Hello everyone and anyone reading this!

I have a bunch of questions about Skyrim and gaming in general. There is a summary on the bottom if this is too long to read for some.

I would first like to begin by saying that I'm a college freshman, 19 years old, and am going to start my new classes in the Fall semester. I spent five years at military school, without television or video games lol. I've never played computer games or console games before in my life. Although I have seen and heard about them, they just never were a part of me.

Today I was browsing Youtube, since we recently got internet at our house, and I saw someone posting a video on their Skyrim character. I was impressed, although I had heard of people playing this game, I always thought it was like an MMORPG right? Long story short, I watched his videos, watched some others on the game, and began to get very interested.

This game isn't like Warcraft right? Where I heard you have to play daily for countless hours in order to succeed or get anywhere correct? Is this game private and at your own pace (no internet needed) or are there other players out there in the world? Can they help or hurt me?

Like I said, I have never played video games before, but I want to try Skyrim, specifically for the computer. Are there any free guides online on how to get started? Such as "keybinding" or learning how to travel/use the map? Or where to go when you first start? I'm a clueless noob when it comes to games, and I heard Skyrim is a more advanced game for those starting out.

What are "mods" and "cheats" for this game and how do they work? Are there "addons" that can improve game play or make it easier? Are there guides on how to level up skills, spells, professions, and other important things in the game? I'm a bit OCD and although I want to play, I also want to make sure I play correctly and take advantage of other guides online and help from advanced gamers.

Summary:

I'm brand new to video games and wanted my first game to play to be Skyrim.

Where can I find guides on how to level up skills/professions in this game?

Can someone help me and explain to me how the map/travel works and how to get a good start at the game?

How can I learn how to play properly and make gold and increase my spells and items? Or where to get them?

Are there any free guides online or websites to help/teach new players?

What is "keybinding" and how can I get "mods" and "addons" and "cheats" to help/make the game better for myself?

Is this game required by internet connection? Or do I play in private and without being bothered by other players?

THANK YOU VERY MUCH EVERYONE!

this is the best website for help with Skyrim http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Skyrim

1:if you want guides you can google it

2:if you go to a place on foot you discover it and then you can simply fast travel there if you havent ever gone there you cant fast travel there

3:dont create your character in a rush take your time

4:you can find spells at the college of winterhold

5:you can find gold(septims)almost everywhere

6:and you dont need internet to play

thats all i know

Okay, you're 19 and you've never played videogames before!? Where in the world do you live?!

1- The UESP is a great place for all your Elder Scrolls needs. It's the TES Bible.

2- You can Fast Travel once you have found the location, for the most part, you'll be walking. A lot.

3- Since its your first time, just experiment. Do whatever you want except killing civilians or regular folk.

4- Once again, the UESP.

5- You can only have mods for the PC version. By cheats you mean Console Commands, the can immensely if you're on PC, as they are only on PC. Only 3 official addons exist for PC and consoles. They are Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn. I would buy the Legendary Edition. You can get mods from the Skyrim Nexus or Steam Workshop.

Happy gaming!

Edit: Multiplayer does not exist in Skyrim or any prior TES games. It will in the future TES: Online.

A guide isn't really necessary unless you are confused whilst playing. But seeing how this game is fool-proof I doubt there's any chance of that.

ohh you forgot to mension''you must NEVER BUT NEVER KILL CHICKENS''

Your best bet is to just play the game. Read the descriptions for the various races and skills in-game, create your character and get out there and explore the world. For your very first playthrough, you may want to let the game herd you for a bit along the main quest, but don't neglect picking up side quests on your travels. The UESP wiki linked earlier is probably the most comprehensive guide to the game there is, and it's free.

For traveling, you can either walk between places, buy a horse when you get enough gold, use the carriages at the cities, or use fast travel. You can only fast travel between locations you've discovered, though. On your map, discovered locations are those that are not grayed out.

To make gold, check every place inside the dungeons you explore, and check the bodies of enemies you've killed. Pick up potions, potion ingredients, gemstones, valuable weapons and armor and anything else you can sell to merchants in the cities. Later, you'll discover that using smithing, enchanting and alchemy can be very good sources of income, plus they help you level their skills and increase your character level, to gain access to even better perks and equipment. Be aware that as your character's level increases, the enemies you'll face will get stronger.

"Add-ons", more commonly known as DLC, are extra content for the game created by Bethesda and made available for sale. There are three of them for Skyrim; Dawnguard, Hearthfire and Dragonborn. To get them, simply purchase them from Steam or XBox Live or PSN, depending on which platform you're playing on. If the game you picked up is the "Legendary Edition" though, all of the DLC are already included.

WRT mods, these are created by game users and are only available if you're playing on the PC version of the game. As a brand new player, I would recommend not using any mods at all for the time being. Make a "vanilla" playthrough first, so you get an idea of what you'd like to change in the game. There's also a bit of a learning curve involved with using mods. Using them without knowing what you're doing can seriously screw up your game.

New people! So many of you lately. Have a http://images.uesp.net/c/c4/Fishystick.jpg!

I second Michael's advice, the website he linked is a very good source of information. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask here.

Skyrim doesn't require internet connection, but it's tied to your Steam account (Steam will download automatically if you don't already have it). You'll need to be online to activate the game, after that you can always play offline. There'll be no other players in your game. The world is large though, so you'll have lots of things to do.

