I have read all the level scaling posts on this form recently, and these are my experiences.

I've played 2 characters through the companions quest line. The 1st Char I finished quest line very quickly once I was in Whiterun and found it rather easy at level 11.

The 2nd Char I leveled the crap out of my enchanting and alchemy skills so that my character level was 21 when I started doing the Companion quests. And boy were they hard.
I don't know about this level range of 5-10 and locking at the maximum because it seems some 5-10 dungeons on my first playthrough at lvl 11 are now 15-20 dungeons at my
second playthrough at lvl 21. Not like Fallout level scaling AT ALL.

still, it's challenging and that's fun in its own right

my PROBLEM with this level scaling is that all skills are not leveled equally!!

Whether or not you gain a level through increasing your enchanting, or increasing your one-hand, YOU GAIN A LEVEL. And mobs are level scaled according to YOUR level

But there is as huge problem here, 2 scenarios listed below:

1) I am level 10 and increase my enchanting skill to 50, so that my game level is 20(I dunno if the math on that is correct exactly)
2) I am level 10 and increase my combat skills to 50(whichever one you pick , archery/1 handed etc), so that my game level is 20.

Now I have 2 level 20 characters that have very different stats. Obviously the one that had leveled combat skills are going to perform much better at the level-scaled dungeons at 20 as
compared to the character that is just good at a secondary skill.

This system basically forces me to play the game at a pre-determined pace or I will be overpowered by the level-scaled enemies.

That means you CANNOT level your secondary skills(smithing/enchanting/alchemy) past a certain percentage of your primary or you will artificially increase your level too much.
That means the time you spent on honestly improving yourself by mining ores and harvesting plants and gathering souls will ruin your game if you increase them too quickly.

Sorry for my language but that's just bullsh*t.


P.S. Oh and by the way, for those that say locations level-lock when you first enter them, that may be the case and all, but I could kill a whiterun guard easily at lvl 10 but after I leveled my enchanting to get my game level to 21, that same guard can now takes way more effort to kill. I've obviously visited Whiterun before, and therefore should have locked it, but I guess that doesn't apply to NPC towns...?

Had typed something out a little more forward then this, but it's Monday and I'll leave it at this.

If you plan on being a blacksmith, merchant, enchanter, etc. don't expect to mop the floor with enemies lurking in dungeons. Unless you plan on bartering with them.

yes...that is why I wrote the post, why bother having those skills if I only get punished by leveling them

Level locking most likely does not apply to guards, only to dungeons and the like.

Town guards level with you as far as I can tell. I would think this is so they always put up a fight.

As for having a harder time when taking mostly non combat skills? Well, yeah. Though if you commit to a enchant/smithing build you will eventually be ridiculously powerful because of the weapons and armor you can make.

Yes, stupid replies are quite common, not sure why you have to add to the pile.

It is not forcing you to play any certain way, if you happen to level up enchanting or smithing before any combat skills, take it and run with it. Enchanting can be VERY useful, and a powerful aid. And OF COURSE youll be stronger if you decide to go the weapon skill route vs enchanting/smithing/alchemy. Come on man, common sense, don't come complaining on the forums because of the decisions YOU made in an open ended game such as skyrim.

I doubt you leveled Blacksmithing. Sounds like a rant.

A blacksmith is in no way weak. Your companions are stronger cause your items are pro. An your still doing good dmg. If you put all your points in the 2h tree your weapon dmg goes up. But you can still get that same exact weapon dmg or better by smithing. So I dont know what your talking about lol.

The complaints have merit. I mused in a similar thread about my level 20, after 18 or so hours of gameplay, no skill is above 50, or far above it. I know this isn't in Oblivion but if I was a level 20 in Oblivion or Morrowind and none of my important skills are high enough (Sneak and One-Handed in my case), I'd be facerolled by every other enemy.

Theoretically, of course.

People, this is why they include a difficulty slider. If you're going to advance non-combat skills for levels then turn down the difficulty to compensate. you can turn it back up when your combat skills reach parity.

