I had 3 great characters going, each reaching above level 55 (last one above 72), each one had a slightly different approach to the game.
The first one did the smithing grind. The second one did the alch/enchanting grind. During the last one I tried various "exploits" like the Oghma Inf & restoration loop.
For each of these, eventually I just didn't feel right about 1) not "experiencing" the growth; and 2) being so friggin overpowered.

So I started my 4th lass, I've decided not to grind or loot hidden chests, to take things as they come, and I feel all shiny again.

Here and there I see posts from others who are playing something like this.... Have you gone far with your character?
Just looking for some shared experience, what you've learned, etcetera etcetera etcetera...

This is not a rant to "play like me, it's the best way"; I'm just looking to rediscover the feeling of danger/bone-chilling fear/discovery that I had with my very first character early on.

I suppose knowing so much of the world and what will happen in the quests and guilds is a type of cheat, but that can't be helped at this point. Plus, I am STILL discovering new things, amazingly. And the DLC will come at the perfect time for me.

The "organic" nature of character growth is very important to me, I like seeing what kind of character I end up with just by doing things normally, ie; not purposefully grinding a skill like smithing (I've never made a single iron dagger... I have no need for them so why would I?)

For me the skills screen is almost like a record of your character's personality (she likes singlehanded weapons, sneaks a lot it seems, doesn't block very much, oh look she's a bit of a pickpocket and really likes alchemy etc).

I'm curious though, what do you mean by "hidden chests?", are they some kind of exploit?

"Organic," thank you----that's the word I wanted.

There are hidden chests in Dawnstar, Solitude, and Markarth, the inventory is for the Kajit caravans I think... I won't say more here as walkthroughs are easily found on youtube etc.

I've done it both ways, and I found the game MUCH more enjoyable without grinding/exploiting.

I find the game much more enjoyable with an imagined background story for whatever character I play. Not that it makes me immune to not grab the Dawnstar chest when finances are a bit slow or make a bunch of leather stuffs to up my smithing just to advance things a little here and there to get me over certain humps, but the fun for me is in the characters themselves and what might be going through their minds as they experience the encounters in Skyrim. And also in trying new tactics and approaches, and of course replaying certain quest lines just because they're so much fun.

On that note, never heard about hidden chests in Solitude and Markath ... something else to find next time I play! Thanks!

(I always like to think of the chest as my Khajit friends taking care of me for doing sundry things for them. I save them from dragons or go find amulets and whatnot, they give me things in return. Everyone wins. )

The people who exploit and cheat usually don't seem to find as much joy in the game.

Rare candies will get you to lvl100, but that Pokemon will never be as strong as a naturally leveled one.

lol

I just dunno where I stand on this. On one hand, I love the natural progression, and the whole noob feel I get. On the other hand, I also enjoy not having to worry about leveling up or constantly striving to achieve a higher strength, I can just play.

Thinking about making a non-sneak archer, no armor and no fancy bows/arrows but still max the level using OI glitch. No HUD, no fast travel, master difficulty. I'm just not sure, and your thread didn't help my indecision lol.

I have never done any of the things you mention (I don't even know what most of them are) and my characters get along just fine. Min/maxing (or powergaming) is not necessary in an Elder Scrolls game. If a gamer chooses to do it, that's their business. I don't. It doesn't appeal to me.

I roleplay and roleplaying is all about self-limitations. I allow my characters to act naturally in the game world. Each character of mine is different, each does different things, each avoids different things. I listen to my characters. I follow their leads. Just as I will never do certain things because it is not part of my nature to do those things, so my characters will never do certain things because it is not part of their natures to do those things.

Most of my characters are done like this and I find it adds to the experience but sometimes it can be a little annoying when one of your skills goes up at a snails pace despite how much you use it. I also find it difficult to get past level 30 without spamming one skill or another.

It's always good to mix up your game though, you get way more time out of it.

Wow I remember the days I spent on those games.

Unless you EV train first.

My character is all non grind additive, and the game is greatly immersive and enjoyable. I can role play being in the situation and personify the characters about my character in terms of people IRL.

This has taken some seriously cautious start, but as my character finds its feet, the game gets better and better and more challenging.

Just got my Vanilla Blade's Blade. Not so Vanilla any more (Alchemy, Smithing, Enchanting efforts improving). Protecting a Second Blade's Blade. But that one will be a special. Maybe some revenge on Blade Hunters is warranted with my newly collected and improved toy.

