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Unified Vidya Games thread

Started by Cain, November 21, 2013, 05:10:58 PM

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Cain

I know a lot of people didn't like the change in Ander's personality at all, but I felt it was justified (heh) plotwise, even if I also preferred the old Anders.  And Carver is pretty annoying, but assuming you make the right choices in Act 1, he gets his act together.  A sense of purpose does wonders for the lad.

And noted.  I'll be recording tomorrow.

Pæs

It also kinda means that if you both want a decent party to RP with, as well as having a tactically functional one, you have limited options. If you're not a tank and you'd like one, you have to use a terrible character.

Cain

Though in DA2, a tank is basically pointless if you play a Shadow or Force Mage.  And if you don't play a Shadow or Force Mage, WAYSA?

But yeah, definitely.  Gameplay and roleplay segregation is of course a huge design issue in RPGs, and not one they're probably ever going to resolve to my satisfaction, at the very least.  Probably not without a quantum processor, anyway.

Cain

Of course, a lot of problems with DA2 are due to a, IIRC, 9 month production cycle.  I mean, ridiculously rushed doesn't even begin to describe it.  When you compare the 5 years they had for Origins, well...you can see why their plans kinda fell apart.  From what I heard, DA2 was actually a repurposed plot for an "inbetween game" that would bridge the events of Origin to Inquisition....in other words, DA:I was intended to be the second main title.

Which would explain a lot about DA2, including why Act III feels like it was tacked on at the end, and why despite the exceedingly rushed production schedule they nevertheless had the Exalted March expansion pack all planned out, before that project was wrapped into DA:I proper.  I imagine that, if Act III were not intended as an opening act for DA:I, then Exalted March definitely was.

trippinprincezz13

Quote from: Cain on April 23, 2014, 08:56:21 PM
I know a lot of people didn't like the change in Ander's personality at all, but I felt it was justified (heh) plotwise, even if I also preferred the old Anders.  And Carver is pretty annoying, but assuming you make the right choices in Act 1, he gets his act together.  A sense of purpose does wonders for the lad.

And noted.  I'll be recording tomorrow.

Oh I agree, there's definitely good reason for it. Just you know, so many Debbie Downers. But even still, I find him, aside from Varric and perhaps Isabella, the least annoying of the bunch.

And I'll have to play through a game soon where he makes it through the opening act. I had started to, but after getting internet again at home, it insisted I sign back in with my xbox screen name, which password I had long since saved and forgotten, to access this game, that I wanted to play offline...by myself. So, another time then.

Quote from: Cain on April 24, 2014, 09:02:16 AM
Though in DA2, a tank is basically pointless if you play a Shadow or Force Mage.  And if you don't play a Shadow or Force Mage, WAYSA?

:lol: Started a new game and at level 7 chose Shadow (before I'd seen this post), and not sure how I overlooked it after my last play through as a rogue.

Quote from: Cain on April 24, 2014, 09:34:20 AM
Of course, a lot of problems with DA2 are due to a, IIRC, 9 month production cycle.  I mean, ridiculously rushed doesn't even begin to describe it.  When you compare the 5 years they had for Origins, well...you can see why their plans kinda fell apart.  From what I heard, DA2 was actually a repurposed plot for an "inbetween game" that would bridge the events of Origin to Inquisition....in other words, DA:I was intended to be the second main title.

Which would explain a lot about DA2, including why Act III feels like it was tacked on at the end, and why despite the exceedingly rushed production schedule they nevertheless had the Exalted March expansion pack all planned out, before that project was wrapped into DA:I proper.  I imagine that, if Act III were not intended as an opening act for DA:I, then Exalted March definitely was.

Pretty interesting, and DA2 makes sense when looked at in that context. I had always felt like it had seemed a bit rushed. Especially getting to the last act, and then...it's over! And I was kind of like, "is that it?" .
There's no sun shine coming through her ass, if you are sure of your penis.

Paranoia is a disease unto itself, and may I add, the person standing next to you, may not be who they appear to be, so take precaution.

If there is no order in your sexual life it may be difficult to stay with a whole skin.

Cain

I've still not recorded yet.  Due to working lots of nights, university work and getting a new kitchen installed (which only happens during the day, and is playing merry havoc with my sleep schedule).

With regards to the Shadow Rogue, I would've gone for the Assassin specialization first.  Mark of Death and fully upgraded Assassinate turn you from a glass cannon into a goddamn crystal Predator Drone.  Not to say the Shadow isn't powerful as well, you get a retardedly powerful critical damage buff, but the Assassin specialization is certainly the better of the two.

