Master vs. Expert vs. Adept vs. Apprentice vs. Novice : V - Skyrim

» Sat Dec 10, 2011 6:09 pm

I find the game play is better on expert rather then master where skeeva's give you a epic battle. The character class and perk choices and level of gear enhancement make a difference my 1st character was a Mage and adept was challenging but my Archer with stealth and all enchants and armor upgrades can do master with ease.

" Honestly felt to me like they should have axed at least one of the low difficulty settings, and set expert as adept, and had 3 more settings after."

The lower difficulty levels allow for people that want to play a more RP based game rather then a 1st person shooter style game

» Sat Dec 10, 2011 2:12 pm

I switched the difficulty from expert to master when I killed a dragon priest and a dragon at the same time. However, the enormous amounts of health everything has on master does make combat a little boring, and the retreat heavy strategies I'm forced to use aren't particularly fun. I voted expert, but in truth I'd prefer something between expert and master.

Both of these enemies are pretty easy when it comes to avoiding their damage though. If you're talking about the particular encounter I think you are, I also had a disturbingly easy time with it even at a low level. Part of it could've been the high resist vs. the dragon priest's damage from my racial, but also I think Dragons just need to be buffed 'cause they're one of the least dangerous enemies in the game for the early to mid levels.

» Sat Dec 10, 2011 5:45 am

Benn using expert since I started my latest char. Seems to strike a balance between difficulty and fun for me. Get enough challenge to have to avoid rushing in to groupd of enemies while at the same time I don't have to spend 1/2 the combat backpedaling and shooting arrows just to live.
~C

» Sat Dec 10, 2011 10:01 am

I voted master because it was more fun on most of my characters so far, but with my latest toon I am enjoying it alot more on Expert (roleplayer stylez).

» Sat Dec 10, 2011 9:16 pm

Adept, I play most games on normal, just want to experience things the way they were meant to be without an advantage or disadvantage.

» Sat Dec 10, 2011 5:15 am

The only thing that's really hard for me on Expert and Master are the mages, they can almost 2 hit me with my 450 HP. But I enjoy playing Master at the moment, but voted Expert since it's not too hard and not too easy.

» Sat Dec 10, 2011 5:04 pm

Why would someone play on Master? You do not get rewarded in anyway. I would play on master, if there was even slight bonus for doing it: more gold, unique random encounters, better loot ... anything.

If you want the game to be difficult. Use iron dagger against everything instead of changing difficulty. Pretty much same effect to gameplay.

» Sat Dec 10, 2011 7:10 am

I'd love some challenge but I can insta big almost anything besides dragons with my dagger (don't have DB gloves, nor craft exploits) even in the open elder dragons pose no thread when I switch to my dw swords and that's all on master, playing on anything lower than master makes no sense for me.

» Sat Dec 10, 2011 5:26 pm

master/expert = try hard mode
adept/apprentice = better to roleplay with

» Sat Dec 10, 2011 9:05 am

I tend to stay around Adept.

It gets boring being forced to play cheaply and use unfair tactics.

Skyrim is also about optimizing your stats.

There's little difference between the challange on Master and Adept if you optimize your stats properly.

I see no point in playing on master as all it means that you'll be simply optimize your stats, and the game becomes as easy as adept.

The only time I play on Master is if my gear makes me too powerful, and I want to buff the mobs.

» Sat Dec 10, 2011 12:34 pm

I'm a roleplayer. I prefer Adept.

» Sat Dec 10, 2011 8:21 pm

Expert seems to be a good mix between challenge and fun. Adept was too easy, and Master is the difficulty setting for a powergamer and not a roleplayer like me.

Spot on. But I'm a powergamer so I enjoy master the most.

» Sat Dec 10, 2011 1:54 pm

I'm fairly sure, I am the only player in the world that plays on novice. =P And I do have my challenging battles.

No my daughter and husband do too. Neither of them min/maxes or crafts a lot so they have their share of challenges.

