He details some Skyrim.ini and SkyrimPrefs.ini settings there.

tfc : short for Toggle Free Camera, unlocks the camera from your player and works in first- and thirdperson.
tfc 1 : toggles the free camera but also freezes the action.
fov [value] : adjusts the game’s field of view.
sgtm [value] : adjust the game’s global time modifier for slow-motion, etc.
help [search string] 0 : finds console commands and item IDs matching the search criteria.
player.placeatme [item ID] [quantity] : spawns the specified object or NPC at your location. Note: you can use this to spawn a dragon.
tai : click on a creature or NPC and then use this to disable its AI, freezing its pose.
tcl : toggles the game’s clipping, letting you reach unreachable places.

Dead End Thrills Flickr Photostream - every screenshot Duncan Harris captures including those from other games

Duncan Harris interview by Kotaku

Here are some of my favorites:

Smoke on the Water

Streaming

We Own the Sky

Here be Dragons

Heat

With Friends Like These...

Peak Time

Spawn a Dragon in Skyrim

2011-12-01T15:26:00.000+08:00

In the PC version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, you can use a console command to spawn a dragon. You DO know that, don't you?

Now you do! To use this command on the PC version of Skyrim, open up the console by pressing the tilde key(~) on your keyboard. Then type the following code and press enter.

player.placeatme [code] [quantity]

Replace [code] with one of the dragon codes below. Replace [number] with the number of dragons you want to spawn. So for example you want to spawn three Blood Dragons with Dragon Souls, type:

player.placeatme F77F8 3

Dragon Codes:

Dragon (with soul): EAFB4
Dragon, Blood (with soul): F77F8
Dragon, Blood (no soul): F8118
Dragon, Elder (with soul): F811A
Dragon, Elder (no soul): 000FEA9B
Dragon, Frost (with soul) 0010FEEC

To quickly retype the last code, press the "Up" button(cursor) on your keyboard. Spawn as many dragons as you like or as your PC can handle. This is how to spawn an unlimited number of dragons.

This is cheating and can get you BANNED from playing Skyrim ever again. Just kidding. Remember that using this trick may have unseen consequences like messed-up achievements, instant death and carnage in your neighborhood.

If you're wondering how many dragons flying around looks like and you do not have a top-of-the-line PC, here's a video of Skyrim with 50 spawned Elder Dragons in Riverwood.

Support Bethesda at the Video Games Awards 2011

2011-11-30T16:34:00.001+08:00

Last time, I said that Skyrim was nominated for the Game of the Year in Video Games Awards 2011. That time, the nominees in the other categories have not been revealed yet. This time, it looks like Bethesda have been given eight nominations, with Skyrim taking three. Let us support Bethesda by voting for them in Spike TV's Video Games Awards 2011.

The winners will be announced on December 10, 2011.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has been nominated in three categories: Game of the Year, Best Role-Playing Game and GameTrailers.com's Trailer of the Year. No surprises there but I'm a little disappointed that Skyrim wasn't included in the Best Graphics category. The world of Skyrim looks great - the environment, the amount of detail in every object and its people. The only reasons I could think of are some annoying animation quirks I find from time to time and maybe some bug-related graphical errors.

The competition is surely tough and every nominee is deserving to win but only one must come out on top and that is SKYRIM.

Vote now:

Game of the Year - Skyrim
Best RPG - Skyrim
Trailer of the Year - Skyrim & Prey 2
Best Studio - Bethesda Game Studios
Best DLC - Fallout: New Vegas - Old World Blues
Best Shooter - RAGE
Best Graphics - RAGE

Skyrim patch 1.2

2011-11-29T18:47:00.001+08:00

Bethesda started rolling out TESV: Skyrim patch 1.2 today. The update will be made available to PC, XBox 360 and PS3 at different times. It is already available to European players as well as the PS3 players in North America as of this writing. For XBox 360 and PC players, the patch will be available for download on Wednesday, November 30, 2011.

