Modding on the Spectrum

Gooooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Tirdas the 5th of Evening Star and a quiet chilly predawn here on warm sands. Congratulations we have survived another Morndas. The blessed moons will wane through the first quarter tonight, but for now they have set and the paths are closed. It is time once again for Ah'vrie to tend the inn. Excuse please while the fires are stoked and fresh water is put to the boil.

Our brew of the day is classic Ristretto, and the biscuits are Dublin short bread. Checking the hot sheets we have 43 new with all the usual jiggles, dangles, patches and goofs. Let's see what catches the eye today over a fresh cuppa...

CrimsonGamer45 released Dark Brotherhood - Bigger Rewards as a first mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106181
"Minimum payment is 1000 septims & Maximum is 2000 septims" Well, new players always seem to want more gold, and seasoned players think there's too much. We see it all the time, but Ah'vrie has to admit in this case for a DB playthrough this does make sense. Contract murder has always paid exceedingly well. Thanks, no cookie, but no poke either.

starkilla1979 released Silent Creepers - Spiders And Charus Feet SFX as a second mod.
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106189
"This mod silences all of the feet Fx of spiders and Charus that uses the same sound Fx" This author discovered how bloody annoying the Elytra, and decided to silence all the creepy crawlers... "You will not hear them coming" The old cat sort of likes this one. 1 cookie

WTSunrise630 released Storage for Rent
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106199
"Adds safe containers that player can rent in inns and taverns." Well it's sort of "grey" how long the rental is for, and there is a price for "extended days" but evidently you don't need to worry about that unless you decide to stop using them. You can just keep it for the entire game and not care, but if you decide to stop using it, it's 8 gold a day?

This is not the first. 'Rias' Inn Storage' is all cloud shared, more cheaty, but more usefull.

MichikoUnknownFox released Missives - Don't Use Normal Potions
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/105674
"Creates new potions with flavour text effects for Missives potion delivery quests instead of using normal vanilla potions." Just a small patch for Missives, but from an RP perspective very nice. Thanks.

Drengin released Vittoria Vici's House rework
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106201
"Mesh replacer for Vittoria Vici's House in Solitude. Updated the appearance of the building, added chimneys and many various details , redone the roof, fixed some mesh issues."

Like the others in the series it's just a little exterior dress up. The old cat's only poke is the chimneys have nothing in relation to any interior fire places and in this cat two of them would be in the middle of the second floor... which has none. Still it's consistent with the other and worth a look.

We'll finish up with TMD Epic Waterfalls
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106210
"Waterfalls, but epic." just... epic fail maybe LOL. Sorry, but these look awful to the old cat. Hard pass

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!

Gooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Turdas the 7th of Evening Star, and a quiet chilly predawn here on warm sands. The blessed moons continue to wane through the crescents, but for now they have set, the paths are closed, and it is time once again to tend the inn for our most honored quests. Excuse please while the fires are stoked, and fresh water is put to the boil...

Our brew of the day is Inspirazione a Venezia, and the biscuits are Bordeaux. Checking the hot sheets we have 44 new but honestly not much catches the eye again today. Let's see what does...

Cutleast released SSE Lang Detector
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106185
"This is an AI-based automatic Language Detector made to scan entire mod instances. It is used to find untranslated mods."

Based on the open source Lingua library which uses NLP machine learning. This could help with large load orders for non English builds. Thanks. Ai creeps into everything... we're Doomed!

pentapox released Servitor - Atronach SFX Replacer
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106326
"Complete replacer for Frost, Fire and Storm atronach sounds including their attacks and explosions." Caution... this one has no self control when it comes to volume. He recommends using Audio Overhaul for Skyrim which adds specific volume sliders.

And the top slot goes to karurawasabi

Karura's Dark Brotherhood Refined
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106291
"In my never-ending quest to slowly overhaul every prominent Skyrim NPCs to suit my extremely niche taste, here's a personal take for the Dark Brotherhood members"

We love choices, and this one has taken the time to breath a little life into these characters. Might not be to everyone's taste, but that's what makes things interesting. Your game your way. This one gets a cookie.

