Although it's a hugely successful and much-beloved game, Fallout 4 sometimes gets criticized for its continued scaling back of more traditional role-playing elements. It's these elements t?hat arguably made the series such a cult hit in the first place. Since Bethesda took over for the third installment, it definitely feels like things have slid ??into more action than straight-up RPG.

Of the later Fallout games that have come about, New Vegas is almost universally considered the best in the series. People are always keen to return to this modern classic, and that includes the modding community, where Nexus Mods user bp42s (thanks, DSO Gaming) brings us "REPUTATION."

Aside from being spelled out in a way that makes it feel like you should shout it out loud with your arms held aloft, this mod adds one of New Vegas' much-missed features into Fallout 4. Specifical?ly �and as the name implies �it adds reputation, allowing you to gain fame or infamy among known factions.

Just like in the good old days

This means you can now achieve good standing with a number of settlements across the nuclear-annihilated city of Boston, which can?? yield rewards. For example: having a positive reputation may "provide you with access to their gear, ma??terials, or a tribute chest in your honor."

You can also get access to supply crates, which can become unlocked if that particular faction sees you in a more favorable light. Additionally, you can get unique perks for reaching an "idolized" status. These perks are said to be?? powerful, but "not game-breaking or unbalanced."

Alternatively, if you decide to be an utter bastard on your Fallout 4 travels, you can earn such negative esteem, that people will send out hit squads, similar to the Legionary Assassins in New Vegas. Vendors will also increase their pr?ices for bot?h buying and selling depending on what they think of you.

Also, salutes have been added to the game, and bp42s says that generic NP?Cs "in the more organized or militaristic factions will have a chance to salute you when you look at them, depending on how liked you are." It's all about making friends or enemies, then.

It's a nice little revival of a role-playing element that seems to have gone away completely in the Fallout series. The fact that your actions and antics can once again influence how citizens and other wastelanders regard you �and whether they want to shoot you in the face �is something I think a lot of fans of the series will be keen to see in Fallout 4.

The post This Fallout 4 mod brings back the?? reputation system from New Vegas appeared first on Destructoid.

Are you tired of me talking about Half-Life mods yet? Good. I actually have no idea how you responded, as t??his was written in the past. I'm essentiall??y time-traveling right now. Hmmm...best not to think about that concept.

Anyway, Valve's 1998 shooter not only set new heights for what was possible in the FPS genre, but it remains steadfast in the limelight thanks to a dedicated modding community. For this installment of "How Long Can I Keep Harping On About Half-Life," I present a mod which is set in the Aliens universe.

Yes, that's "Aliens" with an "s." As noted by DSO Gaming, Team Lambda has just released the first episode of Solitary Echoes; a single-player campaign that pits you against the iconic Xeno?morph creatures and is set on LV-513.

Hopefully, it won't be game over, man, game over

The team behind the mod says they are both "extremely proud and to be honest also a little scared" about the release of the first episode. The description on ModDB says they've "worked on this for one and a half years now," and "hitting that upload button" has given them the heebie-jeebies??.

The images alone really put me into the mindset of this being an Aliens game, with its familiar set pieces, while the above video will easily make you forget this was made in Half-Life. In fact, I'd go so far as to say this almost looks like it could be an Alien vs. Predator game. The report from DSO says the 3D models used in Solitary Echoes may well have come from AvP2.

There doesn't appear to be any mention of when the next episode will release, or how many there will be in total. Suffice it to say, this is definitely one to check out if you like a horror-based first-person shooter set in a James Cameron-esque universe. I realize that could describe pretty much any Alien video game, but it's worth repeating that this was all done in the original Half-Life engine. Impressive, says I.

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It must be a huge weight off the collective shoulders of everyone at Bloober Team to see the remake of Silent Hill 2 is doing pretty well for itself. Steam shows the ?game as "Overwhelmingly Positive" for all reviews, so it definitely proves the wait was worth it in the end.

As a survival horror game, Silent Hill 2 is dripping with mood, atmosphere, anguish, sorrow, and grotesque denizens. What it's not dripping with, however, is a potassium-based snack. This is where Nexus Mods user Stevebg23 comes to the rescue ??with a mod that ??changes the pistol James finds into a large banana.

As if that wasn't enough, you'll also find that the lead pipe �a classic of the original 2001 release, many would say �has also? been changed. Now, the player will find themselves beating the snot out of monsters with a giant spoon.

Because of reasons, I guess

The reason for the "Banana Gun and Spoon Pipe" mod is simple: the creator "always wanted to have a silly mod," and this is ??the result. They also reassure us you can reload the skin of the gun, and that the spoon is "shiny and silvery and nice to handle against the hordes of evil coming your way." Comforting to know.

Despite its seriousness, anyone who's played the original Silent Hill 2 knows the developer was not afraid to get a little silly. The infamous dog ending showed a kind of light??-hearted irreverence for this drab horror experience that many of us were absolutely not expecting the first time around.

Of course, the game is still the same, even if you do swap out the pistol for a healthy-looking, half-peeled banana. It's nice to know James is getting his vitamins while battling the inner demons of his guilty co?nscience.

The post Here’s a Silent Hill 2 mod that turns the weapons into a banana and a large spoon appeared first on Destructoid.

Let's play a game. Let's see how long we can talk about Half-Life without bringing up the elusive third entry yet to emerge. Wait. Damn, we've already lost. How long was that? Anyway, yes, despite continued hopes that Valve may still make a third installment in its iconic FPS series, we're still not there.

So why bother with HL3 when we have Half-Life at home? More specifically, we have mods. And even though Halloween is now over (just), we can still get our spook on with this download from ModDB user ScriptedSnark.

This one may actually spark a bit of nostalgia in some �especially those with an interest in indie horror games �as it reimagines Slender: The Eight Pages in the original Half-Life engine, GoldSrc. From the images alone, it does look to be a faithful take on the cult Slender game, which, by the way, is more ??than 12 yea??rs old at this point.

What even is time?!

I remember The Eight Pages quite fondly. Though short, it very much left an impressi??on on people who dared to open up the .exe file. If you're not familiar with the game, it came to prominence around the time the whole Slenderman "mythos" started to take off.

The game itself placed you in a wooded area in the middle of the night, with naught but a flashlight to help you see your way through. The object was to collect eight pages that have b??een scattered around the area, stapled onto a tree, for example.

The twist was that each one you picked up would ramp up the scares. The creepy Slenderman would begin to emerge, teleporting closer to your location to ??try and capture you. The music would thump, your heartbeat would race faster, and, for some of us, collecting just a few pages was enough to close down the application.

It's nice to see Slenderman �despite him no longer being the horror darling of the internet �coming back via Half-Life's engine. However, it remains to be seen whether the mod gives you a crowbar for you to slap?????????????????????????? the ghoulish creature silly.

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While this might've been a laughable prospect years ago, in the middle of Skyrim's heyday, Bethesda's paid Creations mods are now the ?go-to option for many players. At least, this is the case with Starfield, and the resident third-party modding website Nexus Mods?? is responding accordingly at last.

More specifically, Nexus Mods' latest policy update includes a proper clarification of how the company feels about paid mods approved by publishers/developers. It sounds fairly innocuous and sensible in general, to be fair, but there are a few tidbits that could bring about problems later down the line. The gist of it all, as Nexus puts it, is that the company is "committed to building a positive modding community where all content is freely available." As per the new policy, this means no interaction with paid mods whatsoever.

Nexus Mods issues a blanket prohibition on 'demo' versions of paid mods and more

As highlighted on r/starfieldmods and featured above, there are three big points of contention to be di?scussed in the context of Nexus' latest policy update:

• Nexus Mods does not allow free mods to be shared in instances where they are inferior versions of a paid mod.
• Nexus Mods does not allow the sharing of mod lists that rely on paid mods to the extent that the list does not work without the user paying for content.
• Nexus Mods does not allow any patches or addons for paid user-generated content.

