Modding on the Spectrum

Goooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is the first of Rain's Hand and the month is earning it's name here on warm sands. Ah'vrie woke to the smell of water and the sound of rain pounding on the roof. The old cat loves a good storm. It will be nice to welcome Spring with the desert in bloom. Unfortunately it's also Morndas, so hide if you can or work if you must, the weekend is over. Excuse please while this one tends the inn for our most honored guests...

Our brew of the day is Miami Espresso, and the biscuits are Bordeaux. Checking the hot sheets we have 62 new with the expected jiggles, dangles, patches and goofs. let's see what catches the eye over a fresh cuppa... Maybe two

GreekIrish released Lower Sounding Thieves Guild Door as a first mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115577
"A simple remake of an old mod I made upon Skyrim's release. This mod replaces Skyrim's audio files with "from-scratch" sound effects to make the Thieves Guild door quieter. It is a secret entrance after all!" Thanks. (The old cat checked the files are real)

statttis released two first SSE mods over the weekend
https://www.nexusmods.com/users/778458? ... files&BH=0
Real Backpacks: "Store stuff in your backpacks! (or other bags, pouches, packs, etc) Any backpack can be opened to store items inside it. Each backpack has its own storage and you can drop them around the world to set up storage caches." This one the old cat likes.

Spell Toggle: "Toggle self-cast spells on and off. Balanced, compatible, no patching needed." The interface is clean, but this does not feel balanced to Ah'vrie. Still used with moderation for spells like candle light... Your game your way

shadowtigers released High Poly Head SV Beards (April fools?)
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115587
"HPH SV Beards v1.0 adds 1000+ new beard combos to the facial hair slider for males in Skyrim." This is either a goof or an incomplete upload. There are no textures or meshes. Only a plugin, and a thousand... Ha ha ha.

Bees' Alchemical Tattoos - RaceMenu Body Paints
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115500
"Adds a collection of illustrations from the Rosarium Philosophorum and Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum as tattoos for your character" Now these are worth a look. Separate male and female files. This one gets a cookie

Blinkour2 released Tel Mithryn 2K-4K
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115579
They describe the shroom not the mod. Textures are a bit dark, but interesting. Needs testing.

Halffaces - Diverse (BOS) wooden bowl (Lite) https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115561
"Diversification of wooden bowl (basicwoodenbowl01.nif)" Of course none of them look like wood, and the file is 80 meg... Your game your way. PASS

Lets get to the good stuff... this one hopes at least

Deities of Oblivion - A Daedric Prince makeover by TheLastAkavari531
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115566
"A makeover for Nocturnal , Sanguine and Sheogorath"

"They use BNP face textures so I advise you to grab BnP - Female Skin at Skyrim Special Edition Nexus - Mods and Community (nexusmods.com) and BnP - Male Skin at Skyrim Special Edition Nexus - Mods and Community (nexusmods.com) to avoid any neck seams"

An interesting look... Thanks. Love Uncle Sheo's eyes

Picta Realis by WeatherPainterAshley
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115532
"4 years in the making, 4000 hours of work, my personal Opus Magnum: Picta Realis - The most comprehensive ENB and Weather Mod is finally somewhat finished"

This is a continuing WIP, and has a minor upload issue which is being fixed. The old cat is looking forward to seeing this finished. it looks stunning, but the old cat will hold off for version 1 at least. Check the requirements and the posts. Some assembly required.

And finally we do have a mod of the day, and this one is long overdue

Take a Nap - Sleep on Chairs by JaySerpa
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/113255
"Have you ever wished you could just sleep on a chair? Yeah, me neither. But sometimes there are no beds around and your character needs a nap. Now with animations, back pain and more!" The old cat loves this idea... Requires Dynamic activation key, and DAR or OAR

2 cookies and fresh biscuits for this one. Instant download

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!

Gooooood morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Tirdas the 2nd of Rain's Hand, and a quiet predawn here on warm sands. The blessed moons have set 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 Istanbul espresso brewed over crushed cardamon seed, and our biscuits today are Almond Biscotti. Checking the hot sheets we have 63 new with all the usual suspects. Let's see what catches the eye of an old cat over a fresh cuppa or two.

