Modding on the Spectrum

Gooooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Turdas the 1st of Evening Star and another chily predawn here on warm sands. The blessed moons have set, the paths are closed and it is once again time for the old cat to tend the inn for our most honored guests. Excuse please while the fires are stoked, and fresh water is put to the boil...

Brew of the day is CapeTown Lungo, and the biscuits are Toll House. Checking the hot sheets we have a mixed bag of 29 new. Let's see what catches the eye over a fresh cuppa.

theSkyS released Undead Weapon Damage Resistance as a first mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79691
"Gives undead damage resistance against most of the weapons. Uses SPID to provide compatibility for most mods." An interesting twist on buffing the undead against non magical weapons using SPID. The old cat is not happy that dragonbone weapons were included in the distribution lists as that is a material choice and not a magical weapon, but over all well thought out and beats buffing draugr generically. Includes 25/50/75 buff choices, along with options to exclude ghosts or include Vampires. Interesting first mod, worth a look. Have a cookie

hezekiahshare released Goldenhills Plantation - Farm Guards
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79687
"Tired of bandit camps at your farm ? This mod are added guard on your farm" ... 4 guards In full Dwarven heavy armor, for a small farm and simple bandits? What ever floats your boat.

oc3 released 3D Dwemer barriers and shelves as a first SSE mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79713
"Changes 2D bar textures on Dwemer assets such as Bars, Barriers, Platforms, Bridges, and Shelves into 3D. This is a mesh and texture replacer only so can be removed or uninstalled safely at any time." And nicely done as well. Thanks. Downloaded for testing

Janissaries released Rounded Solitude Dock Posts and Some Fixes
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79703
"This mod improves the Solitude Dock Posts' meshes and contains some position fixes for planks" The old cat was honestly surprised Yuri hadn't already done this so he went back and looked yes he did... Nope this is not a duplication. Thanks, have a cookie

Phenderix Elements
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/78034
" Unlock 10 unique toggleable element forms that provide powerful buffs and enchantments
Learn new elemental spells that completely alter and scale in power as the player progresses through a playthrough
New spell learning system that will allow you to learn new spells by using your existing spells"

So, 6 years later phenderix returns to magic, and adds new buff/debuffs based on elemental forms. The old cat will leave this to others to test. There is a certain sense to having destruction magic cause physical damage to the caster, but for once the old cat is thinking this falls under Gnewna's admonishment that complexity for the sake of complexity does not add to an RP based playthrough. There's a lot to read on the mod page.

And finally, this one the old cat is looking forward to testing...

lStewieAl released Improved Help Command - SE - AE
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79692
"Quickly find item IDs in console by filtering to which type you need. e.g. help axe WEAP, help gem CELL - Compatible with 1.5.x and 1.6.x"

Hey, any mod that extends them search filtering capability of the console has my vote for mod of the day. Instant download for testing, and 2 cookies

And that will do for today. The fires are stoked, the kettles scrubbed, the floors are swept, and the old cat needs a fresh cuppa... We-B-Open! :steamhappy:

Gooooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Fredas the 2nd of Evening Star and thank the divines the weekend is nigh. The blessed moons have set, the paths are closed, and it is once again 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 boil...

Brew of the day is Inspirazione a Napoli, and the biscuits are Verona. Checking the hot sheets we have 35 new mods with all the bimbos, himbos, patches and pointy sticks we've come to expect. Let's see what catches the eye over a fresh cuppa.

aldone released Vacation Cabin
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79804
"This is a small cabin in the forest with a quest and a map marker." Another tiny player home. This one is south of Riften.

Ondrea ported Snowdrift Manor SSE by TriggerDeath
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79786
"A lovely home northwest of Meridia's Statue near Wolfskull Cave." Based on the Solitude kit, includes some "building" options for adding follower and kids rooms as well as a merchant and bard. The old cat likes the location at least LOL

Let's see... Craftian released an all in one of all their mods
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/78663

Ryn2g overhauled mistwatch and added a new dungeon
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79739
Skeletons and a Lich... why not

billyro released Health Food
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79789
"All food now heals slowly over time. This allows food to work as a background heal, while potions handle fast healing." Not exactly a new idea, but thanks

Kanjs - Chaurus - up to 4k
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79769
Some of the textures still seem somewhat stretched. The egg closeups look interesting, but the egg clusters look like vanilla crap. Worth a look, it just doesn't feel complete.

