First time playing Skyrim, mod recommendations?
First time playing Skyrim, mod recommendations?
Hello, I'm considering giving Skyrim another shot. I played it once before, but games like that tend to test my patience quickly. After the last time I tried, I never started it again. If I decide to give it a proper try, I'd like a few graphics mods that are reliable and stable. I'm open to suggestions—anyone with specific mods that really help during gameplay would be great. There are plenty of discussions online, but they often lack detailed info about each mod. If you know of something useful, let me know so I can evaluate it based on what you say.
My list is also being updated. [EDIT: Here it stands. Apparently none are installed, maybe I shifted folders but everything works just fine; some were unused yet I can't remember anymore.] 360 Walk and Run Plus A Matter of Time Amazing Follower Tweaks aMidian Born Book Of Silence (Main Textures) Animated Clutter Audio Overhaul for Skyrim 2 Auto Unequip Ammo Better Dialogue Controls Better Fitting Glass Helmet Better MessageBox Controls Better Shaped Weapons Better Stealth AI For Followers Book Covers Skyrim Clear Skies Climates of Tamriel Cloaks of Skyrim Complete Male Overhaul Convenient Horses D13 Faster GET UP Stand Up Daedric Dawnbreaker Deadly Combat Deadly Dragons Dodge Mod Double Torch Radius Dovakhiin Relaxes Too Dragon Combat Overhaul Ducks and Swans for Skyrim Dynavision Enemy AI OverHaul Enhanced Blood Textures Enhanced Distance Terrain Enhanced Lights and FX Feminine Running Fix For Combat Music Follower Commentary Overhaul Follower Trap safety Footprints Frostfall Guard Dialogue Overhaul Harvest Overhaul Heart Of The Beast Hold Border Banners Immersive Armors Immersive HUD Immersive NPC in the dark Immersive Patrols Immersive Sounds Immersive Weapons Improved Sneak Detection Needed Interesting NPCs Lanterns of Skyrim Lockpick Graduation Lore-Based loading screens more HUD Move it Dammit for NPC and Companions No sneak attack sound Project Reality Pumping Iron Pure Waters Ranger Ridge Realistic Lighting Overhaul Realistic Needs and diseases Realistic Water Two Run For Your Lives Skyrim HD 2K Textures Skyrim Immersive Creatures SkyUI Splash of Rain Static Mesh Improvement Mod The Dance of Death Thundering Shouts TTYM Ultra Realistic World Lighting Unique Uniques WATER WarBurgs Wearable Lanterns Wet and Cold When Vampires Attack Winter is Coming Also check out Gopher on YouTube.
SKSE SkyUI unofficial updates 1-5 help you customize your Skyrim HD experience. After testing a few, visit the Skyrim Nexus for more mods. If you're new to modding, begin with the GEMs website first.
I rely on a blend of Nexus Mods and Steam Workshop since I’m a tool. SKSE and SkyUI are part of the setup too. The mods listed here are what I currently use, except a few to avoid constant Steam Workshop checks. Feel free to search on Steam if you have any questions. Textures/Graphics - Enhanced Towns & Villages - Larger Buildings - Wet & Cold - Mossy Rocks - Improved Embers - Water & Terrain Boost - HD Plants & Herbs - Enhanced Distant Terrain - Better Dynamic Snow - High Quality Snow Texture - Deeper Snow - Pure Waters - Skyrim Flora Overhaul - Enhanced Lighting & Effects - Scottish Bannered Mare - Better Torches - Lanterns of Skyrim Immersion - Frostfall - Northern Ranger Camping Kit - Realistic Conditions - Customizable Needs & Health - Skyrim Water Sources - Winter Approaching - Project Realism - Tamriel Climates - Players Can Unwind - Fully Immersive First Person - Touring Carriages - Your Own Ideas - Ultimate Dragons - Camping - Cozy Beds (Beware, bugs sometimes make them irritating) - Quality World Map - Immersive HUD - Immersive Armor (I disable half because they’re not very immersive) MISC - XP32 Maximum Skeleton + Magic Shield Patch - Skyforge Shields & Weapons - Improved Character Editing - Race Menu - Wearable Lanterns - Update Follower Outfits - ASIS - Preloaded Race Menu fix - Quiver Fastened - Compatibility tweaks - SkyRe (don’t mix with Immersive Armor or Skyforge gear due to complex adjustments) - All the necessary tweaks to make IA7 and SkyRe work together Because I’m okay changing models for fun - CBBE - Alternate Nude (with fix) - Nice Combat Motion - Smooth Idle - Idle Animation (just for laughs) - Ancient Nord Armor & Saviour Visuals - Basic Female Running - Skyrim Beautiful Followers - SkyHair Effect - Good Male Designs - CBBE Simple Outfits - Vanilla Style Changes
based on my observations, sticking to others' mod lists often causes confusion and makes it hard to understand your final outcome. try adding a few basic fixes or improvements, such as SkyUI, and stick to the vanilla version. pay attention to aspects you dislike, then search for a mod that fixes those issues and throws many mods at the game. when you find something unpleasant, reflect on whether a mod could have prevented it or if vanilla was intended.
It's nice to know others are also starting Skyrim two years behind. I'm planning to see how much time I can spend on the vanilla version before getting sidetracked by mods. Like most games, I might end up too caught up in modifications rather than playing the core experience. Enjoy!
It's usually wiser to investigate on your own. Many recommended mods aren't always what you prefer, like texture swaps. I favor options that others dislike. Begin exploring the Nexus, but prioritize essentials such as SKSE and Sky UI. An ENB or your preference is also crucial.
I've begun using the game now, and I'm happy with the unofficial updates, the Skyrim 2K texture pack, as well as the realistic ragdoll and blood effects. I gave ENB a try, but it didn't work out well.