Am I the only one who enjoys vanilla Skyrim?

[MikeJones84]

I already played the game to death so I don't enjoy it like I used to but I never felt the need to "fix" anything in the vanilla game. To me the combat is satisfying, the graphics are beautiful and the game is just very immersive and chock-full of content.

 

Yet everyone talks about how the game is broken and requires mods to be playable. I honestly don't get it.

[polaczek]

Well mate while I agree that I really enjoyed the game first 50 hours after I bought it then I suddenly got bored and tired of it and did not finish the main quest until after a year or so. I don't know, I think it was too bland and grey for me after coming from Oblivion which I really like. But when I got the game nicely modded I really enjoyed it more, especially with an enb. I think the most annoying thing was the UI, which was hard to navigate without a controller. 

[Corpus Vile]

I think it mostly requires the unofficial patches to be ok, but that's enough to make it acceptable.

I can agree to some extent, I've never liked the idea of adding too much intrusive stuff to it.

Some minor modifications to the gameplay, though, I find desirable.

Just as an example, SPERG+Duel for perks/combat. It's lightweight, flexible and expands kinda tastefully on the vanilla system rather than trying to force some entirely new way of doing things into the game; while SkyRe/PerMa just didn't do it for me. Too many messy, incoherent changes, and it doesn't help that conjuration has been a bugfest since SkyRe's inception.

Bottom line is that it obviously doesn't require mods to be playable, although some mods can improve what's already there.

[Coopervane]

I already played the game to death so I don't enjoy it like I used to but I never felt the need to "fix" anything in the vanilla game. To me the combat is satisfying, the graphics are beautiful and the game is just very immersive and chock-full of content.

 

Yet everyone talks about how the game is broken and requires mods to be playable. I honestly don't get it.

 

It might stem from the fact that an absolute ton of the vanilla quests are either broken, or can be very easilly broken if you do anything in an order that the devellopers did not anticipate.

 

Seriously, go check out the changelogs provided by the Unofficial Skyrim Patches, and have a look all the things Artmoor and crew found broken and have managed to fix. It's a list about 5 miles long, as the vanilla game is chock full of problems and bugs.

 

 

If you like the game perfectly vanilla? More power to you, but you should seriously considder downloading and installing the Unofficial patches at the very least. They don't change any aspects of the gameplay or it's look and feel, they just fix bugs, and they fix a ton of them!

 

You might also want to install SKSE (it provides a patch that lets Skyrim make better use of your RAM, which improves game stabillity), and ENBoost (it makes no changes to the game's graphics, but does provide a patch that lets the game make propper use if your videocard's onboard memory, which again improves game stabillity).

 

If you play with mouse and keyboard, then SkyUI is also recommended, as it changes the UI to a layout that's more M+Kb friendly. But if you play with a controller, there's probably not much need for that.

 

 

There's really no good reason to pass up the above things, as they can only make the game run better, and makes no noticable change to the gameplay that you know and enjoy, they just improve the experiance by removing bugs, making the game run faster, and making it less likely that you will run into crashes.

[MeMe]

I was writing a long post on this, but Coopervane beat me to it: The game IS pretty broken. The unofficial patches are a must, mods improving stability are very very recommended, tweaking the game for PC is recommended etc.

 

I personally recommend looking at the STEP Project. The goal of that modpack is "enhanced vanilla", nothing but bugfixes, stability fixes, other fixes, playability tweaks for PC, hi-res graphics (still in the spirit of the original, no overhauls here.) As you can see from the modpack length there's a lot you can do without taking the game away from the vanilla experience.

[sillplain]

At first i doubt to buy Skyrim because of the vanilla videos i saw, the graphic is bad, especially the faces of the peoples, all ppls are ugly as hell. But then i saw some modded videos of skyrim, it's like WOW IT'S BEAUTIFUL!! So i bought skyrim. From the beginning, i play modded skyrim and i doubt i can even play vanilla skyrim w/o mods for even 1 hour. Coz i never did play skyrim w/o mods.

