Modding on the Spectrum

Gooooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Tirdas the 4th of Sun's Dusk and another chilly predawn here on warm sands. The blessed moons are gibbous tonight, and will be full tomorrow, so remember the old cat's warnings. If you show up smelling of wet dog, you'll be tasting the old cat's mace not his mead, and the silver filigree is not just for decoration if you catch my meaning. Anyway, the moons have set, the paths are closed, and it is once again time for this one to tend the inn for our most honored guests. Excuse please while the fires are stoked, and fresh water is put to the boil...

Our brew of the day is Istanbul espresso, and the biscuits are Tate's lemon cookies. Checking the hot sheets we have 43 new mods. Lets dive in over a fresh cuppa and see what catches an old cat's eye this day.

BabiloOnNexus spammed us with 8 patches for shattered as first mods. Welcome
https://next.nexusmods.com/profile/BabiloOnNexus/mods?gameId=1704

Daxtreme released Nerf Sabre Cat Damage - Skypatcher
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163506
"Bad kitty, over-tuned damage. Let's reduce it, with maximum compatibility though. No ESP"

1/3, 1/2, and 2/3 rds damage available. These kitties hunt mammoths. They're supposed to be mean. If you're a wimp, take the carriage, or git gud

Lets see... Styyxus found null descriptions in the CK and filled in a few blanks. Thanks

Default Object Manager Fix
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163540

JobiWanUK released Outfit Recognition Framework
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163502
"Distributes 33 new keywords to clothing and armour so NPCs will make comments based on what they are wearing and what the player is wearing. Highly compatible. ESL flagged."

Thanks. Read the mod page, as this also adds two new voice types, everything was voiced with Eleven Labs, and there are several requirements... Grain of salt on this one.

Lets get to the good stuff...

LevisageDeDior released LDD - Eyes For UBE
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163522
"This mod is a part of Levi's Choice series. Adds customized eye meshes and 35 new textures."

These are quite nicely done, and the variations in tone are both subtle and beautiful. Definitely worth a look and a cookie. The old cat is not sure why it's flagged for UBE? It should work fine with an body type / texture. Tracking, Maybe the old cat needs to learn something new, or there's going to be a CBBE conversion? Either way it gets a cookie

Mimirwisdom released Whiterun's Rustic Benches
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163488
"Yet another replacement for Whiterun's benches. This one offers a more rustic and less fancy look"

Intentionally almost PBR level boring, and very well done. LOL. This would lend itself very well to variations in the carvings. Thanks woth a look, but the ld cat is not thrilled with the textures at all.

And for our mod of the day... Something very unusual for this old cat.

Fox Replacer- Mihail Monsters and Animals
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163477
"High-quality vanilla Fox replacer, featuring brand-new detailed models and 4K textures"

Mihail has always been an exceptional modeler, but has a nasty habit of over spawning his added critters everywhere. His replacers though, are beautiful and seriously worth consideration in any build. This is no exception. Beautiful work. 2 cookies

And that will do for today. The fores are stoked, the kettles scrubbed, and the floors are swept. Have a seay and the wenches will serve you. We-B-Open!

Goooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. it is Morndas the 3rd of Sun's Dusk, and wage slaves lament, the weekend is over. The blessed moons are gibbous tomorrow, and the goddess' crazy puppies will be out in force so keep those silver weapons close and well honed. Excuse please while the fires are stoked, and fresh water is put to the flame. It's time for this one to tend the inn once again.

Our brew of the day is Istanbul espresso and the biscuits are chocolate chip. Checking the hot sheets we have 37 new in the usual eclectic mix of jangles and patches. Let's see what catches an old cat's eye over a fresh cuppa or two. Definitely a fresh cuppa...

