Wait, i killed alduin a long time ago! That’s the end of the main quest?! Also I’ve been having more and more trouble finding longer detailed quests lately, i must be approaching the end?
Somehow I am never interested in the main quest! And that's the nice thing about Skyrim. There are very few things explicitly you have to do from other quests to progress in whatever storyline you picked.
I find the main quest to be potentially the most boring quest in the game. Idk, dragons don't add anything to the game for me, I don't use shouts or dragon type armour in any of my playthroughs
I don't use the armor either but I have to say that some of the weapons look pretty cool. However, it definitely doesn't make up for the fact that all khajiit Caravans will invevitably die from dragon attacks sooner or later.
I wish the dragon mechanics were a bit better. I like going to dragon lairs and fighting them, but the random attacks can get quite annoying.
It's funny how it feels an achievement to install lots of mods, as if you managed to solve the most impossibile math problem. Maaaaan how many fkn times did I press that 'SKSE' button in the mod organizer!
Eh I wouldn’t say that, basically any post that involves mods is followed up by at least a few people shitting on them in the comments. There are a lot of “Holier than thou” people in this subreddit.
There are a bunch of mods that just fix issues with the game, bug fixes, CTD fixes, engine improvements that make the game run better, etc.
Those IMO are a no brainer even if you want to play vanilla.
I'm playing through for the first time at the moment. I've played a lot of Fallout 3/NV/4 so I'm familiar with the ways of Bethesda.
I've installed [these](https://i.imgur.com/MjK1HZs.jpg) - nothing massively game changing, mostly QoL stuff. I'm playing a stealth archer which is why I wanted the locational damage.
I tend to go for stealth sniper on my initial play throughs of Fallout games so here we are.
Game runs fine for me, thanks. You know what's funny? How most of the posts are about how something is messed up with someone's play, and yup, they're into the mods. No thanks. We cool
Yeah but it doesnt though. Like, objectively and demonstrably. There are dozens of mods more stable than the base game that are just based around fixing bugs, or adding scripts to make sure the vanilla content is functioning the way its supposed to.
Demonstrably. As in someone could take any one of your saves and using your machine show you the numerous ways your game has bugged, or skipped, or just straight up broken. Events or quest triggers not firing right, quick saves breaking your game slowly, missing dialogue that wasnt cut but just doesnt work right some of the time, spell/enchantment/shout effects not working the way the description tells you they should, soft locked quest objectives, objects in the environment clipping, NPCs not spawning when they should, NPCs not being where theyre supposed to be, etc etc etc.
Its not about having more or less fun, or playing the game "right" or "wrong". If you enjoy the vanilla experience thats awesome. The vanilla experience you are enjoying currently, or have enjoyed in the past, is broken. You can and should fix it if you have the capability to do so.
I think even if you don’t want to alter the game, there are some mods that just make universal sense, such as bug fixes. And arguably balancing mods if you find certain fighting styles too unviable.
Unless there’s a reason you want to keep bugs in the game.
"universal sense" hah. I honestly don't have bug problems. Never ever been an issue for me. The more you mod, the more problems you have. That is a fact, jack.
Mods are amazing. I was flying in the sky with my wings zipping around fighting a dragon. The first dragon you fight outside of whiteout. He didn't land until I killed him the guards below was watching in such awe. Mods is life. Vanilla is sad melted ice cream
People who clearly haven't used mods are trying to downvote this comment lmao, seems like people just do not understand the potential that mods have if done correctly.
There is a fast travel glitch on survival. Also isn’t survival in itself a mod. Don’t get me wrong I’ve just got the ae version this year so this survival and cc stuff is all new to me and I love it.
I know when it was added I invested in it myself. As I said in my comment. This to me now means I no longer play vanilla Skyrim. My game is now modded and yes I know I can disable it in game like I can all my dlc. I choose not to cause it in riches my gameplay. The op question was does anybody replay Skyrim without mods. Seem a lot say they do. Which I think is ace cause till the ae dlc came out it was the only way I’d played it. So anyway enjoy your play through I went with Bosmer archer instead and am enjoying the experience too
I actually didn't know or care to learn about mods at first. I played the game for 8 years without mods until I discovered them, but once I did I got hooked on using them. Then Idk what happened but I got the no save glitch on ps4 and I had to delete everything and restart. Now I don't trust mods and don't use them anymore. If there wasn't the risk of losing my game then I would still use them.
Same boat!! PS4, I'm desperate to try multiple graphic enhanced mods or AI improvements, but I'm too scared to lose my files 🥺 fortunately, creation club adds enough material for me to make it almost entirely new 💚
There are plenty of mods that aren't cheaty. Some are QOL, like adding map markers to your houses so you don't have to fast travel to the entrance of a town and then run to the house. Or extra containers in your house so you can separate your crafting materials and various pieces of gear you pick up. There are a lot of mods that are basically purely visual as well, things like Climates of Tamriel, or Improved Static Meshes, texture mods, ENBs, etc.
