Hi all! Seeing as I'm pretty new and green to The Elder Scrolls (and to RPG's really, never really played much of these type of games) I have some questions. Don't get me wrong, I've already put in alot of hours into this game, but still I don't feel like I know entirely what I'm doing. I'm now an level 39, nord, and have just brought back the Elder Scroll from the Tower of Mzark. With all the hours I've put into the game, I should've been "done" really, but I've been lollygagging with adventuring and other small quests, not to mention the pace of which I play; checking every burial urn and so forth.

I'm just wondering; how long is the main quest? Could anyone give me the percentage of main quests I've done? I like to take breaks from the main quest by doing other stuff inbetween. Is the game still interesting when the main quest is done? I'm a part of Thieves Guild, but haven't done many missions for them.

Some more questions:

- Can you buy a home in every city? (I have the breezehome and the house in Solitude.)

- Which clan should I join? As I said I'm a nord and mainly use my bow and sword. Which clan would suit me the most? Don't really like fiddling with magic and stuff. (Yes, I'm boring.)

You've got like 3 or 4 quests until the end of the main quest. there is no ending so even when you complete the main quest you can carry on with the same character.

Looking at this

I say you're about 75% done with the MQ.

As for your smaller questions:
1- You can buy every home in the 5 major holds, a home in 3 of the minor holds, only one hold has no property to buy.
2 - Since you're a Nord, the Companions might be a good fit. Or you could join the CW for either the Legion or Stormcloak, though I bet you'd join the SC (no problem).

You're probably 2/3 to 3/4 the way through the main quest.

There are other interesting things to do to take breaks from the main quest. The Thieves Guild have a number of quests that occur all across the map.

You can also buy homes in Riften, Markarth and Windhelm, and if you've got Hearthfire you can build 3 others.

You could join the Companions since they're mostly about being warriors for hire, mostly.

Welcome to the forums!

You might give the companions a shot, they could use someone with a strong blade,

If you mean a house located in the cities, then no, with the DLC hearthfire you can purchase land to build your own home from the jarls in Morhal, Dawnstar, and Falkreath

Edit: if you dont mind sneaking, then the Dark Brotherhood could also use daggers and bows

That's the proper way to play...how can you resist the call of the urns and looting all the shiny shiny?

This game never ends, there's no credits and you can never finish every quest as some of the minor ones are endless.

Wow, thanks for the response! Ah, thought the main quest was a bit longer, but that doesn't matter too much. There is so much else to do! As this is a couple of years old, you're prone to a couple of spoilers. If I've heard right there's a civil war coming? Must I be a member of a legion/clan when this occur?

I'll probably run around doing most of the things possible, just thought i'd ask so I wouldn't get stuck. What mods would you guys recommend the most for a casual player like me? I've had the inventory mod before, but I actually prefer it as it is.

If you're asking how to join legion, go to solitude and find general Tullius in the barracks i believe, as for the civil war occuring, it has been happening, but you can take part.

The Civil War is ongoing from the start of the game. You have the choice to either join the Stormcloaks (Starts in Windhelm with Ulfric Stormcloak) or the Imperials (Starts in Solitude with General Tullius). You must choose a side in order to participate in the Civil War (CW) questline but the choice of which is entirely up to you!

There's been a civil war occurring since the beginning of Skyrim (however dull it feels). You can choose a side between the Imperial Legion and the Stormcloaks. IMO it's better to do the CW after the main quest.

Alright. Guess I'll have to pay these gentlemen another visit, as I've forgot where they stand in the war.

Another question: Lydia.. I've grown found of her, maybe more in the past, so I'm thinking of retiring from her companionship. (Also, she seem's to not be able to carry as much as she used to!) Is it better to dump her for a man? Can I tell her to frig off and marry her instead? Will post a picture of her later, as she is rocking some serious gear and outfits.

Wait. What? What is this "done" of which you speak? There is no "done" or "won" in an RPG, until you declare it so. Then you go on to your next character.

I've got over 1000 hours on my character and she's still got major stuff to do (thanks to mods). She, too, goes slow and checks every burial urn (she calls that "urning a living" LOL). She helped one side in the civil war, built a house, saved the world a couple of times, but she has never joined any of the other factions (Companions, Mages College, Thieves, etc.) because it's just not in her personality to do so. She's also not planning on getting married. Her Lydia is "semi-retired" - living at Lakeview Manor with the kids, the dog, and one or two other followers who are taking a break from adventuring.

As for your questions:

- I think the house one has been answered

- I agree that the Companions could be a good fit for you (or get to work for the Thieves Guild, if your character is that kind of guy)

- Try out different followers (there's a lot of them out there) and see which one(s) work best with your character's style.

Hehe, after taking a deeper look into this forum I've seen that roleplaying is a major thing! I guess I'm kinda boring that way, just playing it as a game. But maybe i'll try that aswell, just wanted to check the waters for future referance. Urning for a living!