Well, you want to know how I've been killing time recently. You've come to the right place. Daggerfall is one way to kill lots of time.
Daggerfall is an RPG (role-playing game) from Bethesda Softworks. The NPCs (nonplaying characters, i.e. everyone but your character) are very two-dimensional (both figuratively and literally), and the game is pretty much devoid of decent puzzles or anything else requiring deep thought, but this is my first computerized RPG and there's something about advancing your character that gets you hooked.
Gaimmienne is the character I created for my adventures in Daggerfall. I decided to make it tough on myself, so I picked a female character and gave her a number of major disadvantages - she can't use any armor better than leather, and she can't use any weapons other than short bladed ones (dagger, short sword, etc.). But she's level 18 now, and even Daedra Lords are just not a problem for her.
Daggerfall isn't just another shoot-em-up Doom clone, there is a lot more to life than just hacking and slashing in dungeons and fortresses. Gaimmienne belongs to a number of organizations where she obtains a number goods and services:
The Fighters' Guild
The Mages' Guild
These are Gaimmienne's standings with the above guilds:
A person's got to eat, so there's always some time being spent at the tavern.
And of course you can always wander around and talk to some of the locals.
You can get quests from any of the guilds, or by asking around town. But the best intrigue and nefarious plotting is, of course, found at the Castle of Daggerfall. (Well, many of the other noble families, particularly Sentinel and Wayrest, also have quite a bit going on, but that's for another time.)
I plan on adding a lot more information about Gaimmienne, her strategies, and her accomplishments. There will also be images of various creatures and dungeons from Gaimmienne's quests, from the other capital cities, and from Scourg Barrow. Gaimmienne may also write a Guide to Free Lancing to help those who would like to follow in her footsteps. I will also load some saved games so that you can be Gaimmienne. And of course, I am always open to suggestions.
If you just can't wait while Gaimmienne writes her Guide to Free Lancing, and you want your hints and tips for succeeding in Daggerfall right away, then jump to one of the following levels of ESP: