-Modding Skyrim-
After reading through this thread, it seems that some people have some questions about mods. This post is an attempt to alleviate some of those issues, as well as give a list of some mods that people might want to try out.
Modding Skyrim can be an ordeal. Mods that may seem completely unrelated may nonetheless prove incompatible for any number of reasons. Because of this, it is highly recommended to do a number of things when considering mods:
First, read any readmes to determine potential compatibility issues before you start installing.
Second, use a mod manager like
Nexus Mod Manager to install all your mods to reduce the risk of compatibility issues.
Third, rather than continually overwriting existing mods as new ones are released, start from a fresh install of Skyrim.
These tricks will generally help cut down on incompatibility issues and make your modding experience more enjoyable. With the right collection of mods, you can tweak Skyrim to your liking and give yourself a unique experience designed to meet your expectations.
-Installation-
Generally, you want to start with a fresh install of Skyrim (as mentioned above), then install
Skyrim Script Extender (SKSE) and
Nexus Mod Manager (NMM). SKSE allows for further scripting options which certain popular mods (such as SkyUI) take advantage of. After youve gotten NMM and SKSE installed, open Skyrim and set your visual options, then run SKSE through NMM to make sure everything is loading properly. If Skyrim opens, youre ready to move on to the next steps.
I recommend downloading individual mods from
Skyrim Nexus, then installing them through NMM, as opposed to having NMM download them for you; it just keeps the process cleaner in my mind. Downloading mods from Skyrim Nexus requires a free registration. To install individual mods, open NMM, go to the Mods tab, and click on the icon with the green plus sign that says Add Mod from File. This will open a dialogue box where you can navigate to the .zip or .7z file you downloaded from Skyrim Nexus. After the mod is pulled into NMM, you need to activate it by clicking the icon with the green arrow that says Activates the selected mod. Some mods may give you some options you can change during installation; choose the options you would prefer and try it out to see how you feel.
If you dont like a mod or want to replace it with an updated version, you can deactivate it in NMM by clicking the icon with the red arrow that says Deactivates the selected mod. After youve done this, you can delete the mod by clicking on the icon of a large red X that says Deletes the selected mod. Deactivating a mod will remove it from loading into Skyrim; deleting the mod removes it from NMM entirely.
Generally, I like to go in and test that the game will load after each mod I install just to verify that things are working. Its no good to install 50 mods at once and then try to figure out which one is making your game crash. If you follow the tricks I laid out at the beginning, you should be able to avoid conflicts, but it doesnt hurt to load Skyrim between each mod just to verify that nothing has gone wrong in the process.
-The Mods-
Heres a list of the mods I use, divided into sections to make them more manageable. Some mods are what I would consider essential; bug fixes or utilities designed to make Skyrim run smoother (these have been marked with a * below). Graphics, texture mods and mods which affect gameplay are more of a personal choice, so use what fits your style. I have
a gallery of pictures that Ive taken so you can get a sense for what my game looks like. Check it out; if you like what you see, these are the mods that will give you a similar appearance. I would generally recommend installing utilities and bug fixes first, then texture mods, and finally gameplay mods, so thats why theyre arranged in this order.
-Utilities-
*Skyrim Script Extender This is required for several mods which take advantage of scripting functions, including SkyUI (to use all its features). Install this before installing Nexus Mod Manager and NMM will recognize SKSE and automatically configure to launch the proper exe file when starting the game (installing it after works fine, but you may need to manually select it in NMM).
*Nexus Mod Manager Everyone should use this. It handles your mods, makes installing or removing them a one-click process, and connects to Skyrim Nexus to let you know when any updates have been released for individual mods. You can use it to install everything except for ENB configs or SKSE.
*SkyUI This is a revamped UI that looks and works significantly better than the default UI which was intended for consoles.
A Quality World Map with Roads A higher resolution version of the map, complete with all roads filled in (if you prefer) and no cloud cover obstructing locations.
Necessary Map Markers This adds a number of markers to the map for player homes and major landmarks, all of which can be fast-traveled to (after being discovered).
FRAPS This is not really a Skyrim mod, but its a useful tool to gauge your FPS, as well as take screenshots (Steam shots are compressed and dont look as good).
-Bug Fixes-
*Unofficial Skyrim Patch Fixes numerous bugs and glitches.
*HD Textures DLC Fix Fixes numerous inconsistent textures in the official Bethesda HD texture pack.
*Daedric Shield High-Res Texture Pack Fix Does just what it says. Use if youre using the official Bethesda HD textures.
*Proudspire Manor Bug Fixes Fixes inconsistent properties in Proudspire Manor.
*Shadow Striping Fix Fixes the blocky shadows that are sometimes cast by fireplaces and torches.