And that will do for today. The fires are stoked, the kettles scrubbed. and the floors are... Don't drop your food. We-B-Open!

Goooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Fredas the 8th 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...

Our brew of the day is Inspirazione a Napoli, and the biscuits are Almond Biscotti. Checking the hot sheets we have 44 new with all the usual suspects. Let's see what catches the eyes of an old cat over a fresh cuppa... maybe two

makkaraa released No More Fortify Crafting Thanks, ever heard of google?

StergioValente released Glow Like Potions
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106404
"Potions and poisons that glow and sometimes twinkle" An attempt to duplicate the look of particle light effects without using an ENB... Not thrilled at all. Hard pass, but nice try.

Nordic Rugs - My HD version by Xtudo SE
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106376
"Small details that make big differences. My handmade HD Nordic Rugs textures. 2K-1K. No ESP." Finally some original work again. Now, you get a cookie.

And finally ... PSBoss finally release something without breasts. We're doomed

New Statue of Talos Male
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/105941
"New Talos Statue Replacer (Male - Not Lore Friendly)"

I love it. He screen capped Conan the Barbarian off of the original movie and turned it into a Talos statue. Absolutely ridiculous, and definitely his best work

Two cookies and no jiggle

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!

Gooooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Loredas the 9th of Evening Star, and wage slaves rejoice the weekend has arrived. The blessed moons wane through the final crescents and will be gibbous on Tirdas this week. At least the hunters won't be drinking through a long weekend. They hangovers can get really ugly. Anyway it is time once again 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 might want to cover your tankards for a bit, this can get a tad dusty... There, much better no? Ah'vrie always likes to start off the weekend with happy fires. They warm more than the room, yes they do. Not to compost the ash, check the garden, and scrub the kettles...

Our brew of the day is Amaha awe Uganda, and the biscuits are short bread, but Ah'vrie will be baking fresh when he returns from the markets a little later. Checking the hot sheets with a fresh cuppa we have 58 new, but not a lot of substance. Let's see what catches the eye today...

TheSteppeNomad released Age of Beasts as a first mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106448
"The long-waited lightweight creature rebalance mod - One mod to rule them all!"

Long awaited? By whom? LOL This ones ego is as large as his mammoths. This basically buffs all predators and makes them level with the player. The old cat will stick with Skytest thank you very much

shadoweevee128 released More Immersive Player Dialogue as a second mod.
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106526
"Tweaks the player dialogue to better suite the mediaeval times and remove modern slang." These are actually quite well done, and thankfully not of Thous and forsooths. Worth a look and a cookie.

darkknight957 spammed us with 8 perk cheat tomes. Thanks but not for old cats
https://www.nexusmods.com/users/1092385 ... files&BH=0
"The long-waited lightweight creature rebalance mod - One mod to rule them all!"

And finally SauteedPanda will take the top slot today, but the bar was set very low

Descriptions for Various Mods
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106229
"Adds descriptions to misc items for over 80+ mods" Requires Description Framework and powerofthree's Tweaks. You'll want to look at the mod page for the 80 mods covered. Thanks have a cookie.

And that will do for today. The Ale was delivered on time last night and the new batch of mead is ready so Ah'vrie hopes you're all very thirsty. We'll be serving mudcrab scrambles for the early meal, and Ale braised sabrecat with twice baked garlic potatoes and sauteed carrots for the late meal. Of course there will be a hearty venison stew simmering all day for those needing the chase the winter chill away.

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!

Gooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Sundas the 10th of Evening Star and the perfect time to sleep in, enjoy a leisurely brunch, spend some time with the family, catch up on some chores...

Who are we kidding? Put out the cat, lock the doors, draw the blinds, and turn off the phone. Thar B Dragons to hunt! So excuse please while the fires are tended and fresh water is put to the boil.

