I haven't posted here in a long time but I need to for this. I need to vent.
I've recently been playing Dark Souls 3 and have absolutely fallen in love with it. I've been having a really rough time with my depression and anxiety lately due to job stress and other various factors, and I've always found having a digital world to escape to helps tremendously.
However recently I found a warning on my account claiming I have cheated or altered the game somehow. This is not true, so naturally I contacted Bandai Namco customer service to appeal it, and to be on the safe side I deleted my game saves in case there was anything dodgey I may have gained through other cheating players online. Since this appeal I have been given a "soft ban" meaning I can still play the game but I can no longer interact with other players. This is a problem for me as a big part of the fun for me was helping other players and such this affects my gameplay and enjoyment a great deal.
Bandai Namco are claiming I've cheated despite the fact I never did, they won't listen to my appeals and have now made it clear they will not even look at any future appeals meaning I'm stuck with an unfair ban that essentially leaves me with a £50 game I can no longer enjoy.
Banco's quite frankly disgusting treatment of this situation has left me feeling guilty over something I never did, and without my escape from the outside world, I can already feel the darker thoughts from my depression entering my mind again. I know this sounds like a first world problem and it is but it's really left me feeling vulnerable. Video games allow me to control my illness without medication but it takes the right game to really let me escape. I found that game and now it's publishers have decided on a whim to take that away from me and essentially told me to go fuck myself for no reason other than they felt like it.
If you're on the fence about buying DS3, don't. They'll take your money then ban you for no reason. If you're like me and many others and use video games to help control emotional/mental disorders, do not invest in anything Bandai Namco publish, because they do not care and will not listen.
Wednesday, 13 July 2016
Wednesday, 20 May 2015
Skyrim - I'm still playing it, how am I playing it?
Ok, so this post is as much for myself as anyone else. This is really a place for me to write up the backstory and ideas around the Skyrim characters I'm currently leveling, but if it gives anyone reading it some ideas for their own playthroughs then that's awesome too!
Scout Draccus -
Draccus is a scout with the Imperial Army. Dropped in Skyrim behind enemy lines during the civil war to scout out Stormcloak positions. Unfortunately during this he was caught along with many Stormcloak soldiers by a group of Imperials. Having not yet been made known to General Tullius and having no papers of identity or uniform on him, to avoid being spotted by the Stormcloak soldiers, he was to be executed along with them when a dragon attacked Helgen. After escaping he makes his way to Solitude to once again join the Legion. Many would question this action after they nearly killed him but he's loyal to the Empire and understands if he'd kept his papers it wouldn't have happened. After helping the Legion crush the Stormcloak rebellion he retires as a soldier to stay in Skyrim. Later joining the Companions of Whiterun, and then the Dawnguard as the vampire attacks become a problem. Now he travels Skyrim and Solstheim protecting people across the land, with the honour of a soldier.
He will not join the Thieves guild, as he sees stealing as honourless, nor will he join the Dark Brotherhood as he only kills those who threaten others. The Mages' College is of no use to him either.
Sneak - one handed (dual wield) - archery - light armour - smithing
Storm-Caller Drakir -
Drakir is a Nord, one of an ancient bloodline. He has traveled Tamriel for years searching for others like himself. He is a Shaman, one of the last. The Nord's recent distrust of magic has made it hard for him to find anyone to pass on his unique brand of Nord Shaman knowledge onto, and thus he may end up as the last of the Storm-Callers. He has no affiliation in the civil war, having been nearly executed by the Imperials when he was picked up with a group of Stormcloaks who had shared their camp with him on his arrival back in Skyrim you would think he'd side with the Stormcloaks, however while he understands the cause, being as well traveled as he is he doesn't agree with Ulfric's rejection of other races, and also feels the Empire may be the best way to keep the Thalmor at bay (seeing as they vehemently hate the Shaman way of life and use of magic) as well as keeping travelling routes open for all.
As his name suggests the Storm-Caller uses the power of the storm in combat, utilising frost and shock magic, alongside Frost and Storm Atronachs and his two axes, usually also enchanted with frost and shock effects. Slowing and weakening foes with hits from magic before sweeping in with fast, sharp attacks from his axes while the elemental atronachs aid him.
The Mages College is a definite place to go for the Shaman to enhance his knowledge. His protective nature will also lead him to defeat the great evils of the world, Alduin, Harkon and Miraak to name a few. The dark brotherhood, companions and thieves guild are paths this protector will not take. The civil war may be done either way if he makes up his mind but he is no soldier.
Light Armour - Destruction - Conjuration - One handed - smithing - enchanting
Lord Drakkul -
Lord Drakkul is a Breton of renown within the Empire. Rising through the ranks in the Legion and with some impressive feats on the battlefield he became a knight of the Empire. However after some time he became bored with the politics that comes with this and abandoned his country mansion in search of more power. The power that many mages wield, the power over the mind and the power over life and reanimation had always intrigued him. Shedding his wealth and title so as to not arouse suspicion as to his identity, afterall how many necromancers would trust a knight of the empire, he went in search of the more villainous mages, the sort he would normally rescue villages from, in hopes of gaining their knowledge. Now he has ended up in Skyrim. His money and identity back in his Daggerfall country mansion, he wishes to try these new found powers on all who stand in his way.
With the aim of becoming powerful and famous within Skyrim itself he will strike down any who try to stop him. While he must keep his necromantic practices secret from the general populus, rumours will be spread about him.
A behemoth in plated armour with a massive axe, he can barrel in swinging through any enemies, but also likes to mix things up with illusion, causing his foes to fight each other for him, and necromancy. The fear and confusion on the faces of his enemies as they kill each other, and then get raised from the dead to fight their friends again fascinates him.
Do not mistake him as being intrinsically evil however, he will still fight evil, Alduin, Harkon and Miraak being the obvious ones. His obsession with manipulating his enemies minds and life force does not come from cruelty and he will not do it to those who would not hurt others. However he does do things for personal gain more than to help others.
Dark Brotherhood and Companions would be good places for Lord Drakkul to start and he may well return to his roots as a soldier to fight in the civil war. He would benefit from joining the mages' college also, as it's a place he can practice his necromancy without the judgement of others. The thieves guild would not fit this heavily armoured tank.
Heavy Armour - Two Handed - Conjuration - Illusion - Smithing - Enchanting
Knight-Paladin Dracsus -
Dracsus was originally a knight who discovered he had a gift with healing magic, however he found the edicts of the traditional Paladin orders did not suit him. No drinking, no marriage, all politics and no action. Plus the Paladins had a very black and white way of looking at the world, you're either evil or you're not, whereas Dracsus' experiences told him that nothing was that simple, people could do evil but with noble intentions, or vice verca. As such he named himself Knight-Paladin. A knight with the capabilities of a paladin but without the restrictions of their various holy orders. He seeks to destroy sources of pure evil but help those who have no choice but to be evil. This can sometimes lead to him being taken advantage of however, which is how he has arrived in Skyrim with nothing but rags.
He will never claim to be flawless nor expect anyone else to be.
Mages college presents him with opportunity to expand upon his knowledge of restoration magic and the civil war could use his hand. The thieves guild and dark brotherhood are too questionable for his presence however. He is not, nor will ever be a sell sword and thus companions would not be a good fit. The dawnguard however would be an obvious home.
Heavy armour - one handed - restoration - smithing - enchanting
Pirate-Captain Dracholos
Dracholos started out as a captain in the Imperial Navy, however due to some misjudgements of his higher ups, for which he got the blame, he sailed the seas as a pirate for many years. While still loyal to the empire he made sure to only attack merchant or Thalmor ships, he made an exception when he spotted the ship of the admiral whose decision had cost him his career. While getting his revenge he lost many of his crew and was left with barely enough men to steer the ship to ground. Skyrim was the land on which he grounded, on the northern coast. Here he and his men went their separate ways, each in search of their own fortune. With his trusted saber in hand he will ravage the land as he did the seas in search of fortune and fame. A silver tongue and some magic tricks insuring all around him will listen and fear....
Any quest line really is open to this guy due to his flexibility and mix of skills.
Light Armour - One handed - Illsuion - Smithing - Enchanting - Alchemy - Speech - Maybe sneak.
Scout Draccus -
Draccus is a scout with the Imperial Army. Dropped in Skyrim behind enemy lines during the civil war to scout out Stormcloak positions. Unfortunately during this he was caught along with many Stormcloak soldiers by a group of Imperials. Having not yet been made known to General Tullius and having no papers of identity or uniform on him, to avoid being spotted by the Stormcloak soldiers, he was to be executed along with them when a dragon attacked Helgen. After escaping he makes his way to Solitude to once again join the Legion. Many would question this action after they nearly killed him but he's loyal to the Empire and understands if he'd kept his papers it wouldn't have happened. After helping the Legion crush the Stormcloak rebellion he retires as a soldier to stay in Skyrim. Later joining the Companions of Whiterun, and then the Dawnguard as the vampire attacks become a problem. Now he travels Skyrim and Solstheim protecting people across the land, with the honour of a soldier.
He will not join the Thieves guild, as he sees stealing as honourless, nor will he join the Dark Brotherhood as he only kills those who threaten others. The Mages' College is of no use to him either.
Sneak - one handed (dual wield) - archery - light armour - smithing
Storm-Caller Drakir -
Drakir is a Nord, one of an ancient bloodline. He has traveled Tamriel for years searching for others like himself. He is a Shaman, one of the last. The Nord's recent distrust of magic has made it hard for him to find anyone to pass on his unique brand of Nord Shaman knowledge onto, and thus he may end up as the last of the Storm-Callers. He has no affiliation in the civil war, having been nearly executed by the Imperials when he was picked up with a group of Stormcloaks who had shared their camp with him on his arrival back in Skyrim you would think he'd side with the Stormcloaks, however while he understands the cause, being as well traveled as he is he doesn't agree with Ulfric's rejection of other races, and also feels the Empire may be the best way to keep the Thalmor at bay (seeing as they vehemently hate the Shaman way of life and use of magic) as well as keeping travelling routes open for all.
