Improving Skyrim / Recommended Mods thread (Mostly about Requiem)

[DarthBehemoth]

I would love for them to scrap Gamebryo (or Creation as they now call it) and write a whole new engine, but they simply refuse to do it. Many of the things that sucked in Oblivion, Skyrim FO3 and NV was down to the horrible engine they're using.

Yea at the time of release, Skyrim 's performace was utter shit. 100 patches later and Bethesda finally got around to optimizing that damn piece of crap.

 

[DraQ]

I would love for them to scrap Gamebryo (or Creation as they now call it) and write a whole new engine, but they simply refuse to do it. Many of the things that sucked in Oblivion, Skyrim FO3 and NV was down to the horrible engine they're using.

Yea at the time of release, Skyrim 's performace was utter shit.

It turned out Bethesda coders couldn't turn on optimization flags in their compilers.

 

[Zewp]

It's not only just the performance, it's that Skyrim's gameplay systems are archaic. The Thief series had better stealth back in the early 2000s, and Skyrim is still using a slightly modified version of the Morrowind stealth system. Similarly, Dark Messiah had better combat than Oblivion in 2006 and Skyrim is using a slightly updated version of the Oblivion combat system. I'm not sure if this is down to sheer laziness, but I think it's got more to do with their engine being pathetic.

I lol'ed when Bethesda said they were using an all-new engine for Skyrim and out it comes with a heavily modified Gamebryo engine.

 

[DalekFlay]

In terms of absolute size and content yes, but the issue is plausibility.
The higly compressed world of TESIII-V always has the danger of feeling implausible when the illusion of size breaks down. It works well in Morrowind and Skyrim (due to natural obstacles and slow walking speed/fog in Morrowind), but not so good in Oblivion, mainly because of to the bowl-like shape of Cyrodiils landmass in that game.
A game of the same absolute size, that is however restricted to only lake Rumare and the IC would have "felt" better in that regard.
Although I guess that this would require a different/modified engine. Oblivions engine is not exactly great when there are a lot of NPCs and objects on screen.

I would much prefer they stick to smaller areas for more plausibility. For Skyrim they could have just done Solitude and made it as large as 4-5 cities combined, separating it by districts so the poor engine didn't explode. Then have a land area the size of the game now around Solitude filled with the usual caves and shit plus a lot of better designed villages. That would have been much cooler in my opinion.

I am guessing though they like doing entire provinces because they can vary the terrain more.

 

[escom]

Better Quest Objectives

For those who don't want to use the quest compass, gps.

 

[Cool name]

Better Vampires.

I have been lately fooling around with Live Another Life's Vampire beginning and did discover this mod. It does add many options to Vampires and it is fully customizable so that you can easily hardcore it up to balance the new powers. You can have exposition to the sun killing you very fast and deactivating all your vampiric powers, have vampire hunters look for you, become very weak against silver weapons, etc. Some of the new powers do seem to be kind of OP but I did not play it enough to fully test it, and most of the time I did play it I was running around trying to find a hiding place before dawn as I had gone too far from the initial hideout while escaping on a stolen horse from a superdragon first and a bunch of level 40 lions afterwards.

Most of the benefits however are not that good if your game is heavily modded. You can hide indefinitely underwater for example but that's kind of stupid to do for long if you are using a mod that does add more lethal underwater fauna, does raise up the lethality of the one already in the game, or both.

It does even have the option to activate a 'succubus RP' like option that does nullify all forms of healing other than feeding. If you did always thought that idea was pretty hardcore but that the badly animated sex was a pretty steep price to pay for the hardcore-ness this may be a good option.

 

[felipepepe]

Better Quest Objectives

For those who don't want to use the quest compass, gps.

Is a great mod, but sadly has been completly abandoned for almost a year now... shame no one decided to carry it foward.

 

[circ]

I'M SKYRIMMING???

OH GOD WHAT IS HAPPANING

Horrible animations - although I love it when my barbarienne impales bitches with her greatsword on crit hits.

Graphics are pretty much suck too, but atleast I got my nord char modded with ginormous muscles. Would try to find a nipple color mod because they're kinda skincolored, but it's not like I run around naked.

And every location is too samey, and most side quests really have no ties to anything - just go to dungeon x and get me item or kill everything.

Anyway mods. Haven't tried the inventory mod although I plan to because horrible inventory, but is there a mod that lets you switch weapons/spells with any key? Like F1-F4 or whatever. Favorite+Q+scroll is retarded.

Spoiler

DAT MUSCLAS

 

[escom]

Graphics are pretty much suck too

Install an ENB mod ('Project ENB' is the best) and use the official texture pack and WATER.

That's ugly for you?

Horrible animations

It improved a lot but you can find new animation mods on skyrim nexus.

And every location is too samey

That was a problem in Fucklivion, not in Skyrim.

but is there a mod that lets you switch weapons/spells with any key

Install SkyUI and 'Categorized Favourites Menu' mods.

DAT MUSCLAS

 

[DraQ]

And every location is too samey

That was a problem in Fucklivion, not in Skyrim.

Agreed. Skyrim's main problem is dungeons being too linear.
And interface.
The person responsible for interface screen should be shot.

