Ancient dragons are the final level. Elders are weaker.

I agree with the OP


Dragons should be truly terrifying and hard

Infact you should not be able to kill a dragon below level 25....If you see one under level 25 you should just run

I really think they jumped the gun on when u fought ur first dragon or at least if their gonna force the dragons on you then it shoulda been a different town. Hell I think I would ne happy if instead of forcing you into it they could have added a scripted encounter outside either riften or markarth on a certain day of the week instead of everytime u went to that city of a group of guards defending the town of the dragon attack. Have it to where if u do not add or activily participate then the dragon will kill the guards and come back the Tuesday. It could happen anytime that Tuesday but only on Tuesday for example. And also have it to where if u do help, u have to fight to kill ot or else u have to run away. And then when u are finally strong enough to help the guards in slaying it, u get the soul, the guards gather around do their acripted speech and then bam a few minutes later out in the wild or in the city, u hear the greybeards calling. To find out about it, u just ask any jarl about it and they gove the direction but with different words and opionions about the matter. Also its not the first thing that pops up in dialogue either, it would be an option that u selext so its by choice when u wanna find out about it instead of being forced to hurry to get thru the mq.

Thats just off the top of my head of how to do differently and wouldnt be hard coding that either. And by no means am I a genius, but the whole setup on how they did the dragons....eh they to me destroyed the image of how powerful and fearsome dragons are by I dare say streamlinomg for accessablilty. Its showed that dragons can be fearsomes, but thats only at either real real early lvl a or at high lvls.. A good majority of the time, its just an incoveince to seeing or dealing with them, nothing more.

I agree. These dragons are bad.

They are supposed to be so tough, but guards, a dog, a goat and townspeople can take them down with ease.
I've seen it happen.

Alduins the least scary boss ever.
The main quest and villains are very lame and has literally less menace than My Little Pony, Friends Are Magic.
If the Nightmare Moon from MLP showed up in Skyrim it'd be like holy s**t! A being that can block out all daylight! The sun will never rise again! Nooo!
Alduin, 'Rarr'? Oh shut up, you never do anything and scare no one.

They should have made the dragons in diferent levels and varieties and in all the time as part of the eco system. That could be recruited by Alduin, or be on your side or independant or a random enemy.
And harder. A lot harder.

And villains who actually stand out and do something.
Alduin The World Eater, oh please. He's lame and generic looking.

You think dragon, you think, big, scary, awesome.
A challenge.
Not generic, easy and taken down by anyone.

The dragons in skyrim are boring and generic. Some of the most boring I ever saw.
Far too few varieties, too similer or same looking.

The end of the world, oh come on! I've never seen a stupider statement in games. In anything.
Has this zero menace person Alduin got some great plan?
Magic nukes, nukes, oblivion gates, demon army, zombie army, a big monster, steampunk clockwork army, magic weapon? No, nothing. He ressurects some dragons and eats some dead people.

How would the world end? He wants to control the world through dragons. That would'nt end the world, even if his pathetic plan worked.
Worlds never end. No world has ever ended in the entire history of the multiverse.

Those dragons could'nt take over a village, never mind a area.

If they said, he was leading a dragon army intent on conquest, ok. More likely.
But still would'nt fix the dragons and the plot.

I cannot stand the bull about dragons blasting each other is them arguing. Brahmindung.
That is lame and stupid and pathetic.

It would be far better if they were just flambeing each other and freezing things.
And they seriously need to do more than 2 attacks.

Have the language thing, but most of the time it's just burning and freezing, because they can.

They should have had a much better Alduin eat parts of Skyrim at points, dragons attacking towns in organised groups at set intervals.
And a much better MQ.

Though Dragons are under powered as enemies, i would like to raise another path in this.

Why is there no option after the meeting with Paarthurnax for a yield to the Dragonborne option with a heavily injured Dragon.

Often my character will have a Dragon severely injured land (or crash land) close by, but not be dead. it is so injured that i can approach and finish off either with bow or two handed weapon without fear of any real damage from the Dragon. Why can not a discussion with such dragons be offered with the option outcome for the injured dragon to find Paarth and join the Way of the Voice?

These Dragons are such magnificent beings that to have as the only option kill or be killed under all circumstances lessens the abilty to Role Play as a Dragonborne Figure. Such a discussion could be offered a small chance of success (based on Speechcraft and knowledge of Thu'um) so you are still required to carry out death sequences. You need the souls and not all Dragons would accept such a path. (Not many would).

I have added this as I have been walking up to the Elder and Ancient Dragons bodies and considered my right to take such a great life. It may be an important theme in the game, but i have most of the shouts and 20 souls "banked".