Ideally, you want a build that looks something like this http://biowarefans.com/dragon-age-2-talent-builder/#rzMYckRX1telBFsHEaVQrwuSYokRc0HtEDC

For a dual-wielder, anyway.  If you're going for archery...well, all I'm going to say is that Disorientating Criticals + Glyph of Paralysis + Virulent and Corrosive Walking Bomb can clear out entire enemy spawns in one go.

Duellist isn't bad, it's just a bit boring.  You get all these insane buffs and modes which add even more buffs on top of your existing ones.  The only interesting ability is Throw the Guantlet, which is basically Backstab + Assassinate.

trippinprincezz13

Quote from: Cain on May 05, 2014, 06:26:13 PM
I've still not recorded yet.  Due to working lots of nights, university work and getting a new kitchen installed (which only happens during the day, and is playing merry havoc with my sleep schedule).

Yea I can't imagine that leaves much time for games and recording, but will look forward to the next installments :)

Quote
With regards to the Shadow Rogue, I would've gone for the Assassin specialization first.  Mark of Death and fully upgraded Assassinate turn you from a glass cannon into a goddamn crystal Predator Drone.  Not to say the Shadow isn't powerful as well, you get a retardedly powerful critical damage buff, but the Assassin specialization is certainly the better of the two.

Ideally, you want a build that looks something like this http://biowarefans.com/dragon-age-2-talent-builder/#rzMYckRX1telBFsHEaVQrwuSYokRc0HtEDC

For a dual-wielder, anyway.  If you're going for archery...well, all I'm going to say is that Disorientating Criticals + Glyph of Paralysis + Virulent and Corrosive Walking Bomb can clear out entire enemy spawns in one go.

Duellist isn't bad, it's just a bit boring.  You get all these insane buffs and modes which add even more buffs on top of your existing ones.  The only interesting ability is Throw the Guantlet, which is basically Backstab + Assassinate.

Yea, if I had actually thought about it, I would have done Assassin first, which I normally have, but then I got all "Ooooh, new & shiny". That talent builder's really neat and is a good reminder to pay attention to the specialist set of talents more. I've definitely used some, but it seems that I've probably underutilized it. Very interesting on the archer note too - I can see that working splendidly. Archery is another talent I haven't really done much with. I don't tend to go for it (though last time I played DAO I tried to focus on it more) as I usually don't need an extra ranged attack since I usually drag Varric around with me (and I drag Varric around because I'm not an Archer...derp. Well, also because he's on of the least annoying companions).
There's no sun shine coming through her ass, if you are sure of your penis.

Paranoia is a disease unto itself, and may I add, the person standing next to you, may not be who they appear to be, so take precaution.

If there is no order in your sexual life it may be difficult to stay with a whole skin.

Cain

The thing with archery is that, pinning shot aside, much of the archery tree is utterly worthless on Nightmare difficulty, because of the friendly fire aspect.  You need a Force Mage for the sort of crowd control that requires.

With an archer, you want to concentrate on making your auto-attacks hit as hard as possible and as fast as possible, and focus on the occasional massive DPS spike from the specialization trees.  So something along these lines.  The gameplay after that is simplicity itself, if a bit visually boring.

Also, because you can inflict damage at range, you can skip some points in constitution and put more into dexterity and cunning.  Although, the decoy and stealth talents make you pretty survivable no matter which way you decide to play...

Cain

To stop us from spagging up the Open Bar or each other's inboxes.

So, I've successfully experimented with WTF - Random Encounter Zones.  Very successfully, actually.  I haven't met anything insanely overpowered yet, but...well, yeah I suppose I have, actually.  At the end of Bleak Falls Barrow there was a draugr scourge who could and did one-shot my character with melee and shouts.  That was a bit rough on a level 8 Imperial nightblade.  Since then, I've been taking on enemies about 10 levels above my own on a fairly frequent basis, culminating in an epic battle with a Draugr Scourge Lord at level 13 in Shroud Hearth Burrow.  All on Master difficulty I should add...it might've been a bit less rough on something lower, but expert is for scrubs.

Yes, so that definitely works, as do the improved Shouts.

Junkenstein

Assuming it's OK with yourself I'll copy some of the messages into this thread.

I've done something stupid so I'm currently playing the hunt the CTD bug. I'm running a hyper-realistic setup which makes leaving the house a dangerous proposition. Hell, STAYING in a house is a dangerous proposition as you'll probably starve or dehydrate to death in relatively short order.
Nine naked Men just walking down the road will cause a heap of trouble for all concerned.

Cain

Awesome, and absolutely.

