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Kohlar the Unkilled

Time for some ale
Upon turning level 57, I increased the difficulty to master. I just couldn't take it anymore, and I was finding too many potions of ultimate healing, essentially rendering me invincible. Bear in mind, I wear Ancient Nord Armor, and use Ysgramor's shield and an Ancient Nord Sword, (called Kohlar's Blade of Nordic Ice). Though it's all enchanted, these are far from being the most powerful articles in the game, yet I'm still hacking everything to oblivion. I even made legendary my blocking and heavy armor, and they're quickly on their way back up. Forelhost on Master was refreshing, I actually got to drink several of those delicious healing potions.

Boasting is not my intention, I was just wondering how the rest of you feel about difficulty. Do you do anything to limit your power, or do you just turn the difficulty all the way up? Or both?
 

O__Dragon__O

Old Guy Joe
I have actually left the difficulty alone (Master), but have been known to go into a fight "naked" with a fork... just to see how long I last. Usually not so long.. haha
 

Gigapact

Lollygagging Milk Drinker (according to guards)
Upon turning level 57, I increased the difficulty to master. I just couldn't take it anymore, and I was finding too many potions of ultimate healing, essentially rendering me invincible. Bear in mind, I wear Ancient Nord Armor, and use Ysgramor's shield and an Ancient Nord Sword, (called Kohlar's Blade of Nordic Ice). Though it's all enchanted, these are far from being the most powerful articles in the game, yet I'm still hacking everything to oblivion. I even made legendary my blocking and heavy armor, and they're quickly on their way back up. Forelhost on Master was refreshing, I actually got to drink several of those delicious healing potions.

Boasting is not my intention, I was just wondering how the rest of you feel about difficulty. Do you do anything to limit your power, or do you just turn the difficulty all the way up? Or both?


Well, depending on the DLC's you have:

Once I get around level 30 to 40, I pump it up to Legendary. Definitely fixes a lot of things.

I've also heard of people making their offence skills legendary, or armor, or both! But you said you've done this? Have you tried doing it to your block, offence, and armor all at the same time? I still haven't tried that yet, because there's no going back....

Another option: Do you have Dragonborn DLC? If so, a the end of the main quest, you have an option to gain back all the perks on one tree (costs one dragonsoul and is unlimited). That way, for example, you can take away all of your armor or offence perks. Or both. That way you won't have any increase in damage or armor rating. It will be solely based on your weapon and armor base damage/armor rating.

Do you have enchanted weapons and armor? If so, you can try ditching all of that and get some armor/weapons with no magical advantages. You can try downgrading your armor and weapons as well. For example if you were using Daedric or Dragon weapons and armor, you can downgrade to steel weapons and armor.

You could even disallow yourself from using healing potions... but that's more extreme lol.

But typically Legendary always solved my problem as it made it more fair. Because legendary in the beginning is no where near fair and every bandit you come across may as well be a God. But once you get up to 40 and beyond, Legendary for sure if you have that option.
 

Perkless in Skyrim

Bad to the Dragonbone.
I don't mess with difficulty much. I leave it on Adept for the most part because I enjoy smiting and one-shotting my foes. Sometimes (like my current character) I don't upgrade my equipment and don't purchase enchanted items. Of course, most of my characters don't make it to the 30s, let alone 50s.
 

Kohlar the Unkilled

Time for some ale
Well, depending on the DLC's you have:

Once I get around level 30 to 40, I pump it up to Legendary. Definitely fixes a lot of things.

I've also heard of people making their offence skills legendary, or armor, or both! But you said you've done this? Have you tried doing it to your block, offence, and armor all at the same time? I still haven't tried that yet, because there's no going back....

Another option: Do you have Dragonborn DLC? If so, a the end of the main quest, you have an option to gain back all the perks on one tree (costs one dragonsoul and is unlimited). That way, for example, you can take away all of your armor or offence perks. Or both. That way you won't have any increase in damage or armor rating. It will be solely based on your weapon and armor base damage/armor rating.

Do you have enchanted weapons and armor? If so, you can try ditching all of that and get some armor/weapons with no magical advantages. You can try downgrading your armor and weapons as well. For example if you were using Daedric or Dragon weapons and armor, you can downgrade to steel weapons and armor.

You could even disallow yourself from using healing potions... but that's more extreme lol.

