I've never played Skyrim but now I'm thinking I'll give it a go on my PC over the summer.
Thing is I'm not quite sure of how best to do it... there seem to be different editions and a host of mods for it... from what little I've read it seems like the game was pretty buggy and was dropped before a lot of those were addressed, but that fan mods go a long ways toward fixing it.
So which edition would I want and is there a recommended set of mods to get the basic game running fairly smooth?

Quote from: Simlasa;901068I've never played Skyrim but now I'm thinking I'll give it a go on my PC over the summer.
Thing is I'm not quite sure of how best to do it... there seem to be different editions and a host of mods for it... from what little I've read it seems like the game was pretty buggy and was dropped before a lot of those were addressed, but that fan mods go a long ways toward fixing it.
So which edition would I want and is there a recommended set of mods to get the basic game running fairly smooth?

Skyrim?

Farewell, Simlasa, it was nice knowing you.

First, a few banalities:

- If you're using latest version with current patches (preferably with DLCs), then it will work just great. All Bethesda's massive sandbox games are crappy and buggy at first, but later become quite stable. Skyrim is no exception.

- Set of mods? I'd advise you to play "vanilla" game first, so that you might see how it looks like by default, and seek some mods later. The best way to approach it is "gee, I'd love to have

• in this game", or "man, I think those guys should be more powerful", and "it doesn't look that great, how about more green foliage and bigger trees?". Chances are somebody already addressed same problem and fixed it. Skyrim Nexus is the best place to seek mods, unless you're fan of chicks with enormous dongs running around butt naked. There are places corresponding with such a taste better.
  
  - There's no "official" basic set of mods. It's very subjective thing.

Quote from: JesterRaiin;901069- If you're using latest version with current patches (preferably with DLCs), then it will work just great.

So, if I just buy it on Steam and download patches it oughtta be good?

QuoteThe best way to approach it is "gee, I'd love to have

• in this game", or "man, I think those guys should be more powerful", and "it doesn't look that great, how about more green foliage and bigger trees?"

Well, one of the reasons I didn't jump on it early on when all my friends were playing is because it looked sooooo gray. I was still playing WOW back then and was used to more color and kitchen sink weirdness. But now Skyrim is appealing to me for it's Runequest-ish qualities... and I've been watching some of Mr. Driscoll's videos about it.

You might want to get a PC User Interface mod. I don't remember if they ever patched it to be better there. It's completely different from the console one (which is isn't bad).

These folk take Skyrim modding very seriously: http://wiki.step-project.com/STEP:2.2.9.2

That site has a guide on how to manage a stable installation of a lot of the more popular mods. I'd recommend getting at least the Unofficial Patches and SkyUI.

If you're new to modding, GophersVids has extensive tutorials about installing and using mods, mainly using the Nexus Mod Manager. The Beginner's Guide might be a bit dated, but the Mod Manager playlist is quite recent.

Quote from: Simlasa;901077So, if I just buy it on Steam and download patches it oughtta be good?

Yes. Bear in mind, that there MIGHT be some problem in spite using patched and updated version, due to specific configuration of your hardware and/or your operating system's general performance & stability. I wouldn't count on that, though.

QuoteWell, one of the reasons I didn't jump on it early on when all my friends were playing is because it looked sooooo gray. I was still playing WOW back then and was used to more color and kitchen sink weirdness. But now Skyrim is appealing to me for it's Runequest-ish qualities... and I've been watching some of Mr. Driscoll's videos about it.

I have been using SKYRIM HD Textures since, well, since always. This mod alone is enough to change Skyrim's looks. There's also a separate section of "mods", or rather configurations for very specific mod/tool called ENB. It changes no aspect of the game itself, but works like a, mmmmmm, a filter between the game itself and, ummmmm, your monitor. You might want to call it an additional post-processing tool (if you prefer lingo). Usually you need to install ENB itself first, then apply new preset to get the effect, or tweak ENB yourself to your liking (it features in-game configuration tool, or you can edit simple text files).

There are dozens of fanmade presets. For example, True Seasons ENB or more saturated OPTIMUS ENB might interest you.

Still, once again: spend a few hours playing vanilla Skyrim. Modding takes time and requires some energy and dedication, you might have to reinstall the game a few times, it's also reasonable to begin new game each time you introduce some new mods, and at some point you might be forced to use tools that fix tools dedicated to the single purpose of fixing mods (that are supposed to fix the game itself).

I had almost one year of in-game time under my belt before I began to mod it.

OK, thanks for all the info guys.
I'll follow Jester's advice and give it a try straight, just to see if I care enough to bother doing more.

Please post your thoughts after trying it out. I've almost pulled the trigger on Skyrim, but the early reviews kept me away.

The dull, washed out colour palette has been discouraging me, and I only game on consoles so there's no fix for that.

Quote from: daniel_ream;901158The dull, washed out colour palette has been discouraging me, and I only game on consoles so there's no fix for that.

Which console?

I know people have been using HD Textures on PS3 and there are threads about how to convert PC textures to XBOX mods... Didn't test it myself, though.

Quote from: Simlasa;901128just to see if I care enough to bother doing more.

Word of advice: skip the main storyline for the time being, don't worry about the bigger picture. Visit Whiterun and get a hut there, try to reach the capital city, enjoy the scenery...

I think that Bethesda's open world massive titles are more "world simulators" than "games". Great deal of fun comes from finding your own place in the setting, developing some "role" and playing it (for example: fantasy equivalent of Batman), rather than seeking predefined quests and fulfilling them.

Real Men don't do your pansy-ass "mods" and play it neat, as God and Bethesda intended. What's next, watering down good whiskey with goddamn ice?

On a serious note, this thread makes me want to take back my Skyrim game, which I never finished. I stopped just after meeting the dragon-shouting monk types. Alas, so many games and so little time.

Quote from: The Butcher;901217Alas, so many games and so little time.

By Crom, real men don't need no stinkin' sleep!

Other than the "Unofficial X Patch" mods, one thing I highly recommend is mods that remove levelling from magic items.

Magic item levelling is retarded and the spawn of Satan. If you're smart, adventurous or just lucky and manage to acquire one of numerous unique items relatively early on while you're still low-ish level, you get punished and get a weakened version of it, because you're not supposed to be too powerful.

It's bullshit and you should mod it out.