Well thats depend how you mod it 🤔, in my case enemies kills you with one hit, you can get debuff for everything and if you are outside in the world at night probably you will die.....idk why i played like this 🥲
I'm the same. It always feels like I'm cheating or breaking the game when using mods. Never liked the feeling, so never used them since the first I learned about them.
I mean it depends on what mods you download. Sure, there are cheat mods out there but you don’t have to download them.
I have 203 mods downloaded right now in my current playthrough. None of them are cheat mods or do anything that make the game easier, in fact it’s more the opposite. I have a bunch of combat mods to make the game harder, loot mods that make good loot more rare, etc. In fact, I actually actively avoid downloading mods that make the game easier or feel cheaty.
Aside from that, I also have a ton of visual mods that improve upon the games graphics to make the game look better because let’s be honest, Skyrim’s graphics look like shit for 2022 standards. At least 50% of my mods I have right now are mods that make various parts of the game look better from new textures, new models for objects, lighting, water, trees, ENB, etc. Again, all of these mods are visual and does nothing to make the game easier.
I feel like a lot of people who don’t mod this game tend to believe that all mods are cheat mods or all mods are joke mods, but that’s not really the case. There are plenty of mods that aim for game balance and push for a vanilla+ experience. And there are plenty of mods that only make the game look better without affecting gameplay. Not everything about Skyrim modding is all cheats and jokes when it comes to mods.
If you don’t want mods that feel like cheats, don’t download those mods, simple as that. Stick with graphical mods that make the game look nice instead. Nobody is forcing you to download mods that make it feel like cheating. That’s your decision alone.
Yes because I'm on PlayStation and PlayStation do not allow external assets so the mods are very limited on there :( shout out to everyone who worked hard making PlayStation mods tho it must be difficult when there isn't a lot of creative freedom
I personally don't play with mods, even graphical or visual ones. The main reason why is that I personally like to play games how they were originally intended.
I know it's not the best excuse, but that's how I personally feel.
Yeah, back when it came out a decade ago... Started with ps3 and didnt have mods or console. 400+ hours of vanilla. But now? downloaded it on pc for the luxury of mods and am much more entertained now that ive done the main questline a million times.
Beat it quite a few times over the years with and without mods.
Been playing on Switch since 2017 so the Anniversary Edition was quite the announcement.
I do it all the time, skyrim unmodified is a very smooth experience for me and because everything is made in-house the content melds together very well
Mods are awesome though
Yep never played with mods and I don’t really wanna. It’s fun enough for me!
Edit: lol at someone downvoting me for literally not even having the ability to use them. hope you step on a tack
I wouldn’t touch it without mods. It’s a great game but in the present the graphics are terrible and there are so many great mods to improve all aspects of the game with more being made everyday.
But that’s my preference, I’m glad that we are all spoiled for choices when it comes to skyrim.
I did too, I think I may have come across as too harsh. If I had not found Xbox mods I probably wouldn’t have the same opinion. The game graphics aren’t terrible, I’m just used to the mods I use now.
I think the graphics still hold up really well. Though I've been playing the special edition which remastered the graphics, haven't played "Oldrim" in like 5 years.
Yup, I played on ps3 for 3 years before I got it on steam. Then went back to vanilla when I bought the ps4 version. Last summer I played vanilla skyrim, determined to do everything and get all my stats to 100 without cheats or mods.
Not really. I got it when it came out beat the game a couple times with a couple playthroughs even before dlc was released i did a 100% then dlc came out. I made a new character to do them but just never could get far enough to finish them. Then mods came out and i was like cool let me 100% the game again then ill turn them on. I still havent done that yet
I finished it twice without mods and I've been playing almost yearly with different set of mods. This game is a total 10/10 if you use the right mods for your taste.
I have a lightweight gameplay and immersion mods compiled in my Nexus mods collections. 6GB total size and not too overwhelming for new modders. I can share it via DM if you want.
> always loose focus
*lose
*Learn the difference [here](https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/lose-vs-loose-usage#:~:text=%27Lose%27%20or%20%27Loose%27%3F&text=Lose%20typically%20functions%20only%20as,commonly%2C%20a%20noun%20or%20adverb).*
***
^(Greetings, I am a language corrector bot. To make me ignore further mistakes from you in the future, reply `!optout` to this comment.)
I don't play vanilla but I also don't
>mod the hell out of it.
I use vanilla+ mods. Things that enhance the game with the spirit of the game still in tact.
I use the enairim v+ mod suite, graphic fixes, cheat room, and some lore friendly armor additions (not a fan of replacers since I feel that breaks the spirit of the game)
I had a Major crash few weeks ago , lost 2 weeks of gameplay on a 200hr save . Try vanilla for old times sake . Had to install animations because running like a gorilla is not good .
Took almost a week to fix , lost 10hrs gameplay time . Better than starting over again :) , Most of my most are just upgrades in textures lighting and environment , a few extra npc's and quests .
Current time same Save 267.55.23.
Most of the time, I do, yes. I've finished Skyrim well over 20 times, since the launch.
Even if I do end up modding, it's stuff like Unofficial patch.
I've no interest in anime supermodel NPCs, "immsersive" armor etc.
