(I imagine the short answer for many is “extensive mods,” but I’m on PS4 so my choices in that area are a bit limited.)
I got really into Skyrim when I was unemployed during the summer of 2020. I’ve probably put in close to 1,000 hours to date. I still love the game, but unfortunately I’m now so familiar with the questlines, enemies, dungeons, and dialogue that it’s hard for me to continue enjoying it. Even if I put it down for 4-5 months, I still find myself a little burned out because I know it too well by this point.
Some might ask, “Why try to keep playing, then?” and it’s a fair question. Basically, I still like the mechanics of the game. I still enjoy a good dungeon crawl. Archery is an incredibly satisfying combat skill and I haven’t been able to find another game that’s quite as fun for archery. And tbh, Skyrim has become a comfort game for me when I need an alternate world to slip into for a few hours. I want to keep enjoying it. I’m just not sure how anymore.
For other players who’ve logged a lot of hours, I’m curious to know: How do you keep the experience fresh and interesting for yourself? Are there different RP strategies that you take? Do you mod the hell out of your game? Do you just embrace and enjoy the familiarity?
I asked someone this on the Fallout subreddit. Other than mods they just kept roleplaying different characters and doing different questlines. There are lots of different class and race combos you can try, but honestly, without mods it’s a lot harder to freshen things up. A mod called Live Another Life was great for a new start iirc.
Mods. I know that’s not really helpful, but it really is how many of us continue to enjoy it. That said, there are still things you can do to spice up your gameplay on vanilla. The biggest one is this- try a different playstyle. Archery is incredibly effective, so try making a character who absolutely refuses to use one because his whole family was slaughtered by a rogue sentient bow that laughed at him while it did it. Recruit different companions and try to keep them alive in different situations. Be an absolutely evil sonofabitch and kill everyone the game allows you to. Try Oblivion, for a similar, but distinctly different (and in my opinion, slightly superior, despite Skyrim’s many advantages) experience. Or, most simply, stop trying to get blood from a stone, and put the game down until the itch actually returns, not until you feel like it should’ve. Best of luck to you.
In general: Modding. But more specifically, I find mods that allow you to skip/avoid major questlines (like the main one) really helpful. Playing as a bandit, pirate, lowly vampire, etc instead of the Chosen One every time can really spice things up from a role-playing perspective.
Have you tried limiting yourself to specific mechanics or set arbitrary stipulations for a specific playthrough? Like a no HP increases play through or a right-hand only run stuff like that?
I believe this youtube channel mentions mods, but their builds are vanilla I think. Sometimes I like to roleplay deeper when I want the familiar but a little different. Here’s the FudgeMuppet Skyrim Builds playlist, hope you scratch your itch!
Oh this is awesome, I appreciate your sharing!! I’ll definitely be giving these a watch for ideas.