I'd advise against using cheats in your first playthrough unless it's to fix a glitch or bug. Play the original game first, then start experimenting. Mods I'd consider are the unofficial patches found on Skyrim Nexus and SkyUI to make the interface more functional - the rest is IMO unnecessary if you're playing for the first time.

Other than that, don't read too many guides! Just install the game and start playing. Skyrim is easy to get into and you'll learn the most by discovering it on your own. Try different things. Have fun. Don't overthink it, there's no "proper" way to play this game - you don't need the best available equipment and skills to enjoy it, so play however you want at your own pace.

Welcome friend, you've chosen a great game and community as a starting point.

Many people here will happily help you and have already. I play xbox and have beaten everything in this game and been everywhere so I can't help you with mods and PC problems but I can help with anything else as well as tricks to help you on travels. Ask anything without worry, we were all noobs once

Just to reiterate on what has already been suggested. The UESP is the single best place to get the information you are after. However, I strongly suggest that...

The best way to actually enjoy the TES experience, is to leave the forums, forget the UESP even exists and experience the game as a virgin.

Exploration and discovery is the backbone and core of what makes the game what it is.

Only revert to the UESP if it is absolutely necessary and even then, limit your browsing to pinpoint the issue and get out. If that doesn't satisfy your needs, then there is an incredible group of people here to help you out.

Edited because I evidently forgot how to spell UESP. For some reason I want to call it the USEP.

I will second this advice. The game is much more fun if you play and learn through playing than if you read about it in advance on the UESP. There are a lot of "spoilers" in the UESP site. It is a great resource, but most of what you want to know can be learned in game. Like, where to buy spells. Talk to people in the game and you can find the answer. That type of exploration and discovery is what makes these games fun.

Also, I would play mod free for a while before worrying about any mods. Once you get the feel for the game, you can decide whether you want to mod it and what types of mods you might want.

Words of wisdom for sure.

Play the game and then ask yourself... " What would I like to add or change? " THEN search the Nexus for it.

Now, I can't help but almost insist to go ahead and install the Unofficial Patches. There's just no reason not to.

I hate to discourage you but, in my humble opinion, you should put down the controller and walk away. Video games, though amazingly entertaining, are going to take away from the important things you need to do at 19: studying, developing your in-person social skills, building your health through physical activity, and gaining exposure to as many facets of the world as you can to help you figure out who you are. Staring at a screen and pushing buttons doesn't do any of this. I dropped video games right after college when I realized the personal cost. Now, at 45, I'm back and really enjoying it. I've done all the stuff I needed to, now I can play.

I know many, many, people will disagree with me, but I truely believe that these games do more harm than good for young, developing, people.

Best wishes no matter what you choose.

*implying that video games are inherently antisocial and don't teach us anything*

Do you say the same things about books? Movies? Music? Does "staring at a screen and pushing buttons" is so different from staring at a cinema screen and munching popcorn, or putting on headphones and enjoying your favourite song? Should we forgo all forms of entertainment because all that's important is studying, staying healthy and meeting people?

As it happens, video games helped me deal with many issues that crippled my social life. I'm not the only person on this forum for whom they were theraqeutic, I could give you at least four other examples off the top of my head. It's not a very common situation, I admit, but even so: aren't games one of many facets of the world you speak about, and shouldn't people try them to discover and understand other forms of expression?

As for learning and figuring out who you are, I'll just http://i.imgur.com/DAHpNI1.jpg. It's not the list I'd put together, but it's the only one I can find at the moment, so it'll do. There are lessons to be learned in every form of human activity; you can play Fallout to shoot ghouls and deathclaws or to learn about war and the human nature. Or maybe both?

I have no doubt that there are many, many theraqeutic and beneficial side effects from games, books, mvoies etc. I'm a huge fan of escapism. However, these are all tools, and idulging in any of them to the detriment of other activities is a mistake. As a young person who perhaps doesn't have fully developed judgment or enough experience, it is just too easy to neglect so many important things in those critical years in favor of this amazing entertainment. Unless you can be really disciplined and maintain balance (which I doubt many people can), it's better to put it off, that's all. You can always pick up later.

Isn't it true for everything, not just games? My friend's brother failed exams because he was addicted to WoW. Another friend failed them because he spent more time partying than studying. The answer isn't quitting games and socializing altogether, but learning to control yourself before it becomes a problem.

You don't need titanic willpower to have a normal, healthy life AND enjoy video games, thousands of people manage to do it just fine. I'd be worried about young teenagers, but the OP is 19 years old; I'm sure can handle Skyrim without spiraling down into a life of misery and broken dreams.

I hope you are right about the OP having enough control, truly. I just want to emphasize that this isn't as simple a decision as it seems. I think the cautious approach would be to take care of other obligations/responsibilities/opportunities before starting something as potentially distracting as this game. If he can do all that other stuff and still find time for the game, more power to him. If not, then it's best that he didn't start. Of course, for all I know, he's already working at those other areas (possibly really hard) and now wants to blow off steam, right? I don't know but it never hurts to think these things through because once the adrenaline pumps and the thrills start, it's much, much harder to walk away.

I'd like to entrust the efforts of the Military Academy to imbue the dynamic trait of self discipline in all of the cadets, from plebs to firsties.

I am in my final week of college but Really want to stay off and play skyrim though. I was off for 3 weeks recently.... just to play Skyrim. I am probably going to fail college because I am addicted to Skyrim.

I don't know what to say, I'm really sorry that it is causing you so much trouble. Do the best you can and don't be shy about asking for help. Addiction is serious, you'll need real support to work through it. Best of luck.