Skyrim patch 1.2 is labeled as Skyrim 2.01 on the PlayStation Network(PS3).

The Skyrim 1.2 update fixes some of the more noticeable bugs/glitches reported by users in forums. It also includes stability updates fixing performance issues and crashes. The changelog is quite small and there are still a lot of bugs to fix.

Skyrim 1.2 patchnotes/changelog:

Fixed crash on startup when audio is set to sample rate other than 44100Hz (PC)
ESC button can now be used to exit menus (PC)
Fixed occasional mouse sensitivity issues (PC)
General functionality fixes related to remapping buttons and controls (PC)
Improved occasional performance issues resulting from long term play (PlayStation 3)
Fixed issue where textures would not properly upgrade when installed to drive (Xbox 360)
Fixed issue where projectiles did not properly fade away
Fixed occasional issue where a guest would arrive to the player’s wedding dead
Dragon corpses now clean up properly
Fixed rare issue where dragons would not attack
Fixed rare NPC sleeping animation bug
Fixed rare issue with dead corpses being cleared up prematurely
Skeleton Key will now work properly if player has no lockpicks in their inventory
Fixed rare issue with renaming enchanted weapons and armor
Fixed rare issue with dragons not properly giving souls after death

Races in Skyrim

2011-11-27T07:22:00.000+08:00

There are ten playable races in TESV: Skyrim, the same ten races used in TESIII: Morrowind. There are a few changes between the races of the last three Elder Scrolls games, mostly on their powers and abilities. In Skyrim though, dragon-related abilities in addition to dragon shouts are present highlighting the game's theme about the dragons.

Races in Skyrim affect the gameplay in some way. Your character's race determines your initial skills, racial powers and abilities and starting spells. The NPCs also react differently to your character depending on his race. In the long run though, it is up to you to decide which path you would want to take and how you would build your character. Choose the race that appeals to you the most.

Unlike the previous Elder Scrolls games, your character's race is the only customizable trait you will decide on at character creation aside from gender and appearance. Gone are the attributes and the major skills. Each race comes with predefined bonuses to skills: +10 to one skill and +5 to five other skills.

Argonians

Favored Skills: +10 lockpicking, +5 Pickpocket, Sneak, Light Armor, Alteration, Restoration
Starting Spells: Flames, Healing
Racial Power: Histskin: You regenerate health 10x faster for 60 seconds
Racial Abilities: 50% Disease Resistance, Underwater Breathing

Little is known, and less is understood, about the reptilian denizens of Black Marsh. Years of defending their borders have made the Argonians experts in guerilla warfare, and their natural abilities make them equally at home in water and on land. They are well suited for the treacherous swamps of their homeland, and have developed natural immunity to the diseases that hove doomed many would-be explorers into the region.

Breton

Favored Skills: +10 Conjuration, +5 Illusion, Restoration, Speech, Alchemy, Alteration
Starting Spells: Flames, Healing, Conjure Familiar
Racial Power: Dragonskin: You absorb 50% of the Magicka from incoming spells for 60 seconds
Racial Abilities: 25% Magic Resistance

Bretons feel an inborn, instinctive bond with the mercurial forces of magic and the supernatural. Many great sorcerers have come from the home province of High Rock, and in addition to their quick and perceptive grasp of spellcraft, enchantment, and alchemy, even the humblest of Bretons can boost a resistance to spells.

Dark Elf (Dunmer)

Favored Skills: +l0 Destruction, +5 Alteration, Illusion, Sneak, Light Armor, Alchemy
Starting Spells: Flames, Sparks, Healing
Racial Power: Ancestor's Wrath: Creates a Flame Cloak that does l0 damage to nearby foes for 60 seconds.
Racial Abilities: 50% Fire Resistance

In the Empire, "Dark Elves" is the common usage, but in their Morrowind homeland, they call themselves the "Dunmer". The dark-skinned, red-eyed Dunmer combine powerful intellect with strong and agile physiques, producing superior warriors and sorcerers. On the battlefield, Dark Elves are noted for their skilled and balanced integration of swordsmen, marksmen, and war wizards.

