Just Bought Skyrim

2HF

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I love fallout. Elder scrolls has never really done it for me but the price was good and I like stealth. I hear stealth in Skyrim is ridiculously OP which appeals to me.

My laptop suggested medium setting so I'm here asking what mods I need that won't melt my PC. I remember some talk of a menu overhaul mod? Any other suggestions? Maybe some fun mods over aesthetics.
 

Elfgore

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Download Skyrim Script Extender [http://store.steampowered.com/app/365720/] from Steam first. A lot of mods need this to run. Once you do that, you'll launch your game through it instead of the normal Skyrim game. Don't worry, time and trophies all still are added to Skyrim. BTW, all mods I listed below are compatible, as I have run them all at the same time,

SkyUI [http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/3863/?]

This is the menu mod you were talking about. It is amazing download it. A lot of mods require this as well to run.

Immersive Armors [http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/19733/?]

A lot of new armors are added to the game. 55 according to the mod page. Just a nice mod to get some variety in appearance.

Immersive Weapons [http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/27644/?]

Can't have the armor without new weapons. A shit ton of new weapons are added, everything from wooden clubs to spears.

JaySuS Swords [http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/1002/?]

Just another really cool weapon mod. Bunch of new swords that just look awesome.

Cloaks of Skyrim [http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/12092/?]

Makes it look like people are actually trying to stay warm in the frozen north. No real benefits statwise, but really helps with immersion.

Alternate Start - Live Another Life [http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/9557/?]

Great way to roleplay and skip that annoying as hell starting sequence almost completely.

The Dance of Death - A Killmove Mod [http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/10906/?]

Let's you tweak how killmoves work. You can make it so they happen on literally every enemy or remove it from the game completely.

Exapnded Towns and Cities [http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/13608/?]

Gives a little bit more life to cities and adds a lot of new merchants.

Open Cities Skyrim [http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/8058/?]

You might not be able to run this one, as I believe this mod is quite taxing. But it does what it says on the tin. You can walk into any city without a loading screen.

Immersive Patrols [http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/12977/?tab=2&navtag=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nexusmods.com%2Fskyrim%2Fajax%2Fmodfiles%2F%3Fid%3D12977&pUp=1]

As you wonder around, you'll see a lot more patrols of the various factions. Helps immersion as well.

Skyrim Immersive Creatures [http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/24913/?tab=2&navtag=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nexusmods.com%2Fskyrim%2Fajax%2Fmodfiles%2F%3Fid%3D24913&pUp=1]

Adds a bunch of lore friendly creatures to the game.

Imperial Legion Armor Variety [http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/9222/?] and Stormcloak Armor Variety [http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/10185/?]

Works great with immersive armors. You'll see Stormcloaks and Imperials that actually look different, but still uniform.

Those are all of my heavily suggested mods. The last two are just ones I really enjoy, that you might not nor are key to the game. But I still suggest checking them out.

Moonlight Tales - Werewolf and Werebear Overhaul [http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/35470/?]

Really makes being a Lycan fun. Every full moon you force turn until morning and best of all... it let's you be a Werebear.

Cure of the Wereboar [http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/72977/?]

Go on a short quest and then gain the ability to transform into a Wereboar.

Edit: You're going to want to download TES5Edit [http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/25859/?]. This helps you make sure there is no launch conflicts with your mods and the game will at least start correctly. As for in game conflicts, you're on your own as far as I know.
 

Raddra

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There's also the Unofficial Skyrim Patch

http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/71214/?

It fixes many bugs and the like left over by the devs.
 

Drathnoxis

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Hahahaha, stealth in Skyrim.

I found modding Skyrim to be underwhelming actually. I played the game vanilla when it came out and had a pretty good time. Then a couple years later I spent like 30 hours installing over a hundred mods but they completely failed to make the game interesting again.
 

Saelune

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slo said:
Drathnoxis said:
Hahahaha, stealth in Skyrim.

I found modding Skyrim to be underwhelming actually. I played the game vanilla when it came out and had a pretty good time. Then a couple years later I spent like 30 hours installing over a hundred mods but they completely failed to make the game interesting again.
But you're doing it wrong. Installing over a hundred mods IS the game. Otherwise you would not need that many.
I find 30 mods and below to be a playable amount. Above it just becomes the game of mods. Pretty fun to play if you're into it.
No you're doing it wrong. I really hate this modding mentality. To this day I still play all my TES mod-less. But people are so quick to turn it into something completely different where I wonder why you even played the game in the first place! I could maybe understand either fixing some minor things, or maybe you beat the game 20 times and still want something more, but when people go in being like "I'm new, what mods?"....It really grind my freaking gears...
 

freaper

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slo said:
But you're doing it wrong. Installing over a hundred mods IS the game. Otherwise you would not need that many.
I find 30 mods and below to be a playable amount. Above it just becomes the game of mods. Pretty fun to play if you're into it.
This is why I can't bring myself to play Skyrim again. I've honestly had a wonderful time with the game, and I'd love to try new builds and maybe finally finish the DLC, but I just can't be arsed to browse the nexus for five hours to update my old mods and add new ones.
 