As his name suggests the Storm-Caller uses the power of the storm in combat, utilising frost and shock magic, alongside Frost and Storm Atronachs and his two axes, usually also enchanted with frost and shock effects. Slowing and weakening foes with hits from magic before sweeping in with fast, sharp attacks from his axes while the elemental atronachs aid him.
The Mages College is a definite place to go for the Shaman to enhance his knowledge. His protective nature will also lead him to defeat the great evils of the world, Alduin, Harkon and Miraak to name a few. The dark brotherhood, companions and thieves guild are paths this protector will not take. The civil war may be done either way if he makes up his mind but he is no soldier.
Light Armour - Destruction - Conjuration - One handed - smithing - enchanting
Lord Drakkul -
Lord Drakkul is a Breton of renown within the Empire. Rising through the ranks in the Legion and with some impressive feats on the battlefield he became a knight of the Empire. However after some time he became bored with the politics that comes with this and abandoned his country mansion in search of more power. The power that many mages wield, the power over the mind and the power over life and reanimation had always intrigued him. Shedding his wealth and title so as to not arouse suspicion as to his identity, afterall how many necromancers would trust a knight of the empire, he went in search of the more villainous mages, the sort he would normally rescue villages from, in hopes of gaining their knowledge. Now he has ended up in Skyrim. His money and identity back in his Daggerfall country mansion, he wishes to try these new found powers on all who stand in his way.
With the aim of becoming powerful and famous within Skyrim itself he will strike down any who try to stop him. While he must keep his necromantic practices secret from the general populus, rumours will be spread about him.
A behemoth in plated armour with a massive axe, he can barrel in swinging through any enemies, but also likes to mix things up with illusion, causing his foes to fight each other for him, and necromancy. The fear and confusion on the faces of his enemies as they kill each other, and then get raised from the dead to fight their friends again fascinates him.
Do not mistake him as being intrinsically evil however, he will still fight evil, Alduin, Harkon and Miraak being the obvious ones. His obsession with manipulating his enemies minds and life force does not come from cruelty and he will not do it to those who would not hurt others. However he does do things for personal gain more than to help others.
Dark Brotherhood and Companions would be good places for Lord Drakkul to start and he may well return to his roots as a soldier to fight in the civil war. He would benefit from joining the mages' college also, as it's a place he can practice his necromancy without the judgement of others. The thieves guild would not fit this heavily armoured tank.
Heavy Armour - Two Handed - Conjuration - Illusion - Smithing - Enchanting
Knight-Paladin Dracsus -
Dracsus was originally a knight who discovered he had a gift with healing magic, however he found the edicts of the traditional Paladin orders did not suit him. No drinking, no marriage, all politics and no action. Plus the Paladins had a very black and white way of looking at the world, you're either evil or you're not, whereas Dracsus' experiences told him that nothing was that simple, people could do evil but with noble intentions, or vice verca. As such he named himself Knight-Paladin. A knight with the capabilities of a paladin but without the restrictions of their various holy orders. He seeks to destroy sources of pure evil but help those who have no choice but to be evil. This can sometimes lead to him being taken advantage of however, which is how he has arrived in Skyrim with nothing but rags.
He will never claim to be flawless nor expect anyone else to be.
Mages college presents him with opportunity to expand upon his knowledge of restoration magic and the civil war could use his hand. The thieves guild and dark brotherhood are too questionable for his presence however. He is not, nor will ever be a sell sword and thus companions would not be a good fit. The dawnguard however would be an obvious home.
Heavy armour - one handed - restoration - smithing - enchanting
Pirate-Captain Dracholos
Dracholos started out as a captain in the Imperial Navy, however due to some misjudgements of his higher ups, for which he got the blame, he sailed the seas as a pirate for many years. While still loyal to the empire he made sure to only attack merchant or Thalmor ships, he made an exception when he spotted the ship of the admiral whose decision had cost him his career. While getting his revenge he lost many of his crew and was left with barely enough men to steer the ship to ground. Skyrim was the land on which he grounded, on the northern coast. Here he and his men went their separate ways, each in search of their own fortune. With his trusted saber in hand he will ravage the land as he did the seas in search of fortune and fame. A silver tongue and some magic tricks insuring all around him will listen and fear....
Any quest line really is open to this guy due to his flexibility and mix of skills.
Light Armour - One handed - Illsuion - Smithing - Enchanting - Alchemy - Speech - Maybe sneak.
Friday, 6 March 2015
24 Questions Americans have for the Brits (Buzzfeed response 2)
So following from yesterdays blog, my girlfriend decided to pose these questions from a similar Buzzfeed article to me today... This was the result.
24 Questions Americans have for the British
1. Why do you call
cookies biscuits?
Because they are
biscuits. If they don’t have chocolate chips in them then they're biscuits.
Better yet, what do you call America's version
of biscuits?
Are they those things
we had at the barbeque? Scones. Those are scones.
2. Why would you eat
something called spotted dick?
‘Cause it tastes real
good.
3. In fact, why are
most of your food names sexual?
They aren't all like
that, just the few that make it out of the country.
4. Why do your judges
still wear powdered wigs?
I dunno, I just think
they're all still stuck in the 1800's.
5. Why do you call
diapers "nappies"?
Dunno, just the way
it’s always been.
(Authors note: I
notice a trend.)
6. How many times do
you need to be reminded to mind the damn gap?
Thanks to the
American's, we have to put warnings up on everything to avoid getting sued.
Also, the gap is scary.
7. Why do you drink
tea in literally every situation?
‘Cause tea is
just...tea is just right for everything.
8. How on earth do
you deal with the weather?
Where I live it's not
too bad, it's just dull. It can also be unpredictable and impossible to get
used to though.
9. Why do you all
strip down when you see the slightest bit of sun?
If your summer was
only three weeks long, you would want to make the most of it too.
10. Why do you think
Marmite tastes good?
I don’t. Marmite is a
vile concoction that should never be touched, much less eaten.
11. Why do you have
two taps instead of one?
Not many do, but some
people just do it for tradition.
(AN: Treeeeeend)
12. What the hell is
the deal with Cricket?
I dunno, I played it
in primary school and I had no idea what I was doing. It seems like the only
people that watch it are 50 year olds anyway.
13. Why do you lose
your accents when you sing?
Not all artists lose
it, it just seems to be a pop thing. They want to be successful in America
where the money is, so they tone down the accents a bit. Most artists just want
to get the fuck out of the UK anyway so it works.
14. Speaking of
accents, why do you have SOOO many?
My personal theory is
that it's from way back when the counties were all separate and kind of did their
own thing and it just stuck.
15. How come your
headlines are on a whole different level?
Because wouldn't you
buy that newspaper?
16. Why are you all
so stoic?
I dunno, it's just
the way were brought up but it’s starting to change.
17. How many BBC
channels do you have?
Christ. I think
there's five.
18. Why do you think
men wearing dresses is the epitome of comedy?
Cause it's just
funny. And they all have a good time.
19. What do you want
to be called? Britain, Great Britain, England, the United Kingdom or the U.K.?
Oh boy, here we go.
To my understanding, England is a part of Britain and Britain is the
combination of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. And the United
Kingdom is what Britain combined with all the other territories.
20. How come you're
so obsessed with the royal family?
We’re not really,
that seems to be an American thing.
21. Why do you
pluralize "math"?
Because the full word
is "Mathematics" which is plural so the shortened word should be
pluralized too.
22. How is this a
condiment?
Cause what the fuck
else are you supposed to eat with your roast lamb?
23. Why do you call
your lines "queues"?
Because it's just the
word for it.
24. And finally, how
come your cursing and slang is so much better than ours?
Cause we're just a
bit more bloody inventive than you lot, 'int we?
Thursday, 5 March 2015
24 Questions Britain has for the US (Buzzfeed response)
So as some of you know I'm British, living in the UK but my girlfriend is American, currently living in the US. We were skyping when I saw this buzzfeed article (http://www.buzzfeed.com/robinedds/questions-britain-has-for-the-us#.krypneGYe6) and decided to ask her the questions in it and record her answers.
Thus, this was born:
1. Why are you always so patriotic?
A: 'Murica. I don't know, I think it's just like "Woo! we got guns 'n' shit!"
2. Why would you live somewhere that can get so cold?
A: I live in the desert [Arizona], so ask all those nothern people.
3. Why do so many people give Obama such a hard time?
A: 'Cause we're dicks. He's a great guy but everybody wants to blame him for everything.
4. Is a Chicken Nugget setting on a microwave totally necessary?
A: I'm blissfully unaware of this. I'll just enjoy my popcorn setting.
*Author's note: Chicken Nugget settings are always necessary.
5. Does alcohol taste better when drunk out of a gun?
A: Shotgunning is a thing, where you drink from the barrel of an actual shotgun. I imagine it tastes awful. I must be a poor representation of my country as I've not done this.
6. Why is everything so much bigger?
A: Cause we like to show off. 'Murica.
7. [Picture of a minivan (people carrier for the UK) with a lift kit]
A: Mom's gotta have fun too!
8. Do you have any of your own actors or are you going to just keep stealing ours?
A: The Supernatural crew are all Texan. But we like your accents so we'll keep stealing yours.
9. What have you got against the letter U?
A: Cause that's some French bullshit we don't want anything to do with.
10. What exactly does freedom taste like?
A: Riding on a motorcycle with your bald eagle.
11. [In reference to the grid system] Why are your streets so boringly predictable?
A: Because it makes everything easy. We don't like streets that end in nowhere.
12. What's with the whole "being happy and confident talking to strangers" thing?
A: We like to hide our insecurities and let them out in small bursts.
13. Why must you confuse us thankless Brits with the concept of tipping?
A: Our waitresses would die of starvation if we didn't tip.
Author's note: Waitresses in the US, because of tips, don't make minimum wage like ours do. Or at least like our's are supposed to.
14. This confused me.. It looks like bacon to me... Skipped it.
15. Why are your TV ads for drugs so batshit crazy?
A: I don't know, they all seem fairly normal to me? I've not encountered a drug ad that seemed crazy.
16. Why must your cups be red?
A: Solo cups? Red cups mean shit's going down. Mainly beer pong.
17. Why do your toilets have so much water in them?
A: I don't why but I hate it, it's a waste of water.
