It seems that the first big patch for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is one to be avoided until it has, itself, been patched. While Bethesda fixed several issues, it appears to have caused a few breakages in doing so, not least of all to character resistances.
Resistances that shield characters from damage are reportedly failing across the board. Full damage is being taken by characters no matter how many defensive bonuses they equip. This could be bad news for folk like me, who rely on the Mage Armor Perk to protect their robe-wearing sorcerers.
In slightly more amusing news, the patch is also making some dragons fly backwards. Other users have reported all sorts of new errors, such as increased crashing, in a huge Bethesda Forums thread. Issues are currently stated to be affecting the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions.
Skyrim's a huge game, and I think that trying to fix problems with it is like trying to plug a thousand holes in a sinking galleon all at once. I've not encountered quite so many issues as others, so my patience isn't worn thin, but a number of fans have lost any good grace at all. Personally, I can't help but sympathize with the studio.
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Bummer because the framerate and lag were so much better for me. It felt like I had upgraded my ps3 when I first put it in post patch and everything ran silky smooth
Does the improved texture streaming with 360 installs make a huge difference? I would risk a little weirdness for the graphical upgrade if it's a significant one.
The only gltch I have encountered involved Delphine and Esbern falling through the floor at Alduin's Wall. I can't get them to respawn, so the main story is fucked for me.
I have been doing other missions and clearing caves out in hopes that this problem is somehow fixed, since I am a lowly PS3 use and can't console command my way to enjoyment.
I don't think sympathy is the right word. I don't feel sorry for them for releasing a patch that broke a product that already had issues. However, I do empathize. They fucked up, but I understand why.
I haven't had too many problems after my first day with the game. If the game gives me any problems I shut it down and I'm over it by the next time I'm playing.
But does it patch Cicero out? I'm tired of seeing his stupid hat everywhere....
Anyways,thanks to the dragons being busy fighting gravity I can just walk into the Dragon lair word walls and not have to waste my Elven Arrows on them.
Besides the lag the only gilitch I've encountered on PS3 is finding a horse with the front half of it in the ground the the back half waving around in the air.
Tip have racked up over 40 hours the last 2 weeks with not even a hiccup. After the patch today I have lag, game freeze, and some non responsive essential NPC's a bit gutted. Went back to battlefield for the time being.
Why feel sorry for Bethesda when EVERY game and expansion they release is a broken mess?
They're obviously a very talented bunch because the core games they create are awesome, but haven't they realized that they have a problem with coding and testing yet?
I honestly feel like you can't buy anything from them until a couple of months after release when all the broken shit has been tuned down a bit.
Look I love Skyrim, absolutely. Thus far I've got 130+ hours in playtime according to Steam but as much as I enjoy the game it has to be the buggiest, crashiest, flaw riddled piece of code I've experienced in years and there simply is no excuse for it. NONE.
They new it was fucked, and released it anyway. Just like nearly every game Bethesda has released this generation. It's fucking inexcusable. They have internal testers, they know they've got glaring problems with stability, with the engine, the code, and they still shoved it out the door with a big "FUCK YOU" to every one of the millions of people who were going to buy it.
There is no excuse for this, stop tolerating it. That goes for you to my lovely Mr. Sterling. I know you love the game, as I said I love the game, but this shit has to stop.
The beginning part of that process, the one that will make them step up their game and be a responsible business is if we become responsible consumers. We have to stop supporting this type of development, the release broken patch later cycle needs to end. It can be done. I had zero bugs in Deus Ex, zero bugs in most of the games I've bought, so it is fucking possible. We need to demand better from a company that has the balls to charge $60-150 for broken shit.
I would love to have the buggy and well-documented Companion's "Glory of the Dead" quest repaired. The quest uses the same location as another quest, and if you do the other quest first, and "clear" the dungeon, you can't receive the Glory quest. :(
I'd like to point out that while I've had a lot of bugs, it's been much less than with Fallout 3, Oblivion or even Morrowind. This new engine is pretty nice.
@iabomba no, I'd give it an 8 with grape scratch and sniff for effort, but as good as the game is in so many ways, the fact that it's this broken is unforgivable.
