The OFFICIAL Anandtech Forums TeS V: Skyrim Thread

[Atomic Playboy]

I totally agree Atomic Playboy about unbalanced destruction ratio as you level up.

Does anyone know any mods that change the balance in destructive spells, so you do more damage as you level up?

I've seen Balanced Magic recommended, but I haven't personally tried it, so I won't vouch for it. Still, looks like it has some impressive tweaks that will make things slightly more favorable for a pure mage vs. leveled opponents. It does change the perk trees around for the magic schools, so you might not be able to use it on an existing save.

 

[Merad]

Malukah has another video up... I think it may be her best yet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzHXt6n1QhM

 

[zinfamous]

I've seen Balanced Magic recommended, but I haven't personally tried it, so I won't vouch for it. Still, looks like it has some impressive tweaks that will make things slightly more favorable for a pure mage vs. leveled opponents. It does change the perk trees around for the magic schools, so you might not be able to use it on an existing save.

this is all very sad to hear, and I'm discovering it now with my level 28 mage. I'm at, I think, ~58ish destruction with the adept level spells (chain lightning and such), and each "upgrade" (the spell tiers are drastically far apart) I've noticed only a very minimal gain in damage, yet a substantial decrease in magic pool.

I went right from my apprentice level robe (12/75)--the other upgrades are too freaking expensive--to archmage robes and Morokei mask. So, I go from 75% magic restoration to 200%, and have had a 20/20 ring and necklace for destructo cost reduction.

....I have noticed nothing. I still get as many casts before my pool drains, and I still have to wait. I'm at 300 majicka with +50 on the archmage robes.

the other spell trees don't really offer much in terms of useful offensive spells, or something that actually affects your foes in any real way. it's all either damage protection for yourself or summoning meat shields.

I've unlocked several of the Midas Magic spells, but those don't offer all that much, either. Magma ball is pretty good, but most of the spells are prohibitively expensive to cast.

I suppose I should try this mod, but I might need to use console to remove some perks in alteration that I spent (trying to unlock magic resistance), as that looks to be the tree that is altered.

 

[dennilfloss]

Got married to Ysolda from White Run. Wish Vivienne from Solitude were available though.

I just got jumped by a couple of ancient dragons at Skyborn Altar when I returned there (I return to the word walls to fight the respawned dragons for loot and souls) and the buggers did not fight each other. It was crowded and hectic, frantic even. They just breathed fire on me and my storm atronachs. Even with the storm call shout (just at level one yet this run) I could have used Illia as a companion there for sure. Had to hide behind a pillar and heal myself three times. Maybe I should enchant some gear now as the already-enchanted stuff I've found/bought has sufficed so far but I was overmatched in terms of elemental resistance during that fight (I only have a 60% necklace at the moment). Those guys were actually hurting me a lot.

Just about to reach level 50 for the third time. It's kinda like a milestone into adulthood for me in this game.

 

[dennilfloss]

Something must have happened with Steam. Every time I exit Skyrim, my modem speed becomess basically winmodem-like instead of 8.75mbps ADSL. I thought first it was my modem dying/overheating and reset it each time but, on a hunch, I killed Steam and my speed went back up. When killing Steam, it showed the Steam Cloud spending a lot of time synchronizing.

I hope that's fixed soon. In the meantime, I currently exit Steam when I stop gaming to alleviate this phenomenon.

 

[dennilfloss]

Just remembered I ran Windows Update after it popped up last night, 11 essential updates. One of them must be messing with Steam. Anyway, I've disabled synch to Cloud and the problem is avoided for the moment.

 

[Rakewell]

I've seen Balanced Magic recommended, but I haven't personally tried it, so I won't vouch for it. Still, looks like it has some impressive tweaks that will make things slightly more favorable for a pure mage vs. leveled opponents. It does change the perk trees around for the magic schools, so you might not be able to use it on an existing save.

This definitely works, I played a couple hours with it last night. Was able to start it right away with my level 35 Mage, without having to start a game over.

Definitely feels like I'm at 90 Destruction now.

Thanks, AP. :thumbsup:

 

[Gheris]

This definitely works, I played a couple hours with it last night. Was able to start it right away with my level 35 Mage, without having to start a game over.

Definitely feels like I'm at 90 Destruction now.

Thanks, AP. :thumbsup:

Thank you for the update Rakewell. I might give this a try as well.

 

[Rhezuss]

I just started a new character "Conan" style, i.e., only wearing light armor boots and bracers (no chest armor at all) with a 2 handed sword. All damage no defense...spent my skill points in 2H skills for now and got 2/5 in the first one (give +40% damage with 2H weapons) and 1/3 in the 2H sword (gives 10% critical hit chance at 1/3). Gonna up my Blacksmithing soon too so i'll be able to forge some better weapons and armor later in the game. I'm considering wearing heavy boots and bracers though to add some defense...

I'm having a damn blast right now especially when a "finish move" cinematic is on, i'm loling everytime heheh.