I did have a hyper-realistic set up once (Requiem + Frostfall + Realistic Needs and Disease + Hunterborn + Deadly Dragons + Dragon Combat Overhaul) but levelling up was essentially impossible. 

Cain

With regards to your CTD, do you use BOSS to organise your mod load order?  Lots of apparently insignificant things, like having The Dance of Death before DCO, can cause CTDs to plague a setup.  Not that BOSS is perfect, but it mostly gets things right.

Junkenstein

Required:

Duel - Combat Realism.  A light tweak to the mod system, this nevertheless has a big impact.  Enemy combat AI is more intelligent - bandits will attempt to swarm your position and flank you, as well as blocking more in combat.  Furthermore, stamina becomes more critical.  Blocking will reduce stamina a lot...and both you and the enemy will get staggered much more frequently.  When staggered, you take massive extra damage.  The idea with Duel is that the fighter who has the advantage, and can carry that momentum through, wins.  I use the Hardcore version, the normal version however is also meant to be quite good, and places a greater emphasis on blocking and timed attacks.  Weapon and armor values are slightly increased, so this should go near the end of your mod order.

Dragon Combat Overhaul - makes dragons more unpredictable.  Much more unpredictable.  Dragon "limit breaks" are changed, so dragons are not automatically dropped when they reach 30% health and stay on the ground.  Dragons will target Dovakhiin more frequently.  Dragons will stagger you when landing and when taking off.  When low on health, dragons may attempt a devastating AoE attack to turn the tide.  Dragons may call other dragons for help.  Dragons will use their shouts more frequently and more intelligently (such as using Meteor Storm at the start of a fight).  They will fly in a much prettier fashion, and fall out of the sky much more realistically.  Does not affect dragon health or damage output - only their AI package.  Therefore it's compatible with all dragon mods.  Which brings me to....

Deadly Dragons - this mod makes dragons tougher, deal more damage, better armor etc.  Has an Assault Mode which makes dragons attack you within a certain timescale - I would recommend making cities safe zones if you intend to use this, as Arthmoor's Run for Your Lives mod wont recognise it as an attack, and so citizens will definitely get slaughtered.  Incidentally, install Arthmoor's Run For Your Lives and When Vampires Attack - everyone runs inside and locks their doors, except Guards, Companions, Dawnguard and Vigilants of Stendarr, who you would expect to fight back.  Back on track, I prefer the "loremonger" option, as it means you only get lore-friendly dragons spawned.

ASIS - enemy spawns can be larger, and will act more intelligently.  Allows enemies to use potions, access spells and perks added by mods and randomize spawns.  Quite technical, so read all the documentation before installing.

WTF - Random Encounter Zones.  WTF assigns random minimum levels to all encounter zones; either fully random or chance-based.  So no longer will enemies level directly with you, and be boring and routine.  Some enemies will be strong enough to melt your face off, others will be surprisingly easy.

Revenge of the Enemies - overhauls enemy AI, but also gives certain enemies new abilities.  All draugr will know at least one shout now.  Vampires will be exceedingly deadly, using their batform and Drain Life attacks to strike quickly and confuse those fighting against them.  Falmer can turn invisible.  Certain bosses, such as Potema, will gain abilities they never had before.  Also expect a nasty surprise at the end of Bleak Falls Barrow.


Recommend:

Crossbow basic collection - adds all the missing crossbows and bolts from the game.  Because what's better than a dwarven crossbow that ignores 50% of armor?  A daedric crossbow that does the same.

Combat Drama Overhaul and Dance of Death - get cool kill animations. 

Dovahkriid - the Dragon Lords. Adds 13 extremely dangerous dragons into fixed areas of the game.  Said dragons have lore-friendly names and are considered Alduin's top lieutenants - they are extremely dangerous with Deadly Dragons and DCO installed.

ACE Realistic Fighting - adds bonuses and minuses for weapon state, armor quality and stance.  Very realistic, but also very brutal when combined with Duel - Combat Realism.  I've been virtually one-hit as a light armor wearer, whereas heavy armor wearers become tanks by comparison.

Apocalypse Spell Package - adds a bunch of lore-friendly and balanced spells to the game.

AI Archery Range - doubles the range of enemy AI archers.  Simple, but makes a big difference.

Elemental Arrows - why should the Dawnguard get all the fun?

Immersive Patrols - creates a series of encounter patrols in the wilderness, from Imperial and Stormcloak troops to Dawnguard to dragon cultists and werewolves.  Not compatible with Open Cities.

More Bandit Camps - does what it says on the tin.  At least some camps are themed, however, like the Cammona Tong Skooma camp in Riften.

Improved Dragon Shouts - because you'll need them.  Unfortunately, will also improve the shouts of dragons and high-level draugr, though...

