Modding on the Spectrum

Gooooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Loredas the 17th of Second Seed and a quiet dawn here on warm sands. The blessed moons have long set, and the sun is just coloring the eastern skies. Wage slaves rejoice the weekend has arrived and it is once again time for Ah'vrie to tend the inn for our most honored guests. Excuse please while the ash pits are emptied and the fires are rebuilt. You may want to cover your tankards as this gets a bit dusty... There, much better no? Ah'vrie Always likes to start the weekend with happy fires. They warm more than the room as his mother liked to say. Now to compost this ash, and see what's ready to harvest in the garden, scrub the kettles, and put fresh water to the boil. Ah'vrie needs his coffee yes he does...

Our brew of the day is from Indonesia, and the biscuits are Tate's chocolate chip. Checking the hot sheets we have 51 new with all the usual jiggles, dangles, patches and cheats. Let's see what catches the eye of an old cat over a fresh cuppa or two. Hint... not much

Manhattan1 released 4 first mods today. Welcome
https://next.nexusmods.com/profile/Manh ... ameId=1704
Interesting author. All four mods are short stories in the form of notes left for you to discover during your journeys. Hopefully there will be an all in one when they are finished. Ah'vrie quite likes the idea, but not at the cost of multiple plugins.

Drakas900 released God Tier Enchantment of Making
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/126884
Ah'vrie remembers this author oddly enough. They published a map that marked virtually every vanilla ore vein 7 years ago, 3 years ago they made a set of very OP dragon scale armor, and today they return another noob cheat. Ah'vrie thinks this one should actually learn to play the game yes he does.

PunchyLaRue released 2 today
https://next.nexusmods.com/profile/Punc ... ameId=1704
A hearthfires material buff that allows you to finish the small footprint house. Reasonable
And Easier Ebony Blade: cuts the number of friendly NPCs you need to murder in half.

Let's see... RouNeo released Stendarr's Hammer belongs to Calcelmo
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/126939
A tiny patch so you actually have to steal the hammer. Thanks

Andyross1962 released Open Hatch Cargo Ship Meshes
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/126873
"Two Cyrodiil Cargo Ship models with the cargo hatches open and detailed hold."
Thanks, this is a modders resource for the beyond Skyrim team, not a usable mod, but hey it's a slow day

And finally Salmon Retex - Fins Patch by FrankBlack
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/126945
"A small texture and mesh edit that fixes the odd rectangular rear fin on the salmon you find hanging around Skyrim." Obviously for vanilla fish. Talk about picking nits LOL.

And that will do for today. The ale is fresh, and the new batch of mead is ready. We're serving mudcrap scrambles as the early meal, wyrm and chips for the midday meal, and ale braised sabercat for the late meal. As always we'll have a hearty stew simmering all day for those that need something more filling.

The fires are stokes, 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 18th of Second Seed, and the monsoons have finally come to Elsweyr. The blessed moons are gibbous tonight and full tomorrow so keep those silver weapons close. The goddess' crazy puppies will be out making mischief for the next few days. Anyway it's time once again to this one 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 Cadiz from Spain, and the biscuits are Ginger Zingers. Checking the hot sheets we have 44 new mods from all the usual suspects. Let's see what catches the eye of an old cat over a fresh cuppa or two...

L00fahn released two first mods today. Both scar overlays. Welcome
https://next.nexusmods.com/profile/L00f ... ameId=1704

A bit overdone for an old cat's taste, but then again it's what you would expect as a result of wearing bikini armor

PunchyLaRue released three more QOL tweaks this morning.
https://next.nexusmods.com/profile/Punc ... ameId=1704
Geldis Sadri sells food 24/7, Spiced wine gets Survival warmth keywords, and food vendors sell salt... The old cat likes all three. Have a cookie

thesignedpainter released Droppable Black Books and Elder Scrolls
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/118982
"What it says on the tin, you can now drop black books. It is worth mentioning that if you lose the books or scrolls it can completely break quests. I cannot be held responsible for lost items." Thanks, use with caution.

naChooey released Five this morning.
https://next.nexusmods.com/profile/naCh ... ameId=1704
An eclectic group. Seranna as an elf, a reimagining of queen of the damned, and daughter of Coldharbor. and some tweaks for Feris. Thanks

And finally another NPC overhaul. This one from AizenV and covers 791 named NPCs

Exquisite NPC - A Modest NPC Overhaul
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/126970

Tastes are subjective of course. The old cat finds the facial sculpting to be quite well done once you get past the Amazon bodies and bikini armor. Not thrilled with some of the accessories. The download is broken into three parts. The main file, An assett file for those that don't have the prerequisites installed, and finally an outfit add on which provides some of the custom armors seen in the screen shots, but they are not wearable versions, just for the NPCS. If you want the actual armors you'll still need to install the original mods.

