I'm not exactly sure why, but when it comes to mods about adding anything to the game, I just don't like the idea.

I don't mind modding in bug fixes, graphical or lighting updates, or stuff like a new UI; But when it comes to stuff like Armor, weapons, quests, and the like, I don't like the idea. The only mod I can say I've ever enjoyed was the lich craft mod for Morrowind, and even then it was only because It was on a "Screw around" save.

I'm not even sure if this is where the thread should be though, so if it's not I apologize.

But I want to know, does any other PC player feel like me, or no?

well, this may or may not get moved to the mods section of the forum.

But in response I'm actually completly opposite. Seems like every time I boot up the game I download a new mod or two to try out.

My current mod list.

I love mods, but I'm picky about them in the sense that if they have to feel like they belong. The best mods are things that the devs might have done themselves if they had more time and resources. A rule of thumb is if you can tell it's a mod (aside from having downloaded and installed it or being so familiar with the vanilla game that anything new stands out), then it's probably not great.

I see where you are coming from. I don't like adding crazy stuff like the Goodyear Blimp or some hulking armor, even if it looks fun and well done. It just doesn't fit my view of the TES universe.

Yeah, even though I've made a mod that adds weapons, I feel mostly the same. Mostly because 90% or more of content created by people who aren't from Bethesda does not really fit in the game or lore, and while playing I always think "Oh, that's from a mod, it's not really part of the game..." with mods that add content.

Gameplay changes are fine though if they're either subtle or planned enough to affect everything and still feel like they fit and make sense.

I don't think Skyrim needs mods to be playable the way Oblivion did. I need at least a few mods to make Oblivion tolerable but I could happily play Skyrim without any mods at all.

I use a few small mods to tweak a few small things in my game and to add a few tools to help me roleplay. I use a mod to make walking speed a bit faster, a mod to decrease spawn times from 30 days to 3 days, a mod to decrease the frequency of NPC greetings and a mod to eliminate combat music. In most games I also add hair mods and creature-adding mod and an alternate start mod. And that's about it.

I agree to some extent. I also want to keep the game pretty vanilla to ensure that the experience I
get, is the experience the developers intended for us. I can hop aboard to some of the mods, like
player homes or minor stuff like that, but new armour, weapons or spells? No thank you.

If I did play on PC and use mods it would likely only be graphic enhancers.

I do. The only thng I've added yet is a cloak mod because it makes sense in a world that is so cold.

Frankly, I don't understand people who use armour, weapons that are imported from other games.

I am kinda with you on this, the only mods I use are usually graphic enhancers, maybe a few and I mean few armor mods if I feel the armor is lore friendly and does not step on the toes of original armors strength wise. I have tried game play add ons and quest add ins from other TES games and well they often fell short. I have heard though that there have been some great quest mods, but I have yet to really try them out. So far most mods I have tried out were with throw away saves and so far I think I now only have maybe 4 active mods.

Mind linking to a page for the respawn, walk speed, alternate start, and creature adding mods? I'm curious about how those work.

I'd be happy to. And here are a few others I forgot to list:

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=19 by Kivan. I use this because, well, there are bugs that Bethesda hasn't fixed yet.

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=1175 by Elys. I use this not just to uncap my skills but also to adjust the speed at which my skills advance.

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=9557 by Arthmoor. I use this because 1) I've been through the Helgen start so many times I find myself watching clouds pass or banners flap out of sheer boredom and 2) because not all of the character I want to play are criminsal or suspected criminals. My current character is a Dunmer who grew up in Windhelm, with a rsentment at how her family was treated, which affects all of her actions in the game. I was able to use Live Another Life to start this character in Windhelm. The character then spent her first several levels inside Windhelm, which really made it feel as though she was leaving home, when she did leave. Live Another Life is one of the most useful roleplaying mods that has been made for Skyrim.

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=9694 by dogtown1. I use this mod because I thought there were a few too many rabbits and goats underfoot in the vanilla game and not enough enemies. This mod has given my Dunmer thief a run for her money a few times. It makes the game a bit more difficult, but without making it insanely, tediously difficult. I think most of the new monsters are pretty well done. As an old Morrowind player it's almost owrth it just to see Guar here and there. I prefer to use JackStarr's http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/16411 version of the mod. In my opinion JackStarr's version feels right. The new monsters seem like they could be part of the original game (i.e. no Triceratops).