Traps Make Noise - Traps Are More Dangerous.  Creates detection events for setting off traps, in addition to scaling damage with your level. 

High Level Enemies (may conflict with WTF, never tried both) - makes enemies level with you, and increases the enemy level cap to somewhere around level 60.  Can be quite difficult with Duel - imagine getting surrounded by three Bandit Outlaws at Level 10.  Personally would not use alongside Duel and ACE, as it can make the game nearly impossible.

SkyRe - game overhaul.  SkyRe's combat system makes stamina much more important, adds bleed damage and adds perks for different varieties of weapons.  However, it will conflict with a lot of the above, as SkyRe overhauls almost all aspects of the game.

Requiem - game overhaul.  Requiem's combat system is even harsher than SkyRe, and has been compared favourably with Dark Souls.  Like SkyRe, stamina is vital, and enemies are deleveled.

There are also a number of adventure mods which use the base game engine to make things more difficult.  I've heard good things about Agent of Righteous Might, the Oblivion Realms series, Moon and Star etc. but I've yet to try them.

If you want to make cities more populated, I recommend Interesting NPCs and Inconsequential NPCs.  The former will also add a number of quests to the game.

---

(I bitch that one of the few problems that will remain is that all the dungeons are very nice tunnels)


Well, I know some of those adventure mods mentioned at the bottom have confusing layouts.  In particular, the final assault in Agent of Righteous Might is meant to be confusing as hell.  They will only take a couple of hours to solve, according to the modders, but that's still far more complex than most of Skyrim.

Some of the others may also be less linear (the Lost Wonders of Mzark claims to be as such).  Check http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/searchresults/?src_cat=88 for anything that looks good.

That aside, I'd suggest maybe Enhanced Lighting and FX.  Wont change the layout, but the dungeon will be much darker, necessitating the use of torches and adding to immersion.

Once I've got my various modlists sorted out (I think I'm going to have 6 - immersion, SkyRe, Reqiuem, Vanilla Plus, Survivalism and Vanilla Bugfix) I'll send them on to you.  I strongly suggest checking out the Skyrim Mod Organiser (http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/1334/?) as opposed to the Nexus Mod Manager - it uses a temporary folder to install the files, meaning they do not install directly into the game, meaning they can be removed much more safely AND it allows for your profiles, so as long as you can keep your game saves separate, you can have multiple different mod regimes running.

----

(Comments regarding game difficulty being somewhat low, even when cranking settings? Unsure.)

In that case, I do recommend checking out Requiem and SkyRe.  The first is roleplaying and realism - so no fast travel, much deadlier combat, much more consequences for your actions (theft and murder deny you the blessings of the divine), stamina is used per attack (and having less stamina increases spell costs), armor increases casting costs and a bunch of other things.  A few modders, like the Hunterborn creator, use it in addition to Frostfall and Realistic Needs and Diseases for a deeper immersive experience.

SkyRe is similar in some ways, but I would say it is more focused on survivalism.  SkyRe merges the pickpocket and lockpicking tree, allowing for the creation of the "Wayfarer" tree, which oversees things like wilderness survival, crafting traps, frost/poison/disease resistance, hunting and knowledge of wildlife.  The Wayfarer tree was designed for full functionality with Frostfall.  SkyRe is a little more forgiving when it comes to combat, IMO, but it's also more realistic than standard Skyrim.  Stamina is still important, but it regenerates much faster, meaning combat can still proceed at a fairly brisk pace, regardless of level.

Here's my current vanilla plus setup, if you're interested (load order included).  Might give you some ideas for things you'd like to add:

