A few Skyrim mods to fix your immersion

[GabeZhul]

So, after a few months of hiatus I started playing Skyrim again, a time period which was just long enough that I had to patch up everything so that I could upgrade all my essential mods. However, as I was doing that, I stumbled upon a few interesting things: Mods that "fix" things that doesn't make sense in the vanilla game in either a lore, gameplay or simple logical standpoint. Stuff like:

-The Ability to make Tolfdir the archmage at the end of the College questline [http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/10746]: I mean, really, it's such a simple fix. In the vanilla version, it made absolutely no sense that your character, who might not even be a really proficient mage to begin with, gets appointed as the new archmage without any qualifications. With this little mod you can get a logical conclusion while keeping all the benefits of being the archmage yourself. In other words, its just cosmetic, but it just makes so. much. sense.

-Adding time- and skill-requirements to the guild advancement [http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/22650]: This mod is still is in development and only covers the companions, but again, it's such an easy fix for such a blatant problem. You can no longer become the head of the companions as a pure mage or thief, and you actually has to work to become part of the elite.

-The thieves guild won't approach you unless you give them a reason to do so [http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/14157]: Staying with the guilds still, this is another no-brainer. Just what kind of sense does it make when you play an upstanding character who may or may not be an Imperial Legate, Archmage, Companion and whatever else, and a guy just randomly invites you to be a thief? This mod fixes this by adding a few requirements for the conversation to trigger. Simple yet effective.

-The Gauldur Amulet [http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/6431]: This is the one that actually started my quest for mods like these. I always found it ridiculous how the lore hyped up the Gauldur Amulet and in the end it was almost completely useless. With this mod, it is actually just as powerful as it should be, without being completely overpowered. Speaking of usefulness...

-Artifacts that actually feel like artifacts [http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/8634]: Another pet-peeve of my was when I finally got my hands on some badass daedric artifacts, often after having forced to do some pretty nasty things to get them, and then it turns out that my self-enhanted sword outperforms them in every way possible, making them a little more useful than a dust-trap on a weapon rack in one of the player homes. This mod finally makes them as powerful as they should have been from the very beginning.

-Red Eagle's Bane, as it should have been [http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/20939]: This time it's just a "simple" reskin of Red Eagle's sword, another very disappointing blade from the original, where this blade was supposed to be something of an Excalibur (or at least Gae Bolg) of the Reaches, and instead it's just a simple nordic sword. Now at least it looks a vee bit more badass. However, if this design is not good enough for you...

-Uniques need love too [http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/33292]: An absolutely beautiful remake of some unique weapons in the game. Again, if you actually want to feel like you are using some real unique weapon with its own history instead of just one of the miriad of generic weapons with a custom enchantment, this is the way to go.

Well, these were the ones I could remember from the top of my head. I hope some of you might find these as great as I did, and if we are at that, please share your own favorite "fixing" mods, if you have any. Thanks in advance, and have a nice day.

 

[Maxtro]

I feel that the thieves guild one is absolutely necessary. It just doesn't make sense for the player to be forced into stealing and pickpocketing to complete a main quest. Of course there is a way around it, but the game shoves Brynjolf in your face which makes the player think he's the only way to continue.

 

[Luca72]

Good stuff! It's amazing to me how simple it is to tweak Skyrim and make it a much better game. I think they went a little overboard trying to make it as accessible as possible (and you can argue that it worked out in their favor), but a few mods go a long way.

I'm a big fan of Skyrim REdone [http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/9286]. It's a full overhaul of the talent system and adds a ton of spells (unique stuff - new summons, push/pull gravity effects, blink, etc.). It also makes combat faster and more brutal - you and your opponent deal much more damage to each other, and stamina management becomes much more important. I've found that this little change makes encounters way more tactical. Stealth has also been rebalanced - enemies search for your a lot longer and get spooked more easily, but stealth attacks do way more damage than before. Light is also a bigger factor in visibility, so it's important to think like Sam Fisher. It also adds a ton of weapons, and they can all be upgraded to have different effects with talents (ie: clubs can be leveled up to have a different effect than a short sword, wakizashi are different from short spears, AND OMG UNARMED HAS ITS OWN COMBAT TREE).

Check for compatibility first because this is a complete overhaul - any mods you have already that affect talent points may not work. This is my favorite Skyrim mod out there and it's definitely worth a look!

 

[GabeZhul]

Good stuff! It's amazing to me how simple it is to tweak Skyrim and make it a much better game. I think they went a little overboard trying to make it as accessible as possible (and you can argue that it worked out in their favor), but a few mods go a long way.