The first two updates are, broadly speaking, fairly sensible. Using Nexus Mods a??s a demo site for paid content hosted exclusively over on Creations is in bad taste and diminishes Nexus' value as a third-party host for community-made content. Similarly, sharing mod lists that outright rely on paid mods to function is a poor showing, as it directly drives revenue toward Creations.

Extrapolating from this, it seems similarly sensible that Nexus would also disallow patches and/or expansions for paid Bethesda Creations mods (or for any other similar mod marketplace, for that matter). And there's definitely an ??argument to be made that such improvements can still be hosted on Creations to begin with. Yet, th??is also opens the door to situations where a non-Creations modder will no longer be able to make an X Nexus mod compatible with a paid Y Creations mod using an XY patch hosted on Nexus.

We'll have to wait and see how this pans out in practice, of course, but this could drive an even bigger ?wedge between the two modding marketplaces than there currently is.

It's also worth considering the fact that Bethesda's taken to releasing some first-party Starfield content via Creations as paid offerings to begin with. Would Nexus now disallow Nexus patches and addons for Bethesda's own Creations items? Probably not, but it's all quite up in the air as it stands. Time will tell how this pans out in the end,?? but it's clear that Nexus isn't happy with the direction Beth?esda's taken with Creations.

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Although it's not the largest video game ever in terms of map size (not even when compared to other Elder Scrolls titles), Skyrim still boasts a hefty amount of land to explore. Its vastness gives plenty to see while out and about on (mostly) fun quests, but there's no doubt that?? it could stand to be a bit bigger.

That's where Nexus Mods user Nevah comes onto the scene. As noted by DSO Gaming, we've got an opportunity to explor?e a brand-new island, thanks to "Nevah’s Isle Redux." Not only is there an island/world to explore, but the mod also contains a ghost village, complete with a home for the player.

The description on Nexus says to get to the island, you'll need to head to the docks at Solit?ude. There's also a memorandum to the creator's father at the northwest point of the island, as well as "many secr??ets and hidden rooms."

To cleanse or not

Eagle-eyed readers will have spotted the word "redux" in the mod's title. This is because it's a?? redo of a previous creation. While it's pretty much the same as the older version, this time around, they've added an optional side quest that lets you restore the island/ghost village to its former glory.

Nevah strongly recommends going through with the quest, as the island is "far more beautiful that way" an?d, once restored, will have "no more cobwebs or decay or overgrowth." Of course, it's entirely up to you, so if you don't mind wandering around a new island that's home to ghost vendors, that's an option as well.

It's also recommended to install the mod manually, with the ESP ideally at the bottom of your Skyrim loadout list. It should also work alongside any othe??r modifications you've got installed, but, as anyone will tell you, there's always a slight ris??k with these things. We like to live dangerously, yeah?

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There aren't many games that mix heavy-handed literature with first-person shooting. BioShock is one example that springs to mind. Not so much Half-Life 2, but someo??ne i??s in the midst of creating a mod for Valve's iconic FPS that seems to take cues from the classics.

ModDB user GRÆMAMËTH is currently working on "Goethe's Last Laugh," a full-conversion modification for Half-Life 2 that, from the images alone, looks wonderfully bizarre. Oh, hell. I don't think I could do it justice, so here's what the creator has to? say about the project (after you've checked out the footage below, of course):

In the abstract, it’s a working class power fantas??y about addiction and revolution...

Take control of Jackson I?an Faust, a 300 year old, self destructive, misanthropic vampire, and investigate the many unusual phenomenon of Gondolas city, a fictional civilization set on the sinking monster island of Duciano.

No mention of a Mephistopheles-inspired gravity gun

It's still in development at the moment, with no release date yet. However, you can keep an eye on progress from the ModDB page linked above, or follow it on Itch.io. This one definitely seems too good to miss out on, especially with its p??roposed themes.

Now, I've never read Faust, so I can't say how certain this Half-Life 2 mod will match up with the original text. But I do know that it mu??st have inspired the project, given that it's titled after the play's author, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and has you pl?ay as someone literally called Faust.

It's also where we get the term "Faustian" from, to refer to any kind of deal or barter that leads to dire consequences. I'm hoping there'll be some of that in GRÆMAMËTH's mod. If not, at least we get to play as a cynical vampire that's three centur?ies old. That's always dope. Do people say "dope" these days?

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Thanks largely to the recent Shattered Space DLC, Starfield has been enjoying something of a resurgence. SteamDB shows there has ?been a bit of an uptick in player count on PC, even if the game overall is not exactly beam??ing with universal praise.

All that aside, people are still playing it and modding for it. A recent bit of fan-made content �as spotted by DSO Gaming �injects a little bit more realism into Starfield, thanks to NPC sche??dules and business opening hours.

Created by user FlippingEggs, "??NPCs Have Routines and Stores Have Schedules" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue as a mod title, but it does exactly what it says on the tin. It effectively gives a bunch of non-playable characters a bit of vim, which uses custom AI to give them their own schedules.

"Sorry, bud. I'm closed now."

It should be noted that not every Starfield cha?racter has been given the gift of a timetable. The description over on Nexus Mods has the following to say:

36 named characters now have daily schedules
4 unnamed but unique characters now have daily schedules
10 new robots work in various stores, so you can buy stuff when the store owner isn't there (Styx included)
57 data slates added to various store countertops and NPCs' personal spaces. Some of these slates are simple notifications of business hours, while others offer you a window into the lives of characters and where you can find them when they aren't working.
1 of these?? data slates is an Easter egg for The Expanse

Oh, yeah. That's the other thing. Because the mod gives many businesses in the game actual opening hours, robots can be on-hand to work through the night while the prop??rietor gets some much-needed rest. You'll find that stores and their owners in places like New Atl??antis, Akila City, Neon, and more have been given these schedules.

The creator goes on to say:

If you find a shopkeeper while they're away from their store, or sleeping, their normal dialogue tree will not be available and you won't be able to trade with? them.

They've also been careful to make sure the mod doesn't interrupt vanilla quests and should be compatible with a lot of other installations you have installed. But it's best t??o check beforehan?d.

I don't know why, but "NPCs Have Routines and Stores Have Schedules" puts me in-mind of Oblivion. Remember in the early 2000s when Bethesda was promoting its upcoming Elder Scrolls 4? Todd Howard and his team were so excited about its new "Radiant AI" system, wh??ich essentially gave NPCs their own daily ro?utines, including eating, sleeping, and practicing their archery. Ah, to be young again. And also a non-playable character in a role-playing game.

The post Starfi?eld mod gives NPCs daily routines, just like real people appeared first on Destructoid.

Ah, Skyrim. If it weren't for the fact that you were a genuinely g?ood (albeit buggy to hell) game that ??stays afloat thanks to the modding community, you probably would have disappeared into obscurity long ago. Also, hey, here's something you never, ever hear in the game: "Oh no! Look out for that tank!"

Until now, that is. If your WW2 artillery needs are not being met by Skyrim, perhaps this mod will scratch that battle scar. As reported by DSO Gaming, Nexus Mods user MixedMartialArtist brings "World of Tanks" to The Elder Scrolls 5.

It is, as you can imagine (and as the above clip shows), a means of combining the fantasy world of Bethesda's creation with the ability to �and I quote �"partake in The Greatest Tank Battles in history." Did I mention the destructive tanks? I'm pretty sure I mentioned the de??structive tanks. It sort of answers the question of what would happen if you mashed up fanciful role-playing elements with world war re-enactments.

"You're finally awake. Here's a Mauser."

