Harder difficulty setting DOES NOT improve the AI script. It merely tinkers with the health value. Hence I always play at Novice when I'm sneaking, and switch back to Adept or harder once I get detected

lol "hmmm every time I turn around that random dead khajjit seems to be a little bit closer. Oh well nothing to be concerned about I'm sure!"
Then again my friend was stalked by a dead dragon so maybe that is normal in TES universe

As stated by someone else detection is influenced by difficulty only enemy jealth and your own damage output is

Stealth is simply too good the way it is. You can reach that level of invisibility without even putting all the points in the perk that makes you harder to detect. Heck, wearing stealth improving equipment rolls your sneak value back to 0, that's how good the hidden value is!

This is pretty typical of this forum someone with a solid argument and every ones first reaction is "nope your wrong games perfect" or "hey why don't you do the exact opposite of a stealth character" and I love the it's working the way it should comment no NO it's not working like it should you see that skill at the top of the sneak tree that should make you invisible but only for a limited time. you people are just unbelievable.

For those that advise me to use Heavy Armor.. Im not troubled with the noise factor of stealth (you have three factors for detection: skill, noise, visibility) and I suggest that the game is way better with stealth when the skill conpoment decreased in influence and the visibility increased.. Easily changed and hugely improving.. The second suggestion is less annoying but an easy way to solve the awkward moments when a bandit looks at his dead friend with an arrow sticking out and seconds later returning to his daily scedule

Good to see people that still know how to treat discussions and suggestions like Side Tape

You might have noticed that you are much more easier to be detected outside than in dungeons. The reason is because dungeons are supposed to be darker and AI detection chance based on that.

However it does NOT LOOK darker to the player. That is why it doesn't make sense the enemy cannot detect you at such close range in such a seemly well lighted room.

Use darker dungeon mods. Then you have to keep your wits about. Either you use a touch or light spell and is easier to detect. Or move really carefully observing the area at all times. Or you stumble around in the dark and actually go bumping into an enemy just like how they missed you.

Its a roleplaying game.
If you roleplaying a master in sneak you will be invisible.
No, they shouldn't "fix" this, because it's supposed to be like this, and you say a game should have challenge, but when you are a master in the art of sneak don't expect to svck at sneaking.

Perhaps you should get an education in Social Life and understand that everybody has different way of thinking? "He has a solid argument"? That is a very subjective thing.

I do not know whether it will "hugely improve" or not. I like it the way it is now, so your suggestion may very well be degrading to me. Nevertheless, the 2nd suggestion (about make them look for 24 hours) I don't agree. Frankly 24 hours in game is 1 hours 12 minutes in real life.

So here is the NPC ... he has been hit by an arrow ... his friends lie dead around him ... "Must have been my imagination". Totally agree that NPC AI has got to stay on alert much, much longer than they do. Hopefully an easy parameter tweak once the CK comes out.

At the level of the OP or even where I am at (not quite 80 but with more perks) I would also like there to be some chance of being detected, at least when I am under direct light. It's boring when you are invincible. This goes along with point #1. Alerted AI is much more likely to detect you. By the time I am the master of stealth (but only at that point) I should be nearly invisible.

My character is an assassin.

Soon, I have to go on a certain mission that requires me to kill a high-level person in front of hundreds of people, or something like that. It's a mission from the Dark Brotherhood. My sneak is right around 84. You bet I'll be using that skill, and some invisibility potions - to make sure I get in and out in one piece.

Getting caught during that assassination attempt won't have a happy ending - for me.

If it bothers you that much, don't use it unless you really, absolutely, have to.

Good luck.

Hmmm, with 100 sneak and most of the stealth perks, I am finding it harder to hide than the OP is describing. In daylight, I still get detected, and while it is certainly easier in a dark dungeon, they still can sense movement and respond when I assassinate one of their friends. Killing falmers is easy, though, since they are blind.

