In a game likeThe Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, saving can make a huge difference in how one plays. The player can save frequently, do so just before making major decisions so they can see how both branches play out, or one may forget to save, losing significant progress in the process.
Of course, that’s not the only opportunity for a mistake with saving.Skyrim’s quick saves let the player save the game on the fly, allowing them to ensure that they don’t lose any progress. However, where and when the player puts a quick save into place is extremely important.
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One player found this out the hard way when they quick saved the game in a very poor place. Reddit user ImperialGladiator took to theSkyrimsubreddit to share their mistake with fellow players, joking about the decision with ‘Nice quick save, idiot’ as the title. The mistake is easy to see from the video clip: The save loads, and the Dragonborn finds themselves standing directly in front of aLegendary Dragon. Before the player has a chance to make a single move, the dragon lunges forward, bites the Dragonborn, and tosses him, promptly triggering a game over.
Many in the comments were sympathetic, sharing their stories of similar problems inSkyrim, and even in other games. While it tends to be less of an issue these days, older games usually had much stricter methods of saving, and overwriting a save when a player was under-leveled, ill-equipped, or otherwise unready for a major fight could mean starting the entire game over again. Sometimesglitches can lead to corrupt save files, too. Thankfully,Skyrimallows players to save nearly as many times as they’d like, so with any luck, ImperialGladiator has a relatively recent save that they can return to.
However, others provided ideas for resolving this problem without having to lose any progress. One player pointed out that if this happens on PC, one can quickly triggerSkyrim’s consolewhen loading in and activate God mode, protecting their character from the dragon’s immediate attack. Another option is to temporarily change the difficulty mode to give the player a fighting chance against the dragon.
Unfortunately, many players have likely found themselves in this situation after relying on the game’s automatic saves and quick saves. Unless someone is engaging in a particularSkyrimchallenge, it’s always a good idea to save frequently and in a new slot, even if the player doesn’t think they need to. It’s certainly preferable to losing hours of progress because of a single ill-timed save.
The Elder Scrolls: Skyrimis available on PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