To put it in the creator's own words:

Now Skyrim can be played as a War-Tank Battle Game with an endless amount of epic battles. Skyrim is now full of action and chaos as armies of both sides continue to press into enemy territory with their squads of infantry and armored vehicles. Take part in the war by joining the civil war, and destroy your enemies with the plethora of weapons at your disposal - guns, rockets, tanks, bombs, artillery, you name it. Build your army with new troops and tanks at forts, or simply use your abilities to take control of nearby patrols to follow you. Shoot your machine gun from your comm??????????????????????????ander's cupola, mowing down hordes of bunched up infantry, and fire your main gun to eliminate enemy armor.

I haven't had a chance to download and try "World of Tanks" myself yet, but the clips are putting me in mind of the old Medal of Honor games. Remember those? The idea that we can inhabit a fictional realm where World War 2 tanks and dragons can duke it out for moral supremacy is t?he sole reason we keep on gaming, I feel.

That and The Elder Scrolls 6 still feels like a long way off from releasing. Yeah, yeah. I know. Change the record, already. Or change the Instagram Reel. I'm not sure how to modernize retro sayings. Anyway, what was I saying? Oh yes. Skyrim.

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The one thing about the original Doom and Doom 2 was they really liked to emphasize the dreary colors to match the guttural 90s violence. Combined with some of the? murkier, bloodier hellscape levels, id Software's iconic series is not exactly known for its liberal use of bright colors.

Until now, that is. As you can see, ModDB user DoomMate is currently in the midst of creating a mod for Doom 2 that can only be described as "neon." While it's still a work-in-progress, "Volt Laser" is promising a large selection of cu??stom maps that have taken cues from a more synthwave/cyberpunk aesthetic.

This "megawad" will contain 35 levels, featuring a city, underground, some outskirts, and more. You can see the progress that's been made in the video above, and I, for one, am looking forward to running around ma??ps that have purple floors and teal buttons.

Deus-Doom? System Doom?

As mentioned, "Volt Laser" is still being worked on. Its creator did say they wanted it out by November, but have had to delay r?eleasing the mod due to oth??er commitments. At this time, there's no definite launch day, but it should hopefully be before the end of the year.

However, DoomMate did post recently with some updates from the project, including some more images. I don't know about you, but that skyline in the distance is giving me mad original Deus Ex vibes. Or some other throwbac??k piece of dystopian science fiction.

In any case, I'm here for it. Honestly, I'll be surprised if I ever get bored of seeing Doom mods. We've all played the games to death and I kno??w I go on about fan-ma??de content a lot, but if I had even an iota of investment and talent as a lot of modders do, you wouldn't be reading this article right now.

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The remake of Silent Hill 2 launched yesterday and judging from the current review scores on Steam, it's going down a mighty treat. Bloober Team seems to ??have done the original a great service with? its reimagining of the iconic 2001 survival horror game. However, it's not perfect.

For example, the developer has ensured that the cutscenes in Silent Hill 2 are locked to 30 frames per second. In this modern era of gaming, this can be something of a bugbear. Fortunately, as noted by DSO Gaming, someone has alrea??dy fixed that. At least on the PC ve??rsion.

Nexusmods user RoseTheFlower has created "Cutscene Improvements," a modification for the remake that unlocks the FPS during the cutscenes on PC. This means they can now be viewed in hig??her framerates. The mo?d also removes the "black bars from the cutscenes in anything other than 16:9."

Unlocking Silent Hill's full potential

According to the report from DSO, it does work pretty wel??l, though they've only tried it on a few of the earlier cutscenes, with the writer adding that they "did not spot any framepacing or speed issues." This potentially raises the question of why the developer and/or publisher made t?he decision to lock the scenes to just 30fps.

Such a small detail may not be a huge issue for some gamers. However, those who want more bang for their buck are willin??g to play something that makes the most of their hardware. Bethesda raised similar concerns when it turned out that Starfield would be locked to 30fps on a console. At least the PC version still has it unlocked.

It seems there may not be any one reason why a modern studio would limit frame rates in this day and age, but it is far from me to speculate Bloober or Konami's rationale. In any case, if you are playing Silent Hill 2 on PC and y?o?u have a system with decent specs, "Cutscene Improvements" seems to be one mod that's worth trying out.

The post Not happy about Silent Hill 2 cutscenes bein??g locked to 3??0fps? You need this mod, then appeared first on Destructoid.

Let's face it, when playing Doom or Doom 2, the only reason to start punching enemies is that you've just picked up the Berser?k power-up. Either that or you have a sadistic, unquenchable desire to know how long it takes to down a Cyberdemon with fisticuffs. Hint??: it's probably a long time.

Anyway, if you're tired of being given the easy route with weapons, ModDB user Tortilladude has the solution. With "Gunless?" installed, you can strip away the need for pistols, shotguns, and rocket launchers, as this mod only allows you to use your punches to quash the demons of hell.

Making a case that guns in Doom 2 are (and I ??quote) "for wussies after all," this download replaces all weapon sprites with just the Doomguy's fists, which includes numerous variations on the punching animation.

Mano a Imp-o

?Now, I haven't had a chance to check out the mod myself, but from the images on the download page, it looks like you still get projectiles. It's just they're now coming from your knuckles instead of from the business end of a plasma rifle or something.

In any case, Doomguy will no longer have to worry about lugging around all manner of arsenal. Not when he can mow down the denizens of the und?erworld with naught but his mitts and a "duke it out??" mentality.

Once again, we find ourselves drawn back to the allure of classic Doom. The modding community has kept us coming back for more with some pretty interesting ways of playing id Software's iconic FPS. We may be moving forward, what with Doom: The Dark Ages coming in 2025, but it'll be a cold day in hell before people stop pl??aying and tinkering with the OG entries in the series.

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Modded games tend to fall apart whenever the developer pushes an official update to them, but I am thrilled to announce that this is not the case with Starfield. Specifically, the release of Shattered Space and its accompanying patch worked surprisingly flawlessly, and?? our mods are mostly safe.

The jury is still out on whether Starfield: Shattered Space is some of Bethesda's finest work yet. I find it roughly comparable to prior Bethesda mainline DLCs such as Dragonborn and Far Harbor, though a tad more disappointing in some key ways. The flip side of the coin, though, is that Shattered Space does not seem to break the vast majority of mods for Starfield, and even the legendary Script Extender has already been updated to support it.

Your Starfield modlist is safe with Shattered Space, and the Script Extender has already been updated

As is usually the case with any other first-party Bethesda RPG, it doesn't take long before it becomes unthinkable to play them without mods. I myself enjoy systemic revamps such as Bedlam's dungeon randomization features, while others might be more keen on upgrading the game with a whole assortment of new gear, vehicle mods, graphics upgrades, or even Star Wars-themed paraphernalia. Who am I to judge?

The obvious expectation was that our modded builds of Starfield would basically be out of the picture for a little while until all the mods get updated and tweaked to accommodate Shattered Space. Imagine my surprise, then, when I managed ??to load into the game basically minutes ?after the DLC's release.

For better or for worse, Starfield's new Shattered Space is almost entirely separate from the rest of the game. It adds a reasonable chunk of new stuff, sure, but it doesn't tap into Starfield's core progression and gameplay systems. In turn, this means Shattered Space is functio?nally a mod in all the ways that matter and should behave nicely for mo??st users.

Very, very few mods needed updates outside of the Script Extender. I'm not running an overly hefty modlist, granted, as I've got "only" a few dozen mods installed at this time, but other people are happily report??ing experie?nces that mirror mine.

In case you missed the news, the update that dropped alongside Shattered Space is a monumental achievement in its own right. Specifically, it resolves a whole bunch of problems with Starfield in general, including the infamous mod limit that has been in place from launch day onwards. In practice, this means we no longer have to keep our modlists lean just to prevent the game from keeling over and crashing, which is phenomenal stuff. Now, if only Shattered Space had added some new ship-buil??di?ng content, I would've been happy.

