The Elder Scrolls: The XVII Princes of Oblivion

[Resileaf]

Mai'q: A janitor. Likes to quote obscure proverbs and refuses to elaborate on their meaning.

Also occasionally makes a world-shattering remark that has everyone questionning their existence or hints at a deeply hidden company secret that would make it go under if it was ever found out, but again, he never elaborates and management just ignores him hoping that he'll continue like that.

[Eldan]

Man, this is getting Kirkbridian. We're this close to Tal-OS.

[Kareeah_Indaga]

Sai: Who?

Sai is the stray someone found in the parking lot and brought inside. Mara in particular considers him to be something of an office mascot.

[Fyraltari]

Guys, we forgot about Y'ffre.

[Kareeah_Indaga]

Guys, we forgot about Y'ffre.

Y’ffre is the one who never goes out to eat with the rest of the team and never touches the food other people bring in because it’s ‘not a cheat day.’

[Eldan]

Mainly talks about how he runs marathons in his spare time. Bikes to work. Has six potted plants on his desk.

[Misery Esquire]

Ah, there's also;

Alduin : Akatosh's vandal son. Spends his time making torrents and DDOSing people. Tries to lord it over the employees, but because he doesn't work there (yet) he's usually shown the door. Calls workers "wage-slaves".

Leki : An employee that was master of leaving conversations without you noticing. Ended up with her own break room/office because she showed up with an "authentic 1000 year old katana" and threatened everyone into working harder until management thought it was hilarious and gave her a supervisor job.

Miraak : Thought he was as cool as Mannimarco and could cheat his way into a position - wasn't. Thought he could pretend to be friends with Alduin long enough to get into management - couldn't. Got banished to the mail room where Hermaeus Mora makes him sort his manga & Marvel collections.

Mane : Dude knows where to get the stuff, alright? Plus he's besties with M'aiq. Seems to have a few hundred relatives that are always visiting. Apparently is actually a vicar that just needed another job.

[Fyraltari]

I just learned (two months late) that it turns out the name "Redfall" won't have anything to do with The Elder Scrolls VI bit is in fact a new IP, developped by Arkane.

[Eldan]

Eh, they still showed the coast of Hammerfell in that otherwise pointless three second teaser.

[DigoDragon]

One of the best parts about replaying a quest you did maybe just once years ago; remembering how annoying it is to get from Dawnstar to Dagon's shrine, somehow overshooting it to find yourself in Labyrinthium(sp), and then ending up in Morthal to warm up because you almost froze to death thanks to the Frost fall mod. XD

Next time I'm just going to summon my physics breaking horse and brute force climb the mountain.

Just broke 100 exhibits in Legacy of the Dragonborn.

[veti]

In an effort to add a bit more - well, effort - to Skyrim, I've been experimenting with the 'Genesis' mod. It works well enough at adding bandits to bandit lairs, but it's a bit hit-and-miss with everything else.

I just worked my way through Kilkreath Temple. The mod had added a few bandits to the early stages, which (as well as being lore-stupid) was a bit of an own goal as they had been fighting the native shades. But the true stupid didn't set in until the end, when I snuck my way into Malkoran's inner sanctum and found...

What I had expected was that he would be surrounded by dozens of corrupted shades, and he was. But what I wasn't expecting was half a dozen Malkorans. They all had his face, his robes - and his level and spells. You remember how tough one Malkoran can be? - well, imagine that times six. (Quite a bit worse, in fact, because being a necromancer, he strengthens nearby undead - including the shades of his own clones.)

After dying half a dozen times, and filled with the burning curiosity to see just how excessive this encounter was, I toggled on god mode. The ensuing battle gained me one point in Marksmanship, five points in One-handed and five points in Restoration (mostly from offensive spells), and I think there were a few light armour increases in there as well. So... yeah. I don't think Genesis has struck its balance quite right.

[DigoDragon]

Up to 223 exhibits in the museum now. I gotta say, getting stuff to put on display is actually fun. Before I'd just have these artifacts sitting in boxes in whatever my player home is, but now having them on display gives them at least a visual purpose.

The library still gives me a little bit of a fight, because it seems like the sorter won't put the special books/series on the lower displays or cases, just sorts it all in the upper general section. I think I figured out the other display sorters.

Now I have to go install a mod so I can move the family into the safehouse. Didn't know there was an extra step there!

[Kareeah_Indaga]

What are peoples’ thoughts on survival mode in ES6? Want it, don’t want it? I’ve never done survival mods as I didn’t think it would be something I would enjoy, but I had loads of fun in Subnautica and now I’m wondering if I’ve been missing out.