High Elf (Altmer)

Favored Skills: +l0 Illusion, +5 Alteration, Conjuration, Destruction, Restoration, Enchanting
Starting Spells: Flames, Fury, Healing
Racial Power: Highborn: For 60 seconds, you regenerate 25% of your maximum Magicka each second
Racial Abilities: Highborn Magicka (+5O Magicka)

The High Elves, or Altmer, are the proud, tall, golden-skinned peoples of Summerset Isle. The common tongue of the Empire, Tamrielic, is based on their speech and writing, and most of the Empire's arts, crafts, and sciences are derived from High Elven traditions. High Elves are the driving force behind the rising Aldmeri Dominion, and their agents, the Thalmor, are bitterly resented by the Nords of Skyrim.

Imperial

Favored Skills: + l0 Restoration, +5 Destruction, Enchanting, One-Handed, Block, Heavy Armor
Starting Spells: Flames, Healing
Racial Power: Voice of the Emperor: Calms nearby people for 60 seconds
Racial Abilities: Imperial Luck (Adds a small amount of gold to most containers)

Natives of the civilized, cosmopolitan province of Cyrodiil, Imperials are well-educated and well-spoken. Though physically less imposing than the other races, Imperials have proven to be shrewd diplomats and traders, and these trails, along with their remarkable skill and training as light infantry, have allowed them to rule an empire spanning the continent for centuries.

Khajiit

Favored Skills: +10 Sneak, +5 Lockpicking, Pickpocket, Alchemy, One-Handed, Archery
Starting Spells: Flames, Healing
Racial Power: Night Eye: Improved night vision for 60 seconds
Racial Abilities: Claws ( 4x Unarmed Damage)

Khajiit hail from the province of Elsweyr, and can vary in appearance from nearly Elven to the cathay-raht "jaguar men" to the great Senche-Tiger. The most common breed, the suthay-raht, is intelligent, quick, and agile. Many Khajiit disdain weapons in favor of their natural claws. They make excellent thieves due to their natural agility and deft hands.

Nord

Favored Skills: +10 Two-Handed, +5 One-Handed, Block, Smithing, Speech, Light Armor
Starting Spells: Flames, Healing
Racial Power: Battle Cry: All nearby foes flee for 30 seconds
Racial Abilities: 50% Frost Resistance

The natives of Skyrim are a tall and fair-haired people, aggressive and fearless in war, industrious and enterprising in trade and exploration. Strong, willful, and hardy, Nards are famous for their resistance to cold, even magical frost. Violence is an accepted and time-honored part of Nordic culture; Nards face battle with an ecstatic ferocity that shocks and appalls their enemies.

Ore (Orsimer)

Favored Skills: +10 Heavy Armor, +5 Smithing, One-Handed, Two-Handed, Block, Enchanting
Starting Spells: Flames, Healing
Racial Power: Berserk: For 60 seconds, you take half damage, and inflict double damage in melee combat.
Racial Abilities: None

These sophisticated barbarians of the Wrothgarion and Dragontail Mountains are noted for their unshakeable courage in war and their unflinching endurance of hardships. In the past, Orcs have been widely feared and hated by the other nations and races of Tamriel, but they have slowly won acceptance in the Empire. Orcish armorers ore prized for their craftsmanship, and Orc warriors in heavy armor are among the finest front-line troops in the Empire.

Redguard

Favored Skills: +10 One-Handed, +5 Archery, Block, Smithing, Destruction, Alteration
Starting Spells: Flames, Healing
Racial Power: Adrenaline Rush: You regenerate Stamina 10x faster for 60 seconds
Racial Abilities: 50% Poison Resistance

The most naturally talented warriors in Tamriel, the dark-skinned, wiry-haired Redguards of Hammerfell seem born to battle, though their pride and fierce independence of spirit makes them more suitable as scouts, skirmishers, or free-ranging heroes and adventurers than as rank-and-file soldiers. Redguards are uniquely versatile combatants, capable of switching between bow, sword, spell, or shield at will and adopting their tactics to the battle at hand.

