I never found 'not using crafting skills' to be the solution to the ruin you describe.
If your experience is like mine, you'll spend the next playthrough without crafting, but wanting to craft the entire time, and end up regretting not using what's in the game to use, because of a self-imposed rule.
Plus, your 'git gud' will only increase, and you'll end up obliterating Master difficulty anyway without crafting, and you're in a similar boat as before.
This can be fixed for your current playthrough (defining fixed as feeling like a new character, in a good way, the entire game), using whatever you want (even exploits) so long as you limit 3 things for your character: health, damage, resistance (physical and magic)
Just because your character is capable of making a 500 damage weapon or 500 rating armor, doesn't mean they should. Make another weapon and armor set and cap it at 100 instead. Drop your element/magic resist enchants/perks to 30% and feel spells cast at you.
If 100 is too much of a drop, make it 200. Or 150. You will be able to feel what's balanced to you, and Master difficulty will give you a much better experience.
I'm playing on Legendary Survival at level 200 and I have a bow that does 2,000 damage and STILL run into creatures that can take more than 1 hit. I think the high tier dragons can take up to six or eight arrows.
Considering early game I would spend 10 minutes fighting four mud crabs, I am enjoying being super powerful!
Download the Cheat Room mod. One of the MANY functions inside is to reset your ecperience levels, your traits, etc.
Not only can you reset any attribute to zero, you can also add them back incrementally if you like.
Vampire and werewolf cure is there also, plus a duplication chest.
I had the same issue! Playing on legendary fixed this issue for me. I restarted. Early game is very hard to get through but the sense of progression is very satisfying.
ditch all your gear in your house, build some steel armour/weapons (assuming your playing a warrior) and then see how that works, I have to admit, I find it very hard NOT to do at least blacksmithing, but the crafting skills do make you to OP if you go max on them
I usually just go with enchanting as my crafting skill. It's the most versatile and convenient. Investing in smithing and enchanting is overkill and a waste of perk points that could be used to make your character more well rounded and interesting. You can still use smithing to upgrade your gear, but it doesn't need to be legendary when you've also got enchanting
I think doing things outside of skills is your best bet. Try avoiding fast travel, use the survival mode, and remember that Skyrim really isn’t a game that’s about combat, but rather how you play through the game as the Dragonborn. Elder Scrolls games are great for their quests, exploration, and a wide variety of ways to create a character.
What difficulty are you playing on? Maybe step it up to expert or legendary if it’s low. Though I get what you mean. Survival mode can add a bit more challenge, though.
I never found 'not using crafting skills' to be the solution to the ruin you describe. If your experience is like mine, you'll spend the next playthrough without crafting, but wanting to craft the entire time, and end up regretting not using what's in the game to use, because of a self-imposed rule. Plus, your 'git gud' will only increase, and you'll end up obliterating Master difficulty anyway without crafting, and you're in a similar boat as before. This can be fixed for your current playthrough (defining fixed as feeling like a new character, in a good way, the entire game), using whatever you want (even exploits) so long as you limit 3 things for your character: health, damage, resistance (physical and magic) Just because your character is capable of making a 500 damage weapon or 500 rating armor, doesn't mean they should. Make another weapon and armor set and cap it at 100 instead. Drop your element/magic resist enchants/perks to 30% and feel spells cast at you. If 100 is too much of a drop, make it 200. Or 150. You will be able to feel what's balanced to you, and Master difficulty will give you a much better experience.
I'm playing on Legendary Survival at level 200 and I have a bow that does 2,000 damage and STILL run into creatures that can take more than 1 hit. I think the high tier dragons can take up to six or eight arrows. Considering early game I would spend 10 minutes fighting four mud crabs, I am enjoying being super powerful!
Maybe dont restart but ignore the crafting skills from now on.
Download the Cheat Room mod. One of the MANY functions inside is to reset your ecperience levels, your traits, etc. Not only can you reset any attribute to zero, you can also add them back incrementally if you like. Vampire and werewolf cure is there also, plus a duplication chest.
There’s a blackbook that does this without any need for mods. Pretty sure it’s the one you get when you kill Mirak
I had the same issue! Playing on legendary fixed this issue for me. I restarted. Early game is very hard to get through but the sense of progression is very satisfying.
ditch all your gear in your house, build some steel armour/weapons (assuming your playing a warrior) and then see how that works, I have to admit, I find it very hard NOT to do at least blacksmithing, but the crafting skills do make you to OP if you go max on them
Higher difficulties you use crafting Lower difficulties crafting not needed, just play on Adept and turn it up or down if it gets too easy or hard
I usually just go with enchanting as my crafting skill. It's the most versatile and convenient. Investing in smithing and enchanting is overkill and a waste of perk points that could be used to make your character more well rounded and interesting. You can still use smithing to upgrade your gear, but it doesn't need to be legendary when you've also got enchanting
I think doing things outside of skills is your best bet. Try avoiding fast travel, use the survival mode, and remember that Skyrim really isn’t a game that’s about combat, but rather how you play through the game as the Dragonborn. Elder Scrolls games are great for their quests, exploration, and a wide variety of ways to create a character.
What difficulty are you playing on? Maybe step it up to expert or legendary if it’s low. Though I get what you mean. Survival mode can add a bit more challenge, though.
Master
Why select master difficulty if you refuse to play at any difficulty harder than “one-tap everything?”