And finally Parapets released Ammo Enchanting - Craft Magical Arrows and Bolts
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79764
"Imbue your ammunition with magical enchantments!" Requires the CC Arcane Archer Pack, or the AE DLC package. The old cat likes the idea of the ammo being enchanted over the bow, and the strength of the soul gem affects the number of arrows made not the strength.

And that will do 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! :steamhappy:

Goooooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. *waves to Gnewna* It is Loredas the 3rd of Evening Star, and wage slaves rejoice the weekend has arrived. The blessed moons will be full by mid week, so it's a good time to remind everyone to sharpen those silver weapons and keep them close. The goddess' doggies may be crazy, but do not underestimate them, or you'll be joining them.

Anyway, Ah'vrie has an inn to manage so Excuse please while the ash pits are emptied and the fires rebuilt. Ah'vrie always starts the weekend with happy fires. They warm more than the room as his mother liked to say. This tends to get a little dusty, you may want top cover your tankards for a bit... There. much better no? Now to compost the ash, scrub the kettles and see what's ready to harvest in the garden. Back in a few minutes we'll be...

Brew of the day is Maluka mu Zimbabwe, and the ovens are preheating. We'll be baking Ah'vrie's favorite thumbprint biscuits today. The old cat is tasting Orange/fig, and apricot/tangerine today. Checking the hot sheets we have 46 new... this might take a while.

xXSireOvSigniaXx released Clearspring Settlement as a first mod... sort of. Welcome. Adds a 1x1 shack and a cooking fire to Clearspring. Not sure Ah'vrie would call that a settlement.

andymash70 released Anybody can be Textures Artist as a first "mod". Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79839
This is a guide for making textures... and has required software. Lot's to read

ulanbaatar69 patched Skyrim Underground - Shezrie's Old Hroldan as a first mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79877

Saah released Serana Stop Sweeping as a first mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79876

GVALT released Vlindrel Hall Remade as a first SSE mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79780
"Mod overhauls Markarth player home to be worthy of silver-city thane, adding a bit more atmoshpere and utility to the place, while still remaining moderate in size." Well it's different. Seeing as it's dug into the mountain we can't really call it a TARDIS home, but you'll have to look for yourselves. Interesting new floor plan.

KingPrium released More Guards In towns
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79818
"32 Guards placed in the world" Meh, there's already more guards and bandits than people but what ever floats your boat.

newmiller released Lion knightW armor CBBE
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... user+files
The CBBE/Bodyslide version of Lion knight armor discussed yesterday.
"finally I made non-adult armor mod, you can congratulate me!" Have a cookie

lorren451 released 4 animation pack conversions for Ostim NG
https://www.nexusmods.com/users/897632? ... files&BH=0

Okay, let's get to the good stuff...

Mentha released Ivy Treehouse
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79868
Another pocket universe house... been a while. The old cat is not thrilled with the textures. Accessed from a globe in Haelga's bunkhouse.

tarlazo released Riftweald is MINE
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79881
"Become Guildmaster of the Thieves Guild and get Riftweald Manor. --- ESM"
"I'm an old-fashioned geezer who likes vanilla stuff -- I just removed the traps, blew away some mist, and placed a couple of sweetrolls on the balcony." Thanks, have a cookie

And finally, Decal parallax by Boris Vorontsov
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79864
"Example of Complex Parallax effect applied to decals as a guide how to make your own the same" Boris never fails to impress. The old cat is not thrilled with the way the existing textures are stretched at the border of the decals, but being able to add adjustable tessellation to them is pretty cool. This would be a modders resource only.

And that will do for today. The fresh casks of ale were delivered on time, and a new batch mead is ready, so drink up. We're serving medallions of venison marinated in brandy served on a bed of roasted potatoes with a poached egg on top for the early meal, and Ah'vrie is thinking about a nice hearty dragon. potato, and carrot stew for the late meal.