Wood Elf (Bosmer)

Favored Skills: +10 Archery, +5 Sneak, Lockpicking, Pickpocket, Light Armor, Alchemy
Starting Spells: Flames, Healing
Racial Power: Command Animal: Target animal becomes your ally for 60 seconds.
Racial Abilities: 50% Disease and Poison Resistance

The clanfolk of the Western Valenwood forests. In the Empire, they ore called "Wood Elves," but call themselves the Bosmer, or the 'Tree-Sap' people. Wood Elves are nimble and quick in body and wit. Their curious natures and natural agility make them good scouts, agents, and thieves, and there are no finer archers in all of Tamriel.

Potage le Magnifique recipe

2011-11-26T21:30:00.000+08:00

Potage le Magnifique is the Gourmet's signature dish in Skyrim. It is written on the book "Uncommon Taste" by the Gourmet alongside the other recipe "Sunlight Souffle'".

The Gourmet is said to have served bowls of Potage le Magnifique that have caused grown men to weep with joy!

Uncommon Taste is a recipe book, containing recipes of a Breton origin.

Potage le Magnifique recipe:

Ingredients:

4 Cups Chicken Broth
4 Cups Beef Broth
2 1/2 Ounces Butter
1 Wooden Flagon of Flour
1 Cup Diced Carrots
1/2 Cup Diced Onions

Instructions for cooking:

Stoke the flames of your open-pit fire, and achieve a low heat.
Combine all ingredients into a large soup pot.
Stir vigorously!
Once hot, pour into earthen soup bowls immediately!
Behold, the Gourmet's signature dish - the Potage le Magnifique!

Some gaming sites tried to follow the recipe and cook Potage le Magnifique. These are the results:

This video is GameSpot's version. It shows how the food is cooked.

The next one is from Joystiq. Seriously, this one looks more palatable.

Dragon Shouts

2011-11-24T06:06:00.001+08:00

A major part of the combat system in Skyrim are the Dragon Shouts. These are powers passed down by the dragons, usable only by a select few including the Dragonborn. Any character can use them and they have devastating effects in battle. Some are utility spells that can be used while traversing the world of Skyrim.

Dovahkiin using the FusRoDah (Unrelenting Force) dragon shout

In Dragon language, Dragon Shouts are called Dovahzaan in the same way that Dragonborn is called Dovahkiin. This is a complete list of all the Dragon Shout locations in Skyrim.

There are 20 dragon shouts in TESV: Skyrim and each shout has 3 words of power. To use a dragon shout, the character must find at least one word of power and absorb a Dragon Soul(per word of power). Each word of power in a shout improves its effects. Many of these words are learned from Word Walls located in different parts of Skyrim. You will find the Word Wall locations by traveling the word of Skyrim. Some are taught by the Greybeards in High Hrothgar and some are gained by doing the Main Quests.

Table/chart of dragon shouts: here's the complete list of dragon shouts. The first column lists the Dragon Shout, Words of Power, English Translation and the Recharge Time of the shout. The 2nd column lists the Effects, Dragon Shout Locations and Description.

