Armour and Health

[Eltee]

Is there anybody else here that, instead of striving to create the "best" character, actually tries to create an underpowered character? On my very first profile, I remember having a massive health pool, top notch armour, an Ebony sword... And, that only seemed to make the game too easy, and less fun. I tried demoting myself to fur, but that huge health pool remained.

My most recent profile, despite being a level 36, has health below 200, and always uses fur armour. Yes, I die in a flash. However, in my experience, this has actually made the game more enjoyable. How about you?

PS Fur armour looks awesome, too.

[Lunatic]

I just go with whatever looks coolest, not whatever is practical, meaning I'll usually pick certain types of armor, but no helmet just so I can stare at my character's glorious features.

[Geonis]

I personally only ended up with one ubermensch. He's primary focus became to exploit the heck out of the game so I get that out of the way (Without console commands), he was my 3rd character and I rarely touch him.

I enjoy the rush of being able to draw my last breath easily and having to survive through careful thinking rather than superior mathematical advantage. I strive to make where my character is more important than my gear I wear.

I nearly always retire my characters when they become powerful enough that they don't feel challenged. When they get that point, I just don't enjoy playing them anymore. Without the challenge, their accomplishments seem mundane.

Do I try to make under powered characters? No, I try to make more organic characters and less around mathematics. Immerse myself into the environment and character I choose to play.

[urthdigger]

I don't directly try for underpowered characters, but I have made a few files where I have certain rules on gameplay and skill use, two of which involve using no weapons or armor: One of them only allows me to attack as a werewolf, another allows me to make the best weapons and armor I can, but I can't attack directly: My followers do the work for me. It has generally made the game a lot more fun than simply "Run up to bandit, kill him in one hit, repeat."

[Trobli]

I've never tried to intentionally make a weaker character. Though I do struggle with keeping myself from min/maxing too much to the point where it draws away from the fun of the game.

[Drakling]

I have yet to make a file with a huge healthpool..however, I can never seem to carry enough stuff no matter how high I get my stamina even with my fighter who's almost pure stamina. xD; Granted I've only made two characters-one with an oversized manapool, and the other with an oversized staminapool. Respectively each are fairly easy in their own ways unintentionally though. Have fun with figuring out a way to challenge yourself just right. ^^, Hopefully without too much numbercrunching if possible.
PS. I like how there are three types of fur armor.

[Moirae]

My Archer has a pool of 150 health at level 52, and all the rest of my levels have gone into stamina. Playing on Master it means I'm a glass cannon; I can one shot anything...if I get em from stealth, but almost anything which is scarier than a wolf can one shot me too. Its been a very enjoyable way to play. I also play with 0 armor rating, only wearing enchanted clothes.

I'm doing a similar method with my Dunmer assassin, though since I want to be a stabby-sneak, rather than a shooty-sneak, I'm getting a slightly higher health pool, maybe topping out around 250 or so, and I'll be using light armor.

[Avron the S'wit]

I'm never too concerned about health in the first place since I can just cast a spell and heal it pretty pronto (hooray, restoration bonus with Imperials!), and, to be honest, as a warrior my stamina is more of the concern. But I have to say that you have to be a little more practical with perks and safety if that's the case, because my dying all the time got so frustrating I restarted...and really haven't picked the game up since. Skyrim is just kicking my butt, and while I don't want an overpowered character, dying all the time is pretty frustrating, too!

But I like to depend on armor to do what it does best: protect me. If I walked into the wilderness with a robe on, I'd expect to get my behind handed to me by a sabre tooth tiger - but not when I'm wearing refined steel armor. I mean, come on!

[The Dog Whisperer]

Did you try turning the difficulty down?
I played on Expert for my first three characters, who all wore moderately strong gear: Archmage Robes, Smithed Daedric and Nightingale.
But this one's just wearing Iron (Except for the campaign in his Imperial uniform- But he's retired now :P) and I was getting wrecked from level 10 onwards, even with upgraded quality through Smithing.
Turned it down to Adept and now I have no problems at level 26. [Although I think the only reason I get through the tougher dragons is because the Shield of Solitude and Elemental Protection :(]
There aren't any actual incentives for trudging through harder difficulties, just swap it around to what feels right.

[Pancake]

I just go with whatever looks coolest, not whatever is practical, meaning I'll usually pick certain types of armor, but no helmet just so I can stare at my character's glorious features.

Are you me? I hate them helmets, not to mention circlets. Why bother customizing a characters look when their head is helmets. Not wearing helmets tend to make the character weaker and a more enjoyable gameplay experience overall.(unless you play exclusively first-person)



Anyway, we could also uses hide, guards armor,imperial light armor and forsworn armor since they're pretty much have low armor rating too. Try to wear clothing too as a warrior. That makes the whole game far more difficult. Even at level 40 you could die from Forsworn BriarHeart by a single blow power attack.

[Pavouk106]

I use TG armor (the basic one, because I don't have guildmaster or nightingales yet). I remember myself switching to glass in my house just to see it has less armor rating If I had enough materials, I could forge it to Epic or Legendary, but I haven't...

I have switched to DB armor for the last DB quest, because I felt it is such honor and it shouldn't be done in TG armor...

But I'm in my TG armor again...

My health is around 350 now, without any health-raising equipment. I can die in a few blows even with that much HP (if that blows are done with warhammer ).

[Avron the S'wit]

Did you try turning the difficulty down?

No, actually. To be honest, I never play with the difficulty slider to the point that I didn't even think about it. Perhaps I'll give that a go!

[DeeJay]

I use role playing to try and temper my players. First one was a mage, and I tried to keep him in robes, depend on his spells, potions and avoid weapons like they are some sort of contageous disease. Unfortunately, I was getting my rear end handed to me too often from the damage I was taking. Since then, I've learned a lot more about the game and will most likely go back and start over with a mage character again and do it better.

Right now I'm using a Redguard, dual wielding blades. I meant to keep him in light armor, but some how I've ended up in heavy armor instead (me not really paying attention to his armor and focusing too much on his blades I guess), but he's a pure fighter and uses no magic except potions (and then only for health), and his shouts. He doesn't even use the Health spell to heal. There are times that he walks through danger like it's nothing and doesn't get touched. And then others where he barely squeaks by, life on the thread (eeeeeek!).

That's what I love about these games: all the different ways you can try to play, and different characters you can tweek.

I tried to make a Ranger......that was a disaster. Where as in Oblivion, I picked it up easily and was going around sniping just fine, in Skyrim......well let's just say when I get into combat, my opponents let me know quickly what they think of my little bow! Aaaaahhhggg! So still trying to figure this one out.

[MathiasFlynnias]

I tend to wear normal clothes, tends to make me weak, but if I'm going to fight, I want to fight in fine clothes (I am role playing a noble after all). If I do fight in armour, it's normally iron and my health tends to only reach 150 and the rest focuses on stamina. I tend to use iron swords too, only because I prefer the scabbard on them.

[Blackadder]

After growing bored of my fist character, a mage that I didn't exploit per se, I just recently started a new character. My mage grew tiresome after achieving free casting for destruction/restoration spells and the stagger perk. Yawn. Nothing stands a chance.

I decided to start an Imperial. Heavy armor, one handed and shields. Master difficulty from the start, no stealing and am toying with the idea of only using materials I get myself for crafting purposes. That would slow down smithing and alchemy a good deal. I would have no problem wearing higher level armor if I feel I earned it along the way. Though that will be in much later levels with this method.

I love the idea of not rushing to overpower my character. That just sucks the fun and challenge out of my game.