Odbarc

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There's plenty I want to tell you and then I kind of realized that going through a blind run is probably the best way to play this game.


I recommend the following mods;
-Killable children. (Even if you never intend to kill them yourself, invincible children who can endure dragons attacks is stupid and they should be dying.)
-New skin and eye colors. Especially with Khajiit and Argonian.
-SkyUI. The vanilla interface is horrific for PC and clearly designed with a controller and consoles in mind.

I think there are some performance mods that probably help. Graphically, it's probably not important to have cranked the graphics unless you specifically want that sort of thing.

MOST IMPORTANT:

You can use Pickaxes like a weapon and attack veins without having to press E to interact with it. It ores significantly faster and no where does it describe that this is possible.
 

Asita

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If you just got the game, my advice is to go bare minimum for the first playthrough. There are a lot of fun mods out there but let's be honest, you won't know whether a given failing is from the game or the mod if you don't know how the base-game works first. That said, there are a few major exceptions to this rule. Skyrim Script Extender, for instance, is something you will ultimately want to install because a lot of other mods rely upon it. These other ones would be the ones I consider "essential"

1) SkyUI. Long and short there is that the inventory UI in the base game is an absolute mess in both the figurative and literal senses and SkyUI will save you a major headache.

Original:


SkyUI:


Comparison:

2) The Unofficial Patch(es). Raddra supplied the link to the Legendary Edition patch, which is perfect if you have Skyrim and all the DLC (Hearthfire, Dawnguard, Dragonborn), but if you don't, then you'll need to install the individual patches for what you do have. (Base game, Dawnguard, Dragonborn, Hearthfire).

3) Stones of Barenziah Quest Markers. This is a very minor one, but seeing as the Stones of Barenziah can't be dropped before the completion of their quest once you pick them up and they do count against your weight capacity, adding quest markers to speed up the process somewhat is a welcome extra bit of convenience.

If after playing the game for a while you find it's lacking something, then we can get into the nitty gritty of what mods you might enjoy. But please don't try overhalls like PerMa, Ordinator or other similarly significant-impact mods before getting a feel for the unmodded game.
 

Saelune

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slo said:
Saelune said:
No you're doing it wrong. I really hate this modding mentality. To this day I still play all my TES mod-less. But people are so quick to turn it into something completely different where I wonder why you even played the game in the first place! I could maybe understand either fixing some minor things, or maybe you beat the game 20 times and still want something more, but when people go in being like "I'm new, what mods?"....It really grind my freaking gears...
You might want to oil your gears so that they don't grind that much.
No, I didn't play the game. I didn't like it. But with mods and some imagination I've managed to clock 350+ hours into in and have quite a lot of fun and I won't be judged for it. So what, if I use mods? No one plays games completely intact. We all make adjustments. It gets us more fun and more game to game. (Except for console gamers. Duhuhuh.)
Especially when it comes to Bethesda games that tend to not be exactly finished on release.
If I have to make a game into a different game, I probably shouldn't waste my time playing it. Also you cant decide others ability to judge others, just as I cant stop you from likely judging me a way now. I love the Elder Scrolls, but Id never want someone to endure them if they don't genuinely enjoy them too.
 

Arnoxthe1

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Assuming you don't want to make any gameplay changes, these are some great/essential mods in order of priority.

1. SKSE (Base package that most all mods use these days. Makes no changes whatsoever to the game itself.)

2. Unofficial Skyrim Legendary Edition Patch (Assuming you have ALL the expansions. If you don't, you'll need to get the unofficial patch for each expansion individually. This isn't exactly NEEDED for any mods but you'll have a MUCH smoother time with Skyrim with this. Not to mention it decreases save bloat greatly, removes potential crashes, and smooths out all the rough edges. And don't worry about problems. This patch has been worked on for years.)