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=2762 by Phitt. Playing the game naturally, without trying to get wealthy, my first character became wealthy way too fast for my taste. The mod comes in several degrees of difficulty. I'm using the Very Hard plugin with my Dunmer. At level 20 she still has only 1000 to 4000 gold at any given time.

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=4548 by Phitt. I use this because I dislike combat music. I consider combat music to be a kind of cheat. I, the player, do not want to be psychically alerted whenever an enemy has spotted my character. Because my character cannot hear combat music, I consider combat music to be a meta-game mechanic.

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=912 by Doublevil. I use this to 1) turn off my compass but more importantly 2) to turn off map markers. I think Skyrim's 3D map is actually pretty attractive and I really dislike seeing it be obscured by over-sized, ugly black-and-white icons everywhere. Turning off map markers keeps my map looking clean and attractive.

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=11414 by The Great and Powerful BaconCat. Not only disables fast travel but also rasies carriage fee (200 gold for existing routes, 500 gold for new destinations). The higher price, in conjuction with my other mods, makes carriage travel something I often have to plan for in advance, adding a strategic element to offset the greater convenience.

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=9544 by Ditre. Part of the "suite" of mods that affects gold and travel in my games. Now that I've taken fast trvel out of my game, this mod adds carraiges to towns like Dawnstar and Falkreath to compensate. This helps to cut down on the tedium that can sometimes happen when we run/ride over the same roads again and again. This mod also increases the fee for carriage travel.

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=1603 by Wolfmark. This mod adds an executable file that allows the user to easily configure four settings: player walking, player running, horse walking, horse running. I have used it to tweak player walking speed to be slightly faster.

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=746 by Cipscis. This eliminates most of the "arrow to the knee" comments. Enough said.

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=3084 by Corepc. This comes in a few variants that change the length of time Skyrim respawns, reducing it from its default 30 days. I use the 3 Day DeadBody Timer and the 3 Day Respawn modules. Be aware: there is a reason Bethesda set Skyrim's respawn to a higher number than was found in Morrowind and Oblivion. If you do the main quest you will be fighting through a brand-new encampment of Forsworn every time you enter Sky Haven Temple. This can get a little old after awhile, depending on how you feel about it.

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=13049 by MyGoodEye and Gopher. This is a handy mod that adds in-game color, hue and contrast customization. It is done through a spell. You can see the effect of your change immediately, which allows you to fine-tune the settings on-the-fly. I use it to remove desaturation and to give Skyrim a slightly redder, warmer tint.

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=4929 by IcePenguin. This mod adds roads to the 3D map, which is essential for someone like me who has disabled my compass and fast travel.

Mods are beautiful.

I'm also a purist.

I only use mods for graphics and quest fixes, otherwise I prefer everything to be canon and strait from Bethesda.

Mind linking to a page for the respawn, walk speed, alternate start, and creature adding mods? I'm curious about how those work.

Check out http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/21377.

I don't know why more people don't know about this mod, but it basically adds variety to the animals and creatures of skyrim. Now chickens can be multiple patterns, dark brown and black bears, horses have more patterns etc. Basically makes the game feel a dozen times more realistic. If you're tired of every chicken being suede, every cow being brown etc. Check this out. Frankly something that should have already been in-game but I'm sure console mechanics wouldn't have worked well with it.

When I want something modded, I generally do it myself, generally to fix stuff that bothers me. I've done this twice with Skyrim: once to alter enchantments for mages (removed Fortify Spellschool from armors and rings, added Magnify Spellschool to rings and gloves, made the mage's college robe enchantment and its variables non-disenchantable.) and one that fixes the Ebony Blade.

I can understand where you're coming from.The main reason I also play on PC rather than just the Xbox is because of mods, but only ones that fix, do, or add things that I could picture to have already been in the game.

I only use a handful of mods and never do I add any goofy stuff like drivable cars or the ability to fly.