The True Armor of Dragonborn - SrPrust Version as their first mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163393
"The goal is to bring a look that stays true to the original artistic vision of the Dragonborn — with reworked tones, materials, and contrast to match the aesthetic of the legendary Nordic hero"

Hopefully there will also be an upscaled version, with optional physics. (Already requested in the posts) The old cat likes that you begin to collect the pieces in Helgen, and have to craft the 'rough' armor yourself. Obviously this only works with the vanilla start unless you spawn the materials. Maybe not cookie worthy, but not destined for the pile either. Thanks

VaelKaltar released Fabled Alchemy as a first mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163437
Interesting if totally OP as expected. Potions that offer permanent boosts to stats and skills. Not for old cats, but worth a look if you want a cheat you can drink. Thanks

Ikered released water base as a first mod. Welcome.
They have a weak PC and downscaling base water textures reduced their size. Some files flagged as suspicious, but it's a first mod. Very nitch, but thanks for sharing.

roskospoko released No More Dungeon Greenery
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163164
"Changes few textures, provides a light plugin and uses the power of Base Object Swapper to completely remove any unwanted plants from dungeons. FOMOD with modular options."

As far as the old cat is concerned this is a 2 cookie mod. Downloaded to endorse. Needs testing though. The devs used a lot fringe 'grass' and ferns to hide bad rock placement and seams. This one is looking forward to not seeing this in game, and has requested a followup mod to remove all the stupid interior ivy that's so popular right now. ;-)

gera1264 released two today
https://next.nexusmods.com/profile/gera1264/mods?gameId=1704
Wispmother And Albino Spider Respawn Fix, and Better Vanilla Night Eye Toggle

The respawn fix is so you can collect their ingredients, again, and the the night eye toggle gives infinite duration to vampires and beast races... That one the old cat likes. It never made sense for Khajiit night vision to run out. It's genetic not a power. Vamps and werewolves should actually have predator vision (thermal not night) So this one is still on the fence. Thanks

kuroishitam released Female Dragon Priest
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163417
"This mod adds a new variant of dragon priest, female dragon priest to dragon priest leveled list."

The old cat is fine with the concept, but not with the models used. Taste is subjective, but clawed feet, spiked knees, horns, a devil's tail, and demon wings... Your game your way. Not for old cats. Thanks but no thanks ;-)

melchizedek92 released Gem Extractor for Vanilla Jewelry and Staves
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163441
"A minimalistic workbench for gem extraction from various jewelry and staves."

Turn all those staves you never use into filled grand souls gems... The idea has some merit. The jewelry part of is ridiculous any way you slice it though. the gems are destroyed on removal, and you combine the shards to form a new gem? Pass on that, but thanks. The old cat does like the stave idea though.

And finally we do have a mod of the day, but their wasn't a lot of competition ;-)

Exterior Wooden Table Variants by Pieter82
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163415
"Adds three additional variants of the 'Exterior Wooden Table' model using Base Object Swapper." This one gets a cookie. We love variety, and the models look good. Thanks

And that will do for today. The fires are stoked, the kettles scrubbed, and the floors are swept. Have a seat by the fire and warm your bones. We-B-Open!

Gooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It's Sundas the 2nd of Sun's Dusk and a rather brisk predawn here on warm sands. The blessed will be full on Middas, so it's time to hone those silver weapons again, but for now the moons have set, the paths are closed, and it's once again time for this one to tend the inn for our most honored guests. Excuse please while the fires are stoked, and fresh water is put to the flame...

Our brew of the day is pot luck. This ones eyes were closed when he chose. Tastes African so it's probably Kahawa ya Congo. We'll be baking fresh thumbprint biscuits later this morning. Maybe strawberry rhubarb, maybe apricot, but I also want to try them with a fresh, tart, apple cranberry chutney, or a nice bitter orange marmalade. Or all of the above, we'll see... Checking the hot sheets we have 46 new. Lets see what catches the eye over a cuppa.

xzwyy released PineTreeReplace as a first mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163333
"use 2.5mb-big high poly model replace PineTree01 to PineTree04，and disable 33% of them to gain fps，need a powerful pc"

Oookay, well they're not pine. Beech with pine bark maybe? From the description they're also not very well optimized, but they are rather pretty. The old cat could see scattering a few around the actual pine forest, but not as a replacer. Your game your way. Thanks

atamg released Modern Brawl Bug Fix flaged ESL as their first SSE mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163390
What it says on the wrapper, Word of caution for a heavily modded game though. So many authors included this fix in their own mods over the years, it became imperative to put the current version near the bottom of your load order to force the game to use the current version. The old cat would use the same location recommendation for this one. It's a flagged ESP so it will respect the load order. Thanks

