A new mod uploaded online on Friday is already getting attention among The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim fans. As much as Skyrim fans enjoy the game's story, becoming the Dragonborn and a hero to the land, sometimes players really just want to explore Skyrim without the weight of someone pushing them along a set path. That's where the "At Your Own Pace - Main Quest Tweaks" mod for The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim comes into play, unlocking the main quest in an intriguing new way.
Mod creator agd25 explains that they feel like Skyrim's main quest "forces" players into it. "There is always a dragon to fight, a quest to do, never time to steal every sweetroll in Skyrim," and that's what their "At Your Own Pace" mod fixes. They explain that the game will start relatively normally, even through entering the keep of Dragonsreach. However, after speaking to Jarl Balgruuf, the player will simply be paid and will then be able to go on their way.
From there, content that would otherwise be locked through Skyrim's main story progression has been unlocked. There's no Epic Quest and there's no quest marker, allowing players to play Skyrim as they please. The main quest itself is more segmented, allowing Skyrim players to move forward in a more controlled manner.
Players can continue forward by speaking with Farengar, who will then send the player on to Bleak Falls Barrow to become the Dragonborn. However, if players choose otherwise, they can take the Imperial side in the Civil War and skip become a Dragonborn entirely. Another example of how the mod tweaks the story is that by giving the Attunement Sphere to Sulla in Aftland, Blackreach will be completely available to explore. The Sea of Ghosts can also be explored without having to go through extra RP.
This isn't the only Skyrim mod to try and better work around the game's main questline, cutting away at awkward sections that only serve to gatekeep the player from more freedom. The modder admits that they've taken inspiration from mods like "Not So Fast - Main Quest," building on their own "Delay Bleak Falls Barrow" mod. Fans are also told that agd25 simply felt like they could improve on the overall idea, explaining the mod's design.
As ever, The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim remains one of the modding community's favorite games to build upon. Just yesterday, Skyrim received an update to its longest-running mod, Skyrim Rebirth. "At Your Own Pace - Main Quest Tweaks" creator agd25 even made sure their mod worked with other popular mods like Requiem and Skyrim Unbound, adding to its quality. Almost 10 years after Skyrim's release, it continues to be a fan favorite.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
Source: NexusMods