18. Why are there giant gaps in public toilet doors?
A: I really don't know but it creeps me out.
19. How do we get in on this whole pizza breakfast thing?
A: You order pizza breakfast, or eat left over pizza....
Author Note: I have breakfast pizza a lot... Is this unusual in the UK?
20. Why do you still have to sign when paying rather than using chip and pin?
A: I use chip and pin on debit, just not credit.
21. Exactly how many countries take part in the world series?
A: One. I love baseball, don't even.... 'Murica.
22. And how is it possible that this is a college football game?
A: I have no clue, it's probably part of why our tuition is so expensive.
23. How did Miss Florida not win Miss America? She slapped a shark as a kid.
A: Because the pageants are based on beauty not their personal merits unfortunately. So even though she's badass she didn't win.
24. People aren't actually called Randy, right?
A: Not anyone that I've met...
In closing she said "Sorry for being so stereotypical, please don't hate me!"
So yeah. That was a thing.
~Rusty.
Thus, this was born:
1. Why are you always so patriotic?
A: 'Murica. I don't know, I think it's just like "Woo! we got guns 'n' shit!"
2. Why would you live somewhere that can get so cold?
A: I live in the desert [Arizona], so ask all those nothern people.
3. Why do so many people give Obama such a hard time?
A: 'Cause we're dicks. He's a great guy but everybody wants to blame him for everything.
4. Is a Chicken Nugget setting on a microwave totally necessary?
A: I'm blissfully unaware of this. I'll just enjoy my popcorn setting.
*Author's note: Chicken Nugget settings are always necessary.
5. Does alcohol taste better when drunk out of a gun?
A: Shotgunning is a thing, where you drink from the barrel of an actual shotgun. I imagine it tastes awful. I must be a poor representation of my country as I've not done this.
6. Why is everything so much bigger?
A: Cause we like to show off. 'Murica.
7. [Picture of a minivan (people carrier for the UK) with a lift kit]
A: Mom's gotta have fun too!
8. Do you have any of your own actors or are you going to just keep stealing ours?
A: The Supernatural crew are all Texan. But we like your accents so we'll keep stealing yours.
9. What have you got against the letter U?
A: Cause that's some French bullshit we don't want anything to do with.
10. What exactly does freedom taste like?
A: Riding on a motorcycle with your bald eagle.
11. [In reference to the grid system] Why are your streets so boringly predictable?
A: Because it makes everything easy. We don't like streets that end in nowhere.
12. What's with the whole "being happy and confident talking to strangers" thing?
A: We like to hide our insecurities and let them out in small bursts.
13. Why must you confuse us thankless Brits with the concept of tipping?
A: Our waitresses would die of starvation if we didn't tip.
Author's note: Waitresses in the US, because of tips, don't make minimum wage like ours do. Or at least like our's are supposed to.
14. This confused me.. It looks like bacon to me... Skipped it.
15. Why are your TV ads for drugs so batshit crazy?
A: I don't know, they all seem fairly normal to me? I've not encountered a drug ad that seemed crazy.
16. Why must your cups be red?
A: Solo cups? Red cups mean shit's going down. Mainly beer pong.
17. Why do your toilets have so much water in them?
A: I don't why but I hate it, it's a waste of water.
18. Why are there giant gaps in public toilet doors?
A: I really don't know but it creeps me out.
19. How do we get in on this whole pizza breakfast thing?
A: You order pizza breakfast, or eat left over pizza....
Author Note: I have breakfast pizza a lot... Is this unusual in the UK?
20. Why do you still have to sign when paying rather than using chip and pin?
A: I use chip and pin on debit, just not credit.
21. Exactly how many countries take part in the world series?
A: One. I love baseball, don't even.... 'Murica.
22. And how is it possible that this is a college football game?
A: I have no clue, it's probably part of why our tuition is so expensive.
23. How did Miss Florida not win Miss America? She slapped a shark as a kid.
A: Because the pageants are based on beauty not their personal merits unfortunately. So even though she's badass she didn't win.
24. People aren't actually called Randy, right?
A: Not anyone that I've met...
In closing she said "Sorry for being so stereotypical, please don't hate me!"
So yeah. That was a thing.
~Rusty.
Thursday, 26 February 2015
Skyrim Build: Thief
Thief
Intro -
The Thief is a master of stealth with loyalty to no one beyond his brothers and sisters in the Riften Thieves Guild. Walking in the shadows he swipes coin from anyone careless enough to leave it tied to their belt and makes off into the night before they realise. Utilising his skills with lockpicks, stealth, alchemy and sometimes magic this silent figure makes his riches without drawing blood.
Race Selection -
Khajiit - This is what I personally went for, lore wise it fits and starting skills are good. Plus seeing in the dark is handy if you run a lighting mod that makes dark actually... well, dark.
Argonian - Again it works well lore wise, the starting skills are good and water breathing could add a new aspect to stealth
Wood Elf - Stealth and archery good early game stats.
Dark Elf - Alright, but not a personal choice
Other Races - Not ideal but nothing stopping them being a Thief!
Armour/Weapon Selection -
Weapon - One handed sword - Nightingale Blade, Ebony Sword for looks.
Off-hand - Dagger - Ebony/Daedric. Illusion spells - Calm, Fury, Fear
Armour - Light Armour - Thieves Guild, Nightingale, Guild Master.
PC ONLY -
Weapon - Fist Weapon provided by Perkus Maximus mod, Sword damage scale, called Katana.
Off-hand - Knuckles/Claw fist weapons added by Perkus Maximus. Same spells as previous.
Armour - Same as previous.
Standing Stone -
Thief stone for 20% boost to thief stat exp gain, Lover Stone for 15% boost to all, Shadow Stone for invisibility daily power.
Skills/Perk Selection -
Sneak - Stealth (5/5), Muffled Movement, Light Foot, Silent Roll, Silence
Pickpocket - Light Fingers (1/5), Night Thief, Extra Pockets, Cut Purse, Key Master, Misdirection, Perfect Touch, Poisoned
Speech - Haggling (1/5), Allure, Bribery, Persuasion, Merchant, Investor, Fence, Master Trader
Alchemy - Alchemist (5/5), Physician, Poisoner, Concentrated Poison, Green Thumb
Enchanting - Enchanter (5/5), Insightful Enchanter, Corpus Enchanter, Extra Effect
Illusion - Novice Illusion, Apprentice Illusion, Adept Illusion
Light Armour - Agile Defender (1/5), Custom Fit, Unhindered, Matching Set, Wind Walker, Deft Movement
One Handed - Armsman (1/5), Fighting Stance, Bladesman, Dual Flurry, Dual Savagery
Archery - Overdraw (1/5), Eagle Eye, Steady Hand (1/2)
As you can see this is a lot of perks on a lot of skills, it will in fact take you to level 59. Now I will say here that archery, illusion, enchanting and alchemy are all optional and down to personal preference, but I found my one handed and light armour alone wasn't keeping me alive when things went wrong. Which they will, often when your sneak is low. If like me you use the Perkus Maximus mod or a similar overhaul, these skills still apply, under their new names, and similar perks can be found.
Lockpicking is left out because it's a waste of perk points.
Quest Lines
Alduin/Main Story - Optional, however I advise on ignoring Whiterun early on and not letting the dragons spawn as your combat is weak till later.
Civil War - Optional.
Dark Brotherhood - Possible. For me no, but a Thief may get bored of just stealing.
Thieves Guild - Yes, in fact, this should be your first quest line, oddly enough.
Mages College - Maybe. Illusion could lead you there.
Bard's College - Maybe.
Companions - Personal Preference
Dawnguard - Yes, can join either side.
Dragonborn - Why not?
Thane Quests - Title is useful for getting out of bounties.
Side Quests - Yes, for money.
Daedric Artifacts - Yes, thieves like trophies.
I found this build fun, but hard to play early on due to putting perks into sneak, pickpocketing and Speech, thus leaving me with very little damage or survivability. It is fun and rewarding and a true way to play the Thieves Guild quest line, in my opinion, the best quest line. However it doesn't quite lend itself to other quest lines so well, be warned.
~Rusty
Intro -
The Thief is a master of stealth with loyalty to no one beyond his brothers and sisters in the Riften Thieves Guild. Walking in the shadows he swipes coin from anyone careless enough to leave it tied to their belt and makes off into the night before they realise. Utilising his skills with lockpicks, stealth, alchemy and sometimes magic this silent figure makes his riches without drawing blood.
Race Selection -
Khajiit - This is what I personally went for, lore wise it fits and starting skills are good. Plus seeing in the dark is handy if you run a lighting mod that makes dark actually... well, dark.
Argonian - Again it works well lore wise, the starting skills are good and water breathing could add a new aspect to stealth
Wood Elf - Stealth and archery good early game stats.
Dark Elf - Alright, but not a personal choice
Other Races - Not ideal but nothing stopping them being a Thief!
Armour/Weapon Selection -
Weapon - One handed sword - Nightingale Blade, Ebony Sword for looks.
Off-hand - Dagger - Ebony/Daedric. Illusion spells - Calm, Fury, Fear
Armour - Light Armour - Thieves Guild, Nightingale, Guild Master.
PC ONLY -
Weapon - Fist Weapon provided by Perkus Maximus mod, Sword damage scale, called Katana.
Off-hand - Knuckles/Claw fist weapons added by Perkus Maximus. Same spells as previous.
Armour - Same as previous.
Standing Stone -
Thief stone for 20% boost to thief stat exp gain, Lover Stone for 15% boost to all, Shadow Stone for invisibility daily power.
