Dual wielding daedric swords of 327 damage each...

[epicwisdom]

Well, regardless of whether the OP's criticism of too-easy legit playing is a valid one, is it even OK to say that what he's done so far is "too easy" or that playing with those items is "too easy"? As some people have stated above, even godly melee shouldn't take the challenge out of the game. Had he advanced further along quest lines, there might be more powerful mobs for him to fight. And honestly, if you find it so addictive to max crafting skills, why is getting maxed crafting skills now less important than fighting? If you want fighting, fight. If you want crafting, craft. Not saying that you can't have a happy blend of both, but if you decide to ignore the entire game to craft yourself to godliness, that's the path you chose.

[CalibanX]

I think the OP has a point. The stated spirit of the game as described by the devs is "be who you want to be. do what you want to do." That means all paths should be valid, non-game-breaking options in the game. There should not be a god-mode available to the player without cheats. I don't think players that enjoy crafting should be penalized for their choice to pursue that route. Personally, it doesn't interest me right now, but I don't see why the pursuit of crafting need result in some kind of pseudo god mode when it doesn't for any other path. I think it should be officially nerfed if that's the case.

[Astymma]

Despite the Op's obtuseness and unwillingness to accept any blame for the cause and effect relationship, they do have a point regarding crafting skills. Once the CK is released, I'm sure one of the first "balancing" mods we'll see is a mod that ties crafting recipes to crafting skill and/or level in order to prevent such min/maxing. No smith should be able to relentlessly make iron daggers all the way to 100 for example. Or, at the very least, tie crafting skills to a diminishing returns system that makes such attempts pointless. Worse yet, we have people releasing mods that assist such mindless crafting activities by creating point and click macros.. and releasing them as immersion mods instead of the cheats they actually are. So yes, the op has a point... but the op, to be perfectly honest, willfully and purposefully put themselves into the place they currently are and shouldn't be complaining. Have patience, wait for the CK...it will get fixed.

[Sabatasso]

You're blaming the game for your own actions, that's all I see here.

 

You're taking the simpleton explanation here. Yes it's his fault that he made those choices, but the game should not be designed in a way that making those choices take every bit of challange away.

 

A system with stats like Strength, Agility and the usual, that also function as a cap for skills would fix this. Warriors could never become master enchanters then, without the use of console.

 

It all boils down to the "simplification" of the system Skyrim has been through, one may argue that it's for the better, but it's not done properly as this case is a perfect example of.

 

Also, a smith that can sharpen a weapon to be twice or thrice as good as original.. where is the sensibility in that?

Edited November 28, 2011 by Sabatasso

[CaptainChaos]

As for the running debate, I don't think you can blame the player for power leveling, if it's built into the game. Seriously, the dev's should just cap maximum enchanting/alchemy bonus. It's the same team developing games for over 10 years and they can't figure out how to prevent this stuff yet? I love Bethesda ... and hate them, same as everyone else, lol.

 

As for the not taking damage on master, what am I doing wrong? I have an armor rating for 430 with all Steel Plate, Superior, some minor enchantments and 400 health. I take SEVERE damage even from Falmer and their centipedes - a bandit plunderer with a two handed axe caused 150 points of damage or 1/3!! Everyone else that posts say they take no damage?! I don't get it.

 

Incidentally, I also have not done much enchanting or smithing myself, just some minor things, but bought or found a necklace of major one handed wielding 25%, minor one handed wielding gauntlets 8%, something else (I forget) that gives me 20% bonus also for a total of 53% extra. I also have virtually every park for One Handed Weapons. Yet, it still take me quite a few hits to bring down anyone of value, in straight up hand to hand combat, no one shot kills for me. Granted I run out of stamina all the time and need to quaff potions, but that's b/c I invested in health (400) so I don't die instantly from Draugr Scourges b/c my 430 armor doesn't seem to do what other's people armor does for them?!?!

[Valamyr]

While its indeed someone you can choose not to do, a game built to allow this craft min/maxing isnt well designed.

 

It should be patched, and if its not then itll be modded.

 

Personally I can think of two solutions: hard cap the maximum bonuses you can get to Smith/Alch/Enchant at maybe 100%. Thats plenty high for strong weapons but not game breaking.

 

OR make it so you can only have the bonus of one piece of gear and one potion at any given time. I prefer the former solution of a cap, but this would work too.

 

Ultimately, I find carrying around three suits of crafting and several pieces of Haggling gear inconvenient and a little silly though. Im not a huge fan of these mechanics at all.

[neophyte1980]

Just out of curiosity, what is the max (or cap) that people have managed to get using the alchemy/enchant/smithing technique? The highest enchant potions I've made gives 31% (thanks to some alchemy gloves from Balgruuf) and 124% for smithing. That lets me create fortify gear of 47% and some pretty insane smithing figures (ring, amulet, gloves, body armour, 2x weapons, 124% potion). I'll have to check how high I can go now but I know fully perked and fortify heavy'd, deadric body armour isn't far off the 700 mark.

 

I just cheat/max for fun just to see what those max limits are. The rest of the time I actually play the game normally because the game deserves to be played that way.

[capnfnx]

Ya'll are debating this like there is something broken in the game, "You can be what you want to be", if you want to be a smithing god than do so if you created something you think is overpowered put it in a chest and forget where you left it. Next playthrough balance your perks more evenly. Personally I am the Dhovakiin, I should be toughest guy around. Just don't steal my sweetroll it makes me sad.

[Beriallord]

Honestly this game isn't doable with some builds unless you do a some crafting in some way, shape or form, unless you want to take 10-20+ hits to kill everything in the higher levels. Personally I don't like long, epic fights, I like quick fights win or lose, not a tickle X enemy down to 1/4 health before you get 1hkod. That isn't difficulty, its just silly.

 

The most effective character to use if you don't want to do any crafting, period, and just use what you find is probably a thief build. Go with sneak/pick pocket/lockpicking/1 handed, use dark brotherhood gear for the x30 sneak damage, and just use the best daggers you can find.

[sarnz]

Honestly, they could fix the crafting VERY easily. REMOVE INGREDIENTS FROM VENDORS. Or seriously reduce the amount that they sell and the rate at which they get new stock. I say remove it all though. I can get 30 iron ingot and leather strips from Warmaiden blacksmiths in whiterun, EVERY DAY. If you have to mine all of the ore yourself, well, then people would actually make use of the smelter, and you would ACTUALLY have to go out and explore to level it up! Imagine that? And IMO, a blacksmith in real life going through all the trouble of tanning the leather and smelting the ore himself, would not just sell you the raw materials. They want to make money off of the finished product.