[veti]

What are peoples’ thoughts on survival mode in ES6? Want it, don’t want it? I’ve never done survival mods as I didn’t think it would be something I would enjoy, but I had loads of fun in Subnautica and now I’m wondering if I’ve been missing out.

I've experimented with Frostfall in Skyrim, and not found it adding anything I enjoy. I'll probably try the creation club version, once, when I get the anniversary edition, just to see if that's more to my liking.

I like the idea of survival, but I've yet to find an implementation that I actually enjoy. It may be something that needs to be baked in to the game from the outset and can't be simply bolted on after the event.

[factotum]

Assuming we're talking a survival mode similar to FO4, some changes (e.g. no fast travel, only being able to save at a bed you own) I'm OK with, some I'm meh about (having to eat and drink to stay alive is just pointless busywork in a game, IMHO) and some are just plain broken (significant chance of getting ill every time I sleep? Hard pass on that one).

[Rynjin]

I kinda hate FO4's Survival mode, particularly the way it limits saves. No game that Bethesda has EVER released is stable enough for that to be viable.

[LibraryOgre]

Assuming we're talking a survival mode similar to FO4, some changes (e.g. no fast travel, only being able to save at a bed you own) I'm OK with, some I'm meh about (having to eat and drink to stay alive is just pointless busywork in a game, IMHO) and some are just plain broken (significant chance of getting ill every time I sleep? Hard pass on that one).

Having to eat and drink would be an inventory management boon to me. "Why do I have 134 bottles of Nuka Cola? And haven't even done Nuka World?"

[DigoDragon]

I've experimented with Frostfall in Skyrim, and not found it adding anything I enjoy.

I use Frost fall, but I tweaked mine to just be strictly bonuses for being warm and penalties for freezing. That way I have incentive to stay warm but I don't die if I spend a little too long shopping outside my modded Winterhold. ;)


Edit. My museum is up to 297 exhibits! I am loving this Legacy of the Dragonborn mod.

[Kareeah_Indaga]

I kinda hate FO4's Survival mode, particularly the way it limits saves. No game that Bethesda has EVER released is stable enough for that to be viable.

Haven’t played FO4 but I’m going to second this anyway. Subnautica hardmode was already problematic for me, I ended up losing more progress to game crashes than I did actual deaths thanks to the ‘no save unless you quit the game’ aspect of hardmode. And the ES games generally have more going on.

I use Frost fall, but I tweaked mine to just be strictly bonuses for being warm and penalties for freezing. That way I have incentive to stay warm but I don't die if I spend a little too long shopping outside my modded Winterhold. ;)

That sounds like a good balance TBH. They already do similarly for rest bonuses.

[Triaxx]

I don't mind the dying, but I set Companion Rescue to 100%.

As for F4, I've only had 2 crashes in 500+ hours of the game. I can occasionally get two crashes getting to the main menu in FNV.

[Vinyadan]

I have been replaying Morrowind. There's a lot of new (for me) mods, and they're really good.

The roleplaying mod in particular lets you just be some guy instead of the Nerevarine, starting in any city, and it's great for old players that want a different experience from the get-go. https://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/49389

Then there is "Beautiful cities of Morrowind", which is a very lore-friendly overhaul of the various towns. It's subtle, they look better, but they still look like themselves. Plus, it contains a million optional compatibility patches. https://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/49231

I also modded combat. I used a mod that lets 100% of hits connect and instead uses weapon skills for damage, adding special characteristics for each weapon class (e.g. axes cause bleeding). It speeds up combat a lot, avoiding the early, exhausting duels against harmless critters. https://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/46993 Dangerous enemies are still dangerous, however!

At this point, though, combat was too efficient, which left spellcasting in the shadows, so I modded it, too.

First, I created a mod that removes spell failure (if someone wants it, I can upload and link it; it's lua, and works with MWSE).

Then, to retain the original balance (and leave a use for magical skills), I tried to create a mod that used a cost formula of

cost = original cost * (100/magic skill)

The idea was that you would still pay the same overall amount of Magika per successful casting, without wasting your time with actual spell failure.

However, I didn't manage to pull it off. So instead I installed a mod that increases your magicka based on your total magic skills. In addition, skills gradually decrease casting cost, reaching 50% at 100. https://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/45058 It also does other adjustments, and it's very customisable.

