well after playing and completing the main quest with my female breton crusader (was up to around 120 hours playthrough with her) i needed to re format my 360 hd (to get rid of some achievements that i didn't want/games that i no longer had) i would like to start over with a new type of character this time.i always play as a crusader type (nearly always a breton who can use both heavy/light armour.and swords/battleaxes/warhammers e.t.c/they can use destruction magic also) the problem is though that i really want to play as a thief/archer type character,but when i have started to play as one,have found that i just cannot get into playing that way.i tried sneaking through the sewers,but i was getting frustrated with my archery being rubbish (could not hit my target from the distance i was away from them/probably lack of strength due to low stats).i also have always had problems with lockpicking (until i found a certain item :wink_smile: i just keep breaking plenty of them. i was playing as a female kajiit agent with the lady sign on my last attempt.any advice would be most helpful p.s apologies for the 2 d's at the end of thread :facepalm: i will repent at the wayshires :thumbsup:

A khajiit is a good start. Get the Thief birthsign, no matter what. The main attributes you need are Agility and Speed, the skills are: Security, Sneak, Blade, Illusion, Marksman, Acrobatics, and Athletics. If you have trouble with lockpicking, go to UESP.net and search Security. It has some tips and tricks to be able to learn how to do it. And Marksmanship is weak-sauce with every build, it does very little damage. It may even be a good idea to get Light Armor instead of Marksman, in case you get in a toe-to-toe fight.

Tips:
-Make sure not to wear shoes at all until you level sneak up, and move slowly. Eventually, there are bonuses from Sneak that remove the need to do this, but it's important in the start.
-If you have no problem with it, it may be a good idea to join the Dark Brotherhood early, to get the Shrouded Armor. It also opens up some Illusions spells that are great for stealth from the vendor.
-Don't use torches. If you need to see in the dark, use the Khajiit's night eye racial.

Although, playing as a thief may not be for you. If you don't enjoy it, then you don't need to do it.

This is one of the most interesting approaches to character creation I've come across. Gpstr's http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?app=forums&module=forums§ion=findpost&pid=16383709

thanks for the advice everyone.i will try again with a thief type character (as i can see the possibilities of playing one).that character creation generator definitely sounds interesting (would like to try that sometime)