What mods are you using?

[BlackCompany]

So recently, after struggling to get back into Skyrim for a second go round, I found a reason to do so. And I owe it all to Arthmor, without whose effort I would likely still avoid playing the game. His mod, Live Another Life, really has me eager to play once more. See, back story, motivation and a reason for having a presence in the world are all important to me, as I role play my characters to the extreme. They visit taverns, chapels and shrines; they eat and drink with others. They sleep most nights and try and rest in a realistic fashion at camps, cabins and inns.

 

Right now, I am playing as a new member of the Vigilant of Stendarr. Courtesy of Arthmor's excellent mod and with some minor customizations to the Vigilant headquarters in my own esp file. (Safe storage and minor equipment changes for the Vigilant, like Silver weapons - nothing unbalancing, though.) I feel like a Vigilant on patrol, moving through the land, slaying Undead and Deadra on behalf of my Order.

 

Other mods which have made a difference to me:

 

-Lanterns on the Road: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=10143. Places lanterns along main roads. Adds some realism to the world, and facilitates travel along main roads with darker nights in immersive fashion.

 

-Live another Life: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=9557. The reason for this post and for my playing the game again. Frankly, its a must for Role Players. No Dragonborn this time. No world saving. Just a poor Nord who was good with a sword, had some minor magical aptitude and was snapped up by the Vigilant before he could be consigned to fighting his own countrymen in the war.

 

Mods such as these enhance immersion. Mods like maps with roads make me feel as if I know the land, and have been there a while. Essential for role playing a Nord in his home land. W.A.T.E.R. has enhanced my experience to an unbelievable degree with the "Wet" effects.

 

So lets chime in with the mods we are using for immersion, or questing. For an enhanced experience. For better visuals, or better game play. Curious what everyone is using. Instead of chiming in on the negatives of Skyrim - Guilty as charged - I am trying to refocus on positives once more.

[thompsonar]

I love "Live Another Life." Best one I've downloaded in a while. I don't have a lot of mods that affect gameplay yet but the ones that have impacted my experience the most are...

 

Deadly Dragons - for obvious reasons

 

Immediate Dragons (doing the "left for dead" option in live another life and "waking up" level 1 with a dragon overhead and no equipment was crazy-scary and awesome (ran like hell). Love having to run from dragons until I can become strong enough to take them down, that's realism.

 

Balanced Magic - this is a recent addition but I love it. Not sure if there's a better magic system overhaul out there but this is working for me. I can actually do some damage.

 

Midas Magic - Great spells and I like having to search for the ingredients in order to get them. Gives me something to do aside from "questing"

 

Lush Trees/Grass - Something about running through the forest and not being able to see 3 feet in front of me most of the time, exhilarating.

 

Wars In Skyrim - I guess this mod is dead now? But I'll be damned if it wasn't a good one. Npc's cross rivers, arrows do more damage (I think that's in this mod? it's in one I use) and of course all the random encounters.

 

I know these are a lot of the more well known mods that many many people have. But I try to only use mods that have been thoroughly tested by many people anyway. There's a few I'm watching and will download once they've gotten their glitches worked out. Another big thing for me was just popping the difficulty level up. I really enjoy the game even with just these, I have some other mods for armor and weapons and such and my computer can't handle too many graphic enhancements so I don't really have any of those. I'll add more mods yes, I'm not one of those players that all ready has 200 mods (I think i have 20 something).

[IndorilTheGreat]

Right now, I'm using these mods for immersion:

 

1. Frostfall - Hypothermia Camping Survival (varying temperatures in different regions, different materials keep you warmer, etc.)

 

2. Alternate Start - Live another Life (for RPing purposes)

 

3. Imps More Complex Needs (you must eat, sleep, drink water, drink blood - if you're a vampire, stuff like that)

 

4. Winter is Coming - Cloaks (This one ties in with Frostfall)

 

5. Enhanced Night Skyrim (darker nights and better looking night sky)

 

6. Weapons of the Third Era (makes sense lore-wise; the Dunmer came to Skyrim from Morrowind, and took many of their traditions with them)

 

These next ones are a sort of mix between graphical and immersion:

 

1. Dimonized UNP female body - NSFW (no more odd vanilla "angular" women; that, and it does not have extremely over-exaggerated features)

 

2. UNP Female Armors (conversion of all vanilla clothing to match body)

 