Seb263 released Smart Talk (Dialogue Menu Enhancer)
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/161500
"Smart Talk enhances dialogue by making conversations clearer, smoother, and more dynamic" ... This one likes the feel of sunshine on his bottom LOL

It changes the text color of quest related lines to goldenrod, and marks the line. Looks very nice as well. (but it doesn't enhance any dialogs ;-)

lets see sevnces released Whiterun City Walls - Collision Redone
After dumping them around Riverwood and calling them ruins they realized you couldn't jump over them... So let's break Whiterun PASS No link needed

Moving right along

braxusx released Non-hostile Spriggans
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163351
"Makes Spriggans either flee from you, or more likely to flee after an attack. Two choices for your play style."

The old cats on the fence with this one. There was a similar mod for Oblivion Remastered. It somehow feels wrong to turn the warriors of Kyne into cowards, but then the old cat plays with the voice of the sky ring, because this one doesn't like killing them either. Your game your way. We love choice. Thanks

And finally Chiselsky released Whiterun Vanilla Wall Totems Improved
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163337
"Model improvements for Whiterun wall totems with more polygons and a less geometrical aspect. Complex material shader enabled."

Here we go again... This mod doesn't touch the totems. I makes the makes the wall below them less sharply angled by breaking of the corners and adding parallax support. If you use a decent parallax retex you probably don't want or need this, but thanks.

There's really no mod of the day. The fires are stoked, the kettles scrubbed, and the floors are swept. Enjoy what remains of the weekend. We-B-Open!

Goooooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Loredas the 1st of Sun's Dusk, and wage slave rejoice the weekend has arrived. The blessed moons have set, and it is once again time for this one to tend the inn for our most honored guests. Excuse please while the ash pits are emptied, and the fires rebuilt. You may wish to cover your tankards. This get's a bit dusty...

There. much better no? Ah'vrie always likes to begin the weekend with happy fires. As his mother liked to say; A happy fire warms more than the room. Now to put some fresh water to the flame while this one scrubs the kettles, composts the ash, and checks the garden.

Our brew of the day is Arpeggio Extra and the biscuits are ginger. Checking the hot sheets we have 50 new mods from the usual eclectic sources. Let's see what catches an old cat's eye over a fresh cuppa or two.

JackODonoghue released Men of North Skybound Watch as a first mod. welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163231
"This mod is my first mod, and I made it in conjunction with my Youtube video. It includes the Bard camp, which can be found just East of Anise's cabin rear Riverwood, and some modifications to the North Skybound Watch - where, you will find an in-game book of the story, yes that's right, the whole story. I also placed a few treasures there for anyone curious enough to search!"

This is pretty cool for a first mod. They wrote a story, made a video of the story, then created a mod to bring the story into the game... 2 cookies for the effort alone. Thanks

Vladislay released Stoneheart Mine
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163268
"I created this mod as a personal challenge—to see if I could build a small dungeon, not just houses or tweak weapons. I hope you enjoy it! I’m planning to make more mods like this in the future."

Why not? a small mine, unpretentious... It's how we learn. The added NPCs appear to have brownface, and including spider webs and cocooned bodies, along with a couple of draugr without this being a crypt is questionable, but it's a start. Thanks

Kittytail released Midnight Sun
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163295
"Venture into the Boreal Valley and overcome new adversaries in this multi-hour adventure!"

Worth a look. Not for old cats. Looks like they had fun. Ah'vrie has just never been fond of adding models that don't fit the lore, and a whole Victorian city of the dead? Thanks

MyrandaMiller91 released Alchemical Cooking Recipes - CC Survival... PATCHES
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163277
"Gives all of the items from Alchemical Cooking Recipes CC Survival Mode effects, and the option to craft some of the items using the CC Camping Campfire."

Ah'vrie doesn't usually cover patches, but Myranda is a disabled gamer girl that loves the game. She deserves mention, and a virtual hug with her cookie. Downloaded to endorse.

transgressor released POI Persistence
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163253
"Once all hostiles are killed friendlier fellows may return and occupy the location. This takes 12 in-game hours and you need to be away in another location so it can update in secret."

