http://theskyrimblog.ning.com/group/character-building/page/category-80
Look through these builds. Also if you can't get up the will to play, take a break
I think you may be going about this wrong in that you're trying to get a character type and build the skills around it.
Better question is what skills do you like to use? Do you like one-hand melee and spells or bow for distance? Do you like using light or heavy armor which is better for sneaking? Do you like to enchant or use alchemy?
If you have a set of skills you prefer you can customize your character around that archtype and build a backstory for it. Or the people on the forum can help you come up with a backstory.
It sounds like you're having trouble deciding possibly because of skillsets but I could be wrong.
Then you have a good start.
When leveling you skills concentrate first on one-hand, light armor and sneak for your perks. Build from the bottom of the perk tree first, take as many of the initial perks as you can at the bottom until the requirement for the next perk is beyond your skill then start putting perks into shield and/or Alchemy.
After you get deep into these you can branch out either higher into the major perk trees then your minor.
When you feel you have a good foundation in the major and minors you can decide if you want to go into Illusion which has the muffle perk and can make your thief more stealthy.
After that you can possibly add smithing and/or enchanting to make your own equipment. At that point you'll probably be at or near your 30's in level.
another minor along with alchemy and shield would be archery so you can strike from a distance. I wouldn't do destruction or conjuration as the casting will get you noticed by your enemies unlike archery which you can do while sneaking. You can use archery from the get go, just don't perk it until your majors are filling up nicely.
+1. Don't ever play when you don't want to or don't feel like it. That's how you ruin a game for yourself.
Since you're familiar with the type then you're halfway there. Use the tips for building the skillsets I listed and your character should flesh out nicely. BTW don't go for lockpicking for perks as the skill is best determined by feel rather than perks. I can pick a master lock and use maybe three lockpicks at the most usually and don't have a single perk invested.
Picking pockets would be a good secondary skill set I suppose. I play a stealth-archer build on 360 who is an excellent thief who can pick Sapphire's pocket both ways yet I don't have a single perk invested, I've just been using the woman (Sylgia I think) in Windhelm to train my character and am currently at 50 in pickpocketing.
Picking pockets seems to be still tied to stealth as it is in Oblivion. With 100 stealth it's hard for anyone to notice I'm picking their pocket, even without the perks.
This so much.
I had to take so many breaks from Oblivion when I suffered from my worst bit of restartitis until I finally got my character together.
I do agree. If you overextend youself playing your character will become more of a burden and chore than fun. If you force yourself to play when you don't want to it may lead to dissatisfaction with your character with roots in feeling you SHOULD play rather than wanting to play. All this can lead to you ditching the character you've worked so hard on and trying another to try to bring back the "Magic". It's destructive not only to your enjoyment but also to the character you are playing.
well i first start with thinking about the person i'am going to be playing (Race) Then i move to the background (Skills) then the way i'am going to play (hunter.ranger,Etc..) i let the person tell me how he want's me to play him or her just play and let the flow of you just getting lost in the game then after a little bit your person will start to shape into what it want's. like i started this one wood elf i said that i wanted to play as a Thief but but before i knew i was playing as a hunter.
As a long term (30+) years RPG gamer that is good advice but for those who aren't there is a learning curve. As I said good advice and one the OP should cultivate.
It may take a while but you'll get there OP.
No such thing as a messed up build in Skyrim. You can play any kind of a character and be successful.
Better have your first character as a bland jack-of-all-trades character, and once you get the hang of the game move to deeper stuff. That's what I always do in RPGs.
I've always had trouble with the "deeper" stuff. Vanilla Skyrim isn't really conducive to it. Especially for mages.
well one's that have been with the series from the start not that hard but i can see how a Novice can big over well with all the stuff and the deeper stuff if you just play you will soon get the hand of it
Welcome to the forums. I'd give you a fishy stick but have none handy so ice cream instead..
http://images.uesp.net/c/c4/Fishystick.jpg
Now you've done it. I'll be flaunting the Moderators pet peeves before long you devil.
Yes, agreed.
This was a problem I had in Star Wars Galaxies when I played it. It reached a point where playing the game felt like a job, and not fun. I had to take a break and cancel my subscription for awhile. I eventually came back, and that's when the magic came back.
Every Elder Scrolls game at some point has given me fits of restartitis because even one simply tiny thing isn't right, and so I wanna get it right and do it over. After awhile, it becomes a chore, and I just have to take some time off and do something else.
yeah i'am that way with armor and clothes if i don't like the clothes i have on or armor i have to have the clothes or armor or i just can't do anything i'am big on customization if i don't like it then i will not do anything but that to it's right lol i take's me about 1 to 2 hours to make a person because i'am so focused on every little detail
Well, that's definitely true. I forget that not all play the game wiht 50+ mods
But melee and ranged classes in vanilla Skyrim are very much viable even when restricted. Archery + Sneak (+ Backup One-Handed) for example is by far the most OP build in the game, and all you need is two and a half skills.