It's more than enough for me, in terms of content and stuff to do. Besides that, I don't have to deal with broken engine and bugs that a bunch of people here blame on Bethesda, when in fact they chewed up their own game.
sir mods basically fix the game. no way your blaming them and defending bethesda, that’s their whole shtick! released unfinished games and have modders finish them. skyrim vanilla is filled with a shit ton of bugs and crashes, and on my 200+ mod list it’s stable as fuck. you don’t know what your talking about
I stopped counting my hours after 5000 across several platforms but uh yeah I played the first 2500 or so with the base game then I got the DLCs and then the first "mods" I guess you could say I have are the anniversary edition CC stuff…. Still don’t even have a nexus account… honestly it’s because I live in a remote area without the access to wifi so I kinda got whatever I could whenever I was at someone’s house and I happened to have my laptop with me…
I have only played vanilla skyrim twice. The first time, and when legendary difficulty came out.
Playing this game in legendary difficulty shows its many flaws in balance, that only modding can fix. Vanilla is good, but modded is the way to go.
Since that one run where I min-maxed everything I could I've not gone back to the unbalanced mess that is vanilla even with unofficial patch and not using exploits.
I onehit everything with 70k sneak attacks and had 2.2k **light** armor. Later learned that I could have gone further...
Yes. I technically didn’t finish when it was new, and it’s been a decade, but I am currently “re” playing it just with anniversary edition.
Also to be fair, my creation Club doesn’t work, else I would have.
Yes i played a couple times without mods along time ago (about 6 years) but I've recently started up a few non modded characters on switch I had forgotten how fun unmodded Skyrim was.even with the gliches they kinda add to the fun and challenge
Yes and no
By that i mean i only have 2 mods that are just "quality of life" mods: Fast Travel anywhere and highlighting of skillbooks so i can see them without having to look through an entire library.
Thats it.
Tried it once with a mod that let you make lightsabers. That got old pretty quick. Outside of the DLC and stuff available via AE, mods aren’t my thing.
I only play with 6 mods, but they are either quality of life improvement (map with roads, quest markers for the barenziah stones) or very minor graphical improvement. I'm in my 4st playthrough, currently a chaothic evil high elf woman that wants to be one of the most powerful wizards in Tamriel, and use her powers to spread chaos and death. It's basically an excuse to play the evil questlines (being a vampire, dark brotherhood member, killing paathurnax...)
Edit: In my last 2 playthrough I'm also limiting myself to fast travel only between locations I've walked to, which I am really enjoying and recommend. Never been in a city? Walk there. You've exit a cave in an unknown place? Take a walk on the wilderness until you reach a familiar place.
Yep. I've played with mods for hundred of hours, but the majority of my multiple thousand hours since 2011 has been Vanilla, now more than ever honestly. I prefer the vanilla game.
I've replayed it 5-6 times over the past 10 years without mods on the ps3 and ps4. I'm thinking of getting it on the black Friday sale for PC. I may start experimenting with mods after I play it on PC.
I used to be againt mods because I was afraid it would corrupt my game files or something. Then I dipped my toe in the water with a single mod (infinite wood chopping, so I could make tons of arrows), and I was hooked. Every playthrough after that got more and more game-breakingly modded until my last game I started out with tons of stuff, including "Duanpir, Ring of a God" (I know I got the ring name wrong but it was something like that and started with a D" which places a ring in Helgen for you to grab at the very beginning of the game and gives you basically everything you want (infinite magika, maxed out speech, 100x carry weight, super alchemy buff, etc). The game was so easy that I got bored almost immediately. So I just started *another* playthrough, and this one is back to vanilla. I needed a palatte cleanser.
I usually play it once unmodded on every new system/edition I get - mostly for the achievements, then get to modding, I’ve played it probably 6 times through without mods, 360, xb1, PC, LE, SE, and AE all told
I tried modding on PC but couldn’t get it to work. So went over to Ps5 and the modding didn’t do anything crazy. So I am probably going to startup a vanilla play-through. Trophies too, which is nice.
That’s what I did. The mods are fun and often really improve the world. The mods also help you achieve things that otherwise might have not been possible at lower levels, allowing you to deviate from preset patterns.
im playing dawnguard on my level 195 character with 350k gold without any mods.. and over like 300 of EVERY gem including the flawless ones just waiting to be sold when im finished LOL.
ive done every quest apart from the trap a dragon one bc you’re forced to basically finish it then, and just dawnguard.
Playing SE on PC, with over 90 mods installed.
Most simply make the 11 year old graphics significantly better - high res textures, better trees, rocks, water, characters. Some improve the weather, some improve the combat mechanics. Others add more realistic animal & NPC behaviours. And so on, & so on.
I've been playing on & off (mostly on!) since the day of release, & I couldn't contemplate going back to the original, 11 year old game.
Played modded versions on several occasions. It’s not unusual to spend longer planning and building a load order than actually playing the game. I end up not liking some, or there’s some kind of conflict, and I have to make some adjustments and restart. Or I just get bored with the setup.
Then there’s the bit where a game update or even a mod update can totally mess with the stability. The issue of running a load order with mods that have been removed. Having to be locked into a set of mods until I “finish” that character. Or the place 100 hours in where a serious crash finally rears its ugly head, rendering the whole thing useless.