Similar to the takeover series, but for tiny POIs. It does remove a couple of ambush traps because of the way the game handles them, but all in all, a well thought out game tweak. Tracking, the old cat may add this... thinking about it anyway ;-)

Lets see... Styyxus released Missing Location Keywords FIX
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163249
"While making a mod that relies on interiors having specific keywords i noticed that a bunch of locations are completely missing basic ones. So, i added some that made sense."

They avoided adding / altering anything clearable. Just the basic ones so a cave is a cave, and a dungeon is a dungeon... Can't fault the thinking. We love little fixes. Thanks.

Now for a peek under the hood

AlhimikPh released DDS Preview Plus (Professional Edition) for MO2
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163260
"I completely rewrote the texture viewer. Now you can view dependencies, delete and hide textures, and see which NIFs they belong to.

This needs testing, but looks like a very useful plugin for tracing texture conflicts, and has some serious horsepower. Downloaded to test. Thanks

We'll give honorable mention to two mods that would never see the old cat's game, but it's not the old cat's game, sooo...

TurntLogic released The Walls of Karthwasten
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/162376

Ancient battlements for three houses and a mine... your game your way.

RedBag's Shor's Stone
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163261

See above, only these three houses now look like a bandit camp with a windmill. PASS

AndrealletiusVIII released Archery Skill Archetype - Consistency Tweaks
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163246
"This is my (hopefully nuanced) take on the Archery Thief Stone debacle."

The old cat likes this one. USSEP balanced the guardian stones to each buff 6 skills by moving archery to the warrior stone. There are lots of valid arguments for that. No poking needed. Unfortunately the 'fix' also took away the only offensive skill for thieves. This mod doesn't point fingers, it simply gives you a choice. And we do love choice. Have a cookie.

And we'll finish up with Ampulhex's Keeper Carcette and Vampire Carcette
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163141
"A standalone high-poly head makeover of the ill-fated Vigilant of Stendarr, including a vampire form for A Cure For the Keeper. ESL."

Another interesting vamp makeover. A bit young to be keeper, and the old cat is not fond of the hair, but definitely a unique look. patches to support a cure for the keeper. Thanks

And that will do for today. We have fresh ale casks, the new batch of mead is ready, and we're serving mudcrab scrambles for the early meal. Ah'vrie will plan the late meal after visiting the markets. The fires are stoked, the kettles scrubbed, and the floors are swept and mopped. Have a seat by the fires and warm your bones. We-B-Open!

Goooooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Fredas the 31st of Frostfall, and thank the divines the weekend is nigh at hand. It's a chilly predawn here on warm sands, but the blessed moons have set, and this one has an inn to tend. Excuse please while the fires are stoked, and fresh water is put to the flames...

Our brew of the day is Kahawa ya Congo, and Ah'vrie is thinking of Oatmeal sour cherry biscuits, or maybe or maybe thumbprint cookies with apple cranberry chutney... We'll bake something fresh a little later. Checking the hot sheets we have 46 new mods, so let's dive in and see what catches an old cat's eye this day.

BrOverShield released Disable Tricking Brother Verulus as their third mod. Evidently it's not prudishness, they want a 'G' rated version of Skyrim. If they're just going to shut down every quests that poses a moral dilemma, no review is required. Your game your way. Thanks

Ufoksen released Bracers of Magical Defense as their third
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163014
"Mod adds magical bracers enchanted with armor spells. Four in total for each spell oakflesh, stoneflesh, ironflesh and ebonyflesh"

Mage armor as an enchantment... If the bracers were considered clothing and not armor, and benefited from the mage armor perk, the old cat could see this being useful in a pure mage build. The specs were not on the mod page, so the old cat asked. Thanks

Wuerfelhusten released RaceMenu - Remove Useless Columns.
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163070
"This mod removes the timestamp and file size columns from the file view menu in RaceMenu Mod to make more room for the file name."

Obviously intended for the vanilla menus. Most UI overhauls include wider menu boxes at this point. But thanks. We love choice.

HurricainReaperProductions released HollowSeed Pumpkin Patch
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/162798
"a growable pumpkin house similar to the telvanni mushroom towers."

pumpkin on the outside, mushroom on the inside... Oookay. Your game your way. Thanks

sevnces released Another Riverwood Bridge - Overhaul
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163078
We do love choice, and this is certainly a choice. The additions make little sense. Your game your way. Not for old cats, but Thanks.

