SkyUI, Unofficial patches for quality of life
Perkus Maximus for gameplay and character changes. I played with SkyRe for a long time and I like PerMa even more. They are big changes and it makes the game tougher so I don't recommend it until you are used to vanilla Skyrim play, but give it a look :)
[–] DukeofAnarchy 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
Some more advice about modding:
Read what the mod creators say about compatibility between mods. Sometimes compatibility patches are available. You should also use the Load Order Optimization Tool (LOOT) from https://loot.github.io/ to make sure Skyrim loads mod files in the right order.
Also, it's best to get your mods set up, optimize your load order and then start a new game. Keep your mods and load order the same until you are done with that playthrough.
[–] cameron195 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
SkyUI and the unofficial patches are probably two of the best mods for improving the game's playability. SkyUI makes inventory management so much easier, and the unofficial patches reducing the number of game breaking glitches significantly.
[–] CarlosShyamalan 0 points 3 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago
Check out /r/skyrimmods for guides and mod information. Not sure if theres a similar sub on voat but last time I modded skyrim I basically just followed the beginners guide in the sidebar and installed all the essential mods. 10 FPS and no rugrats.
[–] torky 0 points 4 points 4 points (+4|-0) ago
Besides all the porn mods...
I'd go with the immersive armor and immersive weapon pack. Adds a bunch new weapons and armors into the game. NPC's also use them.
Maybe the civil war mod. It spawns small skirmished between the Imperials and the Stormcloaks when you travel. Without it, you wouldn't really know there was a civil war happening in Skyrim.
The Map Marker mod, it labels all the mines with their respective ore found within them.
[–] sgx191316 0 points 10 points 10 points (+10|-0) ago
SkyUI is nearly mandatory, and required for having access to the configuration menu of a bunch of mods. Also get the set of unofficial patches that just set out to fix bugs, one for the base game and one for each expansion.
Now more subjective stuff:
First the gameplay stuff
Deadly Dragons adds considerably more variety to the dragons that attack you, and makes more than one attack at once sometimes. Makes dragons something to be a little nervous about again, instead of loot pinatas. I don't really recommend the armory addon, though, as it's OP and litters up your crafting list.
Wet and cold and Frostfall makes the cold parts of the game cold, and makes it possible for your character to freeze to death. They give you some survival options to deal with it, but I mostly just stopped off at fires regularly to warm up. Highly configurable.
Falskaar and Wyrmstooth seem like the most popular large quest mods, but I only just added them and I'm only partway through Wyrmstooth at this point. It seems good.
Skyrim immersive creatures adds some more variety to monsters.
Inigo and Vilja seem to be the most popular added follower mods, but I have issues with the voice acting from Vilja. Inigo is more or less okay. YMMV.
Organized Bandits in Skyrim adds a lot more bandit variety. Bandit groups become themed.
Forgotten Magic Redone is my magic mod of choice. Instead of tons of spells that ultimately become a pain to keep track of, it adds a smaller number and focuses on making them interesting and having some interactions between them. As you use them, you gain points you can spend to improve them in various gameplay changing ways. Makes playing a pure mage a bit more interesting and viable.
Amazing Follower Tweaks is my favorite companion mod. It just gives you a ton of options for companions. Some of the features may be a bit much, but it's easy enough to just ignore those.
Acquisitive soul gems: If you're using soul gems or enchanted weapons at all, this one is great- it stops you from accidentally sticking a small soul in an oversized gem. No longer do you have to keep track of which soul gems you've got left and what size soul what you're about to kill is, you can just soul tap whatever you want and let the mod handle it. This should really have been a default feature in the game.
Achieve that!: Adds some achievements, it's just a minor little thing that's kind of fun.
I'm also using Perkus Maximus with defluffed descriptions, but I probably wouldn't recommend that for a first playthrough.
Have dawnguard? Already know what the focus of that expansion is?
Legacy of the Dragonborn: Adds a museum with a slot for every goddamn unique item in the game and a few neat features. Avoid if you have OCD, I guess. Also lets you temporarily put down the elder scrolls in the museum, which the game otherwise doesn't let you do, effectively taking up 60 pounds of your inventory.
Weapon & Armor fixes remade, and Clothing and Clutter fixes. Just set out to fix some bugs with armor and crafting.
And the other half of my mod list would be graphical mods, which are going to be pretty personal, so watch some videos. I do like Verdant for grass, and a LOD mod like TES5LODGen can really help the game not look awful beyond a certain draw distance, though that one in particular requires a good ability to follow install directions exactly. Pick a water mod too, they can be a big improvement. Beware of the lighting overhauls, as they have a tendency to make stuff really goddamn dark at night and in dungeons. Like, you must have a light spell or a torch out or you can't see anything at all. Look at a few of the ENB mod presets. There are a million texture mods to choose from, but whether you even consider them improvements at all is pretty subjective. I sometimes think people change stuff just to change it, because different from vanilla must mean better, right?
And lastly, if this isn't enough or you want a second opinion, this is my favorite youtube channel for skyrim mods. There are a hell of a lot of them, so maybe just stick to the top 10 lists.
[–] pacman2000 ago
There is one that lets you play bard instruments which is pretty bad ass. I also liked another which gave you flintlock muskets and pistols.