I've seen a few people refer to potions as cheats. That seems true, since they heal you while time stands still. But seriously, how do you survive without them?

I'm a level 27 Ranger and every battle is a challenge for me. I'm constantly "stopping time" to down potions as the enemy's broadsword is inches from my head. But I see no other way to survive. I don't power level or use exploits to max my levels. I don't block (as a Ranger) and wear light armor. I'm constantly sprinting away from battle and trying to use ranged destruction attacks, but need to drink stamina potions to keep that up.

Am I just being an unskilled noob, trying to hack and slash when I should be using strategy? What kind of battle strategy can a Ranger use? All I've got is One-Handed, Archery, Destruction, Light Armor; no Block and no shield. Oh yeah, and I've got tons of gold from micromanaging my inventory so I can afford to buy lots of potions to stay alive.

When you see someone say that you reply with this

Who said that potions are cheats?

Also complaint threads don't get you very far, this particular thread might get locked soon.

This is a symptom of outdated combat mechanics.

Hopefully by the next game, they will have implemented a working block/dodge system, and real time/interruptible potion drinking.

i wouldnt get too worked up over what some people call cheating. I saw one guy say that potions were cheating but in his other posts he mentions multiple times that he only uses bows and has maxed out sneak and just shoots confused enemies that can never find him. That also isnt cheating but it can be considered just as lame

I think half of my carry weight is potions.

<----doesn't use potions, just heals himself and follower while the deadthralls do all the work... on my warrior I have no potions either, i use my wait button to avoid having the carry them and I never die in a single fight since I stacked HP more than I stacked my stamina. On my assassin I don't carry potions(if im seen, and im hit, it's a one shot on master mode so potions cant heal that)

I think by "potions" they mean the ones you make yourself in order to get like 1 million damage bows and become completely invulnerable to attacks...

Phew, ok, I was worried that I was being a cheater. Still, I know I have to up my game and dodge better. Simply walking backward (to keep the enemy in view) as they hack away at me is NOT good combat tactics. If instead, I sprint toward them to their side, then turn faster than they do, I can strike. That works for Giants, at least.

Thanks for confirming.

I survive w/o potions on Master difficulty, never used one! BUT i don't consider them as cheating. I do like hoarding them though haha

It's become somewhat 'elitist' on this forum to play without any form of HUD, and role play in such a manner that you aren't able to smith, enchant, make potions, drink potions, run on the roads, fast travel or ride horses.
Ah, the forums ...

You may think it's "elitist," as you call it, but some people think some of these things are fun. I myself play without a compass (which is playing without a HUD 95% of the time) and at least one of my characters has not used potions. Another character did not do any Smithing. I rarely fast travel (aside from carriages). None of my characters (so far) have done any Enchanting. But I'll be damned if anyone is going to call me an "elitist." I play the way I want to play. Everybody else is free to play however they want. I find these things fun. I don't care what you or anybody else thinks about it.

I don't consider it cheating but I don't like the idea of being able to pause the game and consume an infinite amount of potions. On my Warrior on Master I haven't consumed a single potion. It's really challenging as I have to run a lot or find cover but it's doable.

If you want to be cheap you can save your level-ups and when you're very low health choose to level-up and select the attribute and quickly exit. If you time it right you should be able to save you're level-ups but fully heal as well.

I don't see the point in doing that level-up thing instead since potions are in the game anyway.

Lol what?

So you say the "elitist" only walk to their destinations? haha

Seriously the only reason i don't use potions is because I'd rather use my healing spell and level-up my restoration! FYI Efficient leveling? heard of it?

I dislike how people put those who Role-Play in a awkward category but as you said its the forums :S

Not only do I drink potions, but I have an auto-potion mod to automatically gulp 'em down as soon as my health, magicka or stamina get low enough. I r teh cheater king!

It does make combat better, though, not having to pause the action to access the menu.

You misunderstand me. If you choose to do so, then good on you - it's your choice, and I respect you. It's when people force it upon others that I get angry. I've seen more than one thread where the OP has said something along the lines of 'if you play with a HUD and/or fast travel, you don't deserve to play the Elder Scrolls, and amongst the hordes of people flaming them, there are people saying 'agreed!'

Sorry about the misunderstanding. I'd quote your posts, but I can't on my phone.

For me stopping time to look at your inventory while a sword is about an inch from your head is the real cheat than the potions.

I am a harcore alchemist and always invest into carryweight. I see the steed stone as allowing me to carry 200 more potions. Skill fortification, healing, health, magicka, invisbility, damage health and paralysis poison, all there.

Now where do I carry these hundreds of potions? The world may never know.

If this is meant for my post(w/c i think it is) then sorry as well if i misinterpreted your post. I also remember than HUD thread that turned into a flame thread lol.

You and Pseron. And no, it's my fault - I didn't say it very clearly, haha. To be truthful, I had a lot of fun in that thread

I see nothing wrong with Health Potions, Regen potions and Weapon/Bow potions on the other hand I do have a problem with.

Dunno about elitist, but it's virtually necessary, if you want any challenge out of the game.

I personally would not want potion drinking in real time. Unless they did it fable style. I have a hard time in Deadspace with real time menus fumbling around and then I get pumbled by a Necromorph that came out of nowhere. No thanks not in my RPG game please.

I wouldn't call potions 'cheats', but I would call them imbalanced. You can carry around a virtually unlimited amount of them, and pause time to drink as many as you could possibly need - rendering yourself invincible so long as you still have potions in your pocket.

If you need them to survive then it reflects the poor balancing Skyrim has around the levels you're referring to. Either that, or a neglect to sufficiently specialize your character enough to make his main skills strong enough to compensate for the more powerful enemies.

By "elitist" he probably means some kids playing like "look, how ousam I am coz I don't have teh any hint or help from anything! only pure bare hands!". But we understand those who do not carry and do not drink potions by means of roleplay or,in my case, just because potions occupies half of carry weight.
I do drink potions, mostly healing health and stamina and I drink potions to fortify smithing and enchanting (I never could get the hang od that). I do carry poisons which deals health damage. Any other potions are always useless for me. And I do eat cabbages in middle of fight!