Animal Allegiance Raan-Mir-Tah Animal-Allegiance-Pack 50-60-70	Command Animal for 30s, 45s, 60s. Max lvl 20. Attacking them doesn't break the effect, increasing radius Angarvunde (The Rift): Dungeon Quest: Medresi Dran and the Wandering Dead Ancient's Ascent (Falkreath Hold). This is a Dragon Lair. Ysgramor's Tomb (Winterhold Hold): The Companions Quest: Glory of the Dead. A Shout for help from the beasts of the wild, who come to fight in your defense.
Aura Whisper Laas-Yah-Nir Life-Seek-Hunt 30-40-50	Detect Life and Undead for 10s, 20s, 30s Northwind Summit (The Rift): This is a Dragon Lair. Valthume (The Reach): Dungeon Quest: Evil in Waiting. This is a dragon priest's lair. Volunruud (The Pale): Dark Brotherhood Quest: The Silence Has Been Broken; Dungeon Quest: Silenced Tongues Your Voice is not a Shout, but a whisper, revealing the life forces of any and all.
Become Ethereal Feim-Zii-Gron Fade-Spirit-Bind 16-30-40	Makes you invulnerable to any damage for 8s, 13s, 18s but you can't attack, cast spells and recover magicka and mana. Ironbind Barrow (Winterhold Hold) Lost Valley Redoubt (The Reach) Ustengrav (Hjaalmarch): Main Quest: The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller The Thu'um reaches out to the Void, changing your form to one that cannot harm, or be harmed
Call Dragon Od-Ah-Viing Snow-Hunter-Wing 5-5-300	Summons the dragon Odahviing. Outdoors only. 3 words needed High Hrothgar. Learned in Main Quest: The Fallen Odahviing! Hear my Voice and come forth. I summon you in my time of need.
Call of Valor Hun-Kaal-Zoor Hero-Champion-Legend 180-180-180	Summons one of the three heroes for 1 minute: -"Hun" summons Gormlaith Golden-Hilt, who wields a bow, sword, shield, and a few Shouts. -"Hun, Kaal" summons Felldir the Old, who wields a greatsword and has a number of damaging Shouts. -"Hun, Kaal, Zoor" summons Hakon One-Eye, who wields a battleaxe and uses melee Shouts. Sovngarde. Learned at the end of the Main Quest: Epilogue. The valiant of Sovngarde hear your Voice, and journey beyond space and time to lend aid
Clear Skies Lok-Vah-Koor Sky-Spring-Summer 5-10-15	Clears weather, fog and poison gas traps for 25s, 40s, 60s High Hrothgar. Main Quest: The Throat of the World Skyrim itself yields before the Thu'um, as you clear away fog and inclement weather
Disarm Zun-Haal-Viik Weapon-Hand-Defeat 30-35-40	Disarm your opponent, Max lvl 12, 20, 30. Some enemies can't be disarmed Eldersblood Peak (Hjaalmarch): This is a Dragon Lair. Silverdrift Lair (The Pale) Snow Veil Sanctum (Winterhold Hold): Thieves Guild Quest: Speaking With Silence Shout defies steel, as you rip the weapon from an opponent's grasp.
Dismay Faas-Ru-Maar Fear-Run-Terror 40-45-50	Fear, Max lvl 7, 15, 24 Dead Crone Rock (The Reach): Daedric Quest: Pieces of the Past Labyrinthian (Hjaalmarch): In Shalidor's Maze Lost Tongue Overlook (The Rift): This is a Dragon Lair. And the weak shall fear the Thu'um, and flee in terror.
Dragonrend Joor-Zah-Frul Mortal-Finite-Temporary 10-12-15	Forces dragons to land Throat of the World. Learned in Main Quest: Alduin's Bane. Your Voice lashes out at a dragon's very soul, forcing the beast to land.
Elemental Fury Su-Grah-Dun Air-Battle-Grace 30-40-50	Increases attack speed by 1.3x, 1.5x, 1.7x for 15s. Non-enchanted weapons only Dragontooth Crater (The Reach): This is a Dragon Lair. Kilkreath Ruins (Haafingar): Daedric Quest: The Break of Dawn Shriekwind Bastion (Falkreath Hold) The Thu'um imbues your arms with the speed of wind, allowing for faster weapon strikes.
