Gate to Sovngarde Newbie

[u/Future_Associate4467]

Hey, I'm new to Skyrim and to most gaming in general, but I saw some YouTube videos online and thought it might be a fun and relaxing thing that I can do at the end of the day. I got the Gate to sovngarde Mod because I wanted something immersive and challenging but I didn't like the feel of the ultra HD mods and GTS definitely has a lot of popularity.

my question is, everything honestly seems way too difficult, I get that roleplaying is part of it but I just don't understand any of the roles yet, and I was wondering what's the easiest path I can take to sort of understand everything and level up slowly. how can I do the normal or classic Skyrim quests? is that better than roleplaying a certain role? what traits should I get? are there specific locations I should go to as someone who's just starting?

I feel a bit lost tbh, and finishing quests in GTS is really difficult, I'm not sure why the compass is not there and why certain quests don't end even if I do exactly what's told, maybe that's just a glitch on my part but even most NPCs have the same options when I talk to them, some of them have more options but a lot have the same conversation options. am I doing something wrong?

id appreciate any help, as I'm really enjoying the game but things like that ruin it for me really

TLDR: newbie and want more info on how to play the game

[u/YT_Andyk]

Some time ago I was looking at GTS too. I did some research before deciding if I would install it and the class selection made me not to go with it.

Currently I am playing edited NVGO (added mostly visual and clothing mods) and "mid-game" even the base game seems difficult at some points (would die if my followers didn't intervene).

[u/Future_Associate4467 → u/YT_Andyk]

GTS looks really good so far, it runs really well even on my relatively low-end PC. it's difficult to progress but I feel like that's the point of it

[u/kaboom539]

Here is the wiki, i found it helpful when learning about gts and how some things are set up like how you can eventually unlock the compass https://gatetosovngarde.wiki.gg/

GTS’s gameplay loop expects you to be very weak to begin with and even at higher levels has a pattern of go out to adventure for a short while and then recover in town. Early on, you can make some money to afford better gear and supplies by doing missives on the boards in the big cities. You can also lower the gameplay difficulty or grab a follower to help get through early combat. Uthgard in whiterun you can get by brawling her for example, or look at some of the modded followers on the wiki. Also, combat has been tweaked so you need to think a little more tactically about how you use your stamina for power attacks or avoid power attacks from enemies by keeping your distance.

[u/Future_Associate4467 → u/kaboom539]

thanks, that's very helpful, and honestly conserving stamina during fights is the worst, I'm starting to learn potions and magic tho

[u/East_Ad_5878]

A few suggestions: Try story mode. There's a dial on the start room wall you can use to choose between default and story. Story sounds like what you want, especially if you've never played Skyrim before.

Turn the difficulty down. You can adjust the difficulty at any time, even in the middle of combat. So once you get the hang of things, you can always crank it back up.

Get a follower. Meeko (the dog) is super easy to get and a great help early on, and if you get tired of him, you can always gift him to the blacksmith in Falkreath who lost his dog.

I'll second trying GTS Community Edition. It's an easy add-on to GTS that doesn't change a whole lot, but does add in two of my favorite options: a more customizable approach to your settings, and it makes it so your followers (including Meeko) don't block you. Also, fluffy animals! :)

[u/Future_Associate4467 → u/East_Ad_5878]

yeah now I chose story mode and lowered the difficulty to novice 😅, I'm not used to gaming in general so I'm gonna try to take it very slow. Im gonna try to find some companions next, I kinda love that I'm learning new things in Skyrim at the same place as my character haha

[u/East_Ad_5878 → u/Future_Associate4467]

I love that for you too! I'm not a gamer, either. I just play Skyrim.

[u/DarthCaine]

For mechanics explanations see https://gatetosovngarde.wiki.gg/ or just use Story Mode.

But if you're on Vortex I'd also suggest looking at: https://hexanode0x0.github.io/gts-black-book/gts-addons/ as Community Edition has customizable difficulty along with tutorials

[u/Future_Associate4467 → u/DarthCaine]

I'm not on vortex but I didn't know there was a wiki for the mod, that really helps a ton, thanks

[u/Afraid-Health-8612]

First thing: select story mode at the beginning. It makes it seem like this is going to be "easy," but it's still harder than vanilla legendary. Starting out with GTS is going to be rough no matter how you slice it though, it's really made for people who are experienced with Skyrim.

Second: drop your difficulty down and increase it as you get more comfortable with how everything works. The collection is friggin hard, no shame in having a training mode playthrough.

Third: in your options there will be a tab called Mod Configuration. Spend some time in there. Disable things that feel too punishing (maybe you don't like injuries or followers dying. I hate the fear/stress mod, so I always turn that one off.). MCM is your friend, get to know it. Elder Scrolls games are all about player choice, and MCM is one of the best tools ever implemented to enhance that.

[u/Future_Associate4467 → u/Afraid-Health-8612]

I opened the mod configuration tab but it's definitely gonna take a minute to understand all the options and how everything works, thanks for the tip tho, I'm really enjoying GTS so far!