3. SkyUI (Again, lot of mods need this. And honestly, it's just nice to have too. Even without any mods.)

4. No NPC Greetings: Reduced Distance NPC Greetings (You may not get the need for this mod at the start but after a bit, you'll thank me. It reduces the distance at which NPCs will say something to you until you're literally bumping into them. As it should be. It makes Whiterun infinitely less annoying to pass through.)

5. Uncle Sheo Does Legendary Loading Screens (Again you don't really need this mod but after you've put some hours into this game, you'll probably get tired of all those samey loading screens. This fixes that.)

-

If you do want to get into some major gameplay changes later on, I'd highly recommend these two:

1. Perkus Maximus (General gameplay overhaul. Very compatible with a lot of stuff. Pretty darn balanced. It's not a TOTAL overhaul but pretty close. And because it's not, again, it works with a lot of mods. And the new perks are amazing.)

2. Moonlight Tales (Werewolves are pretty awesome in post-Dawnguard Skyrim and, heck, even pre-Dawnguard Skyrim, but this fills in the remaining gaps that should have been filled like, for example, allowing you to become infected with werewolf blood by random roaming werewolves at night instead of just ONE questline that you HAVE TO DO in order to be a werewolf at all.)
 
Sep 14, 2009
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Saelune said:
slo said:
Saelune said:
No you're doing it wrong. I really hate this modding mentality. To this day I still play all my TES mod-less. But people are so quick to turn it into something completely different where I wonder why you even played the game in the first place! I could maybe understand either fixing some minor things, or maybe you beat the game 20 times and still want something more, but when people go in being like "I'm new, what mods?"....It really grind my freaking gears...
You might want to oil your gears so that they don't grind that much.
No, I didn't play the game. I didn't like it. But with mods and some imagination I've managed to clock 350+ hours into in and have quite a lot of fun and I won't be judged for it. So what, if I use mods? No one plays games completely intact. We all make adjustments. It gets us more fun and more game to game. (Except for console gamers. Duhuhuh.)
Especially when it comes to Bethesda games that tend to not be exactly finished on release.
If I have to make a game into a different game, I probably shouldn't waste my time playing it. Also you cant decide others ability to judge others, just as I cant stop you from likely judging me a way now. I love the Elder Scrolls, but Id never want someone to endure them if they don't genuinely enjoy them too.
but that's the thing, it's each persons game to do with as they see fit (barring mmo/multiplayer games for obvious reasons), so the fact that it grinds your gears is almost hilarious. just FYI I'm currently playing through skyrim to beat the game for my first time, and I have over 150 mods installed....ooh boy does it feel good having all that extra depth and customization available ;)


Obviously this is different if you're a console only gamer, since mods are pretty much non-existent besides map editors and stuff, but I just don't get why you would be *actively* against modding.

edit:

whoops forgot to add some suggestions

one that I like that hasn't been mentioned is:

auto harvest [http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/19618/?] pretty self explanatory, I pretty much can't go back to vanilla any bethesda game after having this mod installed, makes ingredient and dungeon looting so much smoother.

fusrodah unleashed [http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=10364] this is more of a personal preference, I thought the original fus ro dah was weak as hell, this one makes it a bit too OP, but hilariously worth it, and a great hallway clearer if you need some space or companions are in the way.
 

Silverbane7

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personaly, i tend to just add a little to the game here and there, rather than convert it to something else...

however, for fun and general enjoyment, i would suggest the campfire mod.
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/64798/?

its nice to have your own fire to warm yourself by, and if you fancy an overhaul for the weather, the maker of this has a weather mod that adds storms and other things folks call immersive (tho personaly, i just like to go camping in skyrim)
i also have a couple of crafting tweeks that allow me to smelt down armour i dont want (so i can convert it to bars, which i use for making my home thanks to hearthfire) and one that lets me craft clothing.

thats prety much it....not a lot, i know but my wants are simple realy.
 

Saelune

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gmaverick019 said:
Saelune said:
slo said:
Saelune said:
No you're doing it wrong. I really hate this modding mentality. To this day I still play all my TES mod-less. But people are so quick to turn it into something completely different where I wonder why you even played the game in the first place! I could maybe understand either fixing some minor things, or maybe you beat the game 20 times and still want something more, but when people go in being like "I'm new, what mods?"....It really grind my freaking gears...
You might want to oil your gears so that they don't grind that much.
No, I didn't play the game. I didn't like it. But with mods and some imagination I've managed to clock 350+ hours into in and have quite a lot of fun and I won't be judged for it. So what, if I use mods? No one plays games completely intact. We all make adjustments. It gets us more fun and more game to game. (Except for console gamers. Duhuhuh.)
Especially when it comes to Bethesda games that tend to not be exactly finished on release.
If I have to make a game into a different game, I probably shouldn't waste my time playing it. Also you cant decide others ability to judge others, just as I cant stop you from likely judging me a way now. I love the Elder Scrolls, but Id never want someone to endure them if they don't genuinely enjoy them too.
but that's the thing, it's each persons game to do with as they see fit (barring mmo/multiplayer games for obvious reasons), so the fact that it grinds your gears is almost hilarious. just FYI I'm currently playing through skyrim to beat the game for my first time, and I have over 150 mods installed....ooh boy does it feel good having all that extra depth and customization available ;)