DAT MUSCLAS

GOD WHAT AM I SEEING.

 

[ohWOW]

Still shit shadows I see.

 

[DalekFlay]

Still shit shadows I see.

You can mod 'em up but it kills the framerate on my rig.

 

[ohWOW]

I was impressed by bethesda's incompetence at the release, seeing that shit graphics at full.
With no shadows at all in most interiors.

 

[Gord]

I use this, gives reasonably good shadows, imho:

iBlurDeferredShadowMask=8

fInteriorShadowDistance=2000.0000

fShadowDistance=3000.0000 (or even a bit lower, like 2750)

iShadowMapResolution=2048

iShadowMode=3
iShadowMaskQuarter=4
fShadowBiasScale=0.15

And, from the display section in Skyrim.ini:

fSunShadowUpdateTime=0.0000
fSunUpdateThreshold=0.5

 

[JarlFrank]

It's not only just the performance, it's that Skyrim's gameplay systems are archaic. The Thief series had better stealth back in the early 2000s, and Skyrim is still using a slightly modified version of the Morrowind stealth system. Similarly, Dark Messiah had better combat than Oblivion in 2006 and Skyrim is using a slightly updated version of the Oblivion combat system. I'm not sure if this is down to sheer laziness, but I think it's got more to do with their engine being pathetic.

I lol'ed when Bethesda said they were using an all-new engine for Skyrim and out it comes with a heavily modified Gamebryo engine.

Fun fact: been playing Skyrim recently for about an hour, then quit and started up some Thief FMs because playing Skyrim just made me want to play a game with better gameplay and less linear dungeons.

 

[Cool name]

I do not know if someone did previously post this one so I will just leave it here: Deadly Combat.

It is a quite interesting overhaul of the melee combat system as well as the enemy AI to make use of the new mechanics and rules. I do like it: It does not make the combat GREAT but it does indeed make it better, and melee enemies are much more dangerous for a mage or ranger with the new AI and rules. It does make the combat much more action-y though. For me it is a bonus, but do keep that in mind if you do not enjoy that kind of thing.



@ Edit: I did just find another interesting thingie. ASIS

From the mod description: "You are not the only intelligent person in Skyrim - how unrealistic is it that NPCs do not use potions? How game-breaking that, if you install a magic mod, you are the only one able to use the new spells? That a fort is held by a handful of stupid bandits, instead of a swarm? What's the point of sneaking if you could just as easily dispatch the few draugr in your way by charging into them?

• Fully customizable spawn levels, including all added mods without any compatibility issues.
• NPC's have spells they meet the skill requirements for - including missing vanilla spells and spells from other mods.
• Customizable AI, with smarter enemies.
• NPC's now have potions, in fully customizable rarity levels.
• NPC's have perks appropriate for their skill levels, including mod perks.
• Nearly full compatibility with other mods.
• Spawn Randomization system for dynamic spawns."

I do have yet to add it myself as it does seem kind of complex to install and to need to be added once you do finish to add all other mods you do want to use but if it is half as good as it does sound it will be awesome. It will also finally allow me to use mods that do add new spells as the potential IMBA-ness of many of those mods would be nullified if the enemies could use the same potentially IMBA spells, summons, pets, and perks against me.

Do check it out when you do have the time.

 

[Manjuice Nutella]

The problem with ASIS is that 1) the increase of enemies doesn't scale well with the game scale in general and 2) it pisses you off with bloated fifteen wolves ambushing you on this tiny road from Helgen to Riverwood. I've only played the "premade" .esp version of this mod since manual patcher installation flips out for me for some reason though.

SkyRe on Expert difficulty is fine enough in terms of lethal high-level encounters.

 

[hiver]

Is there any mode that makes wolves non hostile or just run away?

- like wolves usually do.

 

[escom]

Is there any mode that makes wolves non hostile or just run away?

- like wolves usually do.

Use Calm or Fear illusion spells.

 

[hiver]

I dont want to use fucking calm or fear or Kynaeth (or something) fucking shout.


- grummble...haveto do everything... myself.

RWB - Realistic Wolf Behavior by BlackWolf25


http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/23785


also:

Realistic Animals and Predators

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/10175

 

[Cool name]

That's cheating!

The entire point of mods is to turn the game into a terrible Death World where everything is out to kill you and everything is more powerful than you.

Then you can really feel awesome when you sit atop the mountain of corpses, twitch your fluffy ears, and say 'Nya!'

 

[hiver]

Wolves are not suicidal or that aggressive. Its really stupid seeing them attacking all the freekin time.
And very annoying.

plus, in both those mods some wolves still attack.

 

[racofer]

Finally uninstalled this game. I can't take its dullness anymore. There's no mod that can fix this.

 

[Shadenuat]

Then you can really feel awesome when you sit atop the mountain of corpses, twitch your fluffy ears, and say 'Nya!'

You mean there's a good mod where you can play or get in your party a catgirl?

 

[DalekFlay]

I'm not usually into mods but I want one that puts Solstheim in the same worldspace as the mainland, if possible. Fast traveling between them, then again to get where I actually want to be, is annoying.