I have had a problem ( I think) where I don't think the difficulty really is what I set it as. I like to play on easy mode, and everything was fine for the first few levels, I"m about lvl 8. but now, when I log in things will start killing me in just a few hits. I have gone into the settings, and have tried changing the setting from novice,to something else, then back to novice. It seems like then the difficulty takes effect. And I mean, I literally fought the same exact enemy (old orc) and the first time he killed me in 3 hits or so and the 2nd time I killed him in about 3 hits. So, it seems like my initial setting of novice somehow isn't registering, it seems like this might have a fix by toggling it off and on, but I think it's pretty weird, and I"m concerned that the fix will stop working or the problem might get worse. Has anybody else had any issues like this? It's bothering me because I"m still not totally sure if it's a bug or I am crazy. and please don't make fun of me for wanting to play my wuss character in easy mode!
Thanks!

Iv noticed this as well. My GF was getting her slaughtered and I was playing on a much harder difficulty. I pick up her control thinking she just svcked and got my a$$ handed to me by bandits.. BANDITS!

Tried the same thing, changed the setting then back again n Bam! Easy as pie

I've noticed the difficulty changing from time to time and I've kept it at Adept.
It started off easy then suddenly went frakin hard out of the blue, but I soldiered on through. Now it seems to be getting manageable again.
Not changed the setting at all.

Haha, I thought I might svck too, so I"m glad I'm not the only one that had this happen. bandits were killing me too! But I just couldn't believe that could attack the same enemy and get two opposite results without really changing anything else. Maybe there is something about the novice setting, I don't really mind changing it around to fix it, but I might try it on apprentice and see it it's more consistent?

It's because some places just have higher level enemies than others. From what I've noticed the whole region around Markath is quite hard, as are any dwarven ruins. Even on the lowest difficulty some enemies will be hard because they are on such a high level. Maybe you could try exploring a different region? Or spam potions lol. And remember dragon shouts. They really help. I recommend continuing the main quest until you have the full push shout. It really, really helps alot, against everything. Depending on your race your racial power could help. Maybe not lol.

Normally I would have assume this to be the exact problem. But I was getting these different results in the exact same area. I would respawn (from being horribly killed by a bandit), toggle the difficulty,and could take the exact same route fighting the same bandits and they would all fall to my blade whithout me breaking a sweat.

My game started on master as default.. i havent changed it as i usually play games on the hardest difficulty for the extra challenge.
However i agree with the odd enemy leveling as i have gone against bandits where in one situation eg..had a bladesman with full leather armour who i killed in two hits, a couple archers that were a bit harder to kill and this one old guy in hide armour with a two handed axe that killed me in two hits.. it took me 4 attempts to kill him and heaps of hits even using 'marked for death' shout (favorite).. meanwhile i was at level 30+, 250+ health, 200+ armour, 47+ hit rate on my sword.
It seems that every enemy with an axe is a master, with max hitting power on their axe (even iron axes) over 125 regardles of rank.. i hate fighting axe wielding opponents.
I dont see how a simple bandit should be harder to kill than a dragon regardless of what difficulty level you are playing on.

It also urks me how easily i can kill a dragon, yet when ever i see a drauger overlord etc i want to run the other way.

I am starting to think i may reduce the difficulty level because my cousin is playing on expert and can clear through an area in a quater the time i can due to how long it takes to kill enemy not because i am getting killed.. but at the same time he has done only 60hrs and is at level 30 where i have done 130hrs and am at level 35.. It seems that it is harder for me to level up playing on master (even though i am esentially swinging my sword more times to kill each enemy), therefore making the amount of time i need to spend on the game double what i would on expert.. doesnt add up.
I have always felt that the elder scroll games should have only one difficulty setting -realistic-