Z of the Na said:
Thank you for all the suggestions everyone. From what I am gauging, archery is fairly easy to play, but severely hinders your fun over time by being overpowered. A backup weapon is also a good idea, because what am I going to do if somebody sees me, heh.
Perhaps I could try some kind of magic/archery combo, but that seems kind of redundant now that I think about it.
On the contrary, my build is an archery/magic combo, and I find the game coming alive in a way that most other games with melee/archery/magic setups don't. Spells like DOUBLE HEALING keep you from spending more than a pittance on health potions. The archery gear is pretty light, and various arrows abound. Finding more powerful arrows is difficult, but it teaches you to make your shots count. Double fire works pretty well with some points in it, I use it to damage enemies as they run from really far away, up into my face, and the burning damage means that I can run away and hide while they slowly die. Not to mention, enemies on fire take extra damage from all attacks. Magic users are always a pain, so using a magic build that specializes in electric attacks can drain enemy magic, allowing you to fill their helpless bodies with arrows. Frost may actually be the most useful, I believe it's effect slows people down. I don't even have to tell you how that would benefit a ranged character.
I also chose to go the enchanting route, along with smithing. Focusing on Archery, Light Armor, Smithing and Enchanting, along with your choice of one offensive magic and healing, gives you a very effective character. Stealth is also a plus. You'll be able to forge/craft your bows and armor, enchant it with stat boosts, heal yourself when you take damage, and dish it out in various ways.
Oh, and I noticed you haven't been getting much in the way of general advice. Mine would be to watch out for traps, first and foremost. Not just in the "don't step on that plate" sense, there are also offensive traps, like precariously balanced open-flame lanterns hanging over five enemies standing in a pool of gasoline. Catching those things before you attack lets you get the upper hand. Many times, you can get the environment to kill the enemies for you. The worst traps are the soul gem turrets. If you see a soul gem on what looks like a pedestal, don't look at it, hide. If you shoot it from a distance with an arrow, you can knock it from it's seating and it'll deactivate. Not only did you disarm a trap, you also earned a soul gem. IIRC, they're even charged when you pick them up, from being used as magical traps.
Leave Lydia at home, never bring a follower. Especially if you're a stealth character. I know I'll catch a lot of flak for that one, but I never found the AI companions to ever be helpful enough to bother with them. If you get shadowmere or another halfway decent horse, you'll have a mode of transportation that won't screw up your stealth and also will put up one hell of a fight. A good horse can save your life.
EDIT: Oh yeah, and I forgot, Paralyze enchants, especially on bows, are pretty much the best thing ever. Dead enemies freeze in the position they were in when they died, living enemies can be picked up and thrown as though they were ragdolls, albeit extremely rigid.
I still have a few screenshots from when I cleared a room full of bandits, and half of them were still in battle stance or casual stance after they died. I stacked them on top of each other, lined them up against a wall, arranged them like mannequins, the fun never ends!
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