20 hours in having loads of fun, started two characters so far and many more to come. Maybe people just over-hyped themselves because this is exactly what I expected and I'm enjoyed myself immensely 
Some nice points, both positive and negative. Just to reply to this, I actually am playing a mage so this is mainly mage specific, but when you upgrade your perk tree enough as a mage you can duel wield the same spell and combine it to form a larger more powerful spell. Also you can wield flames in one hand and healing in another so you can simultaneously attack and heal yourself.Altorin said:although I haven't found any particularly good use for dual wielding - you can only attack with one weapon, so having 2 seems to be superfluous. Maybe I'm missing something I'll learn later.
A couple perks into one handed there is one where when duel wielding you attack 20% faster. I imagine Bethesda wanted it to be along the lines of "learn how one sword works before you start wailing away with two".Altorin said:So far, I'm really enjoying it. Being able to wield a sword in one hand and a fireball in the other is very very nice, although I haven't found any particularly good use for dual wielding - you can only attack with one weapon, so having 2 seems to be superfluous. Maybe I'm missing something I'll learn later.
Well Oblivion had legitimate problems. Stealing from someone and having 5 guards magically teleport though the door when they were spread out all over town.A Free Man said:As for this 'hive-mind' thing people are complaining about... What kind of an imperial guard do you want? One where if you break the law only the single person that saw you break it will ever try to arrest you... Obviously if you break the law in a town the guards are going to tell each other. I don't even understand what you are complaining about.
I thought it was 'completely overhauled', based on Gamebryo. Debatable whether the Creation Engine, based/built on another engine, is a 'completely new' engine.Macrobstar said:Nope completely new engine, wish people would stop this crapLevethian said:I'm actually surprised how much it's improved, considering it's the same core gfx engine...lordmardok said:bad controls, dodgy interface, samey combat systems to III and IV. The weird thing is, the people complaining are acting like it's some kind of surprise.
Okay first of all the guy you join on the imperial side *DIDN'T* want to execute you. Anyone with half a wit could see he was extremely hesitant, but he was outranked by the captain who was insistent on you being executed.Altorin said:I also don't really care for the tutorial dungeon in Skyrim, and the fact that you're pigeonholed from the beginning to work with the person who just moments ago was perfectly fine executing you is bothersome, and then the fact that there's no way to save after having done it giving you a chance to remake your character, which is a staple of these games that's missing - you get one point just before the encounter to do it, but that's it.
So far, I'm really enjoying it. Being able to wield a sword in one hand and a fireball in the other is very very nice, although I haven't found any particularly good use for dual wielding - you can only attack with one weapon, so having 2 seems to be superfluous. Maybe I'm missing something I'll learn later.
Sure the population is a little small, but put this into context. This is roughly based around the era in which constant war, sickness, and monsters are attacking. Also you're in the most northern part of the continent -- do you expect the population of people to be high? As for wild life, if you don't trod the main trail you'll come across plenty of wolf packs, trolls, mammoths etc. On the actual main trail I've come across at least one fight between each city I run to and from.RubyT said:Things I'd like to add:
While the world is mighty beautiful, it's mostly dead. And Bethesda have spread out the quests all over the place. I've already spend a good deal of time just sprinting through the countryside. I'm not begging for constant Cliffracer attacks (IIRC) like in Morrowind or an animal per square meter density of 1, like in Gothic 3's dreaded (and quite similar) Nordmar region, but a little more than nothing would be nice.
And though I appreciate a large world, some form of instant travel would be nice. Not the carriages in front of the lager towns. Something like a teleport stone, so that when I leave a dungeon, I'm right back home and don't have to travel that empty world again.
Also, I do find it a bit on the easy side. Save for a single "one hit and you're toast"-boss (the skinner), I've had no problems whatsoever. I mean, I do avoid the giants.
And it's a bit unbalanced. I've chosen a Wood Elf, expecting to be a thief, but with no-one but some select few fences (that I've not yet located) buying stolen goods, what's the point. Besides, I have too much coin anyways. Sneaking seems then a complete waste of XP, don't know when I've last seen an enemy who was alone and waiting for a backstab. Lockpicking works fine for me even though I've not invested anyting into this tree. Once again, an RPG that treats the Thief like an afterthought.
Lastly, I have to say I hate limited inventories. If it's in games like Deus Ex, it might lend some strategic element to it (or so they say). But with the inventory in Skyrim being large enough for you to carry around your essentials, all the limitation does is add a WHOLE F*CKING LOT of micro-management. Towards the end of every dungeon crawl, even with a companion loaded up, I find myself doing the ol' "coin per pound" calculating in my head to see what crap I should drop and leave.