I'm getting tired of having to pay to beta test some developers games. As of now, Bethesda has lost its preorder / Buy day one status with me. I had alot more fun with New Vegas when I waited a Couple months to buy it and it's was patched up. It's still fucking broken to this day, but the it's issues are the rare occurrence compared to skyrims expected every two hours or so crashes, texture glitches (apparently Bethesda 3ds everything in fluorescent purple prior to texturing? ) and assorted other problems.
Have a PS3, game is fine. There's work-arounds. The biggest is, try to keep yourself limited to two save files. Doing that, I only experience lag after a VERY long play session (north of 6-7 hours).
Unlike in Morrowind, I have yet to have a single character fall through the ground/stairs or be randomly attacked by a neutral NPC for some unseen, possibly non-existent offense.
Despite Skyrim being much more complex than the previous installments in the series, it seems to be a tad less buggy somehow.
That has to go for something, right?
That said, I'm hoping that I don't suddenly need to have my current character learn how to block instead of leaving defense to armor and spells. Hiding behind a shield at this point would be demeaning.
Jim, would it still be a 10/10 if things still worked like previous game generations. An environment where patches didn't exist?
I know it's pure speculation, I just wonder if gamers would be less tolerant of these types of releases and problems if you just had to live with it as is like in previous generations.
"Before launch, Howard said, Bethesda is testing Skyrim rigorously and more heavily using a system that runs automated versions of the game overnight, searching for bugs and helping the team squash them. "We're getting better at it," Howard said."
I say if they are getting better at it, just how bad were they before ???????
or did someone just forget to plug in the damn bug killing machine
Was it the same people that coded Skyrim that coded the bug killer, in a way that would explain to some extent what is happening.
Someone from the Skyrim could do with making some sort of a statement/apology over the mess these so called patches are making of a game that was released with pages of documented bugs.
So Jim after all your rants on piracy and how it effects the poor devs how about you take up another crusade, against the devs and studios releasing crap bug ridden software that the consumer was no protection from or come back against after spending their hard earned money on.
Neither of those two, but there's been random oddness. Untargetable baddies, teleporting/flying horses, two crashes (in 75 hours), and strange looking sword-drawing animations from time to time.
Seriously? Wow. I'm not even kidding, two. Ever. I wonder what you and I are doing differently. Seems likely that it's some kind of difference if what we've done or how we play or something. Both of my crashes were on loading screens. One after a death, reloading an autosave. The other, loading into a dungeon.
"Jim, would it still be a 10/10 if things still worked like previous game generations. An environment where patches didn't exist?"
Well the elder scrolls series has always been on pc first, so I think what generation matters little. All logic aside if we use your scenario than I think game companies such as bethesda would just take more time to iron out the bugs, with the way everything works nowadays they can get away with some bugs in their games, so their not in any real pressure to completely iron them out before release.
"I've not encountered quite so many issues as others"
lAboMbA needs to read this. As for me I'm more likely to give a game a "10" if it's few faults are bugs, than some actual underdeveloped/broken game mechanic.
I for one say Skyrim does deserve the score its been getting. IF it were not for all the bugs that have been causing me to constantly reload the game. Having to make new characters because those that rose above 10MB of saved data, and then those characters being deleted from another bug destroys it for me.
I remember my first character, I had to reload the game, and restart the console to the point of losing my patience. And I can be a very patient person after playing ffxi for four years.
Playing my 7th character (yet to have completed any faction/story line) and want to see how far I can play this time. Then it's off to Skyward Sword.
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Contest:
2:30 PM on 11.30.2011 | 
lolz.
I have been doing other missions and clearing caves out in hopes that this problem is somehow fixed, since I am a lowly PS3 use and can't console command my way to enjoyment.
Anyways,thanks to the dragons being busy fighting gravity I can just walk into the Dragon lair word walls and not have to waste my Elven Arrows on them.
http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198019651556/screenshot/595829684278988025?tab=public
They're obviously a very talented bunch because the core games they create are awesome, but haven't they realized that they have a problem with coding and testing yet?
I honestly feel like you can't buy anything from them until a couple of months after release when all the broken shit has been tuned down a bit.
How many times does this need to be said, by Jim and a million other people??
I'm getting mad bro's..