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A few days ago, Sony let God of War Ragnarök run free on Steam, nearly two years after its debut on PlayStation 5. However, there's been a bit of contention regarding the publisher's insistence that players need a PSN account, even if they don't have? the console version. Or e?ven the console itself.

Still, trust the modding community to come to the rescue. As spotted by DSO Gaming, Nexus Mods user iArtorias released an unofficial tool for the game that allows PC users to boot up Ragnarök without having to sign up for a PlayStation Netw??ork account.

The modder says the download is a "tiny library tha?t fully strips the PlayStation PC SDK runtime requirement," after some players encountered problems with the port of the game. They do make it clear that the mod is not intended to encourage pi??racy, nor does it "touch or modify any original game code."

A quick look at the mod's history demonstrates that it may not be a guaranteed fix for everyone, or at least not a permanent o?ne. A few comments raise issues around sudden curveballs to navigate from Sony, like getting stuck on account linking threads, but iArtoriasUA has since patched the issue. Regardless, as future patches roll out, it's worth noting Sony may introduce or change requirements that could result in modded PC copies getting locked out.

Sony strikes again with its PSN demands

At the time of writing, God of War Ragnarök has a Steam review score of "mixed." Indeed, while a lot of people?? seem pleased with the game, there have been a few comments regarding Sony's PSN account requirement.

This is also not the first time Sony has come under fire for this tactic. Earlier this year, it was announced that those who wanted to play Helldivers 2 on PC would also need to connect up a PlayStation Network account. There was quite the backlash from the community, and Sony eventually backpedaled on the idea.

As for God of War Ragnarök, developer Santa Monica recently published Patch 2, with the update intending to fix some issues with Nvidia Frame Generation and Reflex, as well as tweaks to the UI. You can see the full patch notes here. The developer also recently announced that Ragnarök has been verified on Steam Deck.

Whether Sony will change its mind about PC players having to link to PSN remains to be seen at this stage, but we saw what happened with Helldivers 2. For now, you may have to use iArtorias' mod.

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According to scientific theories, such as those in Popular Mechanics, it's estimated that the last particle in the known universe will decay after 10²�� years (a long time, basically). However, I reckon people will still be modding Skyrim. You just can't stop the unbridled? tenacity o??f gamers.

Here's one more for all you hip cats to add to your TES5 loadout. Remember when ninjas were all the rage in pop culture? Well, Nexus Mods user Q10isarobot is bringing them to Skyrim. Replacing the rebellious Forsworn, these ??NPCs now know kung fu. Or som?ething like that.

This mod changes all the Forsworn outfits for the more traditional ninja getup. This also includes giving them weapons worthy of any stealth warrior. Check them out in the video above, although it's pretty clear the player is?? more than capable of dispatching them. Look at all that blood!

Nin-ja or Nin-nein?

The reason why the Forsworn have been replaced with ninjas is, according to Q10isarobot, because they "fight kinda like ninjas and hang out in clans so I think it fits well in the game." Makes sense, though they do admit they're not a lore expert when it comes to Skyrim.

This also looks like a good mod for anyone wh??o doesn't want to i??nterrupt their current save file. The creator says it just replaces the mesh, so it's "safe to install or uninstall," and also doesn't require an ESP file for expanding scripting.

Right. Okay. We've played and modded The Elder Scrolls 5 for quite a long time no??w. When's the sixth game coming out? No, I will not stop harping?? on about this.

The post This Skyrim mod turns the Fo??rsworn into ass-kicking ?ninjas appeared first on Destructoid.

If there's one thing you can say about Doom, it's that it's never boring. Sure, you've clocked the classic games more times than you've eaten soup, but the vanilla expe??riences are just the beginning. Modding is where it's ??at, yo.

Look, you know how this works. I tell you about a Doom mod and you all go and check it out. This one is not quite like the others, though. It has colors, for starters. Spaceverse: Bunny Maze from ModDB user SmilingF??aceMedia? offers something a little different to just a graphics tweak or some modern innovations.

It's a rather bright (red: very teal) FP??S that has you playing as a "virtual man" who's stuck in a virtual maze, full of habitants known as "Lunar Bunnies." That sounds fun, until it becomes apparent that these humanoid bunnies are out to kill you.

Always with the killing

As the creator says, there's more to Spaceverse than just shooting and su?rviving. You also have to use your intelle??ctual moxie to navigate the maze. Oh dear, thinks I.

The mod has been built for GZDoom, specifically, and does come with a warning. I'll let SmilingFace?Media field this one:

Spaceverse: Bunny Maze contains imagery, flashing colours, and other content that may upset some players. If you happen to be epileptic or easily offended, then we discourage you from playing this game�for your own good. Spaceverse: Bunny Maze i??s also NOT compatible?? for mobile as it is only intended to play on PC.

Probably bes?t to make that message loud and clear.

As we move ever closer to the release of Doom: The Dark Ages �this time a ??medieval-themed entry in the iconic series �we should never forget where Doomguy came from. Yes, even if he's been turned into a virtual man who has to fight bunny girls.

The post This Doom mod has yo?u playing in a colorful world full of bunnies appeared first on Destructoid.

We've seen it all from the Skyrim community. We've had everything from new quests, better visuals, bug fixes, and that one mod that turns the Giant Spiders into a creepy looking Spider-Man, complete with gangly limbs. But maybe it's time we had something more scatological in our TES5 experience. Or so one person felt, at least.

In what can only be described as something of a head-scratching moment, Nexus Mods user nakano52 decided to replace Skyrim's vegetation with literal poo. Referred to as DIY (or Doo Ingredients Yuk), t?his mod is potentially suited for those who often find themselves thinking, "there's not enough shit on my travels" while adventuring across Tamriel.

Specifically, nakano52 says the mod replaces shrubs?? and plants "at a certain rate," whatever that means. However, it's not just for the aesthetic grossness of it, though the modder admits they thought it would be fun to see vast piles of poop in the game.

Not quite healing powers

You see, Doo Ingredients Yuk does have something of a purpose. As noted in th??e name, the piles of plants-cum-feces can actually be harvested for those who consider themselves quite the b?udding alchemist.

What can it be used for in this context? Why, nothing more than a simple poison, of course. According to t?he description page, poop has a gold value of one, a weight capacity of 0.1, and has the following effects:

• Ravage Health
• Lingering Damage Health
• Lingering Damage Magicka
• Lingering Damage Stamina

There are, however, a few additional mods you'll need to download and install before this one will work, such as SkyPatcher and Base Object Swapper. Other than that, you're good to go, because we've all run out of things to do in Skyrim, it seems. Not that I'm ab?ove a poop-based modification, you understand.

The post Here’s a Skyrim mod that replaces vegetation with poop, because why not at this stage? appeared first on Destructoid.

When news broke that Bethesda was working on a space RPG, it didn't take a genius to figure out it would quickly be turned into a de facto Star Wars game by talented modders.

This happened almost immediately, with plenty of Starfield players turning their game into a galaxy far, far???? away. Hundreds of mods can be found that bring the classic Star Wars appeal to Starfield, but what if you could only choose 10? These are the ones we'd ?choose.

The Mandalorian

The Mandalorian is a solid start to this list, bringing Din Djarin's armor and jetpack into Starfield. You can grab both the original and Beskar variants of Pedro Pascal's protagonist's armor from the Lair of the Mantis, with modder radicalclownfriend balancing the stats to ensure you don't get a set of busted items too early in the game. If you want to kick off your Starfield / Star Wars?? roleplay with a bang, this is? a great place to start.

