Currently level 40 on master difficulty.
After reading all the downsides of "maximizing" techniques, very common in MMO games, and even it was never my intention to go down that road, I was very careful to just level/pick the stuff that I felt like fun instead of optimal.

I was doing alright until 5 levels ago. I died several times, I had to reload a lot of several more times. Never needed to lower the difficulty from master, but there were a couple of times that I really felt like it was a needed, however not.

But since level 36, I'm starting to one shot everyone. Inevitably I hit 100 on my weapon skill. My smithing level is eighty something, so I am wearing ebony battle axe. It's damage is about 180. No enchanting on it because I like to use the elemental fury shout. However I did enchant my armor to give more two handed damage (at level 35 I really felt that I needed more damage output).

I'm just not sure if from one moment to another I overpowered myself too much, or everyone just stop leveling along with me.

For those who have arrived to this point, what do you thing would be the better solution for the sake of the fun and roleplay?

I've been thinking of stop enchanting, or at least put minor enchantings, stop upgrading weapons to legendary, or use something like iron or steel weapons. Actually that are the only choices I see without the use of mods.

I tried to test new skills like archery and destruction, but at this level it's really annoying cause they do an incredebly low ammount of damage. It just feels unreal to me to need to fire more than 20 arrows to a single head and see it still alive.

I hope this topic doesn't turn into a complain hub, or complain about complainers fight, cause this is not.

Start delving in to the falmer dungeons. Those blighters are tough as nails on master. You have to keep in mind that in general most enemies stop leveling with your after you hit 40. Your inevitably going to feel overpowered when you run in to enemies that are not scaled to your current level.

Yeah, I really feared the falmer, until like 3 levels ago.
I think the only enemies I really fear at the moment are Krosis.

One shotting in master is the same as one shotting in novice. The difficulty level just ramps up how much damage you take

i'm pretty sure it affects how much damage your foes take too.

Well, no, mobs obviously get more hp as well, try changing the difficulty mid-fight and see for yourself.

As far as one-shotting, the dungeons and areas all have very different scaled mobs, you might one-shot everyone in a bandit camp/cave, then get absolutely annihilated in another.

I'll try this

If the weapon you are using is killing things too fast, then use a weaker weapon. I do this all the time. At a certain point, a character in this game will inevitably run out of challenges all the time. It is part of the design really as you are supposed to develop your character to explore the story, rather than develop your character to play the game. So, once a certain level is reached, you no longer have to develop your character, just enjoy the game.

So, I usually end up using Iron or Steel at upper stages when I want to prolong the fight. And, of course I keep a powerful weapon for those times I need it. Kind of like Inigo Montoya who fights left handed at first.

Don't use Enchanting.

All problems solved.

Run around in fur armour swinging an iron sword.

turn off your hud and never use potions, use one-handed weapons.

Try down grading from ebony. That should do it.
In ob to stop being over powered after about 500 hours by dude suffered a nasty fall of a cliff, also most died was never the same again, couldnt shake of illness, (in other words if its that bad self nerf, i let my guy get dieseised then never cured it) he tryed lots of medication but at no avail ( i used alchemy potions i mixed my self with negative and positive effects.)
i no its alot of rp choices but it can be fun. Maybe you two hander gets a shoulder injury starts useing sword n board to off set his weekness as he can only muster a few swings with the big axe, he keeps it on him tho 'just incase' (so if crap hits the fan then your fullpotential can be unleashed for the boss battles)

2 mods help me a lot to get hard game at Master (40+ now):

PISE - Improved Skyrim Experience
http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1269

Spekky Bandits Overhaul
http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=3869

stop exploiting the game and make it challenging other wise it will get boring easily.

I steer clear of Smithing and Enchanting, and i find the game extremely hard in certain dungeons. Right now my character is level 26 necromancer (focuses on one-handed weapons and reanimating spells, and i only use cloth armor)

when i find the game getting too easy, i downgrade my gear, challenge greatly adds to the fun that is to be had in skyrim.

Smithing seems to be almost mandatory if you want melee/bows to stay competetive in endgame - unless you like hitting enemies few dozen times before they die.

Take off the fortifying armour is a start.

Use a less smithed weapon.

Get used to looking at your reloading screen.

The advice already mentioned is useful, but as for myself, I plan to roll a Monk:

Bare Handed damage only
No armor, only clothes that suit a master of the martial arts
Alteration/Restoration magic

That should provide some extra difficulty

start using a differnt thing...
i randomly started using magic, i svcked at first and still do lol. no perks in it though so it makes sense.

Why not? At least for some enemies (like a certain large dragon), combat *ought* to take a while. It made me rather sad on my first playthrough when I killed that dragon with 3 dual-wielding power attacks. It was the epic fight of the age, and it was over in 5 seconds.

Use only a carrot as a weapon, cabbage for armour and cheese for shoes. If you need range weapons, throw tomatoes.

On master difficulty with a max smithed legendary daedric sword (etc.) + fully perked 1h tree, you wont 1 hit bandit/ darugr/ forsworn type enemies without sneaking or power swings if you dont have any fortify 1h gear equipped (as long as there isnt a huge level difference).

My lvl 80 has fully perked 1h tree, doesnt use fortify 1h items, and I never 1 hit enemys using an unenchanted but max legendary daedric sword if I dont power swing or sneak attack. Ranges from 2-6 hits depending on target level/ type. * Since the "dungeons" lock at the level you first encounter them, replaying previous caves etc its possible to end up fighting low level mobs which can be 1 hit.

"For those who have arrived to this point, what do you thing would be the better solution for the sake of the fun and roleplay?"


Now is too late for these:

SKYRIM RELEVEL http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=4630

PISE http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1269

But you can still try this:

INTENSE DIFFICULTY http://skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=4406

I'm playing a thief/assassin. Basically only leveled blacksmithing to get glass weapons and will probably only furthor use it to upgrade thieves guild or DB armor. Even in my low 20's I can 1-shot most things with backstab but I tend to get brutalized if I'm caught on Master, so it feels like a fair compromise. I currently can't do anything to dragons without an excellent hiding place or a lot of help.

This game kind of forces you to create your own balance. You have the tools to make your character into anything you want him to be. My thief/assassin will be a borderline god in the shadows but a sitting duck in the open. I plan on leveling illusion to help my guy at least escape when caught in the open.

Yeah there are some things that are still a challenge for you at level 40. You can't two shot an ancient dragon but the challenge is just very small. Immune breath attack, block, lol ultimate healing potion. The beginning of the game is the best and is where any challenge lies. Besides the downgrade your weapon to iron and run around with no clothes on self gimping style, you will have to mod your game or start over and not take certain perks or skills.

The story will be the same though as far as responses go and that is "The game is designed to stop offering a challenge at a certain point" And "Enjoy the story"


And that's fine except it's not engaging and very hack and slash. I love it when a shield user enemy bashes me, sadly most of the time they just stand there with their shield raised until they die. Until they design a game where enemies not only level, but have and use perks, you will either take em out fast or they will take you out slightly less fast. The odd part is, several enemies actually do respond well: higher level vampires, some briarhearts, and some boss fights, but in the end I'm still swinging away at that raised shield.

Knock-knock has a good idea if you can get into that.