Forums » Elder Scrolls

Modders: Which mods could you not do without?

    • 16 posts
    September 7, 2014 2:02 PM EDT

    have to have Frostfall and Realistic Needs and Diseases when I play because I want my Skyrim experience to be as punishing as possible. Seriously, I must be a masochist. :p

    Frostfall by Chesko is a mod which adds hypothermia to the game which, in my opinion, should have been a toggle in the vanilla game since Skyrim is such a harsh and unforgiving province. Realistic Needs and Diseases by perseid9 adds in the need to sleep, eat, and drink (so basically it is like Fallout: New Vegas' hardcore mod).

    These kinds of mods are not for everybody; luckily you can change them in the mod configuration menu so that other people can still use Skyrim on a shared computer.

    I also want to give a shout out to a wonderful companion mod, Vilja in Skyrim, created by Emma, Amgepo, and Lycanthrops. Vilja outstrips the vanilla companions but luckily the mod creators have put time and effort into making her interact with them. This way it doesn't have to feel like everyone else following you is a cardboard cut-out.

    For people looking to get into modding, I suggest taking a look at S.T.E.P. It's a project run by a chap named TheCompiler (as far as I remember) and will basically hold your hand through the process of making Skyrim prettier and more realistic. Another great source is Skyrim Gems, a "1-page, quick-reference catalog of lore-friendly game-play enhancement mods".

    So tell me, what mods are you into? 
    Oh! And what happened to that caravan mod one of the Bethesda devs released? Did it ever get fixed?

    I hope this post fits in here. My apologies if it doesn't.

    • 12 posts
    September 7, 2014 3:42 PM EDT

    Stable uGridsToLoad is a must for me

    • 16 posts
    September 7, 2014 4:16 PM EDT

    What does that do, exactly? It might be covered in the STEP guide (which I basically use to circumvent all the techy stuff) but I'm not sure.

  • September 7, 2014 7:25 PM EDT

    SMIM is a definite must for me. Vanilla skyrim looks like vomit in comparison 

    • 1483 posts
    September 7, 2014 8:00 PM EDT

    When I was still playing there were quite a few that I considered "must-have". 

    SMIM, Hybrids HD Plants and Herbs Retexture, Closer Quivers and Longer Arrows, Unofficial Patches, SkyUI, Wet&Cold, Ruins Clutter Improved, Realistic Boat Bobbling, Gemling Queen Jewelry, Dynamic Tymescale, Vivid Landscapes, Elegant Circlets, Main Font Replacement (Tara Type for me), Customizable Camera, Warburg's Paper World Map, Ultimate HD Fire Effects, Heart of the Beast, Footprints and Quiet unsheathing of enchanted weapons

    • 44 posts
    September 7, 2014 8:35 PM EDT
    Requiem and interesting npcs
    • 16 posts
    September 7, 2014 8:47 PM EDT

    I am so with you on that one.
    I'm spoiled from all the graphics mods I have. Going back to vanilla Skyrim is like going from ambrosia to Burger King's flaky fries.

    • 12 posts
    September 8, 2014 1:57 PM EDT

    If you know what uGrids are then it basically helps them load.

    uGrids help stop "some" objects just popping into view. It is very fps consuming so be careful if you choose to use it

    • 16 posts
    September 8, 2014 2:50 PM EDT

    Ahh, I see. Thanks for explaining. :)

    I'm trying not to add any more mods to this play-through, though at least I'm below the "mod limit" I've seen others talking about. I think it's 250 but I was well past that the last time I was playing.

    I hope eventually I'll pick up all the terminology and ideas but for now I'm just glad I have learned to use Wrye Bash (mostly).

    • 12 posts
    September 8, 2014 3:27 PM EDT

    No problem man 

    • 40 posts
    September 13, 2014 9:58 AM EDT

    "Alternate Start - Live Another Life"

    Really adds to the re-play-ability for me. 

    • 16 posts
    September 13, 2014 1:14 PM EDT

    I'm actually using most of these mods myself, seeing as most of them are in the STEP list. :3

    • 1483 posts
    September 13, 2014 1:22 PM EDT

    I didn't use STEP when modding my game though  Old fashion manual search, download 

    • 16 posts
    September 13, 2014 1:25 PM EDT

    I figured. :p I'm figuring that it is the nexus that pops up the most? What other sites are good for downloads?

    • 55 posts
    September 13, 2014 1:38 PM EDT

    Skyui and IHUD is two big ones for me. Pure waters and convenient horses would be next on my list i think. Beyond that i pick and choose for the character profiles. It's really easy with MO to manage things, and you can have different mods for different characters. You can even boot up vanilla if you just want to test some things, or get the original build experience.

    I also use alternate start alot, and JAyus swords.

    • 55 posts
    September 13, 2014 1:46 PM EDT

    I've not seen many other sites than steam really. I don't really know why a mod author would not publish on nexus because that is the biggest and safest. Maybe some rogue modders who got thrown out I guess, it happens.

    The days of Morrowind where you had to look up the individual authors web pages to get mods are over.

    • 557 posts
    September 13, 2014 2:14 PM EDT

    Here are a few mods that I absolutely NEED to use in order to play the game. 

    To me, these are all must-have mods. They make the game even better than it is (and I didn't even get into ENBs and Overhauls)!

    • 12 posts
    September 13, 2014 5:05 PM EDT

    Question, Is it just out of preference that you use Realistic needs and diseases instead of INeed or is there a difference between the two?

    • 16 posts
    September 14, 2014 7:06 AM EDT

    I know this was directed at Emer but I figured I'd answer as well since I use RND.

    Personally I use RND because it seems to have the most compatibility with the other mods I'm using.

    I'm eager to hear more about iNeed.

    • 122 posts
    September 14, 2014 8:52 AM EDT

    Mods that MUST be on my load order are:

    Technically, these are the only mods I'll ever need, but my chronic modding disorder makes my load order larger whether I like it or not. 

    • 12 posts
    September 14, 2014 9:50 AM EDT

    I read up about any differences between the two and I really couldn't find any. However a few people I noticed mentioned that they use iNeed because of the SkyUI symbols telling you when you are hungry etc etc.

    • 16 posts
    September 14, 2014 12:01 PM EDT

    Ah, I see. Well, in RND a sound is used as well as toggleable messages, as far as I can remember (will be able to confirm in a day or two when I start the next play through).

    Pretty sure it is yawning for sleep, coughing for thirst, and tummy rumblings for hunger. I prefer sounds to messages personally.

    • 557 posts
    September 14, 2014 12:44 PM EDT

    Simply put, I like Realistic Needs and Diseases better than other needs mods.

    • 78 posts
    September 14, 2014 1:31 PM EDT

    Requiem. I can't play Skyrim without it anymore. Also, Civil War Overhaul and immersion mods like Frostfall, needs mods (corrently checking iNeed) etc. are a must.

    • 78 posts
    September 14, 2014 1:32 PM EDT

    All hail mighty Requiem!