You can set things to hot key on the left and right buttons on the dpad. Bring up your quick favourites list and hold left or right to set them. It's handy when you want to swap your off hand from shield to healing for example.
Don't worry...it's not that hard to change the direction of your character, and it certainly works to have a broad range of perks in place across a variety of categories. If you want a ranged character, having skill in both bows and magic is a good thing.
This is how it works. In most cases your companions stick close enough to not to get lost, however in some cases you just have to stop from time to time and look if they still follow you. If you walk too far away from them, they sometimes get lost. However, if you enter some new area, they automatically reappear somewhere close. I've taken advantage of this feature once or twice. Usually I wait and let my companions follow me, however once Lydia broke her leg and she was unable to follow me. She just crawled very slowly and healing her didn't help. I've decided then to leave her and go to a nearby city, where she immediately reappeared healed.
This is the first woman I stripped naked. She is a little exotic and blocky for my tastes but she gives me wood. Of course I will be joining the Stormcloaks. Did anyone here join the enslavers? If so, I don't know that I will be able to talk with you anymore. Loot all alcoholic beverages and immediately drink. These may be useful. So might this. I bet this actually would smell really good in real life. Like the log ride at Disney Land. I LOVE HERBALISM and I'm serious. Yes. She's so beautiful. I hear you can marry these. I will take 5. Yes. And finally, this is what an average Nord should look like. Nevermind the 800x600 res and low quality. I have been contaminated by Celtic, Imperial and Breton blood and am no longer as fair as the others. Still. My name is Psychonaut, though I considered Woden, Wiligut and Himmler.
I joined the Legion for 1 good reason. I always wanted to join them in Oblivion, I saw my chance and I took it. What everyone seems to forget is that if it weren't for the Legion all of Skyrim would be under Aldmeri control, so be thankful.
+1 for the Legion. I just like Solitude, it's people and the sense of being a part of a huge Empire. Windhelm on the other hand makes a depressing impression.
That's not a valid reason- you still haven't said why you've 'always' wanted to join them. I think you just want power and to find a place inside their unnatural heirarchy based on monetary wealth and obedience. Or maybe you just like their skirts? What would be so wrong with that? Some scholars think that the Nords were genetically crafted by the Aldmeri and are distantly blood-related. At least it would be a much more interesting world? And anyway, the point is that the invaders have destroyed the Nord culture and religion and replaced it with their brainwashing and enslavement mechanisms. The Imperial 'discipline' is unnatural and curbs all human impulses. They are the true dragon-worshipers. Until the invaders and their religion are removed from Skyrim, the Nords will be only their slaves rather than at their rightful place above them in the heirarchy of nature. ... One of the guards asked me if I was a gray-mane or battle-born (or something). I had to ask him what those terms meant. I saw by his skirt he wasn't on my side. When he explained it to me and then suggested he oughta 'lop my head off', I attacked him. I died but I'll probably try this again later when I'm not level 1. When I met with Jarl Bogglehat or something, one of his aids suggested they ought not send men to Riverwood. This enraged me and I attacked him, but I died. I may try this later too. One of the Elven guys in Riverwood wanted some Nord girl (who looked more like a Breton) and this enraged me. I told Sven and now I think I'll plan the Elf's assassination for trying to defile Nord blood. What's strange is the reptilian vibe I get from looking at the Elves... Something must have happened because in other dimensions they are NOT mixed with dragon DNA.
They just want to be left alone. They are a highly intelligent and cold-hardy race and don't want weak people polluting their genes. They don't want Imperial religion and they don't want Imperial enslavement. This is the problem with Imperialists- they walk on other people's land and homes and get offended when the owners don't allow them to sleep with their wives. Bleem off and nobody will have any trouble.
I'm playing some sort of battle-mage I guess. Heavy armor, bows, axes, swords and magic! My guy is skinny as shit...
Ok. I wanted to join them for many reasons. I liked their sense of unity, I liked their standing in the heart of Tamriel, I liked their armour, I liked the Oblivion guard song (youtube it), I liked the idea of aiding the Emporer in his quest to save all of Tamriel. Heirarchy based on monetary wealth? Where are you plucking that fallacy from? And obedience? Do you not know that progressions through the ranks of any military system is almost always based on people following orders, aka obedience? Um... you do know the Aldmeri are the bad guys right? Again, the Aldmeri. It's the High Elves who are banning the worship of Talos and "destroying" Nord culture, the Imperial Legion are simply trying to stop them from taking over Tamriel. The Aldmeri Dominion were about to gain control over the whole land and only a last minute deal struck by the Imperials prevented the worldwide slavery that would have occurred. The Nords would lose in a war against the High Elves just as the Imperials almost did. Where were the Nords when it came to saving Tamriel? No-where. Too busy thinking about how they could persecute the Dark Elves to bother with the greater good. If the legion hadn't agreed to the Aldmeri's demands they would have lost in battle to the elves and Skyrim would have fallen next. The Nords of Skyrim are too proud to admit they were helped by a bunch of civilised, non racist Imperials. Rebels, pah!
Actually the Aldmeri are just the High Elves, the Aldmeri Dominion on the other hand are the bad guys.
The Imperialist enslavers are heavily brainwashed. There is no use explaining the truth because they rewrite history and continue to be servants of the enemy.
I also sided with the Stormcloaks. The Imperials are just pawns for Thalmor. The Empire is collapsing. It abandoned its religion and surrendered to the elves in the war. The Thalmor have every intention of wiping out the Empire once it has outlived its usefulness. Humanity stands a much better chance against the Thalmor if the Stormcloaks win. The Empire is too corrupt and is beyond saving. I also liked Windhelm. I loved that the Stormcloaks have a very cool looking frozen castle as their headquarters.
Nothing wrong with abandoning religion. And surrendering and losing some pride is better than being wiped out.
OK getting a bit more into this now, did a bit of exploring last night and took down the first scripted dragon. Spent a lot of time crafting, collecting and mining and again the time disappeared. The map is huge, I imagine I will be playing this for a very long time to come. My question, should I pick a side now or wait? Also it took me 20 minutes of running around whiterun like a fool to find the place to smelt the ore
There are several independent plot lines. The main quest line and the "Empire vs stormcloaks conflict" line are independent, at least for my 35 hours. Thus, after 35 hours I still haven't ultimately decided which side to choose. I've completed few quests from the main line, several side quests from cities as well as several guild quests (in Skyrim "fighters guild" = "The Companions", "mages guild" = "The college of winterhold").
I don't think that's something you need to rush. See all the cities and holds, talk to all the Jarls etc. before you pick one side over the other. You'll find that the political situation in Skyrim is fairly complicated and both sides have their share of embarrassing secrets.
Yeah just take your time. The first time I entered Whiterun I was asked by this guy which family I supported the Battleborns or the Greymanes, I panicked thinking it would have huge ramifications but it didn't. There will come a time where you have to make a choice but I think it's at your leisure. At first I thought the Imperials were bad and Stormcloaks were good but it's really not that black and white in the end. Just pick whichever side takes your fancy.
I popped to Solitude which I believe is the imperial place when looking for somewhere to smelt things. That horse and cart chap is a godsend but I am now back on near Whiterun as I intend to explore everything properly. Need to find 5000 Gold so I can buy a house, need a place to store stuff more than anything as I want to be able to stock up on crafting items. Shame I spent 1000 gold on a crap horse really. Spent a lot of money on skill teachers too so I could probably have had a house already if I wanted. Also if I revisit a mine do the deposits come back? I went into one yesterday and got a load of iron, if I went back later today would there be more?