Our brew of the day is Tamuka mu Zimbabwe, and the biscuits are classic Toll House still warm and gooey from the oven. Checking the hot sheets we have 65 new, with quite a bit of spamming. Let's see what catches the eye of an old cat over a fresh cuppa...

darkknight957 is still pumping out perk cheats, as well as some OP armor and weapons.
https://www.nexusmods.com/users/10923853?tab=user+files


6maniman303 released Hold Power Attack NG
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106623
"Simple rewrite of input - attack system, to allow to hold attack key and perform power attack on key release, when it's convenient. Works for single hand, two hand and dual wielding." Thanks, could be a easier mechanic to master for power attacks.

markuskarttunen1 released Soul Cairn Fissures and Craters redone
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106579
"Redid the fissures and craters in soul cairn, now in high poly and with magic swirly stuff" We always like the magic swirly stuff Looks nice. Have a cookie

DrJacopo released Azurite Mists
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106559
"Azurite Mists obscures distant landscapes and the Sea of Ghosts with heavy volumetric mists. It does so while preserving proximal clarity and without the introduction of linear sky artifacts (as seen by its predecessors)." Cathedral keeps evolving. Normally the old cat wouldn't go for something like this, but in all honesty, if you combine it with Dyndolod you get all of the LOD enhancements without ridiculously over sharpening the distant mountains. Annnd, no visible horizon artifacts? This is a worthy addition. 2 cookies

And finally we have Ebony ENB - NAT 3 weathers by Mechanicalpanda
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106549
"As a thank you to the modding community I present to you my final project. Ebony ENB for NAT 3 weathers. Unique custom shaders. Highly detailed, moody and dark with vibrant moments where needed."

Somber and desaturated, but also sharp with well defined shadows... The old cat has to admit this has a very "vanilla pallet" feel to it. This could be perfect with the correct character if you want that 'grey and cold' look without the awful 'crappy weather all the time' issues of COT. This one is worth a look and consideration. 2 cookies, and Ah'vrie may have to think about the right character to try this with.

And that will do for today. 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!

Gooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is unfortunately Morndas the 11th of Evening Star again, and the old cat did not nap very well. Apologies for being tardy. Excuse please while this old cat tends the inn...

Brew of the day is Inspirazione a Napoli and This one needs more already. Checking the hot sheets we have 51 new, but not a lot of substance. Let's dive right in.

gameswars released ADD PERKS POINTS. Basicallyinstructions for using a third party cheat engine to generate perk points as a first mod... no link, and no cookie

Pieter82 released Grindstone Variants - Base Object Swapper
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106719
"Adds various diverse Grindstone meshes using Base Object Swapper" Thanks, we like a little variety. Have a cookie. The old cat recognizes two if the variants, and no credit was offered to the original authors though... A bit uncool.

allonsywisegirl released Children of the Hist - An Argonian NPC Overhaul
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/98103
"Overhauls the appearances of all Argonian NPCs" requires high poly heads and Better Argonian Horns. Interesting with a lot of variety. Definitely worth a look and a cookie. Thanks

And finally DarkFox127 strikes from the shadows and once again takes the top slot...

A Bunny's Life
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106460
"A Bunny's Life adds bunny companions into the game in an immersive and intuitive way, whilst also providing control over the mod's wide range of features. Key mod features include item trading, home assignment, naming, and petting. More advanced features include bunny backpacks, fetching items and the needs feature."

All the old cat can say.... BUNNIES! 3 carrots. Finally we have a pet for the adopted kids other than a mute fox.

And that will do for today. Don't wake the old cat propped up on his broom in the corner... it was a long night. The fires are stoked yada, yada, We-B-Open!

Gooooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Tirdas the 12th of Evening Star and a quiet predawn here on warm sands. The blessed moons are gibbous and the festival of the new moons of course begins tonight. Anyway, it's time once again 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...

Our brew of the day is from India, and the biscuits are Bordeaux. Checking the hot sheets we have 28 new with all the usual suspects. Let's see what catches the eye over a fresh cuppa.

HANKDTANK released Stonewater Cabin
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/104396
"Near the borders of Whiterun and Morthal, Stonewater Cabin sits along a quiet river bank. Explore a new cozy cabin with a functioning trophy room, bathhouse, and more!"

Interesting but also a bit silly. IE: why would you place a waterwheel on a house with no machinery to drive. Worth a look but not for old cats.

