After the past few days of doing some more binge playing on Skyrim because I wanted to see what the other factions were like, I think I’ve learned a valuable lesson.
If you play this game like I do, I think we’re all guilty of this at some point and that is: we create a new character to try different things, join factions we might find more suitable to that character, and once we’re satisfied we leave it behind, or when we get bored.
I caved in to make a Breton mage who went on to the College of Winterhold and became Arch-Mage in the end. Then I made a Khajiit who joined the Thieves Guild and the Dark Brotherhood. Unfortunately, that’s when I stopped before completing both quest lines.
And why did I stop? Well, it turns out I was so hyper-focused on the quests where there are so many other things to do in this game that you have no idea what you are missing. When I did my first play through that led me to write about the main quest, I was running around everywhere exploring ruins, harvesting/selling crops, finding words of power, clearing out fortresses, etc. I began to miss that but my brain kept telling me to focus on doing something so specific in a game with such a vast amount of options that I ended up giving up.
It’s funny, having autism it’s easy for people like us to be very specific, but Skyrim is just so beautiful and irresistible that you just can’t fixate on one thing! My character was barely halfway to level 10 by the time she got her first major contract from Astrid. I found myself roaming long distances to objectives praying no enemies like a bear, saber cat, or even a dragon would attack me because I was still at a low level.
Skyrim is a game that is meant to be invested taking your time, exploring, and doing extra things to get your level up when you’re under the double digits. Plus, I guess doing more than just what’s in that journal just offers you a richer experience don’t you think? I guess that’s why it’s better to take a break and play other games for a while after spending an excessive amount in Tamriel, and then when you’re ready to go back, you’re more eager to explore whether it’s continuing on with your existing character or starting over.
What a beautiful scenario…. see, there’s so much to do here, what was I thinking when I chose to make those new characters and only focus on moving up in those factions! (also I have been debating whether to buy the special edition or not, we shall see…. )
For now, I think it’s time to play some other games for a bit, and try some new stuff before I return to this magnificent (plus Solstheim!) eager to explore every nook and cranny.
👽Emily
Monsterlady's Diary 