Does Higher Difficulty in Skyrim Affect Loot? Unraveling the Myth
The burning question on every Dragonborn’s mind: Does cranking up the difficulty slider in Skyrim actually make a difference in the loot you find? The short answer is a resounding NO. In the base game of Skyrim, difficulty settings solely affect combat, influencing the damage you deal and receive, and enemy health. They have absolutely no impact on the quantity or quality of loot you discover in dungeons, chests, or on fallen foes. While your journey may become significantly more challenging, your reward for overcoming these obstacles will not manifest in the form of better gear.
Dissecting the Skyrim Difficulty Myth
Many players instinctively associate higher difficulty with better rewards, a trope common in numerous RPGs. However, Skyrim bucks this trend. The game’s loot system operates independently of the difficulty setting, relying instead on factors such as player level and specific dungeon design. What does change is the pace at which you level up combat skills, as tougher enemies require more hits to defeat, leading to faster skill progression.
Think of it this way: imagine you’re baking cookies. Changing the oven temperature doesn’t change the ingredients you use, just how quickly the cookies bake. Similarly, increasing Skyrim’s difficulty only adjusts the “oven temperature” of combat, not the “ingredients” of the loot drops.
Loot Scaling and Level
While difficulty doesn’t affect loot, your character’s level certainly does. Skyrim employs a system of leveled loot, meaning the items you find are often tailored to your current progression. As you gain levels, you’ll encounter higher-tier weapons, armor, and other valuable items.
Keep in mind that while certain locations and items scale to your level, dungeons have a level range. You enter a dungeon at level 1 and all the enemies and loot stay at that level range. Loot and enemies scale up to you if revist a dungeon you cleared at level 1.
Exploring Related Topics
To provide a more complete picture, let’s delve into some frequently asked questions that expand on the nuances of loot, difficulty, and progression in Skyrim.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Does Difficulty Affect Gold Found?
No. Similar to loot, the amount of gold you find in containers and on enemies remains consistent across all difficulty levels.
2. Does Difficulty Affect Enemy Spawn Rates?
No, difficulty setting has absolutely no effect on enemy spawn rates
3. Does Difficulty Affect Quest Rewards?
No, difficulty will not affect quest rewards.
4. Do Unique Items Scale With Level?
Some, but not all. Certain unique weapons and armor, such as the Nightingale Blade or Chillrend, have leveled versions that become more powerful as you level up. However, many other unique items, particularly Daedric artifacts, have fixed stats and do not scale.
5. Are Daedric Artifacts Leveled?
No. Daedric artifacts, acquired through Daedric quests, have a single, unchangeable version. The Daedric quests themselves may have level requirements to initiate.
6. Is There a Benefit to Playing on Higher Difficulties?
While loot remains unaffected, higher difficulties offer a unique challenge and can enhance the strategic elements of the game. Legendary difficulty, in particular, encourages players to utilize tactics like sneaking, potion use, and character specialization. Also, higher difficulty does boost horse and townspeople survivability.
7. How Does Difficulty Impact Experience Gain?
Higher difficulties increase the amount of experience gained from combat. More resilient enemies require more attacks, granting more experience points for weapon skills and overall level progression.
8. What Difficulty is Best for a First Playthrough?
Many players recommend starting on Adept difficulty, as it provides a balanced challenge without being overly punishing. This allows you to experience the story and explore the world without constant frustration. However, the most realistic difficulty is Adept.
9. What is the Most Challenging Way to Play Skyrim?
If you’re seeking a true test of skill, consider imposing self-imposed challenges such as restricting inventory space, disabling fast travel, or forbidding the use of potions and healing items. Also playing with no weapons or armor can add a challenge to your playthrough.
10. What’s the Max Level in Skyrim?
Technically, there is no maximum level. Once a skill hits level 100 you can still gain XP in it. However, once you hit level 256, your perk counter could overflow and remove all your points.
11. Is it worth playing legendary difficulty Skyrim?
Yes. On anything less than Master it’s just to easy to attack enemies head on, even in the beginning of the game.
12. Does loot scale with level Skyrim?
Loot scales with your level when re-entering dungeons cleared at level 1.
13. Which difficulty is most realistic in Skyrim?
Adept. On adept, all the numbers are what they say they are. All other difficulties multiply damage taken/damage dealt.
14. When should I change my difficulty in Skyrim?
You could change it at anytime.
15. What difficulty is recommended for Skyrim Together?
The default is “expert” difficulty. We recommend that you use a high difficulty, since the game was not balanced for multiple players.
Mastering Skyrim: Beyond Loot
Ultimately, Skyrim’s allure lies in its vast open world, compelling quests, and the freedom to create a unique character and experience. While higher difficulty won’t magically conjure better loot, it can provide a more engaging and rewarding gameplay experience for those seeking a greater challenge. Remember to prioritize character development, explore the world, and embrace the challenges that come your way – the loot will follow. For more on gaming and its impact, consider visiting the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org.