Skills/Perk Selection -
Sneak - Stealth (5/5), Muffled Movement, Light Foot, Silent Roll, Silence
Pickpocket - Light Fingers (1/5), Night Thief, Extra Pockets, Cut Purse, Key Master, Misdirection, Perfect Touch, Poisoned
Speech - Haggling (1/5), Allure, Bribery, Persuasion, Merchant, Investor, Fence, Master Trader
Alchemy - Alchemist (5/5), Physician, Poisoner, Concentrated Poison, Green Thumb
Enchanting - Enchanter (5/5), Insightful Enchanter, Corpus Enchanter, Extra Effect
Illusion - Novice Illusion, Apprentice Illusion, Adept Illusion
Light Armour - Agile Defender (1/5), Custom Fit, Unhindered, Matching Set, Wind Walker, Deft Movement
One Handed - Armsman (1/5), Fighting Stance, Bladesman, Dual Flurry, Dual Savagery
Archery - Overdraw (1/5), Eagle Eye, Steady Hand (1/2)
As you can see this is a lot of perks on a lot of skills, it will in fact take you to level 59. Now I will say here that archery, illusion, enchanting and alchemy are all optional and down to personal preference, but I found my one handed and light armour alone wasn't keeping me alive when things went wrong. Which they will, often when your sneak is low. If like me you use the Perkus Maximus mod or a similar overhaul, these skills still apply, under their new names, and similar perks can be found.
Lockpicking is left out because it's a waste of perk points.
Quest Lines
Alduin/Main Story - Optional, however I advise on ignoring Whiterun early on and not letting the dragons spawn as your combat is weak till later.
Civil War - Optional.
Dark Brotherhood - Possible. For me no, but a Thief may get bored of just stealing.
Thieves Guild - Yes, in fact, this should be your first quest line, oddly enough.
Mages College - Maybe. Illusion could lead you there.
Bard's College - Maybe.
Companions - Personal Preference
Dawnguard - Yes, can join either side.
Dragonborn - Why not?
Thane Quests - Title is useful for getting out of bounties.
Side Quests - Yes, for money.
Daedric Artifacts - Yes, thieves like trophies.
I found this build fun, but hard to play early on due to putting perks into sneak, pickpocketing and Speech, thus leaving me with very little damage or survivability. It is fun and rewarding and a true way to play the Thieves Guild quest line, in my opinion, the best quest line. However it doesn't quite lend itself to other quest lines so well, be warned.
~Rusty
Skyrim Builds - More coming
I've been getting back into Skyrim in a big way and remember thoroughly enjoying writing up my build ideas. I am going to do more and have some that I'm working on but I've noticed some of my previous builds have had a lot of views! Over a thousand on the Death Knight!
So please, if you have a build idea you want to see come to life, whether it be just a name, a backstory or some skills you want to see used together, please comment on this blog with them and I will do my best to get them done!
Upcoming builds -
Paladin - Revised
Thief
Night Blade
Elemental Hunter
Shaman
Priest
Pacifist
Thanks!
~Rusty
So please, if you have a build idea you want to see come to life, whether it be just a name, a backstory or some skills you want to see used together, please comment on this blog with them and I will do my best to get them done!
Upcoming builds -
Paladin - Revised
Thief
Night Blade
Elemental Hunter
Shaman
Priest
Pacifist
Thanks!
~Rusty
Besiege - First Impressions
So I picked up Besiege on Steam for a fiver the other day and now I want to talk a little bit about it...
Besiege is a vehicle construction type game, similar to Kerbal Space Program except that instead of rockets and planes you build medieval war machines. It's in early access right now, and as such only a small portion of the game is available to play, but it's very, very fun, and here I shall explain why.
My first impression was made, as always, at the main menu, being the first thing I saw. It's smooth, stylish, simplistic and easy to use. You have the earth in the centre with islands making up the level groups, the moon off to the top left which in itself seems to be another level group and then a small cube to the top right which is the sandbox.
I got stuck into the levels straight away and I have to say the user interface is one of the best I've seen in years! It's simple, clear, easy to navigate and easy to use. The tutorials are simple but don't leave anything out and from their on it's up to you and your imagination.
The levels themselves are fun, you could build a machine to take them all on or build a new machine for each level as I did. Currently only one level group is available but I've had tons of fun with it, without spoiling what it includes I will say that the difficulty increase is well balanced and fun, you'll learn as you go.
The Sandbox too is very fun, not huge but with lots of different 'stress-tests' as I've taken to calling them for your machine. I noticed also that they claim the Sandbox is not complete. I'd say it's more than adequate so the idea of getting more is exciting.
Beyond this there's not an awful lot to say, the construction is clever, not too many pieces but enough that you really can do whatever you want. It's simple, fun and as challenging as you want it to be. I can't wait to see future updates and take on more challenges!
~Rusty.
Besiege is a vehicle construction type game, similar to Kerbal Space Program except that instead of rockets and planes you build medieval war machines. It's in early access right now, and as such only a small portion of the game is available to play, but it's very, very fun, and here I shall explain why.
My first impression was made, as always, at the main menu, being the first thing I saw. It's smooth, stylish, simplistic and easy to use. You have the earth in the centre with islands making up the level groups, the moon off to the top left which in itself seems to be another level group and then a small cube to the top right which is the sandbox.
I got stuck into the levels straight away and I have to say the user interface is one of the best I've seen in years! It's simple, clear, easy to navigate and easy to use. The tutorials are simple but don't leave anything out and from their on it's up to you and your imagination.
The levels themselves are fun, you could build a machine to take them all on or build a new machine for each level as I did. Currently only one level group is available but I've had tons of fun with it, without spoiling what it includes I will say that the difficulty increase is well balanced and fun, you'll learn as you go.
The Sandbox too is very fun, not huge but with lots of different 'stress-tests' as I've taken to calling them for your machine. I noticed also that they claim the Sandbox is not complete. I'd say it's more than adequate so the idea of getting more is exciting.
Beyond this there's not an awful lot to say, the construction is clever, not too many pieces but enough that you really can do whatever you want. It's simple, fun and as challenging as you want it to be. I can't wait to see future updates and take on more challenges!
~Rusty.
Friday, 20 February 2015
So I'm back! (hopefully)
Yo!
I'm back! I think.
So I kinda forgot about this blog after a while. I've had a whole ton of stuff happen in life over the last year and ended up not having the time to really game or blog a whole lot until now.
I'm back to being unemployed as my work was only temporary, standard warehouse work, meaning I have time to start this once again.
I've been working on a few different things. Got back into Skyrim recently, been playing on PC with lots of immersion mods and a perk overhaul. Stopped playing Warcraft, which I'll get into in a second. And lastly spent some time in Arizona with a special someone.
So I'm going to start posting on here again. I may also include the tattoo blog I used to run rather than start up and try to manage two blogs.
Warcraft -
So yeah, Warlords of Draenor launched and not long after I stopped playing. Not because it's bad, in fact I love the expansion, but I'm finding myself less interest in the day to day grind of WoW. I got a few classes to lvl 100, enjoyed the new race models, enjoyed the new dungeons, although I did find some of them became less fun and more frustrating after a little while. I did try and get into raiding but seems no one is taking on people that don't have prior raiding experience right now so that fell flat, and ended up back in PvP. That started to get boring too after some time however. So yeah, not really playing it any more.
Skyrim -
Skyrim has made a comeback for me recently. I'm hoping to post some more class builds on here, been messing around with some things.
Reviews -
When I get a job and can afford to buy new games I will try to get back to some reviews too!
That's really it for now.
~Rusty.
I'm back! I think.
So I kinda forgot about this blog after a while. I've had a whole ton of stuff happen in life over the last year and ended up not having the time to really game or blog a whole lot until now.
I'm back to being unemployed as my work was only temporary, standard warehouse work, meaning I have time to start this once again.
I've been working on a few different things. Got back into Skyrim recently, been playing on PC with lots of immersion mods and a perk overhaul. Stopped playing Warcraft, which I'll get into in a second. And lastly spent some time in Arizona with a special someone.
So I'm going to start posting on here again. I may also include the tattoo blog I used to run rather than start up and try to manage two blogs.
Warcraft -
So yeah, Warlords of Draenor launched and not long after I stopped playing. Not because it's bad, in fact I love the expansion, but I'm finding myself less interest in the day to day grind of WoW. I got a few classes to lvl 100, enjoyed the new race models, enjoyed the new dungeons, although I did find some of them became less fun and more frustrating after a little while. I did try and get into raiding but seems no one is taking on people that don't have prior raiding experience right now so that fell flat, and ended up back in PvP. That started to get boring too after some time however. So yeah, not really playing it any more.
Skyrim -
Skyrim has made a comeback for me recently. I'm hoping to post some more class builds on here, been messing around with some things.
Reviews -
When I get a job and can afford to buy new games I will try to get back to some reviews too!
That's really it for now.
~Rusty.
Saturday, 1 March 2014
Warlords of Draenor - My Thoughts On What We Know So Far.
Ok, so for this post I'm going by the info riiiiight here: http://wowhead.com/wod
Don't let the Blizzcon stuff put you off, it's been updated since then. I might no necessarily mention everything here, as I don't have thoughts on everything, but here goes.
I will not be explaining all the WoD features in this post! If I mention something you don't know about check the link at the top of the post.
First off, I'm pretty psyched to actually see Draenor, I know we kinda already in Burning Crusade but that's after the Legion had done their work on it. I want to see the true Draenor, before the demons.
Also, 10 more levels? Hell yeah. I joined WoW in Cata, so I'm used to 5 level Expansions, thought I'd missed any chance of playing a 10 level expansion on release. I'm going to take my time leveling and explore properly. That said, I remember saying the same about MoP, it never happened.
Updated race models. While I agree with a lot of people that they're not needed, I'm not arguing with them being added. The ones released for viewing thus far look awesome, and it's only going to make the game more immersive.
The free boosts to 90 I'm not going into right now. I already posted my thoughts on all boosts, free and paid. Check that out here: http://rmgas.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/wow-lvl-90-boosts.html
Garrisons -
So this looks really cool so far. My first MMORPG was Runescape, I was there when Construction was added and got used to have my own house. Was very useful, for those who played RS, I used mine as a tele location after boss fights, with an altar and portal to Kharanos for Barrows runs. But I digress, Garrisons look awesome. Pet stables, profession buildings, getting buffs and sending followers on missions should add a new angle to leveling and money making. Getting blue prints from quests and world drops should be fun too. Being able to show off achievements through monuments will be fun too. Wouldn't mind a Dragonhawk statue for my Mountain o' Mounts, or something like that. Customising the interior in general will certainly satisfy the interior designer in me. If that's a thing. The followers look cool, gathering new and unique followers to go on missions for you, improving their level and gear along the way. They remind me of Kenway's Fleet from Assassin's Creed IV.