Fire Breath Yol-Toor-Shul Fire-Inferno-Sun 30-50-100	Fire Breath for 50, 70, 90 Fire damage. Dustman's Cairn (Whiterun Hold): The Companions Quest: Proving Honor Sunderstone Gorge (Falkreath Hold) Throat of the World (Whiterun Hold): Main Quest: The Throat of the World. Inhale air, exhale flame, and behold the Thu'um as inferno.
Frost Breath Fo-Krah-Diin Frost-Cold-Freeze 30-50-100	Frost Breath for 10/s, 14/s, 18/s Frost damage for 5s. Target slowed Bonestrewn Crest (Eastmarch): This is a Dragon Lair. Folgunthur (Hjaalmarch): Side Quest: Forbidden Legend Skyborn Altar (Hjaalmarch): This is a Dragon Lair. Your breath is winter, your Thu'um a blizzard.
Ice Form Liz-Slen-Nuz Ice-Flesh-Statue 60-90-120	Encases foes in ice, paralyzing them and dealing 2/s Frost damage for 15s, 30s, 60s. Attacking it shatters the ice and frees the enemy. Frostmere Crypt (The Pale): Dungeon Quest: The Pale Lady Mount Anthor (Winterhold Hold): This is a Dragon Lair. Saarthal (Winterhold Hold): College of Winterhold Quest: Under Saarthal; Side Quest: Forbidden Legend Your Thu'um freezes an opponent solid.
Kyne's Peace Kaan-Drem-Ov Kyne-Peace-Trust 40-50-60	Calm Animal for 60s, 120s, 180s, Max lvl 20. increasing radius Ragnvald (The Reach): This is a Dragon Priest's lair. Rannveig's Fast (Whiterun Hold) Shroud Hearth Barrow (The Rift): Dungeon Quest: Wilhelm's Scream The Voice soothes wild beasts, who lose their desire to fight or flee.
Marked for Death Krii-Lun-Aus Kill-Leech-Suffer 20-30-40	Decreases armor by 25, 50, 75 and damages health by 1/s, 2/s, 3/s for 60s. Autumnwatch Tower (The Rift): This is a Dragon Lair. Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary (Falkreath Hold) Forsaken Cave (The Pale): Side Quest: The White Phial Speak, and let your Voice herald doom, as an opponent's armor and lifeforce are weakened.
Slow Time Tiid-Klo-Ul Time-Sand-Eternity 30-45-60	Slows time by 70%, 80%, 90% for 8s, 12s, 16s Hag's End (The Reach): Dark Brotherhood Radiant Quest: The Feeble Fortune Korvanjund (The Pale): Civil War Quest: The Jagged Crown Labyrinthian (Hjaalmarch): College of Winterhold Quest: The Staff of Magnus; this is a Dragon Priest's lair. Shout at time, and command it to obey, as the world around you stands still.
Storm Call Strun-Bah-Qo Storm-Wrath-Lightning 300-480-600	Summons a thunderstorm for 60s, 120s, 180s. Hits randomly, including allies and neutrals. Outdoors only. Forelhost (The Rift): This is a Dragon Priest's lair. High Gate Ruins (The Pale): This is a Dragon Priest's lair. Skuldafn (Other Realm): Main Quest: The World-Eater's Eyrie. This is a Dragon Priest's lair. A Shout to the skies, a cry to the clouds, that awakens the destructive force of Skyrim's lightning.
Throw Voice Zul-Mey-Gut Voice-Fool-Far 30-15-5	Produces sound at target's location possibly luring enemies away from their posts and into traps Shearpoint (The Pale): This is a Dragon Lair and a Dragon Priest lair. The Thu'um is heard, but its source unknown, fooling those into seeking it out.
Unrelenting Force Fus-Ro-Dah Force-Balance-Push 15-20-45	Stagger enemies or send them flying backwards dealing 2, 5, 10 damage Bleak Falls Barrow (Falkreath Hold): Main Quest: Bleak Falls Barrow; Side Quest: The Golden Claw High Hrothgar (Whiterun Hold): Main Quest: The Way of the Voice. Your Voice is raw power, pushing aside anything - or anyone - who stands in your path.
Whirlwind Sprint Wuld-Nah-Kest Whirlwind-Fury-Tempest 20-25-35	Sprint/surge forward, could be used to access otherwise-inaccessible ledges or platforms, increasing distance Dead Men's Respite (Hjaalmarch): The Bards' College Quest: Tending the Flames High Hrothgar (Whiterun Hold): Main Quest: The Way of the Voice. Volskygge (Haafingar): This is a Dragon Priest's lair. The Thu'um rushes forward, carrying you in its wake with the speed of a tempest.

