Once you 'get' Oblivion, the game is very easy. I always think about jacking up the difficulty, because it seems I just wade through everything like a tank. In fact, the game is completely broken. I won't spoil (you can look it up easily enough) but there are several glitch-free ways to make your character unstoppable. If it doesn't bother you, just ignore these methods. God mode is only fun to try.
Leveling up by advancing your major skills is great- again, after you 'get it'. I like it a lot more than collecting experience by the kill. The only problems are the way attributes are raised and the level scaling system. Maximizing your stat points is an incredibly tedious and restrictive process. Playing your character your way is what the Elder Scrolls is all about, or so I thought. But it's almost impossible to do that and make the most of attribute point gains. And due to level scaling, a character with bad stats is a bad character, not just a late bloomer. It sounds like these problems are being addressed in Skyrim, but we'll know more on 11/11/11.
But only advanced players need to worry about that stuff. You can do well enough without too much fuss. Follow these rules and you'll do alright:
1. Major in at least one "attack" skill and focus on it (Destruction, Blade, Blunt, Hand-to-hand, Marksman).
2. Avoid Majoring in Athletics and Acrobatics. They increase too quickly. You will end up a level 20 character with level 10 fighting skills. And due to level scaling, you'll be fighting level 20 monsters. Some other good choices for Secondary Skills (even if you intend to use them) are Armorer and Alchemy.
3. Use everything at your disposal. You have weapons, armor, repair hammers, potions, spells, scrolls, Minor/Major Powers, enchants, poisons, sneak, and a bunch of cool stuff I won't even mention to back you up. I have so many items and abilities to rely on I never get around to using them all. If you're having a hard time, look through your magic and item menus until you find something useful. And in the future, come prepared.
Leveling up by advancing your major skills is great- again, after you 'get it'. I like it a lot more than collecting experience by the kill. The only problems are the way attributes are raised and the level scaling system. Maximizing your stat points is an incredibly tedious and restrictive process. Playing your character your way is what the Elder Scrolls is all about, or so I thought. But it's almost impossible to do that and make the most of attribute point gains. And due to level scaling, a character with bad stats is a bad character, not just a late bloomer. It sounds like these problems are being addressed in Skyrim, but we'll know more on 11/11/11.
But only advanced players need to worry about that stuff. You can do well enough without too much fuss. Follow these rules and you'll do alright:
1. Major in at least one "attack" skill and focus on it (Destruction, Blade, Blunt, Hand-to-hand, Marksman).
2. Avoid Majoring in Athletics and Acrobatics. They increase too quickly. You will end up a level 20 character with level 10 fighting skills. And due to level scaling, you'll be fighting level 20 monsters. Some other good choices for Secondary Skills (even if you intend to use them) are Armorer and Alchemy.
3. Use everything at your disposal. You have weapons, armor, repair hammers, potions, spells, scrolls, Minor/Major Powers, enchants, poisons, sneak, and a bunch of cool stuff I won't even mention to back you up. I have so many items and abilities to rely on I never get around to using them all. If you're having a hard time, look through your magic and item menus until you find something useful. And in the future, come prepared.