Worth a look... We love choice. Have a cookie

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!

Goooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Morndas the 19th of Second Seed and wage slaves lament, the weekend is over. Hide if you can, or work if you must it's Morndas again. It's another sticky predawn here on warm sands. The blessed moons are full tonight, which is always a good excuse to stay inside and lock your doors. Stay safe and keep those silver weapons close. Anyway, it is 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 from Indonesia, and the biscuits are Sweet Loren's lemon. Checking the hot sheets we have 52 new, with plenty of jiggles, dangles, patches and goofs. Let's see what catches the eye of an old cat over a fresh cuppa.

Ghaross41 released Torches of Quality - Brighter. Warmer. Better. as a first mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127060
"This mod extends torch duration, increases light radius and brightness, and updates the light color for a warmer, more immersive glow." Not the first to fix torches by a long shot, but nicely done. Making the price 50 ? Maybe not so nice. Thanks

Anorf released Bikini Mage Standalone Textured as a first mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127073
Exactly what you expect. one or two of the mashups look almost wearable, the rest... Your game your way. Thanks

ZenrenTakeda released Armor Weight Adjustment
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127069
"Similar to my Heavy Armor Weight Adjustment, however, this now changes light armor in addition to heavy armor." Still trying to add a balanced realism to armor weights. Still a work in progress but thanks.

GildyBoye released Etruscan Amphora High Poly Replacer
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127093
A reassembled museum conservation model of a shattered amphora? This one has Etruscan on the brain... it's not enough LOL. Hard pass this one. Keep working at your craft and someday...

And that brings us to our mod of the day, and yes we have one, and it's a first mod.

Freaks Floral Fields - A Cathedral Grass Overhaul by TheBloodyFreak Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/125349
"After many years of work, I am happy to present the most diverse and realistic grass overhaul ever seen. By using the unrivaled assets of Dr. Jacopo’s 3D Grass Library, we deliver an extraordinary experience that faithfully preserves and immortalizes the real-world environments from which Skyrim was inspired."

You're really going to want to look through these pictures. The blending and placement of the grass types were well thought out, and there is an almost fearless use of color. Taste is subjective, and this might not be for everybody, but the work is inspired. Even Preeum and Dr. Jacobo commented.

This is an uncompressed version (initial release) The author will be adding a compressed version, and a seasons version, It absolutely floors an old cat that this is a first mod. 3 cookies and flagged for the old cat's next build... Nicely done!

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

Goooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Tirdas the 20th of Second Seed, and a quiet predawn here on warm sands. The blessed moons are gibbous and begin to wane tonight, but keep those silver weapons close for another day or two. The goddess' crazy puppies can not be trusted. Anyway, it is time once again for Ah'vrie to tend the inn yes it is. Excuse please while the fires are stoked and fresh water is brought to a boil.

Our brew of the day is Inspirazione a Napoli, and the biscuits are Tate's Chocolate chip. Checking the hot sheets we have 43 new mods with all the usual jiggles and such. Let's see what catches the eye of an old cat over a fresh cuppa...

Stocking The Shelves - A Food Delivery Quest by 1000WheelsOfCheese
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127148
"This is a simple scavenger hunt style quest mod. Ma'zaka, the keeper of the solitude lighthouse, is bored of his diet there and would like you to bring him new foods to try. If you find any of the listed items on your adventures, bring them to him for a nice reward."

This is a first mod so welcome to the community. Just a little bit of fun for a dova. Thanks

leostevano released Nordic Stonewalls Complex Parallax Material
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127188
"Complex parallax material support for Nordic Stonewalls." Thanks

Clemus33 released No Icy Marsh
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127162
"This mod removes all traces of ice and associated meshes, replacing them with thawed landscapes." The pictures tell the story, and oddly enough the old cat really likes the look. Nothing against the vanilla look, but this does have the air of a proper wet lands. This one gets a cookie. Tracking

And finally what we'll call our mod of the day. Sound the trumpets

nimwraith released Whispers of the Depths - Quest Mod
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127087
"Whispers of the Depths centres around an Argonian fisherman, Slays-Many-Beasts. Through the four encounters of this mod, he will tell tales of his time at sea, and the various monsters he encountered."