The fires are stoked, the kettles scrubbed, and the floors are swept and mopped. Have a seat and the wenches will serve you. We-B-open! :steamhappy:

Goooooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Sundas the 4th of Evening Star, and the old cat woke to the smell of water. Very unusual to get rain here on warm sands this time of year yes it is, but raining it is. Plays hell with an old cat's fur but what can one do? Anyway, it is time once again to ready the inn for our most honored guests. Excuse please while the fires are stoked, and fresh water is put to the boil...

Brew of the day is again Napoli. It's the boldest roast in the pantry and this is a three cuppa morning at the very least. Biscuits are Bordeaux, but by the divines the old cat misses his toasted bagels. Oh well, sucks getting old. Checking the hot sheets we have 49 new. Let's see what catches the eye over a fresh cuppa.

imnotfamous released Reshade True Light as a first mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79917
Geez, when did Skyrim move to Mercury? Even brighter and more washed out than vanilla :steammocking: The old cat is renaming this the SPF 50 reshade. Pass

HUNK77430 released Skyrim at War Reborn as a first mod.
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79932
"Improves the Civil War by adding over 2000 NPCs " and that's as far as this one cared to read. PASS! :steamfacepalm: This one deserves what this will do to their game yes he does

kirara386 released Soul Cairn Trees and Shrubs Improved Textures
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79923
"Up-scaled, cleaned, and modified version of the vanilla textures for Soul Cairn Trees and Shrubs. Available in 1k, 2k, and 4k textures." Still ugly, but a better version of ugly, thanks

KingPrium released More Wolves and Predator Creatures
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79897
"Made many wolves and many predators. Only creatures" (A secret... Wolves hunt in packls not armies :steamfacepalm:) Hard pass. This one is young, give them time

Jelidity released Functional Adventurer's Backpack
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79971
"Gives the Adventurer's Backpack backpacks an innate boost to carry weight allowing for standard versions to be enchanted and special versions to be disenchanted like other equipment." Interesting tweak to the mechanic, needs testing but have a cookie

RedxYeti released Distance Based Auto Save
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79981
"An MCM Menu that saves the game based on how far you are from the last time the mod saved. Perfect for No Fast Travel Characters. ESP flagged as ESL. Works AE and SE."

I mean it's still an autosave, but this new metric is perfect for a no fast travel game. Their correct. 2 cookies. It's not often we see a new metric that is better than vanilla.

Speaking of new mechanics... This one is for everyone that got drawn into using SMP hair including the king of Sidification. jg1 (Jonas) released SMP Wind a little over a month ago, and has followed up with another framework that interacts with your hair.

HDT-SMP Force Fields
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79899
"Allows spells and effects to interact with HDT-SMP. Fireballs will not only send cheese wedges flying, but also mess up your hair. Immersion!" And why not?

XilaMonstrr released three more Milhail upscaled texture mods today plus an over the top upscale of the new GOT dragon textures. (Upscaled to 16K and still looks stretched)
https://www.nexusmods.com/users/1266160 ... files&BH=0

And finally for today

Zerachiel93 released Mandragora Nocturnal Statue rotation fix with additional statues
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79979
"This mod will fix the model orientation for Mandragoras amazing Nocturnal statue replacer so that mod added statues aren't backwards."

The old cat like the way this fixes any mod added copies of the statue, He is wondering if this also negates the need for the Gray Cowl of Nocturnal Statue position fix? It should by virtue of the fixed nif files as apposed to an updated plugin. We'll give this 2 cookies and call it a day.

The fires are stoked, the kettles scrubbed, and the floors are swept. Have a seat byt the fires and warm your bones. We-B-Open! :steamhappy:

Goooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Mordas the 5th of Evening Star and wage slaves lament the weekend is over. Hide if you can or work if you must it's Morndas again. The blessed moons have set, the paths are closed, and it is once again 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 boil.

Brew of the day is Istanbul Espresso, and the biscuits are Gingermen. Checking the hot sheets we have 44 new with all the bimbos, himbos, patches, goofs, and pointy sticks we've come to expect. Let's see what catches the eyes of the old cat over a fresh cuppa...

DraconicChaos901 released Reforge - Another Smithing Overhaul as a first mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80031
" Reforge effectively replaces the entire smithing perk tree and aims to rebalance the original armor and weapon progression to prevent the creation of overpowered equipment at the very start."

