This is something that's bugged me for awhile. Why can't we hire people to improve our weapons, and armor; or enchant them?

With the way the game is set up, you pretty much need enchanting, and smithing at high levels to do respectable damage. So we have to spend 8 or more perks into Smithing, and/or Enchanting to keep doing well.

We already have black smiths around, that we can buy stuff from? Why not give us the option to commision them to make/improve weapons? Because that's ya know.. What blacksmiths do.

And there are pleanty of mages who it would make sense to hire for enchanting. Farengar, or any of the holds mages really. There's really no excuse.

So yeah.. Just wanted to get that off my chest.

Edit: Not to mention that enchanting/smithing is required for an unarmed fighter character now.

I like this idea.

Let's not forget you COULD do this (or something similar) Since at least Morrowind.

You should be able to hire alchemists, smiths and enchanters to make custom orders, but it should be expensive, take a few days to complete and be inferior to player-made gear with a high perk investment.

This!

Why would they get rid of this feature when its most relevant now? I cannot comprehend this.

I agree - I also miss being able to pay mages to one stop shop re-charge weapons. Now I have to pause to buy endless soul gems and lug them around to charge. Yes, yes I know there is soul trap - but that's more time consuming also - too much spell shuffling & though it may work better in Skyrim (haven't used it) - it was a pain to use in Oblivion "Please stop moving so I can cast a spell on you then kill you; kill you quickly before the spell wears off..." And yes, yes could put ST on a weapon - but then I'm sacrificing on dealing damage.

Is it a huge time/effort svck to acquire & use the soul gems? Nope - but it seems like taking away the whole Mages charging enchanted items aspect was one of those "if it ain't broke..." things - I just don't get the "why" of it...

I'd actually forgot that we used to be able to hire people to recharge our stuff. Another thing that had no reason to be removed.

Why wouldn't they add that? Maybe because its Skyrim, and Nords are magically inept?

The features were most likely not implemented to ensure that the player had a use for Smithing and Enchanting that didn't just save some gold. The notion of improving your weapon can be seen as a continual effort on the part of the PC, that is, that the PC maintains weapons and armor behind the scenes. The problem is that the effect of Smithing easily becomes so extreme that not improving Smithing will make the player significantly weaker compared to someone with improved weapons and armors. Which urges the player to grind the skill. I haven't grinded Enchanting, so I have no idea how extreme the effect is.

On a side note, along with leveled merchants, this inability also makes gold pretty useless.

Actually, it should vary with skill. Master level enchanters/smiths/alchemists should be able to make the same level potions as the player and charge a cost of (base ingredients cost) * (1.0 + .1(Skill Level)). They would want to have low enough prices to attract customers after all.

You can ask the Enchanting trainer at the College of Winterhold to enchant something for you, but he refuses!

As long as said smiths and enchants are weaker then self-made ones, I see no reason why this shouldn't be implemented.

Gold is [censored] easy to get in this game.

Because if you hired a smith you would get arrested for lollygagging.

Actually, this is a great idea..
Aha, thanks OP, you've give me inspirasion

You,me,and shed load of other people too. It's just more they ripped away from us.

I think it's all about game balances, we, "the player", is intended to play the game, rather than relaxing back in our arm-chairs as directors -- yawn.

Smile, but we can pay trainers to do our job for us, as well.

But we need money to pay the trainers, and we have to go get that money, going around fighting, looting and then having to sell the stuff -- aw hell! Can't we ever get any rest!