Unofficial Skyrim Patch.esp
Dawnguard.esm
Unofficial Dawnguard Patch.esp
HearthFires.esm
Unofficial Hearthfire Patch.esp
Dragonborn.esm
Unofficial Dragonborn Patch.esp
Skyrim Project Optimization - Full Version.esm
ClimatesOfTamriel.esm
mannyBlackRock.esm
mannyDragonhead.esm
Night Eye Overhaul.esm
ORS_MorthalPain.esm
ORS_SolitudeGate.esm
Weapons & Armor Fixes_Remade.esp
Clothing & Clutter Fixes.esp
ADS.esp
Cutting Room Floor.esp
StaticMeshImprovementMod.esp
StaticMeshImprovementMod-DragonbornTernFix.esp
StaticMeshImprovementMod-FurnitureChestSnowFix.esp
TradeBarter.esp
AV1Dragon_Lords.esp
BooksBooksBooks.esp
Immersive Patrols Merged All.esp
Long lost smelters by Hyralux.esp
Radiant and Unique Potions and Poisons v2.0 non glow.esp
Traps Make Noise.esp
Traps Are Dangerous.esp
Dragon Soul Relinquishment.esp
SkyUI.esp
MinimalHUD.esp
Cloaks.esp
Cloaks - Dawnguard.esp
Crossbows_Basic_Collection_EN_LL.esp
DawnguardHelmetReplacer-V1.1.esp
Hothtrooper44_Armor_Ecksstra.esp
Hothtrooper44_ArmorCompilation.esp
Immersive Weapons.esp
NightingaleArrows.esp
NightingaleCrossbow.esp
nordicrangerarmor.esp
Smithing Perks Overhaul_Remade.esp
Complete Crafting Overhaul_Remade.esp
DeadlyDragons.esp
AgentOfRighteousMight.esp
followingmercer.esp
FortDawnguardEnhanced.esp
FZGuildOutposts.esp
FZGuildOutpost_DLC01.esp
FZGuildOutpostsDLC02.esp
FZDBFalkreathResurrect.esp
Hebrock_Der Schatten von Meresis - EV.esp
HolmwoodNahkin.esp
MoreBanditCamps(Explorer'sEdition).esp
Nightingale Hall.esp
Run For Your Lives.esp
When Vampires Attack.esp
AIRangeIncrease_NoAggro.esp
Bounty Gold.esp
Distant DetailHF.esp
Convenient Horses.esp
TimingIsEverything.esp
WhiterunAlivePiano.esp
DawnofWindhelm.esp
Better Vampires ML.esp
Apocalypse - The Spell Package.esp
NEO Radial Blur + Tint 8.esp
Improved Dragon Shouts.esp
Improved Dragon Shouts - Dawnguard.esp
Improved Dragon Shouts - Dragonborn.esp
Night Eye Overhaul.esp
Duel - Combat Realism.esp
CombatDramaOverhaul.esp
DragonCombatOverhaulDragonborn.esp
The Dance of Death - Ultimate Edition.esp
3DNPC.esp
Insects Begone - Spiders.esp
Insects Begone - Dawnguard - One Stupid Spider.esp
Insects Begone - Hearthfires.esp
Insects Begone - DragonBorn Spiders.esp
Brynjolf & Vex Followers.esp
Alternate Start - Live Another Life.esp
ethereal_elven_overhaul.esp
zzz_Jenassa_MAKEOVER_by83Willow.esp
AmazingFollowerTweaks.esp
TTYM - Think to Yourself Messages.esp
BarenziahQuestMarkers.esp
JiubQuestMarkers.esp
DawnofRiften.esp
FCO - Follower Commentary Overhaul.esp
ElementalArrows.esp
Extended Encounters.esp
MoonAndStar_MAS.esp
SleepTight.esp
CanalHome.esp
CCO_WAFTrueWeapons_Patch.esp

Most of my mods revolve around dragons, better fighting, the Thieves Guild or the Dawnguard because, well, really, everything else in Skyrim is kinda naff anyway.  Also making Riften look awesome, because apart from Windhelm it's the city with the most potential for character that was squandered.  I'll probably update the list with more later, but that's it for now.

---

(further realism discussion)

Economy wise, I've found Trade and Barter to be a balanced experience.  It sets much higher costs for crafting materials, adds in cost variables for player race and faction status, fluctuating gold for merchants, cost variables based on player knowledge (skill in smithing/alchemy etc) and can be tweaked via the MCM to create a much more expensive Skyrim.  It does need a patch if you intend to use it with Requiem, but otherwise it is highly compatible.  When combined with Complete Crafting Overhaul Remade/Weapon and Armor Fixes Remade/Smithing Perks Overhaul Remade by the same author, smithing becomes a less viable path to glory, because ores and ingots go up in price and weight, you need more to make weapons and armor and obtaining the skills takes longer (more in line with how other skills level up).

Realistic Room Rental is made by the same person who made Realistic Needs and Diseases.  As you know, with that mod you need to sleep...and with this mod, sleeping becomes more expensive.  It does open up other options with regards to renting a room on a semi-permament basis and other things.

With those two, you should be able to create a more expensive Skyrim experience.  If you want to go beyond that...well, the guy who makes much of the patches for Requiem made his own patch available, Requiem - Hard Times, which makes everything ultra-expensive, enemies drop little loot and other fun things (the guy is a bit of a masochist though - he tends to play on Legendary difficulty and uses the Alternate Start - Left For Dead to kick off his games...*).