Moving right along, let's look at some NPC replacers

Women of Skyrim Refined by RedguardDiaspora
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163114
"Women replacer using COtR"

A WIP, and claims not to be cookie cutter, but the old cat is not really thrilled with the sculpting at all. Hooked noses, and pointy jutting jaw lines all. Add pointy hats and they could be chanting bubble bubble toil and trouble around a cauldron. Worth a look, but not for old cats. At least they're not glam teens. Thanks

Speaking of glam, ZckeZckT continues to release "cute" replacers
https://next.nexusmods.com/profile/ZckeZckT/mods?gameId=1704
requires their 3ba female assets pack. Cute? Yeah. Lore friendly? Doesn't even try. The old cat is glad these are being released as separates. Not for old cat's, yet anyway, but you never know. Thanks

Ampulhex's Sybille Stentor
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163121
"A standalone high-poly head makeover of Solitude's court wizard, whom may or may not be a vampire. ESL"

An interesting look, Not thrilled with the makeup or the hair, but the bite marks on the neck, and the claw finger nails were a cute touch. This one's worth a look. Maybe not for old cat's but definitely interesting. Thanks.

And finally The Frozen Heart by Kreiste (and wSkeever)
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/159911
"Step through a magical mirror into a cursed frozen realm. Explore labyrinths, solve puzzles, ponder orbs, battle shadows, and help an ancient Snow Elf warrior cure her curse."

You'll want to watch the video, this looks really interesting. Tracking for now, but this might just make it into the old cat's next build. 2 cookies

And that will do for today. The fires are stoked, the kettles scrubbed, and the floors are swept. Have a seat and the wenches will serve you. We-B-Open!

Goooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Turdas the 30th of Frostfall, and a very quiet predawn here on warm sands. The blessed moons have set, and it's once again time for this one to tend the inn for our most honored guests. Excuse please while the fires are stoked, and fresh water is put to the flames...

Our brew of the day was Stockholm Lungo, but the shaman have decreed no more coffee for this one today, but biscuits are allowed, and Ah'vrie is baking peanut butter chocolate chip cookies this morning, and the inn smells wonderful... A few more minutes. Checking the hot sheets we have 42 new mods in the usual eclectic mix. Let's see what catches an old cat's eye today.

Mordrukai dropped three first mods this morning. Welcome
https://next.nexusmods.com/profile/Mordrukai/mods?gameId=1704
Silly, unbalanced... Nothing an old cat would load, but welcome

James1545 released BetterNightingaleBow AE as their second mod.
Exactly what you expect, no link needed but thanks

BrOverShield released Disable Caught Red Handed Quest as their second mod.
So, it's not just the nude statues. We'll call it a prude overhaul (WIP) Thanks

A couple more for the pile

Remove Followers Hunting Bow by TheHalfDwarf
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163068
A script edit resurrected from a copy of a removed mod. Thanks

No Follower Bow Skypatch by sneakymage
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/159967
"Using Skypatcher this mod finds all NPCs in the Current and Potential Player Follower Factions and removes the Follower Bow from their inventory" This is actually a better alternative seeing as it also works on mod added followers, but requires Skypatcher.

lets see... DarkDukla released DDV - Vergi SpellBooks replacement
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163013
"The time has come to make new spell tomes for Skyrim"

But maybe not these... the iron bindings would make them impossible to open without breaking the spine. the 'open' model has a different iron binding to the closed model. They look good... your game your way. Thanks

HeewetSheldon released All Mine
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163067
"You can claim any dwelling in the game. Everything inside will be yours too if you pay the price."

Adds a spell that let's you assume ownership of any interior cell at a cost of 7 septims per item in the cell. The benefits... The cell won't reset making the containers safe storage, and if you kill the baddies first, they don't reset either. Interesting... Thanks

JohnTheJohner released Winter's Gale Cabin
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/163020
"Just a tiny player home I made because I like the Aretino Residence interior so I wanted to make a player home out of it." Perfect starter home for a hermit, but little storage and only a smithy outside. Thanks, talk about being 'out of the way' LOL.