3. Body Hair Nude Male HD - NSFW (no more awkward "bubbly" back muscles)

 

4. Better Females by Bella - No makeup, just improved textures (not as many angular faces on the women)

 

5. No More Blocky Faces (no more of those strange "block" textures running down someones nose when talking to them)

 

 

That was actually a far bigger list than I expected. I don't have any quest mods yet, however. I still need to beat the main quest. :happy:

 

Cheers,

IndorilTheGreat

Edited April 17, 2012 by IndorilTheGreat

[PsxMeUP]

filename.txt:

 

ApachiiHair

Arcane Smithing

BlazesMassIngots

Breezehome Crafting

BreezehomeEnchantingTable

Complete Crafting Overhaul

CraftBoundWeaponsAndArrows

DeadlyDragons

DeadlyDragonsCreature

DeadlyDragonsEF

Demon Lord Armor Set

DFB - Random Encounters

Doomshard Bow

Dragonbone Weapons

enchant4effects

Fasttravelfromanywhere

FF4 PROJECT

Field Mage Outfit

GBob_Imported_Ingredients

Get More Ingots 10 ingots

Gifted Armor

Guild Duelist Armor

Headbomb's Better Sorting

HentaiNightmareArmor

HentaisJamellaArmor

IPutASpellOnYou

isilNarsil

JSwords

killable_children

KillThemGenerals

LFox Alchemists Have Ingredients Ultra

LFox Better Thieves Guild Practice Locks

lilithsdisemboweler

Lost Art of the Blacksmith

MasterTrainers100

More Craftables

MoreTraining_50

Nicoroshi Creations

nomo1

PISE

potent food

potions_poisons_0_1

R18Pn - Diano Armor

Skyrim Unlimited Rings And Amulets

BlueStripesEliteArmor

The Asteria - Dwemer Airship

The Bow of the Drow

TheEyesOfBeauty

theRoadstrokersAlvinHewOutfitSet

UBW

UFO - Ultimate Follower Overhaul

UFO - Ultimate Follower Overhaul

Ultimate training ground

Unlevelled World

Unlimited_Rings

VendorsHaveMoreMoney

Weightless Ores, Ingots, Firewood and Coal - Better Sorting

[Tropxe]

6. Weapons of the Third Era (makes sense lore-wise; the Dunmer came to Skyrim from Morrowind, and took many of their traditions with them)IndorilTheGreat

This mod was abandoned by the author, but has been continued and improved upon here. But other than that (which I'm now downloading) we have the same mods. The Realistic Needs and Frostfall improve the game so much, in my opinion.

[dreamsofcats]

So recently, after struggling to get back into Skyrim for a second go round, I found a reason to do so. And I owe it all to Arthmor, without whose effort I would likely still avoid playing the game. His mod, Live Another Life, really has me eager to play once more. See, back story, motivation and a reason for having a presence in the world are all important to me, as I role play my characters to the extreme. They visit taverns, chapels and shrines; they eat and drink with others. They sleep most nights and try and rest in a realistic fashion at camps, cabins and inns.

 

Right now, I am playing as a new member of the Vigilant of Stendarr. Courtesy of Arthmor's excellent mod and with some minor customizations to the Vigilant headquarters in my own esp file. (Safe storage and minor equipment changes for the Vigilant, like Silver weapons - nothing unbalancing, though.) I feel like a Vigilant on patrol, moving through the land, slaying Undead and Deadra on behalf of my Order.

 

Other mods which have made a difference to me:

 

-Lanterns on the Road: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=10143. Places lanterns along main roads. Adds some realism to the world, and facilitates travel along main roads with darker nights in immersive fashion.

 

-Live another Life: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=9557. The reason for this post and for my playing the game again. Frankly, its a must for Role Players. No Dragonborn this time. No world saving. Just a poor Nord who was good with a sword, had some minor magical aptitude and was snapped up by the Vigilant before he could be consigned to fighting his own countrymen in the war.

 

Mods such as these enhance immersion. Mods like maps with roads make me feel as if I know the land, and have been there a while. Essential for role playing a Nord in his home land. W.A.T.E.R. has enhanced my experience to an unbelievable degree with the "Wet" effects.

 

So lets chime in with the mods we are using for immersion, or questing. For an enhanced experience. For better visuals, or better game play. Curious what everyone is using. Instead of chiming in on the negatives of Skyrim - Guilty as charged - I am trying to refocus on positives once more.

