Hey rongphale, you have been doing what most of us would have liked to do in an elderscolls game since, well, Morrowind I think. Since before Skyrim came out I've written down ideas for mods, the one most interesting to me being mounted combat. The game "Mount and Blade" really hit home for what mounted warfare should be like, and I've included that warfare mentality into my ideas for mounted combat in Skyrim. I would have loved to do the mod but have never done any modding in my life so it's not very realistic for me to delve into something as complex as mounted warfare. However, I think I'm pretty good at laying down the framework for what a mod should be.

Here's a https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=16DE20B714794BA8!107&authkey=!APkDQrF0jvyd22g containing what I have come up with so far for a mounted combat mod in Skyrim. I've updated it today after reading through this thread (you guys have some good ideas!) and discovering your efforts to make us all very happy gamers . It's long and detailed, but I think definitly worthwhile for you to read (I'm pretty passionate about it if you can't tell).

Well hopefully you can add left hand weapons and magic. Can't you shout? That's actually the easiest most hands free thing you can do.

Eeyup! Told ya a long time ago that Beth was gonna add Mounted Combat on their own.. Oh well.. You could always make it a million times better!

nope, no shouting, no racial powers such as berserk, no spells. Nothing of magical origin (besides enchanted weapons) can be used, not even staves.

It's already done; they just have to release it in a future update. See the video everyone talked about, jam something.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=DGIgXeGC6Dg#t=121s

Well, from the feedback i got the 1.6 patch mounted combat system svcks. So yeah, at the end of the day this mod wins.

I feel for you my man, you put so much work into this. Oh well, they've just created a foundation for you to improve upon.

svcks for the creator of this mod...perhaps he could make the magic combat work?

Thanks!

What about trying it by yourself, instead of listening to what others say? I have nothing to say about mounted combat because I haven't tried it yet.

Well whiners gonna whine - It don't svck but it could include casting + first person. And the horses' health is so low that it does not take long for the enemies to kill your mount. So a increase in health or an horse armor would be needed to make the mounted combat sessions take longer.

Fortunately, Better Horses seems to work with it, and that allows you the opportunity to set horses as essential, or increase their health. (among many other things)

I immediately thought of this mod when i saw the new patch.

It seems the aiming arch only goes around 180 degrees.. perhaps you can work on extending it further like in RDR and get the 2 handers working etc.

Mounted Combat 'Expanded'

So... Improved Mounted Combat for Skyrim then?

Good luck!

Again I must say that I highly suggest you take what you have learned and use it to build upon what they have given us as a base. They have added in new scripting features and many other things that make Mounted Combat work. Not to mention SKSE is always adding new things. I think you should make a "Better Mounted Combat" mod.

Features:

Activating Doors (would be insanely useful for Open Cities which has been risen from the dead due to the Navmesh bug being fixed)
Activate Items/flora
Interact with NPC's
Mounted Magic Combat (I think the channeled master spells should be excluded though)
Improved Mounted Archery
Mounted Guards (wouldnt it make since for those guards transfering prisoners to be on horseback? Or to have the Occasional ranger? )
Mounted Hostiles (Bad guys should be able to ride too)
Mounted to Mounted Combat (if bad guys can be mounted you need to be able to hit them too from your horse)
Horses Attack too (horses should be at least able rear up and kick with its too front legs or to do a devastating http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5pN5kR8vco)
First Person View (I actually like the Third Person view but others would love to have this)

you are the most trolled person ever

Bear in mind, there has always been scope for mods that improve and build upon the gameplay systems that Bethesda put in the Elder Scrolls games - and balance is something that can often be improved on. Just ask Oscuro .

I reckon a lot of people would love to have a mounted combat overhaul mod made by someone who's put a great deal of thought into it. Please don't give up, you may yet find that a lot of the knowledge and skills you've built up would be invaluable in really making mounted combat in Skyrim a feature to dazzle.

So good luck - even if you decide to try modding another aspect of Skyrim!

Ok so i downloaded the beta of 1.6 and i must say that if this is it and they make no other changes to mounted combat for the official release and i have nothing messing with the feature then i am not very impressed.

Yeah it is pretty darned cool and and chasing down a heard of like 15 deer and elk is really fun! but i for the life of me cant hit the broad side of a barn with arrows! for me i have no recital to aim with so i have to try and get a feel of the aiming and pretty much wing it and hope it hits. and some times the arrow shoots off at odd angles away from where i'm aiming. Better horses also seems to be simi broke as well but thats a different issue.

Pleas for the love of all that is good in this world, make a Better Mounted Combat mod!

I second that suggestion . We support you all the way mate.

Been playing a bit more and there is a HUGE amount of head room for improving this feature. I was being chased by like 7 wolves (i use PISE) and having to corral them to be at my sides or in front of me and shooting them with my hunting bow was a hell of a challenge and a lot of fun . I felt really accomplished after i defeated them using kiting and flanking.

Later i got knocked clean off my horse as i was trying to take out a mammoth. Got in too close with my steel sword and made the mistake of crossing in front of it thinking i was too fast. If you could get the aiming right with arrows i can imagine how freaking EPIC a dragon battle on horseback would be.