I can't enjoy Skryim. Call Scotland Yard.

[Seventh Actuality]

Actually, I just want some help.

See I've been playing Skyrim on and off since it came out, and I just can't get into it. Every time I try, I'm reminded why I like games with a compelling linear story and characters to keep me in, because I can appreciate how good Skyrim is, there's just...nothing keeping me playing. No main plot, no likeable or even interesting characters encountered so far, nothing. I had this problem with Fallout 3 and New Vegas to a lesser extent, and I managed to get into the latter for a good long while when I finally made a character I liked.

So, what advice would you give to someone who can't get into Skyrim? Any good storylines I should seek out, fun character builds to try? Or should I just wait and leave off it until I've got a character in mind I want to play?

 

[DarkRyter]

It's really a build your own experience kind of game. Anything we say will not be as good as something you discover for yourself.

All I'll suggest is you keep on looking. Listen to conversations. Keep exploring. Keep experimenting.And if you still can't find something to enjoy, then there's really no helping you.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Actually, I just want some help.

See I've been playing Skyrim on and off since it came out, and I just can't get into it. Every time I try, I'm reminded why I like games with a compelling linear story and characters to keep me in, because I can appreciate how good Skyrim is, there's just...nothing keeping me playing. No main plot, no likeable or even interesting characters encountered so far, nothing. I had this problem with Fallout 3 and New Vegas to a lesser extent, and I managed to get into the latter for a good long while when I finally made a character I liked.

So, what advice would you give to someone who can't get into Skyrim? Any good storylines I should seek out, fun character builds to try? Or should I just wait and leave off it until I've got a character in mind I want to play?

I can help you. Stop buying games that you have historically demonstrated time and time again you don't enjoy.

"I hated the last five Indy 500 games I bought, but I picked up the new Indy 500 game anyway. Can someone please help me figure out why I can't get into it?!".

Bethesda RPGs have a lot of sandbox elements in them. The same qualities that might allow someone to, say, enjoy the Sims on a sandbox level will also allow them to enjoy Bethesda games on that same level. Mechanically, they're not particularly interesting. Narratively, they're not particularly special. But as a sandbox that you can project your own imagination into, they have few peers.

 

[Retal19]

Like the Hangover? Find Sam, get into a Drinking Contest. Re-enact it in Skyrim! =D
Plus, thanks to the Radiant Story system, it's different each time!

 

[Agayek]

The main storyline is a lot of fun, especially once you meet the Greybeards. Beyond that, the Companion and Dark Brotherhood questlines are excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed myself with those.

For your particular problem, I'd recommend picking a questline and following it through to completion and just pound that out. Each individual questline really is very well focused and driven, the problem is simply that they're spread out and there's no push to get any of them started. Once you start on a chain, if you stick to it, you'll find a lot of very well done story moments.

 

[Whateveralot]

Try joining the Stormcloaks or the Empire, talk to Delphine, take on bounties from Jarls, ask the Greybeards if they've found more shouts, etc.

Hell, visit ever major city and check the inns if you can get into a fistfight with someone, or even a drinking contest (resulting in a quite humorous quest).

I've put nearly 24 hours into this game and I'm somewhere in between 13 and 18 now (busy life keeps me from playing a lot more), but I never knew any of this could happen.

Well, I knew about the bar fights, but the game never hinted me that it could happen like most linear games do with all their gameplay elements. This game is so massive it doesn't even point out anything, it just lets you do everything.

See, that's why I appreciate this game. A lot. It's kind of like minecraft where you create your experience through mining and placing blocks, but without the blocks.

[Massive edit:]
I obviously knew about the first "joining a faction"-thingy. Herp durr.

 

[DEAD34345]

If you want more of a guided experience with characters and plots, you might want to try the guilds or join the war with the Stormcloaks or Imperials. Honestly though, it sounds like it just might not be your kind of game. You're not going to find a compelling linear story or great characterisation here (though it's better than the previous games on both those counts), they're just not what the TES series is about.

 

[Knight Captain Kerr]

Only use the carriages as fast travel use a horse and your two feet to get everywhere else.

 

[Swifty714]

Only use the carriages as fast travel use a horse and your two feet to get everywhere else.

He wanted more enjoyment, not waste his entire day trying to get from riverwood to whiterun....

 

[WyndWalker02]

He wanted more enjoyment, not waste his entire day trying to get from riverwood to whiterun....

If you're spending all day walking the five minutes from Riverwood to Whiterun, you might have some ADD to look into.

OT: I'd agree with the others here saying to pick a story arc and run with it. The main story is fun, and I enjoyed the Companion and Winterhold College arcs as well. If you stick with one specific thing rather than switching around a bunch or running around doing side quests, it'll likely be more rewarding from a story standpoint.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

He wanted more enjoyment, not waste his entire day trying to get from riverwood to whiterun....

Or, you know. 2 minutes. Which is about how long it actually takes.

During which you might have a random encounter, or find a dungeon, or an abandoned mine, or stumble across a quest giver, or any of another dozen things that constitute game play.

Or you can just instant-travel everywhere and shrink the world to save that 2 minutes. Whatever floats your boat.

 

[Seventh Actuality]

Good advice all, tomorrow I'll start over and just stick with the Empire/Stormcloak storyline for keeps this time, or join this here Dark Brotherhood people keep talking about. Until now I've been trying the Greybeards, but honestly those guys bored the arse off me (do they strike anybody else as resembling five hobos setting up shop in an abandoned castle more than a legit monastic order?).