This one is interesting to say the least. The fisherman tells stories, fully voiced by Alex Cain. Tales of daring do... The old cat will be adding this one just to hear the stories and support the voice actor. This one gets a cookie as well.

And that will do for now. 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 21st of Second Seed and a 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. Excuse please while the fires are tended and fresh water is brought to a boil.

Our brew of the day is classic Ristretto, and the biscuits are Sweet Loren's sugar cookies. Checking the hot sheets we have 48 new. Mostly jiggles and patches today. Let's see what catches the old cat's eye over a fresh cuppa or two...

3185139494 released HighWatch villa as a first mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127205
"It's a player's home, located next to Riverwood Town, on the side of the Throat of the World, near White Run" The old cat won't poke too hard on a first mod. It's a mixed up mashup of textures that can't decide if it's a house or a castle, and honestly looks every bit as noobish as you imagine. None of the textures were re-directed so basically there's 8 visible stone types just in the facade. Hard pass but an impressive first effort.

SKYKLFS CASTLE WHITERUN ENHANCER
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127259
"A heavily built up Whiterun Enhancer that means to add a little art into the world of Skyrim" Yeesh, 10 pounds of... Almost as bad as their first version of this mod from over a year ago. Lots of statues that don't fit, tons of clutter that makes no sense... Your game your way. Pass (Oh, and it's all loose files BTW)

Snazzy Interiors - Karthwasten Hall by Gutmaw
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/126770
"Remodel of Karthwasten Hall" Beautifully done as always... The old cat still hates the use of live ivy on a basement wall But very snazzy and worth a look.

let's see... TheShiningAbsol released Boneless Leaps of Faith
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127277
"Leaps of Faith uses Bone Hawks as one of the indicators of a nearby leap. This changes them to regular hawks."

Obviously JaySerpa used bonehawks so the 'observant' Dova would be able to identify the locations. Switching them to standard hawks simply removes the hints. Your game your way. The old cat will stick with Jay

And finally, not a mod of the day... This ones sort of a grey area and has a rushed mod page, so no samples yet. The author promises a video soon...

Amorous Adventures Revoiced Complete by flashgreer
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127289
"Revamp Skyrim romance with AI-enhanced voices. Elevate immersion and passion in your adventures."

"Amorous Adventures Revoiced Complete is the definitive upgrade to Foxfingers' classic mod. Moving beyond the limitations of spliced and reused voice lines, this version employs advanced AI to craft fluid, natural-sounding dialogues. Every romantic encounter feels more genuine, making your in-game relationships more immersive and emotionally satisfying."

This is their forth 're-write' of Amorous adventures. This time Ah'vrie gets the impression it's a completely new set of AI written dialogs, fully voiced with Eleven Labs. While the old cat is not thrilled with the use of Ai generated voice files, he is interested in the actual AI generated dialogs. Unfortunately there's not a single sample to listen to. Tracking for now, but the old cat is almost embarrassed to admit he may install this in his next build just for the chuckles.

And that will do for today. The fires are stoked yada ,yada. We-B-Open!

Goooooood morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Turdas the 22nd of Second Seed, 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 Classic Ristretto, the new shipment of coffees are on the caravan, and should be here tomorrow hopefully. Our biscuits are Tate's lemon cookies. Checking the hot sheets we have 45 new with all the usual suspects. Let's see what catches the old cat's eye over a fresh cuppa or two... make it two, definitely two LOL

Kerdyel released Focus of Dibella as a first mod. Welcome (WIP)
Not link worthy 'yet' The idea is to let you hide/unhide adult mod menus with a lesser power. An interesting first mod... Hopefully they flesh it out.

Eudalus released Skyrim Outbound Shipments
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/126583
"Allows you to complete or progress quests by hiring couriers to deliver quest items or the news of your victories."

