The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim/Gameplay

The nonlinear gameplay traditional in the Elder Scrolls series is incorporated in Skyrim. You can explore the open world of Skyrim on foot or on horseback, and fast-travel to cities, towns and dungeons after they have been discovered. Quests are given to you by NPCs in the world, and through the Radiant Story system, the quests can be dynamically altered to accommodate for your actions, which may influence the quest's characters and objectives. The Radiant Story system further directs your interaction with the world by setting unexplored dungeons as quest locations. When not completing quests, you can interact with NPCs through conversation, and they may request favors or training in skills. In addition to scripted quests, certain ones will be dynamically generated, providing a limitless number. Some NPCs can become companions to aid you in combat. You may choose to join factions, which are organized groups of NPCs such as the Dark Brotherhood, a band of assassins. Each of the factions has a headquarters, and they have their own quest paths. The economy of cities and towns can be stimulated by completing jobs such as farming and mining, or harmed by sabotaging industrial buildings.

Character development
At the beginning of the game, you select one of several human, elven, or zoomorphic human races, each of which has different natural abilities, and customize your appearance. A perpetual objective for you is to improve your skills, which are numerical representations of their ability in certain areas. There are two skills divided evenly between the three schools of combat, magic and stealth, and training until the necessary required experience is met results in you leveling-up. When you level, you may choose to select a skill-specific ability called a perk, or store perks for later use. Upon leveling fifty times, you can continue to level and earn perks, but the rate of leveling is slowed significantly.

Basics
A heads-up display appears when any one of your three attributes are being depleted. Health is depleted primarily through combat and can be restored by spells, potions, or resting; the loss of all health results in death. Magicka allows for and is depleted by the use of spells; it is regenerated naturally over time, but it can be restored in similar ways to health. Stamina determines your effectiveness in combat and is depleted by sprinting, jumping, and power attacking, but can be restored in similar ways to health and magicka.

Your inventory can be accessed from the menu and items can be viewed in 3D, which may be essential in solving puzzles found in dungeons.

Your effectiveness in combat relies on the use of weapons and armor, which may be bought or created at forges, and magic, which may also be bought or unlocked. Weapons and magic are assigned to each hand, allowing for dual-wielding, and can be swapped out through a quick-access menu of favorite items. Shields can be used either to fend off enemy attacks and reduce the damage intake, or offensively through bashing attacks. Blunt, bladed and hacking weapons can be used in close combat and each have specific advantages and roles; as an example, you can perform power attacks with each weapon. Magic can be used in the form of spells; each of the eighty-five spells has a different function, such as the regeneration of health or the depletion of enemy health. The bow and arrow may be utilized in long-range combat, but the bow can be used as a defensive melee weapon in close combat. You can enter a sneak mode and pickpocket, or deliver sneak attacks to unsuspecting enemies. If you drop unwanted loot, such as a shield or item of clothing, some NPCs will attempt to pick the item up, some even ask your permission to take the item.

When exploring the game world, you may encounter wildlife. Many wilderness monsters are immediately hostile and thus can be slain. The inclusion of Dragons affords a major influence on both story and gameplay. In the world, a variety of different Dragons are encountered either alone or in small groups. They are randomly-generated, meaning their numbers are infinite, and they can attack cities and towns at any time. Not every Dragon is hostile, and you can interact with non-hostile Dragons. Due to your heritage, you can use powerful spells called dragon shouts. Twenty different dragon shouts can be discovered by visiting "Word-Walls" in dungeons, and they are unlocked for use by absorbing the souls of slain Dragons. A regeneration period limits the use of shouts in gameplay.