Expedition: general discussions.

If I remember correctly, in Skyrim, both melee combat and magic are weak, and it's easier to effectively damage enemies with camping-style sniper attacks. But in general, the skill progression system is flawed.

In Skyrim, the easiest way to create a powerful character is to combine melee combat, alchemy, smithing, and enchanting, preferably with two one-handed weapons. You can choose either light or heavy armor (in the endgame, the difference in stamina consumption isn't that noticeable). But, of course, this is a rather boring approach; you simply go around and eliminate everything that moves.
The last time I tried, I played with a crossbow, which was more interesting, and I had to use stealth (although I didn't invest points in stealth skills). In general, a crossbow + light armor + smithing + stealth is also a decent build.
But magic is useless. In magic builds, it's impossible to combine high damage output with even a reasonable level of defense, as you either have protective spells or dual-wield fireballs. And without enchanted robes, your mana runs out too quickly, and these robes offer little to no protection.