This is my first poll ever attempted. I hope I didn't screw this up. =P

I play naturally, but also try have to have the skills I use balanced.

They usually stay balanced on their own, for me. The glaring exception being destruction. I always need to train that one or it lags behind

I found a few ways to level up certain skills quickly. I raise them a bit then go off and do some quests and return later and raise them again. I also raise my skills during my adventures. I can say one thing, I don't care what people say, Skyrim on ps3 is not as bad as they say it is. Plus I notice that most Pc gamers use mods to level themselves up, not all Pc gamers, but quite a few. In my opinion that takes the fun and challenge out of the game. Besides killing everything in one hit would get boring for me.

Most of my characters level up by using the Restoration loop then legendarying smithing 10-20 times. After that they level up their other skills naturally.

depends on what class i am playing. For example, my mages carry a dagger just in case but rarely use it after they get enough magicka, so while it is a minor skill it ends up lagging behind by a lot. My Warriors also tend to have their marksman lag behind, mostly because they only use archey for dragons and giants ( I would rather not become the giants ball for their sport). My cleric on the other hand maxed out destruction and is now solely using her mace at the moment to get her one-handed up.

This is the second time I've heard the "Restoration Loop."

Can someone please tell me what the restoration loop is, or a thread that explains it?

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Glitches#Infinitely_Powerful_Items

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ9m7owVg_w

It is using a glitch in the restoration ability to make smithing and enchanting insanely high, way above the normal limits (possibly infinite). It allows you to fortify a weapon with 1200 damage if you so choose or make a set of armor that makes you basically immune to damage. OBviously, few people abuse it like that and it is mostly used so someone can use any armor/weapon/etc in the game without worrying about being behind in damage or defense.

For example, many people will use it so their specialty gear (like imperial armor, DB armor, etc) will be as good as the best armor they can make or find and eventually have it as good as daedric so they can use that armor for roleplay.

I always level up normally. Using exploits like the restoration loop would ruin the fun of the game for me, plus I hear that they can sometimes cause problems later on in the game.

in the case of the loop, the only problem is possibly making yourself so powerful you one-shot everything, even including dragons.

Which ever skills gain points through use are the ones I put perks in, IF they are a skill that the character is supposed to be using. My warriors might "sneak" but no perk points would be put into it, same with speech if the character isn't going to be a merchant.

One main combat skill, one ranged skill. Archery usually lags somewhat for me, but that is because I am a terrible shot. I cheat a bit with mages and carry a sword or dagger, at low levels....but don't put perk points in the skill.

I'm a huge grinder, but I try to keep some semblance of balance in my legendaries. Of course, I doubt my destruction or lockpicking will go above legendary 5, while my other skills will probably go at least 15. Maybe 10 for rarely used skills and 15 for heavily used skills, and figure out what to do then. So I'll take a skill to 100, legendary, take another skill to 100, etc.

As a roleplayer I level up in whatever way is most appropriate to the character I am playing.

I try to level up naturally but there are times where I intentionally set out to level up certain skills, especially combat ones like Destruction or Archery.

Actually, I dream of a game where level up wouldn't exist.

I usually don't think about leveling up, I just tend to play the game with tools I want said character to use.

GTA? Joking, but an open world in a fantasy setting not being an RPG- not too likely to happen I think.

Personally, I don't think about it. I do things my character would do, and skills increase accordingly. Perk point usually goes into the skill tree that is currently highest.

I usually just play the game. I might grind a little if needed, like reaching a level to take a certain perk I really need, and I use trainers for my main skills, but that's it.

If I find that one if my main skills is too weak, I use trainers in combination with trying to use that skill more (like letting myself be hit to level light armor), but if it's weak because I've found that I really don't use it, then I just leave it - then that skill obviously doesn't suit the character.

In such a dream game, would your character just incrementally get better without gaining a "level", or are you envisioning a game where your character never improves their skills/abilities?

Whatever.

I only pay attention to leveling a skill on purpose when I'm limited to do something I really wanted. It doesn't happen often, I usually level up naturally and even hold some perks for later.

Normally i optimize lvl up ~ trainer based on major skill while gathering gems making magical dagger for septims, next to northeast of whiterun tower along the way ironbind barrow meet loner giant & up lvl armor block skill to 100 in 12minit while casting healing spell.

Generally I'll give my character a background, then play off of that. For instance, my main Adventurer Khajiit character likes to try new things all the time, so his skills are all over the place, based off what "he" feels like doing at the moment. I have other, more dedicated characters like my Nightingale, who excels in being sneaky and all the skills that could help him be more sneaky. Things like Alteration and Alchemy end up getting leveled on him, because they're skills he uses to aid in his sneakiness.

I combine my grinding with my role playing, so I might go out of my way a lot to harvest ingredients for my next potions, and I might back-stab my conjured minions with a dagger to get rid of them and also advance my sneaking skill, or try to make every bandit that I encounter to fight his buddies and advance my illusion skill and so on...

But after I become comfortable with my skills, I drift more into role playing actions, and less grinding.