Achilles

A couple more thoughts on Treasures of the Sun.

1) Whatever the glitch was with XP in the vanilla game is resolved now (i.e. no XP gains in whichever area you went to second after arriving in Stonebridge). I hit level 35 (the level cap got bumped, btw) fighting the Dapper Old Gent.

2) You get a fifth power orb.

Now that I've officially finished the DLC...

Surprisingly not that many hooks for Katarina, but at the same time more for her than anyone else really. Loot table is really over the top (same kinda stuff you'd find in Act III/The Spire). Very cool unique items for everyone. Enchanting is cool, but limited. The fact that it's implemented in the vanilla game tells me that it's probably something they wanted to do originally, but cut for time.

My biggest beef with DLC is that it tends to feel like DLC. Aside from the length, the lack of ending slides, and a few minor things, they did a pretty good job of making it feel like a natural continuation of the game

Came out late October. http://www.destructoid.com/review-dungeon-siege-iii-treasures-of-the-sun-215211.phtml

My son started playing it when it came out. According to him, it's very Katarina-centric, though it has a lot of hooks for Anjali.

Re: the main quest of Skyrim - there is an easter egg involving the Unrelenting Force and "the sun" in Blackreach (you'll know it when you find it)

I'm taking a break from Skyrim. Possibly a "until sometime this Summer, after the CK is out and the community has released a few unofficial patches" break. Finding more and more bugged quests and I'm getting increasingly frustrated each time I do.

Picked up the DLC for DS3 when it came out but haven't played it yet. Think I'll do that for a while, then ME/ME2 playthroughs beginning in mid-Feb.

I just created a mod that makes a necklace of waterbreathing a static reward for a fairly involved quest (so it's not a gimme). You interested?

Wow, your boy got trounced in NH.

I started Arkham Asylum and finished what I think was the tutorial level. I really like the mechanics, but I don't think I'm part of the target audience.

Switched back to Skyrim and started a new character. Female archer/alchemist/werewolf. Really not into her yet. I think I'm gameless at this point

I think I'm putting Skyrim on the shelf for a little bit.

*blows the dust off the copy of Arkham Asylum that he purchased but never played*

Apparently your Governor doesn't pay much attention to AZ politics

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/updates/3706

I've actually had an ME2 itch growing. Trying to hold off for another month or so, as I plan on a ME/ME2 run prior to ME3 being released.

I am becoming increasingly frustrated with Bethesda. If you're not going to test your game, at least release your CK so that the community can get to work on unofficial patches (the trademark of the ES franchise). I find it incredibly hard to believe that an actual human being played this game before release.

I think I just convinced myself that after this character, I'm going to go ahead and do a couple of "completely ****ing around" runs just to get the misc achievements out of the way, then go back in earnest after the CK is released.

No, that was my "why am I in Markarth? That's it, I'm starting over!" quest from playthrough numero uno.

This was in Riften.

The lack of clarity of scope is frustrating. I inadvertently completed a Daedric lord quest the other night because no one announced until step 19 that it was a Daedric lord quest. By that point I was committed.

Bethsoft has hinted that the CS won't be out until later this month. Really going to have a hard time waiting that long. I already have a list of mods to create.

Here's another one for your radar for when your Skyrim is mod-friendly.

http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1002

Personally, I'm waiting for the CS to come out before I get this one. I have some ideas on how to integrate it into the game.

Hehe, you'll have to wait at least 2 years for that I'd be very surprised if development hasn't already started.

Usually in PC games there's a cheat code for collision that will allow you to pass through objects if you get stuck (it's "tcl" in Skyrim, but I don't know this because I've never got stuck behind anything. Honest.). Of course, now that I type this, it occurs to me that MMOs might block cheat codes

On a side note: Skuldafn at level 47 was all Draugr Deathlords, all the time, all wielding ebony weapons. Skuldafn at level 38 is 80/20 Draugr Scourges/Draugr Deathlords with everyone wielding Honed Ancient Nord weapons. I feel much less violated this time.

