Just Started Playing Skyrim

[Briton]

Talk about being late to the party! Loving it so far. I love Bethedsa but I'm not going to bother with their vanilla release other than to check out why I wouldn't play it. ;) I've gone for Requiem and a lot of other mods that enhance the experience for me; including Frostfall and iNeeds. It's tough but I like the feeling of achievement when you make some progress. The great thing about about a game like this that has been out for ages is that there is so much material available and the game was really cheap. :) Actually I did the same with Morrowind and Oblivion but I was nowhere near as late as this.

Any other Skyrim noobs about?

[ironbender800]

Good deal. Im using requiem now myself but im not a noob lol. I have 1000 hours game time.

 

 

With requiem remember to keep the mod list kinda minimal aside from visual mods. Requiem changes almost everything so adding a lot on top will throw off the balance that it was designed with.

 

Author himself recommends a good survival mod (which you have) and thats about it for your first run.

 

I use Vividian ENB and basically follow the skyrim revisited step guide but being VERY selective with what i install.

 

Its a completely new experience and absolutely brutal.

[SPH1]

I have the DLC Legendary Edition of Skyrim and over 1700 hours in the game (always finding reasons to re-start; highest I got was level 53.) But IMO it is a mistake to play Skyrim the first time with ANY mods.

 

I am glad I played without mods the first time. I still play primarily without mods, although like testing house mods. (I've come to believe that most house mods are essentially cheats...including mine.) Main mod, IMO, is something like Amazing Follower Tweaks, so you can have more than one follower and they will "relax" and do things...and ride horses, a must for me. My horse is my primary companion and I will not play without one....or several, for my followers. No horse mod: I buy horses or get them with a house mod, that way I can ride any and all.

 

Been thinking of expanding my mod experience to perhaps Frostfall. But again, I think that one should initially experience the game unmodded, just to see how it is and what you might want in the way of mods.

 

But - again IMO - Skyrim is still the greatest game of all.

 

 

 

_____________________________

My Stuff:

Cracked Tusk Keep Tweaked: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/71322
Ruined Whiterun Farmhouse Tweaked: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/68392
SPH1's Rorikstead Farm House: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/68880
SPH1's Saxon Norman Rorikstead Fort: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/71690

Youtube:

Mounted Horse Combat: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tmdH_zdDm8&feature=youtu.be

Edited December 22, 2015 by SPH1

[Gazz43]

Am a month playing Skyrim on PC been playing on Xbox 360 since the game came out but its 100 times better on PC

[Briton]

Thanks for the tips, good advice. Although I am new to Skyrim I have been researching mods for some time. I've watched all the Youtube videos and read a lot on what Requiem does. I only install mods listed on the Requiem patch page or research each one for compatibility with Requiem; if I'm in doubt about a mod, I don't use it.

 

I've put the high res textures on and some other graphics improvements but I haven't tried an ENB as yet.

 

Edit: I modded Oblivion a lot; inclding installing the OOO/Francescos/MMM thing. That was a nightmare. I see someone has automated it now.

Edited December 22, 2015 by Briton

[Briton]

  On 12/22/2015 at 8:36 PM, SPH1 said:

 

I have the DLC Legendary Edition of Skyrim and over 1700 hours in the game (always finding reasons to re-start; highest I got was level 53.) But IMO it is a mistake to play Skyrim the first time with ANY mods.

 

I am glad I played without mods the first time. I still play primarily without mods, although like testing house mods. (I've come to believe that most house mods are essentially cheats...including mine.) Main mod, IMO, is something like Amazing Follower Tweaks, so you can have more than one follower and they will "relax" and do things...and ride horses, a must for me. My horse is my primary companion and I will not play without one....or several, for my followers. No horse mod: I buy horses or get them with a house mod, that way I can ride any and all.

 

Been thinking of expanding my mod experience to perhaps Frostfall. But again, I think that one should initially experience the game unmodded, just to see how it is and what you might want in the way of mods.

 

But - again IMO - Skyrim is still the greatest game of all.

 

 

 

I have no interest in playing in a totally leveled world that revolves around my character and it's pointless me playing an unmodded Skyrim. I understand others might be happy to play vanilla whatever but I don't understand why some think others should play it that way. Actually you'd have to be nuts* as a PC player not to mod the game in some way; if only to change the UI. (*Or completely phobic about messing with your install, I get that).

As for insinuating all mods are cheats, that's just daft. I'm playing in an unleveled world where my puny alchemist is killed by a single hit. I'm running a survival/essential needs mod, and, as you know, there's no fast travel in Requiem. In what way are those cheats?

Edited December 22, 2015 by Briton

[ironbender800]

If your hardware is good enough (gtx 670 equivalent or better) i would use Vividian ENB with climates of tamriel and ELFX.