WhimsicalDingo released Blended Roads Parallax Meshes as a first mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115634
"Parallax enabled meshes for blended roads." This is actually a very subtle tessellation of the dirt textures only, and does not affect the cobblestones. It's interesting that in several of the pictures the parallax version has less detail and fewer stones. Thanks.

dBottle released Parallax for CleverCharffs Caves
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115666
"This is kind of a work in progress, most of it looks great but I couldn't get the ground textures to look right but I'll keep working on it if there's any interest in it." Not bad, Much better than the 4K mossy wall textures. Thanks. Keep at it.

Lets see... A few honorable mentions

MaskedRPGFan released Simple Hunting Overhaul MCM Helper
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115638

AndrealphusVIII released two today. Personal scene tweaks, and Ysgramor's storm bear
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... user+files

TigerV2 released two more SPID mods today, and a botox patch for Project AHO
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... user+files

This one is obviously a matter of taste

Toxological released COPPER - Precious Objects Complex Material and Dynamic Cubemap
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115648
Intended to replace silver items in Volkihar... Too dark, and too shiny... With all the blood splatter, they should have been lighter and forming a greenish patina. We love choice and thanks, but not for old cats.

SaevaVeritas released Better Optimized and Fixed Riften Meshes
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115668
"First part of a project I took upon myself to fix and optimize Skyrim's poorly made meshes." Obviously a WIP intended to improve performance through repairing and optimizing the base game meshes. This one will load high and be over written by your chosen individual replacers similar to SMIM. Tracking for now. Let's see how far this goes.

ClefJ is still making player homes... Wolframite Manor
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115625
"A substantial and fortified manor house, free to own." Nicely done actually, but the stone work is completely out of place for just outside Rorickstead. Thanks

Okay, let's get to the big two today.

GamerPauly released Umbrae Lucem A Complete Lighting Overhaul and Shadows Mod
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115616
"A complete solution for Interior and Exterior lighting, Shadows, Torches and Candles have smoke effects." Most locations appear darker but with greater radius light sources. In other locations like the Hall of the dead in Whiterun the candles and such seem to have no discernible radius at all. Worth a look, but call it a WIP. Pass for now, but thanks. Keep working on this. It would be really nice to have an alternative to both LUX and ELFX Shadows.

And finally Vanaheimr - Mountains by cleme3387
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115471
"Overhaul of mountains textures with Majestic Mountains support."

You'll want to look closely. The textures for both the ERM and MM versions are well chosen, and fitted very well to the meshes. If the old cat has one problem with the textures it's the low iron sedimentary nature of the color scheme. It looks great, and frankly I like the brown/beige rocks... Only, All of the walls and buildings in the game are various shades of grey. If you don't also recolor the rest of the stonework in the game it will always look out of place. If that doesn't bother you, than this mod is certainly worth a close look. especially if you use MM. This is two cookie work, but not for old cats.

But we love choice, and this is very well done.

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 3rd of Rain's Hand and a quiet predawn here on warm sands. The blessed moons are waning through the crescents and will be new in another week. Anyway 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 Toll House. Checking the hot sheets we have 43 new with plenty of jiggles and patches. Let's see what catches the eye of an old cat over a fresh cuppa.

Smoothdeparture released Yoghurts Of Skyrim as a first mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115711
"Adds Yoghurt, can be crafted at the cooking pot." Milk and butter, 10 points of health and cures disease... Yum can I get that in Jazbay, and Snowberry as well? DLed to endorse. Have a cookie.

MJTE released Solitude Blacksmith Ore and Ingot Merchant
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115741
"Adds a NPC named "Ingot Oreson" to the Solitude Blacksmith's interior cell. He only sells Ore/Ingots and Leather, and sells a greater amount than normal blacksmiths."

Their second mod after a 7 year absence... Interesting. Welcome back

nerevar009 released More Protective Armor
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115688
"Increases the armor rating bonus for each piece of armor, so it feels like armor actually protects you early game and moreso mid game."

