Skyrim Special Edition (also, Mods!)
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Who's playing? What are you playing? And probably my favorite subject, what mods are you using? Which ones from vanilla do you find essential and wish would be ported over? Anything new in SE you think is boss? Have you had any problems with any?
Discuss!
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Double post!
This time I wanted to go with a sword and board fighter, so I started out with an Imperial (for the extra gold, because I knew it was gonna get expensive fast...). Turns out that blocking and the block skill in general bored me to tears, so I switched it up to a dual weilding bound weapons fighter with mage armor backup on top of the heavy armor, which is... surprisingly fun, even with all the specs you need to pull it off.
Mods to come when I'm not on my phone!
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Frostfall, iNeed, Cloaks, Campfire.
I'm basically playing the game as a survival game currently being a Bosmer up in the high mountains trying to live of the land in the harsh and cold climate. It's real fun so far and it gets real cozy.
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Surprisingly enough, I'm playing an unmodded playthrough -- basically, to get as many of the achievements as possible. Once that's done, however... get some mods to pretty up the female characters tastefully, and I'm looking at some other mods as well, such as Better Vampires, Apocalypse: Magic of Skyrim and more. So far, I've completed the Dark Brotherhood questline, and have all the other faction side-quests started aside from Dawnguard (just spoke with Durak is all there) and the Civil War.
One mod I'm hoping to see, but it's gonna be a while (if ever, due to script extenders) is Moonlight Tales -- a werewolf/werebear overhaul. I have this crazy idea of getting the Snow Elf playable race mod and making the character into a white-furred werewolf running a dual-cast Frost Cloak, the best Mage Armor spells I can find, so on and so forth.
@Derp: This is gonna sound crazy, but add Alchemy to that dual-wield bound swords. There's a lovely potion you can make (Hanging Moss + Canis Root + Juniper Berries) that does Fortify One-Handed/Fortify Marksman -- interestingly, there's a bug with Fortify Marksman that allows it to boost the damage of all weapons, not just ranged -- effectively, it'll double the Fortify One-Handed bonus to damage. Makes Bound Sword viable the entire way. Also, assuming you're taking that whole perk tree for bound weapons, go with Slow Time to make things more fun.
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Two things!
First, something you may be interested in: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/245/?
Second! Yes, I lean on alchemy pretty heavily no matter what I'm playing. It's one of those things that I just tend to do. I collect ingredients like a madman, and then go through and mass-create potions when I get the time to do so. In my vanilla runs I use Headbomb's Better Sorting, which has an option to make potions weightless, which is really helpful, even if the ingredients aren't (though they generally weigh little enough before I use them all that it doesn't matter.)
Most of the mods I like, though, are still waiting on the new SKSE, which is pretty unfortunate. SkyUI is one of those things that I never had before, and now I basically can't live without.
Much sadness.But yeah, alchemy is essential, especially if you wanna make some money quickly. Whip up a bunch of (hanging moss + giant's toe + bear claw) potions and then go sell them for a tidy profit, too.
I've looked into those before. Cloaks I had installed once, but the way they moved (or failed to, really) bugged the crap out of me, so I disabled it. The others I've been meaning to look into, but somehow I've never really done so before now. Are they relatively easy to disable if it turns out I suck enough that I don't wanna deal with them?
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What mods am I using? Holy shit, that's gonna be a long list. But let's go. Note: I don't use all of these at once. I can, but there are some I'm probably going to get rid of.
Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch(a must have)
Live Another Life - Alternate Start(really useful if you hate the long vanilla start)
Cutting Room Floor
Rich Merchants of Skyrim
Wildcat - Combat of Skyrim Overhaul(highly recommend)
Apocalypse - Magic of Skyrim Overhaul(highly recommend)
Ordinator - Perks of Skyrim Overhaul(highly recommend)
Compatability Patch for Ordinator/Apocalypse
Rebalanced Loot Level Lists
Relationship Dialouge Overhaul for Followers
Essential Followers(recommend so you don't accidently kill your follower)
Black Mage Armor SE
Unlimited Rings and Amulets
YOU DON'T KNOW ME - No NPC Greetings(which I love)
Triss and Yennefer Armor
Geralt Armor
Campfire
Frostfall
Wet and Cold
Vivid Weather
Ars Metallica(highly recommend)
Reflection - Level Up Messages
Marco's Integrated Level Lists
Convenient Crossbows
Merchant Death Prevention
Longer Magelight and Candlelight
Lanterns of Skyrim
Conan - Age of Hyborian(really really good)
Realistic Conversations
KS Hairdos Lite
Cheat Room
Sheogorath's Cheat Spell
Sofia - Fan-Voiced Follower
Corvo Armor and Weapon from Dishonored
Increased Follower Limit
College of Winterhold Overhaul
Valiant Nord Bow
Immersion Indigestion(everyone farts in combat and it's funny as hell)Okay, I think that's all of them. Or well, the one's worth mentioning. Most of my mods tends to be more focused on immersion stuff. I was doing Wildcat + More Populated Forts/Dungeons, but man, I kept getting my ass kicked(read: swarmed) because Wildcat is not kind with the way it sets up it's AI(it's a lot smarter in fighting).
