Right, I've been playing since the game hit the shelves (and after Steam decided to wait 24 more hours from street date to unlock my boxed copy) and after several tries with some test characters (all ending their playthroughs by around mid lvl 20ish) it seems I've hit an impasse.

Partway through lvl 12-13, I'm forced to bump down the difficulty to survive in my playstyle. It turns quickly to Novice right before 20.

And even then, I'm hitting enemies that basically smash me into Oblivion with a single swing of their axe/sword/hammer/arrow/claw/fireball/(implement of destruction goes here). TGM is being overused in my own personal Altar to the Tidle Console far too much just to get through quests. Usually when I cant even get through a non-quest-related dungeon is where I shuffle that batch of saves to the archive and I start over.

I'm pretty sure its how I'm leveling my characters and how I really play the game. Thing is, I'm confused as to what could be the potential issue behind it.

Basically, since Oblivion I've been playing a rogueish sneak character with a strong affinity of the art of delivering sharp pointy sticks at high speed through his enemy's skull at range, with a secondary dabbling in swordplay (now that we can dual-weild, +100 to epicness). I am leveling sneak and archery fast, with a secondary focus on light armor and one-handed, with perks focus in such.

However, scamp doo-doo hits the dwemer spinning swordtrap if I miss my first shot, and have to line up my second, let loose, then switch to my swords, in which case it all quickly goes downhill. Same goes if the first target goes down and the second notices, making a bee-line to where I am.

Maybe its because I'm not doing something right or I need to branch out into more... esoteric... avenues to improve my dragon-butt kicking performance.

Anyone care to give a hint to a struggling Novice?