But typically Legendary always solved my problem as it made it more fair. Because legendary in the beginning is no where near fair and every bandit you come across may as well be a God. But once you get up to 40 and beyond, Legendary for sure if you have that option.

I've completed all main quests including DLC's. I did redistribute some perks after slaughtering the poor hapless Miraak. I began as two handed and later switched to one, so my offense is not yet 100, but almost. I believe I'll use a non-enchanted ancient nord sword as my everyday weapon. I am working on getting my heavy armor and block back to 100 before I fight the ebony warrior.

Since enemies hit harder on legendary, wouldn't that mean quicker leveling for block and armor? Perhaps I'll do this.
 

Irishman

Well-Endowed Member
Lv1-10 Adept
Lv21-30 Expert
Lv31-40 Master
Lv41^ Legendary

Unless im roleplaying something in particular... My pure mage character, Elenwen was played on legendary from the beginning and was very hard to maintain without ANY armour or weapons. I had to turn it down to master in a few situations, and eventually I got sick of the challange.

Since enemies hit harder on legendary, wouldn't that mean quicker leveling for block and armor? Perhaps I'll do this.

Thats exactly right. Although because you dont deal as much either, your offensive skills level very slowly.
 

The Wanderer

Young Heritic
I personally try to stay away from heavy enchantments, that keeps the game challenging for me for the most part. I usually switch to Master around 55 though as well and it can be a bitch when usually minimal to no enchantments.
 

raido KASAI

Ansei Master Badass
I tend to use Master level most of the time, but I also use the enhanced high level game-play mod which cranks everything up considerably. That mod not only makes enemies hit harder and harder to hurt, but it also gives you more advanced enemies, such as getting Draugr Deathlords substituted in for standard Draugr. It also considerably increases the number of enemies spawned.

Without that mod active, I pretty much have to go up to legendary to have much resistance with anything I'm facing.

I tend to almost exclusively use Raido's same sword. His RP backstory has him having mastered the old Yokudan Ansei sword technique and thus his bond with his sword is more of a spiritual one. To handicap myself a bit though I've re-enchanted my common armor sets to where it doesn't give weapon or armor stat boosts instead sticking with stuff like muffle, waterbreathing, carryweight and so forth.
 

Chadonraz

Well-Known Member
I stay on Adept throughout the game. I don't become OP, though, because I won't go past Advanced Armors quality in armor and refuse to upgrade from a Steel Sword (except if I join the Companions I'll switch to Skyforge Steel). With bows I don't go past Ebony, but also don't take many archery perks. Only have Overdraw #2 and Eagle-Eye right now.
I haven't taken any Smithing perks apart from Steel Smithing, and don't plan to, either.
And no enchanting whatsoever, not even pre-enchanted armor/weapons. Just jewellery.

Now that I can mod my game, I've got a few difficulty-enhancing mods. Like Enhanced Enemy AI, High Level Enemies, Deadly Dragons and Dragon Combat Overhaul. Much better than the artificial "deal less, take more" difficulty of Expert, Master and Legendary.
 

Wildroses

Well-Known Member
I've done both. I kept the difficult on Adept for a long time. Then I switched it up to Master while experimenting with hard core roleplaying, and I enjoyed the experience of being so easy to kill I kept it up for months, perhaps even a year. I found combat on master involved a lot more avoidance tactics and use of terrain than it did on Adept.

After a while I began playing dead is dead style, and decided to bump it down to Adept, then found I enjoyed not having to prepare and execute complex tactical plans to fight two mudcrabs or a bandit, not being one shotted by archers and having dragon fights which didn't take 30-40 minutes to finish (I have a mod which ramps up the difficulty of dragon fights), so I've been on adept for a couple of months.

I wouldn't be surprised if I got bored again and go back to Master after a while. Variety is good, and each difficulty has their advantages and disadvantages.
 

Gigapact

Lollygagging Milk Drinker (according to guards)
[/quote]I've completed all main quests including DLC's. I did redistribute some perks after slaughtering the poor hapless Miraak. I began as two handed and later switched to one, so my offense is not yet 100, but almost. I believe I'll use a non-enchanted ancient nord sword as my everyday weapon. I am working on getting my heavy armor and block back to 100 before I fight the ebony warrior.

