Top Mods I use after 7 years of Skyrim
Hello, all. I just want to make a very quick list because I'm seeing so many videos and lists that people make and it sort of only clutters to new players. So, I just want to break down the top mods to use, whether you are new or experienced, that have shown the definitive change to your game.
I'm also finishing up my last mod and will be moving onto Game Dev so I won't be as active after this.
Plus....Since Nova Modlist is so trending, I want to remind you that it's always about quality not quantity.
PART 1 BASICS
These are the essential and the most important mods you will ever need.
-SKYUI +SKYUI DEAR DIARY
-TRUE HUD
-Experience
-Ordinator
-Immersive Citizens
-Interesting Npcs
-Fore New Idles or Nemisis
Alternative Conversation Camera
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/21220
KEEP IT CLEAN (-BATHING IS IMPORTANT NOW) .ESP
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/17846?tab=posts
AE SURVIVAL MODE (-OR INEED SE)
SMOOTHERWALK BY LGG .ESP
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/85946
JUMPING
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/82125
-SKSE64
-Floating Damage
-better dialogue controls
-engine fixes
PART 2 GRAPHICS & LANDSCAPES
These are what I typically use for both performance and next gen visuals.
-Pi Cho Enb or Mythical Ages Enb or any Nat Enb
-Obsidian Weathers or Mythical Ages Weather
-Noble Skyrim HD 2K Textures
-Happy Little Trees + Tree Scale
R's Farmhouse (also get the red ivy fix in files)
Vivid Landscapes - Complex Parallax Occlusion Snow
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/80286
Vivid Landscapes - Nordic Dungeons and Ruins SE Parallax
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/46014
Vivid Landscapes - Volcanic Area SE Parallax
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/43503
-Water for Enb
-Majestic Mountains
Grass
-Tundra Texture Transplant (Green Whiterun Tundra) .ESP
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/18944
GKB Waves Reborn
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/71126
ORIGINS OF FOREST .ESP
NORTHEASTERN DWEMER TILESET .ESP
TESL LOADING SCREENS .ESP
Green and Lush Aspens
Another Chantry College
Enhanced Volumetric Lighting and Shadows (EVLaS)
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/63725
PART 3 GAMEPLAY & COMBAT
Combat is very subjective, but for the most part nothing is wrong in the default way. That's why instead of making my game look like Dark Souls, I simply enhance the combat AI, add newer animations, and let Skyrim fun do the rest.
HIGH LEVEL ENEMIES .ESP
ULTIMATE COMBAT .ESP
ULTIMATE COMBAT SEKIRO .ESP
HIGH LEVEL ENEMIES DAWNGUARD
HIGH LEVEL ENEMIES DRAGONBORN
ARCANUM MAGIC
SPELLS AND POWERS .ESP
TK HitStop SE
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/14904?tab=description
EAD - Every Attack Different SE
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/28142
Large Stagger Animation
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/68696
One-handed Power Sprint Attack Animation replacer
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/36515
Vanargand Animations - One Handed Normal Attacks
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/58326
Dual Wield Attack Power Forward Replacer
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/37074
YY Anim Replacer - Zweihander -SSE-PORT-
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/28491
Side Kick Bash Replacer - SSE Port (ESP-less)
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/52022
PART 4 DUNGEONS, HOUSES, QUESTS
Houses can be VERY subjective. I personally like Castles, but most users prefer a small cottage.
POPULATED DUNGEONS CAVES RUINS .ESP
PART 5 FOLLOWERS, MISC.
Followers, new armors, misc SKSE mods are all things you should add after all the above.
-LUCIAN (I DONT THINK ANYONE HAS A PROBLEM WITH THIS BOI)
-SOFIA THE FUNNY (THE MOST HATED AND YET LOVED FEMALE.
-PROFESSOR BENJAMIN DOON (OVERALL HIGHLY ENTERTAINING AND USEFUL)
-RECORDER (ALSO ONE OF MY FAVORITE FEMALE FOLLOWERS. CHECK
ELEANOR .ESP
ROWENA FOLLOWER .ESP
SKADI FOLLOWER .ESP
CK SELINA FOLLOWER .ESP
PANDORABLE FOLLOWER PACK .ESP
NADYA FOLLOWER .ESP
Misc
The Great City of Dragon Bridge SSE Edition
WAYSHRINES TRAVEL .ESP
IMPROVED ROADS .ESP
DEPTHS OF SKYRIM .ESP
PRETTIER ROADS .ESP
POPULATED LANDS ROADS PATHS .ESP
WINDHELM DOCKS PATHWAYS SE .ESP
SOLITUDE SKYWAY .ESP
(Any other Bijin Mod)
SAPHHIRE BIJIN .ESP
PURESKIN RETEXTURE
KORALINE FRECKLES .ESP
THE EYES OF BEAUTY .ESP
DOVAHNIQUE'S HIGH POLY VALERICA .ESP
Perfect Legionnaire - Imperial Armor Reforged 6-0
Load Order?
Load Order is almost always common sense. Put all the requirements at the start, don't put patches under the actual mod, and all the important mods you place last to make sure they have higher priority. And, when you can, try to learn tes5edit. It will help you way more than Loot, be able to also clean a dirty mod, and see exactly what mods are conflicting and how bad.
My general Load Order goes something like this
(First)
Skyrim.esm
update
Dawnguard
Hearthfire
Dragonborn
cc Anniversary Edition mods
--------
any Esm added by a mod
any Esl added by a mod
---
(Basic mod)
SkyUi,
No Spinning Death
Mortal Enemies
--
(Npc replacers)
Ysolda Bijin
Sapphire Bijin
Elisif Replacer
Aela Replacer
--
(Misc Gameplay)
Headtracking
Bandit Lines Expanded
High Level Enemies
Ultimate Combat
High Level Enemy patches
FNIS
Amazing Follower Tweaks
TesV Loading Screens
-
(more creature mods)
mihail guars
mihail scamps
mihail boars
etc
Skyrim Immersive Creatures
--
(new dungeons)
Jurg holm
Forgotten Dungeons or
Hammet's Dungeon Pack
--
(followers)
BenDoon
Recorder
Sofia
Lucian
Nadya
etc
--
(Npc Cosmetics & Armor)
Eyes of Beauty
Koralines Freckles
Crown Helmets
Imperial Guard Armor
etc
--
(Npc modifiers)
High Poly Faces
Ui Extensions
Mcm Helper
XPMSE
Race Menu
CBBE
Apachi Divine Elegance Store
Divine Wardrobe
-CBBE armors
-KS hairdoos
--
(final important mods)
Majestic Mountains
timescale
Game of Thrones Dragons
Npc Havoc Hit
Hit Stop
Obsidian Weathers
GKB WavesReborn
Skyrim Remastered Glaciers
Water for Enb
Keep it Clean
Immersive Music
Ordinator
Immersive Citizens
Clef Morthal Immersive Citizens
Dyndolod
No Combat Music.
(LAST)
Mods I don't support
Any Jk series
-way too many mod incompatibilities and clutter.
USSEP
-often crashes your game or adds too many nitpick add ons
plus so many mod incompatibilities
Lux
-way too much for what an Enb can already do
DAR
-easy gateway to nitpick the smallest features / combat
Requiem
-a whole skyrim playstyle youll need a lot of patches
