The in-depth exploration of mods in Skyrim has begun!
I’ve been using my PC as a sandbox first, trying out mods in sequence to see whether or not I like them well enough to deploy them onto the Deck for use in official play. So right now I’m doing that with a separate character from the ones I’m actually seriously playing–which may or may not turn into an actual legit playthrough later, we’ll see. For now she’s just a test character to give me opportunity to play with mods.
PC screenshots
All of these screenshots are off my PC, where I checked a bunch of mods to see which of them were the ones I wanted to move over to the Deck. So keep in mind that this set is at Low tier graphics settings in Skyrim. Which still, I feel, manages to look pretty amazing.
Notable mods involved here, in the order in which they’re listed in my Vortex:
Skyrim Flora Overhaul SE
Realistic Water Two
Ethereal Clouds
A Quality World Map
Noble Skyrim
Happy Little Trees
Note also that Skyrim Flora Overhaul, Noble Skyrim, and Happy Little Trees did cause my Vortex to complain about conflicting files. So despite this being the order of the mods in my list, Noble Skyrim is actually loading things before Skyrim Flora Overhaul and Happy Little Trees.
Pine Trees 1
Test view of what the surrounding trees look like, when I'm standing just outside Helgen after escaping, and I'm running the Happy Little Trees mod. I really like these trees, they make the area around Helgen and Whiterun look more like the Pacific Northwest. 😀
Pine Trees 2
Another pine trees shout, right around the exit from the Helgen cave. Hadvar is just ahead, waiting for me to catch up.
A Quality World Map 1
Test of one of the variations of A Quality World Map. I kind of like this though I may experiment with the others available as well.
A Quality World Map 2
Second test of the changed world map.
Unfamiliar Flora
That yellow flower there in particular I think is coming in with the Skyrim Flora Overhaul mod. I like it!
Different Road
New texture for the road that leads to Riverwood. This is coming in with Noble Skyrim.
View of Bleak Falls Barrow
And another opportunity to show off the pine trees. Also, Hadvar! Hi Hadvar!
View from the Guardian Stones
I had to stop and marvel over this because of the change in water via the Realistic Water Two mod. I _really_ love how the water looks here.
Updated Waterfall 1
The water is very frothy here, a distinct contrast with the more still water over there on the right. I like it!
Familiar Plant, New Look
This is what thistle looks like with Skyrin Flora Overhaul installed.
Updated Waterfall 2
Technically I suppose this is water leading _to_ a waterfall, but still, it looked like. Frothy as it should be leading to a waterfall.
River to Riverwood 1
More stopping to admire what the water looks like with Realistic Water Two. 😀
More New Flora
Some nice little bits of brightness to wake up the landscape.
River to Riverwood 2
Holy crap I'm loving this water.
Entrance to Riverwood
This is what Riverwood looks like at its entrance, with Noble Skyrim installed. A lot more wood involved with the architecture, here!
Steam Deck screenshots
And now here’s a set of screenshots directly off the Deck. All of the above mods are active on the Deck here, as well as:
Ethereal Cosmos
Enhanced Volumetric Lighting and Shadows
Realistic Animals and Predators
Same conflicts applied on the Deck as mentioned for the PC. Here, though, I’m on Ultra tier graphics.
Luciriel the Altmer
This is what this test character looks like, as of escaping Helgen. She may or may not turn into a real playthrough. Mostly I'm using her to test mods right now, and may also use her to play Skyrim Together Reborn once the current modding situation for Skyrim settles down again and I can use STR with the current Skyrim build.
View from the Guardian Stones, Take Two
This is the Steam Deck version of the view from the Guardian Stones. Main difference between this and the PC version is the different lighting conditions, and also, I can actually see the fishing camp down there on the left, which is not visible in the PC shot.
Waterfall, Take Two
Again, slightly different lighting conditions here. I think the water looks smoother on the Deck, which would make sense, because Ultra tier graphics. And there are more trees and shadows of trees back there on the right.
Waterfall 2
I like that I can see spray coming off the waterfall. 😀
Waterfall 3
One more shot of the waterfall, and heh, a notice that I took a screenshot down there in the lower right corner. I haven't mastered the timing of when to do screenshots on the Deck yet!
River to Riverwood
Steam Deck version of the river to Riverwood shot.
River to Riverwood 2
Another river shot, to get some of the flora into a picture too.
Stairs to Dragonsreach
A few notable things here: light levels, because it's night in-game now; how the water looks on either side of the stairs, and the paving of the stairs itself. The paving's courtesy of Noble Skyrim, which adds a few more distinctive paving types to Whiterun that I really like.
Interior of Dragonsreach
This is what the interior of Dragonsreach looks like with Noble Skyrim installed. A _lot_ more wood involved in the architecture here. Really changes the whole flavor of the place.
Gorgeous Sky 1
I've raved repeatedly over how glorious Skyrim's skies look on a clear night in-game. This is what that glorious sky looks like with a mod called Ethereal Cosmos installed. 😀
Gorgeous Sky 2
Second sky shot because holy crap this is beautiful.
Gorgeous Sky 3
One more!
Teeny Tiny Crab
This teeny tiny crab is courtesy of the Realistic Animals and Predators mod. I kind of adore it. <3 It's much cuter than the mudcrabs that like to come at me any time I get anywhere near running water!
Whiterun Drawbridge
Another screenshot to look at textures implemented by Noble Skyrim.
Morning at the River 1
One of two shots back in Riverwood the following morning game-time, to look at what morning lighting conditions do to the river. Gorgeous!
Morning at the River 2
Second of two shots back in Riverwood, to look at morning lighting conditions at the river.
Guard Camp Outside Riverwood
Combo here of different architecture textures, different lighting, different tree, and different flora.
So far so good, very pleased with these results so far!
As Angela Highland, Angela is the writer of the Rebels of Adalonia epic fantasy series with Carina Press. As Angela Korra'ti, she writes the Free Court of Seattle urban fantasy series. She's also an amateur musician and devoted fan of Newfoundland and Quebecois traditional music.
