morrowind newbie question

[Peter Hall]

I've played Morrowind now for a few days and have just begun to get the hang
of things but i have a few questions. Firstly I'm staggered by the sheer
scale of the Universe and the detail which has gone into it. It's totally
overwhelming and i feel i'm wandering around a bit without any game plan.
So....

I'm fascinated to know how peeps learn about the world and how to do stuff?
Do you guys read spoiler sites or just pick things up the hard and painful
way? What would you recommend is a good way to learn for a newbie and
also, I've no idea how to enchant stuff, what enchantment does to something
and whether i even need to know about said skill? Is it explained in game
or do folks pick up this information from previous games and just 'know'
what to do?

Confused but really quite interested,

Pete

[Martin Eriksson]

Post by Peter Hall
I've played Morrowind now for a few days and have just begun to get the hang
of things but i have a few questions. Firstly I'm staggered by the sheer
scale of the Universe and the detail which has gone into it. It's totally
overwhelming and i feel i'm wandering around a bit without any game plan.
So....
I'm fascinated to know how peeps learn about the world and how to do stuff?
Do you guys read spoiler sites or just pick things up the hard and painful
way? What would you recommend is a good way to learn for a newbie and
also, I've no idea how to enchant stuff, what enchantment does to something
and whether i even need to know about said skill? Is it explained in game
or do folks pick up this information from previous games and just 'know'
what to do?

You get directions from the start of the game how to get to someone called
"Caius" in Balmora. He then directs you to some other places, and so on. For
some early quests, join the fighters guild or mages guild, although there
are some quests in the starting town even.

You can talk with people in a town about "services" and locations and just
about anything.

/M

[Magnus Itland]

On Sat, 5 Jul 2003 21:29:28 +0000 (UTC), Peter Hall

Post by Peter Hall
I've played Morrowind now for a few days and have just begun to get the hang
of things but i have a few questions. Firstly I'm staggered by the sheer
scale of the Universe and the detail which has gone into it. It's totally
overwhelming and i feel i'm wandering around a bit without any game plan.

So did I. It sounds like a good way to start! ^_^

Post by Peter Hall
I'm fascinated to know how peeps learn about the world and how to do stuff?
Do you guys read spoiler sites or just pick things up the hard and painful
way? What would you recommend is a good way to learn for a newbie and
also, I've no idea how to enchant stuff, what enchantment does to something
and whether i even need to know about said skill? Is it explained in game
or do folks pick up this information from previous games and just 'know'
what to do?

Well, at first I just walked the roads from town to town, killing anything
I met, resting as needed. I talked to people everywhere, did quests for my
favorite guild. And when there were things I did not understand, I read the
manual or simply waited. And of course I read this group, where all the
"dumb" questions come up regularly. ^_^

Enchantment is a high-level skill. Don't even try to enchant anything
yourself until your intelligence is around 100 and your luck pretty high
too. Actually, it will probably still not work unless you drink several
potions of fortify intelligence.
For the first 10-15 levels, you should stick with already enchanted items,
which you can buy in many shops; some of them are really good value for the
money. Then up to ca level 30 you should get your items made by an
enchanter. After that, you will probably have a good idea of whether you
want to specialize into enchantment.

Alchemy is another matter. Alchemy is highly recommended at all levels.
Once you got enough money, buy training in alchemy if it is not a primary
skill already. Your own potions will be much better than those you buy in
stores, and will save your hide again and again.

[Andreas Koch]

Post by Magnus Itland
Enchantment is a high-level skill. Don't even try to enchant anything
yourself until your intelligence is around 100 and your luck pretty high
too. Actually, it will probably still not work unless you drink several
potions of fortify intelligence.

Ehm, thats a bit extreme.
You can start pretty early to create SIMPLE enchantments, like
levitation 1 pt 8 seconds, or restore fatigue 8 pts 3 seconds etc.
Just watch how much enchantment points the thing uses. Don't try
higher than 1 unless your chances with 1 are allready sufficiently
good.

Post by Magnus Itland
For the first 10-15 levels, you should stick with already enchanted
items, which you can buy in many shops; some of them are really good
value for the money.

Yep. Pre-Enchanted items are incredibly cheap in MW, also enchanting
loot before selling it doesn't seem to add relevant value. Pretty weird.