Item Squish and New Stats -
The item squish and new stats are both things that have been needed for a long time. Most of these mechanics can be seen in other MMOs and WoW's stats were starting to feel outdated. Plus making item sets easier to collect is a good thing. I understand some people are saying it takes the challenge out of balancing two specs, but not all of us have time to gear up two specs if we want to play two specs. I wanted to DPS and tank on my Warrior in MoP, I geared DPS first, by the time I was finished gearing it I went to start gearing tank to find that dungeon queues were 30 mins at least, even at peak time, I didn't have the time, so never got to tank this expansion. The new stats look fun and should switch up combat quite a bit. The armour changes are going to make playing two specs so much easier. Leaving more time to actually enjoy the specs rather than wasting time queueing and running dungeons over and over for new gear.
Inventory/Bag Space -
I have a friend, shock horror, who is a WoW hoarder. He never has bag space because he keeps EVERYTHING. Then he complains he has no bag space. Then he won't delete or vendor any of the crap he has. It's a problem. Or at least, it is for now. Automatic sorting will help me, as someone who is forever saying "I know I got it out of my bank, now where is it?!" I know there's a search bar, by the way, I'm just forgetful. Quest items not taking up room any more is also awesome. Some zones can leave you with 10 or more slots taken up by quest items at a time, which can be really annoying, especially on a lowbie. Looms, vanity gear and possibly transmog gear getting tab systems like mounts and pets is amazing, I will finally have bank space. Also, I get to stop hearing my friend complain he has no bank space too.
Raid/dungeon Changes -
Honestly the raid changes don't bother me too much as this will actually be the first expansion I bother to raid in anyway, so it'd all be new to me either way. However the addition of new dungeons mid expansion is great, MoP had way to few dungeons as is, and the lack of new ones just made it worse. Left the old dungeons feeling stale. Also actually needing gear from max level normals before starting HC is good, I remember that from Cata and missed it in MoP. Lastly, needing silver in proving grounds for your role before starting HCs makes me so happy, no more idiots trying roles they can't play.
For now, this is what I care about in WoD.
~Rusty
Don't let the Blizzcon stuff put you off, it's been updated since then. I might no necessarily mention everything here, as I don't have thoughts on everything, but here goes.
I will not be explaining all the WoD features in this post! If I mention something you don't know about check the link at the top of the post.
First off, I'm pretty psyched to actually see Draenor, I know we kinda already in Burning Crusade but that's after the Legion had done their work on it. I want to see the true Draenor, before the demons.
Also, 10 more levels? Hell yeah. I joined WoW in Cata, so I'm used to 5 level Expansions, thought I'd missed any chance of playing a 10 level expansion on release. I'm going to take my time leveling and explore properly. That said, I remember saying the same about MoP, it never happened.
Updated race models. While I agree with a lot of people that they're not needed, I'm not arguing with them being added. The ones released for viewing thus far look awesome, and it's only going to make the game more immersive.
The free boosts to 90 I'm not going into right now. I already posted my thoughts on all boosts, free and paid. Check that out here: http://rmgas.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/wow-lvl-90-boosts.html
Garrisons -
So this looks really cool so far. My first MMORPG was Runescape, I was there when Construction was added and got used to have my own house. Was very useful, for those who played RS, I used mine as a tele location after boss fights, with an altar and portal to Kharanos for Barrows runs. But I digress, Garrisons look awesome. Pet stables, profession buildings, getting buffs and sending followers on missions should add a new angle to leveling and money making. Getting blue prints from quests and world drops should be fun too. Being able to show off achievements through monuments will be fun too. Wouldn't mind a Dragonhawk statue for my Mountain o' Mounts, or something like that. Customising the interior in general will certainly satisfy the interior designer in me. If that's a thing. The followers look cool, gathering new and unique followers to go on missions for you, improving their level and gear along the way. They remind me of Kenway's Fleet from Assassin's Creed IV.
Item Squish and New Stats -
The item squish and new stats are both things that have been needed for a long time. Most of these mechanics can be seen in other MMOs and WoW's stats were starting to feel outdated. Plus making item sets easier to collect is a good thing. I understand some people are saying it takes the challenge out of balancing two specs, but not all of us have time to gear up two specs if we want to play two specs. I wanted to DPS and tank on my Warrior in MoP, I geared DPS first, by the time I was finished gearing it I went to start gearing tank to find that dungeon queues were 30 mins at least, even at peak time, I didn't have the time, so never got to tank this expansion. The new stats look fun and should switch up combat quite a bit. The armour changes are going to make playing two specs so much easier. Leaving more time to actually enjoy the specs rather than wasting time queueing and running dungeons over and over for new gear.
Inventory/Bag Space -
I have a friend, shock horror, who is a WoW hoarder. He never has bag space because he keeps EVERYTHING. Then he complains he has no bag space. Then he won't delete or vendor any of the crap he has. It's a problem. Or at least, it is for now. Automatic sorting will help me, as someone who is forever saying "I know I got it out of my bank, now where is it?!" I know there's a search bar, by the way, I'm just forgetful. Quest items not taking up room any more is also awesome. Some zones can leave you with 10 or more slots taken up by quest items at a time, which can be really annoying, especially on a lowbie. Looms, vanity gear and possibly transmog gear getting tab systems like mounts and pets is amazing, I will finally have bank space. Also, I get to stop hearing my friend complain he has no bank space too.
Raid/dungeon Changes -
Honestly the raid changes don't bother me too much as this will actually be the first expansion I bother to raid in anyway, so it'd all be new to me either way. However the addition of new dungeons mid expansion is great, MoP had way to few dungeons as is, and the lack of new ones just made it worse. Left the old dungeons feeling stale. Also actually needing gear from max level normals before starting HC is good, I remember that from Cata and missed it in MoP. Lastly, needing silver in proving grounds for your role before starting HCs makes me so happy, no more idiots trying roles they can't play.
For now, this is what I care about in WoD.
~Rusty
WoW - Lvl 90 boosts.
So, kind of a controversial topic in WoW right now, but I thought I'd stick my opinion in, for what it's worth.
I'm really looking forward to Warlords of Draenor, MoP didn't do much for me, The dungeons were cool but lacking in quantity, LFR was meh, world rares were awesome, rep grinds and their rewards were hit and miss, Timeless Isle was awesome, levelling zones were meh. As you can see I had mixed feelings. But it seems Blizzard has listened to the community, and WoD should fix a lot of what people weren't happy with. I'm going to put up a blog about WoD soon, but as boosts are coming before it's release, and they're such a talking point right now, I figured they should get their own post.
I am happily going to use my free boost. It will be used on my mage. He has been lvl 62 for.... well... Probably close on a year now. I like mages. I don't like leveling mages. So yeah. I am (finally) leveling a monk too, he's 33, I was thinking of using it on him buuuuuuut if I go for mage I can finally catch up Enchanting and Jewelcrafting to my other profs. Anyway, I don't think anyone's too pissed about the free boost. In fact it's kinda awesome for new players, old players coming back, or people who just have that one toon who they're struggling to level.
Where the problem lies, is the paid boosts. Now, I can understand both sides. On one side you have the people saying "No, we don't want WoW to be pay to win.", "You should have to work for your 90." And yeah, for the most part I agree. But when you've worked for 9 or 10 90s, or even more than that, are people really going to miss much content by leveling again? Probably not, they'll have played what they want to play in the lower levels. Also, say you never played MoP, you quit in Cata, then you come back for WoD "Oh, before you play this expansion you just paid £50 for, you have to play through this outdated one that you never wanted in the first place." It's gonna put people off coming back. Also, you can't win WoW. So stop calling it pay to win. Please. I know it's not many people, but those that are. Stahp. Nao.
In fact, I support the paid boosts, I was even planning to use one myself, on my monk. WAS. The thing is, as many of you will know, they popped up on live servers after the latest patch hit, briefly. They were marked as $60. What's wrong with that? That's £35, seems reasonable, for a service that allows you to skip a large chunk of grinding. It is, I'd pay that. Only for one or two characters at most, but I'd pay it if I wanted the service. However, $60, to Blizzard, does not mean £35. Looks at Blizzard store mounts... $25, or £20. Really? So safe to say Blizzard will likely charge closer to £50 for all us UK people. £50? No. No Blizzard. I know it's only £15 more, but honestly, there's a limit. £35 is the most I would pay. Now, I'm only speculating of course. But going by mount and pet prices, I'm predicting £50+ for 90 boosts.
However, we shall see what the future holds. I will write another post if there's an official UK price announced or when it's released, whichever happens first.
~Rusty.
I'm really looking forward to Warlords of Draenor, MoP didn't do much for me, The dungeons were cool but lacking in quantity, LFR was meh, world rares were awesome, rep grinds and their rewards were hit and miss, Timeless Isle was awesome, levelling zones were meh. As you can see I had mixed feelings. But it seems Blizzard has listened to the community, and WoD should fix a lot of what people weren't happy with. I'm going to put up a blog about WoD soon, but as boosts are coming before it's release, and they're such a talking point right now, I figured they should get their own post.
I am happily going to use my free boost. It will be used on my mage. He has been lvl 62 for.... well... Probably close on a year now. I like mages. I don't like leveling mages. So yeah. I am (finally) leveling a monk too, he's 33, I was thinking of using it on him buuuuuuut if I go for mage I can finally catch up Enchanting and Jewelcrafting to my other profs. Anyway, I don't think anyone's too pissed about the free boost. In fact it's kinda awesome for new players, old players coming back, or people who just have that one toon who they're struggling to level.
Where the problem lies, is the paid boosts. Now, I can understand both sides. On one side you have the people saying "No, we don't want WoW to be pay to win.", "You should have to work for your 90." And yeah, for the most part I agree. But when you've worked for 9 or 10 90s, or even more than that, are people really going to miss much content by leveling again? Probably not, they'll have played what they want to play in the lower levels. Also, say you never played MoP, you quit in Cata, then you come back for WoD "Oh, before you play this expansion you just paid £50 for, you have to play through this outdated one that you never wanted in the first place." It's gonna put people off coming back. Also, you can't win WoW. So stop calling it pay to win. Please. I know it's not many people, but those that are. Stahp. Nao.
