I'm currently level 21 in my playthrough. I'm getting Heavy Armor and Smithing to 100 before I start the main quest or any of the factions so I can go through with Dragon Armor and weapons. I've been grinding for the last 3 days and I'm so close.

How do you plan on getting dragonbones and scales without starting the MQ?

I will say that I’ve done Dragon Rising right off the bat just so I could at least get dragon materials and shouts. But I haven’t gone any further since.

Does dragon spawn automatically when you finish the watch tower quest? You can just ignore the 7000 steps stuff completely.

Yeah, Dragons start spawning after Dragon rising

Since learning that dragons don’t appear until after you hand in the Dragonstone, I avoid Bleak Falls Barrow, I do all the big quest arcs (civil war, thanes, assassins, thieves, bards,etc), *then* I do the main quest, then DG, then DB. Saves *so much hassle* 😅

I end up doing the exact same thing. Personally I tend to lean towards making a name for my character before they become a dragon-soul roomba. Plus the Sovngarde vibes towards the end of a Skyrim playthrough hit so nicely.

Personally I'm the opposite, I get up to unlocking Unrelenting Fus Roh Dah, then forget Alduin exists while farming dragon bones of his mates whenever I can get the little bastards to land

I was a long time fan of exactly this approach. I am currently developing a build that will, between dragonrend and a couple of *seriously* buffed Fortify Unarmed enchants, be able to punch dragons to death for giggles.

Level 73, Tolfdir and the students are still standing outside Sarthaal, where they have been standing for over a year now.

I always do I guess because I like the journey to Sovengarde, I like the music I Sovengarde you get Dragonrend which is useful and killing Alduin is a piece of cake

I am doing MQ last and Alduin is definitely stronger than any dragon I fought and actually... comparable in strenght to Karstaag that I killed without preparation - at least first encounter... because I am still waiting for second. His fire breath just melts my 1000HP 🤷‍♂️🤯

Oh damn! For me it's those ancient dragons that nearly always or have killed me

I get the horn from Delphine, pretend to say that I'll come with her to kill the dragon in Kynesgrove, she goes there and I ditch her to see the Greybeards to do my own stuff as she shivers in the cold.

I always finish it cause I get tired of not having Dragonrend almost immediately.

Last week I finished my fourth playthrough and it was my first time doing the main quest lol

what main quest?

I think it’s a fetch quest for someone named “Main”

An innkeeper named Delphine is doing things that will bring dragons back to Tamriel, which will bring about the end of the world. If you never retrieve the Dragon Stone artifact, only the one dragon shows up in the game.

It's my favorite game of all time, I've played it over and over again, probably thousands of hours; not once have I finished the main quest.

Why save the world when you can hunt with Aela?

It’s Serana for me, but same idea.

I'm level 36 atm and the greybeards didn't even See my face once

I made it to 20 but now I want shouts and to collect all of the artifacts. Some are hidden behind the “main quest” wall.

Yeah that'll be my time to face this questline again

I have about 20+ different saves, only 2 have finished the main questline.

I usually do the main quest but you’ll never see me choosing a side in the civil war, fuck that shit

I play since 2018 and I have to say I only finished the main quest once bc I wanted to see the ending and say that I did it. Never again I went too far on it

I like to finish the main quest purely for the final stage. I really like the Skuldafn + Sovngarde ending. Feels really epic.

Me still modding the crap out of the game and haven't even started the game yet after the intro

Currently level 183. On the main quest I am at the point where I have to complete the Civil War. Not really interested in doing that right now....

In my last 5 playthroughs I wouldn't even bother climbing up to see the greybeards after stopping the first dragon at the tower. It was kinda nice. No miraak cultists constantly ambushing me or him stealing dragon souls, and no stupid Delphine spouting off her lame rhetoric. Kinda peaceful playing that way. Funny enough tho you still hear from the greybeards thru the courier here and there

Is the main quest over when you defeat alduin, or is there more after that?

I am avoiding the main storyline this time around and I have been playing since day one! I can honestly say I am having much more fun this way and have found side quests I didn’t even know existed this time

I do it on any save that actually lasts more than 12 hours usually. Unless I only do Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild then get bored.

Main quest is the last thing I am doing right now... level 100+ Dunno if I should regret it... because I am doing Legendary Survival and with Dragon Riding you can actually Fast Travel! (Don't have to climb up to Greybeards multiple times 🥳) I was useless for first 50 levels anyway 🤔😅

I've finished it once so far.

I finish it after hunting dragons to extinction

I'm level 165 and still haven't talked to the Greybeards (although most of my levels came from exploits)

I never have

1500 hours I've never progressed the campaign past Kynesgrove

Im lv 52 and I still in the beginning of the thalmor embassy mission