I have discussed this a bit in other threads, but I think it would be good with a dedicated one for it. It is about "exploitation" and breaking the game. I have been thinking about ways to tackle this in future Elder Scrolls games, I don't count on them fixing it. (I hope though). I don't want to enter the next big Elder Scrolls game with that nagging feeling I am afraid to play as I want for being afraid I will break the game.

I still like to be able to play the game in any way and still figure out the sly ways to do things optimally without worrying to break something, and I don't want to limit my game style or what I can do in any major way , like I would avoid smithing, enchanting and alchemy in future games because I would be afraid they would be OP, that would be a shame really and I would miss out on some features they bring. (And also to be honest the fun involved in this)

After thinking some more about this I think I have come up with the best and simplest method to be able to still do anything you want, but at the same time not break the games. I will probably use this as a rule in future Elder Scrolls games to both keep the challange and at the same time allow for total freedom of using the systems and skills.

So there are basically just 2 simple rules:

1. Never use the inventory in a fight (weapon/magic swaps are of course allowed but should be bound to quick hotkey so not to pause the game in a fight)

2. Limit your armor/mag defence rating

With these two simple rules there is really no way to break the game where you become so OP that everything becomes just a breeze and pointless.

The first rule is easy and straight forward to follow and is primary for limiting potion abuse in the middle of fights. (You would not drink potions while someone is swinging a sword at you)

The second one is a bit more vague and needs some personal input and preference. It may be hard to restrict at the beginning of the game, and are better implemented WHEN / IF you notice you are totally OP because of your playstyle. Generally I like to balance it so you go down after 1-3 hits. It depends on what kind of character though, I usually like to play as a ranged character so then that low number is more appropriate. If you play as a melee character you may want to double or triple that number (depending on what you prefer).

For me personally these 2 rules came to great use and I first began to use them when I noticed I had OP:ed my character in Skyrim. I am playing a mage/archer and I had been crafting a bow that did like 4000 damage..

I was playing on Legendary but with that weapon and the best armor I could also craft there was really not much challange. Then I dropped my armor rating to about 150 and stopped using potions in fights. Just by using those two rules though the fight became very deadly! That is also why I don't think restrictions on everything is necessary, in fact the way I do massive damage with my enchanted crafted bow to enemies and they in turn do it back to me makes the game much more realistic and interesting imo. I can take down most foes with 1 or 2 hits, but so can they to me. It is very deadly and much more interesting then when you need to shot someone in the head 20 times before they go down and your armor is so strong you don't even need to be all that careful or dodge the enemies attacks. It just becomes a drag.

I also have some other smaller rules, but I do think these two are the most important to still feel you can use all systems within an Elder Scrolls game and still not be worrying you will break anything. I would like to hear other peoples suggestions, thoughts or improvements on these?

Or Bethesda could simply learn to balance their games properly.

The Op's entire post can be summarized thusly: "Gimp yourself".

A mage's range of spells shouldn't be limited the number of available buttons on one's keyboard, let alone game controller, unless there's a good reason for that delay.

Bethesda doesn't do balance. That would require spreadsheets and those were banned from the office long ago.

Please tell me that bow was made with maxed out smithing further enhanced by magical means or potions. I'm hoping that's the case.

I'm not holding my breath. Instead i use the tried and true method: mods and then some

Really? You think it's that simple? You haven't played Oblivion, have you?

100% Chameleon. Broken game.

100% Reflect Damage. Broken game.

Hatreds Soul (bow) and high Sneak. Broken game.

And those aren't even exploits. Those can easily be achieved just through normal gameplay.

The "problem" here is easy to understand, actually. Bethesda makes games that appeal to a wide range of playing styles. By giving us more options, they make it possible for power-players to "break" the game.

It's not a balance issue. It's inherent in the nature of the games.

If doing that makes you overpowered, and you don't want to be overpowered, then don't do that. It's simple.

The truth is they just need a team of people to really focus on balancing this stuff from early on in production. Games like Dark Souls obsess over every stat's importance, the timing of every weapon and spell, and the usefulness of every miscellaneous item. They clearly think about this stuff from the get go, and weigh and measure every combat mechanic. Granted, it's a more combat focused game, but it also has a tiny fraction of Bethesda's budget, and still has more diverse weapons, armors, and enemies by a mile.

That being said, I think there are a few rules of thumb that could work, and limiting access to one's menu is a good one. I'd suggest keeping a magic spellbook and maybe some kind of small 'rucksack' as a separate in-game menu that you can always access, but keep the bulk of the enventory off-limits in combat and the like, or at least stop it from pausing the game.