This needs testing, Ah'vrie thinks it's ambitious, but you'll need to read the entire mod page as it doesn't cover armor or shields "yet". It also feels like a patching nightmare, but time will tell. The old cat is not thrilled with adding additional ore types just intended for tempering...

cell943 released Alms for the Poor as a first mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80018
"This allows you to donate more money to beggars if you'd like. Their expression and their gift scale with what you donate."

The old cat likes the concept, but in execution it's a bit over the top. Ah'vrie could see being able to gift a beggar 5, 10, 15 gold, but 50, 100, 1000... Yeah, pass.

dovahnique released Dovahnique's Diverse Vendor Carts
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79883
"I was tired of only seeing one vendor cart pattern, now we can have 5! Using Skyrimizer's beautiful new vendor cart model, I have created 5 textures from scratch that will be distributed with a 20% random chance using po3's Base Object Swapper."

And nicely done at that. It has a more Medieval feel than most and two of the texture patterns look more like tapestries than covers, but we like variety. DLed, Have a cookie

akimbodeluxe released MARKET LEATHER ROOF CANOPY RETEXTURE 4K - 1K - NO ESP
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79989
"Roof canopy retexture for the market areas in Riften and Whiterun." A bit too... Orange for the old cat, and too new looking. This replaces the market stall covers with a single piece of tanned leather with no seams or stitching... no mention of it also replacing the stall covers in Windhelm or Markarth... ? The old cat will pass, but it does look nice.

TalesOfStar released Whiterun Pool - Swim Through
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79997
"A small mod reworks the collision for Whiterun pool, it won't block you anymore, so you can swim through the arch. No ESP" And why not? Have a cookie

Angizel released Argonian Cheek Horn Spike Beard (removal)
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80015
"Mesh and texture replacer for male argonian head, without the cheek spikes/beard."

Ah'vrie says what next? Khajiit loose their tales? :steammocking: Actually other than bearded dragons and basilisks chin spikes on lizards is not a thing. If it makes you happy, why not, if it makes you happy?

Asedael released Enhanced Landscapes - Mountains and Cliffs
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/75311
"Highly compatible Enhanced Landscapes. Cus it's only mountains. Oh, and cliffs too."

You'll want to look at the pics... This adds lots of large rocks in the mountains, and other additional landscape tweaks that really should have been in a separate mod. Worth a look, but the old cat has reservations about how it looks close up and can you still climb the mountains... Keeping an eye on this, but pass for now.

Let's see, Masked RPGFan released a settings loader for "a" coldsun follower
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/79992

KaptainCnucklz released DXVK - Direct X Vulkan Translation Layer
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80030
"This specific Nexus page is a mirror of relevant files for Skyrim SE's usage." (from the GitHub which is linked) This will screw up ENBs and a lot of other things but "might" reduce stuttering. a grain of salt is needed here

And finally we'll follow up with a pointy stick mod for once...

DrMonops released Skaal Hunter Weapon Pack
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/78529
"Crafted from the tusks of horkers, Skaal Hunter weapons rival steel in terms of their strength and durability; this mod adds craftable Skaal Hunter weapons and shields to the game, and distributes them across Solstheim and to bandits on mainland Skyrim. ESL-flagged."

It's a matter of taste, these look like Dragonbone wanna-be weapons to the old cat. Big, rounded, heavy... The old cat is not thrilled with the look at all. and tusks are only so big. Ah'vrie will take a hard pass on this, but your game your way.

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! :steamhappy:

Goooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Tirdas the 6th of Evening Star and a quiet predawn here on warm sands. The blessed moons will be full on Turdas so keep those silver weapons sharp and close at hand. Excuse please while Ah'vrie tends the inn for our most honored guests...

Brew of the day is from Indonesia, and the biscuits are Zurich. Checking the hot sheets we have 35 new with all the usual suspects. Let's see what catches the eyes of an old cat today.