I sometimes balance these with Bounty Gold, which allows you to get levelled gold for various quests, such as killing dragons, giants and bandits.  My feeling is that, with Skyrim being a warzone, Jarls are willing to spend where military necessity dictates, though you could also argue that with the amount of mercenaries Skyrim is attacting (assuming you installed Inconsequential NPCs) that the price is decreased due to competition.  Still, I would expect more than 100 gold for dragon slaying, unless 100 gold were somehow a significant amount of money.

Stealth wise, there is only one mod even worth considering.  Stealth Skills Rebalanced, by the guy who did Trade and Barter, Weapon And Armor Fixes etc etc.  It makes stealth harder, but legitimately so.  It's still playable, but you have to be smart, and with the upgrades from Duel and Revenge of the Enemies, hostile characters will be much quicker to detect something is wrong.  Light is far more critical a factor with this mod, and sound to a certain extent as well.  As such, it synergises well with Enhanced Lights and FX, as that mod does strongly affect light in a given area. 

My only problem with SSR is not with the stealth mechanics itself, but the way it rebalances lockpicking.  Wearing gauntlets gives you an automatic -25 penalty to lockpicking, and the lockpicking system is legitimately the toughest one in the game.  Yes, harder than Requiem or SkyRe. Picking an adept lock is literally impossible without the right perks, even with "Vex's Gift" (see below).  He also reduces massively the number of available lockpicks by making them only carried by bandits, thieves, assassins and fences (though you are in Riften, so this shouldn't be a problem).  And you need 35 in lockpicking, along with some spent perks, to craft your own lockpicks at a forge.

Given the combat upgrades, it may be wise to skip SSR, but for a more stealth-orientated game, it's definitely worth considering.  I mean, I'm thinking of going full out with such a game if I can sort out the right modlist for it in the future.

There is also Stealth Tools by Borgut1337.  A couple of these are interesting, and have been already integrated into SkyRe (so don't install alongside that, it's unnecessary).  He adds some "trick" arrows from the Thief series of games, water ones to put out fires, rope ones to get to hard to access places (and maybe noise arrows for distraction? cannot remember).  Additionally, he adds masks into the game.  When you commit a crime wearing a mask, you don't get a bounty.  HOWEVER, you cannot be seen putting the mask on or taking it off.  He also adds in functionality for automatically killing sleeping or unaware enemies, but I've found they don't always work as intended (due to the animations, I think).  But the rest is pretty good.

There is a shortcuts mod on Skyrimgems under the Thievery section, which adds hidden routes into every city in Skyrim.  It's a good mod, and it definitely works, though it may conflict with city overhaul mods like Dawn of Riften (I have yet to test this).

If you're not interested in SSR, there are a number of lesser mods which can add elements of realism into stealth.  SkyRealism has a mod which increases how alert enemies become after detecting a sneak attack or spotting you.  No changes to how easy it is to sneak, only to how enemies react (this may be redundant with Duel AI upgrades).

I've also heard good things about the Stealth and Immersion Set http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/26286/? though again I've not tried it.  Incidentally, that recommendation came via Erkeil, whose own overhaul may interest you http://erkeilmods.altervista.org/skyrim/r-s-o/  In fact, alongside my stealth mod build, I think I need one for ERSO. 

I would definitely recommend, at the very least, one of the crime detection radius overhaul mods, along with a mod which adds higher bounties for crimes.  I use this one for the latter, as it has a nice variable based on hold which, IMO, adds a little to immersion http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/11862/?

I'll send my updated mod lists in the next PM.



*and left for dead quite literally lives up to the name.  I had a character wake up somewhere on the coast between Windhelm and Winterhold.  No armor, no weapons, nothing except some mining clothes, and I had to make a run for Winterhold avoiding ice wolves, bandits, ice wraiths, bears and at least one giant.  Fortunately, I lucked out, as an Imperial Patrol was trying to conquer Winterhold or something stupid and when they died I grabbed their gear.  Still, it means you start off with no money, no equipment and no quick, viable way of obtaining either.
Nine naked Men just walking down the road will cause a heap of trouble for all concerned.

