So after watching these videos, I am convinced that this game is utterly broken when it comes to balance.
Melee is way stronger than magic could ever be. It's just the fact that Enchanting, Blacksmithing, and Alchemy are CATERED for Melee types it's not even funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOSw36zv7YI
Sneak is also horribly broken.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKP26gbQ7II
Melee is way stronger than magic could ever be. It's just the fact that Enchanting, Blacksmithing, and Alchemy are CATERED for Melee types it's not even funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOSw36zv7YI
Sneak is also horribly broken.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKP26gbQ7II
I feel like this OP did not cover enough material to make an accurate statement about balance in this game.
Which leads me to: Q1. Why care about balance? It's a single player game?
-True, it is a single player game, but when someone reaches levels of vastly overpowered to vastly underpowered, it can ruin one's experience of the game. It is no fun 1 shotting high level enemies that should give some moderate fight, while it is frustrating to defeat an enemy for 20 minutes with barely a dent into their health bar. Bethesda releases a product to be an immersive RPG, so difficulty should feel somewhat challenging, but not unbelievably grindy. If the game comes out imbalanced, I can firmly doubt that Bethesda released it intending it to be that way. AT least to the levels demonstrated above.
The one thing I don't understand is why is it ok for Melee users to buff their equipment constantly, beyond levels that can be found naturally in the game, while Magic users have to deal with BEING WEAKER LATER THAN WHEN THEY STARTED? Why did they design the game like that?
The Destruction Mechanics in particular, which are most easily comparable to Melee Mechanics since they both do damage Directly, are broken. There is no way to increase the power of this skill. Your attacks will tickle the enemy late game, and it makes no sense.
Melee users don't even have to spec Melee in order to reach this power, all is needed is Smithing. For a marginal increase, use Enchanting. The numbers are incredible.
Also, this is NOT INTENTIONAL BREAKING OF THE GAME.
There is no abuse of mechanics here. Nothing in the game is comparable to the power given when 100 in Smithing and 100 Enchanting. Nothing.
This is the natural end-game for people who use Smithing+Enchanting. Everyone will have it when they reach top levels of Smithing and Enchant, along with several key perks.
Why did Bethesda allow this? If they were going to make a class OP, why not make the Mages OP too? At least THEN, you could have to choice of being unbelievably strong for Magic, AND MELEE.
This game is all about choice right? Why is there no choice for me to be amazingly powerful as a mage?
This leads me to think this is an unintended effect in the game, and should be fixed, since it makes no sense that Bethesda would have favoritism for a specific class.
The perks for Smithing and Enchanting are way too strong. The base perks are too rewarding right now. I understand that the point Smithing and Enchanting was to create your own cool, supreme gear, but this is too far.
TL:DR - Why cant mages be OP too? Mages feel week right now, and there is too much catering to weapon users.