I've been playing an orc two-handed heavy armor warrior, and I'm constantly checking my gameplay settings to make sure that I haven't somehow accidentally lowered my difficulty, because the enemies seem so weak. Seriously, I was already one hitting the draugr in Bleak Falls Barrow with an iron warhammer at level 3.
How is it THAT much more powerful than magic or one-handed? Does it get harder in the higher levels? I'm at level 9 right now and just 3-hitted a troll. Sure it makes you feel like a badass, but still...
I'm not complaining, just wondering if anyone else felt that it's ridiculously powerful.

It may be. But, to balance that out, you are also at your most vulnerable, defensively, during those same levels.

Weapons-wise, two-handed SHOULD be more powerful, hit for hit, at all levels (sans magical boosts of course, and perk assignments). I know it's stating the obvious, but you're sacrificing some amount of blocking and weapon speed so the payoff is tremendous damage...theoretically.

I think everything is overpowered. This is not a game for challenge.

The lack of a shield and lower speed don't really matter at all when you can smash your enemies heads before they even scratch you.

Add elemental fury and you don't even sacrifice speed. This has become my new favorite build; slightly improved weapon (superior, so you can avoid grinding smithing) and second level elemental fury. I play it unarmored for a little challenge but it's still pretty easy. It's so fast you don't need to depend on power strikes except maybe to open which means you don't need to build stamina or get addicted to vegetable soup.

Same here. made a 2h-orc, Level 11. It's a cake-walk right now, killed a dragon with a few strikes.

Wait until about level 19 when enemies get a powerboost. They'll be able to nearly one-shot you as well.

Yeah, two-handed bandits could one-shot my squishy-char but can they really one-shot a heavy armor dude?

If you start improving and perking heavy armor, it's not as frequent, but bosses can still give you headaches.

don't worry.
you'll get to regret your lack of a shield and elemental resistance soon enough.

The base damage is huge compared to one-handed, but, one-handed can spice it up with fire damage-dealing torches, spells, or a shield for extra protection. Overall, it's pretty balanced.

Destruction is much, much less balanced. It's the best of them all at early levels, and just before you're going away from early levels, you get infinite stun-combo... :/