Lastly, I made a printer-friendly PDF file showing the Dragon Shout locations: Download Dragon Shouts v1.0

the Skyrim Trailer - Retro Edition

2011-11-23T09:00:00.000+08:00

The first Skyrim announcement trailer got everyone excited about Skyrim. Much more so when Bethesda released the first gameplay trailer featuring some in-game elements. Well, how about the Skyrim trailer, Retro edition with all the 8-bit gaming goodness?

I think this should be named The Elder Side Scroller: Skyrim!

Not only is this video cute and entertaining, it got me so excited that I want The Elder Scrolls VI now! xD

The original Skyrim trailer: link

Morrowind/Skyrim Theme, a Piano-Violin Medley

2011-11-22T17:12:00.001+08:00

Two musicians teamed up to bring you the Morrowind and Skyrim theme songs in a medley played on piano and violin.

Lara plays the violin and Taylor plays the piano. Two video game music enthusiasts.

Download the Morrowind/Skyrim Theme Piano-Violin Medley MP3

The transition from the Morrowind title music to the Song of the Dragonborn is seamless. These two musicians are talented.

I wonder if these two took up music lessons in the Bard College in Solitude...

Penny Arcade comic strips about Skyrim

2011-11-21T05:19:00.000+08:00

You know a video game is big if it gets a Penny Arcade comic strip. Skyrim is BIG.

Nuff said. Here are the Penny Arcade comic strips about Skyrim. I will be adding more as they come...

Their Name Means Big (Nov 9, 2011)

After killing your first dragon in Skyrim, you might feel like a real bad-ass.
After killing your second dragon, you may feel like an unstoppable God-King made flesh.
A word of advice? These giants do not give a sh*t how many dragons you've killed.
Leave their mammoths alone.

Thulsa Broom (Nov 14, 2011)

Tycho: You don't need to pick up everything in an Elder Scrolls game. You just don't. You don't! Stop. Put it down.
Gabe: If you can pick it up, you probably need it! That's how videogames work.
Tycho: I understand that, to a point. Here's where we diverge: you are carrying two hundred and seventy pounds of brooms.
Gabe: Man, I don't want to get to the f*cking Broom Dungeon, and be, like, "Why didn't I pick up all those brooms?"

Meet the real-life Dragonborn, Dovahkiin

2011-11-19T03:43:00.001+08:00

Meet Dovahkiin, the real-life Dragonborn born on November 11, 2011.

He's the real Champ!

His full name is Dovahkiin Tom Kellermeyer and he was born on 11-11-11, Friday at 6:08 pm PST at 8.5 lbs and 19.5 inches long. The parents Megan and Eric Kellermeyer are the only couple to successfully complete the real-life quest as announced by Bethesda. For their quest rewards, Dovahkiin will get free Bethesda games for life -- past, present and future -- plus some "surprise loot".

Back in February, Bethesda issued a quest to couple-hopefuls willing to become the parents of the one true Dragonborn: if anyone delivered a child on 11.11.11 (the release date of Skyrim) and named him/her Dovahkiin, Bethesda would provide their games free for life.

Dovahkiin's mother underwent induced labor to meet the deadline. Also, from the comments on BethBlog, it seems that this was not the only baby named Dovahkiin.

