I am starting this thread for discussion about Skyrim Patch 1.9. I've read a few things about it over at Beth's forums, about Legendary perks, mostly, and rumors that these new perks are going to apply to future DLC that's possibly gonna be released soon.

From what I can discern, this means new perks are being added, and I am guessing they'll continue expanding the perk tree beyond the current top level? I am actually asking this of you all here in the forums, because I've read dozens of different opinions over 'there', no doubt some of them are false.

Actually, here is the official announcement from Gstaff. I hope it's okay to paste it here. If not, you can erase it, mods. Looks like PC users are getting it first, this time!


> Select the Beta tab and opt in using the drop box
If you opt into the Beta, be sure to back up your saved games or simply be careful not to overwrite your existing saves. If you decide to opt out of the beta program, your old saves will still work with the current release of Skyrim on Steam (v 1.8).

So what's in the update? Check the changelog below...

Skyrim 1.9

NEW FEATURES
Legendary difficulty setting

Legendary Skills - Skills of 100 can be made Legendary. This will reset the skill to 15, return its Perks and allow the skill to affect leveling again. This effectively removes the overall level cap.

BUG FIXES
General memory and stability improvements

Fixed issue with quest scripts that were not shutting down properly

Companions will equip better weapons and armor if given to them

Fixed rare issue where player is unable to learn the Clear Skies shout during "The Throat of the World"

Fixed rare instance where Alduin would become invincible during "Alduin's Bane"

Fixed a rare issue where player could become stuck in Night Mother's coffin during "Death Incarnate"

Fixed rare issue where protected companions could be killed from poison damage

Fixed rare issue with certain ash piles left from resurrected NPCs not clearing properly

Fixed rare issue with NPCs and creatures respawning improperly after player fast travels

Fixed rare crash when entering Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary

Fixed rare crash when entering a player owned home

Random dragon attacks will no longer occur during "Battle for Whiterun"

Fixed a rare crash when attempting to save your game during "Waking Nightmare"

Fixed issue where "Glory of the Undead" would not start properly if player is in combat with Eorlund Gray-Mane

The white phial is no longer consumed if given to a follower

If player marries Aela, the "Totem of Hircine" quest will be available

Unused briar hearts can be dropped after finishing "The White Phial"

Fixed issue with paying off a crime against the Companions that prevented player from getting Companions quests properly

Thieves Guild caches are now properly enabled in the appropriate cities

The Dragon Infusion perk now works properly when taking Esbern's Potion

Cragslane Cave properly resets if player receives a radiant quest to clear it out

Fixed rare issue with bounty quest objectives not properly clearing after completion

Gallus' Encoded Journal is no longer a quest item after completing the Thieves Guild

In "No Stone Unturned" Vex will now accept Unusual Gems if you've collected them all before starting the quest

Vekel the Man now gives rewards for completing "Toying with The Dead"

Fixed rare issue with being unable to turn in stolen items in "The Litany of Larceny"

Fixed issue with followers becoming over-encumbered after being repeatedly rehired

Fixed rare issue with visiting Kynesgrove on horseback not progressing "A Blade in the Dark" properly

Fixed issue with receiving a duplicate radiant quest from a Jarl

Fixed conflict with clearing Driftshade Sanctuary before starting "Trouble in Skyrim"

Fixed issue with using shouts while in jail and having guards unlock the jail cell

Fixed rare issue with quest NPCs not properly moving to quest locations

Fixed issue with NPCs not selling master level spells

Fixed rare issue where player gets control locked outside the Thalmor Embassy at the start of "Diplomatic Immunity"

Fixed rare issue with disappearing containers after upgrades in player owned house

Fixed issue with being erroneously attacked while as a werewolf during "Ill Met By Moonlight"

The Ebony Blade is now only improved by two handed perks

Locked door to Proudspire Manor can now be unlocked by proper key

Fixed issue with merchants not receiving the proper additional gold with the Investor perk

Fixed a rare issue where the player would be unable to learn a word after leaving for several days during "The Way of The Voice"

The Nord Hero Bow can now be improved

The Purity perk no longer requires the Experimenter perk

Fixed rare instance where Lovers Comfort would not be applied properly

If you approach Frostmere Crypt from the north, "The Pale Lady" will start properly

Fixed rare issue where player could be prevented from speaking with Atub to start "The Cursed Tribe"

Fixed rare issue where a dragon could appear in the Mind of a Madman realm and kill the player

Fixed instance where player could get stuck in Japhet's Folly

Fixed rare instances where Arngeir would not teach Worldwind Sprint

Fixed issue with "Ill Met By Moonlight" if Sinding dies before the quest starts

Gharol can now properly train up to level 75

Fixed conflict with visiting The Karthspire before starting "Alduin's Wall"

Reduced the instance of random dragon attacks after fast traveling post main quest

Recruited Blades now have appropriate dialogue while at Sky Haven Temple

Fixed rare issue where an incorrect dungeon could appear as a location during "Totems of Hircine"

Fixed rare instance in "Fetch me that Book" where books found before getting the quest would not be properly recognized

Fixed rare issue with traveling to Thalmor Embassy with companions during "Diplomatic Immunity"

Fixed issues with Matching Set perk not working properly with certain pieces of armor

Fixed issues with Custom Fit perk not working properly with certain pieces of armor

Fixed issue with NPC dying in a bear trap blocking progress in "Time of My Need"

Fixed rare issue with swinging door becoming stuck and blocking an entrance in Volunruud

Imperial Light Armor can now be crafted

Fixed issue with "Vald's Debt" where Vald was not leveled properly

Fixed issue with Vilkas not giving proper greeting after completing "Battle for Whiterun"

Fixed issue with respawning actors that were raised by using the Ritual Stone power

Fixed issue with the Ancient Knowledge perk not calculating properly

The Palace of Kings now has patrolling guards on upper floors

Reduce percentage chance of getting a werewolf loading screen while player is a werewolf

Pantea's flute is no longer a quest item after completing "Pantea's Flute"

Placing an unread Oghma Infinium on a bookshelf in the player's house no longer allows the book to be reused again

Adjusted dialogue priority to improve chances of hearing more combat dialogue from certain NPC enemies

Fixed issue with falling damage on high difficulty levels

Fixed bad collision on certain clutter objects

Fixed rare instance of couriers who would appear only dressed in a hat

Once you've opted into the beta, let us know what you think in our beta discussion board. Initially, we recommend running using the update with no user-made mods installed, but the beta does provide you with an opportunity to test your creations before the update goes live for everyone.