In fact, I support the paid boosts, I was even planning to use one myself, on my monk. WAS. The thing is, as many of you will know, they popped up on live servers after the latest patch hit, briefly. They were marked as $60. What's wrong with that? That's £35, seems reasonable, for a service that allows you to skip a large chunk of grinding. It is, I'd pay that. Only for one or two characters at most, but I'd pay it if I wanted the service. However, $60, to Blizzard, does not mean £35. Looks at Blizzard store mounts... $25, or £20. Really? So safe to say Blizzard will likely charge closer to £50 for all us UK people. £50? No. No Blizzard. I know it's only £15 more, but honestly, there's a limit. £35 is the most I would pay. Now, I'm only speculating of course. But going by mount and pet prices, I'm predicting £50+ for 90 boosts.
However, we shall see what the future holds. I will write another post if there's an official UK price announced or when it's released, whichever happens first.
~Rusty.
Tuesday, 21 January 2014
Skyrim Build Guide - Paladin
The Paladin
Intro
The Paladin is the holy warrior of Tamriel, seeking out evil where ever it may be. This has led them recently to Skyrim. Rumours of dragons, the dead rising from their graves, Necromancers being far more outspoken of their work, cults in every other cave and even the dark brotherhood coming out of their hiding hole. The Paladin's work is never done, but they wonder if Skyrim can ever be saved. Typically coming from an Imperial background their orders have been updated recently to include the rejection of all Talos worshipers, just a little something to make their job even more dangerous. Wielding a mix of holy magic and and maces, while protected by expensive plate armour, the Paladins are a strong force of justice and retribution.
Race Selection - Imperial, with their skill in magic and fighting, and their lore friendly background, Imperial is the obvious choice.
Armour/Weapon Selection
Weapon - One Handed Maces. Dawnbreaker Sword.
Off Hand - Restoration spells/Shield. Healing, turn undead and Dawguard DLC Damaging spells.
Armour - Heavy Armour. Imperial Plate with the helmet from Meridia's temple. Dwarven. Dawnguard Heavy.
Standing Stone - Lover Stone, for exp boosts. Lord Stone, 'cause plate armour just isn't enough.
Skills/Perks Selection
One Handed - Armsman (5/5), Fighting Stance, Savage Strike.
Restoration - Novice, Apprentice, Adept, Recovery, Respite, Regeneration, Necromage.
Heavy Armour - Juggernaut (5/5), Well Fitted, Tower of Strength, Matching Set, Reflect Blows.
Block - Shield Wall (1/5), Power Bash, Quick Reflexes, Deadly Bash, Disarming Bash.
Smithing - Steel, Dwarven, Orcish, Arcane, Ebony, Daedric, Dragon.
Enchanting - Enchanter (5/5), Insightful Enchanter, Corpus Enchanter, Extra Effects.
Quest Lines
Alduin/Main story - Yes, not because you're the Dragonborn, but because dragons are evil and should be eradicated.
Civil War - Yes, but only siding with Imperials.
Dark Brotherhood - No.
Thieves Guild - No.
Mages College - Yes, may as well enhance your abilities while in reach of the famous college.
Bard's College - Yes.
Companions - Yes, but no Werewolf form.
Dawnguard - You're here to destroy evil, so definitely join the Dawnguard. This also gives access to damaging Resto spells such as Sun Fire.
Dragonborn - Yes, destroying evil and all that.
Thane Quests - Yes, notoriety is everything in the Paladins world.
Side Quests - Yes, helping citizens is good.
Daedric Artifacts - Yes, I mean, your masters in Cyrodil would want such items destroyed, but if you had a home in Skyrim... What they don't know won't hurt them.
Intro
The Paladin is the holy warrior of Tamriel, seeking out evil where ever it may be. This has led them recently to Skyrim. Rumours of dragons, the dead rising from their graves, Necromancers being far more outspoken of their work, cults in every other cave and even the dark brotherhood coming out of their hiding hole. The Paladin's work is never done, but they wonder if Skyrim can ever be saved. Typically coming from an Imperial background their orders have been updated recently to include the rejection of all Talos worshipers, just a little something to make their job even more dangerous. Wielding a mix of holy magic and and maces, while protected by expensive plate armour, the Paladins are a strong force of justice and retribution.
Race Selection - Imperial, with their skill in magic and fighting, and their lore friendly background, Imperial is the obvious choice.
Armour/Weapon Selection
Weapon - One Handed Maces. Dawnbreaker Sword.
Off Hand - Restoration spells/Shield. Healing, turn undead and Dawguard DLC Damaging spells.
Armour - Heavy Armour. Imperial Plate with the helmet from Meridia's temple. Dwarven. Dawnguard Heavy.
Standing Stone - Lover Stone, for exp boosts. Lord Stone, 'cause plate armour just isn't enough.
Skills/Perks Selection
One Handed - Armsman (5/5), Fighting Stance, Savage Strike.
Restoration - Novice, Apprentice, Adept, Recovery, Respite, Regeneration, Necromage.
Heavy Armour - Juggernaut (5/5), Well Fitted, Tower of Strength, Matching Set, Reflect Blows.
Block - Shield Wall (1/5), Power Bash, Quick Reflexes, Deadly Bash, Disarming Bash.
Smithing - Steel, Dwarven, Orcish, Arcane, Ebony, Daedric, Dragon.
Enchanting - Enchanter (5/5), Insightful Enchanter, Corpus Enchanter, Extra Effects.
Quest Lines
Alduin/Main story - Yes, not because you're the Dragonborn, but because dragons are evil and should be eradicated.
Civil War - Yes, but only siding with Imperials.
Dark Brotherhood - No.
Thieves Guild - No.
Mages College - Yes, may as well enhance your abilities while in reach of the famous college.
Bard's College - Yes.
Companions - Yes, but no Werewolf form.
Dawnguard - You're here to destroy evil, so definitely join the Dawnguard. This also gives access to damaging Resto spells such as Sun Fire.
Dragonborn - Yes, destroying evil and all that.
Thane Quests - Yes, notoriety is everything in the Paladins world.
Side Quests - Yes, helping citizens is good.
Daedric Artifacts - Yes, I mean, your masters in Cyrodil would want such items destroyed, but if you had a home in Skyrim... What they don't know won't hurt them.
Final Note;
None for this class, it's a simple, well structured playthrough that gives more importance to the Dawnguard quests.
Skyrim Build Guide - Death Knight
The Death Knight
Intro -
The Death Knight is a knight of darkness and decay. Death follows him where ever he treads, whether it's that of his foes or just nature around him. Such darkness is often caused by a twisting of the mind due to the death of a loved one or just pure insanity. Because of this Death Knights can be loud and in your face or quiet and unsettling. Either way, people rarely stay around them long and they don't make friends easily. Using the powers of necromancy to bolster their ranks along with their own plated armour and mighty two handed weapons these titans are not easily felled. Whatever their cause, you'd best hope you're not in their way.
Race Selection
High Elf - Due to their starting with 150 mana rather than the standard 100, these are an obvious choice.
Breton - Their 25 starting Conjuration helps with early game leveling, as well as mana absorption and spell resistance.
Imperial - For their high stats in magic and mellee early game.
Armour/Weapon Selection
Weapon - Two Handed, personal preference which type. I go for swords.
Off hand - None. But switch weapon to spells to raise the dead.
Armour - Heavy, enchanted at later levels. Ebony or Daedric make for the perfect Death Knight look.
Standing Stone - Lover Stone, for 15% boost to Mage and Warrior. Ritual Stone, for raising undead armies. Or Steed Stone, for hoarders.
Skills/ Perks Selection
Two Handed - Barbarian (5/5), Champion's Stance, Devastating Blow, Sweep.
Conjuration - Novice, Apprentice, Adept, Summoner (1/2), Necromancy, Dark Souls, Twin Souls.
Heavy Armour - Juggernaut (5/5), Well Fitted, Tower of Strength, Matching Set, Reflect Blows.
Smithing - Steel, Dwarven, Orchish, Arcane, Ebony, Daedric, Dragon.
Enchanting - Enchanter (5/5), Insightful Enchanter, Corpus Enchanter, Extra Effect.
Restoration - Novice, Apprentice, Adept, Recovery (1/2), Respite, Regeneration and for those who choose to become vampires ONLY: Necromage.
Quest Lines
Alduin/Main Story - Yes, all the best villains start out as heroes.
Civil War - Optional.
Dark Brotherhood - Yes, while not stealthy as most assassins, killing for money is pefect for the twisted mind of a Death Knight.
Thieves Guild - No, not stealthy enough, thus not lore friendly.
Mages College - Possibly, lore wise it may not work, as Death Knights are rejected by society, but then so is the Mages College.
Bard's College - No.
Companions - Yes, Werewolf Form can add a unique twist if you don't intend on being a vampire.
Dawnguard - Yes, only if it's to become a Vampire Lord. Death Knights, even those who do not join the ranks of the vampires, are met with the same disgust as vampires, and thus have more reason to ally with them than to kill them.
Dragonborn - Yes, as the Death Knight becomes more powerful, challenging someone who shares his unique Dragonborn powers would be hard to resist.
Thane Quests - Possibly, depends how much you wish to roleplay his rejection from society.
Side Quests - Yes, but not always with the good intentions of other heroes.
Daedric Artifacts - Yes, anything to grow his powers.
Intro -
The Death Knight is a knight of darkness and decay. Death follows him where ever he treads, whether it's that of his foes or just nature around him. Such darkness is often caused by a twisting of the mind due to the death of a loved one or just pure insanity. Because of this Death Knights can be loud and in your face or quiet and unsettling. Either way, people rarely stay around them long and they don't make friends easily. Using the powers of necromancy to bolster their ranks along with their own plated armour and mighty two handed weapons these titans are not easily felled. Whatever their cause, you'd best hope you're not in their way.
Race Selection
High Elf - Due to their starting with 150 mana rather than the standard 100, these are an obvious choice.