They new it was fucked, and released it anyway. Just like nearly every game Bethesda has released this generation. It's fucking inexcusable. They have internal testers, they know they've got glaring problems with stability, with the engine, the code, and they still shoved it out the door with a big "FUCK YOU" to every one of the millions of people who were going to buy it.
There is no excuse for this, stop tolerating it. That goes for you to my lovely Mr. Sterling. I know you love the game, as I said I love the game, but this shit has to stop.
The beginning part of that process, the one that will make them step up their game and be a responsible business is if we become responsible consumers. We have to stop supporting this type of development, the release broken patch later cycle needs to end. It can be done. I had zero bugs in Deus Ex, zero bugs in most of the games I've bought, so it is fucking possible. We need to demand better from a company that has the balls to charge $60-150 for broken shit.
Flawless Victory: A 10/10 is close to perfect as you will get in this *genre*. Pure, untarnished videogame ecstasy
maybe 10 out of 10 is the new h8 out of 10.
I think BF3's multiplayer is better than the sum of its singleplayer...so I feel you there, biggiesmalls.
I'm getting tired of having to pay to beta test some developers games. As of now, Bethesda has lost its preorder / Buy day one status with me. I had alot more fun with New Vegas when I waited a Couple months to buy it and it's was patched up. It's still fucking broken to this day, but the it's issues are the rare occurrence compared to skyrims expected every two hours or so crashes, texture glitches (apparently Bethesda 3ds everything in fluorescent purple prior to texturing? ) and assorted other problems.
Show of hands who has PS3 and feels the game is unplayable?
Glad to see that you've mastered the art of understanding that not everybody feels the same way about every game!
Have a PS3, game is fine. There's work-arounds. The biggest is, try to keep yourself limited to two save files. Doing that, I only experience lag after a VERY long play session (north of 6-7 hours).
What can I say, the holidays bring out the best in me...I blame the goddamned christmas music.
Despite Skyrim being much more complex than the previous installments in the series, it seems to be a tad less buggy somehow.
That has to go for something, right?
That said, I'm hoping that I don't suddenly need to have my current character learn how to block instead of leaving defense to armor and spells. Hiding behind a shield at this point would be demeaning.
I know it's pure speculation, I just wonder if gamers would be less tolerant of these types of releases and problems if you just had to live with it as is like in previous generations.
Been doing the 2 save files since grade school. Are you experienceing the other bugs? (Dragons flying backwards, no resistance, etc)
"Before launch, Howard said, Bethesda is testing Skyrim rigorously and more heavily using a system that runs automated versions of the game overnight, searching for bugs and helping the team squash them. "We're getting better at it," Howard said."
I say if they are getting better at it, just how bad were they before ???????
or did someone just forget to plug in the damn bug killing machine
Was it the same people that coded Skyrim that coded the bug killer, in a way that would explain to some extent what is happening.
Someone from the Skyrim could do with making some sort of a statement/apology over the mess these so called patches are making of a game that was released with pages of documented bugs.
So Jim after all your rants on piracy and how it effects the poor devs how about you take up another crusade, against the devs and studios releasing crap bug ridden software that the consumer was no protection from or come back against after spending their hard earned money on.
Neither of those two, but there's been random oddness. Untargetable baddies, teleporting/flying horses, two crashes (in 75 hours), and strange looking sword-drawing animations from time to time.
Two? TWO?!? I think I'm closing in on 400. D:
Well the elder scrolls series has always been on pc first, so I think what generation matters little. All logic aside if we use your scenario than I think game companies such as bethesda would just take more time to iron out the bugs, with the way everything works nowadays they can get away with some bugs in their games, so their not in any real pressure to completely iron them out before release.
"I've not encountered quite so many issues as others"
lAboMbA needs to read this. As for me I'm more likely to give a game a "10" if it's few faults are bugs, than some actual underdeveloped/broken game mechanic.
Jim is a garbage reviewer. Can we get someone else on deck? This guy has jumped the shark.
I remember my first character, I had to reload the game, and restart the console to the point of losing my patience. And I can be a very patient person after playing ffxi for four years.
Playing my 7th character (yet to have completed any faction/story line) and want to see how far I can play this time. Then it's off to Skyward Sword.
You have PS3 Slim? or Older version?