Skyrim is all about exploration and just doing what you want to do. there's very little "hand holding" (for lack of a better term) that most games focus on. Take a Quest, ignore a quest. Whatever desire you have, you can do it in Skyrim. It's got more content than any game I've ever seen. I love The Elder Scrolls series!

That's what my husband said to do. If I feel like riding around on my horse, then do it. I just get frustrated that I am constantly getting quests to do. I finished something but then have another 2 things to do. lol I guess that's just an RPG. They want to let you do whatever you want to do.

Exactly. The quests you keep picking up, look at them more like "future possibilities" rather than being forced to do them. You don't ever have to complete them if you choose not to. That's one of the greatest things about The Elder Scrolls.

The RPG genre is so new to me - I'm just not used to sitting back and doing whatever I want. Typically there's a level you have to get through. Go this way, flip this switch, kill these guys, disarm this bomb, etc. But with Skyrim, you can just kind of do whatever you want to, and in whatever order you want.

This is precisely how I felt a few years ago. I would only really play linear FPSs. But I picked up Assassin's Creed II and fell in love with the free-roaming genre. I think what sold it for me was the richly-detailed historical setting, as I love that sort of thing in any medium, but especially an interactive one (this is the part where I reminisce about museums and such attractions, and people laugh at me for calling them interactive media. But it's true; they are). On top of that, AC has very fun basic movement, unlike the likes of GTAIV, which I didn't enjoy much. But out of ACII, I got into other games in the genre, including RDRedemption (rich and atmospheric historical setting) and Oblivion (rich and extremely broad fictional setting). And Skyrim, of course, which may have trumped BioShock 1 as my favourite single-player game of the generation.

As your husband probably mentioned, it can be a bit disconcerting at first. Once you get the hang of just [i]exploring[/i], you realize how restrictive other games really are. It's a liberating experience. :)

I bought a horse Friday night and just spent an hour riding it around Skyrim discovering new areas. I just wish I new more about the weapons and magic, equipping, and so many other things. I'm trying to get the hang of it though. =)

Tips: "Favorite" the items/spells/equipment you use most. Pressing up on the D-pad allows you to access your favorites for fast equipping/use. For spells, it's best to focus on 1-3 schools of magic rather than all six. this ensures not only that you level at a decent rate, but also that you'll have ample Perk points when you need them. Illusion and Conjuration are the two most potent magic schools. Just cruising over their Perks should give you a pretty good idea of how well they work together.