I find it funny that anyone would disagree with you. If they think the difficulty is fine as is, great I understand that, however don't post outrageous things like "No! The game is fine as is. This is not a SupAr Min/Max game like WoW lololol!" All this pertains to is giving the player more options, which works both ways, making the game more or LESS challenging.

however, there are people on this forum that will do just that.

increasing the difficulty without improving the mechanics is useless. in that case, just add the optional slider; which, should obviously be an option on every game anyways.

why they don't improve the ai is beyond me. or, we know exactly the reasons: money, casuals, ineptitude.

Sometimes when i read threads like this i want to issue some sort of warning to developers who are still most likely never reading this, but if theres a slight chance they are, i dont want them to get any ideas from people wanting higher difficulty. It makes me worry that in next installment, or even in a dlc, i might have to face a lowly bandit who will annihilate my character in order to satisfy a set of fans that should probably stick to ninja gaiden and call of duty.

When i play, i simply dont use potions. In every RPG, you can always just drink potions to save your skin. Its up to the player to say to himself: "Hey, this is cheap, im not going to keep downing endless potions as this Bandit doesnt use any himself". May sound silly, but i cant think of any Rpg-Fantasy game where you cant find some sort of exploit or cheap tactic, or even grinding to become godly. Just dont do it. If you claim that youre wearing clothing and no armor, but still surviving, you are probably using a combo of illusion, sneak and archery. Thats a lil cheap. Balance your charcter better and dont opt for the best skills all the time. If you are facing enemies head on in master, while wearing 'clothing', abd claiming you dont get killed, then youre simply lying and in search of a pat on the back and a atta boy!

Ah, you mean adding the more strategic ai to the enemy. I would love that but I'm guessing it's difficult in a game of this magnitude?

Difficulty is NOT how much damage you deal and how much damage the enemy deals. If this was say a turn-based game, yes that would make sense. Considering this is more so an Action Adventure game that is real time, damage scaling is just a teensy tiny component when talking about difficulty. It makes fights take longer and gives you a smaller margin of error, as naturally the longer you do something the more opportunities for messing up there are, and considering enemies deal increasing amounts of damage on higher difficulty, it means more when you mess up (like being one shot by a Bandit Chief). True difficulty, would be if combat was dynamic and enemies reacted better to your attacks and movements or changed their tactics forcing YOU to adapt. Because combat is so shallow, I never have to change my tactics. If it is ranged or magic, I simply side step it or line of sight it. If it is melee, I strafe and dodge power attacks that are blatant. I just spam my 1 attack I have, and with Stagger and Paralyze this becomes completely trivial.

Most enemies further do not have multiple attacks or skills. Mages pretty much just run around like tards with wards up shooting the same spell over and over. Archers just shoot arrows at you and walk left and right. Melee mobs have regular attacks and Power attacks only. There are hardly ANY hybrid creatures. Draugr Deathlords are pretty much the only thing in the entire game that are pseudo scary as they can shout and have melee.

If you throw Stealth into the mix, lol wow. You get the drop on everything and it just flops over. Pathing is atrocious. You can jump off stairs and run back up. Outside, you can jump on and off littttttle rocks that somehow GIANTS walk around. Enemies need to port to you or have ranged attacks if they are unable to get to you. I could go on and on. TRUE difficulty is WAYYYYYYYYYYYYY more than just damage and margin of error, especially difficulty (challenge) that is FUN. The puzzles or lockpicking are great examples. At level 1 I am opening Master locks? LOL. The puzzles which I don't even bother looking for clues anymore but just trying combinations until they work? What is this a 4 year old's game of "put the right shape in the corresponding hole?"

i understand what you are saying, but, i do not agree on some things.

it doesn't matter that you don't use potions. the in-game mechanics allow you too. to not use the mechanics provides no in-game incentives. it's all a mind self-pat on the back.

the functional, gameplay mechanic should be an option. i should be able to toggle a limited potion use/ potions over time mechanic. THAT'S real, in-game mechanics having a huge impact on actual gameplay.

as well, exploiting is great. i want it to be allowed. but, not at the expense of the balance of the game for non-exploiters.

I'd love to see something like this, but I would want it to be more than just increasing enemy damage/decreasing player damage. That just makes the game more of a grind. There should be a number of options, like increasing monster spawns, massively increased damage for both PC and NPC, so one hit kills were common on both sides, sneak difficulty slider, turning off compass and sneak cross hair (without loosing health/magicka/stamina bars), darker dungeons,etc. Of course, you can do all this with mods, but that does not help those of us on consoles.

The freedom to create an overpowered character is the same freedom that allows people to play this game anyway that they want as far as character development goes. However, I see people wanting the game to change so they can create a super powerful character and still have a challenge which kind of defeats the purpose of having a powerful character if you think about it. Thing is, the only variable that people have control over is the only variable that they are unwilling to change, which is how they develop their character.