Since enemies hit harder on legendary, wouldn't that mean quicker leveling for block and armor? Perhaps I'll do this.[/quote]


Yep that's right, the harder the hit the higher the block goes up. Same concept with armor, the harder the hit with more damage done to you, the quicker the skill raises. But I'm sorry I didn't know you've already done most of those other things..... I don't know what else to do really. Have you put yourself on Legendary? You didn't mention it.

I mean if all else fails (besides the ebony warrior and what not) you can go get some iron armor and weapons, but you can't smith and improve them. Take away all your perks for them. Don't allow yourself to use healing potions or stamina potions. Also, put it on Legendary. You're bound to have some fun I would think.
 

BigBad

Person of Interest
I pretty much just keep it on Adept. It's the perfect difficulty for low-level characters, and still provides a small challenge at higher levels unless you've taken full advantage of the Smithing/Enchanting gamebreaker that basically makes you Iron Man. If I've done that, then I'm not really looking for challenge and I don't bother bumping up the difficulty.

Only time I've ever used Legendary difficulty is while on the road from Riverwood to Whiterun. If your difficulty is too low when you encounter the Companions, they'll have already slain the giant without your aid and act like you were just too snooty or cowardly to help them out. I usually knock it up to Legendary at Honningmead and keep it on until after the giant's dead. It makes the fight last long enough that you can actually believe that your performance impressed someone.
 

Cherry

Farfetch'd is judging you!
I always start on adept, and then move up when I feel like it. Zheevarr the Argonian is level 58 with no custom enchantments and Master is not really a challenge, except against high level mages and dragons. This is because my only elemental resistances come from custom-made potions.
 

Kohlar the Unkilled

Time for some ale
Last night I fought Karstaag on master. This was by FAR the strongest adversary I've faced. He could've easily killed Miraak and Harkon at the same time. I tell the tale of this legendary battle in my thread Karstaag's Demise in the Dragonborn sub-forum. All should read it. Defeating him was my most proud Skyrim moment to date. Suffice it to say, i cannot imagine facing him on legendary.

I'm satisfied with master for now. I'll be using an unenchanted Nord Hero sword, yet I'm just not willing to give up my superbly crafted and enchanted armor. I do enjoy being powerful. :beermug:
 

Chadonraz

Well-Known Member
Only time I've ever used Legendary difficulty is while on the road from Riverwood to Whiterun. If your difficulty is too low when you encounter the Companions, they'll have already slain the giant without your aid and act like you were just too snooty or cowardly to help them out. I usually knock it up to Legendary at Honningmead and keep it on until after the giant's dead. It makes the fight last long enough that you can actually believe that your performance impressed someone.

THIS. This so much.
I do the exact same thing, every single time. I've also taken to sprinting through the woods instead of following the road around Honningbrew. :D
There should at least be a dialogue option to tell Aela you didn't help because they killed the Giant so fast you couldn't even get within range. That is the truth, after all.

I often forget to turn the difficulty back down to Adept... resulting in things like a bandit killing me with Flames in mere seconds. :D
 

O__Dragon__O

Old Guy Joe
I've been known to be killed by a Foreswarn Forager or a Mudcrab at level 54 on Novice. I think I'll stick with easy. Master or Legendary would just be too much. After all, I suck.
Don't put yourself down.... everyone has a hard time at times.. there has to be something your good at! Seriously..
I do believe the Mudcrab at 54 on novice was just a joke here right? Or were you being attacked by a band of bandits with a mud crab??
 

Daelon DuLac

How do you backstab a Dragon?
I've been known to be killed by a Foreswarn Forager or a Mudcrab at level 54 on Novice. I think I'll stick with easy. Master or Legendary would just be too much. After all, I suck.
Don't put yourself down.... everyone has a hard time at times.. there has to be something your good at! Seriously..
I do believe the Mudcrab at 54 on novice was just a joke here right? Or were you being attacked by a band of bandits with a mud crab??
Nope, literally, I walked away from the game for 2 minutes to use the lew and came back to find myself dead from a mudcrab. That was my bad though. I have, however been killed by wolves though, especially heading from Whiterun towards the Pale & Winterhold. There's a pack of about 10 ice & regular wolves and, if I'm at low level they can take me out!
 

mattizcool

Flying lawnmowers are cool.
I always knock the difficulty up to Master or Expert once I get out of Helgen. I also add some restrictions to myself such as no smithing or enchanting (unless its to rename something) and put my HUD opacity to 0%.
 

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