I'm a big fan of Skyrim REdone [http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/9286]. It's a full overhaul of the talent system and adds a ton of spells (unique stuff - new summons, push/pull gravity effects, blink, etc.). It also makes combat faster and more brutal - you and your opponent deal much more damage to each other, and stamina management becomes much more important. I've found that this little change makes encounters way more tactical. Stealth has also been rebalanced - enemies search for your a lot longer and get spooked more easily, but stealth attacks do way more damage than before. Light is also a bigger factor in visibility, so it's important to think like Sam Fisher. It also adds a ton of weapons, and they can all be upgraded to have different effects with talents (ie: clubs can be leveled up to have a different effect than a short sword, wakizashi are different from short spears, AND OMG UNARMED HAS ITS OWN COMBAT TREE).

Check for compatibility first because this is a complete overhaul - any mods you have already that affect talent points may not work. This is my favorite Skyrim mod out there and it's definitely worth a look!

Yep, Skyrim REdone is pretty much an essential unless you want to experience the vanilla game (for some weird reason). I especially love the Wayfarer skill-three (it makes so much sense in a game that encourages exploration) and how it got rid of the silly Shadow Warrior hax without really nerfing the Sneak skill. Plus, well, everything else. The only real qualm I have with it is that it adds way too many craftable stuff, which makes finding what you want to make in the crappy roll-down menu a chore sometimes, but hey, it's better to have those than not.

But yes, a heavily modded Skyrim compares to its vanilla original as a final product to a beta. It especially makes me laugh how some people still parrot the "Skyrim is buggy" thing when in reality 99.999% of non-system specific bugs have long been fixed by the USP and the game gets more and more awesome with each passing week and the new mods it brings.

P.S.: Ah, and if we are at that, the newest SkyUI is a sight to behold. It not only makes the inventory and magic menus infinitely better, now it even gives the ability to interact with stuff in containers (like, read a book without having to move it to your inventory first) and a search function to the Map!

 

[zehydra]

" to experience the vanilla game (for some weird reason)"

Like me? I prefer vanilla game almost always, regardless of game.

I don't expect a realistic game anyway, and mods just end up messing with the immersion of being in the game. That is, even if something doesn't make sense in the context of how things work in real life, it may seem weird in the context of the game world.

The mods listed by the OP don't really do anything for me. That is, the "problems" that they fix aren't really immersion-breakers for me anyway.

 

[GabeZhul]

" to experience the vanilla game (for some weird reason)"

Like me? I prefer vanilla game almost always, regardless of game.

I don't expect a realistic game anyway, and mods just end up messing with the immersion of being in the game. That is, even if something doesn't make sense in the context of how things work in real life, it may seem weird in the context of the game world.

The mods listed by the OP don't really do anything for me. That is, the "problems" that they fix aren't really immersion-breakers for me anyway.

Your choice, but I really can't see why you would limit your experience like that. Sure, there are some ridiculous mods that add nudes/anime weapons and armor/other silly stuff to the game that would most certainly break your immersion (I don't use those on principle), but that is to be expected, and no one forces you to use them either.

On the other hand, you can pretty much swim in lore-friendly and even downright lore-enhancing mods, from UI and HUD modifications to better lighting, sounds, meshes, and let's not even get started on the myriad of bug-fixes and gameplay-enhancements that would probably actively help you preserve your immersion... But then again, different strokes for different folks, I suppose.

 

[Hero in a half shell]

Just let me fire up the nexus and I'll give you my discoveries so far...

EDIT: Ok first there's the Skyrim Warzones Civil Unrest: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/9494
It adds actual battlegrounds of Stormcloaks and Imperials.

Training Dummies: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/23698 Makes hitting the training dummies give you experience!

Real Shelter: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/31629 means outside rooves and shelter actually work and snow/rain doesn't pass through them. An essential mod for immersion, expecially when combined with one of the environmental mods (I use hypothermia which adds negative effects if you stay wet/cold for too long: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/6745 )

As well as the weather effects I have the obligatory food/sleep mod: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/13246 I like this one because it's really simple to get a hang of, and less intrusive than many of the others. Negative effects are slight and gradual and affect your magic/stamina/health pools, so it won't kill you to stay hungry or sleepy for a while, but it may indirectly stunt your ability to survive encounters.

High Resolution signs: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/436 So you can actually see where you are going and get directions from the signs, especially when combined with this mod: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/33393 Which adds a lot more roadsigns at intersections so you have a better chance of actually navigating by using the roadsigns.

Duel combat realism: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/2700 Gives a new dimension to melee combat with blocking, and improves the AI of enemy mages so they use restoration spells and are actually a threat especially at higher levels.

Adding these extra music mods give a whole new breath of air to adventuring: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/28583 and the mod simply entitled 'Enhanced Soundtrack' which isn't on the Nexus but is on the Steam workshop, it comes in 2 parts. I haven't found any compatibility issues from having them both working at the same time. They are non-replacers, so the traditional tunes still work, and they fit really well into the standard soundtrack, so it doesn't break immersion when the tracks change.