Star Wars Aliens

Of all the Starfield mods on this list, radicalclownfriend's Star Wars Aliens will make the most significant difference in making your dream intergalactic crossover a reality. It's a simple concept, introducing many of Star Wars' iconic aliens into the ranks of Starfield's factions, but the effect is sublime. You'll go from meeting a Twi'lek spacer one moment to a Zabrak member of the Crimson Fleet the next, all while play?ing as a Rodian yourself. New character presets, hairstyles, tattoos, and skin tones make this mod fully customizable, too. 10/10, no notes.

UC Empire

Did something about Starfield's United Colonies rub you the wrong way? Download UC Empire so you don't have to feel bad working against them. This impressive conversion transforms Starfield's most powerful faction into the Galactic Empire, with tons of new outfits placed on NPCs around the galaxy. This mod also opens new roleplay possibilities for evil characters - joining the Galactic Empire feels slightly more sinister than joining the?? United Colonies, but that's just ??us.

Star Wars YT-1300 Millennium Falcon 1977

Ever wanted to fly the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy? Starfield's ship-builder not quite cutting it in the vanilla game? Then allow us to introduce electionis007's Star Wars YT-1300 Millennium Falcon 1977 mod. This awesome creation adds all of the individual pieces you need to put together Han Solo's legendary Corellian freighter, including a build manual so simple even a Gungan could do it. If you fancy putting your own spin on the Falcon, t?his mod has you covered, with plenty of paint job options available.

AT-ST Enemies

AT-ST Enemies shakes up Starfield's combat in a really interesting way. The base game has a real lack of giant enemies that pose a significant threat, but throw a Star Wars AT-ST into the mix, and things get a lot more interesting. This mod by radicalclownfriend adds seven AT-ST enemies in various locations across Starfield, offering something new challenge for high-level players to take on. The Star Wars skin is just a bonus.

Grand Army of the Republic - Star Wars Clone Trooper Conversion

Grand Army of the Republic - S??tar Wars Clone Trooper Conversion transforms the United Colonies into the Galactic Republic, inspired by its appearance in the prequel trilogy. Various divisions of the Clone Army are represented in this awesome conversion mod, from the iconic 501st to the fan-favorite 212th. It feels right at home in Starfield - the only downside ??is that as a U.C. replacer, you'll need to choose between this and UC ?Empire.

All Trilogy Lightsabers

Come on. Did you really think we were making this list without a lightsaber mod? Our choice is All Trilogy Lightsabers, which adds blades from all nine Star Wars movies, as well as a few TV shows such as The Clone Wars and Rebels. Starfield's melee combat just got a whole lot cooler.

X-34 Landspeeder

After Starfield added land vehicles in the form of the REV-8, it wasn't long before this feature was given the Star Wars treatment. X-34 Landspeeder lets you patrol Starfield's landscapes in Luke's landspeeder as it appears in A New Hope, with a front-mounted gun for good measure.

Freestar Rebels

The Freestar Rebels mod is one of the bigger entries on this list. It transforms the Freestar Collective into the Rebel Alliance, replacing several different outfits to give one of Starfield's factions a fresh coat of paint from a galaxy far, far away. It also includes body morphs, so yes, you can roleplay as Porkins. Use this alongside the UC Empire mod for some true Galactic Civil War action in Starfield.

Aurebesh - Star Wars Conversion

Aurebesh - Star Wars Conversion is a mod you'll spend tons of time not even noticing while it's active. It changes all of Akila City and New Atlantis' text and signs into Star Wars' fictional Aurebesh language, with the end goal being to do this across the entirety of Starfield. It's super immersive, and a must-have in any Star Wars roleplayer's load order.

The post 10 best Starfield Star Wars mods appeared first on Destructoid.

Doom is just one of those games that feels like it's always been there. Indeed, some of you reading this weren't even born when id Software dropped its now legendary FPS onto our collective faces. It's still hanging around today, and one of those reasons is because people keep ?modding the OG relea?ses.

Some of these people are figurative monsters, however. If you've played the older Doom games on Nightmare difficulty, you know what a challenge it can be. Well, ModDB user immistyer decided that was?n't enough, so has given us a new "Impossible" skill to select.

One of the key things that makes the original Nightmare mode so hard is the fact that enemies keep respawnin??g, so you can never truly get rid of them. Kind of like flies in the summer; t??hey just always seem to be around!

A buzzin' nuisance

However, with this impossible skill level, the ante has been upped by making it so the monster respawn time has been halved. They come back twice as fast this time round. Here's everything immistyer's mod (which is currently available in Early Access) does for the original Doom:

• Increases monster "Aggressiveness" to 0.95 (ZDoom default is just 0).
• Makes it so you only get 75% ammo without a backpack, and also so that you only get 1.5x ammo with a backpack.
• Increases ALL damage by 2x.
• Increases monster health by 2.5x.
• Makes it so you only get 0.65% of the armor and health.
• Makes ALL knockback 2.5x stronger.
• Replaces all medkits with stimpacks.
• Enables fast monsters.
• Disables infighting!!!
• Makes monsters respawn twice as fast as in Nightmare!!!
• Sets the spawn preset difficulty to "Hard"

Note that even monster infighting has been disabled. Now all the hellish c?reatures have nothing to focus on except the most efficient way to turn your meaty body into a fine paste.

I haven't tried the? mod myself, but I bet it's a doozy. I've only ever real??ly dabbled with the game's official Nightmare difficulty a few times over the years, so a setting that labels itself as "Impossible" does not sound like a particularly chill time for me.

Of course, as well as tinkering with the classics, Doom, as a series, keeps moving forward. We already had the 2016 reboot and the equally well-received Eternal. Now we're getting a new one: Doom: The Dark Ages, which takes us back to a medieval period. I don't par??t??icularly care where we go, so long as the killing is brutal and the monsters' insides go well with the décor.

The post A sadistic Doom modder has created an “impossible” mode for the game appeared first on Destructoid.

One of the key things about Skyrim �indeed, about thousands of games �is getting to live out the life of a capable hero. All that questing sure goes a long way to maxing out your skills while you explore vas?t worlds. But what if �hear me out �someone else could do it for you?

Say hello to Skyrim Outbound Shipments by user Eudalus, a mod for TES5 that allows you to employ the help of a, shall we say, lesser per?son to carry out certain duties. Namely, by finishing quests for a small fee. After all, the Dragonborn has more important things to be getting on with. Romancing Lydia, for example.

Why carry that important item all the way back to whoever sent you out for it when you can pay a courier to do it in your stead? What this mod does??, essentially, is let you hire an?? NPC to "progress or complete quests by delivering quest items or messages for you."

You'll still reap the benefits

Of course, you'll still get the rewards and possibly the kudos as well. According to the mod's description, any monetary remuneration you're owed for the quest will be delivered ?to you by the courier within six to 36 h?ours.

There are a couple of price tiers, though, depending on what you want the hired help to achieve. Eudalus says most jobs will fall under "normal delivery," which costs 10 gold coins by default. For more complex quests, you'll pay "hazard delivery," which is three times the normal rate, but does include hiring the courier to trek dangerous territory??, such as Castle Volkihar.

The mod is still being worked on, so there may be a few issues with compa??tibility when it comes to others that you may have installed. Also, not all the quests are supported, such as ones that reward skill points, bu?t it looks like Eudalus is going to keep working on it.

The post Tired of doing all the legwork in Skyrim? Get someone else to finis??h quests for you with this mod appeared first on Destructoid.

Bethesda has seemingly struck gold with the all-new driveable buggy, which released as part of a free new Gamescom update for Starfield. REV-8 is proving so popular, in fact, that it's effectively taken over the game's biggest subreddit and it already has a few cool mods to have fun with.

