Forums » Elder Scrolls

Favorite Characters: what never gets old for you?

    • 694 posts
    October 8, 2015 12:06 AM EDT

    This discussion is sort of a companion thread to my Character Generator one from last week, only this week I'm going to ask you the opposite. Let me explain. Several people mentioned in the comments that they couldn't play a random character, or at least wouldn't enjoy it for very long, because they have certain preferences on how they like to play. That is, those ways of playing (e.g. classes, combat styles, etc.) are just more fun and entertaining for them.

    I can totally be this way from time to time. I don't know what it is exactly, but there's something about doing the thing you like exactly the way you like it that makes it just so much more satisfying. So much more so in fact, that it can make us want to just play that way occasionally because, well, it's fun dammit!

    So I'm asking you this week:
    • Do you have a favorite archetype or way to play? If so, what is it? Are you roasting baddies with destruction spells? Tanking with a greatsword? Sniping from a dark corner? 
    • If you're playing your favorite way, what are your favorite perks? 
    • Tell me a little about your favorite character(s). What's their alignment? What faction(s) did they join?
      • Bonus points if you throw down a photo.

    • 404 posts
    October 8, 2015 12:10 AM EDT

    the Fighter Duh also the Ranger is pretty good, and so is the Barbarian. the guy below was my favorite character in Golden Axe 3 for the Sega.

    • 411 posts
    October 8, 2015 12:10 AM EDT

    Sorcerer is my all time favorite one.

    I do not have favorite perks and my All time favorite character of course is Mirric Farseer.

    While he is my oblivion character i did make a Face of Him in skyrim.

    Hes already in my pictures and im too lazy to post it here

  • October 8, 2015 12:17 AM EDT

    NECROMANCY + VAMPIRISM is my JAM!!.... No but seriously I always end up as a vampire with necromancy no matter how I start a character. Once I made a Vigilant of Stendarr character... she still ended up a vampire because after catching the disease for the 3rd time I said "fuck it"

    If I had to pick a vanilla perk I'd have to go with Necromancy (no surprise there) because having a Draugr Overlord follow you around for a whole 5 minutes is fucking awesome! Plus there's no need for followers since whatever you kill first will be your follower until you kill something better. 

    My favorite characters are always vampires, who naturally join the DB and Volkihars, for the longest time I used to go to Jorvaskr and the Rat Way and console kill every god damn Companion and Thief, because fuck em. Alignment.. it's pretty obvious :p 

    I don't do much stealth but it's always nice to find a group of long time buddies, kill one of them and then have them fight their friend's zombie. It makes me smile :D

    • 411 posts
    October 8, 2015 12:21 AM EDT
    Evil characters are always to funnest
    • 694 posts
    October 8, 2015 12:42 AM EDT

    Good picks!! Nothing like a good warrior character to get your blood pumping. 

    • 694 posts
    October 8, 2015 12:45 AM EDT

    I had a feeling this would be your answer, Naeg. 

    Glad to see not much has changed. Good shot btw!

    • 694 posts
    October 8, 2015 12:46 AM EDT

    I'll have to make it a point to look him up then! 

    • 404 posts
    October 8, 2015 12:48 AM EDT

    thanks.

    • 288 posts
    October 8, 2015 1:11 AM EDT

    If we're talking about Skyrim in particular, then its Greatsword+Heavy Armour for me, anyone should know this by now

    If we talk about gaming in general - well, as I mentioned in another discussion the other day, people change over time because of their life experience etc. which causes their perception of themselves to change at least a bit which in turn causes them to start playing RPG's a bit differently.

    The perception of different archetypes also changes between people and in time. Therefore, you can probably find 2 people that both will say they favour the Paladin, yet their take on the class will be different and they'll play it differently. Also, it is possible for one's perception of a single favourite class to change over time.

    • 1467 posts
    October 8, 2015 1:22 AM EDT

    Tanks or DPS Warriors.

    I love dealing damage and minimizing damage, the more I can kill or stay alive (Means more time killing) is good for me. Warriors are my jam and my go to character when starting out.

    My all time favorite character in Elder Scrolls was an Orcish Warrior... Warhammer, Heavy Armour, no Magic, just killing. 

    In general though I prefer Battle-Clerics, not so much the healer but Undead destroying, evil vanquishing, practically a Paladin (but more magic focused, with lots of buffs) Cleric of Doom. Yeah Battle-Clerics ftw .

    • 627 posts
    October 8, 2015 1:41 AM EDT

    Mages that fight at melee range. As Festus Krex says "I walk up to my mark, melt their face off" what is more glorious than that? 

  • October 8, 2015 1:42 AM EDT

    No matter what I do, I keep coming back to stealthy characters. It always seemed to me that getting in, completing your objective, and escaping unnoticed is the real show of skill, plus the idea of creeping around like a ghost is incredibly fun to me. I've done a lot of variations on the theme--an Argonian werewolf with the Ebony Blade, a Breton summoner/duelist, an Altmer nightblade--but they all use stealth at least in part. 