This will help, if not be slightly over powered in the very early game, but armor caps are armor caps... In the late game leather protects just as well as dragonbone. It's all about the bragging rights LOL

We'll finish up today with the only mod to actually catch an old cat's eye today.

Wildcat - Combat of Skyrim SPID by BrokenDeer
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115689
"Wildcat uses a cloak spell to distribute spells to NPCs. This patch updates the mod to use SPID instead. Optional file prevents the Wildcat config spell from being added."

The old cat has been using Wildcat since it's original released in oldrim. This was always one of Enai's best. And now updated to use SPID instead of a cloaking spell. This should be used in a new game as it does change how the effects are distributed. This will be in the old cat's next build, Dled to endorse. Wildcat is still getting regular updates (Last was in January of this year) Ah'vrie will give this 2 cookies but he is partial to the mod.

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

Goooooood Morning Tamriel! amriel riel el l...

It would seem Ah'vrie is greeting an empty room. That will make cleaning the floors a little easier. It is Turdas the 4th of Rain's Hand, and a very quiet predawn here on warm sands. The blessed moons have set, and it is once again time for this one to tend the inn for our most honored guests. Time to stoke the fires and put fresh water to the boil.

Our brew of the day is Miami espresso, and the biscuits are classic Fig Newtons. Checking the hot sheets we have 47 new with all the usual jiggles, dangles, patches and goofs we've come to expect. Let us see what catches the eye of an old cat over a fresh cuppa this day...

SpiralFX released Ambient Malukah SE
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115781
"Adds Malukah's covers of Skyrim's bard songs to the game, such that they will randomly play at certain times and locations."

The old cat loves Malukah's covers so this was an instant DL for old cats, however she has pushed back on her use of the extended version of Dragonborn Comes in the past, so permissions do come into question. Grab this quick if you're a fan.

Sez1a released 2 cheats and a fix today. These are their first non translation mods. welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... user+files
Op stealth ring, OP strength ring, and a fix for items enchanted to increase pickpocketing to properly apply the buff. This one must be planning a thief playthrough. Why not.

Purples Idgrod Ravencrone Replacer
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115819
"A visual overhaul for the Jarl of Morthal Idgrod Ravencrone." She looks a little too young to fit her voice. Remarkably well preserved is the phrase that comes to mind. Nicely sculpted and a few wrinkles, Definitely fits in better with the age of her daughter and son, but still looks a little too young. Worth a look, thanks.

We'll finish up today with yet another player home... not a recommendation though

Scholar's Retreat No Load Door Home With Library by Elfiemyrtle3
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115759
"A home in the Rift for a scholar, with a large library. No load doors."

Requires General Stores, a mid size player home. Forget followers as the author was not able to navmesh. The old cat thinks this one got in way over their heads. Lots of scripted interactions, custom assets... etc. And it is a nice location which required dropping ruined fort stonework bridging two hills to have a location to place the house. That is also why navmesh issues were almost guaranteed from the start.

It's an interesting house for a mage / scholar / book collector. Hopefully the author will decide to place the house somewhere it can be navmeshed properly. No support for followers, spouses, or children obviously. It has promise, but needs a proper location.

And that will do for today. The fires are stoked, the kettles scrubbed, and the floors are swept. Try not to wake the old cat gently snoring in the corner. We-B-Open!

Gooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Loredas the 6th of Rain's Hand and a peaceful predawn here on warm sands. Wage slaves rejoice, the weekend has arrived. The blessed moons wane through the final crescents tonight and will be gibbous tomorrow. As expected the hunters have already begun to celebrate. 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. Ah'vrie likes to begin the weekend with happy fires, and a happy fire needs to breathe. You may wish to cover your tankards for a bit. This can get a tad dusty... There, much better no? A happy fire warms more than the room as Ah'vrie's mother liked to say. Now to compost the ash, scrub the kettles, see what's ready to harvest in the garden, and plan today's menu. The life of an innkeeper is glamorous is it not? But first, let's put some fresh water to the boil. Ah'vrie needs his coffee yes he does.