Junkenstein

SkyRe mod list:

Dawnguard.esm
Dragonborn.esm
HearthFires.esm
ClimatesOfTamriel.esm
Skyrim Project Optimization - Full Version.esm
Unofficial Dawnguard Patch.esp
Unofficial Dragonborn Patch.esp
Unofficial Hearthfire Patch.esp
Unofficial Skyrim Patch.esp
DeadlyDragons.esp
SkyUI.esp
AV1Dragon_Lords.esp
BarenziahQuestMarkers.esp
BooksBooksBooks.esp
Cloaks - Dawnguard.esp
Cloaks.esp
CombatDramaOverhaul.esp
Crossbows_Basic_Collection_EN_LL.esp
Distant DetailHF.esp
Dragon Soul Relinquishment.esp
DragonCombatOverhaulDragonborn.esp
FCO - Follower Commentary Overhaul.esp
Insects Begone - Dawnguard - One Stupid Spider.esp
Insects Begone - DragonBorn Spiders.esp
Insects Begone - Hearthfires.esp
Insects Begone - Skyre Enemy Scaling.esp
Insects Begone - Skyre Main.esp
Insects Begone - Spiders.esp
Long lost smelters by Hyralux.esp
MinimalHUD.esp
NightingaleCrossbow.esp
ReProccer.esp
Run For Your Lives.esp
SkyRe_Combat.esp
SkyRe_Dreamcloth.esp
SkyRe_EncounterZones.esp
SkyRe_EnemyAI.esp
SkyRe_EnemyScaling.esp
SkyRe_Main.esp
SkyRe_Races.esp
SkyRe_StandingStones.esp
StaticMeshImprovementMod-FurnitureChestSnowFix.esp
StaticMeshImprovementMod.esp
The Dance of Death - Ultimate Edition.esp
TTYM - Think to Yourself Messages.esp
When Vampires Attack.esp
Better Vampires ML.esp
Convenient Horses.esp
Extended Encounters.esp
ethereal_elven_overhaul.esp
HolmwoodNahkin.esp
DawnguardHelmetReplacer-V1.1.esp
SleepTight.esp
ADS.esp
TimingIsEverything.esp
Nightingale Hall.esp

Just because I forgot to mention it with the previous stealth mods, Nightingale Hall above converts said Hall into a viable base of operations for Karliah and the Dragonborn.  It also allows for Karliah to become a follower, which it looks like was originally intended in the game anyway and additionally allows Karliah to craft her deadly paralyse poison for you, should you request it.  I like it, but then, as I've said many times, the Thieves Guild has, by far, the best quest series in the vanilla game.  There is also a mod in my previous modlist called "Following Mercer" which, apparently, leaves clues as to where Mercer Frey stashed some of the Thieves Guild loot.  I've never tried it, but it looks interesting and potentially fun.

Requiem Modlist

Unofficial Skyrim Patch.esp
Dawnguard.esm
Unofficial Dawnguard Patch.esp
HearthFires.esm
Unofficial Hearthfire Patch.esp
Dragonborn.esm
Unofficial Dragonborn Patch.esp
Skyrim Project Optimization - Full Version.esm
ClimatesOfTamriel.esm
Clothing & Clutter Fixes.esp
ADS.esp
Cutting Room Floor.esp
StaticMeshImprovementMod.esp
StaticMeshImprovementMod-DragonbornTernFix.esp
StaticMeshImprovementMod-FurnitureChestSnowFix.esp
TradeBarter.esp
BooksBooksBooks.esp
Skyrim Immersive Creatures.esp
Skyrim Immersive Creatures - DLC2.esp
Traps Make Noise.esp
Traps Are Dangerous.esp
SkyUI.esp
Cloaks.esp
Cloaks - Dawnguard.esp
Crossbows_Basic_Collection_EN_LL.esp
DawnguardHelmetReplacer-V1.1.esp
Hothtrooper44_Armor_Ecksstra.esp
Hothtrooper44_ArmorCompilation.esp
Immersive Weapons.esp
Complete Crafting Overhaul_Remade.esp
Requiem.esp
Requiem - Resources.esp
Requiem - WAF+Clothing and Clutter Fixes Patch.esp
Requiem - Trade and Barter.esp
Requiem - SIC Patch.esp
Requiem - Immersive Weapons.esp
Requiem - HearthFires.esp
Requiem - Dragonborn - CCOR Patch.esp
Requiem - CCOR Patch - Hearthfires.esp
Requiem - Immersive Armors.esp
Requiem - Dragonborn.esp
Requiem - SIC CCOR Patch.esp
DeadlyDragons.esp
Inconsequential NPCs.esp
Run For Your Lives.esp
When Vampires Attack.esp
AIRangeIncrease_NoAggro.esp
Distant DetailHF.esp
Convenient Horses.esp
WhiterunAlivePiano.esp
DawnofWindhelm.esp
Open Cities Skyrim.esp
EnhancedLightsandFX.esp
ELFX - Exteriors.esp
ELFX - Dawnguard.esp
ELFX - Dragonborn.esp
ELFXEnhancer.esp
CombatDramaOverhaul.esp
DragonCombatOverhaulDragonborn.esp
The Dance of Death - Ultimate Edition.esp
3DNPC.esp
Alternate Start - Live Another Life.esp
dD - Realistic Ragdoll Force - Realistic.esp
ethereal_elven_overhaul.esp
TTYM - Think to Yourself Messages.esp
AFT_iNPCFix.esp
DragonCombatOverhaulDragonborn - Requiem Patch.esp
DawnofRiften.esp
Extended Encounters.esp
FCO - Follower Commentary Overhaul.esp
3DNPC - Requiem Patch.esp
SleepTight.esp
MinimalHUD.esp

