Jumat, 31 Agustus 2012

An Illusionist in Skyrim, part 3: run and bear it

An Illusionist in Skyrim, part 3: run and bear it


I’m playing Skyrim with a rule: Illusion magic only. No direct violence, just pure deception. So naturally I’m planning to join the Emperor’s army: the Imperial Legion. Last week, I was on my way to their headquarters in Solitude. I’m nearly there.
< Part 2
There’s just one more mountain range between me and Solitude now. I skid down its far side, cross a river, and see someone running towards me from the distance. I should run away, but I wait – I don’t see a weapon, and it’s unusual for an enemy to head right for you before you even get close.
Soon I can tell it’s a woman, and that she’s unarmed. When she reaches me, she explains that she’s just escaped capture by bandits. She tells me I’d be a hero if I took them out. I bet! Well, see you.



I was hoping she’d ask me to escort her to the nearest town, because then she would effectively be escorting me to the nearest town, and the nearest town is now Solitude. But she just runs off.
I do the same, and run straight into the path of a bear.
Bears are nasty. I’m way, way off the beaten path the game expects you to take at this point, and a bear could munch a level 1 character like me in seconds. They’re fast, too, but of course I don’t need to outrun the bear. I need to outrun the weak, defenceless woman I just refused to help.
I pass her without a word, and glance back to see the lunk gaining on us. But is she actually going to fight it? If she keeps running, it might go straight past her and head for me. I have one way of making sure that doesn’t happen, and it’s not… it’s not the gentlemanly option. I turn back again, just long enough to aim a Fury spell at her.
When I next look back, she’s dead. The bear sits by her body, licking a paw.
Well, now I feel good.


Arriving

Finally, I can see it: the towering rock arch that juts out from Solitude itself. I wade through the swamplands without major incident, and finally climb the long winding road to the city gates. On my way in, a guard tells me who to see about joining the Imperial Legion, but it’s not anyone I know or know how to find. I decide to explore.
Whenever you first enter Solitude, there’s an execution in progress. I’m always tempted to intervene, and this time, my skills might actually make it possible. If I Fury someone other than the accused, who seems to be innocent, the ruckus might disrupt the proceedings. I hide in a bush and Fury the captain.
There’s definitely a ruckus. I can hear it from my bush. It seems wise to stay out of sight until I’m ‘hidden’ – the game’s term for when hostiles give up looking for what caused something suspicious. I hear a lot of unsheathed metal, screams of pain, and Skyrim’s weirdly over-specific battlecries: “And you thought I was just a pretty face!” and “Never should have come here!”
A while after it quiets down, I feel safe enough to step out. I’m immediately arrested



Interestingly, despite at least one dead body in the street, my bounty is only 40 gold: I’m only guilty of firing off a non-lethal spell. I can easily afford to pay it off, but I have another idea: go to jail. The jails are all run by the Imperial Legion, and my sentence will be incredibly brief, so they’ll essentially be instantly transporting me to their headquarters, which is where I want to go.
I wake up in a cell, and immediately go to bed to serve my time. Sure enough, when I get out, my quest compass points directly behind me: the guy I’m looking for is in Castle Dour, where I just served my time.
It’s General Tullius. He’s sceptical of new recruits, but I tell him about Hadvar and he consents to let me join the legion. “Not many are as resourceful as you,” he reasons. That’s true! If you count other people’s lives as resources.


And with that, I’m ready to start my new life as a soldier in the Imperial Legion. A soldier who can never, ever attack anyone. Let’s just agree never to wonder why I was coming from the dungeons just now, or why I left the building to immediately walk back in.
“I’m sure that spell in our jail was just a misunderstanding,” Tullius adds before I leave. Damn it!


An Illusionist in Skyrim, part 2: Seeking Solitude

An Illusionist in Skyrim, part 2: Seeking Solitude

I’m playing Skyrim with a rule: Illusion magic only. No direct violence, just pure deception. I’ve just reached Riverwood and exploited the locals into killing some bandits for me, then gone to sleep in the Hadvar family’s bed.
< Part 1
Because I am bad at basic arithmetic, I wake up at 4am. The entire family is standing around the bed, watching me, waiting for me to leave. It’s not yet light, so I sheepishly get out of their way and move over to one of the single beds in the corner for two more hours.
When I wake up at 6, a young girl is standing next to my bed, watching me, waiting for me to leave. It’s possible I am in her bed. The rest of the family are eating breakfast, so I slip out.


