How to enhance combat?

[Pendragon]

There are so many different mods improving the combat animations, killmoves, AI etc. that can work together very well, but which ones to choose? I want a more fluent and fast paced combat while not making the combat much harder in general or making it way too different than the vanilla.

https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/67017?tab=description

These videos in this page is looking really cool with the sound effects. But i am sure there are not only a single mod in here. Which ones should i pair for the best?

[Southpawe]

One of the biggest improvements to combat comes with the recent release of Combat Gameplay Overhaul. This mod does a lot that is making the combat more interesting and fluid but it is not changing difficulty or enhancing ai of the character. Read the description for details https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/33767

Enhanced Blood Texture makes combat feel more bloody and brutal and gets rid of the strawberry jelly blood from the vanilla game. https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/2357

Violens is essentially a killmove configuration mod. Great if you like to edit how and when killmoves are triggered. https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/668

Critical Hit- Backstab and Parry allow you to backstab in combat without killmoves and allows you to parry incoming strikes which triggers a momentary slow-time effect. It's pretty neat and mostly overlooked by most modders. https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/17400

I'm not sure what combat sound effects mod the guy in the video you linked is using, but I personally like and use Audio Overhaul for Skyrim SE it even comes with a FOMOD installer that allows you to customize some combat sounds https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/12466



That pretty much it for mods that enhance the combat experience without actually changing mechanics, difficulty, or changing enemy ai. If you want a mod that does any of those things you will just have to look over each one and decide if if sounds like fun or not.

[Pendragon]

Originally posted by Southpawe:

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Wow, i already have installed more than 90 mods but i only heard of Violens in this list, and i usually look for mods only via sorting the most downloaded ones on nexusmods. Seems like there are so many more mods like these which i have overlooked. Should i use these mods you have suggested plus an AI improvement mod? Will that be cool? I just really don't understand why there are no things like 'mod packs' including 5-6 mods only to improve combat and these kind of stuff. Not an actuall mod, but a mod covering covering more than 1 mods like all-in-one. I will keep on trying finding the best pairs then.

More suggestions still welcomed. I currently these mods effecting or potentially effecting combat;
Pretty Combat Animations
Realistic Ragdolls and Force
VioLens
Ultimate Combat SE ( which is i find cool, can block attacks while initiating an attack, timed blocking and some ai improvements which i couldn't recognize since i couldn't make a good comparison with vanilla, but there is a weird sound effect especially when you headshot an enemy, and the mod in general is not making the combat fluent enough like i shared on that video)
Proper Aiming ( I really felt no difference after that one )

I am using Mod Organizer v2.2.2.1 to install mods and I don't know which ones to turn off to install new ones like you have suggested above 'Combat Gameplay Overhaul'. There was an AI improvement mod i have uninstalled because it was glitching enemies in combat making their animation look like scarecrows ( if this is a known bug).

So i really need some general suggestions from experienced people. I would also like to share all of my currently installed mods to ask for help in general to improve my experience but i don't know how to easily share the names of 91 different mods currently installed on mod organizer.

[mainer]

I use Enhanced Enemy AI: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/32063?tab=description

This is a script free mod that only affects enemy AI (not dragons) as is compatible with many other combat mods.

This is the compatibility section from Siuia's mod page:

Compatibility

As this mod only edits combat style, it's compatible with 99% of all the Skyrim mods, and most combat mods.
The only conflicting mods are the ones I'm gonna list below. Conflicting doesn't mean incompatible ! You will still be able to use your combat mods features while using Enhanced Enemy AI to improve combat style.
Be sure to place this mod after/below your other combat mods in your load order !

Compatible mods (load order doesn't matter) :
- All dragon mods
- Deadly Combat
- Mortal Enemies
- Sekiro Combat : as this mod requires Ultimate Combat to work, read my comment below.
- SkyTEST : animals will use SkyTEST AI improvements while all other enemies will use this mod AI improvements.
- Ultimate Combat : you'll will have to disable the enemies AI in the MCM menu (it will also disable the dodge/roll added by Ultimate Combat to human NPC).
- Vigor

Conflicting mods (place EEAI after/below these mods) :
- Advanced Adversary Encounters - Ultimate
- Animal Tweaks
- Combat Evolved
- Intense Combat Experience
- Skyrim Revamped - Complete Enemy Overhaul
- Smilodon
- Wildcat

Incompatible mods :
- Revenge Of the Enemies 2016 : adds its own combat style to most enemies.

If one of your mod isn't listed, don't hesitate to ask in the comments !

[Doom Sayer]

I disagree with others.

Combat gameplay overhaul,
3PCO 3rd person camera
Archery Gameplay overhaul (Note requires NEMESIS which conflicts with FNIS so maybe skip it for smaller archery mods)
Aim FIX (makes 3PCO and archery play better together)
Then preferred AI combat mod that doesnt conflict with Combat gameplay overhaul.
https://youtu.be/ySGKY8GB-Gw
Note its still under dev. It may or may not get much better support with other mods in future.

