I've never attempted master difficulty. I play on adept and it's fairly challenging I suppose. Depends on what I'm fighting. On the master difficulty... I understand it's easier for you to die... My question is:

(On master difficulty) Are enemies also easier to kill creating a more realistic and intense life and death situation or are they just tougher, deal more damage, and have higher skill while you seemingly do less and are weaker to them?

They have enormously more hp. They hit much harder. You are the same.

Doesn't even sound fun to be frank..

Agreed. Master difficulty should be, as you say, a quasi-realism mode. Not only does it sound painfully annoying to fight enemies who have 3 times as much health and damage output as you, but it also sounds like it makes no sense. You're the dragonborn, yet average bandits out-damage and out-health you. No thanks.

Saying that, in order for a realism mode to work, there would need to be a reliable means of actively evading damage, which there isn't at the moment. I'm not 100% sure why they took out the "roll" moves from Acrobatics in Oblivion, I think they'd be a great addition to Skyrim - even if it just meant being able to use Whirlwind Sprint (on a shorter cooldown) in all four directions.

I think there is a realism mod out already. If not just wait someone will make it like that.

I only play on Master on my warrior because i can 1 shot just about everything besides dragons on anything less than that. Ancient dragons still kick my ass though lol. Any other character and I play on the default.

A realistic mode would be cool and could easily be integrated. Modders should make a mod and then bethesda should release it in a patch on consoles ^^

I think it depends on a combination of your own skills, both dexterity with the controller/KB&mouse and ability/appetite to exploit the game's mechanics, and how you want to play the game..

I am quite happy playing on whatever the second hardest setting is (apprentice?) - I only get a couple of hours a day to devote to games so I don't want to be reloading that boss fight 10x before I move on, I don't want to be scouring the internet to find the best enchanting/smithing/perk tree combination etc.. I want to have a bit of a challange from time to time but make some progress in my 2 hour slot..

Whatever makes the game fun for YOU is what I recommend

That would work if the game would be balanced and if AI and pathfinding of NPC's would be good but it isn't so no ty.

I'm just a humble 360 gamer so mods are no option for me. Sad face. That would be nice if they patched in a realistic mode. You are dragonborn, but also human. would be interesting if even a peasant with a pitchfork could take your life if you aren't careful. Realism ftw.

Awww

I r disappoint.

So... altering the difficulty just modifies enemies health/damage?

It doesn't change anything like the AI or perhaps add more enemies to certain encounters?

sounds pretty lame.

I used to think I was the master, until I took a sweetroll to the knee.