Our brew of the day is Tamuka mu Zimbabwe, and the biscuits are apricot raspberry Verona.
Checking the hot sheets we have 70 new with all the jiggles, dangles, accessories, patches, goofs and pointy sticks we've come to love. Let's see what catches the eye of an old cat over a fresh cuppa this morning... To be honest, there are a few worth a glance, but nothing mod of the day worthy. Still...

FunGuyScott2 released Serana's Skeleton Friend
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115942
The pet deathhound wasn't enough? Oookay... thanks?

c0c0c0 released Dynamic Autosorting System - QuickStash Disable Patch
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115949
"This is a very basic patch for the terrific Dynamic Autosorting System (DAS) that disables the "QuickStash" feature upon opening the sorting chest." A similar patch exists for the sorting system of LOTD as well. Useful, thanks

BigOleHappyMonkey released Less Coin More Nuggies - Immersive Loot Overhaul
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115947
"This mod overhauls loot lists to have fewer Septims and more items like gold/silver nuggets, gems, and lore-friendly clutter & trade-goods." Honestly Skyrim all to quickly lines your pockets with septims as you explore. This could be an interesting alternative to scarcity mods, but some of the loot looks almost too valuable... but then that's what makes searching for it fun. Have a cookie

TheLovelyServine released 3 today. shield, wrist iron, and satchel crafting recipies
https://www.nexusmods.com/users/1108107 ... files&BH=0
Thanks, good early game crafting. Have a cookie

Blinkour2 released Mammoth 2K-4K
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115973
Not much better than vanilla to an old cat's eye, but thanks. Keep working at your craft...

Suinier released Winterhold - Smelt Cellar
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115968
"A small addition to the town of Winterhold which provides a brand new blacksmith."
An interesting choice to have a farmhouse / shop with the crafting in the basement, but Winterhold is cold... The house should have had a BIG chimney though. Thanks.

TheLastAkaviri531 released Honor Among Thieves - A Thieves Guild Makeover
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115851
"A comprehensive overhaul for the Thieves Guild giving every member a visual makeover . This only touches members in the actual Thieves Guild" Thanks, some of the sculpting is interesting, and we love choice.

Halffaces - Nordic Ruins Pottery
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115926
"Meshes and textures replacer for ruins pots." Why would Nordic pottery all have Native American and Inca petroglyphs? And 390 meg? This one really needs to stop spamming the smooth button in Blender Too many vertices, but thanks

And finally More to do in the Soul Cairn by Betalille
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115962
"Head into the Soul Cairn and try to help three of its inhabitants, if you can. Travel through the five stages of Grief, find the Chapel of Love and help a mage to find a way out, before they face the Ideal Masters' judgement." "This mod contains an updated and revoiced version of the mod Grief. Therefore, you cannot have both in your Skyrim, or they will conflict." Thanks, we like new content as well. Have a cookie

And that will do for today. The Ale is fresh, and the new batch of mead is ready. We'll be serving medallions of roast venison with a savory marinade on a bed of crispy diced potatoes and caramelized onions, topped with a poached egg for the early meal. Ale braised Sabercat with twice baked garlic potatoes and sauteed carrots for the late meal, and a good hearty dragon stew to chase away the chill for those who want something a little more filling.

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 Amriel riel...

Nice Echo, Brings new meaning to the phrase hear yourself think. It is Sundas the 7th of Rain's Hand and a very quiet predawn at the inn. The blessed moons are gibbous, the hunters are making the most of their extended weekend, and it is time once again for this one to tend the inn for our most honored guests. Excuse please while the fires are stoked and fresh water put to the boil.

Our brew of the day is Inspirazione a Venezia, and the biscuits are Bordeaux. Checking the hot sheets we have 60 new with mostly bimbettes, patches and pointy sticks. Let's see what catches the eye of an old cat over a fresh cuppa...

lordbevan1 released Get More Gold For Firewood as a first SSE mod. Welcome wastelander
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/116051
"increases the amount of gold received for selling firewood from 5 to 25" No accounting for game balance here. Your game your way.