I'm concerned though with magic opponents and dragon breaths...how could I counter that? Potions and rings?

1 hitting bandits is awesome!

 

[cytoSiN]

I'm concerned though with magic opponents and dragon breaths...how could I counter that? Potions and rings?

Your build sounds awesome. Might have to try that some time. Since you won't need to waste talents in any magic disciplines, and I think you said you were avoiding alchemy in a previous post about this character, I would DEFINITELY level enchanting so that you can double enchant your ring, necklace, weapon, boots, and bracer (and possibly a "crown" or "circlet" type helmet of some sort that would still be consistent with Conan). That way it will be like wearing a full set of armor with a single enchant on each piece, and you can throw some magic resist on there to deal with mages and dragons in addition to whatever else you desire. If all else fails, RUN LIKE HELL is always a good strategy.

 

[Rhezuss]

Your build sounds awesome. Might have to try that some time. Since you won't need to waste talents in any magic disciplines, and I think you said you were avoiding alchemy in a previous post about this character, I would DEFINITELY level enchanting so that you can double enchant your ring, necklace, weapon, boots, and bracer (and possibly a "crown" or "circlet" type helmet of some sort that would still be consistent with Conan). That way it will be like wearing a full set of armor with a single enchant on each piece, and you can throw some magic resist on there to deal with mages and dragons in addition to whatever else you desire. If all else fails, RUN LIKE HELL is always a good strategy.

Good points...but enchanting does not really fits with my "No brain just Brawn" RPG character type...but I might consider that...or just use what magic items I stumble upon.

Circlets and crowns is an awesome idea...I found a non magic circlet yesterday and thought about wearing magic ones to add some resistance.

 

[cytoSiN]

Good points...but enchanting does not really fits with my "No brain just Brawn" RPG character type...but I might consider that...or just use what magic items I stumble upon.

Circlets and crowns is an awesome idea...I found a non magic circlet yesterday and thought about wearing magic ones to add some resistance.

If he is smart enough to craft legendary heavy boots and bracers, I don't think enchanting is necessarily out of his reach But I applaud your attention to fantastical realism

 

[zinfamous]

This definitely works, I played a couple hours with it last night. Was able to start it right away with my level 35 Mage, without having to start a game over.

Definitely feels like I'm at 90 Destruction now.

Thanks, AP. :thumbsup:

2nded. I also tried for a few hours, updated my alteration and conjuration trees and such, with no problems at level 28. and holy crap--destruction is only level 53 for me??

does it level so slowly because damage in destruction sucks for shit compared to everything a mele class can do? I was practically indestructible around this level with my one-handed warrior, now I have to zap, run, hide, zap, wait, hide if I want to kill something.

 

[zinfamous]

Good points...but enchanting does not really fits with my "No brain just Brawn" RPG character type...but I might consider that...or just use what magic items I stumble upon.

Circlets and crowns is an awesome idea...I found a non magic circlet yesterday and thought about wearing magic ones to add some resistance.

Not sure how you'll survive the later stages without some sort of magic resist gear. block/bashing with a two handed sword still stuns, correct? If you can survive long enough to run up to a squishy mage and stun them for a second, then they're toast.

One other suggestion, if it isn't too far out of your realism goal, is to pick up the ebony sword Daedric artifact. It's a two-handed katana, that pretty much makes you invincible at full charge (it only needs to be "charged" once for max strength and to complete that quest, but it never needs to be recharged as if it were enchanted). Only problem--and a big problem for you--is that it relies on one-handed level and perks for its damage. weird, but there is actually a mod out there that moves the files around so that it is fully 2-handed.

The weird thing, it levels your 2-handed as you use it, but damage and such all depend on one-handed skill tree. I put that on my 60something one-hand warrior at master level and could never really lose any health. the damage is "only" 38? at max--but it is all life steal.

 

[Rhezuss]

Not sure how you'll survive the later stages without some sort of magic resist gear. block/bashing with a two handed sword still stuns, correct? If you can survive long enough to run up to a squishy mage and stun them for a second, then they're toast.

One other suggestion, if it isn't too far out of your realism goal, is to pick up the ebony sword Daedric artifact. It's a two-handed katana, that pretty much makes you invincible at full charge (it only needs to be "charged" once for max strength and to complete that quest, but it never needs to be recharged as if it were enchanted). Only problem--and a big problem for you--is that it relies on one-handed level and perks for its damage. weird, but there is actually a mod out there that moves the files around so that it is fully 2-handed.

The weird thing, it levels your 2-handed as you use it, but damage and such all depend on one-handed skill tree. I put that on my 60something one-hand warrior at master level and could never really lose any health. the damage is "only" 38? at max--but it is all life steal.

I'll hunt for that for sure! Thanks!

 

[zinfamous]

I'll hunt for that for sure! Thanks!

It's the quest involving Jarl Baalgruf's children in Whiterun. I believe it unlocks ~level 15 or 20, but it hasn't appeared for me on my 2nd character.