Weapons and Armor Fixes Fixes incorrect properties assigned to numerous weapons and armors.
Smithing Perks Overhaul Fixes incorrect properties assigned to smithing various armors and weapons.
-Environmental Visuals-
Texture Pack Combiner Hugely recommended. This is a collection of the best textures from the three largest HD texture packs for Skyrim, plus an additional 40+ optional mods that cover the bulk of every environmental texture in the game. The author did a fantastic job choosing textures that fit well together and keep the same feel as the vanilla game. Follow the authors instructions carefully. Its an ordeal to download everything and place it in the proper folders, but the end results completely transform the game, and best of all, it eliminates potential conflicts since it does all the work for you. Note that you MUST download the mods manually and not through NMM since you are required to place them in specific folders and run a batch file to prepare the mod.
*WATER There is no better water mod out there. It upgrades the visual quality of all the water in the game with almost no performance hit. Everyone should be using this. Make sure WATER and WATER Get Wet are at the end of your load order in NMM or there may be glitches.
Glorious Grasses Greatly increase the frequency of grass patches in wilderness areas.
Enhanced Blood Textures Improves blood textures and effects.
Deadly Spell Impacts Hugely improves the quality of impact textures from ice, fire and lightning attacks.
Finer Dust Makes dust particles smaller.
Glowing Ore Veins This makes ore veins stand out with a brighter texture to separate them from normal rocks. Some people consider this cheating or immersion breaking.
Immersive Skyrim Thunder V5 This isnt a visual effect, but an improved thunderclap sound for storms. Highly recommended.
-Character-
Xenius Character Enhancement A mod which improves character visuals for all races through higher detailed eyes, lips, faces, bodies and scars.
CoverKhajiits Greatly improves the textures for the Khajiit race, although it only works for the heads.
AOF Believable Hair Replaces default hair textures with higher resolution equivalents.
Apachii SkyHair Adds new hairstyles for both sexes, all races. Does not replace Vanilla hairstyles.
Improved NPC Clothing Adds greater detail to the basic clothes worn by all NPCs in the game; maintains same look as Vanilla, just higher resolution textures.
aMidianBorn Armors This is an ongoing project to retexture all the Vanilla armors in Skyrim with high-resolution equivalents. At this point, hes covered
Iron,
Steel,
Steel Plate,
Leather,
Dwarven and
Elven.
Immersive Armors This adds a large number of lore-friendly armors to the game. They can be found in the world or crafted at forges.
Cloaks of Skyrim Adds craftable cloaks and capes to the game. They can also be found on NPCs.
-Gameplay Mods-
Craftable Arrows An absolute necessity for archers. Dawnguard adds this ability, but the recipes in this mod are more convenient (one ingot, two pieces of firewood for 25 arrows).
Auto-unequip Ammo This will take the quiver off your back when you stop using a bow.
Skyrim Community Uncapper - Opens up leveling beyond 100 in each individual skill, modifies the bonuses received for leveling up and allows you to obtain every perk in the game (requires SKSE).
Proudspire Manor Dragonborn Edition Adds a complete crafting setup in the basement of Proudspire Manor, with an enchanting table, apothecary table and full smithing room. Also adds a number of storage places and buttons which will auto-sort loot and ingredients into pre-named chests, or call up any named Shrine for the player to activate.
Reweighed Potions Changes the weights on potions to correspond to their strength; potions that restore 10 HP no longer weigh as much as potions that restore 150 HP.
Rich Merchants Gives all merchants in the game 10,000 starting gold. Makes it much easier to sell off goods without having to fast-travel around Skyrim for a year.
-Lighting-
-UPDATE- I now use
Opethfeldt6 ENB rather than ForceWithin. ForceWithin is a great preset, but I find Opethfeldt6 looks more realistic and has better all around lighting.
ForceWithin ENB ENB configs significantly change Skyrims lighting to improve lighting and shadows, add features such as SSAO and dynamic Depth of Field, and adjust the color palette. I use
ForceWithins preset because it seems fairly balanced, but there are a wide variety to choose from, whether you prefer
Vibrant,
Bleak,
Realistic,
Sharp,
Colorful,
Ethereal,
Mystical or simply an
enhancement on Vanilla. ENB configs can seriously sap performance, so you may need to find one that works with your rig. This is probably the single biggest change you can make to Skyrims look, so if your machine can handle it, I highly recommend it.
This list is hardly comprehensive, nor meant to suggest that only the mods I personally use are worth using. Its meant more as a jumping off point for people to take a look into modding the game to their own liking. Browse around
Skyrim Nexus, look at the top files, see what appeals to you. Theres something for everyone.
Now get back to your adventuring, before you take an arrow in the knee.