It would also be nice if the companion was not just a lackey, but could also work as a mentor for money, which you then diligently take from him when exchanging items.
I never thought about this, you live and learn – you keep learning how to play Skyrim.
Sometimes you discover such cool things. Not so long ago, also in Skyrim, or rather in Enderal, but that doesn't matter... A fight in a bandit lair, there are mages there, mages in Enderal are unpleasant. Especially when you are overloaded and moving slowly. But it turned out that, if you drag the bandit's corpse in front of you with the E key, you can effectively shield yourself from ice bolts.
Regarding leveling in Morrowind – yes, I also jumped and ran around, especially since useful stats are given for this when leveling up.
Regarding leveling in Skyrim – I liked summoning atronachs and fighting with them (after the second hit, they become aggressive if they don't die, and you can gain experience). Probably not the most effective method, but blacksmithing worked perfectly. And yet, the most interesting playthrough was without purposeful leveling, without magic, and only with a crossbow. This game loves such role-playing restrictions; then it reveals itself better, and the difficulty curve is more even.