My understanding is that 1.9 does not add any new perks. The whole Legendary Perk thing just appears to be a mechanic where you can reduce a skill to 15, and reclaim all of the perk points you spent upon it. Then you can respend those perks elsewhere. I think the idea is to remove the way the game eventually caps your advancement, because once you hit 100 in every skill there is nowhere else to go, and it is impossible to take every perk in the game. So by letting you knock a skill down, but keep the perk points, you can eventually get 100 in everything, and every single perk in the game.

The only other new thing is a higher difficulty level.

Other than that, the patch is bug fixes. I noticed that some of the often clamored for ones are finally in there. Like the Ebony Blade finally uses your Two Handed skill, the Nord Hero Bow can finally be improved, etc...

I have not tried it yet myself. That would mean needing a new version of SKSE, and maybe SkyUI, and I am not going to play this game without either.

Ohh okay. Good, you've explained it perfectly, SubRosa. IT all makes sense, now. Thanks!

SKSE gets updated almost as soon as (if not at the same time) the new patch comes out. I don't think SkyUI will have any issues. I don't do the beta patches just because I don't want something to happen and have to restart Aravi's game again.

I do not think there is a difference between beta patches and regular patches on PC. I think they just call all the PC patches betas because they are out at least a week before the console patches. The PC versions do not have to go through any certifications after all. I think that once the console version of the patch is out, they just stop calling the PC one a beta.

Basically I think they wait for a while and see if it breaks everyone's game. If not, then they roll it out for everyone.

Ha ha yup! Hence the word "beta" being used.

Well, this person appears to have found an interesting 'feature' in 1.9.

Glad I don't do the beta patches! What a head scratcher.

Sounds like a good feature and patch. I'll be waiting patiently for it to be released on 360.

I have seen some people say this patch stops wolves from howling.

I haven't heard wolves howling much in the first place.

I thought it was Dawnguard that stopped the wolves from howling. They still howl in my PS3 games (no Dawnguard), so I'll have to listen for wolves the next time I play on the Xbox (Dawnguard installed).

I'm hoping this is how it's going to work...J'zirlo's Smithing was the first thing to hit 100 and it's (at least I think it is) the only one where I have/he has all the perks for it...

So the idea of resetting to 15 while keeping all the Ebony/Deadric/Glass etc, and then starting all over again is massively appealing...

The bit about followers being killed by poison made me laugh...I've lost count of the times I've needed to reload because of a fight/poison dart trap J'zargo death... ...

Can't remember whether the wolves still howl on mine...I've not noticed it lately, I have to admit...But I've not got Dawnguard so...Gawd knows, I'm just not noticing stuff anymore I guess... ...

I don't know about PC, but deleting Dawnguard makes wolves howl again on my Xbox, I don't know about other people's systems. I have deleted and re-installed DG several times now, wolves do not howl once DG is active, but if it's deleted for some reason they do howl.

It must be an console thing, because I have had Dawnguard installed for months and active all that time, and my wolves have always howled.

OK, New Jensa (Xbox with Dawnguard) viewed several wolves silently howling. So they still howl, but the vampires gave them laryngitis.

At least on the Xbox.

Ultrasonic? Dogs' (and presumably wolves') hearing goes up further.

Oh, good point! I'll check again if she becomes a werewolf.

Having now downloaded the new patch, (and having read the Bethesda forum) we've discovered that we're not gonna bother with the skill reset thing...

None of us are willing to give up our 100 skills just for the sake of levelling up...

We'd completely gotten the wrong end of the stick with it...The Legendary Skill thing wasn't what we thought it was...

As we never move the skills any further than what was originally "Normal", having the Legendary was a waste of time for us...

*Sigh*...Another wasted opportunity...

I'm just curious, what did you think it would do?

Um...Well...*Gazes at fingernails and scrubs ground with toe*...

Well...You've got Legendary skill...And reset skill...

So, naturally, we...Umm...That is...I assumed that meant that resetting your skill from 100 instantly made it Legendary...So, in effect reset to 15 is still the equivalent of 100, you just build further from there...

What?...Easy mistake to make, no?... ...

Look, I'm hard of thinking...Don't judge meeee!!!... ..

It's okay McB, I aint gonna judge. I get what you're saying. The term "Legendary" kinda makes it sound like something REALLY epic is gonna happen once we swap that skill set upwards. Turns out, it really goes downwards.

From what I've read (over at Beth) the people who like the idea like it because they can keep leveling their characters upward, without having to take on perks that have nothing to do with their RP. In other words, if they have a gallant knight who maxes perks in all the 'gallant knight' sort of perks (let's say two-handed, heavy armor, maybe some spells like Alteration and Restoration) the player wont' have to take Sneak or Pickpocket perks just to keep leveling upwards.

It's a cheap fix, but at least it is a fix. I have yet to get this far with any of my characters, so far as leveling goes.. My spellsword who made it into the 50s decided to retire, for instance.