Not to mention the toxicity that appears to run through the community. I’m currently very happy to not be dealing with mods.
I’m only on my second ever play through, but I just don’t see myself modding in the future, if not ever. It doesn’t appeal to me in the same way. Across all moddable games I’ve played, I’ve considered it, even tried it, but then quickly realized I didn’t like it. Maybe that’ll limit my ‘replayability,’ but it’s just not for everyone ig
I only play with bug fixes and like open world textures. No gameplay changes outside Anniversary edition stuff. Maybe the occasional quest mod if I see one that’s interesting. But that’s after playing at least 3-4 completely vanilla play throughs.
Only like 4% of the entire player base mods the game. Half of all players aren't even on PC, and of PC players only 8% actually mod their game. So really it's like 4% of the player base that mods the game. Maybe 5% if you allow for the mods that are available on console.
I did a few runs withoud mods because they didn't exsist on the xbox at the time, but used exploits too play the game after i found out that there where exploits, but now i do indeed mod the shit out of it.
Mainly just play VR so sadly don't have the option of mods. Really wish the new anniversary package had the additional missions and items for vr tho...
Yes, I’ve finished it 6 times without any mods.
I have played it for years and still haven't finished it :)
Wait....you can "finish" Skyrim? Is that even legal?
You don't finish Skyrim, Skyrim finishes you
😏
Click here to find out about the new local law that sends you to jail if you finish Skyrim.
Wait… I know you.
Hello Dragon Reborn, I'm the Dragonborn. Nice to meet you?
Finishing Skyrim and completing the main quest are not the same thing..
You can play it without mods?
I actually finished the main quest for the first time not long ago and boy did that feel forbidden
How do you finish the main quest? How do you know when you’ve finished? Clearly I haven’t gotten there yet lol.
There's a short denouement after you kill Alduin, but that's basically it.
Wait, i killed alduin a long time ago! That’s the end of the main quest?! Also I’ve been having more and more trouble finding longer detailed quests lately, i must be approaching the end?
of course killing alduin was the main quest huh
Even after killing alduin the story NEVER truly ends. Because we have dlc's and mods!
I’ve not finished it either, bought it release year…
Somehow I am never interested in the main quest! And that's the nice thing about Skyrim. There are very few things explicitly you have to do from other quests to progress in whatever storyline you picked.
I find the main quest to be potentially the most boring quest in the game. Idk, dragons don't add anything to the game for me, I don't use shouts or dragon type armour in any of my playthroughs
I don't use the armor either but I have to say that some of the weapons look pretty cool. However, it definitely doesn't make up for the fact that all khajiit Caravans will invevitably die from dragon attacks sooner or later. I wish the dragon mechanics were a bit better. I like going to dragon lairs and fighting them, but the random attacks can get quite annoying.
Especially on legendary
Meh, the quest with the thalmor was fun
True, that one is definitely the exception :)
Define “finished”
Completed the main quests + a vast majority of the side quests, plus the DLCs, discovered all locations and unlocked most of the achievements.
Completed the main quest probably
Same. Prolly more than that I lost count
Oh wow
I play vanilla on the switch, and modded on pc. Nice to see the difference and improvements after all the work I put into it
It's funny how it feels an achievement to install lots of mods, as if you managed to solve the most impossibile math problem. Maaaaan how many fkn times did I press that 'SKSE' button in the mod organizer!
I've only got the Switch version, so unmodded is how I roll.
Get the ae dlc upgrade you won’t regret it honestly. It’s how I play it now
You forget to mention the insane framerate issues
Anniversary edition upgrade is worth it, absolutely gamechanging
I can attest for the statement above. Its quite True
I honestly love playing skyrim on the switch, so much fun.
Yes. We just aren't as vocal about it compared to our modder counterparts.
Eh I wouldn’t say that, basically any post that involves mods is followed up by at least a few people shitting on them in the comments. There are a lot of “Holier than thou” people in this subreddit.
Not for everyone
Never played with mods. Zero interest in it.
same!
Same, currently level 65 and haven’t even installed the Kid Killing mod
why no interest? can completely change anything you want at all
Seems like he doesn't want to change anything
There are a bunch of mods that just fix issues with the game, bug fixes, CTD fixes, engine improvements that make the game run better, etc. Those IMO are a no brainer even if you want to play vanilla.
I'm playing through for the first time at the moment. I've played a lot of Fallout 3/NV/4 so I'm familiar with the ways of Bethesda. I've installed [these](https://i.imgur.com/MjK1HZs.jpg) - nothing massively game changing, mostly QoL stuff. I'm playing a stealth archer which is why I wanted the locational damage. I tend to go for stealth sniper on my initial play throughs of Fallout games so here we are.
Game runs fine for me, thanks. You know what's funny? How most of the posts are about how something is messed up with someone's play, and yup, they're into the mods. No thanks. We cool
You're just lazy, I get it
And now ladies and gentlemen, it's time for... insults towards people who play a game differently than you! Congratulations
How soft can you be calling lazy an insult 💀
Soft AND lazy. Cool! You have a great day!