I think you might also have to do some companions quests, or maybe several more quests in whiterun for it to unlock. As my 2nd is a mage, I haven't really touched the companions. ...though, I'm thinking that becoming a werewolf and getting some disease immunity would really help against the falmer.


...oh, there is also a mod I saw in steam workshop that tweaks the daedric artifacts so that they are a bit stronger than they normally are. I think it's a good idea (some really aren't legendary), but with the ebony blade--the thing is already OP, even though it doesn't appear to be on inspection. I just hope you don't mind killing off a lot of buddies to fully charge it, as you need to do that for the quest.

Spoiler

you can actually give a coin to a beggar, then kill them for the charge. check the wiki for several tips

 

[Gheris]

Rhezuss.....what is best in life?

 

[2Dead]

Rhezuss, you could also get the Lord stone sign (I think that's the one). It'll give you an extra 50 armor and 25% magic resistance. I use it on my Mage actually.

 

[Rhezuss]

Rhezuss.....what is best in life?

To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women.

 

[Rhezuss]

Rhezuss, you could also get the Lord stone sign (I think that's the one). It'll give you an extra 50 armor and 25% magic resistance. I use it on my Mage actually.

Nice, that might help a lot when you only wear underwears...

 

[Gheris]

To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women.

That is Good! That is Good!

 

[Atomic Playboy]

This definitely works, I played a couple hours with it last night. Was able to start it right away with my level 35 Mage, without having to start a game over.

Definitely feels like I'm at 90 Destruction now.

Thanks, AP. :thumbsup:

Good to hear. I may use it for my own guy. I started as pure destruction mage, but I had maxed destruction before beginning a lot of the faction quests and I didn't want to continue doing missions without leveling SOMETHING up, so I became a sneaky one-handed assassin/archer (which fit well since I was starting on the Thieve's Guild and Dark Brotherhood quest lines). And then I joined the companions and decided I needed a sword and shield just to feel like I belonged... You can really take your character in a bunch of different directions and still be competitive. I like that. So, in essence, I've been avoiding destruction magic for basically the last half of the game, which is a shame, since I'm supposedly such a badass dark wizard. I'll have to use this mod and see if it makes destruction more appealing even though I'm already maxed out.

-EDIT- Looks like the mod author is gearing up to release a new version done with the creation kit. I think I'll just wait until that comes out to avoid any conflicts (deleting old mods when updated versions come out is a hassle).

 

[zinfamous]

Good to hear. I may use it for my own guy. I started as pure destruction mage, but I had maxed destruction before beginning a lot of the faction quests and I didn't want to continue doing missions without leveling SOMETHING up, so I became a sneaky one-handed assassin/archer (which fit well since I was starting on the Thieve's Guild and Dark Brotherhood quest lines). And then I joined the companions and decided I needed a sword and shield just to feel like I belonged... You can really take your character in a bunch of different directions and still be competitive. I like that. So, in essence, I've been avoiding destruction magic for basically the last half of the game, which is a shame, since I'm supposedly such a badass dark wizard. I'll have to use this mod and see if it makes destruction more appealing even though I'm already maxed out.

-EDIT- Looks like the mod author is gearing up to release a new version done with the creation kit. I think I'll just wait until that comes out to avoid any conflicts (deleting old mods when updated versions come out is a hassle).

I think you can just uninstall them with the mod manager. Well, they are considered plugins and not mods, so I'm not sure if unticking the boxes in the plugin window is the same as uninstalling with the mod window.

He does offer some good balance--damage increases, you get reduced costs by rewriting one of the perks in alteration, but impact drops to stagger on dual cast only 50% of the time. ...takes some getting used-to, heh.

I also like that he offers 3 separate files for overall magic profile (battle regen, dual-cast damage and cost, damage at level 100). Nice little balance for how one might wish to play.

 

[Rakewell]

Good to hear. I may use it for my own guy. I started as pure destruction mage, but I had maxed destruction before beginning a lot of the faction quests and I didn't want to continue doing missions without leveling SOMETHING up, so I became a sneaky one-handed assassin/archer (which fit well since I was starting on the Thieve's Guild and Dark Brotherhood quest lines). And then I joined the companions and decided I needed a sword and shield just to feel like I belonged... You can really take your character in a bunch of different directions and still be competitive. I like that. So, in essence, I've been avoiding destruction magic for basically the last half of the game, which is a shame, since I'm supposedly such a badass dark wizard. I'll have to use this mod and see if it makes destruction more appealing even though I'm already maxed out.

-EDIT- Looks like the mod author is gearing up to release a new version done with the creation kit. I think I'll just wait until that comes out to avoid any conflicts (deleting old mods when updated versions come out is a hassle).

Actually, using the mod manager is a snap for installing/uninstalling mods. I wouldn't see any problem using the one you recommended until the updated one comes out:

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/content/modmanager/

The mod manager works flawlessly, I can vouch for that. Very easy interface.

 

[Beev]

I can vouch for the mod manager too. I love it.