It’s my first day of not being executed – where am I going? What did Hadvar ask me to do, right around the time he was saying how the Jarl of Whiterun urgently needed to be warned about the dragon attack so he could save Riverwood? Oh yeah, join the Imperial Legion!
Their headquarters are in Solitude, so I’m going to Solitude. I uncheck the game’s main quest and mark my new objective on my map. It’s, er, kind of a long walk.
It’s not far along the first mountain path before I spy a wolf. I reckon I can sneak by, get behind these ferns, and ow my face. I run through the ferns and jump down some rocks. It’s one wolf! An actual lone wolf. Why couldn’t it be two? I can’t Fury one wolf, it’d only make him angrier with me.
After trying to make myself small for a while, he hasn’t gone away, so I make a break for it. It’s steep going, and after a while the wolf can’t find a way to follow.
Breaking out into the plains, I can see Whiterun in the distance, but I press on. The plains are dull but easy going, like Russell Howard. And also like Russell Howard, when I cross them I’m attacked by two wolves. Two wolves! The perfect number. I catch the first with a blast of Fury as he pounces, and in a startling pre-emptive strike, his unaffected friend immediately kills him in one bite. This wolf is dire! And lone! Run!


I can’t seem to get away – I was already out of stamina when they attacked, so now I can’t sprint ahead. Am I actually going to get killed by a wolf? Who knew not defending yourself could be dangerous?
I’m relieved to see some robed travellers ahead, crossing a bridge towards Whiterun. I stagger to them, stumble through the river, and they stop as I approach.
“Somebody do something!” one of them yelps. That’s what I was going to say!
We all look at each other urgently, then turn back to the wolf. There’s no wolf. Instead, a small mudcrab is waddling his way up from the river towards us on the bridge. I laugh. Then, over his rocky shell, I see the body of the wolf floating in the water. You! You killed Lone Dire Super Wolf? WHAT ARE YOU? I run.


When I look back, both travellers are thwacking the mudcrab champion. Good luck, new friends!

                                                          -o Continued on part 3 o-

An Illusionist in Skyrim, part 1

An Illusionist in Skyrim, part 1

 n Skyrim, a mage is an unstoppable storm of destruction. In real life, a mage is just an illusionist: they can’t do much except trick you. If one of them turned out to be the world’s only hope of salvation, hijinks and sudden death would inevitably ensue. Since these are my two favourite things, I’ve decided to try playing this way.
Skyrim does have a school of magic comprised entirely of illusions, so I’m sticking strictly to this. I can’t wear any armour, hold any weapons, cast any non-Illusion spells, or ever attack anyone directly – not even with a punch. Yes. This is an excellent idea.


Straight outta Helgen

I create a High Elf, since they’re good with magicks, and give her a good magician’s name: Sarah The Implausible.
Skyrim starts with your execution, which is conveniently interrupted by a Plot Dragon, who deals exactly no damage and only destroys parts of the castle that are in your way.
“Could the legends be true?” a guard says.
Legends don’t destroy houses.” another replies. OK, but the things they’re about can, right?
When I have to choose who to flee with, a rebel or a guard, I pick the guard, Hadvar. He looks better equipped, and when you’re partnering up with someone who can’t attack, equipment helps. He suggests I find some weapons and armour of my own. I take them out of the chest to make him happy, then drop them all clattering to the floor when he turns around.


Stormcloaks! I hide in a corner while Hadvar deals with them. Spiders! I hide in a cave while Hadvar deals with them. A bear! I run past while Hadvar deals with him. We’re out.
“Thanks for your help,” says Hadvar, while I study him for any hint of sarcasm. “I wouldn’t have got out of there without you.”
You would and you did. He suggests we both head to Riverwood, then for some reason adds, “It’s probably best if we split up.”
That’s an excellent idea for you, but a terrible idea for me. I can only use Illusion spells and I don’t have any Illusion spells – that doesn’t give me a lot of options where I stay alive.
Hadvar sets off, and I traipse nervously behind him. He stops, looks at me, then silently turns back and carries on. After a few minute’s walk, he says “You should go to Solitude.”
Wow, dude. There are nicer ways to say it.
“The Imperial Legion could really use someone like you.” Oh. They could use someone who never takes any action, even when her life is in danger? How?
I am musing this, and examining some stones, when I realise I’ve lost him. Shit, run! No, sneak! No, there he is!
Just as I reach him, a wolf collides with the side of my face. Ow! Save me Hadvar!