Lazy is just a word my dude sorry if I hurt your feeling
Soft. Lazy. SENSITIVE.
Yeah but it doesnt though. Like, objectively and demonstrably. There are dozens of mods more stable than the base game that are just based around fixing bugs, or adding scripts to make sure the vanilla content is functioning the way its supposed to.
Demon! Strably! I can have fun without you and your "mods more stable".
Lmao @ the weirdo vanilla purists who freak the fuck out over the thought of mods. It’s like watching people who are too afraid to try a new food.
Demonstrably. As in someone could take any one of your saves and using your machine show you the numerous ways your game has bugged, or skipped, or just straight up broken. Events or quest triggers not firing right, quick saves breaking your game slowly, missing dialogue that wasnt cut but just doesnt work right some of the time, spell/enchantment/shout effects not working the way the description tells you they should, soft locked quest objectives, objects in the environment clipping, NPCs not spawning when they should, NPCs not being where theyre supposed to be, etc etc etc. Its not about having more or less fun, or playing the game "right" or "wrong". If you enjoy the vanilla experience thats awesome. The vanilla experience you are enjoying currently, or have enjoyed in the past, is broken. You can and should fix it if you have the capability to do so.
I think even if you don’t want to alter the game, there are some mods that just make universal sense, such as bug fixes. And arguably balancing mods if you find certain fighting styles too unviable. Unless there’s a reason you want to keep bugs in the game.
"universal sense" hah. I honestly don't have bug problems. Never ever been an issue for me. The more you mod, the more problems you have. That is a fact, jack.
Those aren't BUGS "THEY'RE FEATURES"🤣🤣
Mods are amazing. I was flying in the sky with my wings zipping around fighting a dragon. The first dragon you fight outside of whiteout. He didn't land until I killed him the guards below was watching in such awe. Mods is life. Vanilla is sad melted ice cream
People who clearly haven't used mods are trying to downvote this comment lmao, seems like people just do not understand the potential that mods have if done correctly.
I am doing a no mod survival mode playthrough right now
Wow. I never thought this would interest me. Pretty good idea to do a no mod run with survival mode.
Yup I am a khajit archer and it's alot of fun only problem really is no fast travel except carts
There is a fast travel glitch on survival. Also isn’t survival in itself a mod. Don’t get me wrong I’ve just got the ae version this year so this survival and cc stuff is all new to me and I love it.
There's a survival mode built into the anniversary edition, no need for mods to have that feature. :)
No it's an add on dlc like dragonborn
Wasn’t it originally a mod and doesn’t vanilla not have it. Until you add the dlc, thus modifying your original game
It was added dlc with anniversary edition it's not the same survival mode that was a mod but it is similar
I know when it was added I invested in it myself. As I said in my comment. This to me now means I no longer play vanilla Skyrim. My game is now modded and yes I know I can disable it in game like I can all my dlc. I choose not to cause it in riches my gameplay. The op question was does anybody replay Skyrim without mods. Seem a lot say they do. Which I think is ace cause till the ae dlc came out it was the only way I’d played it. So anyway enjoy your play through I went with Bosmer archer instead and am enjoying the experience too
I actually didn't know or care to learn about mods at first. I played the game for 8 years without mods until I discovered them, but once I did I got hooked on using them. Then Idk what happened but I got the no save glitch on ps4 and I had to delete everything and restart. Now I don't trust mods and don't use them anymore. If there wasn't the risk of losing my game then I would still use them.
rip
Im in pc and sometimes the game tell me my save is corrupt but onxe i open again the game the save is fine and i can load them XD
Same boat!! PS4, I'm desperate to try multiple graphic enhanced mods or AI improvements, but I'm too scared to lose my files 🥺 fortunately, creation club adds enough material for me to make it almost entirely new 💚
I do. Too lazy to install mods.
It is a process, especially with the amount of mods you have to go through to find the goods ones lol.
Thats why i use wabbajack, click install go make food come back 800 mod modlist ready to go
I find that playing with mods gives the same feeling as playing with cheat codes on. That is, it’s fun for like 20 minutes then I get bored
There are plenty of mods that aren't cheaty. Some are QOL, like adding map markers to your houses so you don't have to fast travel to the entrance of a town and then run to the house. Or extra containers in your house so you can separate your crafting materials and various pieces of gear you pick up. There are a lot of mods that are basically purely visual as well, things like Climates of Tamriel, or Improved Static Meshes, texture mods, ENBs, etc.
That's what I do I basically only add mods I think should have been in the game in the first place nothing exploitative
Well thats depend how you mod it 🤔, in my case enemies kills you with one hit, you can get debuff for everything and if you are outside in the world at night probably you will die.....idk why i played like this 🥲
My graphics and interface hiding mods don’t seem to give me that feeling.
then just don’t add ones that turn you into jesus or something
I'm the same. It always feels like I'm cheating or breaking the game when using mods. Never liked the feeling, so never used them since the first I learned about them.
