I've been keeping a list of all the mods I plan on adding to my game, and there are several that have already been installed but haven't been discussed simply due to the size of the mod in question. I try to avoid making large posts about tiny mods because I feel like it's too much of an effort for something that could be covered together with others. Because of this mentality, I like to make slightly larger posts every once in a while to talk about all the mods I haven't been able to feature. Those of you that regularly read this blog or my Oblivion blog know that I do this due to my previous explanations and posts regarding these kinds of mods. So for those of you that have no interest in reading about the little things, feel free to move along or skip to the video toward the end of this post.
The first mods I'd like to talk about are the bug fixes and patches for the original game. Most of these do much more than can be expressed in my words or videos, which is the main reason why I never bring them up. However, there are a couple that are absolutely essential to my game. The Unofficial Skyrim Patch fixes a multitude of game-breaking bugs that open up hundreds of new features to the game that never could have been achievable. Optimizations have been put in place to reduce save game bloat and prevent unnecessary crashes and lagging. Several visual changes have also been added to reduce seams and gaps between meshes. Skyrim is a very well-made game, but the patch shows you just how much more can be and is now possible. For those of you that don't use Nexus, you can also download the Unofficial Skyrim Patch from the Steam Workshop.
Also in the realm of visual patches is the Shadow Striping Fix, which corrects the strange lighting effect that you can find in interiors like Breezehome. This was the only place I knew about that had the striping problem, but the mod author claims that several other interiors (including most of the player-owned houses) throughout Skyrim have been plagued with this irregularity and fixed by his hand. The difference is stunning, though, and it makes Breezehome feel a lot nicer inside. See it for yourself below or find it on both Nexus and the Workshop.
A lot of the smaller changes that I like to make to the game are generally based on my love of realism in gameplay. Immersive HUD is great for this because it allows you to completely disable the compass and crosshair, both of which are generally unnecessary unless you're following a quest objective or using ranged combat. I haven't trying playing with a bow and arrow yet in Skyrim, but to make quests without a compass a bit easier to follow, I've added Better Quest Objectives to provide more detailed descriptions to your journal. This change gives the player a more complete idea of where to go or what to look for. To up the difficulty a bit more, I use No Fast Travel as a means of restricting myself from teleporting away from danger or the thrill of the wilderness. Pairing this with Disable No Fast Travel Message is a great way to make you feel like the option was never there in the first place. Sadly Immersive HUD, No Fast Travel, and No Fast Travel Message aren't available for Workshop users, but you can get Better Quest Objectives right here.
Another great addition that improves both the realism and how I play the game is Piratelord's Loot Adjustments, which changes every static container object into openable containers and adjusts the leveled lists for containers to increase the possibility of finding items other than food. These items can range from broken soul gems and ingredients to enchanted jewelry and equipment. The mod makes going through dungeons much more interesting because you really never know what you're going to find. Dungeons will also sound much more interesting when using Improved Reverb, which increases the echo effect of moving around in large stone interiors. I've included a comparison in my video, but it sounds a lot better in-game. The change is much more cinematic than it is realistic, but it still makes the experience a lot more exciting. Loot Adjustments isn't available on Nexus or Steam Workshop yet, but you can find Improved Reverb on both.
And finally, whenever you leave the dungeon, Lush Trees will make the environment outside much more inviting with fuller and healthier foliage. Take a look at the difference it makes in the video below. I've also considered replacing Glorious Grasses with Lush Grass, which adds less grass but is said to be much easier on performance. My new computer can handle quite a bit, but I'm not sure if grass is really where I want to be using up my resources. For Workshop users, both Lush Trees and Lush Grass are available there.
As you can see, there's a quite a bit of little stuff that doesn't make it to the big screen, but I'll keep making compilation posts every few weeks just to give you an idea of what else I'm using. Now that I'm up and running again, I'm happier than ever to hear suggestions on what direction I should take the blog. I have a mic now, so voicing my videos is still an option, though I feel like it didn't make sense for a compilation video like this one. I'm also about done with visual mods for the time being, which means I hope to get into more mods that focus on directly altering gameplay. Until next time.
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