Mod or not to Mod?

[Oberon]

I just bought this game (vanilla) after reading all the great raving reviews and at this point have never been more disapointed. It might not be the game for me but to make sure, I figured ide post here and hopefully get some insight into wether or not the UI can be made less sucky, because I gotta say...this sucks!!. So is it because Ive got the vanilla version or do i need to be a computer programer and mod the hell out of a game that i just spent money on?
I looked for info all over the place and all i could see is rave reviews. After playing the game, I googled "why does Skyrim UI suck?" (out of frustration) and low and behold the reviews that were there, lol. Now if I had read those before, I probably would of said i'm all set.
Any info would be appreciated, and thanks ahead of time. (no trolls please)

[Robin]

what is it you don't like about the UI exactly ?

[hedgie_yozh]

Your other title was less offensive/likely to incite trolling.

Get SKSE and SkyUI. There's a link on the mod thread above.

[Oberon]

Well...the list is long but to make it easier I am used to playing games like WoW or i guess you could say the normal mmo's that are out there so im used to that kind of UI. So when i pick something up it goes into a bag that i can open. this just seems to be a list of stuff. so i feel like im playing pen and paper D&D in a way. Also there doesnt seem to be a character sheet or window that shows what your wearing.

[Robin]

follow hedgie, recommendation for a better UI

[hedgie_yozh]

Oh, that was nice of you. :) Seriously, SkyUI is your best bet here, but you will need the Skyrim script extender (SKSE) to run it. These are not difficult to install. We who are used to playing on the PC rather than a console got shafted with the UI, but SkyUI goes a long way to remedying it. Your items can be sorted more easily, and favorites are accessible. It renders things such that they are not just a long list of crap.

http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/3863/?

SkyUI link^

[Trigger]

isn't WOW a funny cartoon

[Oberon]

Thanks Hedgie, Im gonna give it a shot. This kinda thing really gets me going cause even in WoW I had to use Curse client to mod it. One would think that a game company with that many resources would be able to use common sense but instead it takes actual players to come up with the solutions to the easiest problems :P

[Walker☻//︻ ---]

Opprinnelig skrevet av Oberon:

Well...the list is long but to make it easier I am used to playing games like WoW or i guess you could say the normal mmo's that are out there so im used to that kind of UI.

Don`t we all? WoW UI is kinda too similiar but least its easy to play regards most of players there care never learn their class role.

[kahbee]

The thing about Skyrim is if it isn't for you, then make it for you lol.

You don't need to be a computer programmer..
Go here http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/?
Make an account. Download the Nexus Mod Manager to start with. Browse mods. If you like how something looks click the download with NMM button from the files page. Double click it in the mod manager to install or uninstall. Its easy.

Obv. there's more to it than that but its easy to get going.
Do what Hedge recommended and get SKSE + SkyUI.
Not only are they both good to have, but a lot of mods require them.

[Deaf Mad Hatter]

I played Skyrim vanilla and I didn't mind it much but then on my second playthrough, with modded skyrim and I fell in love with it because I can mod it to my liking.

[hedgie_yozh]

Opprinnelig skrevet av Oberon:

Thanks Hedgie, Im gonna give it a shot. This kinda thing really gets me going cause even in WoW I had to use Curse client to mod it. One would think that a game company with that many resources would be able to use common sense but instead it takes actual players to come up with the solutions to the easiest problems :P

Well, I definitely agree in part. It is a shame that something like user interface for the PC is not a priority for programmers anymore. But modding, especially with Skyrim, becomes half the fun of the game. It is definitely less about fixing problems than it is truly making the game tailored to the individual. I think that if you browse around the nexus (focusing on mods for those things you'd really like to change immediately, first) you'll begin to have fun with Skyrim. At least I truly hope so. It has the potential to become your environment more than any game I have played in recent memory. Not that my memory is stellar.

[Oberon]

Well, Thanks all for your responses. After looking at Nexus, It still looks the same to me just restructured and i was just hoping for more. Its a shame because the graphics are beautiful. The story line seemed to be about the same as everything else so far but to be fair i only just started lol. If they were to have a Demo of this it would probably scare alot of people away which is probably why there isnt one o.O
I think bottom line is that im just to busy to have to worry about building a game that suits me...thats why i pay money to be entertained. I do have to give kudos to all of you who take the time to come up with these mods.
Thxs Hedgie, It was worth a shot :P

[White Knight]

My views on this subject are generally unpopular but I'll share them since you asked.

I play vanilla for most games and enjoy it fine. After a while, I became frustrated with some of the stupid and annoying things we all find in there, so I started to pick up a mod or two to deal with those problems. Then I added a few more just to make things more interesting.

Generally, mods can be an excellent way to get more enjoyment and value out of your game purchase.

BUT

Adding mods WILL cause you headaches and unless you are careful, it can trash your entire game. This is the part where very experienced modders take issue with my "dire warnings" but if they were honest, they'd tell you about all of the nightmares and headaches they went through while they were learning. These forums are chock full of people complaining about all sorts of problems and the answers almost always come down to using mods (improperly or otherwise).

If you are getting into mods, add them one at a time and read everything you can, including comments from other players. My personal rule is pick the ones that have been around for a while, still get support from the author and have mostly positive comments and reviews. When you add them one at a time, you will know quickly if there is a problem and can get rid of the mod. If you add a bunch at once, you won't be able to identify the problem and will have to go through them one a time anyway to sort it out.

I also prefer to use the Workshop because this site already has its hooks into my system, so I'm not taking on increased risks by going there. Using Nexus is totally different. It's annonymous and you are completely on your own when you choose to allow a random internet stranger to input code on your system. Like it. love it or hate it, it is a risk and anyone who tells you different is lying.

If you are smart about it, it can turn a great game into the best game you've ever played. If you rush in like a dufus, you'll be back in here posting stuff like "MY SKYRIM IS BROKEN".

[hedgie_yozh]

Opprinnelig skrevet av Oberon:

I think bottom line is that im just to busy to have to worry about building a game that suits me...thats why i pay money to be entertained.

I guess for a lot of us adding the mods is half the entertainment. I do recommend that you give the game another shot; it does take some time to grow accustomed to. But it isn't for everyone, and if you are used to MMOs I am sure it is quite a change. Skyrim might not be your thing and there is certainly nothing wrong with that.

[Zefram Cochrane]

If you've only just bought the game then its a bit early to judge I 'd say, give it some time before you make a definitive judgment

That being said, mods enhance a game, they don't change it fundamentally so it you're unhappy with the game in general then mods are unlikely to change that in all likelyhood.

The UI is easy to fix though as has been pointed out already.

Opprinnelig skrevet av tiredofpain:

I also prefer to use the Workshop because this site already has its hooks into my system, so I'm not taking on increased risks by going there. Using Nexus is totally different. It's annonymous and you are completely on your own when you choose to allow a random internet stranger to input code on your system. Like it. love it or hate it, it is a risk and anyone who tells you different is lying.

You take that risk everytime you download an email or look at a webpage...

If you're really that worried about someone slipping a virus into a package (if a a mod is a popular one someone will have spotted it) then open the package yourself and take a look - ESM's and BSA's are Skryim-only packages, if it has an .EXE onboard then you might have cause to wonder.

Besides, what makes you so comfortable that Workshop items aren't malware infected? You think Steam actually checks the contents of whats uploaded?