And finally our mod of the day. beat the drums and sound the trumpets

Farm Diversity - Feeding Troughs - Base Object Swapper by FrankBlack
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/162983
"A diversity mod that adds eight variant water/feed troughs to farms around Skyrim."
"I don't know how many times I've said this, but this was not the mod I intended to work on 😂. I was revisiting my Real Water mods for an update ahead of the release of Diverse Hunter Camps (almost...almost...) and I saw the rather sad troughs animals drink from in vanilla...and I got distracted. This mod is the result of that."

LOL, this one gets a cookie. Downloaded to endorse. The old cat will use this one. Comes in two replacer versions. persistent, and changing. Ah'vrie grabbed the persistent one.

And that will do for today. The fires are stoked, the kettles scrubbed, and the floors are swept.Have a seat and the wenches will serve you. We-B-Open!

Goooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Middas the 29th of Frostfall and a beautiful predawn here on warm sands. The blessed moons have set, and it is once again time for this one to stoke the fires and put fresh water to the flame.

Our brew of the day was Stockholm Lungo, and the biscuits are Ginger. Checking the hot sheets we have 40 new mods with enough Jangle to keep DJRed happy. Let's see what catches the eye of an old cat over a... decaf (Don't ask)

PPoucH released an edited BrOverShield's Modesty Fix as a first mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/162956
"This replaces the model of the Dibella's statue for one that is more clothed." The edit is this version also swaps out the little statuettes. Boy is it going to be tough for this one to mod the game. There are not a lot of 'modest' mods to choose from. Good luck

kieranjohn1 returns after 4 years with Multiple Shout Cooldowns as their second mod
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/162940
"Allows you to queue up multiple shout cool downs at once" Adjustable in the MCM

Here's an interesting combo

SaevaVeritas released Better Optimized Meshes - Solitude (WIP)
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/162703
"A comprehensive optimization and fixing of Solitude's meshes"
"(This mod is currently still WIP after nearly a year. Only the meshes in the sub-folders of the solitude folder are complete. Remainder to be finished later.)"

Gaerzi released Windmill Without Wall - Solitude Bridge collision fix
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/162998
"Removes the invisible collision walls around the Solitude windmill bridge. Now you can jump recklessly."

Should have named the mod Dragonborn Suicide Your game your way.

braxusx released All Horses Are Essential
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/162969
"Makes every horse in the game essential, so they never die. Owned horses will also not affect your sneak" A better alternative would be to have them friendly to all factions, but we do love our ponies. Thanks, Have a cookie. Sorry about your horse.

Lets see... Nexhrafn is restoring/patching bloodmoon. Two new mods today
https://next.nexusmods.com/profile/Nexhrafn/mods?gameId=1704
Rayek's end, and Thirsk are the current flavors, with more to follow. Thanks

dlitt17 is still creating crafting books. Immersive armors, and Jewelry is the current flavor
https://next.nexusmods.com/profile/dlitt17/mods?gameId=1704

Lysril is still removing things from the game. Now it's waterfall spray
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/162947

jr20b released Tamriel 2 - ENB
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/162951
"Realistic and performance friendly ENB preset."

Very basic... Desaturated, with reduced dynamic range, but increased contrast. Added DOF, a little sharpening, and grass shadows... Well it's better than Vanilla, but a little darker. No mention of weather awareness, very basic. Not for old cats, but thanks

And we'll finish up with something a little different today

FunkyGandalfCat released Ghostblade - Truly Unique
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/162964
"Replacer and Rework of Ghostblade, new model with animated textures, custom weapon swing sound effects, VFX and features to make it a truly unique artifact."

The old cat usually doesn't bother with new pointy sticks as they're as plentiful as generic followers with impossibly huge breasts in this game, but this one caught the eye. It's always annoyed Ah'vrie that the ghost blade was your standard lame ancient Nord blade but 'ghosted' This replacer looks like it was based on one of the modded dragonbone models. This one gets a cookie. Now replace the pale lady's blade as well. Thanks

And that will do for today. The fires are stoked, the kettles scrubbed, and the floors are swept. Have a seat and the wenches will serve you. We-B-Open!

Goooooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Tirdas the 28th of Frostfall and congratulations on surviving another Morndas. This one has never been fond of Morndas. Anyway, it's time for Ah'vrie to tend the inn for our most honored guests. Excuse please while the fires are stoked, and fresh water is put to the flame.