[Ark of Truth]

I enjoyed it for the first play through and that was it.

[mkprovince]

I enjoyed it for the first play through and that was it.

 

Pretty much this. I enjoyed the first few runs of vanilla contents, trying to figure ways to get unstuck when something happens. There's enough of a surprise (like that small shrine somewhat hidden near Riverwood) in the world map for me to keep an eye open. After a few times, then it's modding time to get the frustration in the blood out.

[MikeJones84]

I don't play strictly vanilla anymore either. I've always used the unnoficial patches, something I consider essential since Morrowind, so maybe that's why I never encountered anything game-breaking. I also use SKSE and SkyUI as certain mods require those.

 

Judging by these replies perhaps I just misunderstood the "hate" for vanilla. I guess I sort of assumed that people consider gameplay overhauls and such to be essential mods.

 

Anyway I've been itching to start a new playthrough so maybe I'll start with a fresh install and try the STEP project. Thanks for the link. I've seen it before but never paid much mind to it.

[A.J.]

I agree with you, OP. I did 3 playthroughs before starting to mod it, we're talking about old versions, about 1.3. I really enjoyed it and nothing was broken for me - absolutely wonderful.

But after 3 complete playthroughs, it's definetely hard to continue playing, the story's always the same and so the main / secondary quests... so I started modding it. Today I couldn't really go bad playing vanilla, it's definetely awful compared to the modded one, as gameplay and graphic - but I've never considered it broken, I never had the "pleasure" to see it bugging bad or being unstable... until I started installing mods. Same thing that happened on FO3/NV, when I play vanilla I usually don't need any extra patches, the only issues I could have is maybe a miasma chain that fails to be activated once in a dozen of different games, which I workaround easily.

[aqqh]

Depends on your tastes.

Number of things are done very poorly in my opinion - like difficulty settings for example. And what is worst is the feeling you get that those settings were made in 5 minutes by "lets change 2 variables and we will have a new difficulty setting!". Imo no one spent even a minute checking the results of this.

As an addition game difficulty raises too rapidly at low levels - lv 6 NPC (like saber cat) could be over 100% more powerful than lv 1 (wolf). Sorry but difference between lv 6 and lv 1 player is maybe 20%... Either this game wasn't beta tested at all or every single one of bethesdas beta testers should be fired - that's my honest opinion... 

Class balance in imo very poor as well. Insanely overpowered dual wield assassin on one side - seriously underpowered mage on the other. Difference in damage done is more than 10x...

Things like behavior of vanilla horses is some kind of a very bad joke to me... This made me start modding my game. i just couldnt stand this idiocy...

Economy is a joke - money is worthless in this game.

All sort of magic equipment that you find in dungeons are just vendor items on top with deadric artifacts which are good only to be displayed on weapon racks in your home... What the hell should i use them for if i can craft myself something that would be 20 times more powerful?

And on top of it skyrim is the only RPG i know that at some point you dont want your character to level up anymore - because from some point on (around level 55) further leveling actually makes you weaker... And in my book if an RPG game has such mechanics then its a huge ROTFL...

 

A lot of things like this.

In my opinion unmodded skyrim is an average game at best.

[w33beast1e]

You're  seriously underestimating the importance of the Creation Kit to many of us. Without it you probably wouldn't be able to find a lively community to talk about Skyrim with in anything other than past tense.

 

How many console gamers do you see discussing Skyrim's virtues these days? Exactly. It's a good game but it's not that good. It's modding that keeps this game fresh and relevant long after similar newer games have been consigned to the darkest reaches of your local video game exchange emporium.

 

Sounds to me like you haven't really had the opportunity to play a well modded setup, which is why you're singing the praises of what amounts to relative mediocrity. My combat is better than your vanilla combat, by some considerable margin. And I wouldn't settle for what you're happy to put up with, if that was the case I'd have moved on long ago. 

 

 

 

[SpyderArachnid]

I actually play the vanilla game myself, meaning no combat, quest, perk, etc overhauls or anything like that.