I actually said I leveled my enchanting, because I got some sweet elven armor as a drop and I thought it would be cool to max out enchanting so I could put a nice buff on it. Bad idea
Even If I leveld my blacksmithing to 50, so I could create what..orchish armor, by the time I'm leveld to 50 i'm fighting mobs with scaled/dwarven armor anyway at the level scaled dungeons, except guess what, I don't have the combat skills to match them! WOO


Thank you for posting an actually relevant suggestion, that is what I am going to have to do. I hate changing that slider tho, breaks immersion

I constantly see this brought up and I just confuses me.

Two people are swinging a sword at a troll.

Person A spends all his free time swinging that sword, working on power, precision, and technique.

Person B spends all his free time picking herbs, making potions, and mining ore.

WHY does anyone think that Person B should have just as easy of a time killing said troll as Person A. If there was no scaling the point in leveling combat skills over secondary skills would not exist.

If you level a secondary skill, use that skill to buff your lacking combat skills, for example make buff poisons to apply to your weapon to make up for the lack of damage.
If you did enchanting enchant your gear with added damage or increased defensive stats
If you did smithing make buff gear to negate some damage or to increase damage done through improving weapons.

Edit: took out the caps bold large text, was not needed.

I just hit level 20, playing on expert difficulty, most everything is hovering around 40-50 and the game is incredibly hard at times, which is EXACTLY what i'm expecting. If you want a faceroll play through, turn the difficulty down. Personally i feel like every fight should feel like an actual fight, and every boss fight should feel like an unkillable boss.

I just hit level 20, playing on expert difficulty, most everything is hovering around 40-50 and the game is incredibly hard at times, which is EXACTLY what i'm expecting. If you want a faceroll play through, turn the difficulty down. Personally i feel like every fight should feel like an actual fight, and every boss fight should feel like an unkillable boss.

Is this your first RPG, ever? Coming straight from Cowwadoody?

I think an easy fix would be certain non combat skills count a 1/3 of a combat skill towards levelling. Let's say u upped 1h 5 points and then smithing 15.

Ahem. I play on Novice or Apprentice as a general rule. So, if I'm getting killed, what advice do you have for me now?

You're not the only one in the world getting stronger.

If you focus too much on crafting skills, then you're making a crafyer, not a fighter. Don't expect to do too well in the fighting parts of the game.

Welcome to RPG

lol, sorry, your post is self-defecating

Your level in skyrim is a measure of your overall power and the level that mobs scale to when you enter a new area.

Your level increases no matter if(let's use your terminology) person A swings a sword, or person B makes a potion.

Person A and B both get to lvl 20 because they swing their swords or makes their potions. That level then determines what level enemies fight you.

Person A wil have a hell of a easier time dealing with them than Person B

so to frame it in your so eloquently put final sentence...

WHY WOULD ANYONE LEVEL SECONDARY SKILLS IF ALL THAT LEVELING ACHIEVES IS PUNISHING YOU WITH INCREDIBLY HARD ENEMIES SCALED TO
YOUR "LEVEL"?

edit: nice of you to notice that, me too

multipost

Jesus stop already with the whining
You're not the only one in the world getting stronger.

If you focus too much on crafting skills, then you're making a crafyer, not a fighter. Don't expect to do too well in the fighting parts of the game.

Now stop with the whining

Well, not to sound like a jerk, but trying using some tactics when fighting. I have to use them all the time now. Sneak attack, burn burn burn, they get to me, shout, burn burn burn, hopefully die. Sometimes i lead enemies into traps, if there are no traps i'll just keep running and taking pot shots. You're doing something wrong, even the most ridiculous boss i've ever had the privilege of fighting in any game ive ever played (college of winterhold questline), who 1 shot me no matter what, i was still able to kill using ALOT of strategy.

If I focus on crafting, then don't make the game treat me like I'm increasing my combat abilities,, like someone said above, level me 1/3 as much as if I increased a combat oriented skill.

Now stop being a troll.

I play on novice, barely do anything to level up, and I have trouble with mobs

valid point, I haven't used much of aoe traps , but I'll have to start doing that