Breton - Their 25 starting Conjuration helps with early game leveling, as well as mana absorption and spell resistance.
Imperial - For their high stats in magic and mellee early game.
Armour/Weapon Selection
Weapon - Two Handed, personal preference which type. I go for swords.
Off hand - None. But switch weapon to spells to raise the dead.
Armour - Heavy, enchanted at later levels. Ebony or Daedric make for the perfect Death Knight look.
Standing Stone - Lover Stone, for 15% boost to Mage and Warrior. Ritual Stone, for raising undead armies. Or Steed Stone, for hoarders.
Skills/ Perks Selection
Two Handed - Barbarian (5/5), Champion's Stance, Devastating Blow, Sweep.
Conjuration - Novice, Apprentice, Adept, Summoner (1/2), Necromancy, Dark Souls, Twin Souls.
Heavy Armour - Juggernaut (5/5), Well Fitted, Tower of Strength, Matching Set, Reflect Blows.
Smithing - Steel, Dwarven, Orchish, Arcane, Ebony, Daedric, Dragon.
Enchanting - Enchanter (5/5), Insightful Enchanter, Corpus Enchanter, Extra Effect.
Restoration - Novice, Apprentice, Adept, Recovery (1/2), Respite, Regeneration and for those who choose to become vampires ONLY: Necromage.
Quest Lines
Alduin/Main Story - Yes, all the best villains start out as heroes.
Civil War - Optional.
Dark Brotherhood - Yes, while not stealthy as most assassins, killing for money is pefect for the twisted mind of a Death Knight.
Thieves Guild - No, not stealthy enough, thus not lore friendly.
Mages College - Possibly, lore wise it may not work, as Death Knights are rejected by society, but then so is the Mages College.
Bard's College - No.
Companions - Yes, Werewolf Form can add a unique twist if you don't intend on being a vampire.
Dawnguard - Yes, only if it's to become a Vampire Lord. Death Knights, even those who do not join the ranks of the vampires, are met with the same disgust as vampires, and thus have more reason to ally with them than to kill them.
Dragonborn - Yes, as the Death Knight becomes more powerful, challenging someone who shares his unique Dragonborn powers would be hard to resist.
Thane Quests - Possibly, depends how much you wish to roleplay his rejection from society.
Side Quests - Yes, but not always with the good intentions of other heroes.
Daedric Artifacts - Yes, anything to grow his powers.
Final note; The Advantage of Vampirism
As a Vampire in Skyrim, you are considered Undead, this means with the Restoration perk Necromage, all healing spells on yourself are twice as effective. This also stacks on top of Regeneration, making you nigh on unstoppable.
Skyrim Build Guide - The Wanderer (UPDATED; + 5 Variations)
The Wanderer, AKA The Traveler
Intro summary -
The Wanderer is a lore friendly, role play focused class I've come up with through extensive play of Skyrim, although I'm sure similar builds are already over the internet, this is my interpretation. The Wanderer does not have expensive armour, nor the training to use it, usually found in robes or regular clothes this leaves him light on his feet but vulnerable to attack. The Wanderer uses skills picked up from years of travelling Tamriel, with a grasp of fighting and magic he/she can normally be found with a weapon in one hand and spell in the other. Using Alteration spells to armour himself, destruction to weaken his foes at a distance and possibly even illusion to thin their ranks, only to cut down the remaining enemies with his trusty sword. Due to his extensive use of mana his clothing will always be enchanted and his packs full of potions. Along with his combat knowledge, he will likely have picked up the art of persuasion along his journey, few heroes can match his silver tongue. The Wanderer may appear weak to begin with, but you don't survive years of travelling Tamriel without picking up a trick or two.
There are various types of Wanderer, to begin with I will outline the generic Wanderer and then the various adaptations.
Race Selection -
Any will work - For lore/roleplay I like Imperial, Breton or Argonian, they seem to suit the idea of a lone traveller.
Imperial's skill with weapons and magic, as well as their keen eye for gold makes them a good fit.
Breton's resistance to magic and ability to absorb it is incredibly helpful.
The Argonian's abilities don't lend themselves to the Wanderer in the same way, however lore wise they fit the bill for lone traveler well.
Armour/Weapon Selection
Weapon - I prefer swords, but axes and maces work too.
Off hand - Magic - Armour spell at opening of fight, destruction during, Resto after or in emergencies.
Armour - Robes or clothes. Early game will likely be robes for enchants, but as enchanting increases you can enchant your own choice of clothing. Early game Light armour gloves and boots could be used until mage armour perk is unlocked.
Standing Stone - Mage Stone, One handed shouldn't fall behind much. For Thief style use Lover.
Skills and Perks
Alteration - Level Perks up to Expert are a must to get the most out of your armour spells. This unlocks Mage Armour (1/3), Magical Resistance (1/3), Stability and Atronach.
Destruction - Level Perks up to Adept, as enchants will keep costs down at higher levels. I personally don't take and augmentation perks but that's up to you and how you play.
One Handed - Armsman (5/5), Fighting Stance and Savage Strike. Any others are again down to personal preference.
Enchanting - Enchanter (5/5), Insightful Enchanter, Corpus Enchanter, Extra Effect.
Restoration - Novice, Apprentice, Regeneration.
Alchemy - Alchemist (5/5), Physician, Benefactor, Experimenter (3/3), Snakeblood, Purity.
Speech - Haggling (1/5), Allure, Bribery, Merchant, Persuasion.
This perk setup will take you to level 47, any further perks simply go to the trees mentioned. Other trees are a waste unless you've adapted the class to use them. Illusion is not mentioned despite being mentioned in the intro, that is because I personally do not use it, it is up to you whether to include it.
Quest lines
Alduin/Main story - Personal choice, the Wanderer may or may not rise to the call.
Civil War - No, Wanderers have no affiliation with Rebels or Imperials in this war.
Dark Brotherhood - Personal choice, depending on how far your wanderer will go to earn his coin.
Thieves Guild - For the generic Wanderer, no, you will see why in the adaptations section.
Mages College - Yes, the perfect place for the wanderer to hone their skills is the mages college.
Bard's College - Yes.
Companions - I say yes, but it's up to you, Werewolf form optional.
Dawnguard - Yes, the wanderer will likely have slain multiple vampires on his travels already, and they will probably be one of the few things to truly worry him, thus the chance to eradicate them is perfect.
Dragonborn - Yes, the chance to explore a new, mineral rich land will be a strong temptation for the wanderer. Helping people and earning some coin on the way is always a bonus.
Thane Quests - Yes, coin is coin.
Side Quests - Yes, the Wanderer needs coin.
Daedric Artifacts - Yes, with Heartfire DLC/mods, the wanderer will eventually have his cabin in the woods, and proudly display such items.
That concludes the generic set up for The Wanderer, what follows are a couple of adaptions I came up with, which I will summarise in paragraphs.
The Thief Wanderer
The Thief Wanderer is, as the name suggests, a wanderer who's taken a more dishonest path to his earnings, adding Sneak and Pickpocketing to his skill list, often taking a dagger rather than a sword, adding intimidation to his speech tree and poisons to his alchemy tree. This wanderer prefers not to be seen. This increase in skills can weaken them overall, and in head to head combat he is less effective, but if all goes well he can make off with twice as much gold with half the confrontation. This wanderer will join the Thieves guild where others won't, and those with the blackest hearts will even go as far as the Dark Brotherhood.
The Vampiric Wanderer
The Vampiric Wanderer is much the same as the regular Wanderer, except he has fallen foul of a Vampire's fangs. Since embracing his new found power he has become a much darker creature with less morals than even the Thief Wanderer, leaving him capable of anything and very unpredictable in combat. Some have even been seen amongst Lord Harkon's Court, embracing the power of the Vampire Lords...
The Nordic Wanderer
As the name would have you believe, this wanderer is exclusively of Nordic descent, similar in most every aspect to the normal Wanderer except for the preference of two handed weapons. Wielding such great weapons yields much greater physical damage, however this is at the loss of the off hand abilities, thus, the Nordic Wanderer will rarely, if at all, use destruction, and often be seen dual casting his armour spell before battle.
The Pirate
The Pirate is very similar in his ways to the Wanderer, but would never identify himself as a mere Traveler, more like the scourge of the seas. It may seem odd, at first, to have a Pirate in Skyrim, but think, two large ports, plenty of shipwrecks and a multitude of gold to plunder, pirates don't spend every waking minute at sea. Whether they're earning money for their first ship, recovering after a wreck on the nothern coast, or just out for a different adventure, Skyrim is a Pirate haven. Pirates, due to their proud nature, are more limited in their equipment choices. Putting greater attention into Restoration and not using Destruction for a start, a Pirate will only ever use a Saber like weapon in close quarters and would never be seen wearing robes, making early game enchantments harder. However he makes up for this by using Archery and Sneak to his advantage, thinning foes from a distance before charging in with his sword. Alteration is still regarded as a necessity among Pirates, in this age of Magic and Crossbows, they may be proud but they're not stupid.
Summarised notes on The Pirate;
No Destruction - Greater focus on Restoration.
Sabre type weapons only.
Bows AND Crossbows may be used.
No armour, no robes, clothes only.
Enchanting still used, as is Alteration etc.
Sabre type sword can be seen in the Scimitar (Vanilla) or sought out in Weapon mods if playing on PC.
Pickpocket etc may be used at player's discretion.
The Monk
This is a variation that I am still developing, and it's looking as if it may even become it's own class, however for now I shall document it here, for my benefit as much as yours. The Monk is not necessarily the man of peace that often comes to mind to those of us with an English disposition such as myself. When I say Monk, I'm thinking more along the lines of Shaolin Monk, or, to refer to another video game, the Monk class in World of Warcraft. Now one idea I've seen on the internet for a Monk class utilises unarmed fighting, which only to a certain point, even with the Khajit's claws. The Monk I have thought of, unfortunately, requires a weapons mod. The same mod I had in mind for The Pirate build (Name at bottom of article, in references section) and thus excludes those playing on console. The Monk travels the world, traditionally to fight evil where ever it may be found, and bring balance to the land. Skilled in the arts of Combat and Healing, he wields a wooden staff, as he has no need for blades with his skills. More accomplished Monks will often adorn these staves with metal tips or rings, to pack an extra punch. The Monk can be identified by his staff and his robes, usually modest but even the most composed Monk will treat himself now and then. Mastering the Two Handed skill to get full potential from his weapon, the Monk abandons Destruction magic, many swearing off it for the unbalance it brings to the world anyway. This, like the Pirate, is a more limited Wanderer build, providing extra challenge, but with it a more defined roleplay.
