The wolves are the same difficulty at Level 1 as they are at 20. The difference is your character improves by that point and gets stronger, so they're easier. They don't change, you do.

The Splicers in Bioshock don't suddenly get easier towards the end, YOU get stronger.

That's not level scaling, that's character progression. But there's no pleasing you, you're obviously never going to like it and are citing examples that make no sense.

I consider it broken because the game is treating people in much the same way Oblivion did - knife in the back for making choices that are not on par with slaying dragons and slicing through trolls and giants like they're made out of paper. I don't have access to the Creation Kit anymore than anyone else does, so it could very well be that the game is technically functioning exactly like it's supposed to (and I wouldn't be surprised if that would be the official statement, either). This just seems very unlikely to me - if Bethesda had truly, massively improved upon the hated Oblivion system, the experiences wouldn't have been similar.

Yet they are. Not identical, but similar. It's fairly apparent that they changed at least parts of the system, but there's a distinct difference between change and improvement.

People are still running into uncanny fluctuations of difficulty that go largely unexplained. My bet is on level scaling, but even if we assume that I'm completely and utterly wrong there's still a problem that needs to be adressed - it would just have a different cause. Some people in this thread have suggested alternate reasons as to why the experience is flawed, but most seem content to ignore any evidence (no matter how large and obvious or small and intangible) that does not support their opinion that everything's like peas and carrots and that the complainers should just crawl in a hole and die.

I wrote an article stating what I think is wrong with Skyrim's mechanics - time will tell if I'm right or wrong (or perhaps even somewhere in between). I was hoping for a good discussion, and I got a few solid and sane replies. I'll settle for that.



Leevers are never upgraded to Leever Chieftains or the like. They just stay Leevers.

There is level scaling in Skyrim; and depending on your choices while upgrading your character, even basic enemies can become a massive threat when they improve in areas where you lag behind. Leevers are never a threat; merely a nuisance.



That's good for you, but that doesn't mean there isn't a problem - merely that you're not being subjected to it. As these forums show clear as day, there's plenty of people who are - and to lump them all together as "you're a moron, learn to play" like some people here like to do is cheap at best.

My real problem is that things scale without any logical explanation...guards in particular. By level 50 I am essentially a demi-god, but I can't destroy pathetic city guards?

All the evidence is nothing but people's experience with the game, and we have all had different ones. I have only just started the main quest at level 19, and I steam rolled through one of it's first dungeons with nothing but Restless Draugr and skeletons to fight me. There was not a single enemy that had been scaled to anywhere near my level; I had been killing Restless Draugr since level 4 or 5. That, to me, is one of the many reasons why I do not believe that level scaling is as bad as you have experienced it to be, and once again, I am sorry you could not enjoy your experience.

There is no problem with level scaling because there isn't any. Most bad guys are set at a certain level and will remain at that, trolls being around 24, giants 32 or so. Hold guards, Dremora, Imperial Guards, Stormcloaks and Alduin are so far the only things that seem to be leveling with you.

However i agree it is unfortunate if you spend a half hour battling through some dungeon only to get to the last hurdle and there is a level 48 Master mage or something waiting for you and no matter what you do you can't take them down. The only thing left to do is leave and come back and try again once you are a higher level. It is definitely taking some getting used to as in the likes of Oblivion there was no area barred to you. You could walk into any dungeon and expect to face bad guys at your own level or just slightly higher-not 20 or 30 levels higher when you begin your game. No area was off limits, you could wander the countryside at your leisure and find a good fight. until you level up and get some better combat skills expect to get your ass kicked-alot.

Also the nature of this gameplay style is preventing me from buying any 'non essential' perks. Speechcraft, magic, smithing, alchemy etc i am having to ignore them all as i want to level in melee combat most, especially to take on the Dragon Priests and get all the masks. Which is a shame, in Morrowind and Oblivion these extras were fun little side skills that added to the game, now i resent them becuse i don't feel i can afford to waste my one perk point on making health potions i can simply buy and increasing such non essential is already pushing up further my rapidly increasing level.

Level scaling just doesn't make any sense. Why not fix them to level 50 then, right?

TO OP:
If someone is going to complain about level scaling, it must be players with combat oriented characters. Questions would be "Does it get any easier?" and "Any low level content missing?" and if they answer "yes, it gets easier." and "no, I still find skeletons, rats." then all is good and all is good.

You're confusing. Bears kill alchemists, that's like real life. You either want a more dumbed down version of Oblivion level scaling or I am misunderstanding you. People are stumbling upon bears, trolls, giants, high level mages/bosses at any level in Skyrim. Do you really want special treatment for your high lvl alchemist character? Like weak bears or no bears?! That would be level scaling on steroids.

You are supposed to run away from bears, dragons and giants as an alchemist, regardless of your level. If someone applied a complete static approach to Skyrim, you will still get beaten by bears as an alchemist.

Please stop! You're giving Bethesda the same wrong ideas that caused Oblivion.

Hehe, i was writing a reply not not very unlike yours. =) I do enjoy this now, that i know i didn't svck, its just that the enemies are a lot higher level than me. And after try and fail, i did kill that frost troll with a basic flame spell XD

Really? It wouldn't be difficult. Lock them at levels 15-25. End of story.

You're not wrong, and the sad thing is that the fix is actually pretty easy: Simply use a system that evaluates the player's current combat potential, instead of just relying on the shorthand of level. That way no matter how much lockpicking or speech ranks you gain, they don't affect the challenge you face in a fight.

I've yet to run into Skyrim's version of a Goblin Warlord. Hope I won't as they where beyond silly above level 35 in Oblivion.

Personally I'd prefer no scaling on anybody or anything. If I'm tough enough to win a fight, great; if the bad guy is way tougher than me and I lose, fine, I'd like to be able to build up my skills and go back and kick his butt. I suppose the whole idea is "Well, if you're improving your character, who's to say the npc isn't doing the same thing?" But that just seems like a cheesy way to justify scaling.