As a long-time mainline Bethesda fan, I feel like it's pretty important to note that the release of an actual driveable non-hat vehicle in one of the studio's RPGs is monumental stuff. The fact that it's fun, useful, and seemingly univ??ersally beloved at this point is a huge boon for the game, too, and the com?munity is absolutely all in on the current REV-8 zeitgeist.

Starfield's new driveable buggy is pretty popular already

Memes, obviously, are the talk of the town, even in loading screens, and since you can take your REV-8 virtually anywhere this means getting it stuck on NASApunk architecture is the obvious go-to for wannabe daredevils. All jokes aside, people genuinely seem to be excited about the car, and even though it's currently missing some pretty obvious functionality (i.e. a storage of some sort) and lacks true customization options, it's a must-have for every Starfield player. Good thing it's free, right?

Now for the really impressive stuff: we already have a host of vehicle mods for players to choose from. Two notable examples are Satou's Old Earth ATV, which takes the shape of a generic Jeep, and the positively delightful NASA Lunar Rover created by Bub. Both of these mods were put together mere hours after the official REV-8 buggy came out, which implies ridiculously fast turnover no matter how you flip it. And, of course, that's all just the start of it, as there are innumerable mods yet to come.

For those who feel like the Starfield Nexus is a bit of a ghost town these days, there's actually a sensible explanation for that: most people ?have moved on to using Bethesda's official Creations interface, instead. This unprecedented move blindsided me as it's never really happened before, but the good news is that Nexus isn't going anywhere, as the more complex mods may sti??ll need to be hosted outside of Creations regardless.

Oh, and for those who aren't all that keen on Starfield's actual driveable vehicles - as monumental of a release as this might be - there's more goodness coming very, very soon. More specifically, Doom-themed goodness, as we're getting a big new bundle of Doom content thanks to the efforts of the modder responsible for the legendary Sim Settlements mod for Fallout 4. Quite the tour de force, all this.

The post Starfield’s REV-8 is already memed and modded, keeping the community happy appeared first on Destructoid.

To quote the modern day poet that is one Marshall "Eminem" Mathers: Hi kids! Do you like violence? To add onto that, do you especially like Skyrim violence? While TES5 has its brutal moments, it evidently wasn't enough for one per??son who felt the aging RPG needed just a soupçon of additional gore.

Hacking and slashing is the name of the game with "Dismembering Framwork," created by Nexus Mods user Seb263. If you're ti??red of striking at foes with all your might only for them to just get knocked back and maybe bleed a l??ittle, this one's for you.

You see, this mod adds in "real time dismemberment," as well as "realistic blood splatters." It's even said to have "adaptive sound effects based on armor and weapon types" for wh??en you really want to hear your sword connect?? with your opponent.

Become Skyrim's own freelance butcher

The above video is but a dangling hunk of tasty meat to really entice you in. Now, we all know the vanilla version of Skyrim already has a decapitation feature. However, it??'s reserved for a kind of finishing move, whereas with "Dismembering Framework," it all happens in real-time.

Note the ability to remove limbs with a swing of a sharp weapon. Any Khajiits giving you tr?ouble? Simply lop off their tail and watch them dance around in agony, blood spewing from the wound. Dance. Dance in an aquifer of your enemy's ichor!

Got a bit carried away there. Anyway, yes. As I was saying: Skyrim needs more violence. I honestly never realized how much I wanted the ability to sever off limbs when out and about in Tamriel. You really get to find ou??t about yourself whe??n you play games, yeah?

The post Fulfil your Sky?rim bloodlust with this dismemberment mod appeared first on Destructoid.

Considered to be the greatest Fallout game ever made, Fallout: New Vegas is simply screaming out for a follow-up from Obsidian Entertainment. Sadly, nearly 14 years later and we still haven't had a new Fallout from the Avowed studi?o. Oh well, at least we still have ??plenty of mods to keep us amused.

And amused I am, thanks to this one from Nexus Mods user SadWeeble in which NPCs in New Vegas literally exp?lode randomly. The game itself is already known for its dark humor and elements of the slightly absurd, so this should basically fit right into your normal playthrough.

SadWeeble describes it as turning the wasteland into the "tensest game of Hot Potato." Imagine just strolling through the Vegas Strip or the Mojave ??De??sert itself, only to see the denizens and Wastelanders flip and ragdoll via an explosion that leaves very little time to say goodbye to personal limbs.

Customizable booms

It gets better, as well. The mod crea??tor has also added in some custom settings to allow you to configure the randomness of NPCs exploding. You can, for exampl?e, change the delay before said NPC goes all boom. You can change the explosion "type," reward yourself some XP each time someone explodes, and mark essential characters as ones to ignore.

The only downsid??e perhaps is you do need a few more downloads for this one to work. SadWeeble says in order to get "NPCs Randomly Explode" to work, you'll need the following:

• The New Vegas Script Extender
• The JIP LN NVSE Plugin
• The SUP NVSE Plugin
• The Mod Configuration Menu (optional)

I recently replayed Fallout: New Vegas, having not picked it up for a few years. One thing people typically praise the game for is its story and writing. It has a certain levity to it that offsets the somewhat bleak aspects of living in a post-apocalyptic world, something that Bethesda can't quite measure up to. I know I'm definitely not alone in hoping Obsidian will give us a New Vegas 2 at some point.

The post A Fall??out: New Vegas mod whe?re NPCs randomly explode? Sign me up! appeared first on Destructoid.

The beloved Kingdom Hearts 2 drive forms like Valor Form have been added to Kingdom Hearts 3. There's? even a mod?? for a drive gauge just like the PS2 game.

Kingdom Hearts 3 modders add popular KH2 mechanic into the game

Kingdom Hearts 3 changed a lot of mechanics from its predecessor, such as removing reaction commands, but keyblade transformations replaced the drive form system many fans know and love from the second game. Thankfully, some Kingdom Hearts 3 modders have added all of the drive forms into the PC version.

Popular Kingdom Hearts YouTube channel TheGamersJoint showcased all the drive forms on offer from the modding community. Richy5 has stitched them all together with the drive gauge mod. forever756 created the Valor Form mod for Kingdom Hearts 3.

While the pose does look odd at points, Sora summons two keyblades and slashes the heartless and other enemies with them. His outfit also changes into a red design. Unfortunately, you'll need to have the Kingdom Key equipped; otherwise, Sora will have an invisible keyblade, according to TheGamersJoint. Impressively, the animations for the Valor Form from Kingdom Hearts 2 have been imported well into the third game.

Sora101Ven created the Wisdom Form and has Sora gliding across the stage. TheGamersJoint says it works "basically the exact same" as its original iteration. While shooting blasts of energy toward his foes, the keyblade wielder can move to the left and the right seamlessly. The Master Form is? also replicated well into Kingdom Hearts 3 by mao. The YouTuber says it has been replicated 1-to-1, but this mod doesn't support the drive gauge mod. If you want a version supported by the drive gauge mod, you can get Flarigrar's version.

Even Anti-Form is supported within the Kingdom Hearts 3 mod community by Sora101Ven. This heartless-inspired drive form is activated when you've used the mechanic too many times. It's extremely quick but lacks defensive options, making it risky to use. Sora101Ven also made a great Final Form mod, which has Sora use Reflect as a guard. What's even more impressive is that Reflect isn't even a spell supported in Kingdom Hearts 3.

We don't know whether or not the drive forms will return in Kingdom Hearts 4 or if keyblade transformations will come back instead. However, Kingdom Hearts series director Tetsuya Nomura has confirmed that the reaction commands from Kingdom Hearts 2 are returning for the fourth entry.

The post Kingdom Hearts 3 mo??dders add all KH2 ??Drive Forms into game appeared first on Destructoid.

