Starting a new game on SE - any mod packages or suggestions (must haves?)

[tomomi1922]

You know what I would want to try? That "Enhanced Intro" or "Intro Overhaul" mod (can't remember the exact name). The mod promises to enhance a better experience with the intro. With Vanilla, there was this part about general Tulius and the Thalmor. But all we get to experience is hearing from Ralof. I mean even from the very first time I started Skyrim, I actually tried to look for General Tulius, couldn't make out who he was. I even took Hadvar for general Tulius. But that went away quick because Hadvar spoke up to the female captain who seems to be in charge. So definitely a captain wouldn't talk to the General like that. And this mod promises to have more of general Tulius and Thalmor interaction, or at least more to see. You should give it a look see.

I am not going to install the mod permanently. I am going to install the mod, experience it, and uninstall the mod, and go back to my current game progression :)

Regarding what you wondered, I would say, No, it would not. I may not be a mod creator who knows coding for this game engine, but I know the general idea of how the game works. Presuming Alternate Start does only exactly what it advertises to do (and not more), whatever does not contributes to your scene does not hit your performance. This is a game, not a simulation. The game does not try to simulate the entire Skyrim world as a living and breathing world. The game is only responsible to simulate whatever appears in your active zone. Things like 5 dragons attack, 10 Imperials take it out on 10 Stormcloak soldiers. Those would hit your system hard for all the graphic and texture it is trying to render. Alternate Start doesn't do any of that.

In fact, one of the safest mods to download (beside texture replacement) are weapon/armor mods that do not put anything on leveled list. They have no script. They are not anywhere in the game until you try to acquire them (like from console command). You can have as many of those as you like without hitting your performance. May hit your load time though.

[Deleted55545892User]

You know what I would want to try? That "Enhanced Intro" or "Intro Overhaul" mod (can't remember the exact name). The mod promises to enhance a better experience with the intro. With Vanilla, there was this part about general Tulius and the Thalmor. But all we get to experience is hearing from Ralof. I mean even from the very first time I started Skyrim, I actually tried to look for General Tulius, couldn't make out who he was. I even took Hadvar for general Tulius. But that went away quick because Hadvar spoke up to the female captain who seems to be in charge. So definitely a captain wouldn't talk to the General like that. And this mod promises to have more of general Tulius and Thalmor interaction, or at least more to see. You should give it a look see.

 

I am not going to install the mod permanently. I am going to install the mod, experience it, and uninstall the mod, and go back to my current game progression :smile:

 

Regarding what you wondered, I would say, No, it would not. I may not be a mod creator who knows coding for this game engine, but I know the general idea of how the game works. Presuming Alternate Start does only exactly what it advertises to do (and not more), whatever does not contributes to your scene does not hit your performance. This is a game, not a simulation. The game does not try to simulate the entire Skyrim world as a living and breathing world. The game is only responsible to simulate whatever appears in your active zone. Things like 5 dragons attack, 10 Imperials take it out on 10 Stormcloak soldiers. Those would hit your system hard for all the graphic and texture it is trying to render. Alternate Start doesn't do any of that.

 

In fact, one of the safest mods to download (beside texture replacement) are weapon/armor mods that do not put anything on leveled list. They have no script. They are not anywhere in the game until you try to acquire them (like from console command). You can have as many of those as you like without hitting your performance. May hit your load time though.

 

Opening Scene Overhaul. It's not better. It's got timing problems especially.. and the author seems to be finished with it and doesn't want to perfect it. But it's interesting in showing what Beth had in mind at first. The best part of the mod is bringing the cut dialogue back in where you can join Ulfric in the Keep. It's like some Bizarro version of previous TES games, when you once escaped or were helped by Uriel Septim instead (at least Oblivion is like that.. but Arena and Daggerfall still has you being directed under a mission for the Septims).

 

The rest, frankly, isn't worth it. Especially Hadvar's new voice..who isn't as good imho. If they had an alternate route, where Tullius joins you in the Keep, siding with the Imperials would be cool, but it's not as it stands.

 

The bit with Tullis and Elewen is very, very, VERY miniscule.. right when you enter Helgen and he's on his horse talking to her. In the original game you couldn't hear anything. In this mod, they put back in the dialogue where she's arguing. It's like 5 seconds.

 

You still basically get the gist of what happened at Helgen in the original game. It's not radically different.

[Moksha8088]

Quest mods and companion mod with quests are at the heart of what makes Skyrim and enduring and enjoyable experience.

 

Also for enhanced visuals, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You are better off looking at mods that please your own sense of aesthetics than to pick one off of a list someone has compiled.