Any fixes for enemy mage AI?

[Radnen]

Guys, I'm playing as a mage and I am having the worst time trying to defeat other mages.

 

They are simply impossible and here's my reasons as to why:

 

1. I get 'blinded' by enemy spell effects in the camera. I can't see s*** when hit with fire or electricity. The enemy does not get blinded ever. To go along with this, realistic lighting mods, like dark caves only serve to impede me; they see just fine in pitch black.

 

2. They have perfect aim. Maybe you can dodge their icicles and fireballs at moderate range but their spark/flames attack cannot be dodged (you have to run out of their range). Plus electricity only aims in draining my magika. Yes there are alteration and restoration perks and an ancient stone that will aid in deflecting or absorbing magika, but not when you are at an early level. All I'm trying to fight are early level mages. Also, my mage isn't a alteration mage, because I can't learn everything.

 

3. They seem to have an infinite supply of magika (no, they really don't, but they 'seem' to). What they do have is seemingly fast regeneration, though. A mage used all his magika on me, then drew his dagger, attacked me once with the dagger, ran away and was seemingly completely renewed with magika. How the hell he managed that is beyond me. They can spell forever and heal forever too. Further, some mages wear light armor, and do not have enchantments on them that bolster spell casting or regeneration in any way. Why is it that even when the player is decked out in magika regenerating apparel they are still not toe to toe with some enemy mages? Last I checked racial bonuses alone get you only so far...

 

4. They'll also throw up the ward. When I do a ward it drains my magika FAST and I cannot have one up for long, but I saw an enemy mage throw up a ward perpetually. And whenever I threw a fireball, they'll even do a split-second block of my spell with their ward, dealing zero damage to them, as they electrify me and run around really fast. Inhumanly possible, I say.

 

5. My spells are hard to aim. It doesn't help that a fireball also like point 1, fills my screen so I can barely see where to place it. The icicle is better to aim, though.

 

6. The enemy also seems to be a master of multiple fields of study. It's hard enough focusing on two schools of magic, but they seem to not worry when it comes to casting cross-school spells, like conjuring an atronach then switching to restoration wards and destruction magic.

 

All these irksome things make it so hard to play as a mage. It feels good playing as a mage in Skyrim, don't get me wrong, it's just annoying when these little things creep up on you. Especially when you vs. another enemy mage. This is not the first time I've played a mage they do get easier later on, but early on they are utter trash and the enemy mages don't refelct that they are either easy (bandit mages) or near impossible. And usually it's whether or not they use a ward that determines how hard they are.

 

Is there a mod that severely weakens enemy mages so they too feel what it's like to run out of magika? To not hold up a ward forever or to stop casting wards at the last split second? And I guess I'll stop using those real lighting mods since true darkness only aims to affect you and not help you escape enemies in the dead of night.

 

The example I'm basing all this on is my current fight with Kornalus (the magic spider guy). A guy who if I were a fighter type would fall in a second or two. Especially if I were my assassin, and die in a single hit from behind.

Edited August 3, 2014 by Radnen

[LOL50015]

First, look up the concept of "quadratic mages, linear warriors", explains OP mages and strong early level melee.

 

I've seen a lot of thread like yours who want mods as an easy way out, just accept that the world is unfair, use your wits to overcome this unfairness and learn from your defeats. Walk this path and gradually each subsequent challenge becomes easier. :D

[camaro_69_327]

early stages of being a Mage suck, i usually try a little Mis-direction, keep a staff that can conjurer something , place that behind them, then cast a spell to summon something else , if front of you, trick is to try to stay out of the way, i use doorways a lot. Also run n hide works if you get in over your head,

 

When you get into a fight with more then one, concentrate on one of them first,,,then Raise them to fight for you, you really have to think ahead, once in a while i will fire off a bow shot to help me if i am getting my ass handed to me. I normally run alone, no folowers, but regularly raise what i kill to fight with me, mainly as a distraction...lol

 

Using Wrye bash.. in the bashed patch config "tweak settings" you can raise the amount of Summons you are allowed...i have mine set to 2.

[Terra Nova]

For #2 - they can't dodge yours either.

For #3 - My guess is the magicka regeneration rate during combat is reduced only for the player.

For #4 - I've been wanting to make a mod to prevent ward spamming for a LONG TIME.. I hate it very much.

For #5 - Incinerate takes care of that with that impact radius.

For #6 - That's kind of how we have to play a mage as well.

[Lord Garon]

Most MOBs, mages included, have hidden perks which "help" them against a creative, thinking human opponent. Your character has to deal with all types of bad guys and creatures, which makes single-class characters more difficult than say, a spellsword, who has several options available.

 

Think of a mage as an arcane "warrior". Warriors use armor to reduce incoming melee effects. In the same manner, a mage needs to reduce incoming magic effects; magic resist and wards. Many mage characters also seem to focus on magicka as the primary attribute. But, just like a warrior or thief, health is paramount, even more so with an unarmored mage. 400 magicka will help very little if your mage has only 120 health. The opposite, in fact, creates a much more powerful mage, or warrior, or thief. Warriors use crafting and perks to improve their melee capabilities all while taking health as the primary attribute. My mages do the same thing.

 

Mages are, IMHO, the most powerful characters in Skyrim, even on a vanilla game (you don't need any magic mods). Turn your frustration around and think about how to defeat those things which are most aggravating in MOB mages. Most of the time, it will be magic resist; the mages "armor". I don't want to get into any Spoilers, but magicka regen is a very powerful way to make up for more health and less magicka. Health lets you stand your ground longer, magicka regen lets you spam spells with less total magicka while doing so.