Eremus007's first mod reverts three reasonable USSEP fixes "for fun" No link, but welcome

Zekundus released SkyUI config - Separate Favorites as a first mod. welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/116058
"A simple SkyUI's config tweak which adds 'favorite' as one of the sort options for item inventory, allowing you to separate your favorite gears from non-favorites in item Inventory." Includes patches for Body Slots users, and a choice to default to top or bottom.

Okay... This is a 2 cookie mod. Simple, clean, and ultimately useful to everyone using SkyUI. Instant download, and endorsed. This is the heart of modding

Enneal released Missives - Notes and Announcements
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/116028
"A small addition to Missives to add notices (~90) during important events. Includes announcements, eg. during the Civil War, and other less important messages. The notes don't do anything." An interesting mod to make the missives board a little more immersive. The notes do nothing, but they do make the board feel more dynamic and linked to the game. That, is the definition of immersive. You get a cookie.

Rally's Thrones
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/115859
"Replacer for all wooden Thrones in game. Available in 4K and 2K. No ESP"

What's with the missing arms? two very phallic looking vertical supports with nothing to support. The rest of the throne looks great. Rally is one of the best, but this is a very rare swing and a miss. A pass for old cats.

And finally... Our mod of the day needs in game testing

Cathedral Weathers and Seasons Unofficial Update by Kulharin
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/116019
"My unofficial patch / update for Cathedral Weathers and Seasons that has been updated and relocated from the main page"

Call this a personal edit of god rays and image spaces to better align with this authors ENB Preset for Cathedral Weathers

Soul Spectrum ENB for Cathedral Weathers and JawZ Northern Lights Weather
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... mods/29675

A slightly desaturated, but very realistic preset that leans towards fantasy colors for dawn and dusk, and like to accentuate the god rays... This could be a really nice combination which is why the old cat is flagging it for testing in game.

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 Tirdas the 9th of Rain's Hand and a crisp predawn here on warm sands. The blessed moons are new, and the goddess rests while the hunters drink. Time once again for this one to tend the inn for our most honored guests. Excuse please while the fires are stocked and fresh water is put to the boil.

Our brew of the day is from India, and the biscuits are Toll House. Checking the hot sheets we have 71 new. Mostly jiggles, dangles, patches, and goofs. Let's see what catches the eye of an old cat over a fresh cuppa... definitely a fresh cuppa.

JeSuisLucienLachance released Whiterun Project
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/116250
What is essentially a tiny mod-list edited and combined into a 'megapack' with two plugins, interior and exterior... Frankly the old cat is not thrilled at all, but your game your way.

ImperialAgent1992 released 'Immerse Yourself In A Vibrant Populated Town'
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/116258
Basically adds 7 additional NPCs to populated towns. The fact that a Breton farmer in one of the pics is using Khajiit merchant lines tells this old cat volumes. PASS

MehrunesDagon47 released Enhanced Invisibility - Vanilla Behaviour
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/116255
"Simple tweak that reverses Invisibility and Ethereal Form behaviour back to vanilla in the mod Enhanced Invisibility by PO3, keeping only the fixes."

This one the old cat can get behind. Being able to interact with objects without breaking invisibility is really convenient, but tends to make it much too powerful. Thanks

Clemdiddly released Court Fashions
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/116231
"A collection of open permission clothing and armour, distributed by SPID, to breathe a bit more life into the courts of the Jarls." While the old cat is unsure of some of the clothing choices, the overall effect is undeniable. The old cat always questioned some of the vanilla outfits. (Like Aslfur in farm clothes) This does a nice job of addressing that. You might want to edit an outfit or two, but nicely done. Thanks

FrankBlack released High Quality Ivy for Tree Stumps
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/116248
"A mesh replacer that adds fxckthisworld's High Quality Ivy to the tree stumps you find throughout Skyrim."

The old cat likes the look, but frankly would prefer it if a BOS version placed the ivy on certain stumps rather than all of them. Worth a look.

Halffaces - NobleEndTable03 replacer
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/116183
Vanilla nobleendtable03.nif replacers. Only mesh and textures without ESP.
A bit over the top for the old cat... again, and 64 meg? This is yet again where the old cat would prefer to see this as a BOS source to say replace a pair of the Jarl's end tables, not every table in the game Your game your way

Let's get to the mod of the day... beat the drums and summon the dancers

Infiltration - Quest Expansion by TheOscar0 - JaySerpa
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/114054
"One of the most underwhelming vanilla quests... turned into an epic quest full of player choice. Enjoy!"