Because Requiem is notoriously hard on its own merits and has few compatible mods, it's actually a good game for a slightly less capable rig.  Hundreds of mods are not required, and would probably detract from the game atmosphere anyway.  It's also consequently a good candidate for combining gameplay with some of the less intensive graphical improvements and ENBs.  I used "I can't belive it's not an ENB" with it previously, which I felt was a good fit.  Said mod does make the map look pretty horrible, but since fast travel isn't an option it's not so much of an issue.

Survivalism:

Night Eye Overhaul.esm
ClimatesOfTamriel.esm
AnorithsShack.esp
DeadlyDragons.esp
SkyUI.esp
CampingKitNorthernRanger.esp
Cloaks - Dawnguard.esp
Cloaks.esp
Cutting Room Floor.esp
Disease Descriptions_RND Compatibile.esp
DD_Dragonborn Additions.esp
DD_Dawnguard Additions.esp
Distant DetailHF.esp
Extended Encounters.esp
FishingInSkyrim.esp
Chesko_Frostfall.esp
Hidden Hideouts of Skyrim - Merged - Deep Immersion.esp
HHoS Ancient Shrine.esp
HunterTraps.esp
Hunterborn.esp
Hunterborn_Dawnguard-Patch.esp
Hunterborn_Frostfall-Patch.esp
Hunterborn_RND-Patch.esp
RiverwoodHuntingCabin.esp
Hothtrooper44_Armor_Ecksstra.esp
Hothtrooper44_ArmorCompilation.esp
Immersive Patrols Merged All.esp
Immersive Weapons.esp
Long lost smelters by Hyralux.esp
MinimalHUD.esp
NEO Radial Blur + Tint 8.esp
Night Eye Overhaul.esp
nordicrangerarmor.esp
Open Cities Skyrim.esp
Radiant and Unique Potions and Poisons v2.0 non glow.esp
Ranger's Valley Lodge.esp
RealisticNeedsandDiseases.esp
RND_AnimalLoot.esp
RND_Dawnguard-Patch.esp
RND_Dragonborn-Patch.esp
RND_HearthFires-Patch.esp
RND_USKP-Patch.esp
dD - Realistic Ragdoll Force - Realistic.esp
Run For Your Lives.esp
SleepTight.esp
ADS.esp
StaticMeshImprovementMod-DragonbornTernFix.esp
StaticMeshImprovementMod-FurnitureChestSnowFix.esp
StaticMeshImprovementMod.esp
The Dance of Death - Ultimate Edition.esp
TimingIsEverything.esp
Traps Make Noise.esp
TradeBarter.esp
Traps Are Dangerous.esp
TravelMounts.esp
TTYM - Think to Yourself Messages.esp
When Vampires Attack.esp
1nivWICCloaks.esp
1nivWICSkyCloaksPatch.esp
Alternate Start - Live Another Life.esp
DragonCombatOverhaulDragonborn.esp
SkyTEST-RealisticAnimals&Predators.esp
Inconsequential NPCs.esp
3DNPC.esp
Weapons & Armor Fixes_Remade.esp
ELFX - Exteriors.esp
ELFXEnhancer.esp
EnhancedLightsandFX.esp
ELFX - Dawnguard.esp
ELFX - Dragonborn.esp
EnhancedWetnessandPuddles.esp
Skyrim Immersive Creatures - DLC2.esp
Skyrim Immersive Creatures.esp
Nine naked Men just walking down the road will cause a heap of trouble for all concerned.

Cain

I just realised I forgot to tell you what "Vex's gift" is.

Essentially, there's a mod on Skyrim gems which adds small gradients onto any lock you are picking.  You can choose very wide gradients, somewhat more refined ones or "Vex's Gift", which will give you very fine gradients.  So long as you can keep track of them, you can know exactly where your lockpick was when you screwed up, and so pick locks more efficiently.

Lockpicking is still a complete bastard with SSR though, even with this installed.  The sweet spot is so small that even finding it usually involves breaking 2 lockpicks on anything about novice, and since you probably cannot craft or buy lockpicks at the early stages of the game....