 

Makes areas without light sources realistically dark. Adds immersion and makes game look a lot better. If you go that route wearable lanterns is almost a MUST.

 

Aside from that i use some texture mods and a bunch of interface mods and fixes.

 

along with campfire, frostfall, and iNeed.

 

some people add in revenge of the enemies..........but if you do that....good luck lol.

 

http://wiki.step-project.com/User:Neovalen/Skyrim_Revisited_-_Legendary_Edition

[SPH1]

I simply suggested playing initially with no mods; perhaps to level 12 or so would be nice. But yes, that's me.

 

Yes, IMO most mods (and I'm primarily speaking about which I'm most familiar - house mods) are cheats of sorts. Typically every smithing convenience, auto-sorting and better places than any Jarl I've yet come across. Might as well come out with a mod that plays the game for us, while we watch TV.

 

I do use some mods, and am working on another house. But this mod I may put in few containers and see if it's possible to decorate oneself just using the game, by moving and placing objects. (First person in walk mode works best.) Or perhaps something like the Jaxonz Positioner (which I've tested; it works.)

 

After 1700 hours I'll let out a thought I've formed: it is more challenging to play without mods. No convenient house with every convenience to come back to; no merchant chests to sell your loot.

 

Armor is a waste of time. I get along just fine in common clothes, as I think that one's level, tactical fighting ability and difficulty level are more important. And I'll emphasize tactical fighting ability. Besides, most of the armor above iron pretty much makes one look like an insect, and I do not want to run around Skyrim looking like a bug. (I've had all the armor; every obtainable house in the game.) I think that clothes look better, although I do like iron and imperial armor and try to wear fur when in the snow country (my version of Frostfall, I suppose.)

 

Fighting from horseback vanilla (don't know if there is a combat horse mod) takes some real-world skill. I recently made a vid on that. My horse is my main companion and I can play long stretches with just the two of us...no followers. I hardly ever fast travel (MAYBE occasionally using a carriage) so all of my loot from an expedition has to be packed out with my horse. I've had in excess of 1000lbs and 400-500 lbs is very typical. That's a challenge if the nearest town/merchant is far away, especially if attacked along the way. Why learning to fight from horseback is a good investment with my style of play. Have to hide or "freeze" from dragons in those cases though; haven't even tried taking one of them out via horseback.

 

Having had in excess of $750K in gold in my level 53 play I can say that one should not listen to those who say only make one's own weapons and armor, rather than buying. One has to keep the economy going (so to speak) and after a point one cannot spend that amount of money anyway.

 

I suppose I'm looking for something that makes the game more challenging. Mods, insofar as I can tell, don't do that...quite the opposite. Except for perhaps something like Frostfall, which I intend to try.

 

But I do love testing houses and castles and dabble in them myself. Although my main intent is to eventually try a play without having any house or houses at all. Finding beds (not simply Inns) and safe containers...I think that would be a challenge.

 

Nothing wrong with my PC, which I built myself with Skyrim in mind. (For only about $350)

 

Much fun on your Skyrim journey!

 

PS: If your alchemist (never played those, I'm always a Nord warrior...hack n slash) is always getting killed you might try different tactics. I remember once a hard mage in that Cliffside cutout next to Whiterun I couldn't kill. He kept killing me in a shot or two. I eventually got on the cliff above him and - thinking of rappelling down - dropped down practically on top of him with a poisoned great sword and took him out with one or two blows. It had to be fast.

 

Another example of tactics: a bottle neck like at the real battle of Thermopylae. Swindler's Den, vastly outnumbered. Force them to come one at a time. A common tactic I use...as probably do others. Just getting mobbed and swinging it out usually doesn't work to well.

 

I think that real world tactics can go a long way, but they have to be figured out.

 

 

_____________________________

My Stuff:

Cracked Tusk Keep Tweaked: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/71322
Ruined Whiterun Farmhouse Tweaked: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/68392
SPH1's Rorikstead Farm House: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/68880
SPH1's Saxon Norman Rorikstead Fort: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/71690

Youtube:

Mounted Horse Combat: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tmdH_zdDm8&feature=youtu.be

​

Edited December 23, 2015 by SPH1

[Briton]

  On 12/23/2015 at 12:16 AM, SPH1 said:

 

 

Yes, IMO most mods (and I'm primarily speaking about which I'm most familiar - house mods) are cheats of sorts. Typically every smithing convenience, auto-sorting and better places than any Jarl I've yet come across. Might as well come out with a mod that plays the game for us, while we watch TV.

 

I do use some mods, and am working on another house. But this mod I may put in few containers and see if it's possible to decorate oneself just using the game, by moving and placing objects. (First person in walk mode works best.) Or perhaps something like the Jaxonz Positioner (which I've tested; it works.)