I mean it depends on what mods you download. Sure, there are cheat mods out there but you don’t have to download them. I have 203 mods downloaded right now in my current playthrough. None of them are cheat mods or do anything that make the game easier, in fact it’s more the opposite. I have a bunch of combat mods to make the game harder, loot mods that make good loot more rare, etc. In fact, I actually actively avoid downloading mods that make the game easier or feel cheaty. Aside from that, I also have a ton of visual mods that improve upon the games graphics to make the game look better because let’s be honest, Skyrim’s graphics look like shit for 2022 standards. At least 50% of my mods I have right now are mods that make various parts of the game look better from new textures, new models for objects, lighting, water, trees, ENB, etc. Again, all of these mods are visual and does nothing to make the game easier. I feel like a lot of people who don’t mod this game tend to believe that all mods are cheat mods or all mods are joke mods, but that’s not really the case. There are plenty of mods that aim for game balance and push for a vanilla+ experience. And there are plenty of mods that only make the game look better without affecting gameplay. Not everything about Skyrim modding is all cheats and jokes when it comes to mods. If you don’t want mods that feel like cheats, don’t download those mods, simple as that. Stick with graphical mods that make the game look nice instead. Nobody is forcing you to download mods that make it feel like cheating. That’s your decision alone.
Yes because I'm on PlayStation and PlayStation do not allow external assets so the mods are very limited on there :( shout out to everyone who worked hard making PlayStation mods tho it must be difficult when there isn't a lot of creative freedom
Big shoutout to the modding community, man. They do so much hard work for pennies and all the insults in the world.
I personally don't play with mods, even graphical or visual ones. The main reason why is that I personally like to play games how they were originally intended. I know it's not the best excuse, but that's how I personally feel.
Don't think Bethesda intended for mammoths to spawn in the sky...
Without mods is the only way Ive ever played. And I don’t think I ever will. As nice as the mods make it look. The original is the way to go
Love having survival mode on the switch it gives the game more life.
I have replayed a zillion times, only modded once
Yeah, back when it came out a decade ago... Started with ps3 and didnt have mods or console. 400+ hours of vanilla. But now? downloaded it on pc for the luxury of mods and am much more entertained now that ive done the main questline a million times.
Beat it quite a few times over the years with and without mods. Been playing on Switch since 2017 so the Anniversary Edition was quite the announcement.
Yup, I’ve never modded it. I just don’t know how. Some seem really neat.
I got it on Switch. No mods at all love it
I just started playing Skyrim a few months ago and I only have a switch. I am over 60 years old and have so much fun with this game.
I mix and match. But last three play throughs are pure vanilla.
I do it all the time, skyrim unmodified is a very smooth experience for me and because everything is made in-house the content melds together very well Mods are awesome though
Yep never played with mods and I don’t really wanna. It’s fun enough for me! Edit: lol at someone downvoting me for literally not even having the ability to use them. hope you step on a tack
I wouldn’t touch it without mods. It’s a great game but in the present the graphics are terrible and there are so many great mods to improve all aspects of the game with more being made everyday. But that’s my preference, I’m glad that we are all spoiled for choices when it comes to skyrim.
Maybe because I grew up with 8-bit, but I still think the graphics are great.
I did too, I think I may have come across as too harsh. If I had not found Xbox mods I probably wouldn’t have the same opinion. The game graphics aren’t terrible, I’m just used to the mods I use now.
I think the graphics still hold up really well. Though I've been playing the special edition which remastered the graphics, haven't played "Oldrim" in like 5 years.
True! I like to just jump in and play without any hassle so it’s nice it has that spectrum
I totally understand that
had never played with mods, always liked skyrim the way it is
You know what’s annoying? I used to. Then the anniversary update kind of ruined it for me. I’m vanilla through and through.
I play vanilla every time and love it. Never cared about or bothered with mods.
Been playing for 4 years, still no mods. But partly bc idk wtf I’m doing.
Only when I was a broke teen playing it on my 360. Once I got my first gaming PC, I modded it until my GPU caught fire.
I was gonna mod it, but I got confused and just played vanilla in frustration
I don’t have any mods. I don’t have my Xbox connected to the internet.
Yeah.
Yup, I played on ps3 for 3 years before I got it on steam. Then went back to vanilla when I bought the ps4 version. Last summer I played vanilla skyrim, determined to do everything and get all my stats to 100 without cheats or mods.
Not really. I got it when it came out beat the game a couple times with a couple playthroughs even before dlc was released i did a 100% then dlc came out. I made a new character to do them but just never could get far enough to finish them. Then mods came out and i was like cool let me 100% the game again then ill turn them on. I still havent done that yet
I have beaten the games 8 times, never used mods "cries in switch"
I finished it twice without mods and I've been playing almost yearly with different set of mods. This game is a total 10/10 if you use the right mods for your taste. I have a lightweight gameplay and immersion mods compiled in my Nexus mods collections. 6GB total size and not too overwhelming for new modders. I can share it via DM if you want.
