Ricardo 10/dez/2013 às 15:57
Game balance and difficulty - Does it make any sense?
Hi. First of all I want to clarify that this is not a big issue for me, it is not like it is stopping me from progressing in game or enjoying. I am playing this game in hard difficult (as I do with almost every game) and so far so good. But sometimes I have the feeling that the level of difficulty in game makes no sense at all, it is kind or random or not very well adjusted.

I am in level 30. I have a full superior leather armor (armor rating 115). Wandering around Skyrim I can meet some bandits who can kill me with TWO arrows, while I need to hit them 20 times with my two hands superior elven sword. And I am not talking about any wizard final boss, I am talking about a stupid bandit with a loincloth.

I am not talking about an isolated issue, this happen to me every now and then, so I wonder what is the point of level up, what is the difference between now and the day I started playing the game with level 1, no armor and an iron sword.

Dragons are not harder to kill than a bear or some other enemies. Actually I believe that dragons are kind of easy to kill, especially when some soldiers or warriors in the area help you distracting the beast and causing some damage.

Don't take me wrong, I can notice the effects of leveling in some aspects, e.g. now I can sneak behind enemies and stab them in the back, so if I do it right they die in about 2-3 hits without time to fight back. That is very cool and very rewarding. But sometimes I have the feeling that my level and armor means nothing as any bear or bandit can kill me with two hits before I can heal myself.

Any thoughts on this subject?
Última edição por Ricardo; 10/dez/2013 às 16:03
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pugbubbe 10/dez/2013 às 16:31 
Not supposed to make sense? Hmmmmmm. Could be!
maidofmanynames 10/dez/2013 às 17:07 
Difficulty in Skyrim can be a little random and I take it you don't want to adjust the difficulty slider in game. I understand as it is a bit immersion breaking. That said, a lot of the changes in difficulty can be chalked up to choices you make as a player.

For example, someone who levels up lots of non-combat skills and takes the associated perks will have trouble. A master craftsman should not be expected to have the combat ability of a professional warrior. Good armor and enchantments can only bridge the gap so much. The best way to avoid these disparities is to keep at least one defensive and one offensive skill equal to your non-combat skills.

Playstyle also has an effect. You've said you wield a two handed sword but are wearing leather? This might not be the best option. Light armor (eg leather) is best for sneaky types who take advantage of the perks that boost sneak attack damage. If you go into combat directly with a two handed sword, then you need a bit more protection. Maybe find some good steel plate? Or swap the two hander for a bow and longsword?

If none of this solves the problem or you want to explore options then I suggest mods. For example, Deadly Dragons is a mod that increases the difficulty of dragons specifically and there are similar mods for wildlife, bandits etc. There are also more general difficulty mods. I'd suggest googling to find out what people think of the various option available. They don't always do the same things... or they go about it differently.
maidofmanynames 10/dez/2013 às 17:13 
I thought an in-game example might help.

I am a compulsive alchemy ingredient harvester and potion maker. Every character ends up going into the Alchemy tree because I -the player- just can't help myself. This means that the Alchemy tree levels relatively quickly even thought it's slower than other skills. To offset this, I use the coin I make for training. Obviously it's not a perfect solution given the limited training offered but every bit helps. So do the poisons... Mwahahahah *ahem*.

So, what I mean is that you need to find a happy balance. Or use the mod that allows you to ask a blacksmith to create and upgrade items for you. I just wish an enchanting version could be made.
Ricardo 10/dez/2013 às 17:15 
You are right that light armor and two hands sword are not the best combination. The truth is that my character is mostly focused on stealth, thief and archer skills, but sometimes you have to fight hand to hand whether you like it or not. I use my follower as human shield, but sometimes there is no choice, I can not be always running away (it doesn't feel very heroic), eventually my follower falls on her knee for a bit, and I have to draw my sword.

Arrows are not more effective than swords, as I may need 10 to kill the same guy who kill me with just 2.
Última edição por Ricardo; 10/dez/2013 às 17:21
maidofmanynames 10/dez/2013 às 17:23 
Kiting is an option, although it can be problematic depending on the terrain.

