So Im playing my 2nd character after giving up on my first, though she was strong.

Im sorta rping this character and currently am at level 24 in 53 hours. I also had to bump to Expert at around level 15.

My daily routine is usually taking a bounty somewhere, and leveling off whatever happens on the way to the bandits. If not, just going on a run for alchemy supplies/other loot. I've done 22 dungeons (early on for gear to disenchant before I decided to save the rest) and like 4 quest.

Also I'm a cloth wearing, bow only character. I'm thinking of bumping to master, but Im not sure. For the first time I met a bandit with orcish arrows. Im sure on master he would have one shotted me.

What about you all? What's your pacing atm? How many hours can be put it at this pace and should I bump to master, or wait until I start the next phase of my journey? (Actually doing quest and more dungeons)

100 hours is usually either average or just above for RPGs for me..in this? 50 is nothing...I can't even imagine how many I'll get at this pace. Any guesses from you vets?

I usually just leave it to Adept, but may crank it to Expert with my current character. She went through several Civil War battles with barely a scratch, even though she's wearing light armor.

In the spring of 2012, i turned it up to master and haven't looked back. I've been playing with SkyRe installed for the past year. I don't worry about levels, personally. I just let my character take me through their story until...

• Their story ends.
• I grow tired of the character
• They die.

?Time and pace does not exist for them. It just plays out as it may.

That's my reasoning for leaving all quest and stuff for high levels. Although I might be slightly OP with all my potions and enchanted/smithed gear for me and my follower, I feel like a mage or archer will be able to catch my cloth wearing *** on a higher difficulty at a higher level. I dont abuse sneak too much either, so Jenassa can get some action.

@Senor Cinco I guess it's just the noob in me worrying about hours? I need that mindset

Look at my new topic "Issue a Hard Challenge". I started on and am playing only on Master difficulty. I'm Lvl18. So far I've only died once from some random impossible fight where a master vampire with two death hounds ambushed me in the woods outside Riverwood. My health got dropped immediately and my summoned atronach died in 2 seconds. I was still near Riverwood so I sprinted in my heavy armor using all my stamina to the town for the guard to help me. But the master vampire quickly dispatched him too then finished me off even though i actually killed both his hounds (which were WAY stronger than a typical dog, one bite from then took a third of my health) by then and me and the guard got his health down over halfway but meh....I died then came back to the same ambush expecting it this time so I let the vampire and his hounds chase me into the heart of Riverwood where I turned around with the help of 5 guards this time and we blew him away.

Other than that fiasco though, it's been relatively easy so far.

And if you want a challenge you should do the main quests early and fight all the hard bosses before your uber high levels.

Like Senor Cinco, I play a character until I feel that character's story has finished. I rarely pay much attention to levels or time played. But if I had to guess I'd say most of my characters were probably in their 40's or 50's and that I spent 200+ hours playing each one.

Everyone will, and should, play to suit their needs and create a fun experience for themselves. It is amazing how many different ways different people play. I enjoy reading all the different comments and in turn, sharing my experiences as well.

I found the gameworld opens up more and more with every single hard number I remove. I used to be a "completionist" until the amazing members of the Oblivion forums opened my eyes to intricities of what makes for an amazing RP experience.

People like Arcadia, Glargg and Pseron Wyrd.