SkyrimVSE:Overview

This page is an overview of how the text adventure in Skyrim Very Special Edition is structured.

Gameplay

The game alternates between three different phases of play: Travel, Dungeon, and Encounter.

There is a small set of commands, and a few different situations in which different commands are available. Note that, for each command, some variations in wording are still accepted. For example, "Weapon" will be accepted for "Attack with Weapon", "Ladder" will be accepted for "Simple Wooden Ladder", etc.

Skyrim: Say this to open the game.

Stop: When at a decision point, this will end the game, saving your progress. The exit message is, "Safe travels, adventurer."

Help: Hear a help message relevant to the current decision point (see below).

Decision Points

• When at a crossroads, you'll have to choose between 2 Landmarks. You say the name of the Landmark to choose it.

Help: "The open world of Skyrim is filled with crossroads like this one. Each choice leads you closer to your next adventure. Just choose where you'd like to visit from the list of options."

• At a Landmark, you choose whether to accept the Quest. "Yes" or "No" to choose.

Help: "Skyrim's people are in desperate need of your aid during these troubled times. You can either accept their quest, or, walk away awkwardly as they speak. The choice is yours. I hope you'll do the right thing."

• At a Dungeon entrance, you choose whether to enter and continue your Quest. "Yes" or "No" to choose.

Help: "In Skyrim Very Special Edition, you control your adventures with your voice. You'll choose where to go, what quests to accept, and how to fight enemies. For additional assistance, you can ask for help at different points in the game."

• In Combat within a Dungeon, you choose how to engage. "Attack with Weapon", "Cast Spell", "Use Shout", or "Flee".

Help: "In combat, you battle foes by saying "attack with weapon," "cast spell," or "use shout". Be warned, some enemies are resistant to certain attacks, so do try and pay attention. If a battle is going poorly, you can ask "what is my health?" to check your likelihood of dying. And if you face an enemy that's too strong, you can say "flee" to run away like a milking [sic] drinking coward."

• After Combat, you'll be presented with a few Passages to choose between. You say the name of the Passage to choose it.

Help: "As you battle your way to this quest's final boss, you will need to choose where to go next. Simply choose from the list of options presented to continue on your quest."

Travel

The Travel takes the following steps.

1. Random experience while traveling.
2. Come to a crossroads, choose between 2 Landmarks to explore.
3. Meet a random NPC who offers a random Quest.
4. Choose to accept the Quest to go to the Dungeon phase. Decline the Quest to go back to the beginning of the Travel phase.
5. Return from the Dungeon and complete the Quest.
6. The NPC gives you a reward.
7. Go back to the beginning of the Travel phase.

Dungeon

The Dungeon phase takes the following steps.

1. Arrive at the Dungeon. If you have never entered a dungeon, you receive the following text:
   • "You arrive at your first dungeon. As the mighty Dovahkiin you obviously already know that you can use your weapon, cast spell, or shout to battle your enemies. And, seeing as how you're Skyrim's chosen one, you certainly will never ever need to ask to flee when facing an enemy too powerful for you. Nope, a powerful warrior like you won't ever need to flee. Or even take enough damage to ask, "what is my health?". So let's continue."
2. You must choose to enter into the Dungeon. If you decline, you go back to the beginning of the Travel phase.
3. You enter a room.
4. You have an Encounter. If the Encounter is the Final Boss, an additional message will play before it begins.
5. The Encounter ends. If the Encounter was the Final Boss, you return to the NPC and the final steps of the Travel phase.
6. You choose a passage to a new room, repeating the three previous steps.

Encounter

There are two types of Encounters.

Healing

You heal from your wounds, recovering 50 health.

Combat

A Combat Encounter has the following steps.

1. An Enemy is introduced.
2. You choose an action: "You can attack with weapon, cast spell, use shout, or flee. What would you like to do?" or simply "What would you like to do?"

   Attack with Weapon: Deal damage based on your Arms skill

   Cast Spell: Deal damage based on your Magic skill

   Use Shout: Deal damage based on your Shout skill

   Flee: Attempt to skip this fight. Does not reduce the number of Enemies you will encounter in the Dungeon. Has a chance to fail.

3. Certain enemies may resist a particular skill, taking less damage from it. This message will not play if you defeat the Enemy with this action.
4. If you defeated the Enemy, a victory message will conclude the battle.
5. If you have gained enough experience using the Skill, you will receive a Level Up message.
6. If you leveled up in the Arms skill during this battle and have defeated the Enemy, you will loot a new weapon from the Enemy's inventory.
7. If the Enemy is defeated, you return to the Dungeon phase with the end of Encounter step.
8. If the Enemy survives, they attempt to deal damage to you. Repeat from step 2.
   • If you die in an Encounter, you get a message specific to that Enemy defeating you. The game gives the following message, then returns you to the beginning of the Travel Phase:
   • "The Divines commend your soul to the afterlife. You stare at a loading screen featuring a helpful tip that you've seen many, many times before. Loading. Loading. Loading. You awake and rise to your feet. You are alive, but have failed your quest."