Actually, I just want some help.

See I've been playing Skyrim on and off since it came out, and I just can't get into it. Every time I try, I'm reminded why I like games with a compelling linear story and characters to keep me in, because I can appreciate how good Skyrim is, there's just...nothing keeping me playing. No main plot, no likeable or even interesting characters encountered so far, nothing. I had this problem with Fallout 3 and New Vegas to a lesser extent, and I managed to get into the latter for a good long while when I finally made a character I liked.

So, what advice would you give to someone who can't get into Skyrim? Any good storylines I should seek out, fun character builds to try? Or should I just wait and leave off it until I've got a character in mind I want to play?

I can help you. Stop buying games that you have historically demonstrated time and time again you don't enjoy.

"I hated the last five Indy 500 games I bought, but I picked up the new Indy 500 game anyway. Can someone please help me figure out why I can't get into it?!".

Bethesda RPGs have a lot of sandbox elements in them. The same qualities that might allow someone to, say, enjoy the Sims on a sandbox level will also allow them to enjoy Bethesda games on that same level. Mechanically, they're not particularly interesting. Narratively, they're not particularly special. But as a sandbox that you can project your own imagination into, they have few peers.

You did get the part where I said I got into FNV in the end, right? Don't let that stop you though. Little indie productions like Skyrim need people like you to get defensive on their behalf.

 

[Therumancer]

Actually, I just want some help.

See I've been playing Skyrim on and off since it came out, and I just can't get into it. Every time I try, I'm reminded why I like games with a compelling linear story and characters to keep me in, because I can appreciate how good Skyrim is, there's just...nothing keeping me playing. No main plot, no likeable or even interesting characters encountered so far, nothing. I had this problem with Fallout 3 and New Vegas to a lesser extent, and I managed to get into the latter for a good long while when I finally made a character I liked.

So, what advice would you give to someone who can't get into Skyrim? Any good storylines I should seek out, fun character builds to try? Or should I just wait and leave off it until I've got a character in mind I want to play?

We won't discuss if this matches you to the profile of a dangerous sociopath, when the nice coppers in the van show up outside you should go with them, they are your friends.

All kidding aside, some people can't get into sandbox games, but things being so open is the appeal for me. Truthfully there are a number of good storylines in Skyrim... your best bet given your play style is to head out to where you hear events are going on and start working on one of the major plotlines, and advance the main quest slowly in between other missions.

For example if you go to join the Mage's college in Winterhold you start out following your instructor on a class trip into some ruins, finding an ancient artifact, and then investigating it as things unfold.

Each of the major guilds (Dark Brotherhood, Mages, Thieves, etc...) has an entire storyline to it.

You could also do things my way and set yourself a goal, in my case I'm out to obtain every Daedric artifact I can before doing any of the major quests, and then envision them as my great attempt at redemption.... well that and having that stuff in an Elder Scrolls game typically means I can absolutly brutalize anything that crosses me. It can be kind of amusing to approach an early boss and introduce him to how broken someone with 10 Daedric Artifacts is (hmmm, I don't think the developers expected me to have the Sanguine Rose to summon a personal Dremora, and to enter combat with Mehrune's Razor in one hand and Spellbreaker in the other in this paticular quest... much lulz).

 

[Therumancer]

Good advice all, tomorrow I'll start over and just stick with the Empire/Stormcloak storyline for keeps this time, or join this here Dark Brotherhood people keep talking about. Until now I've been trying the Greybeards, but honestly those guys bored the arse off me (do they strike anybody else as resembling five hobos setting up shop in an abandoned castle more than a legit monastic order?).

[.

Truthfully I kind of agree, they really didn't start the main quest on a high note, and that's what the Greybeards tie into. To beat the game you need to follow that whole thread through to it's completion which is very long.

As far as them being a legitimate monastic order... well, I think that's the whole point, they aren't as they explain... but they are not paticularly well written either so far as I've seen, still they are useful for getting a leg up on your first couple of shouts.... and shouts ARE fun especially the one that can freeze a whole room of enemies into statues.

 

[The Lugz]

Actually, I just want some help.

go find a village / town and talk to random people
find a quest do it
you'll experience a random little chunk of what skyrim is, keep going and you'll get more story
the only character of consequence is you
it's your story, what happens to you so go make it happen!

 

[xXyZaThEx]

Little indie productions like Skyrim...

Whoops, just a bad troll

 

[BloatedGuppy]

You did get the part where I said I got into FNV in the end, right? Don't let that stop you though. Little indie productions like Skyrim need people like you to get defensive on their behalf.

Guy, you asked a question, and I answered it. Only one of us is being "defensive".

(Hint: It's you!)

 

[zHellas]

Little indie productions like Skyrim...

Whoops, just a bad troll

Or just a joke...

OT:

Eh, not exactly yours or Skyrim's fault.

I mean, a whole lot of people loved Oblivion and I can't get into that game AT ALL!

Yet I got Skyrim and I'm so fucking in love with it I have 3 alts, might make a few more later, and play it from the time I get home from school to when I go to bed.

So I suggest giving Skyrim a try, trying a bunch of stuff in it, and if that doesn't work try to find games you might like and get into a lot better.