EDIT 1: A lot of my other mods revolve around making followers better and merchant stuff. There's nothing truly game bereaking beyond the Cheat Room, which I mostly use as a portable smithy/enchanting spot. I mean, yes, I COULD improve everything to 100, give myself so many perks/dragon shouts/whatever item I wanted, but I feel like that makes the game boring. SO I kinda would rather earn it.
Right now I'm playing a Nord who just became Arch-Mage, because I liked the irony in a Nord of all races becoming Arch-Mage. Though for some reason, all these experienced teachers decided that 'yeah, let's make the guy with 35 Destruction magic who knows like, four spells to be Arch-Mage. Not like we have high standards or anything'.
EDIT 2: So, I can't stress this enough. Ordinator: Perks of Skyrim feels like you're playing a completely different game. I love it, it allows you do so much more than the vanilla game ever could. I feel like this is how the skill trees should have been. You get so many options to mold and modify your playstyle to whatever what you want. Wildcat, Apocalypse, and Ordinator are must-haves now for any modded playthrough for me.
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I'm going to kick it up to play later today.
I've never used any mods.
If you had to suggest very specific mods for someone who has never used any, which would you suggest?
Also: I don't want ones that make shit harder. I play to relax, goddamnit.
Saying the quiet parts out loud since 1996.
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Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch - because it fixes a lot of shit the devs couldn't be bothered to fix.
Apocalypse: Magic of Skyrim - Adds a lot(155 I think)new spells that're real handy if you're don't the mage type
Ordinator: Perks of Skyrim - fuckton of new perks that allow you a myriad of different play styles
Rich Merchants of Skyrim - Because merchants only having a couple hundred gold is annoying. Every merchant now has 10,000 gold to sell stuff
Essential Followers - Self explainatory. Followers don't die.
Rebalanced Loot Level Lists - Because killing dragons is now worth something beyond a Dragon Soul
Unlimited Rings and Amulets - Because why limit yourself to wearing just one ring when you can wear TEN OF THEM
Ars Metallica - Retools the Smithing system so you can break down weapons/armor you don't care about into metal. Also gives you XP for doing smelting, leatherworking, etc. It's really handy and makes the smithing system what it should've been.
Wet and Cold/Vivid Weather is purely for immersons sake. Actually you gives you better weather effects. And realistic night lighting.
Conan Age of Hyboria is really really fun. Got it's own quest and everything, but it'snot for the feint of heart. It's hard and it will kick your ass unless you're a high level. But the stuff you get out of it is totally worth it.
Most of the stuff on my list is pretty fun, I'd suggest any of them to a player. The ones I list here are just the ones I couldn't play the game without because they're some of my favorites that just make the game better.
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@Derp: I haven't yet upgraded to SE for the PC yet (I can do it for free, just haven't done so yet). Skyrim on Xbox 360 was my first foray into the Elder Scrolls universe; I'm currently playing it on Xbox One (one of the few times Xbox has the upper hand on Sony, given how anal Sony is being right now about external assets). So, alas, I can't get the achievement unlocker for playing with mods -- hasn't been ported over, at least not that I've seen, but I'll look again to make sure.
Right now, aside from Moonlight Tales for werewolf overhaul purposes, I really wish there was a means of making more armors (such as chainmail, for instance). I sorta have another crazy idea of trying to port over Chandra Nalaar from Magic: The Gathering and make her into a Breton pyromancer.
I tend to have lots of crazy ideas for RP backgrounds for characters.
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@darksabrz
Not sure, but you said you are playing on PC? Or Xbone? See if you can find immersive armors for your version. That's a pretty great mod that adds about 100 new types of armor you can craft. Is cool. -
@Auspice said in Skyrim Special Edition (also, Mods!):
If you had to suggest very specific mods for someone who has never used any, which would you suggest?
Most of the mods that I would suggest for an absolute beginner aren't available on SE yet, unfortunately, so I'll talk about the vanilla ones that I use until such a time as they become available.
(Some of these may already be, I haven't looked in a few days).First thing's first - get Nexus Mod Manager. This is going to make your life so much easier. You can download the program here: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/modmanager/?
Once we have that: You're going to want things that make your world and NPCs look better. Bethesda's default NPC look is an awful thing, and some of the tools they could have included got overlooked, so I use:
Quality World Map with Roads - http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/4929/? - This one does what it says on the tin. Makes the world map much better, shows what roads actually exist, etc. You're going to want this, because navigating skyrim can sometimes be a bit tricksy, and sticking to roads makes it much safer. At least until you're ready to venture onwards and go exploring.
SkyUI - http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/3863/? - Redoes the menus to make it, you know, easier to navigate, easier to use, etc. Also, tons of mods require SkyUI to function, and adds a mod management menu to your menu options. Believe me, you don't want to be without this one for long.