Medieval Chests 2K-8K by iimlenny
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106788
"This is a Mesh and Texture Replacer for Skyrims Chests in 2K-8K" Another interesting look. Lenny does enjoy making stuff look really old. Your game your way, I wonder if he considered that if 'this' is 'back then' it should look new not centuries old LOL. Pass

Yuril released ALT - Farmhouse Fences LP
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106749
"Alternative and Optimized Meshes for Farmhouses Fences. No ESP"

Now these are very fitting, lore friendly and look just messed up enough to have been made by a Skyrim NPC This one gets a cookie.

And finally, Wizkid takes the top slot once again... No surprise there.

Forgotten Potions and Poisons
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106743
"Forgotten Potion and Poison gives unique models to all those potions and poisons that use a recycled one."

One look is all it took... Instant download. The old cat is not fond of the 'Philter of the phantom" being gold plated. Though if it was Falmer blood elixir It would have fit perfectly LOL. Seriously, nice work as always, and something missing from the game. 2 cookies

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!

Goooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Middas the 13th of Evening Sun, and the the blessed moons are new. We hope the Goddess enjoys her rest yes we do. Anyway, there is no rest for old cats as new moons or not, it's once again time to tend the inn. Excuse please while the fires are stoked, and fresh water put to the boil.

Our brew of the day is Miami espresso, and Ah'vrie has decided to bake fresh a little late, but there are plenty of Toll House for now. Checking the hot sheets we have 32 new with a classic blend of jiggle, dangle patches and cheats. Let's see what catches the eyes of an old cat over a fresh cuppa...

Sparky88101 surprised an old cat this morning with an interesting new kind of cheat

Soul Gems to Perk Points
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/105530
"Convert filled soul gems to consumable perk point gems at any forge. Optional files to add the gems to leveled lists."

While the old cat is not fond of the idea of 'finding' these in the leveled lists, The concept of filling and using either multiple soul gems to "buy" additional perk points provides a really unique head canon for users of mods like Ordinator in opposition to setting the uncapper to give you three points per level. Not only would you have to acquire the gems, you would also have to fill them, and let's face it; once you've crafted and enchanted your armor and weapons, large gems tend to get horded out of habit. Yes this is a cheat, but this is a cheat that could aid players with perk overhauls by eliminating 'gift cheats'.
2 cookies for originality

At the other extreme darkknight957 released Ultimate Assassin's Nordic Armor
Meh, more noob god armor no link, no cookie

RenegadedeMorte released Gildergreen Regrown - Faster Growth Patch
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106334
"Reduces the time for the Gildergreen to grow from a sapling to an adult from 6 months to 1 month." Ahhh, kids these days, no patience Thanks, why not?

Fawahar released Nordic Helm of Yngol
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106811
"replaces "steel plate" with "nordic heavy" keyword to the helmet of yngol"

It looks like this one is finally playing the game. Good on them. This allows you to wear the helmet with Nordic carved armor and keep the matching set bonus. Why not, your game your way, and it does look more fitting on the Nordic carved set... Have a cookie

Lets see... Xtudo optimized Lenny's Medieval chests. Not surprised...

Ah, Tribevel released Various Food for Cooking Pots
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106817
"Distributes different stews for cooking pots using Base Object Swapper. Not everyone in Skyrim cooks the same thing!" Nice... very immersive use of BOS. You get a cookie as well.

ICFur released Yellow Shrub to Holly
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106869
"Texture replacement that makes yellow shrubs look like holly with berries. Includes Shrubs of Snow compatible textures. Textures only, no meshes."

Well done, but not for old cats... Looks too much like Snowberries, it would drive an old cat nuts. It's also a 2D mesh, the berries look painted. Maybe Dr. Jacobo can work a little magic for this one. But they are pretty. Thanks

And we'll finish up with another unexpected twist. This one needs to be seen in game. The old cat is flagging for testing in his next build, but reserving judgment until he sees it for himself as the video is rather low quality...

True Dragons - Four Legs Good Two Legs Bad by slitherscales99
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106755
"Animated forelegs for all dragon variants." This one has a GOT theme going here. calling our native dragons wyrms instead. This mod enlarges the fore legs to legs as opposed to T-Rex stile stubs. The old cat is unsure of the ratio as they look slightly too large to these old eyes, but he loves the concept yes he does. 2 cookies for originality as well.