Interesting... The old cat likes the idea of being able to actually hire the courier to make quest related deliveries. It will be interesting to see this fleshed out as well. The author already has plans to link it to Missives... This has potential. Have a cookie

mjbabyface released Remove Tree Stumps
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127370
This one is still trying to remove everything LOL. It's funny that they had to add a plugin to add the stump back in that Ralof sits on in Riverwood. I wonder if the author made the ant's invisible as well? It would really be funny to see them walking in thin air

Doux8 released Remove your thistle - BOS
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127304
"I don't like thistle. It's coarse and rough texture and irritating and it gets everywhere." LOL mixing a little real life into the game huh? Your game your way. Thanks for sharing

We'll dive under the surface for the next two

AlexGH91 released More Underwater Treasures - Map Markers
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127244
Adds map markers for their 'More Underwater Treasures' Mod which is a requirement

CML99 released Depths of Skyrim - Marked for Dive
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127343
"Adds map markers to notable underwater locations. Minor tweaks." For the mod Depths of Skyrim (required) Thanks

Sunken treasures await...

And finally... Ahlams Dialogue Restored featuring Nazeem - Cut Content Restoration
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127363
"Restores four cut lines of dialogue for Ahlam, Nazeem's wife, bringing depth to her character and also to Nazeem"

"My dearest Nazeem is a very rich, very important man. His reflection tells him as much every morning."

Only four lines, but a worthy addition. This one gets a cookie, and flagged for my next build. 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 Fredas the 23rd of Second Seed and thank the divines, the weekend is nigh. It's a beautiful predawn here on warm sands. There's nothing like a good monsoon storm to make the world feel new again. But the blessed moons have set and that means it's time for this one to get to work. Excuse please while the fires are stoked and fresh water is brought to a boil...

Our brew of the day is Istanbul espresso, and the biscuits are Ginger zingers. Checking the hot sheets we have 51 new and believe it or not some don't have a cup size. Let's see what catches the eye of an old cat over a fresh cuppa or two.

First a solid shout out to XilaMonstrr for releasing an extremely useful guide from a master. They want to concentrate on new creations for Starfield and Skyrim, and we wish them only the best. (The old cat is already using their Starfield textures )

Texture Alteration Guide - Clean - Optimize - Upscale
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127446
"A guide to altering Skyrim textures by cleaning compression artifacts, upscaling with AI models, and downscaling for performance optimization using chaiNNer and Octagon."

Staying with a similar under the hood theme this morning

gavwhittaker released BENDr
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/121578
"BENDr is a growing library of recalculated normal maps for many popular mods to enhance how Skyrim environments react to light - improving ambient occlusion and object self-shadowing. Downloads for Pfuscher, WiZkiD, Rally, JDAnchor with lots of new mods to be added."

19 different downloads and several videos showcasing the improvements with virtually no performance loss... It make a huge difference to the way parallax textures 'self-shadow' This will only continue to grow, it makes a very noticeable change. This one gets two cookies, tracking for now. This will be included in the old cat's next build, and hopefully even more mods are covered.

shazdeh2 released College of Winterhold's Welcome Gift
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127453
"When you talk to Mirabelle Ervine to get your free robes, she'll also gift you two vouchers, you can then go to Urag (the librarian) and trade them for spells of your choosing. He has a healthy selection of mostly low-level tomes you can choose from.
Masters of stealth may find more of these vouchers up for grabs. "

Now this is a 'cheat' the old cat can sink his fangs into. It works perfectly for a 'little leg up' for a pure mage build in the early game. 2 cookies, instant download to endorse.

Rlordumx released Neutral or Powerful Spriggans - Harmony of Nature
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127390
"Two quick mods i made for myself. One makes spriggans friendly to the player and the other allows them to "swim" and attack you even underwater." An interesting mod in a split personality sort of way... The old cat is partial to them being peaceful unless attacked, but other choice is if you just want tougher combat. Worth a look. tracking for now.

AlexGH91 released two today. More map markers fixed, and underwater treasures Solsteim
https://next.nexusmods.com/profile/Alex ... ameId=1704
This one really likes their map markers LOL

Let's finish up today with a few texture updates / fixes ...

Katariah Ship Stairs Fix by gutmaw
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127434
Fixes both the collision, and material inconsistencies. Thanks...

And finally Skyking Ash Piles and Dust Piles
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127412
"This mod offers new 2k/2k textures for ash piles and dust piles. Featuring larger charred chunks and ash and higher quality details."

There have been several really good retextures for the ash piles over the years. This is one of the better ones, It does look a little like the remains of a camp fire more than the old cat prefers, but compared to vanilla this is a major improvement. Have a cookie.

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!

Gooooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Loredas the 24th of Second Seed and wage slaves rejoice the weekend has arrived. It's another sticky dawn here on warm sands. This one apologizes for being so tardy, his pet smoothskin was up late sailing the blackest seas again. Anyway, it is time once again for Ah'vrie to tend the inn. 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 the weekend with happy fires. Now to compost the ash, tend the garden, scrub the kettles and put fresh water to the boil...