We have a couple of Googly challenged first mods today

Orvandel87 released Brighter and Durable Torches as a first "real" mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80123
Thanks, we'll add it to the pile... Next

inscenique released Even More Vanilla Rings as a first mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80081
"Even More Vanilla Rings provides all combinations of vanilla gems with silver and gold rings and also adds ebony as an additional ring material and three more gems (Moonstone, Onyx, and Topaz) using high resolution meshes and textures." Includes a CACO version. How original, wake the old cat when it also includes patches for left hand rings.

bobbyclue released Visual Lock Ownership
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80090
"Makes the "Unlock" prompt text red if it would be a crime to unlock the selected door."

Okay, this one gets a . Simple, clean, and useful for new players. Dled to endorse

Lein's Perhaps Realistic NPCs
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80058
"Replaces about 1000 NPCs from Skyrim. No high poly heads are used."

Worth a look, but they tend to fall into the "But I like that nose" camp. The facial sculpting is not bad, but not quite up to South's standards (That is a very high bar to meet) The old cat is not fond of these mega replacers, but if you're playing a "vanilla" game this is not a bad choice. Have a , but not for old cats

GGUNIT released Fixed Nordic Metal Grate
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80079
"Fixed texture path and UV for the bugged Nordic metal grate mesh"

Who knew the Nordic grates mesh shared the Markarth door textures, so if you have a fancy door replacer mod you get weird textures on the grates. This mod sets the mesh to point to the Nordic ruins metalwork and tweaked it's UV and cube maps. Again, simple clean and well done. Instant download and thanks. We love these little fixes, have a

And finally Big Bad Bug by the prolific tarlazo
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80112
"MCM to rescale flying bugs, butterflies, and fishes. WARNING: only for vanilla SSE, not compatible with mod- or AE-added new bugs. --- ESL"

Well the old cat uses 101 bugs so this isn't for him, but for a game with vanilla bugs this allows you to control the relative size. IE: not all butterflies are the size of dinner plates LOL. Once again Simple, clean, and well done, but for vanilla only. The old cat would like to see this patched and expanded. Grazie, sai dove sono i biscotti vecchio amico.

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 7th of Evening Star and another quiet predawn here on warm sands. The blessed moons are full tomorrow so beware the goddess' crazy puppies for the next few days, and keep those silver weapons close at hand. The full moons put prey on equal footing with the hunters and are always a right of passage for the young hunters. We wish them luck. Anyway, excuse please while the fires are stoked, and fresh water is put to the boil.

Brew of the day is Capetown Lungo. Bold, Smooth, and very yummy. It pairs well with dark chocolate so our biscuits this morning are Milano. Checking the hot sheets we have 32 new with all the usual jiggles, dangles, patches and goofs. Let's see what catches the eyes of an old cat this day over a fresh cuppa...

PSBoss the king of putting big breasts on EVERYTHING regardless of how ridiculous it is, has done it again. Now you can have gravity defying H cup Draugr :steamfacepalm: Who knew they had mandatory silicone implants back then... Yeah, no link

ColdSun's Pantheon - NPCs Pack 8... More of the same. Literally :steambored:

TactWithMolag released Whirlwind Sprint FX removed
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80176
"This mod completely removes the visual effects and "blur" of Whirlwind Sprint." The old cat is not a big fan of motion blur, and if you're using the shout to close distance to melee range the blur can mess with your timing so... Okay, boring but useful. Have a

SalahMagoosh released Gopher style vanilla friendly enb
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80167
"This mod adds a very minimalist ENB pre-set which provides ambient occlusion, sky lighting and particle effect configuration. It basically just pretties up the game adding better shadows and some neat features like cloud shadows without any colour changes or real deviation from vanilla." Minimalist is the operative term here... all the overhead with none of the good stuff. Not for old cats but worth a look.

nonor071 released Creation Club backpacks - Cratfing Overhaul
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80138
"A lightweight, highly compatible overhaul of the crafting recipes for Creation Club backpacks." Reading the mod page, it appears to simply provide an upgrade path for the CC backpacks from basic, to bedroll, to advanced, without needing to craft "new" packs. The old cat is not familiar with the CC mod but this sounds like a nice fix. Have a

JakeAlaimo released Alternate Alchemy
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80047
"Pick Your Poison. Alternate Alchemy is an SKSE plugin that allows you to apply potions to your weapons and consume poisons for their benefits. Buff your allies and craft custom potions to become the ultimate support class - or just stick 'em with the pointy end of your syringe." "This functionality is patched in at the engine level, and so is compatible with all vanilla, modded, and custom-brewed potions and effects."