Summarised notes on The Monk;
No Destruction - Two handed instead of One Handed.
Staves only, maybe spears.
Robes only.
Enchanting, Alteration and Restoration still used.
Pickpocket etc may not be used. (Lockpicking excluded as it's essential to any playthrough, in my opinion.)
References: AKA "Who gave me inspiration?" "Where the hell do I get the mods?"
Inspiration -
Wanderer - Original idea from me, although I know from research others have come up with similar builds.
Thief Wanderer - Same as above.
Vampiric Wanderer - My good friend, and co host of upcoming YouTube channel; Kieran.
Nordic Wanderer - Original idea from myself.
The Pirate - Originally thought of by me as a separate class however became a variation after looking at this build: http://goo.gl/YcI1Mx
The Monk - Original idea from World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria expansion.
Mods -
Weapon Mod necessary for The Monk variation - Heavy Armoury http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=85291742
Intro summary -
The Wanderer is a lore friendly, role play focused class I've come up with through extensive play of Skyrim, although I'm sure similar builds are already over the internet, this is my interpretation. The Wanderer does not have expensive armour, nor the training to use it, usually found in robes or regular clothes this leaves him light on his feet but vulnerable to attack. The Wanderer uses skills picked up from years of travelling Tamriel, with a grasp of fighting and magic he/she can normally be found with a weapon in one hand and spell in the other. Using Alteration spells to armour himself, destruction to weaken his foes at a distance and possibly even illusion to thin their ranks, only to cut down the remaining enemies with his trusty sword. Due to his extensive use of mana his clothing will always be enchanted and his packs full of potions. Along with his combat knowledge, he will likely have picked up the art of persuasion along his journey, few heroes can match his silver tongue. The Wanderer may appear weak to begin with, but you don't survive years of travelling Tamriel without picking up a trick or two.
There are various types of Wanderer, to begin with I will outline the generic Wanderer and then the various adaptations.
Race Selection -
Any will work - For lore/roleplay I like Imperial, Breton or Argonian, they seem to suit the idea of a lone traveller.
Imperial's skill with weapons and magic, as well as their keen eye for gold makes them a good fit.
Breton's resistance to magic and ability to absorb it is incredibly helpful.
The Argonian's abilities don't lend themselves to the Wanderer in the same way, however lore wise they fit the bill for lone traveler well.
Armour/Weapon Selection
Weapon - I prefer swords, but axes and maces work too.
Off hand - Magic - Armour spell at opening of fight, destruction during, Resto after or in emergencies.
Armour - Robes or clothes. Early game will likely be robes for enchants, but as enchanting increases you can enchant your own choice of clothing. Early game Light armour gloves and boots could be used until mage armour perk is unlocked.
Standing Stone - Mage Stone, One handed shouldn't fall behind much. For Thief style use Lover.
Skills and Perks
Alteration - Level Perks up to Expert are a must to get the most out of your armour spells. This unlocks Mage Armour (1/3), Magical Resistance (1/3), Stability and Atronach.
Destruction - Level Perks up to Adept, as enchants will keep costs down at higher levels. I personally don't take and augmentation perks but that's up to you and how you play.
One Handed - Armsman (5/5), Fighting Stance and Savage Strike. Any others are again down to personal preference.
Enchanting - Enchanter (5/5), Insightful Enchanter, Corpus Enchanter, Extra Effect.
Restoration - Novice, Apprentice, Regeneration.
Alchemy - Alchemist (5/5), Physician, Benefactor, Experimenter (3/3), Snakeblood, Purity.
Speech - Haggling (1/5), Allure, Bribery, Merchant, Persuasion.
This perk setup will take you to level 47, any further perks simply go to the trees mentioned. Other trees are a waste unless you've adapted the class to use them. Illusion is not mentioned despite being mentioned in the intro, that is because I personally do not use it, it is up to you whether to include it.
Quest lines
Alduin/Main story - Personal choice, the Wanderer may or may not rise to the call.
Civil War - No, Wanderers have no affiliation with Rebels or Imperials in this war.
Dark Brotherhood - Personal choice, depending on how far your wanderer will go to earn his coin.
Thieves Guild - For the generic Wanderer, no, you will see why in the adaptations section.
Mages College - Yes, the perfect place for the wanderer to hone their skills is the mages college.
Bard's College - Yes.
Companions - I say yes, but it's up to you, Werewolf form optional.
Dawnguard - Yes, the wanderer will likely have slain multiple vampires on his travels already, and they will probably be one of the few things to truly worry him, thus the chance to eradicate them is perfect.
Dragonborn - Yes, the chance to explore a new, mineral rich land will be a strong temptation for the wanderer. Helping people and earning some coin on the way is always a bonus.
Thane Quests - Yes, coin is coin.
Side Quests - Yes, the Wanderer needs coin.
Daedric Artifacts - Yes, with Heartfire DLC/mods, the wanderer will eventually have his cabin in the woods, and proudly display such items.
That concludes the generic set up for The Wanderer, what follows are a couple of adaptions I came up with, which I will summarise in paragraphs.
The Thief Wanderer
The Thief Wanderer is, as the name suggests, a wanderer who's taken a more dishonest path to his earnings, adding Sneak and Pickpocketing to his skill list, often taking a dagger rather than a sword, adding intimidation to his speech tree and poisons to his alchemy tree. This wanderer prefers not to be seen. This increase in skills can weaken them overall, and in head to head combat he is less effective, but if all goes well he can make off with twice as much gold with half the confrontation. This wanderer will join the Thieves guild where others won't, and those with the blackest hearts will even go as far as the Dark Brotherhood.
The Vampiric Wanderer
The Vampiric Wanderer is much the same as the regular Wanderer, except he has fallen foul of a Vampire's fangs. Since embracing his new found power he has become a much darker creature with less morals than even the Thief Wanderer, leaving him capable of anything and very unpredictable in combat. Some have even been seen amongst Lord Harkon's Court, embracing the power of the Vampire Lords...
The Nordic Wanderer
As the name would have you believe, this wanderer is exclusively of Nordic descent, similar in most every aspect to the normal Wanderer except for the preference of two handed weapons. Wielding such great weapons yields much greater physical damage, however this is at the loss of the off hand abilities, thus, the Nordic Wanderer will rarely, if at all, use destruction, and often be seen dual casting his armour spell before battle.
The Pirate
The Pirate is very similar in his ways to the Wanderer, but would never identify himself as a mere Traveler, more like the scourge of the seas. It may seem odd, at first, to have a Pirate in Skyrim, but think, two large ports, plenty of shipwrecks and a multitude of gold to plunder, pirates don't spend every waking minute at sea. Whether they're earning money for their first ship, recovering after a wreck on the nothern coast, or just out for a different adventure, Skyrim is a Pirate haven. Pirates, due to their proud nature, are more limited in their equipment choices. Putting greater attention into Restoration and not using Destruction for a start, a Pirate will only ever use a Saber like weapon in close quarters and would never be seen wearing robes, making early game enchantments harder. However he makes up for this by using Archery and Sneak to his advantage, thinning foes from a distance before charging in with his sword. Alteration is still regarded as a necessity among Pirates, in this age of Magic and Crossbows, they may be proud but they're not stupid.
Summarised notes on The Pirate;
No Destruction - Greater focus on Restoration.
Sabre type weapons only.
Bows AND Crossbows may be used.
No armour, no robes, clothes only.
Enchanting still used, as is Alteration etc.
Sabre type sword can be seen in the Scimitar (Vanilla) or sought out in Weapon mods if playing on PC.
Pickpocket etc may be used at player's discretion.
The Monk
This is a variation that I am still developing, and it's looking as if it may even become it's own class, however for now I shall document it here, for my benefit as much as yours. The Monk is not necessarily the man of peace that often comes to mind to those of us with an English disposition such as myself. When I say Monk, I'm thinking more along the lines of Shaolin Monk, or, to refer to another video game, the Monk class in World of Warcraft. Now one idea I've seen on the internet for a Monk class utilises unarmed fighting, which only to a certain point, even with the Khajit's claws. The Monk I have thought of, unfortunately, requires a weapons mod. The same mod I had in mind for The Pirate build (Name at bottom of article, in references section) and thus excludes those playing on console. The Monk travels the world, traditionally to fight evil where ever it may be found, and bring balance to the land. Skilled in the arts of Combat and Healing, he wields a wooden staff, as he has no need for blades with his skills. More accomplished Monks will often adorn these staves with metal tips or rings, to pack an extra punch. The Monk can be identified by his staff and his robes, usually modest but even the most composed Monk will treat himself now and then. Mastering the Two Handed skill to get full potential from his weapon, the Monk abandons Destruction magic, many swearing off it for the unbalance it brings to the world anyway. This, like the Pirate, is a more limited Wanderer build, providing extra challenge, but with it a more defined roleplay.
Summarised notes on The Monk;
No Destruction - Two handed instead of One Handed.
Staves only, maybe spears.
Robes only.
Enchanting, Alteration and Restoration still used.
Pickpocket etc may not be used. (Lockpicking excluded as it's essential to any playthrough, in my opinion.)
References: AKA "Who gave me inspiration?" "Where the hell do I get the mods?"
Inspiration -
Wanderer - Original idea from me, although I know from research others have come up with similar builds.
Thief Wanderer - Same as above.
Vampiric Wanderer - My good friend, and co host of upcoming YouTube channel; Kieran.
Nordic Wanderer - Original idea from myself.
The Pirate - Originally thought of by me as a separate class however became a variation after looking at this build: http://goo.gl/YcI1Mx
The Monk - Original idea from World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria expansion.
Mods -
Weapon Mod necessary for The Monk variation - Heavy Armoury http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=85291742
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