It's alot more fun to avoid exploits. Why spam smithing when it levels up so quickly just making things you need or improving what you've already got? Same with enchanting. I always seem to level alchemy quickly because I mix everything with everything - even if two ingredients have all four effects revealed and I KNOW they won't mix, I do it anyways just to get them greyed-out for each other (being a packrat also helps - dunno how many in-dungeon alchemy stations I've played with just to get rid of some weight!)

I do try to train every level. Seeking out the trainers is an adventure in itself! Especially if you don't use fast-travel - you can build a lot of 'levels-in-waiting' while getting to that trainer, and then train through several levels at once, if you've got the coin.

Speaking of coin, there's no need to spam anything just for cash flow either. I mean seriously, the only thing I can think of besides training to spend money on is houses, and do you really need more than one? I usually have to buy additional stuff from vendors just so I can sell everything I've got (misc vendors having ebony ingots and grand soul gems helps alot). And potions - even if I avoid alchemy altogether (which I have done) I always end up with far more potions than I will ever need. They're good weight/value items.

You know you're an OG Pokemon gamer when you recognize the rare candies glitch. haha!

Bottom line, glitches aren't meant to be in the game; it's not in any way a proper representation of how the game play was meant to be.

However... It's a single player game. glitching makes it more fun, by all means do it.

Welcome to the way the game is meant to be played.

I've been doing this all along in a way. Yes, once I found out about the hidden Khajiit supply chest I did loot them just to see if people are lying or not, but that was the only time.

I generally don't grind either. I'll only have my Dunmer Assassin spend some quality time at a forge when my level starts getting to a point where I'm having trouble defeating enemies. The point where my Steel Daggers just won't really damage my enemies much simply because the material is available at a level well below the level my enemies are at (seeing as how enemies level with you...).

At this point I will sit and craft various things to get my score where I need it to be to get the next quality level of weapons. Then I move back out into the world to continue my explorations and killing sprees.

I also find I have been leveling much faster when I don't fast travel and I actually hoof it from location to location. Traveling in this way, I've grabbed a fortune's worth of loot. Killed more bandits than the Allies killed Nazi's. Seen some cool easter eggs, and had some very surprising encounters along the way.

I love this game so much for all of the content locked inside one little plastic disc for me do discover.

Absolutely fantastic job Bethesda!!!

^Yes, I'm also hoofing it more now, too, as the map is empty again. Love being outside.
One of the best sessions (actually took a couple of sessions) I ever had was when I did a walkabout on the perimeter with my notched pickaxe, pushing every border until I got the "you can't go that way."

I'm personally still on my first character, still only lvl 30 and have only done the thieves guild quests up until after killing Mercer but i got there organically it fit the RP etc, i let the game take me places and i dont do the main quests i involve myself in the war by killing the imperial patrols and helping the stormcloaks where possible but never directly invovled with either group, its too chancy for my Stage 3 vamp after all

what i mean by all this is my gameplay is completley organic and flowing i have never smithed nor have i grinded enchanting but i do enchant bits as and when i need them that and alchemy are my guys ''hobbies'' and mainly posions for my arrows, but again for RP reasons im using a normal hunting bow nothing special

Organic is the way to do it there is so much RP potential in this game IF thats what your looking for and the game can just ''take you places'' and give your story offshoots when overhearing things form NPC's then going to find them..etc...

i suppose i have played TES since morrwind so i know pacing yourself and letting your character ''evolve'' is the best way to get everything you can form a TES tittle.

I haven't gone as organic as some of you, at least not yet. I started off just putzing about doing the main quest up through A Blade in the Dark then did side quests while moseying around looking for dungeons & revisiting others. Sometimes I fast travel, sometimes I hoof it, this really depends on what I'm trying to do and also time constraints do play into that. I did grind Smithing a little at first but then did it as needed until I decided I wanted Glass armor. Since then I went through the Thieves Guild & main quest but currently stuck because back when I started I didn't know about the Tullius bug and had done the first 2 steps in Joining the Legion. I wanted to stay neutral but starting to wonder if that's possible. I'm still on my first character presently at level 58 and since I'm at an impasse with the main quest I keep going around and find it quite amusing to give bandits the Steve Martin arrow in the head. Occasionally I hit the Dawnstar chest for grins just to see what's there even though most of it is below what I'm currently using anyway.

Glitches aren't meant to be in the game but they are so it's up to you to decide of whether you exploit or ignore them. The hidden chests are good as emergency kit.