Realistic Lighting Overhaul: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/30450/ Completely fixes the striping bug, but also adds a lot more atmosphere: light sources give off a lot more light, the first time you come up to a warm forge at night, you'll see the difference.

And finally if you don't want to fiddle around with ENBs I can't recommend any higher the Immersive Saturation Boost: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/32064 It basically takes away the grey/brown filter giving the world actual colour (did you know the market stalls are supposed to have yellow/blue striped cloth rooves? Well with this mod you'll realise that, and a whole lot more.)

Finding these has given me so much joy over the past year, hope you check some of them out.

 

[mParadox]

THE GAME IS TOO BRIGHT. >.>

*cough* Which is why I wholeheartedly recommend the Sharpshooter Extreme Graphics ENB [http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/15105]. Very little performance loss but gives an absolutely gorgeous look to the game.

Of course, the above mentioned graphic mod also makes it bloody dark in dungeons. IMMERSION. Which is why I also recommend Wearable Lanterns [http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/17416] to be used in conjunction with it. You can either download the unlimited fuel version or you can Zelda it and make it have a limit. And so, forcing you to make trips to various stores in order to find fuel. IMMERSION.

That's all I got sadly. <.>

Most mods I use are cosmetic changes anyway. Texture changes, more trees and snow and fauna. All that jazz.

 

[ItsNotRudy]

I feel like installing mods takes away any immersion left after said problems. You know you're playing with mods and you're going to follow a path of choices to see if they're working. You know it's fake.

 

[PhunkyPhazon]

-The thieves guild won't approach you unless you give them a reason to do so [http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/14157]: Staying with the guilds still, this is another no-brainer. Just what kind of sense does it make when you play an upstanding character who may or may not be an Imperial Legate, Archmage, Companion and whatever else, and a guy just randomly invites you to be a thief? This mod fixes this by adding a few requirements for the conversation to trigger. Simple yet effective.

With this one, will Brynjolf still tell you how to find Esbern if you don't do his dirty work? THAT'S what's always particularly annoyed me about this. Delphine tells you to specifically talk to Brynjolf, yet he refuses to tell you unless you do a thief-related quest. If I'm playing a warrior or a mage, then I really have no business picking locks and picking pockets.

And yes, I know there are other people you can talk to in order to find Esbern, but the game purposely leads you to Brynjolf and doesn't drop even the vaguest hint that there are other ways to do it.

 

[SajuukKhar]

And yes, I know there are other people you can talk to in order to find Esbern, but the game purposely leads you to Brynjolf and doesn't drop even the vaguest hint that there are other ways to do it.

I find it funny people constantly complain about Skyrim's questlog holding your hand, and showing you every option, and to needing to actually do anything for yourself as to find out if there are other options, yet in the few instances it doesn't, people complain bout that also.

But anyways, just use the damn speech check that allows you to bypass the quest and still get the info from Brynolf. Every time I see this kind of statement i question if people have actually looked at all the dialog options before they pick one.

 

[NeutralDrow]

Some of those sound kind of interesting, though not necessary. Reskins are kind of fun (I have some mods that do that), and getting Brynolf out of my face is always a plus...though frankly, I wouldn't mind an option to destroy the Thieves' Guild the way I can do with the Dark Brotherhood.

In the vanilla version, it made absolutely no sense that your character, who might not even be a really proficient mage to begin with, gets appointed as the new archmage without any qualifications.

You mean besides the dedication to furthering the goals of the college and its inhabitants, and the political acumen and clout needed to run it, all of which is demonstrated by completing the entire questline? It makes sense for the researchers and instructors to be the strongest mages in the organization, but why does the head?

P.S.: Ah, and if we are at that, the newest SkyUI is a sight to behold. It not only makes the inventory and magic menus infinitely better, now it even gives the ability to interact with stuff in containers (like, read a book without having to move it to your inventory first) and a search function to the Map!

I wish there were some way to get all that without a mod that makes the UI look like Windows Explorer. I mean, I know there is, since I picked up something early on that makes the UI more computer-friendly (to the point that I can't even remember what the original UI looks like), but it was pre-Steam Workshop, and I can't remember the name.

I'm a big fan of Skyrim REdone [http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/9286]. It's a full overhaul of the talent system and adds a ton of spells (unique stuff - new summons, push/pull gravity effects, blink, etc.).

I'd be interested in individual aspects of that mod, but an overhaul sounds a bit much for my taste. Now I need to find something that gives an unarmed skill tree (I have a mod that adds fist weapons, but they use the One-Handed tree).

I feel like installing mods takes away any immersion left after said problems. You know you're playing with mods and you're going to follow a path of choices to see if they're working. You know it's fake.

I certainly agree to an extent, though some mods just slip in and feel natural to my mind.