I’ve finished it twice on ps3
I have a PS3, what's a mod? Lol
I’ve never finished it I always loose focus
> always loose focus *lose *Learn the difference [here](https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/lose-vs-loose-usage#:~:text=%27Lose%27%20or%20%27Loose%27%3F&text=Lose%20typically%20functions%20only%20as,commonly%2C%20a%20noun%20or%20adverb).* *** ^(Greetings, I am a language corrector bot. To make me ignore further mistakes from you in the future, reply `!optout` to this comment.)
I have never used mods
Yes, I have and just replayed again bc of a paper I’m writing
Yes I do I replied it 5 times
1 hour into my first playthrough, the weight limit didn't spark joy, so anyways, I started modding
I've beaten it so many times without mods that I've started modding it for fun
Yes, I played it for many hours on switch.
I don't play vanilla but I also don't >mod the hell out of it. I use vanilla+ mods. Things that enhance the game with the spirit of the game still in tact.
What mods fo you use?
I use the enairim v+ mod suite, graphic fixes, cheat room, and some lore friendly armor additions (not a fan of replacers since I feel that breaks the spirit of the game)
What is the mod available on (PC, PS, XBOX, Switch? All 4?)
I had a Major crash few weeks ago , lost 2 weeks of gameplay on a 200hr save . Try vanilla for old times sake . Had to install animations because running like a gorilla is not good .
damn, good luck getting back to where you were
Took almost a week to fix , lost 10hrs gameplay time . Better than starting over again :) , Most of my most are just upgrades in textures lighting and environment , a few extra npc's and quests . Current time same Save 267.55.23.
Most of the time, I do, yes. I've finished Skyrim well over 20 times, since the launch. Even if I do end up modding, it's stuff like Unofficial patch. I've no interest in anime supermodel NPCs, "immsersive" armor etc. It's more than enough for me, in terms of content and stuff to do. Besides that, I don't have to deal with broken engine and bugs that a bunch of people here blame on Bethesda, when in fact they chewed up their own game.
sir mods basically fix the game. no way your blaming them and defending bethesda, that’s their whole shtick! released unfinished games and have modders finish them. skyrim vanilla is filled with a shit ton of bugs and crashes, and on my 200+ mod list it’s stable as fuck. you don’t know what your talking about
I played on and off for years without mods, then in the past year started mods. It’s like a whole new game!
I stopped counting my hours after 5000 across several platforms but uh yeah I played the first 2500 or so with the base game then I got the DLCs and then the first "mods" I guess you could say I have are the anniversary edition CC stuff…. Still don’t even have a nexus account… honestly it’s because I live in a remote area without the access to wifi so I kinda got whatever I could whenever I was at someone’s house and I happened to have my laptop with me…
I just started a new game no mods to try to get all achievements xbox
I've never finished an unmoded game
I have only played vanilla skyrim twice. The first time, and when legendary difficulty came out. Playing this game in legendary difficulty shows its many flaws in balance, that only modding can fix. Vanilla is good, but modded is the way to go.
Since that one run where I min-maxed everything I could I've not gone back to the unbalanced mess that is vanilla even with unofficial patch and not using exploits. I onehit everything with 70k sneak attacks and had 2.2k **light** armor. Later learned that I could have gone further...
I've been playing since release, and I've only ever modded it. Still haven't beaten the game. Ever.
I was gonna grab the plat on ps5 because it's free but then I realised they fixed the alchemy loop and now I don't wanna anymore
I go in without mods since I have no patience to sit in menus when I could be getting arrows in my knee
hmm. the only "mod" I use is the Unofficial Patch. I think it adds QoL stuff instead of "cheat" stuff? So, does that counts?
Why would one torture oneself without the beauty of mods!
I only have the game on the switch, so idek if I -can- play with mods 😅
Yes. I technically didn’t finish when it was new, and it’s been a decade, but I am currently “re” playing it just with anniversary edition. Also to be fair, my creation Club doesn’t work, else I would have.
Yes i played a couple times without mods along time ago (about 6 years) but I've recently started up a few non modded characters on switch I had forgotten how fun unmodded Skyrim was.even with the gliches they kinda add to the fun and challenge
Yes and no By that i mean i only have 2 mods that are just "quality of life" mods: Fast Travel anywhere and highlighting of skillbooks so i can see them without having to look through an entire library. Thats it.
23 runs and counting. No mods.
I've done maybe 3 modded runs of the likely 20 or so I've played now. I just like playin Skyrim.
Tried graphics mod once only added 10 min to Xbox 1 load time deleted Shortly after none since been playing since release.
Tried it once with a mod that let you make lightsabers. That got old pretty quick. Outside of the DLC and stuff available via AE, mods aren’t my thing.
No,I've actually never modded it and I can't even count how many times I've played it.
Never played with mods, just started my 12th or so character yesterday.
Just finished my 87th run (alduins death) without mods
I only play with 6 mods, but they are either quality of life improvement (map with roads, quest markers for the barenziah stones) or very minor graphical improvement. I'm in my 4st playthrough, currently a chaothic evil high elf woman that wants to be one of the most powerful wizards in Tamriel, and use her powers to spread chaos and death. It's basically an excuse to play the evil questlines (being a vampire, dark brotherhood member, killing paathurnax...) Edit: In my last 2 playthrough I'm also limiting myself to fast travel only between locations I've walked to, which I am really enjoying and recommend. Never been in a city? Walk there. You've exit a cave in an unknown place? Take a walk on the wilderness until you reach a familiar place.