I try to download only lore friendly mods or graphic mods. Don't like any of those skimpy armor mods or mods that add overpowered stuff.

Main mods I use are enhances gameplay either by changing the basics of the game like Skyrim Redone does or graphical high res textures. Then you have the unofficial bug fix patches, mods that alter the way lights are around the world. Pretty much stuff thatcan make he world more immersive I do tend to add. Also things that improves and expands factions are nice as they make them feel more in line with how they should have been in the first place.

Weapon and armor mods I have very few of, I use Hothtrooper's immersive armors and a few weapon mods, but they are all in line with what you would say lore friendly. No oversized weapons or laser rifles etc. When I add mods it is to keep skyrim as close to vanilla as possible, all I want to do is add more things that can improve my gameplay. The worst mods I see are those skimpy armor ones tho, and the ones that make your character look like some kind of manga figure. Skimpy armors in a cold climate is imo just plain silly.

This. I've loked through mod lists, and mostly seen a succession of stuff which ruins the game. The only mods I use which aren't my own are a cloaks mod, lockpicking (I can play the mini-game OK, it just slows the game down), one which cleans up the map so it's actually useful, and the JaySus weapons mod. My own mods do various things like add player storage near Smithies, add player housing in the five main towns, remove perk dependencies, make craftable and recraftable arrows (long before DG) etc. That is, things that would improve the game for me. I don't expect anyone else to care, so I've never put them up on Steam.

On my first play-through, I do too. I want the experience the artists create.

On subsequent plays, I like to try to make the game my own and change it up enough that it feels different.

I think those two points pretty sum up my experience regarding Mods and my view towards Mods. I want to enjoy the game the developers intended for us to enjoy it. Sure fan made mods can sometimes increase the life span of the game but that again is a very personal decision.

When I first got into the game, it didn't cross my mind that I could actually go out in the world and mine for my ore instead of buying them from the Blacksmith. However, the reason it didn't is cause its so easy to over look the ores in the open world. So I got the Glowing Ore Mod and ore veins are easy to notice when travelling, etc.

I also found most small towns to be really dark and roads to be pretty dark late at nights. Also it really feels lonely if you ain't have a companion with you. That is where another mod Lanterns in Skyrim comes in. They have these little lanterns on doors and bridges in small towns like Riverwood, Ivarstead, Rorikstead, etc. The cool thing about this mod is that you have lamp posts along roads which really brightens up the world late at night and definitely adds a sense of realism to the world.

Another thing I found lacking was the activity in the inns and taverns in the cities. People can't be spending all their time in their houses, especially places in Whiterun and Solitude. Inns were pretty much dead besides the regular NPCs. So I went ahead and downloaded the Lively Inns and Taverns Mod. It really brings the inns to life and adds that little bit of extra to the game.

I think a lot of the above should have been addressed by the developers. But it doesn't hurt if some mods add a bit of realism to the world.

So even though I don't really like mods, I'll download some that improve the game. I was also looking to download Lush Forests which increases the fauna in the world.

Yup, this. It's got to the point where I can't play the unmodded game anymore, so I guess that's one drawback

Generally, the best mods are those that you can forget you've installed after a few hours in. A couple of standouts (for me, at least) are Duel - Combat realism, (a mod that adds a few IQ points to the combat AI), Convenient horses (a mod that adds horse riding and mounted combat for followers) and graphics mods such as Climates of Tamriel and Claralux. They help to fill out the original game without changing the developer's vision too much.

That said, there are some impressive mods that build on the original and extend it - Interesting NPCs is a brilliant one, adds around 70+ extremely well-written and voice acted lore-friendly NPCs (c. 2,500 words of dialogue) as well as ThirteenOranges' questmods and 'places' series (a series of mods recreating areas of skyrim from arena). The problem with modding is that there is an awful lot of crap out there, which means it's often hard to find the decent mods amid the ridiculous anime stuff and the nvdepatches - Gopher's Skyrim Mods Series on youtube is a good place to find decent mods ranging from graphics improvement to gameplay. My mod load order is largely made up of his recommendations, it's definitely a good place to get a decent overview of what's available.