The old cat is not a big user of followers, but finds the idea of being able to sneak up on an enemy and poison them with a syringe allows for optionality for a dark stealth character. Or a non magic user to heal companions. Worth a look.

And finally yet another house in Riverwood. This one tired to a mini quest, and has to be built. Why Riverwood? No idea.

destero released Riverwood Estate - A Humble Beginning ENGLISH (translated)
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80139
"This mod adds a mansion in front of Riverwood to the game, which can be built after completing a miniquest. In the course of the quest the player will discover a new mine and is able to explore it himself by digging through passages filled with ore." Not family friendly, and promises a few jump scares. Read the mod page... it has a few issues

And that will do for today. The fires are stoked, the kettles scrubbed, the floors are swept, and the old cat needs a fresh cuppa. We-B-Open!

Goooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. it is Turdas the 8th of Evening Star and the blessed moons are indeed full tonight. The wenches all have silver daggers so if you enter the inn smelling of wet dog before dusk tonight you may get more than a smile from the young ladies with the old cat's blessing. You have been warned. Crazy puppies are not welcome at the inn, come back back on the weekend. Anyway, Excuse please while the fires are stoked, and fresh water is put to the boil. Ah'vrie has an inn to manage.

Brew of the day is Istanbul Espresso, and the biscuits are Gingermen. Checking the hot sheets we have 45 new with all the usual suspects. Let's see what catches the eye today.

Where to begin... TactWithMolag wrote some fan fic on reddit and is trying to pass it off as in game book text replacers for some of the common books... and it's buggy, contains adult references, and the prices are as over-inflated as the egos involved... :steamfacepalm: No link, no cookie, Screams NOOB!, Moving right along.

dpillari released HD Giant's Toe Replacer
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80244
Ahhh, nope, Pass... floating nails, wire hair, ugly blood... your game your way, but...

ThadeusCalvin released Honeyside Thane of Riften (Beta)
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80170
Oh joy, another "Tardis" home overhaul. :steamfacepalm: Ah'vrie's mother said if you have nothing nice to say... Well it does support 6 kids now.

Livelynightmare released Geirmund's Hall Pull Chain
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80218
adds a pull chain for the exit door if the quest glitches (Which it sometimes does but rarely.) See a need fill a need. Thanks

xflazz released Northern Grass Pines Forests for QW's Grass Patch
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80197
"Replaces the pine forests in QW's Grass Patch with the Pine Forests from Northern Grass. Significantly increases the FPS around areas like Falkreath and Riverwood." A potato friendly switch? Why not.

MehrunesDagon47 released Only Pine Shrubs (for Happy Little Shrubs)
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80193
"Changes every Tundra, Yellow, Dead, Thicket and Vine Shrubs to Pine Shrubs using Base Object Swapper. Mainly intended for Happy Little Shrubs so users can have more of the beautiful pine shrubs from that mod and less of ugly vanilla shrubs for whom good enough replacers don't exist."

Ah'vrie usually doesn't bother with patches seeing as most are very load order dependent, but the old cat sort of like this one. Replaces everything dead and ugly with green and growing... Truly a "your game your way" mod. This one gets a

TobesTobelle released Rest for the Weary - Better Beds in Whiterun Temple
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80236
"Rest for the Weary is a simple mesh tweak to make the healing altars into proper beds for the sick and wounded patrons." Well Ah'vrie thinks it's about time, and nicely done too. It's texture, and interior overhaul friendly, and plugin free. Instant DL and :sn-41:

snozz2004 released Redoran's Retreat
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80226
"An overhaul of the interior & exterior of Redoran's Retreat with increased NPC count" more clutter, more guards, and some minor room edits like his other location mods. Why not.

A shout out to showda for releaseing SFG - FOMOD Generator
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80191
"This utility allows you to generate a mod installer (FOMOD) from a folder tree and a Readme." An interesting modders resource, by definition assembly IS required.

Okay let's get to the good stuff already...