 

The only thing I use is cosmetic mods. Stuff that overhauls the textures or models, giving the game a new look is all. Fancy ENB, some new weather, lighting, decorations, stuff like that. But gameplay wise, it is all vanilla.

 

I literally just finished a complete 100% vanilla playthrough just last night using the Quest Checklist on Nexus. Getting ready to get started on Dawnguard now, but like I said, everything is vanilla still. Nothing to alter the mechanics or gameplay, just stuff to pretty up the game is all.

[Strawbrary]

I actually preferred the vanilla Skyrim experience myself.  It wasn't until I started using Sexlab that I started modding characters' and environment's appearances.

[nutluck]

Well you are asking about vanilla skyrim on a mod site, so by default those of us here tend to be pro mod.

 

With that said though, this is how I explained Skyrim to my friend when he was thinking about getting it last year.

 

Skyrim as is, is a good fun game to play, Skyrim modded is one of the best games I have ever played.

[endgameaddiction]

No you're not, but I'm not one of them either. I don't appreciate the game for what it is and it's why it never settled in my heart like FO3.

 

I really wanted to, but I went through hell with 12 reinstalls and a massive amount of start overs before I was burnt out. And have a decent stable Skyrim. During the time I gave up trying to enjoy the game for what it was and I started modding it. Haven't had interest in modding it and I get very bored quickly. I did do both the civil war and dragonborn storylines. FInished both Dawnguard and Dragonborn. Did enjoy the DLCs over the main story. But I find myself running around the landscape bored since I've already done all the mini quests too many times.

 

But this goes further than that. There are many things that ruined this game for me. Which I rather avoid getting into that cause it's just going to tick off the Skyrim peeps. The only thing I'm hanging on to Skyrim these days is making pretty chicks.

[nutluck]

No you're not, but I'm not one of them either. I don't appreciate the game for what it is and it's why it never settled in my heart like FO3.

 

I really wanted to, but I went through hell with 12 reinstalls and a massive amount of start overs before I was burnt out. And have a decent stable Skyrim. During the time I gave up trying to enjoy the game for what it was and I started modding it. Haven't had interest in modding it and I get very bored quickly. I did do both the civil war and dragonborn storylines. FInished both Dawnguard and Dragonborn. Did enjoy the DLCs over the main story. But I find myself running around the landscape bored since I've already done all the mini quests too many times.

 

But this goes further than that. There are many things that ruined this game for me. Which I rather avoid getting into that cause it's just going to tick off the Skyrim peeps. The only thing I'm hanging on to Skyrim these days is making pretty chicks.

 

You might want to look at some of the quest mods, some of them are also very fun to play to as well.

[Dagren]

I can't climb on everyone mountain like they said, I need mods for that.

[Sarathis]

Skyrim's a good game and was very different from what was on the market when it first came out. I played it and enjoyed the hell out of it for quite a while before I even knew you could mod it. It had it's problems (looking at you, Alt+Tab cursor bug) but I still enjoyed playing.

 

That being said, modding Skyrim adds TONS of depth that the game was quite simply missing before. It's not that Skyrim is a bad game on its own. Modding simply makes it better, that's all. My brother was a hold out for years, insisting that he didn't need mods to make his game better. I finally wore him down this year and got him to try some out and now even he admits he'd have a hard time playing it in vanilla state.

[WorshipTheSatan]

3+ years ago, i used to think that Vanilla Skyrim's combat is bad. But i didn't really bothered by it at the time.

 

Then, i played Dark Souls and install some mods that changes the combat to be as close as possible to Souls series.

 

After that, i develop a huge... deep... raging... hatred... towards Vanilla Skyrim.

 

Who would've thought that 'hitting enemies is like hitting an air' kind of combat is a good idea? Holy shit Bethesda, what are you guys thinking?

[Coopervane]

I can't climb on everyone mountain like they said, I need mods for that.

 

Actually, that part you can do in vanilla. Just buy a horse!

[yatol]

Depends on your tastes.