As always you'll want to read the whole mod page. This would best be installed in a new game, but as long as you haven't started the quest you should be fine. This includes some of Jay's perfectly spliced lines, but it also includes a new VA doing lines for Brurid.

We'll give this two cookies, and can't wait to see it in my next build... Oh, and BTW, you'll no longer be able to open the gate from outside and not do the quest

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 10th of Rain's Hand and a very quiet predawn at the inn. The blessed moons are waxing through the first crescents as the hunters nurse their hangovers, but for now the moons have set and it is once again time for this 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...

Our brew of the day is Capetown Lungo, and the biscuits are oatmeal raisin. Checking the hot sheets we have 43 new with all the usual suspects. Lets see what catches the eye today over a fresh cuppa or two.

darckboy111 released Better Horses For real as a first mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/116325
"Tired of spending 1000 gold for a lame horse? You're on the right page then. My horses are fast, agile, healthy and non hostile"

That's a good summary, but no actual information given. The author recommends loading this below mods like CH or IH, but CH allows for everything offered in this mod with the possible exception of tighter turning radius. Needs testing in game, but might be a viable replacer for CH in the vanilla game. Thanks

modrunner2020 released Better Goat Hides
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/116294
"One goat hide, one leather. No more wasted goat hides" Thanks, nice tweak, but the argument is false. Goats are not the same size as wolves. Just offer the tweak LOL

IKentaI released Nordic towers UV tweaks
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/116300
'Simple UV tweaks of the Nord towers walls'

It never fails to amaze me how a simple correction can make such a monumental difference. The tower wall stones have always looked bad. Huge, stretched and just plain ugly even with a quality retex. Correcting the UV maps completely corrects that even in the vanilla game, and looks great with a retex. A decade later and the old cat is still learning. This is a 2 cookie mod and an instant download.

Suinier released Flora Additions - Waterplants
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/116324
"Adds Water Lilies and Duckweed to select water areas." Inspired by Waterplants by Halifax0815, and making use of some of the new assets in the "_ResourcePack.esl" file from the 1.6.1130 update, this mod places smaller water lilies, and duckweed in select locations as a stand alone mod. The old cat prefers this look over the giant lilies in Waterplants. This will be in the old cat's next build for certain. Have a cookie.

runesentinel released Keepers of the Soul Cairn
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/116302
"Gives a new, unique model to the Soul Cairn's three Boneyard Keepers. ESL flagged and safe to use on both SE and AE." Thanks, we love choice

And finally Socalista released Regional Merchants - Stalls of Skyrim
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/116343
"Adds 23 new merchant stalls to the game, integrating local economies, clothing styles, mod-added clothing, and some mod-added light armor. 10 new clothing merchants, one in each hold. 13 new local merchants, one in each town or village." If you also use Skypatcher it will integrate up to 95 mod added clothes to the stalls, but it's not required.

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 11th of Rain's Hand and a quiet predawn at the inn. The blessed 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 Inspirazione a Napoli, and the biscuits are almond biscotti. Checking the hot sheets we have 42 new with lot's of jiggles and patches. Let's see what catches the eye over a fresh cuppa or two.

danielvt released Modern Toggle Walk-Run Fix 1.6.1130 and newer as a second mod.
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/116439
"Modern Toggle Walk-Run Fix for 1.6.1130+" Thanks.

GiraPomba released Dynamic Crafting Animations
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/116422
"Utilizing SkyUI, Open Animation Replacer and Immersive Equipment Displays, this mod will add new animations when using Grindstones, Workbenches or Arcane Enchanters." As well as adding ingredients to the cook pot and planting. SkyUI is a hard requirement along with IED to display the correct item you're working on.

It definitely adds to the feel of crafting, Worth watching the video. In truth the old cat plays in first person and probably wouldn't bother, but thanks.