Just about to hit level 37 on my definitive Skyrim character. After much trial and error, I think I found a winning combination. No lockpicking. Can train once per day as an apprentice blacksmith to Eorlund Grey-Mane (this is a compromise on my no training playthough and a solution to the spam blacksmithing exploit). Once I hit master level smithing (90), I can loot steel arms and armor for upgrading and resale. I did end up buying the house in Windhelm, but to be honest, I think I was happier making Jorrvaskr my home base. So far no companions (other than quest specific one) and an unfortunate burn rate with the horses

I just got a pop-up reminder to pick up ME3 tomorrow. I guess I forgot to update my calendar when they announced that the release date got bumped.

Thanks again, multiplayer!

Ok, I think the crisis below has been averted. Luckily, I had a save from way back that may have saved the day. I ended up having to do things out of "order", but it looks like I may be able to salvage this character.

Apparently, it's very important that you cleanse Farkas first. Vilkas first breaks him, you, and Farkas. Although that is nearly complicated enough. So to make it even more fun, the option to get work from Farkas won't even show up until you've done enough quests for Vilkas to trigger the dialog. So do quests for Vilkas until he's ready for cleansing, but talk to his brother instead. Thumbs up BethSoft.

Not happy.

Apparently if you don't take care of your werewolf problem at the first opportunity, you might not get a second. The bad news is that I have to start over. The good news is that I *only* had 18 hours invested on this character.

Glad to hear the alcohol can still find your liver at your advanced age

My son was gone for 2 weeks and I think I drank twice and got a buzz once. I'm far too domesticated for 35.

In other news, I finally let curiosity get the better of me and followed the farmer with the painted cow to the giants camp. Once there, he was summarily attacked (glad I was sitting down for that one). I decided not to let the injustice go unpunished and rushed in to put that bully in his place. My blocking skill was just good enough that I only died about a dozen times (mostly when my run-around-in-circles-while-health-regens strategy failed due to either over-confidence or poor timing) but I did manage to level about 3 times in 10 minutes

*brushes off his hands*

Level fiddy, bitches! Aside from the ball and chain achievement, I have all of ones that I think I'm going to get (don't see myself joining the Thieves Guild or Dark Brotherhood and I don't anticipate playing a mage at any point). Now I can play for me

P.S. Level 50 took 19 skill points. I broke down and got 5 points of sneak training and I took advantage of Angi's challenge for 6 points of archery.

I started keeping track in the early 40s because it seemed like it was taking longer to level up. At some point around there, you need 14 skill points to advance to the next level. At 47 it jumps to 17. I timed it so that I purchased the last 5 training sessions with Aela at 48, and between a quest that gives me a bump in one-handed and block and general usage, I think I should be able to get to 49 ok. I'm really not sure how I'm going to get 50. My options seem to be to either start stealth sniping everything with my bow (i.e. completely change my playstyle) or to start using skills that've been dormant for almost 50 levels (i.e. really REALLY change my playstyle). In all fairness, I suppose that I could pick a fight with a giant and just let him beat on me in the hopes that it will make my armor skill go up super-fast. I hate grinding.

P.S. A good healer is a popular thing in MMOs. Or so I've heard

Final boss fight at level 47 is not going to go down as one of my better examples of solid decision making. Draugr Deathlords didn't even tell me I had a pretty mouth before they started passing me around. Came through here at 35-ish on my last character and owned the place (similarly equipped). I guess this is Skyrim's version of revenge.

P.S. after weeks of waiting, I finally got to see some hot dragon-on-dragon action this weekend. "ROAR!". Ooo, let's go investigate. omgdragonrightinfrontofme. I hit dragon, but dragon doesn't do anything (sadface because this dragon is broken). Oh, wait dragon isn't broken, dragon is dead. Why did a dead dragon fall out of the sky? "ROAR AGAIN!". Ooooooh...