Our brew today is Istanbul espresso with a hint of crushed cardamon, and the fresh biscuits will have to wait on this one visiting the markets a little later. Ah'vrie is tasting Apricot thumbprint. Yes that sounds yummy. Checking the hot sheets we have 27 new in the usual eclectic mix. Let's see what catches the eye of an old cat over a fresh cuppa...

James1545 released ImproveArchMage as their first mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/162895
Typical OP buff... 50% reduction yada yada. Thanks

NIIMT released remove rock cairns and sign posts as their first non save file mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/162885
"Ever thought rock cairns and signposts are unimmersive? Want to get truly lost?"

Three flavors, either, or, or both. This might actually be fun for a no-hud playthrough.

Lets see... SKYKLF is still tweaking Medieval Markets by JJerem
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/162914
Today's flavor is texture variations by city. Not fond of the stretched low res textures used at all, but the idea is good. Not for old cats

Lets get to the good stuff

euTHEgusta released Windblown Hairs of Morthal
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/162906
"A review of the Main NPCs from the Mortha with SMP Hair."

This is their 10th, Worth a look, but it's not their best work. Thanks

Kreiste released Phantom Thief Armor
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/161963
"Adds a set of light armor befitting of the Legendary Phantom Thief"

The armor's quite nice, but the masks are bloody awful, and the author knows it. You have to purchase the crafting book from Tonilla, or spawn it. Thanks

And we'll finish up with

A Dunmer In Dismay - A Drelas Cottage Overhaul by TheOneTrueFuzzBeed
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/162865
"Overhauls Drelas Cottage with a unique model and clutter"

Love the concept, but not the model or the textures used. Not for old cats, but it's worth a look. thanks

And that's it for today. The fires are stoked, the kettles scrubbed, and the floors are swept. Have a seat by the fires and warm your bones. We-B-Open!

Goooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Morndas the 27th of Frostfall and another chilly predawn here on warm sands. The blessed moons have set and it's once again time for this one to tend tend the inn. Excuse please while the fires are stoked, and fresh water is put to the flame...

The brew of the day is Istanbul espresso, and the biscuits are chocolate chip. Checking the hot sheets we have 46 new, and a few don't jiggle. Let's dive in over a fresh cuppa.

Boschveerhauer released Alcemist's Cottage as their first mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/162761
"Adds a small, alchemy themed cottage to Rorikstead."

Wait, it wasn't Riverwood? I'm impressed. The ivy on the walls still looks silly. Thanks

dlitt17 resurfaced after a couple of years with three new mods today
https://next.nexusmods.com/profile/dlitt17/mods?gameId=1704
All three are books to remove outfit crafting menu bloat on skimpy clothes... Thanks

HeartFlow released iWant Widgets for Starfrost
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/162769
Make sure to check the requirements. Thanks

mallemok released two Skypatcher configs for Epic crabs foresworn mods
https://next.nexusmods.com/profile/mallemok/mods?gameId=1704

Lets see... Vorongren is working on Spid variations for Khajiit fur. It's an alpha for now
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/162713
Assembly required. Tracking for now

tcbflash released Legendary Skill Reset Value 50
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/162807
"Skill resets to 50 instead of 15. (other options are 30, 40, 60, or 70)"

The old cat could see using 30 maybe. but Flash is missing the point of going legendary. You do that so you continue to rank up, and the lowest levels rank up the fastest. Thanks, but this really serves no purpose.

Cursedobjects released Glorious Windstad Manor- Modernised
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/159574
"An upgrade to the original mod - Glorious Windstad Manor. Now with new features and updated for newer systems." Not for old cats, but it's not the old cat's game. Thanks

Let's finish up with Ivy's Riften Docks Overhaul
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/162735
"Lightweight and dynamic overhaul for Riften Docks overhaul."

The old cat actually likes this one, but it would need quite a bit of patching. Ivy included several already, but CFTO wasn't included so I asked ;-)

And that will do for today. The fires are stoked, the kettles scrubbed, and the floors are swept. Have a seat and the wenches will serve you. We-B-Open!

Gooooooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Sundas the 26th of Frostfall, and a chilly predawn here on warm sands. The blessed moons have set, and it's once again time for this one to tend the inn. Excuse please while the fires are stoked, and fresh water is put to the flame...

