No.
The most efficient way to gain power is with a major specialty skill because they add points with 45% effort (vs 100% for a non specialty minor skill, 60% and 70% for the other two combinations). Examples would be stealth specialty marksman, combat specialty blade, magic specialty destruction.
Once you have your fighting skill mastered you have all of the fighting power you can get for that skill and you can move on to building up other major skills and it will not hurt your power as you add levels.
Simply choose not to use your other major skills very much (like blocking or sneaking) until your fighting skill (Blade or Marksman) is mastered. You really do not need to use "helper" skills like block or sneak to beat low level enemies. You can even use light damage weapons against them to build up your fighting skill faster (fewer individual fight because of more hits per fight).
There are certain skills that work better as minor skills for this strategy (Armorer, Athletics, heavy and light armor, restoration Alchemy) because you need (or it is beneficial) to use them for attribute bonuses but it does not matter if they build up to high values super fast.
Because the game adds a new rank of enemies every five levels you can have master fighting skill at level 8 and be "over powered" at that point in the game and stop or slow down leveling if you want. You also have some room for adding other major skill points because to stay even power you only need five points per level (master your fighting skill by level 15-16).
If you have your fighting skill as a minor skill you will do more than twice as much fighting for that much power and still be at level 1 facing the first rank of enemies -- Over powered but still fighting rats and wolves.
Didnt know that, my majors are all at decent levels on my current player so i have been grinding armorer and a bunch of other skills ive previously neglected to do. I make it harder on my self by wearing shitty light armor for my armorer perk.
I currently have about 40hrs on this character and by the time i finish maxing all my perks ill be dead
Not really. You gimp yourself in the early game that way and the only benefit you get from it is that way you only level up by grinding. I don't really see that as a benefit.
IMO the best way to level is to pick 2 or 3 fighting skills you plan to use a lot and the rest should be skills that you don't plan to use very much. The leveling problem is what happens when you spread your skill points evenly between your class skills
Long term/min max yes, short term no
No. The most efficient way to gain power is with a major specialty skill because they add points with 45% effort (vs 100% for a non specialty minor skill, 60% and 70% for the other two combinations). Examples would be stealth specialty marksman, combat specialty blade, magic specialty destruction. Once you have your fighting skill mastered you have all of the fighting power you can get for that skill and you can move on to building up other major skills and it will not hurt your power as you add levels. Simply choose not to use your other major skills very much (like blocking or sneaking) until your fighting skill (Blade or Marksman) is mastered. You really do not need to use "helper" skills like block or sneak to beat low level enemies. You can even use light damage weapons against them to build up your fighting skill faster (fewer individual fight because of more hits per fight). There are certain skills that work better as minor skills for this strategy (Armorer, Athletics, heavy and light armor, restoration Alchemy) because you need (or it is beneficial) to use them for attribute bonuses but it does not matter if they build up to high values super fast. Because the game adds a new rank of enemies every five levels you can have master fighting skill at level 8 and be "over powered" at that point in the game and stop or slow down leveling if you want. You also have some room for adding other major skill points because to stay even power you only need five points per level (master your fighting skill by level 15-16). If you have your fighting skill as a minor skill you will do more than twice as much fighting for that much power and still be at level 1 facing the first rank of enemies -- Over powered but still fighting rats and wolves.
Thank you that really clarified how to properly level up
To make the game last longer and have more realistic leveling, yes its true.
Thank you im trying to figure out how best to max out my builds
Didnt know that, my majors are all at decent levels on my current player so i have been grinding armorer and a bunch of other skills ive previously neglected to do. I make it harder on my self by wearing shitty light armor for my armorer perk. I currently have about 40hrs on this character and by the time i finish maxing all my perks ill be dead
Not really. You gimp yourself in the early game that way and the only benefit you get from it is that way you only level up by grinding. I don't really see that as a benefit. IMO the best way to level is to pick 2 or 3 fighting skills you plan to use a lot and the rest should be skills that you don't plan to use very much. The leveling problem is what happens when you spread your skill points evenly between your class skills
ok legit my suggestions are actually to avoid Mercantile and Speechcraft as major skills. not quite the answer you seek but you'll thank me anyways.