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

Goooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. it is Turdas the 14th of Evening Star and a chilly predawn here on warm sands. The blessed moons are gibbous as the festival of the new moons draws to a close. The shaman are busy gathering their hangover cures, but for this old cat it is time once again 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 Dublin shortbread. Checking the hot sheets we have 35 new and a few caught the eye. Let's dive in over a fresh cuppa.

krasnaaroza returns after two and a half years to post their second mod

Morvayn Manor Improved
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106928
A nice job of interior decorating. After all Morvayn should be the richest person in town

WTSunrise630 released Lokir's Shack
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106888
"Just another "house" mod for everybody's favorite horse thief, featuring an abandoned shack, a non-hostile ghost and a very very small misc fetching-style quest. ESL flagged."

shazdeh2 released Salty Atronachs
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106891
"You can use elemental salts to damage or heal atronachs." An interesting mechanic... a bit useless if you're into alchemy at all, but interesting. Thanks

And finally markuskarttunen1 released Scrubbing Off Spunk
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106887
"Removes the ejaculate looking ass shader from ice caves"

This does look considerably better, Unfortunately it does this by replacing the ice shader with a NULL shader, which means there are questions as to using this mod with Simplicity of snow. The author recommends loading it very low, and for good reason, but you might mess up a few snow effects. Needs to be seen in game, but the fact that there are missing textures in the mod pictures doesn't leave an old cat overly confident.

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!

Gooooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Fredas the 15th of Evening Star and thank the divines the weekend is nigh. The blessed moons have once again begun their eternal journey, waxing through the early crescents, and the hunts have been plentiful, which is always welcome. It is time once again 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...

Our brew of the day is Stockholm lungo, and the biscuits are Apricot Verona. Checking the hot sheets we have 31 new. Let's see what catches the eye over a fresh cuppa.

dnmt3 released ENB Particle Lights - Dwemer Lanterns - Unlit Add-On
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106957
"Replaces the "unlit" Dwemer lantern/sconce models that still give off light in vanilla with "lit" models from ENB Particle Lights - Dwemer Lanterns." A nice little fix for users of ENB particle lights. Obviously if you use a lighting overhaul that fixes missing sources you might not have the issue, or will need to patch. Thanks.

Gonzeh - Raven Rock Statue
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106953
"Super small mod that adds a Raven Statue watching over Raven Rock" Ah'vrie loves the concept behind the mod, and it's just plain fun. Unfortunately. Unfortunately the statue isn't carved from the mountain, or even placed on it, it's sitting on a wood platform that could not possible hold the weight... It made my pet smoothskin cringe LOL. It still deserves a cookie

Pieter82 released Grindstone Mesh Replacements
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106995
"These are stand-alone mesh replacement options for the Grindstone model, as found in my mod Grindstone Variants" The tiny added tweaks like animated water in the cups is a nice touch. Thanks

Geborgen3 released Spaghetti's Faction Halls - AIO - No College of Winterhold
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106979
"Keep Spaghetti's faction halls in a single plugin while using another mod that overhauls the College. Not a patch for any specific mod, just removes the College from Spaghetti's plugin so you can use whatever other mod you want. ESP-FE"

That's a nice idea, and cookie worthy. Requires the original mod as it should.

Lets see... We have two more interior overhauls

Snazzy Interiors - Morthal Falion's House by gutmaw
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106938
"Remodel of Falion's house in Morthal" Okay, this is one of their best, and befitting of well traveled mage. I like that Agni gets her own loft. This one gets 2 cookies

Rorik Manor - Tem's Houses
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/106962
"Lightweight, vanilla overhaul of Rorik Manor interior. ESL Flagged" An improvement over vanilla, but nothing special. The hay bails in the living room says not a lot of thought went into this one. It is an improvement though so thanks

We'll finish up with a shout out to Xingda666 for attempting to add a little mystery and ritual to using master spells. The old cat likes where this is going, but the animations need work.

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!