The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered drew criticism from players and coverage over the perceived jump from Adept, which could feel too easy, to Expert, which could feel punishing. Bethesda addressed that gap in Update 1.2 by adding Journeyman, a preset it described as a bridge between the two. The complaint was reported, not measured across the player base, and the update does not establish that every player’s difficulty concerns were resolved.
Why did Adept and Expert feel so far apart?
In a May 12, 2025 report, PC Gamer’s Ted Litchfield described Adept as too easy for his liking and Expert as a sharp increase in difficulty, with even basic enemies feeling punishing. The gap is not simply a matter of enemies having more health: the reporting describes difficulty in terms of paired damage multipliers—how much damage the player deals and how much they receive.
PC Gamer attributed figures to a chart by modder IxionXVII, rather than to an official Bethesda table or a controlled test. On that chart, Adept is listed at 1× damage dealt and 1× damage received; Expert is listed at 0.286× damage dealt and 3.5× damage received. Those figures illustrate why the change can feel substantial: the player deals less damage while taking more. They should be read as reported modder-chart values, not as multipliers published by Bethesda.
What changed in Update 1.2?
Bethesda’s official Update 1.2 notes, published July 16, 2025, added settings for “Player Combat Damage” and “Enemy Combat Damage.” The notes list six difficulty options: Novice, Apprentice, Adept, Journeyman, Expert, and Master. Bethesda said: “We hope the ‘Journeyman’ setting, specifically, will act as a better bridge between ‘Adept’ and ‘Expert’ for players.”
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PC Gamer had reported on July 9 that Journeyman was entering Steam beta and framed it as a response to commonly reported complaints. The official notes establish the final rollout date: Bethesda said Update 1.2 would roll out to all platforms on July 16, 2025. The separate damage categories offer more direct control over player and enemy combat damage, but the documented change is not evidence that Bethesda restored a continuous slider.
How large are the reported difficulty steps?
The following values are attributed by PC Gamer to IxionXVII’s chart. Bethesda’s Update 1.2 notes name the presets and damage categories but do not publish these numeric multipliers.
| Preset | Player damage dealt | Damage received |
|---|---|---|
| Novice | 6.0× | 0.167× |
| Apprentice | 3.5× | 0.286× |
| Adept | 1× | 1× |
| Expert | 0.286× | 3.5× |
| Master | 0.167× | 6.0× |
Each multiplier in the table is a figure PC Gamer attributed to the modder’s chart in its 2025 report, not an official Bethesda value or an independently verified test result. The figures show the reported scale of the presets; they do not establish how every encounter or character build will feel in play.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Did Journeyman settle the criticism?
It gave players an intermediate named preset, which directly addressed the reported Adept-to-Expert gap. However, the available coverage does not quantify how players felt after the patch or show that the new option works as a satisfying middle ground for everyone.
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A 2026 PC Gamer mod roundup still discussed the sharp Adept-to-Expert-to-Master progression and pointed to Difficulty Slider Fixed as a way to use different damage scaling. That shows the issue remained a topic in later coverage, not that the update failed for the player base as a whole. The mod is a PC option; the sources do not establish its availability or compatibility on consoles.
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What should players try?
- If Adept feels comfortable but Expert is too harsh: try Journeyman as Bethesda’s intended bridge between them.
- If you want a preset: the official notes list Novice, Apprentice, Adept, Journeyman, Expert, and Master.
- If you want to tune combat damage more directly: Update 1.2 documents separate Player Combat Damage and Enemy Combat Damage settings. The notes do not describe a continuous slider.
- If you are playing on PC and want different scaling: Difficulty Slider Fixed is a mod option discussed in PC Gamer coverage. Check its current compatibility before installing; the cited coverage does not support generalizing mod availability to consoles.
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