Our brew of the day is still Kahawa ya Congo, and the biscuits are fudge Brownie cookies. (Because not only badgers love chocolate) Checking the hot sheets we have 44 new mods in the usual eclectic mix. Lets see what catches the eyes of an old cat over a fresh cuppa

Lets kick this off ugly but fitting

Grelod the Kind Refined by RedguardDiaspora
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/162700
"Even Riften’s most heartless headmistress deserves a makeover."

There's nothing about this the old cat doesn't like. Letting her inner 'beauty' shine through. Perfect for All hallows eve as well. If only the skin was green

That leads us straight to adoptable kids. The old cat still knows how to Segway...

Adoptable Argonian Hatchlings by WindreeKindheart
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/162528
"The mod adds two Argonian (Saxhleel) hatchling. One on the ship in Morthal and another in Windhelm docks." Because cold blooded doesn't have to mean heartless. Have a cookie

carpenihil released Azurite III Enhanced - Actually Darker Nights
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/162673
"Makes the nights of Azurite III Enhanced actually darker rather than just reducing overall brightness of lights" Well, it's... It's subtle. The old cat will assume it's more noticeable in game, but in all honesty not much of a change. Thanks

DEs4lar released Cathedral CS
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/162681
"A CS Visual Overhaul Version of Cathedral Weathers, Boosting Visuals for your eyes with HDR little to no Performance loss!"

Where to start... if this is about the weather shaders, then why are all the pictures clear blue skies? The PBR textures still look positively boring, but the old cat will admit that the shadows look a little better, and there is more depth to the distant terrain. CS is getting there. This is worth a look, it just doesn't seem to have anything to do with weather. It also doesn't support seasons. Um... Thanks?

Computerplayer1 High Quality Ivy - Nova Fall Recolour
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/162714
"Fall recolour of ivy.dds and ivy_autumn.dds from the excellent High Quality Ivy BOS mod by fxxkthisworld" Quite pretty and well done. Unfortunately Ivy doesn't actually change color, but this really does look good. Thanks

Ruins Chair and Tables Reforged and Upscaled by Blubbo
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/162755
"These textures were upscaled from the original vanilla textures using my comfyUI upscaling workflow. I recreated the normal maps traditionally, and the meshes are included because I had to make UV corrections to adjust them."

These look really good. Even zooming in, and not a tree in sight. Tracking for now. The old cat may add these today.

GeraldMods released More Wall Baskets
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/162291
"This mod adds new variations of Wall Baskets. The vanilla game has 10 different meshes, but all of them have only one pattern per mesh. I have created many variations of vanilla meshes with different patterns and distributed them across Skyrim via Model Swapper. These new models comes with 1K textures (vanilla has 512) and high-poly meshes."

This is something that was sorely needed in game. Adds a lot of variety to wall baskets and distributes them. Gerald spent a lot of time on this, and it shows. Requires Model Swapper, and SMIM, but definitely worth a look. Solid 2 cookie work. Well done.

Speaking of much needed variety... Hu,h huh, see what this one did there?

i329 released Torches Candlelight and Lanterns
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/162694
"23 unique lanterns with SMP physics for the player and NPCs including Dunmer lanterns, hold lanterns, faction lanterns, and more. Dynamic gameplay where lanterns start in hand and placed on hip in combat. MCM to manage the optional fuel system and hotkey."

The switching to hip during combat by pressing the hotkey could be smoother, and personally the old cat prefers hip mounted. But for NPCs this adds a lot of variety. Thanks

And finally well finish up with a new dungeon... Well it is Skyrim

The Bitter Claim - SE by Sons of Vuldur uploaded by venjhammet
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/162674
"Lying along the river northeast of Rorikstead, Skeldrun Barrow is an ancient Nordic ruin long forgotten by time."

This does not conflict with venjhammet's dungeon packs. The guardian was voiced with xVASynth, but uses no original voice assets. Worth a look, no idea what kind of enemies you'll face, but it looks well constructed. Thanks.

And that will do for today. The fires are stoked, the kettles scrubbed, and the floors were swept and mopped. Have a seat and the wenches will serve you. We-B-Open!