 

Regarding "Live Another Life:" How stable is it? I recall reading about significant bugs. They mostly worked out now? I used a similar mod for Fallout 3, and it made a worlds of difference to the experience.

[DangerManzo]

For the OP, you said you were playing as a Vigilant of Stendarr. Have you tried the quest mod, No Mercy? http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=12024

 

I haven't played it myself (too busy on my own quest) but it must be good as it is in the top 5 downloaded under the quest category.

[worldofscotty]

Turn off compass. Turn off music, Turn off crosshairs

 

Master level

 

Join companions and http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=11466

 

Lorecraft http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=9959 plus all its added mods

Edited April 17, 2012 by worldofscotty

[BlackCompany]

Thanks for posting. I hope we can keep this thing going for a while. Its great to see mods others are playing, and get an idea as to immersion-oriented and quest mods out there. Some times these get lost in the flood of mods.

 

Thanks for the reminder about No Mercy. Intend to get that one soon. I tend to install mods much more slowly and gradually in Skyrim than previous games, to allow for testing. Since No Mercy is for mid to high level characters I am going to wait and get it later - but I am going to get it, definitely. As well as others by that mod author, most especially Realms of the Daedra - perfect for a vigilant.

 

Also, thanks for not laughing out loud at a strict RP'er. I work with numerous "power gamers" who play Skyrim and sit all day talking about min/maxing, spamming potions to make better potions to make better enchanted gear, etc. When I talk about mods for "immersion" they just kind of mutter about people taking games too seriously and walk away. Nice to see some other role players here.

 

Thanks again for the mod ideas. Going to take a look at some additional mods this week, and maybe even try a realistic needs mod, so long as i can find one that is realistic without making me spam inventory constantly. Much appreciated ideas!

 

Also, I have been debating on the Skymomod. I like the Witcher style monsters it adds to the game. However, I had some qualms about others, like Stalker-esque mutants. Does anyone know about whether there is a more lore-friendly mod to expand the bestiary some, without going all out? Or whether there is a mod that sorts Skymomod into smaller segments, ie, adds dungeon monsters and leaves out the others?

 

Thanks!

Edited April 18, 2012 by BlackCompany

[trukittn]

I have to give a shout out to Tales of Lycanthropy. It completely changed the way I play Skyrim. I really adore the companion "guild" storyline above all the others, but the seeming pointlessness of being a werewolf combined with the glitches of curing your lycanthropy really put a damper on the whole werewolf thing and made me wish there was a way to avoid the whole underforge thing.

 

When I installed this, it was really because I hoped to fix for good the werewolf curing problem after the companion storyline was complete. I was more surprised when, after becoming a werewolf and hitting my first full moon I had a total blast roaming the dark wilderness looking for some bandits or a thalmor prisoner escort to munch on. Thanks to this mod, I had to keep track of time in the game. It forced me to deal with being a werewolf instead of ignoring it. And one of the most memorable wolf nights was when it just so happened to be a full moon on the night before my wedding. I had to spend the whole night before the wedding prowling around outside Riften, chowing down on vampires (LOL) and exploring any caves I could fit my burly self into, and then having to streak back to Riften when the sun rose to find my Vilkas waiting for me at the altar with the other companions in attendance. It's crazy how far you roam when you can't access the map. I guess werebeasts can't read em. Coming to in the middle of no where, stark nekkid really added depth to the whole werewolf experience and now I don't even want to cure it anymore.

 

At least till I run out of thalmor to eat.

 

Another mod that I refuse to play without now is WARZONES: Civil Unrest. With mages in the mix, you can see the battles rage from quite a distance away. I actually tried to participate on that first encounter and ended up running for my life when most of my side fell and I had a dozen bruisers chasing me across the field that was littered with the bodies of my dead comrades. I eventually stood my ground and died like a true Nord daughter of Skyrim. (Even though I'm Khajiit).

 

I want to mention Moonpath to Elsweyr because I have it installed and the previews look amazing, but I haven't actually participated in it yet. I want to save it for the end of this playthrough (Which, with the monumentally huge glitch I ran into, is quite a ways off now), but I'm curious what the experience is for most. I'm also curious if its more interesting for khajiit or non-khajiit. I suppose I'll be finding out soon enough.

Edited April 18, 2012 by trukittn