Our brew of the day is Miami espresso, and the biscuits will wait for this one to return from the markets and bake fresh. Checking the hot sheets we have 36 new with all the usual jiggles, dangles, patches, and pointy sticks. Let's see what catches the eye over a fresh cuppa or three.

Sostratus released Scaled Dragonsreach Dungeon Tunnel as a first mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127528
"Many interior cells in Skyrim do not match their exteriors, but one particularly egregious example is the escape hatch from Dragonsreach dungeon. The ladder is very close to being right under the dungeon door on the side of Dragonsreach, and yet it teleports you all the way to the guard barracks in the Plains District behind the Bannered Mare. This stuck out to me as too inaccurate and so I fixed it." See a need fill a need... Have a cookie

lannisterpaomo released Elegy Of The YouCheng as a first mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127529
"This is version V0.1 of a mod that adds a new quest and a custom dungeon.Although the current content is not large, I will continue to develop and update it." Thanks, maybe you should finish it before releasing it ... we'll wait.

MoniiaLx released MODERN WAIT MENU - ASTRAL THEME - VIKING DESIGN. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127488
"This mod aim to re-design the modern wait menu mod made by Fallen01135 with an astral viking design." Not for old cat's, but thanks.

Let's see... Merchants Sell Mage Hoods by lilebonymace
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127489
"In vanilla only the College mages sell mage hoods. This mod adds hoods to other merchants that sell mage robes + fixes that Madena doesn't sell robes." Unfortunately requires skypatcher. Thanks

Rlordumx released two today.
https://next.nexusmods.com/profile/Rlor ... ameId=1704
A cheat to craft AE content with no materials, and a cute Danica. Your game your way. Thanks

Speaking of crafting...

RouNeo released Rare Curios Bolts Expanded - Vanilla-Like Bolt Crafting
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127497
"This mod restores the vanilla crafting for the old and new bolts from Rare Curios Bolts Expanded." They preferred the vanilla crafting recipes, and restored them. Have a cookie

Cangar released RAID Adjustments
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127543
"This is a small adjustment to the Realistic AI Detection (RAID) mod that makes detection a bit more realistic and fixes an issue."

Raid is a tricky mod to tweak, these are subtle changes to detection distances and light threshold levels. The old cat is looking forward to testing this. Ups the difficulty a little from 'lite' but doesn't have the entire dungeon hunting the intruder on the first kill.

This one gets a cookie and an instant download. Needs testing, and Ah'vrie is looking forward to it. Raid is a great mod, and an essential in the old cat's builds.

And finally Unorthodogg AKA Unorthodox378 has released Into the Abyss
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/126269
"A new DLC sized adventure with multiple locations, bosses plus equipment with places and lore inspired by other Elder Scrolls games."

This is their first non 'cut content restored' mod, and it shows. Noobish towers, fleets of dwemer air ships. Each doorway as you descend into the abyss takes you to a new location. Looks very creative to say the least. Needs testing, but have a cookie.

And that will do for today. The ale, is fresh, and the new batch of mead is ready. We're serving mudcrab scrambles for the early meal. Ah'vrie will plan the late meal after returning from the markets. The fires are stoked, yada yada, We-B-Open!

Goooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. It is Sundas the 25th of Second Seed And a lively predawn at the inn. Excuse please while this one tends the fires and brings fresh water to the boil.

Our brew of the day is Capetown Lungo, and the biscuits are Chocolate Chip. Checking the hot sheets we have 51 new from all the usual suspects. Let's see what catches the eye of an old cat over a fresh cuppa or two...

Juggernaunt886 released Soulgem Smelting as a first mod. Welcome.
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127545
Out of metal ingots? Not for old cats, but thanks

idontwhattoputhere released Horses Flee Instead of Fight Enemies (No scripts)
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127586
"Makes horses flee from enemies. Affects all bought horses, wild horses, unicorn, shadowmere, and more. No scripts, no extra bells and whistles." Cowardly vanilla horses, why not? Makes them smarter than the dogs LOL

gemsthetic released Gem's Essential Dawnguard Dogs
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127600
Because they're not as smart as horses LOL, Thanks

Let's see... GeraldMods is still making unmarked locations. Everyone needs a hobby

Unmarked Locations Pack - Blackreach
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127468
"This mod adds new unmarked locations to Blackreach!" Nothing wrong with tripping over new little bits of loot. Thanks

Checking the real estate markets...