[Magnus Itland]

On Sun, 6 Jul 2003 20:31:19 +0000 (UTC), Peter Hall

OMG so-one mentioned alchemy. Looks like dumb question no.2 coming up,
but
since you brought it up first. What's the form on alchemy then? My
'gold'
edition manual simply sucks and is a cut down version of the one you guys
got so i'm in the dark here. I assume from the posts alchemy is used to
create 'super-duper' potions - so how do i do it and what should i aim
for
(being low level <10),

Although there is a lot of stuff on the web about this, I will just repeat
a couple hints. Alchemy has the power to rival outright cheating as a way
to make the game too simple, so do this at your own risk. Here are some
highlights of my Alchemist character's career:

The mages guild in Caldera has a set of master apparatus that you can
borrow for free; it is so lightweight that you may consider taking it with
you on the road! Behind a friendly alchemy trader there is a door with a
long spiral staircase. This is the alchemy room.

Potions of intelligence will increase your chance of making a new potion,
and also the strength and duration of the potion. You can drink several of
these (but one at a time ... leave the inventory screen between each!) and
the effect will stack up. One ingredient for this potion can be bought at
the alchemist on the upper plaza in Balmora, she has an endless supply.
Another ingredient is available from the imperial cult priest in Gnisis.
There may be other sellers. When you grow stronger, you can collect netch
leather for IQ potions too.

Even if you don't do this, however, your potions will be far better than
what you buy in a shop. The catgirl in Balmora mages guild will sell
training as well as some ingredients, and you can get the money back by
selling her potions. Once you have enough skill to successfully make a
potion now and then, you may consider camping there until you have
increased your alchemy skill 10 points. No more than that ... this will
give you a x5 multiplier to intelligence next time you level up, and
anything more than 10 points in any int-related skill per level would be a
waste. You want your intelligence to go up because it makes alchemy easier
and more effective.

If alchemy is one of your major or minor skills, you will level from the
alchemy alone. If not, you may want to do this just before you level, or
even just after (if you are a fighter character, you probably do not use
other int-skills very often). Do not worry if you level up a few levels
from alchemy ... make a few potions of healing before you go out in the
world, you will need them, but it is going to be OK.

I use some alchemy with all my characters, but my special alchemist
character always fight without weapons and armor, otherwise the game would
be ridiculously easy. It is up to you to find the right balance. For
instance, a catgirl SHOULD have a potion of Night Eye that lasts all
through the night and gives about the same sight as morning before sunrise.
This takes an IQ of ca 1000, and 1 deadra heart and one Kagouti hide. An
Argonian should have water breathing for a long time also (but not forever)
. But if you make a potion of levitation that lasts all night, that's just
ridiculous (and you can't sleep either). So find out what fits your
character, and have fun!

[Fat]

The best part of making potions yourself is that they weigh nothing when you
make them using Grandmaster equipment. However I would avoid looking for the
best equipment until you are able to take a few hits without dying in
seconds flat. Master equipment potions are effective and weigh a fraction of
shop bought equivalent.
Read books on plants alchemy and read Ajira's scroll when she asks you to
look for them. Note which ingredients do what.
To use equipment have all four in your possession equip one and they all
come up in a small screen, next select first raw material and referring to
notes you have made load up another ingredient,
You can try combining all items with all other items until you stumble on
one that works. Beware that many negative potions that can harm you also can
be made. To avoid jamming the alchemists Like Nalcarya do not sell potions
to her but sell them to traders you do not visit often Like in Caldera or
ebonheart or Maar gan.
Later in the game more potion possibilities will reveal themselves as you
collect the ingredients. Remeber the best potions like restore magica etc
have high cost ingredients. If you use the Body of Ralen Hlaalu as a store
you can load him up with everything you want to save for later use
especially spare potions, hammers, weaponry and scrolls etc. travel light
and you will have more fatigue to fight with and move a little faster.

[The Horny Goat]

On Sun, 6 Jul 2003 20:31:19 +0000 (UTC), "Peter Hall"

OMG so-one mentioned alchemy. Looks like dumb question no.2 coming up, but
since you brought it up first. What's the form on alchemy then? My 'gold'
edition manual simply sucks and is a cut down version of the one you guys
got so i'm in the dark here. I assume from the posts alchemy is used to
create 'super-duper' potions - so how do i do it and what should i aim for
(being low level <10),

You have to have a mortar and pestle to grind your reagents to mix for
potions. You can steal or buy it from several places.

