I recently made a pure mage character, using all schools of magic ranging from illusion all the way down the list to enchanting, and I understand where everyone is coming from now, being a mage in this game, wihout alchemy is -ridiculous-, a simple reduction in magicka cost would literally save lives, it would be the most simple solution to the problem, and also scaling the spells would also be great. Just some random food for thought.... I tried playing over adept nd it just is not feasible without wanting to rip my hair out.....

So why aren't you using alchemy
Healing potions aren't off limits because you're a mage and you don't have to perk alchemy for it to be useful

I have another mage that uses alchemy, I wanted to see where everyone was coming from without using alchemy, and my god, it is ridiculous. And im not talking healing potions, im talking without armor, or fortify destruction damage, things of that nature, without alchemy, it is INSANE being a mage. Like I said, I have a character that uses alchemy extensively.

Also, if your on computer: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=2275

Small changes, wonderful consequences. Helps you immensely.

Dont have the money for a good gaming pc, so using console, so i just bumped the difficulty down, still pretty difficult, but seems about the same as a melee character / archer on expert or master.

This is one place I would say the ability to modify your movement speed is crucial.

I had success with a magic/alchemist when I played vanilla: Get your hands on a lot of Paralysis poisons and your good.

I do agree though, it's not easy.

I found archers much less rewarding though, because of the ease of archery these days. Point and click, your arrow hits... this frustrates me. Magic, funnily enough, requires more more skill referencing your accuracy, than archery does.

I find it a lot more fun though, all the choices you have with all the different schools of magic, its really funny making a bunch of bandits flee into a wall, choosing the strongest one of them, and using fury on him, and he starts beating them all down, then I revive the dead bandits to pick on the stronger bandit that killed them, and they all fall down with a blast of a fireball, lol.

mmm_buddah23, how about some more info: what level mage? do you use any enchant?

I ask because I am currently level 41 and on Adept and I don't use alchemy at all (I carry a few healing/magicka potions I buy) and I'm doing fine.

I use a mix of all the spell schools, but primarily destruction and alteration. I carry a staff of chain lightning and a staff of fire wall which help me with tactical/low-magicka situations.

But overall this character is my easiest one. I played a warrior (don't use smithing) and had a hell of a time in my 30-40 levels - especially with mages.

So, I'd like more data on what you feel is wrong.

Agreed.

I haven't been a real fan of Illusion magic in most games, but it is nothing but entertaining in Skyrim.

Oh dont get me wrong, adept is perfectly fine, but above is where I run into problems, Currently I use ALL schools of magic, I kind of use this pattern for perks, Conj, Alt, Dest, Illusion, Conj, Rest, Dest....so forth and so on, but the main problem is when I tried putting the difficulty above adept, I would constantly run out of magicka, and magicka potions, and even though I run around with a staff of lightning bolt (im at level 13), i constantly find myself running for the hills because the spells cost too much. I know when I get to a higher level, I will have more magicka and more health, and stronger enchants, but with the scaled enemies, I can still see many problems arising....Id be more specific, but its 2 in the morning, and I have an infected eye ball which is half blind atm, and reading / typing is a pain in the ass.....OH yeah, on my other battle mage where I used HA, I enchanted things to nullify spell cost, but on this mage i dont want to do this, because I have such a broad range of magic schools that I am using...maybe it will all come to a head eventually, and itll becomee asier, but Ill let eeryone know how it works out.....

My level 46 Mage is parked because he is way OP. He never touched either Alchemy or Enchanting. He has a set of Dragonscale armor but never wears it. Just the Arch Mage robes is all that he wears. He is on expert.

Hmmm, then Ill have to see where this goes eventually. Did you use every school of magic? Or just a few?

I've got a Destruction Mage.... doesn't bother with the other schools..... blasts everything with elemental spells and gets by just fine. Doesn't wear armour either. It is easy enough to avoid being hit....
Doesn't need Alchemy either because... well... Enchants. No casting cost.

My level 24 mage is a walk in the park. I play on Adept, and as long as I have a few healing potions I'm usually alright. Just make sure you have a high pool of magicka plus a high level destruction spell and it's pretty easy. Also, alteration helps a lot. Stoneflesh has saved me in quite a few situations.

I feel like I'm missing something, here. If the default difficulty is fine why don't you play on default difficulty? If you run into problems on higher difficulty settings why do you play on higher difficulty settings?

With no casting cost, yes, it is much easier, but I am trying to avoid that this playthrough, maybe when I get to a high enough enchanting, I will dual enchant things for fortify magicka and whatever skill, so it spreads out nicely, one for dest, one for illusion, one for conj, and one for alteration, or something along those lines, but I like to use all my skills equally, and not just focus on one. When I say pure mage, I mean all forms of magic. not just a few.

I usually play all my other chaacters on a higher difficulty setting, thats why I see where everyone is coming from. I have no problem playing on apprentice / adept, but its kinda silly that with a mage I play n those difficulties, and with my archer that uses daggers, i can breeze through master.

Stoneflesh is awesome, alteration is GREAT, especially paralyze.

My level 48 mage is on 2x Master difficulty (Intense Difficulty mod), wear an archmage robe, enchanting for my other slots (but don't use any Alchemy at all so enchanting's not overpowered), have a follower (Eola) and I'm finding it balanced. If you have all schools, then conjuration is your friend. Alteration is the last magic skill I am leveling, because as a pure mage ideally I shouldn't be in melee range, ever.