MaskedRPGFan released Yet Another Difficulty Mod
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80224
About as simple as it gets. "allows you to change the damage multiplier of the player and NPC. It just works." "Created because other mods did not work when loading the game and did not save the settings. Maximum simplicity and wide range of values (0-999, step 0.01)." And this one gets a as well. Nice

Smaller Better Butterflies by Pieter82
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80229
"Smaller meshes for Better Butterflies. Intended to improve VR scale (compatible with SSE). Mesh replacer only. No plugin / ESP." Thanks

Dawnstar - Fixed fences SE by Xtudo
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80195
"Small details that make big differences. Adds snow to the Dawnstar fences, as it should be. Vanilla and JK's Skyrim versions available. ESL." Thanks we love these tiny fixes. Have another

Beard Mask Fix - Beards Use Slot 44 SKSE Plugin by Parapets
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80232
"Hides facial hair when wearing items using slot 44" The pictures say it all. Another tiny but important fix. Have a

And finally JaySerpa get's the top slot today in a crowded field... Sound the trumpets!

Forsworn and Thalmor Lines Expansion by JaySerpa
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80188
"Tired of hearing the same lines over and over again? This mod provides new spliced lines to Thalmor and Forsworn, giving them more personality and making each of your encounters with them more unique, personal and unexpected."

Okay, the old cat has to admit, this is some of JaySerpa's best splicing work and that's saying something. Listen to the video... Please! Instant download. The old cat has always liked Jay's work, but this is exceptional even for him. Pairs perfectly with Bandit lines Expansion... The cookies are over there... help yourself :sn-41::sn-41:

And that will do for today. The fires are stoked, the kettles scrubbed, and the floors are... Bloody Nords. Where's that mop? We-B-Open!

Goooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Fredas the 9th of Evening Star and thank the divines the weekend is nigh at hand. The blessed moons wane gibbous but we are still at the mercy of the goddess' crazy doggies so keep those silver weapons close. Excuse please while the fires are stoked, and fresh water is put to the boil...

Brew of the day is Amaha awe Uganda, and the biscuits are Bordeaux. Checking the hot sheets we have 42 new with all the bimbos, himbos, patches, and cheats we've come to expect. Let's see what catches the eye of an old cat this day over a fresh cuppa.

PeerHorse released CACO-Mountain Flower Patch as a first mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80318
"Tiny patch that corrects the CACO adjustment to mountain flower harvest. Now, large mountain flowers yield a higher harvested ingredient than small ones." And who can argue with that? Thanks Peer

LillDingiDongi released A Nirnroot - Particle Light Patch
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80304
"Adds (animated) particle light to the new amazing nirnroot meshes by Kiddgimmick"
The old cat didn't think those new meshes were "amazing" but you know... Shiny. The animated particle lights look really interesting though. Thanks

Let's see... MaskedRPGFan released a settings loader for Phenderix Elements
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80295

XilaMonstrr released Warden of the Coast - Cleaned Textures and Alt. Resolution Options
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80231
Making Skyrim a better place one pixel at a time :steammocking: LOL Thanks

A fairly light day. We'll end with a new 4K CBBE skin texture set that doesn't suffer from the plastic doll skin look and offers choices of color, resolution, and normals...

Eos Female Skin Textures -CBBE 4K- by Veracruze (NSFW)
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80326

"Realistic, microdetailed skin textures!
Comes with 5 different head normals, 3 shades of skin color!
8K body normal texture, 4K for the rest.
Can be usable with any CBBE texture compatible body (TBD, CBBE, CBBE 3BA, CBBE SMP etc.).
Head normals can be used with my SNU Normal Maps, if you prefer a muscular body. No seams.
If you want to boost the amplitude the normal maps' effect try tweaking your Ssao_Ssil under the ENB effects."

The "microdetails" border on permanent goose bumps in some of the shots, but it looks a hell of as lot better than doll skin. veracruze recommends using Diamond Skin Tintmasks for Make-up. This won't be to everyones taste, but we love having choices. We'll give this a (The old cat has been a little stingy 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!

Gooooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Loredas the 10th of Evening Star and a chilly predawn at the inn. Wage slaves rejoice the weekend has arrived. Brrr, *shivers* Ah'vrie's fur used to be much thicker. Excuse please while the ash pits are emptied and the fires rebuilt. You'll want to cover your tankards for a bit until the dust settles... There, much better no? Ah'vrie always likes to begin the weekend with happy fires. Now to compost the ash, scrub the kettles and see what's ready to harvest in the garden. Running an inn is glamorous no? Now to put fresh water to the boil... Stop staring at the kettle smoothskin. Know you nothing of kitchen magic? Ah'vrie needs his coffee...

Brew of the day is Maluka mu Zimbabwe ... Coffeegasm. The old cat loves the subtle hints of chocolate. Yum. We'll bake fresh biscuits a little later after the markets open, but for now there's a tray of Toll House in the oven.

Checking the hot sheets we have 39 new with the usual mix of jiggles, dangles, patches and pointy sticks. Let's see what catches the eyes of an old cat over a fresh cuppa. As always we welcome the new mod authors to the community.

kirara386 released Potatos Unexposed and Upscaled
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80377
"Modified potato plant mesh to get rid of exposed roots. Up-scaled and modified texture also available." It's these little fixes that really make your game. Nicely done, instant download for the mesh, but Ah'vrie is not really thrilled with the reflectivity of the leaves in the 2K texture. The mesh is worth a though.

akimbodeluxe released SPLENDID STONY BRIDGES 8K-2K - NO ESP
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80327
"Retexture of the dull dark looking bridges in Skyrim. 2K to 8K variants availablle." Ah'vrie wonders where all the red sandstone came from seeing as there's none in Skyrim? The author has obvious talent, but maybe lacks taste. Your game your way.

kingnak released KN Keep Them Clean
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/40898
"Simple addon to Keep it Clean that makes Followers wash themselves." It's about time, the old cat can smell Farkas from the coffee house. :steammocking: ESL

CinnaMewRoll released Children's Toys AnimObject Swapper (WIP)
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80374
"A mod project that aims to dynamically replace the default Hearthfire doll animobject with toys added by other mods." "WARNING - Depending on the toy, there odds are high that there will be some clipping during the animation." Still a worthy effort

XilaMonstrr released two Phenderix Optimized & Upscaled Textures
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... user+files
"High-res and performance textures, cleaned of compression artifacts and optimized for SSE, plus potato resolutions"

Hentof released Denoise Textures Project
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80359
"Denoise and modernize vanilla based textures, while keeping the details"

The old cat has to admit, a lot of the vanilla and upscaled textures suffer from over sharpening to the point of pixelation. The effect is made worse by certain ENB Presets. This is worth a look, as removing the surface noise from the UV maps actually makes the textures look even better... Who knew? tracking for now, thanks

PepGames released Sync Plugins with Mod Order - Mod Organizer 2 Plugin (Universal)
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80365
"A simple plugin for Mod Organizer 2 to sync the order of the Plugins in the right pane to the order of Mods in the left pane." The original plugin was modified to work with all the games MO2 covers. This is a gift from the divines for modders like the old cat that doesn't use LOOT and manually sets the installation order first, then edits the plugin order.

The old cat will be testing this in the new build. 2 and our thanks

And finally... RIM - Real Ice reMastered by Bionic and grVulture
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/80311
"An ice texture collab from the mod authors of RIS and IMR presenting RIM - Real Ice reMastered."

Better... Sub surface refractive scattering and reflectivity looks spot on, but the old cat is not thrilled with the surface textures... Ice should not look like frozen snow. Too granular for old cats, Another of those 4K upscaled textures that would have looked better in 1K. Maybe we can get Hentof to denoise this mod too

And that will do for today. The new casks of Ale were delivered last night, and the fresh batch of mead is ready so Ah'vrie hopes you're thirsty. For the early meal Ah'vrie has wolf medallions marinating in brandy to be served with caramelized sweet onion over a bed of roast potatoes with a poached egg on top. And for the late meal we have grilled wolf steaks drizzled with a tart jazbay reduction and served with twice baked garlic potatoes and steamed carrots in herb butter.

The best part about the full moons are all the fresh wolf chops dry aging in the larder. Stupid puppies should know better than to mess with this old cat.

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!