...then again, since I was away from Skyrim for a while, at this point I'm often not sure if a certain change I see is due to a mod, to Hearthfire or Dawnguard, or even just due to normal patches. I'd been chokeslamming vampires for a long time, but I was still caught off-guard when I grabbed a fleeing orc and killed it with a german suplex. Or when I fought a forsworn and finished him off with a m********king powerbomb.

 

[Xukog]

Now I see things like this that make me really wish I had a decent pc,but I don't have the money nor the knowledge to build one of my own.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

" to experience the vanilla game (for some weird reason)"

Like me? I prefer vanilla game almost always, regardless of game.

Then you are missing out big time, hamstringing your own experience and spending your time on a pale imitation of what the game could be.

 

[zehydra]

" to experience the vanilla game (for some weird reason)"

Like me? I prefer vanilla game almost always, regardless of game.

Then you are missing out big time, hamstringing your own experience and spending your time on a pale imitation of what the game could be.

Well, sort of. Modded Skyrim isn't Skyrim. It's modded Skyrim.

So I don't think I'm missing out on "Skyrim".

I have never seen footage of a mod that I have liked (except for multiplayer games)

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

" to experience the vanilla game (for some weird reason)"

Like me? I prefer vanilla game almost always, regardless of game.

Then you are missing out big time, hamstringing your own experience and spending your time on a pale imitation of what the game could be.

Well, sort of. Modded Skyrim isn't Skyrim. It's modded Skyrim.

So I don't think I'm missing out on "Skyrim".

I have never seen footage of a mod that I have liked (except for multiplayer games)

That's not always the case (excepting in the literal sense). Whatever aspect you enjoy about the vanilla game, there is a mod that can enhance it. You can get three pet mangy dogs as companions in vanilla Skyrim. Mods let you have any creature from wild. It's the same thing, but different. There are lots of armours and weapons in the game. Mods improve, balance, tweak, retexture and multiply these, increasing variety and interest.

Skyrim is a good game as standard, but there are many issues with it that mods address. They make the game look and sound better, add immersion, challenge and more. Bethesda give us the toolset precisely for this reason and while it's quite possible to enjoy the game (hell, those weirdo console players have done) without any mods, there's so much more that can be done with such a well realised sandbox. Particularly as there's a huge community, each with different ideas and skills.

Have a look at skyrim nexus, through a handful of categories and tell me there's genuinely nothing among the scores of mods that doesn't look cool.

There is a lot of shit on there tho. I don't understand the main obsession seems to be making female characters look like barely dressed f**k-toys but apart from the unbelievable amount of what amounts to porn, there are some gems to be found.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

Also, must mention this amazing mod [http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/25190/], made by quite possibly the greatest modder of all time. I don't know why the Golden Saints weren't in Skyrim, but with this mod, they are back on Tamriel.

 

[triggrhappy94]

It's threads like this that make me mad that MS told Bethy they couldn't release mods through XBL.
I really hope that's something that gets included in the next console generation. Because it's about money and not tech, I'd consider it unlikely.

 

[EvilRoy]

I was kind of surprised when I read the thread to see only one of my favorite mods listed, although most of those suggested are pretty rad.

Those I would personally suggest are (all from the workshop):

Water and Terrain Enhancement: This one makes the rivers and lakes and even the water troughs look quite a bit more like real water. They even did some stuff to better illustrate depth and flow, so you can see deeper into a still lake and the rivers and the ocean have redone ebb and flow, so the tide no longer seems to wander off if you watch it.

Towns and Villages Enhanced: Basically spiffs up all the small non-cities around Skyrim. He added some extra functionality in terms of things like forges and whatnot, but also just made the little hamlets a bit more lively with extra animals and some retexturing.



unfortunately the sounds of skyrim has been removed now due to all the issues it had been causing, otherwise that would definitely be listed. Although i would suggest checking out Fall of the Space Core. It really brought me into the game, something I thought just didn't make Sense about Skyrim.

 

[Snotnarok]

It's threads like this that make me mad that MS told Bethy they couldn't release mods through XBL.
I really hope that's something that gets included in the next console generation. Because it's about money and not tech, I'd consider it unlikely.

Why would MS want you to get mods? That means you could be less likely to buy DLC something they get a percentage of, it's just not something I see them letting go through.


OT:

Don't forget immersive armors and immersive armors for NPCs, it helps make Skyrim unique again, not every guard walks around wearing the exact same gear and not every guy you bump into has identical armor, there's LOT of good in this mod.

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/19733
It's practically mandatory, it adds a lot of variety to armor sets and isn't unbalanced.

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/27679
For NPCs to wear unique armors.

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/1002
JaSuS swords adds a bunch of unique weapons and even weapon classes like spears and battle staffs. NPCs wind up getting weapons too so it throws you for a spin sometimes.