WTSunrise630 released Valdr's House
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127597
""You'll always be welcome at my door." Ok but where is that door, man???
Adds a house for Valdr, with a new schedule and some (optional standalone) minor fix."

The old cat has to admit, he likes everything about this mod other then the location... A little bit too close to that Sprigan trap, but nicely done. Have a cookie

KitzMods released Riverwood Revitalized
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127590
"Complete overhaul of Riverwood featuring new architechture, houses, NPCs, and extra details!" Your game your way... interesting aesthetic, but the over sized beams... There are simply no trees in this game large enough to make those curved beams... Worth a look

Daisy's Retreat -by Retrophyx
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127520
"A Ghibli inspired home for you and your followers. Happily located near Whiterun."

LOL, another noobish mashup, that looks more like a town than a house. Very inventive, and worth a look, but maybe cut back on the skooma not for old cats.

And finally, our mod of the day, Beat the drums and summon the dancers!

Crystal Clear Frozen Lakes and Ponds by wizkid34
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127531
"Crystal Clear Frozen Lakes and Ponds uses multi-layer parallax to add real depth to all the frozen ponds and lakes you can find in Skyrim and DLC1 Worldspace"

Playing with survival mods makes swimming in frozen waters uncommon in the old cat's game, but these are really nice ice textures even without the translucent parallax. Definitely read the mod page and check out the videos... Worthy! These will be part of the next Atlantean Landscape Complete AIO update, and the old cat is looking forward to it... Includes patches for Animated ice flows, 2k and 4k 2 cookies

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

Goooooood Morning Tamriel!

Ah'vrie wishes you well. it is Morndas the 26th of Second Seed and a quiet predawn here on warm sands. 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 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 Roma, and the biscuits are Sweet Loren's lemon cookies. Checking the hot sheets we have 43 new mods, with all the jiggles, dangles, pointy sticks and patches we've come to expect. Let's see what catches an old cat's eye over a fresh cuppa or two...

ItsRainmoon released Nature of Fabled Forest as a first mod. Welcome
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127702
"Combine Fabled Forest Pine Tree with Nature of Wildlands Aspen and Reach Tree"

Actually this is a replacement plugin for Nature of the wildlands that tweaks a few tree angles in the reach. The rest is handled by the overwrite. There are evidently some visual issues with the reach trees still. Unfortunately no pics of the issues. Thanks

HybridAvenger69 released Weightless Potions and Poisons
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127675
Another for the pile... Ever heard of Google? thanks

Liseralla released Disable Blood on Ice...
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127688
This one does not like the quest, or the house, so doesn't care what else this breaks. Not recommended, but your game your way. PASS

Lets see, jerok47 released CBPC Collision Config Collection (NSFW)
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127626
"CBPC collision configuration file collection for popular body presets. Currently supports 13 BHUNP, 14 3BA and 8 HIMBO presets." All just edited text files of their preferences based on preset. (with sample videos) Your jiggle your way LOL.

jepster released Footprints - Brighter alternative design
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127684
Jepster took a break from de-cluttering JK's mods. This is a patch for Footprints - Alternative Design that corrects some shadowing issues when using shaders with Complex Parallax support (Dark duplicated shadows) It really does improve the look. Thanks, have a cookie. Tracking

Moving onto the real estate corner...

Suijin's Garden by GildyBoye
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127637
The old cat is all for adding a little zen to the game. Unfortunately this was very poorly done. From the rock work to the massive waterfall flowing uphill from a still pool... Worth a look, but pass. Keep working at your craft and someday...

ImperialWatchman is still turning giant camps into first era ruins...

Watchman's Guldun Rock
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127674
your game your way...

And we'll finish up with an interesting little mod by ItzIvy

Ivy - Riverwood Windmill Apothecary
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127691
"Enhance the quaint village of Riverwood with the addition of a charming, lore-friendly Windmill Apothecary Shop. This shop blends seamlessly with the existing Riverwood architecture, providing a new, immersive location for alchemy enthusiasts."

Allright, Ah'vrie will admit it's cute. It will probably conflict with Leafrest, and honestly The old cat is not thrilled with the location. It also has a second floor 'living area' which makes no sense if the workings of the windmill still exist. (A hidden third floor?) All that aside it is cute LOL. Worth a look.

PhxFuryKnight released an LOS II patch for it. There will be others
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecial ... ods/127707

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!