Character development is very personal and tied directly to satisfaction. To ask players to play something differently is not valid. Further, asking them to play it differently does not fix the problem, as the problem is the enemy AI and not just character development. Further, people are not asking the game to change but to be flexible. This means additional options than what we have now. We are not changing what we have now, just extending it to give the player's more control over their experience. This is a good thing no matter how you look at it.

But having a powerful character is the only way to take advantage of what the game is offering, I don't see why there should be a compromise. You two choices at present, first is you become overpowered and the challenge of the game is gone. Second is you regulate your self don't use all the game is offering to keep the game a challenge. I'm saying don't get rid of one and two but offer a third which you can play the game to its fullest and playing the game the way you want, and have the challenge of tougher opponents.

And another statement that I can't wrap my head around. Explain this please.

It is perfectly valid. If your current methods are not working for you, then change your methods. Or, accept the results of your methods.

I used to build uber characters, I stopped having fun. Now, I just play the game and don't worry about character development stats, and I have all kinds of fun. Well, I never had this problem in Skyrim because I learned my lesson back in Morrowind. I did not demand that the game be re-coded, I just adjusted my play style to the game. Which I have to do with just about every game I play.

i don't know what he means by that statement, but,

i'll jump in and say this: i want to be able to get up any day and play however i feel like playing that particular day. and, being a god with the ability to max almost ALL skill/perks, etc. allows me to NOT have to create another character and specialize.

today, without re-doing content with another character, i can play as an all-powerful mage, or warrior or battlemaging thief.

i'm not sure if that's optional without too many balance/build problems being created, but, i'd like it to be optional. sort of, make my cake and eat it, too, lol.

i don't know what

Maybe I didn't word this very well.

You want to level up Smithing and Enchantment, you also want to have the best weapons and armour available. But in doing so you end up becoming very powerful so the game becomes easier. All I am saying is if there was an option for people who wanted it the difficulty to increase and make it challenge to play the game with the best equipment it has to offer. Then you'd still find the game challenging and you can still level on the skills that make you powerful, because at the moment it's one or the other.

the problem with that is your intimating exploitation and then reducing it to standard gameplay by matching it with an appropriate difficulty level.

for me, that's as good as saying you DON'T want the ability to exploit. i do.

No it isn't. To ask players to go against progression is unnatural. Further, it STILL does not fix the difficulty issue. I can't adjust my playstyle to make the AI better. I shouldn't have to hold back. It's like our intramural Softball league for work. The guys have to intentionally hold back and you can only have X number of guys on the team because if not the guys would absolutely obliterate the girls. That just isn't fun. Further, it isn't very fun when we are having to intentionally hold back. It is much more enjoyable to play baseball with my buddies and I can go full speed.

No I'm saying all there could be is an option, doesn't mean everyone has to use it. If people want to exploit it that's fine and for people that don't then they have the option not to.

I think Skyrim is fine as it currently is right now but there are some things that I would change.

For Normal difficulty and the higher ones too.

Smithing needs to be tweaked but only in the amount of power you gain off the items when you smith to Legendary. Spamming 450 Iron Daggers to get 100 Smithing is fine, getting +40 in armor from smithing legendary armor is a problem. Prevent Smithing that goes over 100 from gaining any additional benefits is also something that I would want changed.

Enchanting overpowered items, put limits as to how high you can go with certain stats such as a 75% Magic Regen limit on Enchanting.

For Higher Difficulty

Get rid of the Health Regen

The problem with skyrims balance is that you are given way too many resources, thats where most apparent difficulty (or lack of) lies. Look at system shock 2. No amount of enemy health is really going to affect you much, other than add to frustration.

terror-

i definitely do not think skyrim is fine, as is. not even close because too many "errors" have such simple solutions.

the trades should be separate and have a different system in place with a more appropriate xp allotment. or, with creativity, no xp, at all.

auto-regen = toggle.

I never understood what's the obsession with higher difficulty, if you want to stab something for several minutes, then go right ahead, I myself during lower levels I play in Adept, once I reach higher level I drop down to Apprentice, since of course during higher levels I find myself in the higher level zones more often, Keep in mind that I am a role player, and well as I said, stabbing something for several minutes is just freaking boring and ruins my immersion

you just described the PROBLEM with the difficulty and have now added to the argument you thought you were opposing.

as well, i shouldn't have to ever adjust the difficulty in-game to create balance.

Not to beat a dead horse but I think if the game had a hardcoe mode it would solve the problem.

lol, unbelievable. i read hardcoe and i get all happy and ready to talk about serious gameplay advancement.

edit: from someone other than me, i should say, lol.

hardcoe Mode is a separate concern. Typically, hardcoe Modes have upkeep systems to them like having to eat, sleep, scarce resources, and other things many players view as a nuisance. I hate hardcoe Modes, but I enjoy the most challenge from a gameplay perspective. I wouldn't argue against one and quite frankly I am surprised there isn't one considering it is built to have one included. No regen, hunger system, sleeping system, scarce resources, aging etc.