To balance the added magicka with the lack of spell failure, I created a simple mod that doubles spell cost for all magical effects (except feather, which I brought to Oblivion levels). This, however, makes enchanting even more demanding, so I installed a mod to improve enchantment balance. https://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/44420

Right now, I am very happy with the experience. No more ordeals of swing&misses; all spells get cast; there is still a sense of progression; feather and enchanting are now usable; and, thanks to the Code Patch, I can cast on the fly like in Oblivion, but have all the customisability of Morrowind magic. I also kept no magicka regeneration, because I didn't like how it slowed down fights in Oblivion, causing kiting and pillar dancing: now it's either drink a potion, or find an alternative. Actually, knowing that spells are reliable and usable has led me to consume quite a lot of potions, compared to the past...

[veti]

First, I created a mod that removes spell failure (if someone wants it, I can upload and link it; it's lua, and works with MWSE).

Then, to retain the original balance (and leave a use for magical skills), I tried to create a mod that used a cost formula of

cost = original cost * (100/magic skill)

The idea was that you would still pay the same overall amount of Magika per successful casting, without wasting your time with actual spell failure.

The spell failure chance is more complicated than that. It takes into account the spell difficulty (higher-cost spells are more likely to fail), your willpower stat, and your current fatigue level, as well as your skill. My experience is that once my skill level is up to 40-45, as long as my fatigue is full, spell failure for common stuff (like Intervention, Mark, Recall, Healing) becomes pretty rare - one attempt in ten, maybe.

[Vinyadan]

The spell failure chance is more complicated than that. It takes into account the spell difficulty (higher-cost spells are more likely to fail), your willpower stat, and your current fatigue level, as well as your skill. My experience is that once my skill level is up to 40-45, as long as my fatigue is full, spell failure for common stuff (like Intervention, Mark, Recall, Healing) becomes pretty rare - one attempt in ten, maybe.

You're right, of course: the formula I wanted was cost = original cost * (100 / castChance). So for example a 6 points spell at 46% chance would cost 13 points.

Unfortunately, I don't know how to implement it. I tried doing it using as a model a mod that I later found out doesn't even seem to work any more, and I find esp mods unreadable (I can't just do like with text files and compare original and mod).

Also, the existing mods that reduce casting cost based on skill actually make you cast at full cost and then give you back some magicka. This means that, with such a mod, you cannot cast a spell whose original cost you can't cover. Using them as a model for increased cost, the cost increase would also need to be calculated separately. SO the formula would be something like increase = (original cost * 100 / castchance) - original cost, and then cost = increase + original cost. I'm not sure of what would happen, if such a mod were installed and you cast a spell whose original cost you can cover, but not the cost increase.

[Laughing Dog]

So I've been having a bit of fun with the Relics of Hyrule mod for Skyrim. For what started out as basically a collection of weapons and armor mods, it has turned into full-sized DLC mod. It is only mildly lore-breaking; which when you consider that this is a crossover with the Legend of Zelda, that is a minor feat in and of it self.

Spoiler: Quick Plot synopsis

Show

Basically, during the Mythic Era, Hyrule and surrounding countries were part of the previous worlds that got smooshed into becoming Nirn/Tamriel. Crap happens; millennia later, items from the past start showing up again.

What it is: Basically, a shipload (or three) of weapons and armors. It also has a large number of new monsters, a fair few new dungeons (at least 10 full-sized{plus however many you want to count it's end-game dungeon(s?) as}), fairly clever level designs, a few bosses you might want to be at a higher-level than you you're currently at, a handful of merchants, a museum of it's own (not connected to Legacy of the Dragonborn {actually might need a patch to prevent conflicts?}), a good chunk of reading, guide-dang-it galore, new magic, a few new followers, and I think that's it?

What it is not: The Legend of Zelda, the Dragonborn of Destiny. It isn't a remake of a Zelda game using the Skyrim engine. It also does not mod in Link¹, Ganondorf¹, Ganon¹, or Zelda¹ into the game. It does not add in new quests², or new dialogue. It is pc only, primarily because the mod author has no desire to get into a cage match with Nintendo³.

1. Aside from mentions
2. Other than unmarked finding of the various scattered items, and occasional-what-the-heck-happened-here-s.
3. I'm paraphrasing, of course.

Recommendations: Play an Argonian, there's a lot of under water exploration.
Related question: Are there any mods that improve underwater visibility?

[Lord Raziere]

oh yeah, I have that Zelda mod. its probably the closest I'll ever come to buying a Zelda game myself after my long ago failed attempt at beating wind-waker. it has no quests, its an entirely an exploration-based mod so to access its content you have to figure it out or know where to go. some of the stuff is in places where your likely to go to anyways but those are breadcrumbs to give you clues to the rest. Once I got real far into exploring with it and discovered the ruins of Hyrule which was its own worldspace, I think? there was nothing really to do there but the fact that I could find it was cool.