[Southpawe]

Originally posted by Degeneracy:

I disagree with others.

Combat gameplay overhaul,
3PCO 3rd person camera
Archery Gameplay overhaul (Note requires NEMESIS which conflicts with FNIS so maybe skip it for smaller archery mods)
Aim FIX (makes 3PCO and archery play better together)
Then preferred AI combat mod that doesnt conflict with Combat gameplay overhaul.
https://youtu.be/ySGKY8GB-Gw
Note its still under dev. It may or may not get much better support with other mods in future.

That's not really disagreeing as such, that's more like adding to. 3PCO and Archery Gameplay Overhaul are both great mods.

[Southpawe]

Oh, thought of one more.

Realistic Impacts adds the ability for giant creatures such as Dwarven centurians, giants, mammoths, and dragons to knock the player off their feet like they would realistically be able to. Should indirectly make fights with large creatures harder.
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/10520


You will probably want to pair it with the Faster Get Up animation so it doesn't take you so long to get back on your feet. https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/5890?tab=description

[Pendragon]

Thank you! Gonna try those for sure. Combat Gameplay Overhaul is looking great, but it looks still a bit clumsy compared to something like the first video i shared.

Originally posted by Degeneracy:

Archery Gameplay overhaul (Note requires NEMESIS which conflicts with FNIS so maybe skip it for smaller archery mods)

There are no mentions like that on the nexusmod thread for that mod. Seems like nothing else is required other than SKSE according to nexusmod as ive said.

[.: DBM :.]

did the kinks with SSE's port of Combat Lock ever get ironed-out? that mod was cool as hell for 3rd-person combat but, when I'd last installed it for Special Edition, it was pretty buggy

[Southpawe]

Originally posted by Pendragon:

Thank you! Gonna try those for sure. Combat Gameplay Overhaul is looking great, but it looks still a bit clumsy compared to something like the first video i shared.

Originally posted by Degeneracy:

Archery Gameplay overhaul (Note requires NEMESIS which conflicts with FNIS so maybe skip it for smaller archery mods)

There are no mentions like that on the nexusmod thread for that mod. Seems like nothing else is required other than SKSE according to nexusmod as ive said.

I'm not sure what you mean about it looking clumsy. The Combat Gameplay Overhaul mod adds the ability to switch grips on weapons, attach when jumping, use magic with two-handed or dual sword, dagger parrying and other features like that. It doesn't change the combat feel per se if you find the vanilla combat clumsy.


The video you linked just looks like regular Skyrim combat to me with a high level character. Not sure what you are referencing when talking about the video.

[Pendragon]

Originally posted by Southpawe:

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I haven't played for a lot yet but i see a huge improvement in terms of speed in that video while CGO just seems like the vanilla combat with those things you have mentioned added which i don't really need other that 'Attack when jumping' which is cool. Maybe i need to pair this mod with something that will make the combat faster like a basic improvement in weapon swing speeds plus an AI mod. Waiting for your suggestions.

[Pendragon]

I have encountered another problem while trying to use Archery Gameplay Overhaul and Combat Behavior İmproved, tried removing FNIS too but i am currently not able to use these two mods in my game.

https://i.gyazo.com/ded9b70f3fd719275ee9465b81ee490e.jpg

The problem is as shown in the image, all NPC's and my own character is staying stationary like this, can't movre cant attack, can't even look around.

[Southpawe]

Originally posted by Pendragon:

Originally posted by Southpawe:

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I haven't played for a lot yet but i see a huge improvement in terms of speed in that video while CGO just seems like the vanilla combat with those things you have mentioned added which i don't really need other that 'Attack when jumping' which is cool. Maybe i need to pair this mod with something that will make the combat faster like a basic improvement in weapon swing speeds plus an AI mod. Waiting for your suggestions.

CGO is meant to be used with other combat improving mods. It doesn't change combat speed or anything it just adds new features to use.

If you want it to be like the one in the video why not just use the SSE version of that mod? https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/3568

[StreamWhenGuy]

I just like Combat Evolved and nothing else. I feel like every other combat mod is overtuned, brings something I don't like or just buggy, or all of that together.

[Pendragon]

I think i have accidentaly installed some Skyrim mods instead of SSE xD Sad.

[Midnight]

Originally posted by Pendragon:

Originally posted by Southpawe:

...

I haven't played for a lot yet but i see a huge improvement in terms of speed in that video while CGO just seems like the vanilla combat with those things you have mentioned added which i don't really need other that 'Attack when jumping' which is cool. Maybe i need to pair this mod with something that will make the combat faster like a basic improvement in weapon swing speeds plus an AI mod. Waiting for your suggestions.

The swing speed in that video is a result of dual-wielding which is in the base game.

What changes is some of the timing on blocking, the ability to cancel swings into blocks and the inclusion of dual-wield block (and that is from some other mod). Other than that it's vanilla combat speed.

As an aside I'm not a fan of mods that change combat timing too much because the NPC AI is not build for it. Most of the time they will not "adapt" to the new timing which makes them incredibly easy to cheese.