This summary of the video was created by an AI. It might contain some inaccuracies.
00:00:00 – 00:15:56
The video offers an in-depth review of several newly introduced paid mods in Bethesda's Skyrim update, alongside their free alternatives. The speaker begins by detailing the mods' costs and content, starting with the Aldmeri Anti-Age armor set and Kya the Thief follower mod, both of which are not recommended due to better free options. The Shade Tree Lodge, a new player home in the Rift, offers various features but is also seen as unworthy of its price.
Attention then turns to the "Legendary Dungeons: Dwarven Delves" mod, encompassing two elaborate, Dwarven-themed dungeons with intricate layouts, unique enemies, challenging battles, and rewarding boss fights. The process highlights the tedious nature of backtracking but provides rich rewards like summoning spells and unique weapons.
Further examined is the "Aquabus" mod, starting at Dwarven ruins and culminating in obtaining a weapon after solving puzzles and combat challenges. The review additionally includes a post-Civil War quest module that involves reporting findings to notable characters such as Galmar Stone-Fist and Legate Rikke.
Two other player homes, Winter Frost and an unnamed house mod, are addressed, with discussions of their distinct features, customizable interiors, and connected quests. The Winter Frost home involves battling bandits to access it, while the second mod extends from basic amenities to interaction-enhanced customization.
Lastly, the East Empire expansion mod introduces new services and outpost expansions through quests, involving unique NPC interactions and a feature for generating gold from cleared dungeons. The speaker concludes by prompting viewers for feedback on these paid mods, reflecting on their overall utility and cost relative to free alternatives.
00:00:00
In this segment of the video, the speaker provides a genuine and honest review of the new paid mods added by Bethesda with the latest Skyrim update while also mentioning some free alternatives. The paid mods are accessed similarly to the Creations through a credit system, with the smallest bundle costing a minimum of $8. The speaker discusses seven paid mods, starting with the cheaper ones.
Firstly, they review the Aldmeri Anti-Age armor set priced at 400 credits, which is comparable to free mods like the Traveling Mage Armor by Fuse00 and Zabo’s Armor Textures for Elven armor. They don’t recommend purchasing this due to similar free alternatives being available.
Next, they cover the ‘Kya the Thief’ mod, a follower mod priced similarly. Kya has 1,200 lines of dialogue and comes with a small quest to get her as a follower. She’s tailored for sneak archers and offers unique features, such as setting her home location and special interactions. Despite being a solid mod, the speaker finds it hard to justify the price given free options like Lucien and Inigo that provide more content.
Lastly, the video begins to touch upon the ‘Shade Tree Lodge’ mod priced at 500 credits but does not go into details within this transcript excerpt.
00:03:00
In this segment, the video introduces the Shade Tree Lodge, a new player home in the Rift, and provides details on its features including unique storage, weapon and armor displays, a hidden basement storage area, and various crafting stations. Outside, there are facilities such as stables, blacksmithing equipment, and a private fishing spot. The creator does not highly recommend purchasing this home due to the availability of similar free homes.
The video then transitions to discussing the “Legendary Dungeons: Dwarven Delves” mod. This mod adds two new Dwarven-themed dungeons from Elder Scrolls Online into Skyrim. The first dungeon, Stone Gardens, includes a storyline about an alchemist and his students who inadvertently awaken hostile spirits while attempting necromantic rituals. The dungeon features a non-linear layout, ghostly and spectral enemies, and rewards like the Mad Alchemist set and unique poisoning weapons. Players must collect and burn Dwarven bone dust to access a secret area with a challenging boss fight against three King Centurions to earn the King’s Craft ability.
The second dungeon, Frost, involves High Elven Craftsmen attempting to control Dwarven powers. Players need to activate three mechanisms scattered throughout the mazike dungeon to open the vault at its heart, presenting a more complex traversal and combat experience.
00:06:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses turning off quest markers to enhance the challenge of navigation. The speaker first explores the Storm Works, encountering high Elven mages and Dwarven spiders, then progresses to the Snow Works and Scorch Works to unlock mechanisms. After triggering three mechanisms, they face the leader of the elves and find a journal suggesting further objectives requiring backtracking. This process continues in the second dungeon, the Drake Engine, necessitating the turning of more valves to proceed to the final area, the Worm Works, and defeat the grand boss, Mnac Misery, an ancient dragon. The reward is three new summoning spells. However, the backtracking and long dungeon crawl are critiqued as tedious. The speaker then moves on to reviewing the “Aquabus” mod, describing a new quest beginning at Dwarven ruins north of Cradle Crush Rock. They find journals detailing a failed imperial excavation, face new enemy archetypes, and survive a perilous descent via a crumbling lift. They end up stranded and must fight further to retrieve a new weapon, the Aquabus, from the ruins.
00:09:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses a task involving the activation of four valves and rerouting steam to progress further into a ruin. Upon completing these tasks, you reach the Grand Library where a puzzle akin to one in the Tower of Mazar must be solved. This puzzle unlocks a door leading to the leader of an expedition and the captain of soldiers who hold schematics for crafting an aquabus and a control cube. Placing the cube initiates a battle with Dwarven automatons and a final boss Centurion. Defeating the boss yields a unique weapon called the Conamat Verdict and the aquabus staff.
Following this, the narrative shifts to post-Civil War quests where you report findings to either Galmar Stone-Fist or Legate Rikke, with options to lie or reveal the schematics. Revealing them adds the aquabus to the level list, allowing Imperial soldiers to use it. The speaker also mentions a non-purchased, lore-friendly alternative mod that introduces a variety of similar weapons.
Lastly, a new player home, Winter Frost, is mentioned. It requires a quest starting at the Winking Skeever where you investigate a manhole used by bandits, leading to a cave system with bandit smugglers and a dragon bone sword with a powerful enchantment. The cave’s trap door ultimately grants access to the Winter Frost home.
00:12:00
In this part of the video, the narrator talks about a mod for a house which initially appears neglected, requiring snow to be shoveled from the door. Players can build a boat at the dock to travel to Solitude. Inside, the house is dark initially, but lighting can be toggled by interacting with chandeliers. The main living room has basic amenities like an oven and cooking pot.
The bedroom features an Alchemy and enchanting table with custom storage for soul gems and potions. A notable feature is the book of alteration, allowing customization of the interior materials and colors. The armory contains mannequins, weapon racks, and customizable displays for various collectibles, although it lacks a spot for the Von mask.
Outside, there is a blacksmithing area and storage for raw materials, reminiscent of the Elesium estate. The video then shifts to discussing the East Empire expansion costing 700 credits. This complex mod starts with being approached by a Khajiit named Shakar after clearing a dungeon. Shakar offers a service to transport loot to East Empire company checkpoints, though this initially bugged in the playthrough.
Once the service works, players can sell goods directly to the East Empire company. A small quest involves helping Corin expand the company’s operations by negotiating with the jarl of Winterhold. Success in this quest unlocks a new service and outpost expansions.
00:15:00
In this part of the video, the speaker explains a mod set up in Winter Hold where clearing a dungeon allows East Empire Company workers to extract resources. Players get a portion of these materials, which can either be delivered to the nearest outpost or automatically sold for gold. This essentially provides players with free gold for dungeon clearing. The same process can be replicated in other holds by convincing the respective Ys to permit East Empire Company checkpoints. The mod features fully voiced NPCs and is noted for its uniqueness and high cost. The speaker invites viewers to share their thoughts on the mods and paid mods in general.