Bows are very powerful but their power is derived from sneak attacks. Unless you have the relevant perks and can snipe from a hidden position, then you do need to focus on melee combat. Dual wielding is probably the most common option for a sneak character.
la_nague 10/dez/2013 às 17:26 
yeah, you need mods to improve the way difficulty is generated.

without mods, skyrim just gives the enemies huge amounts of hp as a way to increase difficulty.

probably most popular would be skyRe with highhlevel enemies, ASIS and deadly dragons.
and that dragon combat overhaul mod with the funny description.
Última edição por la_nague; 10/dez/2013 às 17:28
dcain3456 10/dez/2013 às 19:57 
Bah, it was much worse in oblivion. Bandits in Daedric armor worth 10K holding you up for 100 gold.
And agree, dragons are easy compared to some monsters such as giants, draugr overlords, and the like.
danconnors 10/dez/2013 às 20:14 
First, an armor rating of 115 is very low, especially if you are level 30 playing on hard difficulty. Arrows fired by a good archer will go through leather like it's not there. The same goes for weapons. A good strong bandit will cut you in half with a single blow. Spend time at the forge; make yourself better armor. You shouldn't wander the wilds until you've got good glass armor you made yourself. Get the armor up to at least 400.

If you're primarily an archer, you need to practice with single hand weapons and shield. I call it the "school of hard knocks". Go into a dungeon, find an isolated low level undead (drauger or restless drauger) and engage it hand to hand. Don't kill it. Just practice blocking its blows. I'm playing a Legendary character now, and a single restless drauger got her block skill up from a ridiculously low 30 to 70 in about 3 hours of play time. There's probably a way to cheat at this, but if you do it yourself you'll improve your hand eye coordination. Your shield can become a very effective weapon if you put some skill points into it. Blocking arrows, dragon breath, and incoming spells is useful. Being able to do a deadly bash and being able to run with your shield up is also useful.

You need to get your light armor skill rating up too. It's harder to do than learning blocking. You basically have to get hit a lot, but you have to surviive. There's a surly woman in Riften who can train you all the way up to 75, if you have a fortune to spend for training. My last character as a master difficulty player had dragon scale armor she made herself, a light armor skill of 100, and an armor rating (with shield) of 1,050. Bandits didn't pick on her anymore. She also had single hand skill 100, block 100, and weapon she made herself (better than anything you can buy).

Hope that helped.
wowszer 10/dez/2013 às 20:15 
Focus on 1 handed, when you get to the 2 handed perk, grab it. Till then use a sheild, put a few perks into that. In the meantime, boost your smithing and enchanting. Then boost the level of your armor if you want to stick to leather. Use Alchemy to create potions to boost smithing, Enchanting to create rings, amulets, headgear, gloves that boost smithing. Use them all at the same time, you will build spetacular armor, better than bought definitely. Switch to Elven or Glass armor when you get the perk, create matched sets for a 25% boost. When you get enough Grand Soul Gems enchant your armor, weapons. You are too under protected by your armor.
Ricardo 14/dez/2013 às 15:05 

I am level 39. I have a full flawless glass armor, armor rating 264. An ebony bow and glass arrows. Archery 81. Some random thieves in loincloth still can kill me with 2-3 arrows while I need about 10 to kill them. I have the feeling (please confirm if I am right) that this is one of those RPGs in wich enemies level up with you.

I am level 85 sneak and have the perk "assasins blade". I have a glass dager that delivers 20 points of damage. I can do x13 damage while attacking from behind unnoticed. So I guess that I can sneak behind an enemy with my knife and perform an instant kill, as you will do in any other game or in real life. But very oftern this is not an instant death, half of the times I need 2-3 hits to kill some enemies, and sometimes they manage to turn around or move away before I finish them.

I dont feel the power of the level and gear. Not at all.
Última edição por Ricardo; 14/dez/2013 às 15:12
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