Number of things are done very poorly in my opinion - like difficulty settings for example. And what is worst is the feeling you get that those settings were made in 5 minutes by "lets change 2 variables and we will have a new difficulty setting!". Imo no one spent even a minute checking the results of this.

 

the only fail in the difficulty setting is that it boost the ennemies and nerf the player (it should only boost the ennemies)

 

As an addition game difficulty raises too rapidly at low levels - lv 6 NPC (like saber cat) could be over 100% more powerful than lv 1 (wolf). Sorry but difference between lv 6 and lv 1 player is maybe 20%... Either this game wasn't beta tested at all or every single one of bethesdas beta testers should be fired - that's my honest opinion... 

 

that's how it is supposed to be, a giant level 1 is much stronger than a rabbit level 1, and a rabbit level 50 isn't supposed to be as strong as a alduin level 50

 

Class balance in imo very poor as well. Insanely overpowered dual wield assassin on one side - seriously underpowered mage on the other. Difference in damage done is more than 10x...

 

never had that problem, but i don't use the alchi potion to create enchant potion to enchant alchi to make stronger alchi potion to enchant forge and make stronger forge potion

spells don't get stronger with that so if you are a mage, you can't get as cheaty

 

Things like behavior of vanilla horses is some kind of a very bad joke to me... This made me start modding my game. i just couldnt stand this idiocy...

Economy is a joke - money is worthless in this game.

 

only thing i can do with mods is making money harder to get, venders give you less, making house or horse cost more to sink all that gold

this don't change anything

money would be less useless if blessing were costing 500 gold, you want that?

a habitation tax can be add too, 1000 gold for the jarl each month

a salary for your huscarl

how are those kids able to survive when you are sunbathing in solsthein? adding a coffer where you have to put gold, and each kid take 50 from it each day for food, if the coffer get empty, they die (now you have a reason to make gold)

how about a maid that clean your house, with a salary too

 

All sort of magic equipment that you find in dungeons are just vendor items on top with deadric artifacts which are good only to be displayed on weapon racks in your home... What the hell should i use them for if i can craft myself something that would be 20 times more powerful?

you are able to craft something 20 time more powerful because of the thing above

many mods make this worse since it allow you to get your forge to 200 (npc don't get those boosts), recycle the armors you loot (and you loot much more when there's more to kill), and put new cheaty items only for you in the game

requiem is the other side, crafting is useless in requiem, by the time you are able to craft something nice, you probably got something better from dungeons, you can't craft something as cheaty as those uniques items

 

And on top of it skyrim is the only RPG i know that at some point you dont want your character to level up anymore - because from some point on (around level 55) further leveling actually makes you weaker... And in my book if an RPG game has such mechanics then its a huge ROTFL...

 

that's because you are powerleveling

the npc you are facing at level 30 are tweak to be killable by a level 30 that have 50 in one hand, 50 in light armor, 50 in lockping, 50 in pickpocket, 50 in speech, 30 in conjuration/restauration/destruction...

if you are level 30 with 90 in one hand, 90 in light armor, and 90 in forge, and are abusing the alchy/enchant/forge cheat, those npc don't stand a chance

but if you continue leveling with skills that no longer boost your char (since you already got all your boost), you will face npc that are tweak to be killable by a level 50 that have 80 in one hand, 80 in light armor, 70 in lockpicking, 70 in pickpoket, 70 in speech, 60 in conjuration/restauration/destruction...

those npc are getting stronger, while you don't, because you are already at your max

[Effie]

This thread is getting hilarious, cause people are trying to force their opinions on others.

 

Hell in the end it really is just opinions, not a who's right and who's wrong xd

[yatol]

This thread is getting hilarious, cause people are trying to force their opinions on others.

 

instead of saying this is bad, why don't they make a mod to fix it?

 

look what i did to requiem^^

it's unrektified

and much harder, with requiem food, i wouldn't be able to play that

[Effie]

instead of saying this is bad, why don't they make a mod to fix it?

 

look what i did to requiem^^

 

Aah niice :DD

I also go about changing mods sometimes to suit my needs (though i'm still learning xD )