[DigoDragon]

Legacy of the Dragonborn has a khajiit spellcaster follower that didn't try to kill me off AND an airship? I love this mod. XD

I think mods that give you a museum to take care of are secretly genius. I never cared about the big player home mods that you can put stuff on display because it didn't really do anything other than for looks. But putting stuff in the museum nets you new quests, companions, interesting new loot donations from patrons... suddenly I am invested in gathering those daedric artifacts and exploring those lesser dungeons.

[Spore]

Legacy of the Dragonborn has a khajiit spellcaster follower that didn't try to kill me off AND an airship? I love this mod. XD

To bring topic back to Jhzargo for a hot minute here; am I the only one that kinda respects his hustle? I assume he is the only one with his head screwed on tight in this so-called "college", other than the dealer guy.

9 times out of 10, I should not be the candidate for archmage, and by all means he is the most powerful sorcerer in all of Skyrim assuming max level scaling is concerned, but by that logic, Hold guards are the most powerful warriors in all of the game too. But he possesses sheer raw talent in story too, but his side quest is very inconsequential. It would be a great budding rivalry until you are almost archmage, but you need to defeat him in a last test of power (after you have shown skill by uncovering the Eye of Magnus and magery by controlling it).

Imagine the frustration of having been overlooked for years by your teachers only for them to throw themselves at the guy with the figurative health bar above his head. I can get behind that ire.

oh yeah, I have that Zelda mod. its probably the closest I'll ever come to buying a Zelda game myself after my long ago failed attempt at beating wind-waker.

If you are after a somewhat budget Zelda experience, try to get an older used Switch with Breath of the Wild after the oLED Switch rolls out. If you love Skyrim, and you like Zelda, BotW is a no-brainer for you.

[Lord Raziere]

If you are after a somewhat budget Zelda experience, try to get an older used Switch with Breath of the Wild after the oLED Switch rolls out. If you love Skyrim, and you like Zelda, BotW is a no-brainer for you.

Not really.

The reason I like Skyrim is because I can customize my character and grab a bunch of cool things I can keep to do whatever I want with them.

BotW has a fixed character- Link. so that whole character customization thing is gone. while I can't really keep anything because all the drops will break.

There is no reason for me to play Breath of the Wild. I'd rather go for trying Majora's Mask because its more of time loop thing than an open world thing and I never got far on it when I was young even though my brother beat it. its the same reason why despite my brother recommending Witcher 3 and trying it out I didn't really get far, because I'm just not interested in Geralt, when I want an open world experience I like who my character IS being just as open as the world, which has become rarer as of late unfortunately.

[Spore]

Every once in a while someone should try something they "know" they wouldn't like just to test if it is still true.

On a less truism-heavy way of argumenting: You will miss out on so many cool stories if you always just pick games where your character is exchangable because there are always many caveats that come with their interaction with the environment.

[Lord Raziere]

Every once in a while someone should try something they "know" they wouldn't like just to test if it is still true.

On a less truism-heavy way of argumenting: You will miss out on so many cool stories if you always just pick games where your character is exchangable because there are always many caveats that come with their interaction with the environment.

1. There are some fixed character stories that I'm willing to pick the game for yes, but the story has to be incredibly good for me to bother. like we're talking top tier stuff here, enough to make me want to experience it directly first. There is a lot of media to sift through, and I have to filter out a lot of things to get to the gems.

2. Otherwise, I don't need to. For everything else, if I'm interested but not willing or able to pick up the game I can watch a lets play instead and miss nothing if there is a fixed story. If the game is so good it will persuade me to get it at some point even when I know the story, because it will make me willing to experience it again but with my own efforts behind it. While watching a streamer experience a game a bit day one can be informative about whether its even worth purchasing yet, like the buggy mess that was Cyberpunk 2077.

3. Meanwhile a game with a customizable character, branching dialogue options and whatnot- that makes sure I play the game over just watching it. Because those are MY choices being made, rather than someone's choices which I have no control over. After all, if its the story I make, then its not the story that is being made by someone else, and while story wise watching someone else play a fixed story is largely the same experience as playing it yourself- a story with a customizable character and agency in what choices picked is an entirely different one, I find. sure I don't exactly experience the gameplay, but that is entirely different desire which has nothing to do with my desire for stories, fixed or mutable.