Anyway, I am happy with the way that sneak is implemented in Skyrim, and the OPs suggestion of making the search period even longer would just make the game less fun. I don't want to wait long periods of time for the NPC to reset and stop searching. Nice thing about the final stealth perk is you can get them to give up even faster.

I'll sig some of it if I have the space.

I would agree that it could be subjective if the Op was not 100% correct, but hey I guess that's just my different way of thinking....oh by the way did you get that education on Social Life in college? if so I think you should go back you have a lot more to learn.

Is he, now? As far as I'm concerned, no I don't find anything wrong with the current sneaking system. Does it make him 100% correct, now that I think he's not?
You tried your best to push your ideas, but it won't work when you exaggerate the subject

I have actually had this problem. I have ruined a couple different characters when sneaking levelled too quickly. Now I am using a mod that halves the speed that skills increase and I put as few perks into stealth as will get me to assassins blade.

Yeah I did notice that in Dungeons the problem is the most problematic... Problem is im on xbox so I cant do anything with mods sadly..
And to someone else who posted (cant look it up) I alteady posted that the noise factor isnt te problem (which governs detection in movemebts and attacks) but the visibilty that has too little influence (the light that shines on te player, and whether he is in sight or not) and that the skill level has too high influence...

Too those that think a master sneaker would be able to hide in clear light with no obstacle between him and the targets sight is just plain ignorant... A master thief would be able to move really fast and really silent in the shadows... They arent able to bend the law of nature.. Thats the job of Magic

At OP:
The sneak skill is just that, to make you more stealthy. If you were to be spotted way too soon or easily you would get many on this forum complaining about how useless of a skill sneak is. I like to see my character progress from a little runt who couldnt sneak past a sleeping Helen Keller to a thief that could rob a shop with a blink of an eye.

I agree with that last.. I dont say at all that sneak skill should have no influence just less then it had now and more to visibility.. I dont know how much percent each part takes or how much it should be.. Only that it needs to be less extreme now...now it is balanced it such a wat that you can STAND (i.e. You dont make noise, which is correctly balanced) in fornt of someone in clear light without that person seeing you and that is just no logic at all.. Only when you start moving are you detected because you make noise...

Really? I didn't know that last part... If true, then you're right, that wouldnt make much sense.

But wasn't it challenging getting your sneak to 84? Coincidentally enough that's exactly where my current character is: 84 sneak. It's still challenging because I'm still only wearing standard issue Thieves Guild Armor, which means that standing up in combat against a Draugr deathlord and two wrights is a helluva thing to try and survive through. But with such a high sneak I can hide in plain sight (as IS advertised) and wait for them to dispurse; then I try and pick off the weaker ones until I get the Deathlord by his own bad self. And even then it takes a lot of running and settling into a dark spot until he figures that I've buggered off. Throw in the fact that I use magic only as an absolute last resort and there's plenty of challenge.

Besides, sneaking up behind that bastard Deathlord and finally taking him out in one shot with a dagger (while he still had a majority of his health) has to be one of the most satisfying moments thus far for me in Skyrim; and it wouldn't have happened without a high Sneak.

You have to have enough imagination to place your own restrictions on the characters you create. Otherwise my first character would probably be level 100 by now and all but a god. Now that's no fun.

lol! I so read that differently than intended.

Wrong, if someone shoot at you, you ll follow the noise of the cord and not the arrow impact.
This is as dumb at starring at a bullet hole in a firefight to try t see the shooter.

If someone is shotting at you with whatever weapon, you dont wander dumbly, YOU TAKE COVER!
This is one more crappy feature (AI) of this game.

OP, it's not idea, but maybe try http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1329199-relz-realistic-lighting-without-post-processing/? (File is hidden at the moment, maybe updating.) It makes dungeons and nights much much darker (for both you AND enemies) so being able to sneak closer might feel more realistic.

I dunno. I agree with you, I'm just not sure what can be done about it right now.