Obviously this is different if you're a console only gamer, since mods are pretty much non-existent besides map editors and stuff, but I just don't get why you would be *actively* against modding.

edit:

whoops forgot to add some suggestions

one that I like that hasn't been mentioned is:

auto harvest [http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/19618/?] pretty self explanatory, I pretty much can't go back to vanilla any bethesda game after having this mod installed, makes ingredient and dungeon looting so much smoother.

fusrodah unleashed [http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=10364] this is more of a personal preference, I thought the original fus ro dah was weak as hell, this one makes it a bit too OP, but hilariously worth it, and a great hallway clearer if you need some space or companions are in the way.
Its not like I'm saying it should be illegal, and sometimes I wonder why I bother, but I think its cause I think people like you miss out on the real experience. Plus fuck anime heads in the game, but not every modder does that. Yes, its up to you to decide if you want to, in my opinion, soil the game, but doesn't mean I cant throw in my 2 cents. At minimum though, you should play the game as is first, even if you want to mod it. How can you appreciate what you are "fixing" if you don't know what its like "broken"?
 

BodomBeachChild

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Most important: Skyrim Script Extender via workshop.

Here is the list of mods I use. I use a shitty Envy laptop and can run it with almost eveything on max. I use a bunch of landscape mods and Purity for water.. THe only thing I cannot do is use ENB as it melts things.

I've included screen grabs of my mod list. Happy modding! http://i.imgur.com/fEiijc1.png http://i.imgur.com/LqchNa9.png
 

2HF

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Saelune said:
Yes, its up to you to decide if you want to, in my opinion, soil the game, but doesn't mean I cant throw in my 2 cents. At minimum though, you should play the game as is first, even if you want to mod it. How can you appreciate what you are "fixing" if you don't know what its like "broken"?
With all due respect, I came here for a list of mods, not for opinions on whether or not things should be modded. I'll play my game however I damn well please. I bought this on PC specifically because I could mod it. Otherwise I'd have saved myself the trouble and just bought it on console. I don't care about ultra graphics, as evidenced by the fact that I'm playing on a laptop that suggests medium specs for optimal performance. I just want to do fun and potentially silly things and maybe fix the issues everyone knows exist.

If I buy a table and every review says it tilts a bit to the left would you insist I use it that way for awhile before throwing a matchbook under that one leg? Or paint it to match my d?cor? Let those of us who want to do something that impacts you in exactly 0 ways do what we want to do without having to hear about how it's wrong in your eyes.
 

Saelune

Trump put kids in cages!
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2HF said:
Saelune said:
Yes, its up to you to decide if you want to, in my opinion, soil the game, but doesn't mean I cant throw in my 2 cents. At minimum though, you should play the game as is first, even if you want to mod it. How can you appreciate what you are "fixing" if you don't know what its like "broken"?
With all due respect, I came here for a list of mods, not for opinions on whether or not things should be modded. I'll play my game however I damn well please. I bought this on PC specifically because I could mod it. Otherwise I'd have saved myself the trouble and just bought it on console. I don't care about ultra graphics, as evidenced by the fact that I'm playing on a laptop that suggests medium specs for optimal performance. I just want to do fun and potentially silly things and maybe fix the issues everyone knows exist.

If I buy a table and every review says it tilts a bit to the left would you insist I use it that way for awhile before throwing a matchbook under that one leg? Or paint it to match my d?cor? Let those of us who want to do something that impacts you in exactly 0 ways do what we want to do without having to hear about how it's wrong in your eyes.
I still think you should play the game first as is, then figure out what you want to change. You wont know it tilts if you don't try it as is first. Then when it does, you can figure out how big a matchbook you need. Plus why buy a table if you are just going to turn it into a chair anyways?

You can do whatever you want in your single-player game, I am not arguing that, and despite what it may seem, I honestly just want you to enjoy the game as much as possible, but it hurts to see a game I think is amazing as is being so wildly altered, especially without thinking about it.