At long last, Fallout London is available, and getting to explore a new, carefully crafted piece of Fallout content is just the best. 

Naturally, I wanted to install the mod on my Steam Deck to play it wherever I go. As anyone who’s played the mod can tell you, Fallout London is a bit buggy and prone?? to crashing, but that didn’t dissuade me from diving into the Steam Deck instal??l.

Reader, it should have. To be frank, installing Fallout London onto a Steam Deck, at least right now, is a total pain. The process is long and arduous, and the reward at the end is a noticeably worse experience than simply playing the game on PC. But if you, like me, just want to give it a go anyway, here’s how you can install Fallout London on your Steam Deck.

Downgrading Fallout 4 on Steam Deck

• Boot up your Steam Deck and install Fallout 4 and its DLC. Now you need to downgrade the game. 
• Switch the Steam Deck to Desktop Mode via the power options
• Via your browser, download the Fallout London Downgrader for Linux from github.
• Extra the FOLON Downgrader to your Downloads folder
• Right click on the newly extracted FOLON-Downgrader and click on “Propertiesâ€?/li>

• Click on “Permissionsâ€?and check the box next to “is executable,â€?so you’ll be able to run the downgrader
• Go back to your Downloads folder, right click anywhere, and select “Open in Terminalâ€?nbsp;
• Type â€?/FOLON-Downgraderâ€?and hit enter
• When the Downgrader opens, select your Fallout 4 folder, typically the path is: â€?home/deck/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/Fallout 4â€?/li>

• Sign into your Steam account via the Downgrader and let the program run

How to set up Fallout London on Steam Deck

• Open a web browser, then download and install the Heroic Games Launcher
• Open the Heroic Games launcher, search for Fallout London and install it (you may need to sign into GOG or create an account before you can do this)
• On the Fallout London page in Heroic, click on the sliders setting icon
• Scroll down and click on “WINECFG,â€?then go to the Drives tab
• Add a new letter disk, like “D:,â€?then change the path to â€?home/deckâ€?/li>

• Go back to the Fallout London page and launch the application
• Follow the installation instructions, using the same installation location that you selected for the Downgrader. While using the installer, you may need to check “Show Hidden Filesâ€?to get to the right location via the new disk you set up. 

Now you’ve got the game ins??talled. You just need to shuffle around some files and get a custom Ini file, and you’ll be ready to go. 

• Copy the files from â€?home/deck/Games/Heroic/Fallout London/__AppDataâ€?to â€?home/deck/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/377160/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/Local/Fallout4â€?/li>

• Download this Ini file (special thanks to Krupar101) from github, and put it here: â€?home/deck/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/377160/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/Documents/My Games/Fallout4â€?/li>

• You’re ready to go! If you go to your main Fallout 4 folder, you should see a file called “Fallout4Launcher.exe.â€?Rename that to something innocuous and look for a file called “f4se_loader.exe.â€?Change that file’s name to “Fallout4Launcher.exe,â€?and you’ll be able to launch Fallout London from the Steam app. 

Whew, that was a bit like running a marathon. The good news is that now Fallout London is up and running. The bad news is that you’ll need to install one more mod to get the game to run more smo?othly (and even then it’s liable to crash pretty frequently). 

How to make Fallout London run better on Steam Deck

The Buffout 4 mod is going to help make your copy of Fallout London not crash every 30 seconds. 

• Download the mod from its Nexus Mods page
• Extract the files
• Copy the “Buffout 4â€?folder and the “Buffout4.dll" and "Buffout4_preload.txtâ€?nbsp;
• Navigate to your primary Fallout 4 folder, then follow this path “Data/F4SE/pluginsâ€?/li>

• Paste the files

There you have it. I can’t guarantee that the game? w?ill run perfectly for you, but hopefully this will at least sustain you until the next time you’re sitting at your desktop.

The post How to play Fallout London on Steam Deck appeared first on Destructoid.

Starfield's modding scene is growing stronger and more interesting with each passing week, realizing its potential as a genuine community content powerhouse thanks to the Creation Kit. Notably, not only do we now get to share ship blueprints with one another, but we can also randomize POI dungeons in full.

Look, I've been a fan of Starfield since day one, even though it's certainly privy to a set of very questionable faults. Arguably the biggest of these faults is the fact that even though Starfield plays host to a substantial number of unique points of interest, nothing about them is actually random or procedurally generated short of their placement. You're always beset by the same amount and type of enemies with the same (admittedly fun) environmental storyte?lling happening if you choose to look for it.

The new "Bedlam - Dungeon Randomizer" mod tweaks this s??o that there's always something new going on,? no matter how many times you visit that same old Deserted Ecliptic Garrison.

Download Agd25's Bedlam - Dungeon Randomizer mod adds some zest to Starfield's POI dungeons

Bedlam - Dungeon Randomizer has been created by modder Agd25, with the aim of it being straightforward: vary up Starfield's dungeons by using a few techniques to randomize them each time you enter. This includes proper dungeons, outside locations, and ships, per the NexusMods description. Though this sounds like a particularly tall order, Agd25 has managed to achieve their goal in three differ??ent ways, and I can vouch for their viability:

• Enemy randomization
• Enemy reinforcement deployment
• Assassination attempts / Assault squads

These features are kind-of-sort-of self-explanatory, but the proof really is in the pudding, I feel. Firstly, the enemy randomization feature makes it so that, whenever you load up a location or POI, Starfield spawns-in up to 20 hostile NPCs and - here's the genius bit - moves about half of them to the position of one randomly selected NPC of the bun??ch.

"Enemies who have been teleported might stay in place, or they might try and path back to where they are supposed to be, leading to patrolling NPCs in places you don't expect. This triggers everywhere, including in space and outside of dungeons," explains Agd25. This simple feature adds so much dynamism to Starfield's previously bog-standard encounters that you couldn't believe, and it alone makes this mod a must-ha??ve for ??me going forward.

Reinforcements, too, are a huge deal in combat, as enemies can now actually call for help, which will spawn in up to five leveled enemies somewhere nearby if you're outside, or at the front door if you're inside an enclosed location. Previously linear POIs and dungeons can, therefore, now ??put you on the backfoot as competent foes actively begin to hunt you down every so often, which is a hoot.

?Finally, assault squads of an opposing faction might spawn in to mount an assault at the same time as you're entering a location/POI. This can also include Starborn enemies, which is particularly exciting.

Agd25's mod currently only supports human enemies, and this appears to be by design. Personally, I cannot recommend Bedlam - Dungeon Randomizer enough, and I genuinely think this is going to be one of those mods that becomes absolutely ubiquitous for Starfield over time.

The post A Starfield mod finally randomize??s all the ??POI dungeons appeared first on Destructoid.

Slowly but certainly, Starfield is turning into the modding powerhouse it was always meant to be. With the Creation Kit opening the door to a huge array of advanced new creations, we're now privy ?to the Ship Vendor Framework mod, allowing us to share our LEGO-like starships with one another.

Courtesy of modder Rux616, we now have a way of sharing custom-built Starfield ships with the world. Or, at least, other Starfield players on PC and Xbox. According to Rux616, their plan all along has been to create a stable, comprehensive solution for how the in-game vendors handle ship blueprints. By default, Starfield does not allow you to tweak and/or replace vendor-provided ships, which makes them kind of boring on a long enough timeline. With Rux616's Ship Vendor Framework mod, however, it is now possible to add entirely new, custom designs to the vendors' blueprint offerings, and virtually anyone can export th??em quickly and easily.

Starfield: Ship Vendor Framework is the vessel-sharing system we've all been waiting for

Granted, it's not quite as straightforward as, say, sharing a code with one another. The way Ship Vendor Framework works is that it "allows people to design ships inside the [Starfield] Creation Kit and add them for sale ingame easily, then share those [as] mods," explains Rux616 in a Reddit comment. Still, it's a way better system than anything available in the base game, and it's fully compatible with both PC and Xbox builds of the game, which makes it that much more useful in the long run.

