I think the thing you are missing is that not everyone will sit there and max their smithing in an hour or two. This also a single player game, not everquest where had like 20 different ores you had to mine that the nodes respawned in 10 minutes. So yeah, using iron to max the skill makes sense because its the most available node in the game. They didn`t put enough higher lvl nodes in to lvl the mastery like you are saying. They also probably didn`t think people would sit there and grind the skill to get the rewards then complain about it.

But here is a better solution to your games too easy with smithing woes. Smithing skill can only be as high as the lvl of the player! That way you will only be able to craft appropriate lvl gear and you`ll have nothing to complain about because you`ll never be overpowered that way. Then you would probably complain about being too weak.

I won't be using companions because the fact they can't die is just too much.

I'm playing on Master difficulty so hopefully crafting myself all the best weapons won't break the difficulty too badly for me.

I've had my companion die quite a few times. It's irritating because I have to load my game.

Which one are you using? I'm using the nord warrior found in the markarth inn. He dies on me at
least once a day (real world days, not game days).

Companions can die.

I think this is the only fix needed, so much that I don't use low rank stuff to level smithing, cause I feel like cheating.

I would argue that Fortify Smithing, Fortify Alchemy, and Fortify Enchanting need to be removed.

The crafting synergy is what causes some of the most broken aspects here. Sure, players can individually craft powerful effects, but its when 100 smith/enchant/alchemy conspire together to create something truly broken.

In all honesty, they would not be sorely missed. Each crafting profession would still play a meaningful role in their own right, and still be fairly effective together. Other skills tend not to have as insane synergies (except maybe sneaking/light armour/one hander/archery).

I really hate crafting. I want to play.

I agree on the craft skills buffing each other (and themselves). That [censored]'s excessive, and it begs min/maxers to grind to a really annoying degree to "supermax" their characters.

The good thing at the very least is that they were smart enough to not have fortify enchanting as something you could enchant as an effect, or ingredients with fortify alchemy as an effect.

This sounds like a very reasonable and viable solution.

Sorry, but who cares about perfect balance? It's a single player game. It only affects the individual doing it. If min/maxers want to exploit every example of synergy to make themselves gods, who cares? You aren't playing with them. They don't affect your game.

At level 39 by now I can create and make vulcanic glass armor as well as I can enhance it. My smithing capabilities are 80+ and my actual glass armor suite has been levelled up to "epic" which makes it very hard to break through for foes of all kind.

In this case it is very unbalanced.

I see your point but to me its about what the player wants. For example, I have 100 smithing but I enjoy the role-playing aspect of the game more than just crushing everything in my path because I can. I will only wear Elven armour with my Wood Elf archer. It keeps the game fun and challenging, and I can make money whenever needs be with smithing. I personally think its a cool feature.

I understand. But it does in some ways affect what is, or is not, an absolutely no brainer when it comes to what perks one should take when it comes to "making the strongest character." Months from now, when we see people discuss what it takes to play a "strong" character, we will see many reccomendations on going 100 on smith/alch/enchanting.

Because given enough money, and the right disenchatned items, it wins. It simply wins. People talk about how by leveling those, they accidently caused stronger enemies to spawn, but in the right combination, those skills blow away anything. There will be no "thief" style playthrough, or "mage" playthrough. People will leve lcrafting first (of focus on something to easily make money)

My issue is that from now on, every "strongest character" build people propose will always have 22+ perks set aside for the crafting skills. It simply blows away any other set of perks one can take. Sure, it doesn't affect the games of others, but it does affect all of my future games. As it stands, I'm not sure I could bring myself to not max out alchemy/smithing/enchanting. I have tasted the fruit in this matter.

As to why its so powerful, its simply because it can emulate pretty much any other skillset in terms of enchantments. Any skill can be fortified. Stats can be fortified, regen rates can be fortified, you name it.

But then they come on the forum and complain that everything's "too easy".

And Beth puts out a Broken Steel-type DLC, with monsters that are "made tougher " based on those complaints.

Nah man I think it’s okay, I hate smithing it’s too complicated, if you are willing to do it, you deserve a reward, besides it will get harder as you level up.

If your game is broken because you played exclusively at the forge and now onehit everything, then don't blame the game, blame yourself.

no one forces you to wear a specific armortype or weapon, so i don't really get this complaining.

Agree. It's not multiplayer so I couldn't care less if someone playing as an enchanter can be a god. Knock yourself out. But what isn't on is destruction being massively underpowered when compared to the level scaling damage the enemies can inflict. Just alter that and the game is good to go

I got 100 smithing but I dont feel it makes the game too easy for me so far... in fact its a great thing, because since I'm leveling all 18 skills at the same time, I'm considerably weaker than a character my level should be. Thus the leveled monsters are pretty strong for me.

The Dragonscale armor evens the odds. It allows me to survive as a level 40 with the combat skills of a focused level 15. It helps me play the character I really want: an Oblivion-style MOAT.

That's exactly why I hate crafting in Oblivion and Skyrim. They always gave much potential for game breaking power, so if I want to craft I'm always second guessing whether I'm just crafting well or breaking the game. I want using crafting to try and get the most out of it to be rewarding without feeling cheap.

I also lvled up my smithing pretty fast.... Im in full dragon armor with grand enchants and have Daedric swords/bow.
I also upgraded with like +100% fortify smithing (gear+pot) and now i feel like i already have the best available stuff - the last mainquest ive done is where you have to retrieve a horn from Ustgrad (or how its called).

I read that even alchemy is unbalancing. Basically you can become a god if you do the trade skills

The only thing I find really unbalanced by the system is that you can't get upgraded armor elsewhere, that or lower the effects of upgrades. You should be able to hire a skilled blacksmith to do it for you... for a price of course.

I's not too bad though because you have other powerful trees you can do and if you choose you combat perks well the game isn't hard on default difficulty.

The only thing I find really unbalanced by the system is that you can't get upgraded armor elsewhere, that or lower the effects of upgrades. You should be able to hire a skilled blacksmith to do it for you... for a price of course.

I's not too bad though because you have other powerful trees you can do and if you choose you combat perks well the game isn't hard on default difficulty.

In no way MUST you max out smithing.

I'm playing a level 43 Stealth/Archer character on Master difficulty and have not even touched Smithing. But even without using Smithing/Enchanting, I find I am able to 1 hit most mobs that are not Dragons. If you spend your Perks for maximum benefits with other perks the game becomes LOLEZMODE by level 25-30 (on Master Difficulty), without using Enchanting & Smithing.

From what I have been reading recently it seems Enchanting and Smithing are ridiculously overpowered and need some serious re-adjusting (although when I make my second/third playthrough character I might look at going with one of them to see just how overpowered they are).