Skyrim Character Building » Discussions

Level Predictor, or Is My Build Reasonable?

• Wintermute

  

  Member
   

  October 16, 2013

  I just did a couple of troubleshooting tests on my version of the sheet on Google Drive, and the math works out properly. (You can test that the XP column is working correctly by picking a skill in which you have no racial bonus and trying target values of 16, 17, and 18. The values of the corresponding XP box should be 16 at skill 16, 33 at skill 17, and 51 at skill 18.)

  I can think of a couple of reasons why you might get an answer you don't expect:

  1) If you played the build organically, you may well have reached skill levels far above those required for your perks. If you're not putting in the levels your skills were actually at, you'll get the wrong answer. For example, just because your build only requires Restoration 60 doesn't mean that, when you played it, your Restoration actually capped at 60. In fact, that's highly unlikely.

  2) The sheet contains two hidden values in cells J22 and J23. Make sure you didn't accidentally change them.

  3) Otherwise, coming up with levels that don't quite match your perk spread is exactly what makes this spreadsheet useful. If you're putting in the minimum skill levels necessary to achieve your perks, it is entirely possible that it won't match what you came up with in your playthrough.

  I just did a couple of troubleshooting tests on my version of the sheet on Google Drive, and the math works out properly. (You can test that the XP column is working correctly by picking a skill in which you have no racial bonus and trying target values of 16, 17, and 18. The values of the corresponding XP box should be 16 at skill 16, 33 at skill 17, and 51 at skill 18.)

  I can think of a couple of reasons why you might get an answer you don't expect:

  1) If you played the build organically, you may well have reached skill levels far above those required for your perks. If you're not putting in the levels your skills were actually at, you'll get the wrong answer. For example, just because your build only requires Restoration 60 doesn't mean that, when you played it, your Restoration actually capped at 60. In fact, that's highly unlikely.

  2) The sheet contains two hidden values in cells J22 and J23. Make sure you didn't accidentally change them.

  3) Otherwise, coming up with levels that don't quite match your perk spread is exactly what makes this spreadsheet useful. If you're putting in the minimum skill levels necessary to achieve your perks, it is entirely possible that it won't match what you came up with in your playthrough.

• Mason

  
   

  October 16, 2013

  I guess so, there's also skills like lockpicking that can end up pretty high as you play. And recharging enchantments can add up as well...

  

  I can't tell for sure without entering my exact character into the spreadsheet.

  I guess so, there's also skills like lockpicking that can end up pretty high as you play. And recharging enchantments can add up as well...

  

  I can't tell for sure without entering my exact character into the spreadsheet.

• Chaddgeir

  

  Member
   

  October 16, 2013

  I just tested Twisted's Orc Lyrezi, which I'm currently playing through, and its reported as a level 45, when it should be 51, so it seems somewhat more accurate with this build than it was with yours. I also think that this might be a result of a few low-level scenarios when I ran out of potions and used a restoration spell, or when I used a bit of sneak-archery (to level sneak) before my heavily-armed orc could get anywhere close to an enemy. I also found myself using block with my battleaxe before I found the weapon enchantments used in build, so that would influence it somewhat as well.

  I just tested Twisted's Orc Lyrezi, which I'm currently playing through, and its reported as a level 45, when it should be 51, so it seems somewhat more accurate with this build than it was with yours. I also think that this might be a result of a few low-level scenarios when I ran out of potions and used a restoration spell, or when I used a bit of sneak-archery (to level sneak) before my heavily-armed orc could get anywhere close to an enemy. I also found myself using block with my battleaxe before I found the weapon enchantments used in build, so that would influence it somewhat as well.

• Wintermute

  

  Member
   

  October 16, 2013

  In practice, almost every Skyrim character will wind up with a higher level than what this spreadsheet predicts, unless you are really strict about level non-core skills (or you're using a leveling stopping mod like SkyXP). I actually try pretty hard not to level Lockpicking on characters without it (Tower Stone for the win), but inevitably you'll pick up a couple of skill levels somewhere. What this sheet really checks is when a build is "complete".

  In case of any doubt, you can check your builds manually using the formulas at http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Leveling. 

  In practice, almost every Skyrim character will wind up with a higher level than what this spreadsheet predicts, unless you are really strict about level non-core skills (or you're using a leveling stopping mod like SkyXP). I actually try pretty hard not to level Lockpicking on characters without it (Tower Stone for the win), but inevitably you'll pick up a couple of skill levels somewhere. What this sheet really checks is when a build is "complete".

  In case of any doubt, you can check your builds manually using the formulas at http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Leveling. 

• Albino

  

  Member
   

  November 19, 2014

  Bumping this because it's a really cool resource that deserves more attention. I've also added it to the Character Building Guides and Resources page.

  Bumping this because it's a really cool resource that deserves more attention. I've also added it to the Character Building Guides and Resources page.

• Ulfric Stormdrain

  

  Member
   

  January 22, 2015

  Could you add the spreadsheet as a public file on Google Drive/Dropbox for those of us that don't have Microsoft Office.

  Could you add the spreadsheet as a public file on Google Drive/Dropbox for those of us that don't have Microsoft Office.

• Wintermute

  

  Member
   

  February 10, 2015

  Here you go!

  link!

  It's view-only, so you'll need to make a copy to actually do anything with it. Also note that the data validation doesn't work properly in LibreOffice. I have no idea why. But it works perfectly fine in Google Docs (and in fact I originally wrote the sheet there).

  Here you go!

  link!

  It's view-only, so you'll need to make a copy to actually do anything with it. Also note that the data validation doesn't work properly in LibreOffice. I have no idea why. But it works perfectly fine in Google Docs (and in fact I originally wrote the sheet there).

• Ragin Cajun

  

  Member
   

  January 1, 2016

  any idea what causes the variance on level from this and the actual perk calculators?  I just plugged in a build the spreadsheet shows Level 40 while the Perk Calculator shows Level 47.  (Using Open Office FYI)

  any idea what causes the variance on level from this and the actual perk calculators?  I just plugged in a build the spreadsheet shows Level 40 while the Perk Calculator shows Level 47.  (Using Open Office FYI)

• Gollum

  

  Member
   

  January 1, 2016

  I think it's because the perk calculator adds a level every time you add a perk. You will be Level 40 with the skill levels you chose on the level predictor, but to get all the perks you want, you need to be level 47 (Steezy Baby).

  I think it's because the perk calculator adds a level every time you add a perk. You will be Level 40 with the skill levels you chose on the level predictor, but to get all the perks you want, you need to be level 47 (Steezy Baby).

• Garkus (Umbra)

  

  Member
   

  January 3, 2016

  It's the just the depreciation of the value of experience as your character levels. 

  It's the just the depreciation of the value of experience as your character levels.