Hadvar hacks the wolf down easily, then turns to me. “I’m glad you decided to join me.” I narrow my eyes.

Reaching Riverwood

Soon, though, we’ve made it to Riverwood, and Hadvar’s uncle welcomes us, coos at our story, and says we’re welcome to everything he has. After an evening meal of everything he has, I cross the street to the Riverwood Trader to see if I can actually acquire any Illusion spells.
I’m in luck! The trader has Fury, which makes enemies attack whoever’s nearest, including their friends. I have to sell most of what Hadvar’s uncle had to afford it, but it’ll be worth it. For me.
Spells come as books, though, and I can’t seem to read this one. I left-click it, I right-click it, I drop it, I fling it into my face, but the arcane knowledge isn’t transferring. I check my spellbook. I already know Fury. High Elves start with it. I could have pissed off everything in Helgen with this!
It’s still early evening, so I have time to go for a stroll and enrage the wildlife for a few hours before turning in for the night.
A long, winding path takes me past some beautiful views in the twilight. When it ends, a bandit draws her weapon. Two bandits draw their weapons. Fury!
The woman flares red and hacks at the man. He’s aiming his bow at me, but now he turns to her. As they whack at each other, I’m unsure what to do – what happens when it wears off? I Fury the man too, just to make sure that if the woman stops attacking him, he won’t do something stupid like ‘forgive her’ or ‘understand that magic exists’.



The woman kills him, then comes for me. I realise this plan had no phase two.
I sprint down the mountain screaming, jumping rocks and steep drops, buckling my legs as I go.
When I finally stop, there’s no sign of her behind me, and I’m almost back at Riverwood. I could have led her back to Riverwood. I walk back up the moutain path until I spot her, then lead her back to Riverwood.
This still involves a lot of running an screaming, but this time I stop running and screaming occasionally to make sure she’s keeping up, then run and scream again.


By the time we reach Riverwood, it’s dark. I can still see, but no-one’s around to help – they’re all in bed. There aren’t even any guards. The only one out and about is the village dog. The bandit kills the village dog.
Jumping a fence, dashing past a panicked cow, I finally find Hadvar’s uncle. I hide behind him, and the bandit steps around awkwardly to try to get to me. Eventually he tires of this and punches the bandit a few times for being weird. She turns her attention to him, and – weirdly – he walks calmly to his house and leans against the wall. The bandit keeps stabbing him, and I’m suddenly worried he might actually die. Should I Fury him?


I ready the spell, but before I cast, Hadvar’s uncle slowly reaches for his mace, turns to the bandit, and bats her into a vegetable cart. She’s dead.
“Take what you need my friend,” he reiterates. “Within reason, of course.”
I mentally nod, walk into his house, and lie down in the family bed.

                                                        -o continued on part 2 o-

Skyrim:Heartfire announced:buy land,buya a house,adopt children


Skyrim: Hearthfire announced: buy land, build a house, adopt children


Skyrim’s next slice of DLC will be Hearthfire, an add-on that will let you buy a plot of land, build a house, design its interiors and then adopt children to turn that house into an
eternal prisonhome. It’ll be out on September 4 on Xbox, so probably about a month after that on PC. It’ll cost 400 MS points on the consoles, which equates to about £3.43 / 4.80 Euro / $5.
It looks as though there will be a bit of crafting involved in building your new abode, but once the roof’s on you’ll be able to start converting it into a monument to your mighty exploits. You’ll get to show off the creatures you’ve slain by stuffing them or nailing them to your walls. Once you’ve created the most terrifying taxidermy diorama possible, you can adopt children and raise them among the corpses of your enemies. That’s parenting, Dragonborn-style.
Here’s the announcement trailer. I’m already mentally picking a spot for my plot. Hmmm, a bit of land among the silver birch forests near Riften would do rather nicely. What do you think?

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TvhQZoyZn1g?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Sabtu, 11 Agustus 2012

Gambar Gambar Lucu


 Gambar Gambar Lucu

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