I'm plaiyng a dunmer thief and i've realized, Skyrim is an unrelentlessly difficult game for anyone who doesn't use heavy armor

seriously, I go in to any dungeon and get my [censored] kicked...

Try lowering the difficulty.

Really? I'm using light armor and doing just fine. You just gotta beef up your health every time you level up.

Depends. Try using some spells, Restoration will go a far way.

Strange, because I've played a Dunmer with Light Armor and a High Elf without any armor at all, and I've done reasonably well. I'm still fairly low level with both though.

I'm already playing on apprentice, I'm used to oblivion where i could change from a heavy armor fighter to light armor, I'm starting to not like the perk system...

I had that issue, but then I figured the difficulty might be leveled at moving around with a companion, since they're fairly readily available. Teamed up with Jenassa and haven't had to many problems since.

im used fur armour for my nord seems fine, playing no magic.

I've been stealthing and arrowing fools all over. Using assorted poisons too. Really like it.

I'm playing on Expert and haven't leveled my Health once, only stamina. Doing fine so far, although I die a few times against tougher enemies.

THeif on expert, and I do pretty well for myself.

Hell i use heavy armor and even i get 3 shot by some guy i shouldn't be messing with. I think thats the issue here, the dungeons, caves, npcs, etc don't have a mechanic by which to judge their level or difficulty, so the only way to find out is trial and error. Unfortunately some people don't enjoy failing.. at all. Personally i think i'm going to have a pretty easy time of it mid-late game when i do my assassin character because sneak is very easy to level, and so long as you're doing level appropriate content bow should be relatively easy to level. Watch the youtube vids on characters with high sneak, its seriously good if you play it like you would in the game "thief" where you don't go toe to toe often but instead run away or use the "vanish" function.

I'm playing a pure wizard so I don't really know, but the Backstab and Assasin's Blade perks look outrageous x6 or x15 damage! What? The 3x damage with deadly aim looks okay. The problem is that your power in combat will probably be [censored] until you get these perks, were upon you will one shot everything. Those skills look like they should have been more incremental. Like a Stealth Strike skill that gives (+1x bow) (+2x one handed) (+3x dagger) per level with four levels possible. Doesn't that make more sense?

What?!

I've been playing a thief build for 30 hours and I've consistently kicked ass.

Just a few salient points:
1. Sneak attack multipliers
2. Archery (x3 damage from sneak)
3. Daggers (x15 damage anyone?)
4. Poisons (Seriously. A little Stamina sapping, paralyzing, or health destroying poison goes a long way.)
5. Enemies are attracted to sound. An arrow against the wall on the other side of a trap will attract your enemies and cause them to stumble into their own defenses.
6. Playing a thief requires patience and planning.

As a thief, you shouldn't need heavy armor because you shouldn't be getting hit. If they've seen you then you failed. I've taken out entire bandit dungeons without being seen. You can't play a pure thief build like a warrior.

Do you have to take alchemy, then? Or can you get by on just using potions/poisons you buy and find?

Really? My two characters so far are an Altmer mage in robes and a Bosmer ranger in leather armor. Neither have had any problems with damage.

In fact, they both take a hell of a lot. I took down the Krosis on Shearpoint with my Altmer by working Healing and my sword against him. It took him upwards of four fireballs to take my health down to dangerous levels.

Playing thief on Master, can't say that it's an easy ride, I have to use everything I've got to win fights. I like it, though, very challenging and satisfying.

this is skyrim... nobody said a thief CANT wear heavy armor LMFAO

Also i play as pure mage where i ware 0 ARMOR
i dont even use any spells to give me armor, and i am doing just fine!

lol, i just did Krosis about 30 minutes ago and i felt like i was back in WoW arena with how much i was humping a pillar as i healed myself before whirlwind sprinting back in and dropped 2h power attacks on him and repeating the process.

What? Please.. I'm a lv 11 mage I'm wearing NO armor, and I don't have buffs either; although I do have a shield to help protect me, plus summons.

I've been playing a Dumner with light armor and it's not too difficult. Mostly I just have restoration in one hand, and a sword in the other.

Also, I'm on Adept difficulty.

You don't have to, but taking alchemy really helps. I've been grabbing every plant/ingredient I find (I don't fast travel and I walk everywhere, so I don't miss much) and by the time I get where I'm going I usually have enough ingredients to make potions and poisons that are as good as or better than stuff I can find or buy, but in much bigger quantities.

thanks for the reply

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPTTYqY_5uQ

in the second half of the video, he walks right up to baddies from the front, and they dont see him.

Stealth is fine lol.

Ah a biased video where he has over powered weapons, high skill, and turns the difficulty down. Because there's just so much evidence of him being that flawless. I know for a fact it isn't that easy to kill things with stealth at least on the hardest difficulty. Even with x6 modifers regular bandits have survived a double blow from two weapons at once. It does nothing to illustrate how brutal playing a thief is on the higher difficulties before your fully decked out in over powered gear. But at that point any class would be good.