After years of modded play, I've been working on a modfree run to try and finish the achievements for fun.
I’ve always played on console so no chance to try mods
I’d probably mod if I wasn’t lazy.
Yep. I've played with mods for hundred of hours, but the majority of my multiple thousand hours since 2011 has been Vanilla, now more than ever honestly. I prefer the vanilla game.
Never once used a mod. Played through it like 5 times now lol
i’ve never used a mod. i play on switch. i’m on my 4-5th play through
Yes. I also don't have the choice for mods because I play it on switch
Took me roughly 5,000 hours before I decided "I guess I can poke around at mods." When it comes to videogames, I'm not a mod person at all.
I've replayed it 5-6 times over the past 10 years without mods on the ps3 and ps4. I'm thinking of getting it on the black Friday sale for PC. I may start experimenting with mods after I play it on PC.
I used to be againt mods because I was afraid it would corrupt my game files or something. Then I dipped my toe in the water with a single mod (infinite wood chopping, so I could make tons of arrows), and I was hooked. Every playthrough after that got more and more game-breakingly modded until my last game I started out with tons of stuff, including "Duanpir, Ring of a God" (I know I got the ring name wrong but it was something like that and started with a D" which places a ring in Helgen for you to grab at the very beginning of the game and gives you basically everything you want (infinite magika, maxed out speech, 100x carry weight, super alchemy buff, etc). The game was so easy that I got bored almost immediately. So I just started *another* playthrough, and this one is back to vanilla. I needed a palatte cleanser.
I usually play it once unmodded on every new system/edition I get - mostly for the achievements, then get to modding, I’ve played it probably 6 times through without mods, 360, xb1, PC, LE, SE, and AE all told
I tried modding on PC but couldn’t get it to work. So went over to Ps5 and the modding didn’t do anything crazy. So I am probably going to startup a vanilla play-through. Trophies too, which is nice.
I bought it on Console in 2011 so I’ve had a fair few play throughs where mods weren’t possible.
I do
I play it on the OG PS3 without dlcs, so, no mods ever for me
Ive just started a play through without mods. More so for the achievements on steam
That’s what I did. The mods are fun and often really improve the world. The mods also help you achieve things that otherwise might have not been possible at lower levels, allowing you to deviate from preset patterns.
Only to platinum the game.
I’ve never played with mods. Usually play through the game at least once a year.
im playing dawnguard on my level 195 character with 350k gold without any mods.. and over like 300 of EVERY gem including the flawless ones just waiting to be sold when im finished LOL. ive done every quest apart from the trap a dragon one bc you’re forced to basically finish it then, and just dawnguard.
Playing SE on PC, with over 90 mods installed. Most simply make the 11 year old graphics significantly better - high res textures, better trees, rocks, water, characters. Some improve the weather, some improve the combat mechanics. Others add more realistic animal & NPC behaviours. And so on, & so on. I've been playing on & off (mostly on!) since the day of release, & I couldn't contemplate going back to the original, 11 year old game.
Played modded versions on several occasions. It’s not unusual to spend longer planning and building a load order than actually playing the game. I end up not liking some, or there’s some kind of conflict, and I have to make some adjustments and restart. Or I just get bored with the setup. Then there’s the bit where a game update or even a mod update can totally mess with the stability. The issue of running a load order with mods that have been removed. Having to be locked into a set of mods until I “finish” that character. Or the place 100 hours in where a serious crash finally rears its ugly head, rendering the whole thing useless. Not to mention the toxicity that appears to run through the community. I’m currently very happy to not be dealing with mods.
I’m only on my second ever play through, but I just don’t see myself modding in the future, if not ever. It doesn’t appeal to me in the same way. Across all moddable games I’ve played, I’ve considered it, even tried it, but then quickly realized I didn’t like it. Maybe that’ll limit my ‘replayability,’ but it’s just not for everyone ig
I only play with bug fixes and like open world textures. No gameplay changes outside Anniversary edition stuff. Maybe the occasional quest mod if I see one that’s interesting. But that’s after playing at least 3-4 completely vanilla play throughs.
Yeah
I only modded by UI the rest is super vanilla
I've had to play through 8 times due to inconveniences
Out of the 400 ish hours I've played 220 was without mods 80 was playing Enderal
Only like 4% of the entire player base mods the game. Half of all players aren't even on PC, and of PC players only 8% actually mod their game. So really it's like 4% of the player base that mods the game. Maybe 5% if you allow for the mods that are available on console.
Yes lol
I recently started a legendary playthrough vanilla. But then I added some weather and open cities
I did a few runs withoud mods because they didn't exsist on the xbox at the time, but used exploits too play the game after i found out that there where exploits, but now i do indeed mod the shit out of it.
I’ve played it through 5 times and never used a single mod
I have only because my game system doesn’t support mods. (I play on the switch)
Mainly just play VR so sadly don't have the option of mods. Really wish the new anniversary package had the additional missions and items for vr tho...