Difficulty Settings? Which do you use? What benefits do you get from higher settings?

[LadySapphira]

Hi everyone, just wanted to start a thread, out of curiosity.


How many of your play on expert, vs adept, vs whatever else? Why?


And what benefit do you get from increasing the level?



I'm a newbie to the game - I play on adept right now, I didn't really think about it because I'm just kind of having fun with my first character. but I might want to fool with it soon.

 

[IpmaN]

I play a Khajiit Bow & Dagger Type Character on Adept Mode but I still die especially if your Surrounded by Draugr Deathlord/s and Overlord/s in Nordic Ruins.

 

[BIGwooly]

I play on master currently, never played the game on anything else yet. I think expert probably provides the most realistic balance of damage dealt/taken. Master can be unreasonably difficult at times. Essentially on master the enemies to twice as much damage as normal and you do half as much damage as normal. Not easy.

I don't know that you benefit in any way by playing on any difficulty (other than achievements on the Xbox I guess). I would just set the difficulty to what makes the game fun for you.

 

[Morgan]

I play on Expert because after some experimentation I found that's the level at which the game is most fun for me. There's no other reason to fiddle with the level. There's actually no other reason to buy the game.

 

[__skippingstone]

I've liked working my way up to playing on Master, I agree that it is difficult at times however that makes basic caves, dungeons, etc. more of a challenge. Rather than simply rushing in and killing everyone as you can usually do at the lower levels (depending on your play style, of course) you actually have to be more strategic with your attacks as fighting multiple opponents, or higher leveled opponents can easily over power you on master.

 

[Verses]

Master...the only really difficult thing with master is dragons being like dragons would be in real life.

ancient dragons will kill you in seconds, but i see it as a challenge

 

[Leigull]

Used to play on the easy settings as I tended to enjoy just "adverturing" rather than the fighting. But since reading BIGwooly's diary I tried Master and wouldn't ever go back. Made everything so much more rewarding, and as written above, you had to plan your attacks rather than just steaming in

 

[imaginepageant]

Started off on adept, but now I'm playing on expert, and will eventually go on to master. What benefits does upping the difficulty give? More of a challenge. I like challenges; I find games pointless without them.

 

[Pete]

Adept, with death is final. Damn. Last night I was at made it to level 5 and was killed by a damn bear. Came out of nowhere. Tonight I start anew.

 

[Train]

...guess. I only played for an hour or so on adept to get a feel for the game, I immediately realized that was far too easy, so created a new character and started playing for real...never changed it since. Why I play on this level? Why do people climb mountains?

 

[André quintanilha]

Its my third character, i'm playing in expert now, but im die a lot in this difficult... perhaps i wil change to adept again if i continue dying

 

[Monolith]

Master, and I wouldn't have it any other way. During my first playthrough with a 2H Nord warrior, I started on adept, and I had only gotten to level 10 when combat started to feel like child's play. I upped the difficulty to expert, then to master and eventually incorporated a custom difficulty mod which gave me 0.4x damage output and my enemies 3x damage. Even that felt a touch too easy at times, excepting spellcasters, which could sometimes one-shot me. I think I managed to create an overpowered character through smithing and enchanting, though I never exploited the infamous alchemy-smithing-enchanting loop.

During my second playthrough as a sneaky Khajiit, I started the game on expert and moved up to master at around level 20. I'm currently @ level 30, and the difficulty is spot on: combat is challenging but not frustrating. I die quite often if I don't make smart tactical decisions before instigating combat, and I sometimes find myself running away from overpowering foes. That has forced me to develop strategies, think ahead, summon help if needed and pick my battles carefully. This never happened during my first playthrough, I was totally self-sufficient and rarely needed the assistance of followers or summoned allies. With my Khajiit I try to backstab and pick off enemies stealthily with a bow, and if I am forced to engage in direct melee combat, I have to make sure I have an escape route available. Powerful melee enemies are my mortal bane if they manage to corner me; I often get decapitated by 2H-wielding Bandit Chiefs and the like, and a single snap of a dragon's jaws can be my undoing.

 

[wakka]

i play on master. i started out on adept till about lvl 40 then made a new char on expert what was pretty fun then on to master with a new char. the one thing i do enjoy about master is seeing a dragon at lvl 10-20 while walking to a quest and having to run for you life because your to weak to fight it on your own only to run in to a bear that swipes your face of

i do get the hump sometimes tho getting killed over and over again by a mob of draugr and a draugr deathloard but that's all part of the fun right ?

 

[Panthera]

I've played on adapt... never finished main quest tho... I sopped playing. Now I'm considering to play on master with new character.

 

[Panthera]

Adept, with death is final. Damn. Last night I was at made it to level 5 and was killed by a damn bear. Came out of nowhere. Tonight I start anew.

Bro, don't you get tired playing over and over again the same beginning?

 

[Stereofanic]

Normal, (in my opinion) the way the game is meant to be played

 

[Train]

Bro, don't you get tired playing over and over again the same beginning?

Never! I don't play dead is dead like Pete, but I might one day; however, I probably restart more than he does.

 

[Panthera]

Never! I don't play dead is dead like Pete, but I might one day; however, I probably restart more than he does.

That is the reason I stopped playing skyrim already in the middle of January. I made few characters at the same time...

 

[Arrow-Free Knee]

i'm still on my first playthrough (level 51) and i started on Adept and switched to Expert around level 40. when I start a new character...and i'm starting to get that itch... i'll play Master from the start and see how it goes. i'd like to think i learned a thing or two in the HUNDREDS of hours i've spent in Skyrim!!!

 

[Neriad13]

My gosh, I feel like a pussywillow.

I...started playing the game on Novice. I later worked up to Adept. I'm honestly not much for strategy or challenges in games - I prefer exploring, reading or most of all, simply being told a good story. But maybe someday I will try an Expert game and see where that takes me.

With that said, Morrowind on medium difficulty is kicking me hard right up the rear.