If you're low in alchemy skill, practice by mixing restore fatigue and
restore health spells - go to the Balmora Temple for a more or less
unlimited supply of reagents. The alchemist in upper Balmora is pretty
good but more costly. Bribing your way to reaction 100 with either is
welll worth it as the cost of goods drops dramatically.

10 - 20 potions of cure fatigue should advance you at least one point.

Can't say more without spoilers...

[Fat]

Join thieves guild first so that when you comit crime you can run to corner
club to have your bounty removed otherwise the guards will keep attacking
you until later in the game when they are a little more tollerant. Stay in
Balmora rob all the houses and sell the stuff to fund training, and buy
spells. beware of locked doors and only open them if nobody is looking. Make
a note of where locked items that you cant open are located to go back to
later when you find Scrolls called Ekashes locksplitter

[GargoyleBG]

Post by Peter Hall
I'm fascinated to know how peeps learn about the world and how to do stuff?
Do you guys read spoiler sites or just pick things up the hard and painful
way?

I solicit advice here sometimes. When I get frustrated I will consult a
cheat site.
The "hard way" is just to talk to all the people you meet, and they will
give you plenty of clues. Especially if something that somebody said
updates your journal, you should pay attention to it.

there is too much useless dialog questions, once you asked them, they must
be blanked out ot something

[Fat]

Make notes of jobs as the journal can be tiresome to keep referring to
especially later in the game. Then if you complete a task you can score it
out, when you get to seven foolscap sheets of paper you will still have one
or two jobs outstanding. These require special scrolls like Ekash
locksplitter or you need to be a higher level to beat a tough task. or plan
to have a good supply of restore health, or special scrolls designed for a
specific role EG water breathing or levitation etc. I have never used a
single cheat but I have had to start again several times. Advice is... SAVE
OFTEN.

[Steve W.]

Post by Peter Hall
I've no idea how to enchant stuff, what enchantment does to something
and whether i even need to know about said skill?

The enchantment skill also affects how well an enchanted item works
for you. For example, if you have a ring of healing, when your
enchantment skill is low, you might be able to use it three times
before it needs to be allowed to recharge itself. Get you enchantment
skill up a little, and you'll be able to use it four times. And each
time you use an enchanted item, it contributes towards increasing your
enchantment skill. So even if you don't want to enchant things
yourself, the enchantment skill can be useful.

Steve

[Dreaming Android]

Post by Peter Hall
I'm fascinated to know how peeps learn about the world and how to do stuff?
Do you guys read spoiler sites or just pick things up the hard and painful
way? What would you recommend is a good way to learn for a newbie and
also, I've no idea how to enchant stuff, what enchantment does to something
and whether i even need to know about said skill? Is it explained in game
or do folks pick up this information from previous games and just 'know'
what to do?
Confused but really quite interested,
Pete

The manual is a nice place to start. :P

Seriously: Enchantment, Alchemy, etc. are explained in the manual.
There's a lot you can learn just by doing and talking to NPCs, but the
manual has pretty much all the answers you're looking for.

[Sas]

Post by Peter Hall
I'm fascinated to know how peeps learn about the world and how to do stuff?
Do you guys read spoiler sites or just pick things up the hard and painful
way?

I walk arround and look at all the interesting things. If i find some
interesting thing i can't handle easily alone - for example, quest to
find some well hidden dungeon - after trying a while i look up for

spoilers.

Post by Peter Hall
What would you recommend is a good way to learn for a newbie

Read the manual :-)

Actually, I've read the manual cover to cover, and I still don't really
know how to do a lot of things yet... I sort of know what this guy feels
like.

I've *never* played a RPG before MW, so a lot of things that may seem
straightforward to other people (having played Daggerfall or any other
Elder Scroll game) are absolutely untransparant to me...

Post by Peter Hall
I've no idea how to enchant stuff

I think this in in the manual.

Haven't done this yet either. Although... <checks manual> it *is*
explained with some detail, it is still an obscure thing to me. But I am
resoved to try Illa's hand at enchanting one of the next times I play MW
:)

My point was simply that sometimes, it helps to have someone explain
things in person.

