Most posts on the forum suggest that difficulty setting just changes enemy damage. Is ths true, or are enemy health and resistances also affected? Is there official documentation anywhere for what is changed with difficulty setting, including percentage increases, etc?

Hehe, Kayva posted the same question at the same moment. Go ahead and stick answers there for simplicity.

http://http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1301764-actual-effects-of-difficulty-levels/

I'm playing at master level atm, lvl 19 character.


Mainly going around the world, avoiding dungeons/instances atm.


Master is actually less fun than adept at these lower levels.

As a low level character you spend most of the time trying to avoid many mobs, archery is a must if you want to tackle a small group outlaw bandits, or a bear, sabre cat.

With archery (plus sneak) you have to get on to rock, overhangs that don't have access for the mob AI to be able to get to you (exploit, kind of but if you don't use that tactic you're dead).


Master level does not mean the AI is better it just means that that the mobs have loads more hp, stam and magika, they also must have a lot better armor ratings as you do not do too much damage to them and they damage you more.

Killed a thief earlier, it took about 20 arrow hits to kill it, 15 were head shots (so much for RP).

Typically it can take about 20+ arrows to kill cave bear, thief (including some at 3x damage). Yet a mob can kill you in 2 or 3 arrows.



I suspect you would be better off starting a game on adept, changing the difficulty when adept becomes to easy to expert and then finish up with master.

Good Idea!! Thank you.