Here's a list of some tips, tricks, and observations I've discovered after my experience playing RPG's. Most of these are applicable to RPG video games (most of those related to Skyrim!), but there are also some general role playing tips as well for use in other styles- like Dungeons and Dragons or other d20 systems.
Do's
Save yourself the grief and frustration and save every time you start a quest or enter a dungeon. You don't want to die (or your console freezes) after not saving for 3 hours.
This is especially true for when there are a lot of trees that block your vision. For some reason, being on horseback exacerbates this issue. Basically, what I'm trying to say is be careful when you're exploring. You don't want to run head-long over a cliff!
I don't care if you're all fired up to play a warrior- you need to be able to heal yourself when you take all of that damage! You don't even need to get more than the basic healing spell (you get one for free with any character in Oblivion and Skyrim). Yeah, you could buy a ton of potions, but I would rather save that money for better weapons, armor, etc. It only depends on your amount of magicka/mana/MP. Trust me!
- Find a good center of operations
By this I mean find a place where you can get as many of your "errands" done at once. In Skyrim for example, I like using Whiterun because my house (where I store all my stuff), the forge, alchemy table, enchantment table, and shops are all relatively close to each other. Makes things run more smoothly, and you can get back to questing sooner.
While you may think that it's a drag and it's taking experience you can allot elsewhere, crafting your own weapons and armor (enchanted or otherwise) & potions saves you a lot of money. Plus, you get more of a sense of accomplishment that way. I like to craft, upgrade, and enchant as many of my pieces of gear as possible.
At least in The Elder Scrolls game, no chest or barrel is safe to store things in unless it is in a house that you own. Make it a point to save money early on for a house where you can dump all of your unused items. I usually leave all of my crafting items and special weapons and armor (that I'm not currently using) at home. Why waste your precious space on items that you aren't even using?
This is mainly a D&D tip. Basically, I believe that you should role-play to the best of your abilities and to the extent of your imagination. Get into your character! The more you invest in a character, the more fun the game becomes. Avoid meta-gaming as much as humanly possible. Try figure out who your character really is before you start playing, and develop it as you play, both character traits and your backstory.
- Figure it out for yourself
Try and figure out puzzles and quests by yourself (at least the first time). Looking at walkthroughs and game guides detracts from the fun of a game. The game developers made the game for you to play, not for you to do what someone else figured out themselves. I only look for help when I cannot figure it out for myself and have tried to multiple times. This goes for cheats too as many of them are overpowered.
Games with co-op and multiplayer are meant to be played that way! Granted- most RPG's are single player, but you can still play them with a buddy. One person plays while the other person acts as their "spotter" (just think of them as your personal Navi- only less annoying)- helping you with puzzes, riddles, or finding treasure chests that you may have missed. After a while, switch places.
- Play through earlier games in a series
This is especially pertinent now that all of these Elder Scrolls n00bs are getting into Skyrim, but don't want to play Morrowind or Oblivion. They then ask a ton of questions that would have been answered if they had played the earlier games! It helps to fill out your understanding of the story, and gives you hours of enjoyment, and for those of you who actually care- that means more achievements/trophies.
Sorry console gamers! Unfortunately, you can only mod PC games. For those of you who do play games on your computer, check out mods for your games! It can add lots of gear, sharpen graphics, add companions, etc. I recommend these sites:
Skyrim Nexus,
Morrowind & Oblivion Nexus, &
Dragon Age Nexus.
Don'ts
- Don't be a jack-of-all-trades
I feel like this is a no brainer, but then I see people playing characters like this: "A warrior who uses warhammers and bows, who is kind of sneaky, but can also cast fire spells" (read this in your best SoCal surfer/Bro voice). If you try to be good at everything, you will end up being good at nothing- only mediocre. There are character archetypes for a reason, so stick as closely to one as possible. Now there are cross-classes, so if you want to use those make sure you're not spreading yourself too thin skills-wise.
- Don't forget to keep potions & poisons on hand
They're useful! Use them to as an alternative to healing spells if you must, or if your magic stat (whatever that may be) is depleted. It's a pretty simple concept.
- Don't start killing or stealing from people at low levels!
You
will get pwn'd. If you try to be an assassin/thief starting off at level one, the people you're trying to kill will see you and kill you as soon as they get the chance. Hold off on those urges for a while until you level up a bit and can confidently use your skills. The same concept goes for other classes (I have just noticed this more with rogue/thief players)- don't go trying to kill a dragon at level one!
- Don't do every single quest with one character
This is more from a role-playing standpoint. Why on earth would a warrior do Mage Guild quests? Other than the fact that you're just trying to make more money, there doesn't seem to be a point to it. Pick your character archetype and
stick with it! If you wanted to do Mage Guild quests, then make a new character that uses magic!
- Don't try and do someone else's job for them
This is also a D&D tip. There are different classes with different specialties/abilities for a reason. If you're a Ranger, you're good at search/spot/survival. If you're a thief, you're good with traps/sneaking/backstabbing. If you're a fighter, you're good at...well, fighting. Don't do someone else's job for them, especially when they're better at it than you are! Half the party doesn't need to search the room for traps, etc. when the right character can do it faster and better (unless they're rolling luck has run out). Stick with what your class is good at, it helps to develop your character anyway.
- Don't take it too seriously!
This is true for any game, but especially games you're playing with other people. Yes it can get stressful at times, and you may fail a lot, or you may not always get what you want but always remember this: IT'S JUST A GAME! You're supposed to have fun! Yes, what just happened might have really sucked, but in the end, it's not that big a deal. Getting too angry only makes you look like a selfish, whiny jerk, and detracts from the fun of the whole party. Learn to go with the flow.
I hope that these were helpful to you. If you have your own tips or opinions on mine, let me know and leave a comment. I'd love to hear your thoughts!
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