I've been busy but recently started playing Skyrim again after a couple months of not playing so I thought I would ask my fellows what inspires you to return after a break?

I'm not ashamed to admit that my reason for a return was that I finally got around to watching the Vikings show which has been sitting in my DVR since March. Another inspiration was that I let my beard and hair grow out for the past 3 months and after I finally buzzed my head but left my beard, I came out of the bathroom and my woman looked at me slightly shocked and said "you look like your Skyrim guy" ha which made me realize that it's been awhile since I played him and Ragnar Lothbrok already had me wanting to grab an axe

Seems like a good way to return to both game and forums so share if you care.

Ha, Vikings always gets me in a Skyrim mood as well. Besides that though, just the other day I was playing Killing Floor and as I was chopping the head off a zed with a dwarf axe, it really got me thinking I should play Skyrim again. Perhaps play as a Nord for once.

I play TES games to get lost in exploring the game and doing what ever I feel like doing at the time. Most games do not give you that option.

The only reason I change to different game is that the game world is too small. Now if we can get a game world the size of Daggerfall but with the looks of Skyrim than I likely will never be found again since I likely will want to walk every square inch of the map.

ha there's definitely a Viking vibe to Skyrim even though there's not a single longboat to sail (shame since Nords are known to sail). So you haven't played a Nord in their homeland yet? I never cared for Nords before Skyrim and actually never tried one before this installment but they feel right now, especially when playing as the Dovahkiin on a couple of my characters.
Oh I agree, that's precisely why I love TES games as there's very few games that offer that feeling of freedom and exploration in this genre. Perhaps now that next gen has arrived they will be able to make the next TES the size of Daggerfall yet full of life.

Recently I had a 2 week break playing Dark souls and I returned to Skyrim because I thought of some new RPs. I also reach 6,000 hours yesterday.

A true trooper, I salute your dedication to the glory of Skyrim

That happens to me as well, I briefly got into Ascended Hand of Kul and all the while I played it made me want to play Skyrim. Even after getting GTA 5 (which is great in its own right) I still prefer to play Skyrim 2 years later

I haven't popped in Skyrim since Sep 17. Nothing but GTA madness so far. I've pretty much played Skyrim non stop since Dec 11 and I think its okay to have some time off.

And plus, the PS4 comes out in less than 2 weeks. It'll be a while until I return.

Buying of The Elder Scrolls Anthology

I have no idea how long I played Skyrim since Steam never keeps proper track of the time played for me on any game and that includes achievements. 6k hours is impressive as long as each hour has been fun.

Fallout 3 kept crashing

Haha, your woman?

Any[censored], what keeps me playing is the diversity of characters you can make, and different stories to tell. Also the game itself is beautiful.

For me, its the fun of the build. I usually create an idea in my mind of a build, then go about building that character right after Helgen. Ive done all the quests, seen all the things there is to see, so for now, its the fun of creating a build and developing the character that keeps me coming back again and again.

With COD Ghosts being released tonight (after midnite) and Xbox One being released soon, my Skyrim playing days are nearing an end so I may come up with maybe one or two more builds to try before allocating my available gaming hours to newer things. Or, until I can get my Elder Scroll fix with ESOL.

This tread gave me the best mod idea ever.
If you click Quit, you hear Belethor saying "do come baaaack."

"I wonder what my Electrokitty/Burly Breton Battlemage is up to today?"

Simply the fact that it's the latest Elder Scrolls game. I've mostly been playing Oblivion but after a while I start to miss the horrible, filthy country to the north.

Every other game just gets boring so ridiculously fast. The freedom of Skyrim and the other Es games as well as the roleplay possibilities are pretty much unmatched for me.

I get an idea in my head for a character or I have a goal I want to accomplish in the game with one character.

Unfortunately, most of my characters start to "morph" into the style of play I enjoy most. And most of my accomplishments seldom get done, as I get easily sidetracked

My latest thought is to make 1 character to play in each hold exclusively. I hope this way I can finally adventure in every dungeon and do every quest in the areas.

I do not know if I'll be able to do the Dark Brotherhood line. I have started a couple of times, but gave up as it is just not "my style."

Good Gods, no...

I came back because of a new character I wanted to make for Skyrim. I love making new character builds, backstories. This time, I'm back playing on the PC with some mods and taking a lot of screenshots along the way.

My new ability to create my own game assets.

Immersion mods, and roleplaying my funny characters.

I love to feel like I'm really adventuring in a hostile and exciting environment. With mods there's darkness, hunger, thirst, fatigue, drunk effects, getting wet, freezing, burns, bleeding, breaking bones, bad diseases etc. I love to limp in a snow storm trying to find shelter before freezing my tail off.

Edit: I forgot drunk effects. A funny addition to roleplaying.

I love the atmosphere. The music, the scenery, the look of the game, the way the game feels to me, everything. I don't play quests very often. I'm not a "quest player." I like to make up my own stories, get into my own adventures. And Skyrim is almost perfectly suited to me, for doing that kind of thing.

I keep coming back because I thoroughly enjoy TES games, though when a newer one comes out, I can't ever go back to the older one. As much as I love Morrowind, I can't deal with the gameplay as opposed to how I can interact with Skyrim, and how it interacts with me.

I have very little time to spend gaming, maybe an hour or two each day, and oftentimes none at all. Yesterday I played a little Skyrim, then fired up Madden '11; I needed a break after weeks of fine-tuning the fortify restoration glitch for my Altmer spellsword. Dang, but all fine-tuning and no actual gaming really kills one's mood after awhile.

Today, I'm looking forward to getting a little Skyrim time in today, maybe load up Jarand's file again.

YES!

OCD brings me back.