Essential Skyrim Mods?

[Stringjam]

It should look as great and play as great as possible right out of the box.

It looks okay and it plays okay.

There is no need for okay when you can easily have great.

Most of the mods are extremely simple to install and greatly enhance the game......so why not?

 

[runzwithsizorz]

RCRN v3.6 -set to Pure -Sharpening "ON" -Volumentric Fog "Subtle" Under "Advanced" #define Gamma 1.42 #define Saturation 0.60 #define BlueShift -0.50

Will this work with no commercial DLC's installed?

 

[Fallen Kell]

How old is Skyrim? If it's relatively new you shouldn't need any mods at all. It should look as great and play as great as possible right out of the box. I'm not trying to troll as I'm not really familiar with this game.

A better question should be was the game designed to play on consoles? If yes, was it designed for next gen consoles like PS4? If "no", then it needs mods to fix texture resolutions and 3D meshes.

Anything designed to be played on hardware that is 8 years old is WELL past it's due.

 

[thm1223]

Wow awesome responses. Thanks guys!

Btw what is BOSS?

 

[ImpulsE69]

How old is Skyrim? If it's relatively new you shouldn't need any mods at all. It should look as great and play as great as possible right out of the box. I'm not trying to troll as I'm not really familiar with this game. I modded Quake with the Dark Places HD mod and the graphic now are unbelievable. Quake could come out today with this mod and still be viable.

Shouldn't being the key word. They WERE designed for consoles. PC users were just lucky to be given a better texture pack for free, but that was it. People who loved the game, expanded on it and made it better in many ways (some less than others).

Secondly, modding (if you like it) is what makes PC gaming unique and in some ways better than console gaming.

Honestly there are some brilliantly talented people out there that have made additions that are smart and stay to the game lore and are unobtrusive that should have been in the game to begin with. No one says you have to mod at all, it's just personal preference. A few that have been mentioned are as good if not better than the actual DLC that was put out.

 

[Barfo]

Good list, but you also want CaBal's texture packs.
http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/searchresults//?

Bad link

 

[Hinda65]

I've heard that all those texture packs can max out your Vram pretty quick. Is it trial and error to see how many you can get away with? I have 3gigs and will be playing at 1440p.

Thanks

 

[ImpulsE69]

Yes, granted it takes quite a bit to do it. My card has 1.5gb and I am running just fine, however I'm not using 2k textures everywhere (but instead the slightly lower res that many have as an option).

 

[runzwithsizorz]

Btw what is BOSS?

BOSS is a program meant to work with various mod managers to help keep your mods in the correct order.
http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/6/?

 

[Scooby Doo]

Last time I looked at Wyre Bash, the most recent version was nearly 2 years old, may not be so useful a utility any more.

Here's the update for Skyrim: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/1840/

In oblivion Bain is much better than Nexus and OBMM managers, plus you'll need it to build bash patches (leveled lists)

 

[Stringjam]

Will this work with no commercial DLC's installed?

Yes! None of the mods in my list require any DLC's.

 

[Bateluer]

I've heard that all those texture packs can max out your Vram pretty quick. Is it trial and error to see how many you can get away with? I have 3gigs and will be playing at 1440p.

Thanks

I've 3GBs of VRAM and 16GBs of system ram, running Skyrim at 1440p as well. I've installed mostly 2K and 4K texture packs and haven't maxed out VRAM. Heck, 90% of the time, the game is pegged at 60fps. Its only the 'realistic' lighting mods that make my system stagger a bit, and those make the game too dark to actually play without carrying a torch, lantern, and constantly constantly light spells.

Bad link

Sorry,

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/users/571605/?

 

[ImpulsE69]

Completely forgot to include:

Optimizer Textures

This compresses your BSA files and will also optimize your all your textures. You can pick and choose what to use it on and not, as well as backs up your existing. This is handy if you use a lot of texture mods and are getting near the 3gb vram limit.

 

[thm1223]

Awesome recommendations here. Downloaded quite a bunch of mods last night and will dl a few more before

Completely forgot to include:

Optimizer Textures

This compresses your BSA files and will also optimize your all your textures. You can pick and choose what to use it on and not, as well as backs up your existing. This is handy if you use a lot of texture mods and are getting near the 3gb vram limit.

Is the 3gb limit like a hard limit set by the game?

BOSS is a program meant to work with various mod managers to help keep your mods in the correct order.
http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/6/?