 

After 1700 hours I'll let out a thought I've formed: it is more challenging to play without mods. No convenient house with every convenience to come back to; no merchant chests to sell your loot.

 

Armor is a waste of time. I get along just fine in common clothes, as I think that one's level, tactical fighting ability and difficulty level are more important. And I'll emphasize tactical fighting ability. Besides, most of the armor above iron pretty much makes one look like an insect, and I do not want to run around Skyrim looking like a bug. (I've had all the armor; every obtainable house in the game.) I think that clothes look better, although I do like iron and imperial armor and try to wear fur when in the snow country (my version of Frostfall, I suppose.)

 

Fighting from horseback vanilla (don't know if there is a combat horse mod) takes some real-world skill. I recently made a vid on that. My horse is my main companion and I can play long stretches with just the two of us...no followers. I hardly ever fast travel (MAYBE occasionally using a carriage) so all of my loot from an expedition has to be packed out with my horse. I've had in excess of 1000lbs and 400-500 lbs is very typical. That's a challenge if the nearest town/merchant is far away, especially if attacked along the way. Why learning to fight from horseback is a good investment with my style of play. Have to hide or "freeze" from dragons in those cases though; haven't even tried taking one of them out via horseback.

 

Having had in excess of $750K in gold in my level 53 play I can say that one should not listen to those who say only make one's own weapons and armor, rather than buying. One has to keep the economy going (so to speak) and after a point one cannot spend that amount of money anyway.

 

I suppose I'm looking for something that makes the game more challenging. Mods, insofar as I can tell, don't do that...quite the opposite. Except for perhaps something like Frostfall, which I intend to try.

 

But I do love testing houses and castles and dabble in them myself. Although my main intent is to eventually try a play without having any house or houses at all. Finding beds (not simply Inns) and safe containers...I think that would be a challenge.

 

Nothing wrong with my PC, which I built myself with Skyrim in mind. (For only about $350)

 

Much fun on your Skyrim journey!

 

PS: If your alchemist (never played those, I'm always a Nord warrior...hack n slash) is always getting killed you might try different tactics. I remember once a hard mage in that Cliffside cutout next to Whiterun I couldn't kill. He kept killing me in a shot or two. I eventually got on the cliff above him and - thinking of rappelling down - dropped down practically on top of him with a poisoned great sword and took him out with one or two blows. It had to be fast.

 

Another example of tactics: a bottle neck like at the real battle of Thermopylae. Swindler's Den, vastly outnumbered. Force them to come one at a time. A common tactic I use...as probably do others. Just getting mobbed and swinging it out usually doesn't work to well.

 

I think that real world tactics can go a long way, but they have to be figured out.

 

 

​

 

 

If you had said house mods are cheats (IYO) I wouldn't have had an issue. I've never used one in any Elder Scrolls game, so I don't know. They are not 'most mods' though and none of the mods I am using are exploits; most make the game more challenging and none could be construed as a cheat. Actually I think the vanilla game that holds your hand with it's leveled world and fast travel feels like one big cheat. I understand you can choose not to exploit fast travel and I don't think of carriages/sand striders/teleportation spells as fast travel cheats. I intend to get a horse but I can't afford it yet.

 

I never play pure fighters in any CRPG. I keep meaning to have a play through as a fighter but never seem to get around to it. I usually play a marksman/backstabbing thief, a mage, or a combination of the two.

 

Actually when I say alchemist, that is my goal. I spent one of my perks there but I'm strongest early on as a conjurer; which helps.

 

Good advice on tactics but I am quite experienced at these kind of games. Amazing how often you can find a way when at first it seems impossible. Sometimes though I just have to leave it for another time. I prefer that though. Knowing that everything has been set to match my level would spoils the experience for me. But that's the great thing about these games; you can mould them to better suit your preferences.

[Briton]

  On 12/22/2015 at 11:20 PM, ironbender800 said:

If your hardware is good enough (gtx 670 equivalent or better) i would use Vividian ENB with climates of tamriel and ELFX.

 

Makes areas without light sources realistically dark. Adds immersion and makes game look a lot better. If you go that route wearable lanterns is almost a MUST.

 

Aside from that i use some texture mods and a bunch of interface mods and fixes.

 

along with campfire, frostfall, and iNeed.

 

some people add in revenge of the enemies..........but if you do that....good luck lol.

 

 

I have installed revenge of the enemies. :-) I use Purity but I see that Vividian is compatible with that. I have a 960 4gb card but to be honest I'm quite happy with the graphics. I'll probably give it a go eventually though. I have installed ELFX for the interiors though.

 

I have those three survival mods plus Wet and Cold.