You need a soulgem with a soul (buy a filled one, or use soultrap to
get an monster you kill into a gem), then drag gem an your char
to enchant something yourself, or visit an enchanter.

Post by Peter Hall
what enchantment does to something

Various effects. Basically, you put one or several of your magic
spells onto an item, so you can use them from there.

I am going to try to trap some souls, because someone in here told me
that I can recharge my newly acquired (read "stolen") White Woe with it,
that I used to enthusiastically, and is now undercharged for effective
use! (I didn't know magical swords could run out of juice, see?)(yes, I
know, newbie me!)

Post by Peter Hall
Is it explained in game
or do folks pick up this information from previous games and just 'know'
what to do?

Manual, Daggerfall (MWs ancestor) and "usual handling" in RPGs :-)

(to original poster)
Having never played another RPG before, the learning curve feels pretty
steep to me too.

I go about things the hard way, trying to pick things up as I go along.
If I can't figure them out, then I ask about it either in here, or in
said alt.games.morrowind.

--
Andreas
He screamed: THIS IS SIG!

Sas

[Sas]

Post by Sas
I am going to try to trap some souls, because someone in here told me
that I can recharge my newly acquired (read "stolen") White Woe with it,
that I used too enthusiastically, and is now undercharged for

effective

Post by Sas
use! (I didn't know magical swords could run out of juice,

see?)(yes, I

Post by Sas
know, newbie me!)

Possible, but usually a bad idea.

<face falls> Oh...

Examine that sword. Besides the duration, you will notice a "health

bar"

indicating its charges - now/max.

I know, it nears zero!

So, you get a soulgem (one of the cheap green ones), a scroll of
eghpys gem feeder (worth arround 100 gold), use it on a small
foe like a cliffracer, then kill the beast while it is sourrounded
with white smoke.
You will have a soul gem worth 20 mana points, worth about 200 gold.

I've got a load of scrolls, and a load of petty soulgems, but... are
they _really_ worth that much?? Cool! <cashsigns light up in eyes>
(ahem) <...Illa's eyes> ;)

If you use it to enchant an magical item, the item will gain
between 0-20 points of its charge-bar, dependant on your skills and
luck (read: pretty much nothing for a beginner).
After that, the soul gem is destroyed.

Or just "used up"?

Better alternative: wait. All magic items recharge themselfes.
I only use soulgems for recharging in "emergencies".

Thanks for the advice. But I'm still going to try! This is all new to
me, and I would like to try it a few times, just so I know what it does
:)

Sas

[KC Wong]

Post by Sas

Post by Sas
I am going to try to trap some souls, because someone in here told me
that I can recharge my newly acquired (read "stolen") White Woe with it,
that I used too enthusiastically, and is now undercharged for effective
use! (I didn't know magical swords could run out of juice, see?)(yes, I
know, newbie me!)

Possible, but usually a bad idea.

<face falls> Oh...

Recharing is expensive... even with the most expensive soulgem, you
may only recharge very little magicka to the item. It's best to have
extra magickal weapons with you and switch when one is low on magicka.

But it's good for practicing Enchant skill... just use the
crab/rat/kwama souls in cheap soulgems.

Post by Sas

If you use it to enchant an magical item, the item will gain
between 0-20 points of its charge-bar, dependant on your skills and
luck (read: pretty much nothing for a beginner).
After that, the soul gem is destroyed.

Or just "used up"?

Destroyed... no matter if the recharge attempt is successful or not.
Both the soul and the gem are history.

Post by Sas

Better alternative: wait. All magic items recharge themselfes.
I only use soulgems for recharging in "emergencies".

Thanks for the advice. But I'm still going to try! This is all new to
me, and I would like to try it a few times, just so I know what it does

Also note that a higher Enchant skill will make your enchanted items
use less magicka.


KC.

[Fat]

Early on SWORD OF WHITE WOE IS THE BEST THING TO FIND IN THE GAME, ( on top
of closet in Guard tower) To recharge it recall back to balmora and buy or
steal a Soulgem with a soul in it. Click on the soulgem and it will ask what
you want to do, select recharge and the soulgem will be used up recharging
your sword. Note small gems only charge a little but do not waste massive
value gems on your weapons as later they can be used used to make self
lighting shields or restore health equipment. If you rest 24hours that will
recharge most items fully.