FrankBlack released Fluffy Beds for Rally's Common and Upper Class Furniture
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/116094
"A mesh replacer that adds shell texturing to the beds in Rally's Common and Upper furniture overhauls." Thanks

That fusa fusa shell crap just looks blurry and gives the old cat headaches, but it's not the old cat's game.

Halffaces - NobleEndTable01 replacer
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/116407
"Vanilla nobleendtable01.nif replacers." Glass top and more needle point. Not for old cats. Expect the third and the BOS variants mod to follow shortly.

Kanjs - Death Hound Animated
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/116399
"I added remeshes and retextured The Death Hound up to 4K with some animated motion and emissive light."

Lava puppies Not everything needs to glow, and Ah'vrie is not thrilled with the collar... stone? Pass, but thanks. We like choice.

HeraclesJones released Intimate Inns
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/116395
"A minimal and more evocative lighting rework of the smaller inns of Skyrim." Evidently it doesn't play nice with interior overhauls. This was intended for the vanilla inns. Also the color of the directional lighting in the images seems off, but that could be the ENB used in the pics. Only covers the smaller inns. Thanks

And finally what will pass for today's mod of the day... Sound the trumpets

Enhanced Lighting for ENB (ELE) Refurbished by Kulharin
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/116405
"Enhanced Lighting for ENB (ELE) is no longer available on Nexus; however, I was given permission by TechAngel and --JawZ-- to release my modified version of it."

Now that's worth a cookie or two and the top slot today. The return of ELE, however this is a modified version with directional lighting disabled. ("Skyrim interiors look weird and nonsensical with directional lighting")

So the old cat's favorite pairing of ELE and Relighting Skyrim is now officially available again. and the pic look good. Seriously worth a look. Happy kitty dance

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 12th of Rain's Hand 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.

Out brew of the day is from India, and the biscuits will be oatmeal cranberry in a little while. The ovens are still preheating. There's nothing quite like biscuits fresh from the oven. Checking the hot sheets we have 59 new With lots of jiggles and patches. Let's see what catches an old cat's eye over a fresh cuppa...

A quick shout out to bientje for releasing Enable and Disable References Script
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/116478
"Helpful script for modders to Enable and/or Disable any reference in the game using regular conditions in an .esp file." The scripting is already done. This allows mod authors to place X-markers that will react to specific conditions in game by attaching this script and setting the conditions in either xEdit or the CK. Thanks.

skytechman and CultCC both released new widget mods. Not an old cat's cuppa but...
https://www.nexusmods.com/users/20490784?BH=0
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/116489

larphoid released Missing In Action - a way to free Thorald from Thalmor custody
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/116505
"Added the possibility to "Find a way to free Thorald from Thalmor custody", without the need for combat." Either by becoming an Imperial, or stealing a full set of Imperial armor.

We like choice, Stealing the armor as a disguise is an interesting option. However actually joining the army for this purpose would be beyond silly. Keep working at your craft...

LeucisticDinosaur released two today
https://www.nexusmods.com/users/6354756 ... files&BH=0
Opaque Diseases: Not immediately noticeable, and slowly get worse
Nondescript Needs - Survival: adds buffs for drinking, eating, sleeping, and keeping warm, and debuffs for ignoring those needs for too long.

Simple needs and diseases without tedium? Worth a look, and a cookie, but needs testing

Pieter82 released Imperial Wall Torch
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/116391
"Mesh replacer for the "permanent wall torch". Mesh replacer only, no Plugin / ESP."

The old cat's not thrilled with this one. The metal work is too ornate, and the torch appears to be floating. Interesting, but pass.

And finally, we do have a mod f the day, but it's more for authors than users, however you can expect to see this in use by other mods... It's a really interesting framework

Alchemy of Time - An Item Transformation Framework by Quantumyilmaz
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/113695
"Items transform over time. You decide what/when/how. No esp/scripts. Install/Update/Uninstall whenever."

You'll want to watch the video for a sense of what this does. The video also showcases the authors "Containerize" mod from January if anyone is interested as well. This could end up being a solid 2 cookie mod, but by itself does nothing. We'll see who adopts it, there seems to be some interest.

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!