The challenge was made partly for fun, with Bethesda doubting there would be any serious takers. A disclaimer written in amusing words also mentions the complications of doing the challenge:

Any reward for completing this quest will not ultimately justify the potential teasing your child could — and probably will — endure over its lifespan. Bethesda Softworks is not responsible for your parenting. You may gain experience points for completing this quest, but you will not care at 3am on a work night. Completion of this quest may also result in decreased desire to play video games and/or function as a human being. Consult with your friends before embarking on this quest; while it may not start in prison, it probably ends there.

I wish you, Dovahkiin the best life here on Earth. If anyone bosses you around and bullies you, just FUS RO DAH them. But don't cry or Shout too loudly to your parents. "And if Alduin ever reaches this realm, Bethesda will be in touch."

Dragonborn - Bethesda post
Expectations, An Expected Arrival, Expecting More - parents' blog posts

Song of the Dragonborn

2011-11-16T10:23:00.000+08:00

Song of the Dragonborn is the theme song of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

It is the music played on the title screen.

The music is composed by Jeremy Soule, as has been the case in the previous Elder Scrolls games. Song of the Dragonborn is different though, because it actually has lyrics written in dragon language. The familiar music from the last two Elder Scrolls is also present and has been incorporated into the song.

Download the Song of the Dragonborn MP3

Song of the Dragonborn lyrics

(CHORUS)
Dovahkiin, Dovahkiin, naal ok zin los vahriin,
Wah dein vokul mahfaeraak ahst vaal!
Ahrk fin norok paal graan fod nust hon zindro zaan,
Dovahkiin, fah hin kogaan mu draal!

Huzrah nu, kul do od, wah aan bok lingrah vod,
Ahrk fin tey, boziik fun, do fin gein!
Wo lostfron wah ney dov, ahrk fin reyliik do jul,
Voth aan suleyk wah ronit faal krein!

Ahrk fin zul, rok drey kod, nau tol morokei frod,
Rul lot Taazokaan motaad voth kein!
Sahrot Thu'um, med aan tuz, vey zeim hokoron pah,
Ol fin Dovakiin komeyt ok rein!

CHORUS

Ahrk fin Kel lost prodah, do ved viing ko fin krah,
Tol fod zeymah win kein meyz fuundein!
Alduin, feyn do jun, kruziik vokun, staadnav,
Voth aan bahlok wah diivon fin lein!

Nuz aan sul, fent alok, fod fin vul dovah nok,
Fen kos nahlot mahfaeraak ahrk ruz!
Paaz Keizaal fen kos stin nol bein Alduin jot,
Dovahkiin kos fin saviik do muz!

CHORUS

English translation

(CHORUS)
Dragonborn, Dragonborn, by his honor is sworn,
To keep evil forever at bay!
And the fiercest foes rout when they hear triumph's shout,
Dragonborn, for your blessing we pray!

Hearken now, sons of snow, to an age, long ago
And the tale, boldly told, of the one!
Who was kin to both wyrm, and the races of man,
With a power to rival the sun!

And the voice, he did wield, on that glorious field,
When great Tamriel shuddered with war!
Mighty Thu'um, like a blade, cut through enemies all,
As the Dragonborn issued his roar!

CHORUS

And the Scrolls have foretold, of black wings in the cold,
That when brothers wage war come unfurled!
Alduin, Bane of Kings, ancient shadow unbound,
With a hunger to swallow the world!

But a day shall arise, when the dark dragon's lies,
Will be silenced forever and then!
Fair Skyrim will be free from foul Alduin's maw,
Dragonborn be the savior of men!

CHORUS

Song of the Dragonborn

Dragonborn statue

2011-11-15T17:55:00.001+08:00

Check out this Dragonborn/Dovahkiin statue. Apparently, it is present in Skyrim's launch in some stores on November 11, 2011 (11-11-11).

That's awesome! More pictures below...

Noticed the writings on the Dragonborn statue? They are not dragon words nor dragon shouts... They are the signatures of the excited buyers of the game.

IGN has one guarding their lobby... which replaced Solid Snake.