I hoover between Apprentice and Adept myself. I miss the difficulty slider from TES III and IV, which I always had around 90% (10% below normal). Apprentice is too easy, Adept slightly too hard. I've settled on Apprentice anyway for now, my character is a hero after all so if normal fight are no real challenge for her then that's fine by me, she's supposed to be better then the common rabble

» Sat Dec 10, 2011 2:01 pm

I'll probably try one of the realism mods to add challenge to the game once the CK is out. What I don't like about the higher difficulty settings is the health bloat and having to grind through lots and lots of hit points. It's more tedious than challenging, so I'd prefer an all around increase in deadliness both for my and the NPCs attacks.

» Sat Dec 10, 2011 7:12 pm

Expert was pretty good. Recently ramped it up to Master to keep the game challenging, and I'm still having fun.

» Sat Dec 10, 2011 12:20 pm

Adept.

The only thing expert/master difficulties do is increase your leveling process beyond the balance of the game, causing you to out level the natural pace of character progression.

» Sat Dec 10, 2011 7:41 pm

I have fun at adept(normal) because theres time where im challenged and times where i breeze through dungeons. Also on adept, im not penilised or buffed and neither is the AI so its basically a level playing field ( i dont exploit), as a dual wielding warrior or archer in heavy armour i dont have much trouble except with mages and chorus but thats mostly because i dont have much magic resist or im out of potions and swapping to resto is a no go on PC as theres a bug with switching to a spell and sword then back to sword and sword with the favorites menu and it will actually get me killed because i dont have any magicka or perks spent in the resto tree

» Sat Dec 10, 2011 4:00 pm

I'll probably try one of the realism mods to add challenge to the game once the CK is out. What I don't like about the higher difficulty settings is the health bloat and having to grind through lots and lots of hit points. It's more tedious than challenging, so I'd prefer an all around increase in deadliness both for my and the NPCs attacks.

Yeah, the slider boosting both health and damage doesn't really cut it. The durability of scaled bandits and the like just ends up being stupid on master.

Also some abilities remain completely unaffected by the slider. Illusion's control spells for example, are no more or less effective vs. anything regardless of difficulty. A frenzied bandit on master isn't different than a frenzied bandit on novice when it's attacking other bandits.

» Sat Dec 10, 2011 6:00 pm

I always feel the urge to play master, there simply is no other choice for me. I just want the biggest challenge possible, which is exactly what master offers. It sounds terrible to me if I hear people say they can 'one-shot' anything in the game, I prefer tactics above some kind of godlike character.

» Sat Dec 10, 2011 9:38 am

adept, good balance between emersive feeling and difficulty

dont feel the need to play on hardmode, since its a single player game, ive got nothing to prove, im just enjoying the game at my own pace

» Sat Dec 10, 2011 7:48 am

I'm currently playing adept as I'm still learning the game but I might have to increase the difficulty in subsequent playthroughs.

» Sat Dec 10, 2011 7:19 pm

I'm happy with adept, it's quite hard enough for me, thanks, and I feel no need to increase the difficulty. The only thing that seems a bit incongruous is that the dragons aren't exactly tough, especially at higher levels, but all things considered, I think I can deal with that...

» Sat Dec 10, 2011 8:23 am

I roleplay my character, he is a character i have used in various games and i use in Skyrim too.
But i do use the healthbars to see my condition ect (dont fast travel though)

And my vote went to master.
That way i cant be god that easily and every decision my character makes is with his strenghts and limitations in mind.
Makes the game alot more realistic and fun for me

(and challenging ofcourse.)

And i have no idea why some of you are saying ''Master forces you to play cheaply'' it doesnt.. i use a 2h only and no cheap tactics, it works 0.o

» Sat Dec 10, 2011 9:03 am

Expert for me.
Adept is entirely too easy, while Master to me is just tedium.
And clawing my way through a whole dungeon only to get to the final boss and have to run all the way out because I physically cannot beat him just svcks.
At least Morrowind you knew you were in over your head from the first enemy you encounter.

» Sat Dec 10, 2011 12:47 pm

Still on my first play through on adept, will probably try expert next time round.