    I also see myself using a lot of "alternative magic"--trying to create a new magic system within the Elder Scrolls framework. I've tried a few variations on the blood mage archetype, but my last one was a Nordic barbarian who used "magicka-less magic": basically stuff like shouts, unlimited concentration casting, and the Bloodskal Blade. Really weird and fun.

    I always, ALWAYS perk Silent Casting in the Illusion tree. It's just too useful to pass up.

    My favorite character is actually the one I'm playing right now: a Khajiit necrovamp monk/acrobat that's got some awesome synergy going between Vampiric Grip, Aura Whisper, and necromancy. I want to experiment with it some more, but I'm confident that I'll have it posted within a few weeks. 

  • October 8, 2015 2:27 AM EDT

    Do these have to be characters I play or could they be characters I created for fan-fiction?

  • October 8, 2015 7:25 AM EDT

    Any build that has Enchanting. I simply LOVE enchanting cuz I love creating things (you'll find this out soon enough if you read my character profiles). Other than that, Vampire Nightblade is the path for me. Sometimes I can take it further and be a Royal Vampire with a pair of undead soldiers at my side to defend me. Also can't forget about Illusion. Messing with the minds of mortals is always a fun thing. Assassin skills like Deadly Aim and Assassin's Blade work too, cuz I love being an assassin. Something about silently killing someone that makes me feel so powerful. :P

    • 694 posts
    October 8, 2015 10:31 AM EDT

    Ha, your responses was one of the ones that made me think of this thread in the first place!  

    Great response though, Overhate. The point you make about people changing over time and their play style evolving as a result is a really interesting one, and to me it makes a lot of sense. I'm sure it's got to be one of those larger issues that game developers wrestle with-- not only appealing to tastes of various groups, but also allowing enough room for players to evolve.

    And that's also another really good point about variation in perception of archetypes between individuals and over time. We see differences from game to game and in between releases pop and video game culture may influence gamer perception as well. Everything you said makes me feel like the whole thing is so much more fluid than I initially considered for the purposes of this thread. Imagine how the developers must feel trying to reconcile it all! 

    • 694 posts
    October 8, 2015 10:48 AM EDT

    My all time favorite character in Elder Scrolls was an Orcish Warrior... Warhammer, Heavy Armour, no Magic, just killing. 

    Yeessssss. Man, that really aggressive fighting style is just so stupidly fun. I'm playing through a character right now who uses a warhammer and has an quick and aggressive fighting style (some magic though) and it was exactly the palate cleanser I needed. 

    Also anything that has to do with destroying the undead, I fully support. 

    • 694 posts
    October 8, 2015 10:50 AM EDT

    Hm. Good question. I had initially thought just playing, but you can totally throw down a fan-fic character if you like!

    • 404 posts
    October 8, 2015 10:52 AM EDT

    awesome, Jake would have loved to spar with him.

    • 694 posts
    October 8, 2015 11:00 AM EDT

    I'm a big fan of stealth myself. This actually where my own heart sort of is, and where I keep coming back to. 

    My last one was a Nordic barbarian who used "magicka-less magic": basically stuff like shouts, unlimited concentration casting, and the Bloodskal Blade. Really weird and fun.

    This does sound like a ton of weird fun. Did you post this as a build? If so, you should point me to it. Also looking forward to the new build! I'll be sure to keep an eye out for it. 

    • 122 posts
    October 8, 2015 11:03 AM EDT
    Though I never play favorites, for me it's sword and board for life. There's nothing quite like the sound of a shield slamming against a plump bandit face. Archery is oft present but I tend to omit it because then I'll be tempted to just pincushion everyone from the shadows. I've been trying to get into the hyper-nimble close quarters ranger for a while now, with perhaps a bit of Destruction.
    • 700 posts
    October 8, 2015 12:43 PM EDT

    Eventually I always go back to the aggressive archer.  I don't know what crouching is.  I just stand and let people run face first into arrows because the programmers forgot to include "flanking"  and "self-preservation" in any of the behaviors of enemy AI.  I might use alchemy with it because I get a weird enjoyment from resource management (which is why I don't use the Bound Bow), though I might use atronachs if I feel like having an elemental buddy.  

    Perks:

    • Hunter's Discipline
    • Ranger
    • Eagle Eye
    • Steady Hand
    • Power Shot
    • Quick Shot

    I might pick up the crossbow next time, just to see if it's as OP as I remember with these perks. 

    Neutral good is usually my alignment, perhaps chaotic good if I'm in a mood.  Honestly though, the only faction I'll likely join is the College of Winterhold, since they are apparently hoarding all of the spells that I need.  

    Like this guy.  Waaaiiiit for it.  Watch me miss too!

    • 98 posts
    October 8, 2015 3:21 PM EDT

    The OP sneak archer is my favorite way of playing tbh.

    • 485 posts
    October 8, 2015 3:49 PM EDT
    Nightblades and other assorted assassin Mage hybrids will always be my favorite archetype.
    • 24 posts
    October 8, 2015 6:24 PM EDT
    Nightblades and Rangers

    Hybrids keep things interesting, though I do love to play as warrior with a shield and axe or a knight with a two-hander as well.