Ending

There is not known to be a proper conclusion to Skyrim Very Special Edition. Instead, the game fails when the character's combined Shout, Spell, and Weapon levels reach 157 and the user attempts any action.

Transcript

In this example, the character's levels starts at Shout = 1, Spell = 57, Weapon = 99. While fighting a Forsworn Warlord, the Spell level increased to 58, brining the combined skill level to 157. All actions following that point, including launching the Skyrim skill, fail and terminate the skill.

Request : Spell
Response: Two massive trees bend into a natural arch. A Forsworn Warlord stands before you. He's carrying what looks like a human heart in his hand. You can attack with weapon, cast spell, use shout, or flee. What would you like to do?
Request : Spell
Response: Your Lightning Cloak shocks the Forsworn Warlord.  The Forsworn Warlord wildly swings his wicked sword! You take 14 damage. What would you like to do?
Request : Spell
Response: Your Whirlwind Cloak staggers the Forsworn Warlord. tossing him to the ground, dead.. You have triumphed! You have 86 health. Your Magicka swells with arcane power. Your Magic Skill has increased to Level 58. There are two paths before you: a flower-lined footpath and a barren hill. Which do you choose?
Request : Hill
Response: Sorry, I'm having trouble accessing your Skyrim Very Special Edition skill right now
Request : Skyrim
Response: Sorry, I'm having trouble accessing your Skyrim Very Special Edition skill right now

Warning about Caves

If the character is in a cave when the combined skill level reaches 146 and the character moves to a room containing an enemy, the game fails. The recommended course of action is to answer "No" when asked whether to enter a cave, starting at level 143.

Transcript with a Cave

In this example, the character entered a cave. The character's levels were at Shout = 6, Spell = 40, Weapon = 99. During the battle with the Ghost, Shout increased to Shout = 7, bringing the combined skill level to 146. After the battle, the character passed through two areas without enemies. Then, attempting to move to the next area crashed the game, stopping the Skyrim Very Special Edition skill. Unlike failure at level 157, it is possible to reenter the skill.

Request : Shout
Response: Fus Roh Dah! Your Unrelenting Force tosses the Ghost into the air. it crashes to the ground..  The Ghost swings at you! You take 8 damage. What would you like to do?
Request : Shout
Response: Fus Roh Dah! Your Unrelenting Force tosses the Ghost into the air. it crashes to the ground.. Your Thu'um grows mighty! Your Shout Skill has increased to Level 7. The Ghost swings at you! You take 8 damage. What would you like to do?
Request : Shout
Response: Fus Roh Dah! Unrelenting Force smashes into your foe..  The Ghost swings at you! You take 8 damage. What would you like to do?
Request : Shout
Response: Fus Roh Dah! Your mighty Thu'um crashes into your foe..  The Ghost attacks, but misses..
Request : Shout
Response: Fus Roh Dah! Your Unrelenting Force throws the Ghost back, staggering it..  The Ghost swings at you! You take 8 damage. What would you like to do?
Request : Shout
Response: Fus Roh Dah! Unrelenting Force smashes into your foe..  The Ghost attacks, but misses.. What would you like to do?
Request : Shout
Response: Fus Roh Dah! Your mighty shout slams the Ghost into the dirt., The Ghost never gets back up. That's what you get for messing with the Dovahkiin.. You are victorious. Your health is at 28.  There are three paths forward: a pitch-black tunnel, a mine cart path, and a narrow tunnel. Which do you choose?
Request : Tunnel
Response: You move deeper into the cave. You peer through the darkness, struggling to see, then increase your gamma just a bit. There is an abandoned feast just lying on a table. Its not one of Lydias home cooked meals, but it will do. You heal to 78 health. There are two paths before you: a wooden ladder and a sturdy ladder. Which do you choose?
Request : Ladder
Response: You move deeper into the cave. A waterfall cascades from a shaft above filling the chamber with cool mist. Dozens of cheese wheels are scattered around the room. You eat all of them with reckless abandon. Your health is now at 100. There are two ways forward: a decaying old door and a barely-lit mineshaft. Which do you choose?
Request : Door
Response: Sorry, I'm having trouble accessing your Skyrim Very Special Edition skill right now
Request : Skyrim
Response: Welcome back to Skyrim, adventurer. You scroll through your Journal menu for a refresher on your quest. Ah, yes. You promised to help the people of the abandoned tower by clearing the nearby cave of evil. You were about to decide where to go. There are three paths forward: a pitch-black tunnel, a rope ladder, and a rusty hinged door. Which do you choose?
Request : Door
Response: Sorry, I'm having trouble accessing your Skyrim Very Special Edition skill right now
Request : Skyrim
Response: Welcome back to Skyrim, adventurer. You scroll through your Journal menu for a refresher on your quest. Ah, yes. You promised to help the people of the abandoned tower by clearing the nearby cave of evil. You were about to decide where to go. There are three paths forward: a foggy deadwood path, a mine cart path, and a mushroom-covered tunnel. Which do you choose?
Request : Tunnel
Response: Sorry, I'm having trouble accessing your Skyrim Very Special Edition skill right now