Sorry if I should have posted this in a different forum, this is my first post here.

So I am enjoying Skyrim at the moment, after getting past how overwhelming I found the game at first. This is my first Elder Scrolls game, and so now I feel like I have the hang of it and am enjoying it a fair bit more.

My problem is this, all over the forum I have seen people warning against finishing the Main Quest too soon without exploring the rest of what this game has to offer. I am only level 12ish at the moment (playing as an Imperial one hand sword/shield) and up the the quest "Aldiuns Wall". I realise that I am not really in danger of finishing the quest any time soon but still, I'm worried I am missing out on other parts of the game.

I have started the Companions questline, but one of the first quests I need to clear Shimmerist Cave, which is full of Farmer. I keep getting owned by the Chaurus things. I don't know if this is cos I'm shocking at combat or just too low level for it. Regardless I can't get past this quest.

Anyway at this point I am a bit stuck as to what I should do and would love some advice for some fun questlines around this level to attempt. It seems like most quests I get are boring quests which don't seem to offer much scope for levelling. Also should I be looking to upgrade my gear desperately (some of my heavy armor I wear is still the Imperial stuff you pick up really early) or just wait for drops?

Thanks

BTW if it matters, from memory I have only invested like 2 perk points in the one handed tree.

Hi Nitty,
The way to go is not to rush the main quest,take your time and enjoy the game.There are plenty of side quests that are huge compared to some of the main ones,you just have to find them.Im not going to put spoilers in for you.Shimmermist is hardish,leave it till you build up your character,thats what the Elder Scrolls is all about.Just explore and you WILL come across a lot of stuff that your character can handle at a lower level.I finished the main a while ago and it sort of does lose something when you have finished but its still great exploring and finding a lot more locations and stuff.So far ive done 75hrs cos im still doing the other quests and apparantly i can spend another 75 to finish them.And then we have been promised expansions and new main quests for a few years to come,plus all the community mods.Keep playing advice is difficult cos everyones character can be different.If you find a quest or dungeon hard,just go back to it.As i said there are a few side quests that i have done and they were awesome and took hours but i am not going to give anything away.Enjoy.

Welcome.
Like Russ said, its all about taking it at our own pace, and not stressing out about it. If youre having problems defensively, you should definitely look at improving your armour. IMO you could do a bunch more side quests to build your skill and confidence. Theres also no shame in lowering the difficulty until your offensive skills catch up.
You'll probably get heaps more advice from the regulars here, most of us try to be helpful.

Have a http://www.uesp.net/wiki/General:Fishy_Stick

Your time, your pace, your game.

It may just be me, but when I finish the main quest, I get this overwhelming sense of futility from my actions like there's no further point in developing my game. Rhetoric and anecdotes aside, I'd say postpone completing it unless you're not bothered by it.

Thanks for the advice so far I really appreciate it.

I think I'll post pone the main quest for now.

Is there any area I should focus on for questing at this level? Also I'd definitely like to upgrade my armor but I'm not sure how? Should I craft or should I try for some good loot drops or something?

I recommend a snipe and fade tactic for those Chaurus as they can be a pain in direct combat. Sneak up until they are in range of your bow shoot then move back out of detection range, rinse and repeat until heavily damaged or dead. I also like to lay down runes along my retreat path in case I screw up and they detect me.

As to what to do you can always just wander. Have you upgraded your armor and weapons using smithing?

Its not really split up into level areas like an mmo map. Higher level scaled creatures (like frost trolls) and dungeons that contain them can be found in higher mountainous regions. Dungeons and ruins etc in the lower elevations (as well as some in higher ones) will level accordingly upon which level you discover them (so a bandit lair found at level 12 will not contain level 25+ bandit types even after revisiting them at a higher level). Bandits are a safe bet because of how they scale, so try doing bounty quests for the jarls of different cities and you could get one to clear out a bandit hideout and kill the leader.

Smithing can always make you a better piece of gear defense wise at early levels but getting strong enchantments takes a bit of skill levelling to become more effective then the enchants you find on random loot. I personally only use self crafted upgraded gear without enchantments and then about level 20 (so long as ive been perking a bit in enchanting) I will start making upgraded gear and enchanting it.
To make gear just go to any of the blacksmiths to use the forge and you can make whatever gear you are levelled to make (eg:dwarven and elven wont show under the list unless you perked it) and as long as you have the ingredients (which are listed if you look at the item in the menu) you can make it. Further if you want to increase its strength (defence for armor and damage for weapons) all you need is the appropriate materials for upgrading (leather requires a piece of leather for example). Perking the smithing skill will allow you to upgrade certain armors better.

If you are low on enchanting skills but still want to put at least something on a piece of gear you made, make sure to upgrade it first then to enchant it because if your enchanting is too low (which it probably is) and you don't have the advanced armors perked you wont be able to upgrade it after. Once you have the advanced armor smithing perk you can do that.

I suggest you do some daedra quests. They're wicked fun (pun intended.)

Go to the abandoned house in Markarth. The quest is fun, and I'm quite confident the reward will be useful to you.

Might wanna put some perks in armor if your getting killed often. Or you know, use a shield or run around a lot or something. Whatever works.

I'm in the same boat as you Nitty, though this is the third Elder title i've gone through, so starting out wasn't too rough, but playing made me think it might be a little overwhelming for first timers. I have had to just consede to the fact that there are some creatures that I have to run from. It's unavoidable at level 15. Frost trolls will destroy me every time I go up against them unless I am super prepaired, always. I have accepted that. Like our knowledgeble friends here have said, if your stuck, walk away and come back later when you have better gear, spells, and armor skills. Everything will be there for you when you come back.

Oh, man, sprint rocks.

My method is to fully explore a town, decide what I am and am not going to do for people (IE, pick up what quests I want), then head in the direction of one -- and do anything else I stumble across along the way. I typically avoid fast-traveling entirely, so I don't just bounce around the map that much. I decide if it's time to head back to town, or maybe a new large township is closer and I'll just run on up there and take the wagon back, etc.

It adds more logic to your path, which for me, makes me do (and see) more stuff. I'm not going to run all the way across the map just because some old dudes made a boom after I killed a dragon. That's a long way away, and I have other things (Mage's College, for instance) that take priority for my particular character.

(But that's just me.)

Spend time in the inns; ask the bartender for work; they'll offer bounty rewards. I agree with Rainshine; I typically try to clear out pretty much everything in one town, then move on.