Alongside the Ship Vendor Framework, Rux616 has also created their own custom ship blueprint to show the system off: the Warhawk. This is a small and lightweight, yet heavily armed B-class vessel that has a simple, straightforward interior that makes it handy as a mobile forward operating base. Nice! The Warhawk is available at the New Atlantis Ship Services after?? you hit level 50, and you will of course need? the Ship Vendor Framework to access its blueprints.

• Ship Vendor Framework mod
• The Warhawk mod

Expect lots more Starfield ship mods in the coming weeks and months, then.?? All thanks to Rux616's continued efforts in de??veloping the Ship Vendor Framework.

In other related news, have you added Destiny's Exos into Starfield yet? Or did you lean more heavily into the Star Wars aesthetic, creating your very own Mandalorian experience along the way? Whatever the case may be, there are more awesome mods coming out for Starfield virtually every day, and Bethesda is already planning Year 2 cont?ent at this time. That's coming after the hotly anticipated Shattered Space DLC, of course, which is its own point of interest. Starfield: Shattered Space is launching in Fall 2024, but in the interim, it's not like we've got nothing to do with all those mods com?ing out left and right.

The post Starfield’s new ship modding framework lets players share ships appeared first on Destructoid.

The legacy of Skyrim is such that it feels as though there will never be a time when it's not in the gaming limelight. I'm partly to blame for that, given all the articles I do about fan-made mods. But what can I say? The community does a lot of work to keep TES5's head above the water, improving on Bethesda's original release. Oh hell, let's talk ?about one more.

This one comes from Nexus Mods user Enneal (as spotted by DSO Gaming), and is for those who like a little sea travel with their (specifically Special Edition of) Skyrim. The "Functional Ships" download essentially adds point-to-point travel between the g?ame's ports via the use of ships??.

The video above gives a brief idea of what you can expect, with the mod even allow?ing you to explore the inside of your vessel as it sails across the water. Enneal says it add??????????????????????????s six new ships, though apparently not all of them include interiors.

Skyrim by sea..."Searim"

It seems as though "Functional Ships" is best paired with other custom additions to the game, so it's unlikely that it will work with the basic, vanilla version of the game. Still, if you've been playing The Elder Scrolls 5 for the last 12 years, chances are your version is modded to Oblivion (little TES humor there) already.

As for features, here's what Enneal's offering comes with?:

• Point-to-point travel
• Ships reflect quest progress & world events
• Accessible interiors from moving ships
• Real-time(-ish) travel while inside ships
• Ships travel between all ports on the Sea of Ghosts, including Raven Rock

Maybe one day I'll stop talking about Skyrim mods. Today is clearl??y not that day. Onwards w?e go!

The post Sail the Skyrim seas with t?his point-to-point ship mod appeared first on Destructoid.

As hardcore as it may be, Escape From Tarkov's economy is fairly geeky as well, relying on cheeky figurines and other rare gizmos. If you'd like to lean into that more heavily, you can do so in the unofficial single-player mod SPT-AKI, where colle??ctible Pokemon cards are a must-have.

It should come as no surprise at all that the folks enjoying SPT-AKI have access to some truly weird features that would never make their way into Tarkov proper. It's all thanks to modders such as Krackasourus, who've dedicated a non-insignificant amount of time to making wacky, yet intriguing mods for the hardcore tactical shooter. Krackasourus's input on the matter comes through their Collectables: Pokemon Cards mod, which adds a whopping 156 trading cards featuring all ??of the original pocket monsters in all their glory.

Collect Pokemon cards in SPT-AKI thanks to Krackasourus

It gets better, too: Krackasourus hasn't just thrown over a hundred limited-edition Pokemon cards into Tarkov's burgeoning economy. They've also added three custom Pokemon-themed card binders to hold these cards, and three different card boosters "for that nice new cards smell," as Krackasourus puts it. Further, their secondary Collectables: Card case mod adds a whole new display section to the bas??e Hall of Fame room of the hideout.

Krackasourus' mods add a whole new layer to Escape From Tarkov's loot lineup, where the new Pokemon cards are rare and coveted valuables that make it even more important to scour through every single loot drop location in a given raid. It's great stuff, and if you're anything like me, you'll ?enjoy collecting all the classic Pokemon cards in an active virtual warzone. That's just how it goes sometimes, right?

For those who aren't that keen on Pokemon themselves, but do wish to collect something novel in the same vein, there's Krackasourus' Collectables: Anime Girls mod featuring 75 cards with unique holofoil designs for a particularly rare treat. It, too, comes with a slew of binders and boosters to k?eep things interesting even when you're keen deep into collecting, so you also get to organize all these cards, to boot.

Do note, of course, that SPT-AKI has recently been updated to build version 3.9. If you're still using the?? older 3.8 build of the mod, you may wish to archive it and move on to the newer, more polished, and more feature-rich version when? you have the chance to do so. Krackasourus' mods are all already up-to-date for build 3.9, and sticking with the older version precludes you from getting the latest mod hotfixes, which is worth keeping in mind.

The post Someone’s added collectible Pokemon cards to Escape From Tarkov single-player mod appeared first on Destructoid.

These days, it's all Skyrim Skyrim Skyrim. A fine game it is, obviously, but sometimes it's good to look back at some of the older entries. The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion was a landmark entry in the long-running series, being one of the best RPGs of its era. To that end, I'm pleas?ed that people are still finding the time to give it some love.

As noted by DSO Gaming, a fan-made mod will boost your TES4 experience by quite the margin. Uploaded by Nexus Mods user Vorians (and created by Lariatius), Citadel of Madness is a pretty heft?y download, adding a ton of new content.

According to the descr??iption, it adds the followin??g:

• A new quest line, comparable in duration to any Cyrodiil guild. 38 new quests (23 in the main line, 15 side quests).
• A huge fortress on a floating island.
• Hundreds of new characters.
• More than 3000 lines of dialogue.
• Over 25 hours of play.
• Powerful bosses and new opponents. The Knights of Order among them are far from the strongest.
• New game territories: the Archipelago of Madness, the lands of Jyggalag and one more (you’ll see for yourself later).
• On the Archipelago of Madness there are three small but well-developed islands and, accordingly, three new settlements: a city, a village and a fishing village.
• Lots of new drinks and alchemical ingredients.
• A new gaming faction with its own career ladder, several non-playable and hostile factions.
• Many well-developed locations: more than 180 new internal cells (interiors).
• New types of caves and crypts.
• New magical artifacts and familiar old ones.
• New in-game literature, as well as books from other parts of TES.
• New music and sounds.
• New weapons and armor.

It even incorporates the lore from the Shivering Isles DLC.

Oblivion will never die

Okay, I should probably point out at this point that this isn't technically a new mod. According to Vorians, this is actually an English translation of a Russian fan project. I found what I believe to be the original download, which was up??loaded quite some time ago. Still, it b??eing a translated version re-uploaded to Nexus Mods technically makes it new, right?

For all its flaws, Oblivion was a banger. I say flaws in the way that most Bethesda games come prepackaged with their share of bugs and errors. TES4 was probably one of?? the?? less egregious examples, but even so, it's aged.

However, it continues to hold a special place in the hearts of many, typically ranking high on lists of the best Elder Scrolls games ever (Morrowind usually takes the top spot). Modders continue to deliver the goods to keep us going back for more, so Oblivion's legacy can continue unabated. Is that too much of a k?iss-ass senti??ment? I don't care. I love this game.

The post Want an excuse to go back to Oblivion??? This ??mod adds 25 hours of new content appeared first on Destructoid.