Do you need to use BOSS if you are using NMM and then launching Skyrim via the script extender?

 

[runzwithsizorz]

Do you need to use BOSS if you are using NMM and then launching Skyrim via the script extender?

I am using BOSS, Wrye Bash and OBMM in Oblivian as well as using script extender. Script extender has nothing to do with any of the mod managers or BOSS; it just expands the vanilla game script to allow more and larger mods. boss should work with NMM. I am new to modding myself, and have had a few setbacks. However, the important thing to remember is to copy your save games to a desktop folder, and if worse comes to worse, start a new game and enter the saves and nothing is lost; at least that worked for me in Oblivian.

Be prepared to spend a little "study time" to learning how these mod manager tools work...Wrye Bash is the most complicated. But I am finding I am having a lot of fun modding, even though I am still learning how it all works.

The Wife

 

[imaheadcase]

You have to go to one of the general store folks and buy oil + the manual for it. You open the manual and set the config (what part of your body you want it on, and how bright you want it to be).

It really is the best mod ever made for Skyrim. This should have been in the vanilla game. No more crawling through dark dungeons unable to see because you don't want to put your weapon down to carry a torch.

Mmm, i've never had a part in the game I had to used a torch or needed light to see.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Awesome recommendations here. Downloaded quite a bunch of mods last night and will dl a few more before


Is the 3gb limit like a hard limit set by the game?

There's a technical limitation that I don't believe is only due to the game, but I don't remember the specifics. The general consensus seems to be though is that there is no way to get around it.

 

[Fallen Kell]

Mmm, i've never had a part in the game I had to used a torch or needed light to see.

That is because you missed the part where he mentioned realistic lighting mod... This is night with realistic lighting mod:

Kind of hard to do anything with that, hence the need for lanterns, torches, and/or light spell.

 

[Bateluer]

That is because you missed the part where he mentioned realistic lighting mod... This is night with realistic lighting mod:

Kind of hard to do anything with that, hence the need for lanterns, torches, and/or light spell.

I guess I'm in the minority when I say I hate that 'realistic' lighting mods do that. It makes cave sections damn near impossible to even walk through let alone any attempt to stealth when you've got a floating magic light source over your head or a torch in the off hand.

Its just as bad indoors, even in merchant stores, inns, and your own homes. You have to light a torch just to find the damn stairs.

 

[imaheadcase]

I guess I'm in the minority when I say I hate that 'realistic' lighting mods do that. It makes cave sections damn near impossible to even walk through let alone any attempt to stealth when you've got a floating magic light source over your head or a torch in the off hand.

Its just as bad indoors, even in merchant stores, inns, and your own homes. You have to light a torch just to find the damn stairs.

Yah no point in having realistic lighting in game like this. Having to get a mod to fix another mod not having light is kinda dumb

 

[shortylickens]

I guess I'm in the minority when I say I hate that 'realistic' lighting mods do that. It makes cave sections damn near impossible to even walk through let alone any attempt to stealth when you've got a floating magic light source over your head or a torch in the off hand.

Its just as bad indoors, even in merchant stores, inns, and your own homes. You have to light a torch just to find the damn stairs.

night vision

 

[Stringjam]

I guess I'm in the minority when I say I hate that 'realistic' lighting mods do that. It makes cave sections damn near impossible to even walk through let alone any attempt to stealth when you've got a floating magic light source over your head or a torch in the off hand.

Its just as bad indoors, even in merchant stores, inns, and your own homes. You have to light a torch just to find the damn stairs.

I'm going to guess you really don't like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. then.

 

[supermag24]

Install the mod where one the hoods looks like spider man.

 

[NickelPlate]

Swearing mudcrab mod is good for a laugh.

Warning: Below link contains profanity

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSHvPJD_558

 

[Face2Face]

I'm going to guess you really don't like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. then.

Stalker is awesome, still playing it

I installed the TrueVison ENB last night

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/15983/?

it's from the same person who did Project ENB. I like TrueVision much better because the days are much brighter. I also have COT installed I may try to add RCN on top of it, not sure if I will need it? I have a ton of 2K and 4K texutre mods, and I see up to 2.8GB of vram usage

With 2XMSAA and everything maxed out @ 1080P with SSAO enabled and DOF disabled I am getting mostly 60fps but some dips in the 35fps when fighting and heavy action is going on. My GPU is playing this game at 1200/1650 and my cpu is getting pounded too. May need to drop the SSAO or grab another 7950