Headbomb's Better Sorting - http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/2730/? - Another sanity-saver. This one classifies your items/potions/etc based on what they are, instead of what they're named. So instead of having Daedric Arrows at the top of your weapons list and Steel Arrows near the bottom, it renames them to Arrows - Daedric and Arrows - Steel. Also works for potions, some other things. Options to make potions weightless, which makes the game a bit easier for newbies if you need to carry a ton of them.
You'll also want the unofficial patches, either the individuals for the DLC you have or the one called USLEEP for the legendary edition. Fixes about a bahjillion bugs and oversights, etc. Another essential thing to save your sanity. Just search the mod nexus for Unofficial Patch, and they should pop right up.
Those are the ones that for a beginner I would say you absolutely need to have, no question. For NPC appearance, which is totally optional, I suggest:
ApachiiSkyHair - http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/10168/? - Another mod meant to increase appearance. Adds tons of new hairstyles into the game.
CBBE (NSFW) - http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/2666/? - Female body replacer. Makes women look less like blocky carved things, and gives you more options when adjusting ratios, etc. Available in nude and non-nude editions. Others out there are a bit more glamorous, like UNP. There are tons of these things. Find one that suits your taste.
True Daughters of Skyrim - http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/45453/? - Makes women look like actual women and less like pornstars (IMO, your mileage may vary), but requires CBBE or UNP, so I put CBBE up there to be a bit more simple, as you'll need that first.
Women of Skyrim - http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/25588/? - Really ramps up facial quality on female NPCs, to make them look more like humans and less like papier mache statues.
Better Males (NSFW)* - http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/2488/? - Gives male bodies a new appearance, and generally makes NPCs look younger, and less like they've had their face smashed with big rocks. Available in nude and non-nude versions. IF (and I say IF) you're looking for nude versions, I recommend the Sundracon meshes, as they tend to be a little less campy-looking than the others, though read the instructions carefully as it takes some doing. Non-nude is the default, so if that's what you're going for, then you should be set just downloading and installing it with the mod manager.
Males of Skyrim - http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/61937/? - A serious facial overhaul for the men of skyrim. No, really, you're going to want this. It's not pervy at all. It really does make male NPCs look like humans again, sort of like what Women of Skyrim does for the ladies. Take a look at the pictures. You'll see.
Edit to add:
OPTIONAL STUFF I USE
Enhanced Blood Textures - http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/60/? - Makes blood look like actual blood and not red paint someone spilled.
Run for your Lives - http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/23906/? - Makes it so that when dragons attack, people don't just stand there stupidly, or worse, try and fight the damn thing and die (no, seriously, quests can be ruined by NPCs who fought the wrong dragon). They duck for cover and GTFO of the way.
RaceMenu - http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/29624/? - May be required for some of the above. I forgot to check. A new take on the character creation process. Makes it much easier to get high personalization.
Racism isn't Tinkerbell. It doesn't need you to believe in it for it to exist.
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As someone who's played Skyrim but not a lot, is the SE worth getting as well? Give me the 101 please.
- He who takes offense when not intended is a fool. He who takes offense when intended is a greater fool.
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I'm not like absolute omgneverplayed Skyrim beginner.
I've just never used mods. XD I'll dig through lists and see what I like.
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@Arkandel said in Skyrim Special Edition (also, Mods!):
As someone who's played Skyrim but not a lot, is the SE worth getting as well? Give me the 101 please.
It depends, Ark. SE is just a visual overhaul of the original skyrim. It adds some new pretty scenery and some nifty effects (shoot water with fire, and it boils, stuff like that), but is otherwise just Skyrim. There is almost nothing that SE has that can't be accomplished with some modding on the PC version, like the godrays thing. It's more for folks that really enjoyed Skyrim and wanted to go back and see it newly enhanced with better graphics, especially on consoles.
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@Kanye-Qwest said in Skyrim Special Edition (also, Mods!):
@darksabrz
Not sure, but you said you are playing on PC? Or Xbone? See if you can find immersive armors for your version. That's a pretty great mod that adds about 100 new types of armor you can craft. Is cool.I'm playing on Xbox One, but I do also have it for PC. Immersive Armors (and Weapons, for that matter) have yet to hit the Xbox/PlayStation mods -- probably for the same reason as Moonlight Tales (in that it requires a script extender which Xbox and PS4 can't utilize, and PS4 in particular is boned on getting it unless Sony backs down from the "no external assets" stance they're taking with Bethesda).
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My character contracted vampirism within the first hour of gameplay,
Fucking Bethesda.
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How ... medieval of them. You. You both.
Blood sucking freak!
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@Thenomain Don't forget to cover your boobs!
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So I found a mod. 'Alternate Starts'
... I'm torn. Like, OK, I didn't want to do the base start because I have so many times before, but I also haven't played in a good 2 years... so I need some sort of 'walkthrough' type deal. Ease me in. This mod gives you all these options to just dive in, but some of them put you in hard as fuck areas... at level 1.
But there are options to start as a werewolf or vampire lord.
Saying the quiet parts out loud since 1996.
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Pick "Camping In The Woods" will start you just outside the cave you exit at the end of the tutorial, with Alduin flying over. It's basically the vanilla start without long ass cutscenes.
