Read Or Take SKSE (by powerofthree)

[Mousetick]

Discussion topic:
Read Or Take SKSE by powerofthree
Wiki Link

---

A simple SKSE plugin that allows you to take or read books or notes placed in the world, when you activate them.

There are 3 possible modes, configurable in an INI file:

1. Automatic: read unread books and take already read books.
2. Always read.
3. Always take.

The default read/take action depending on mode can be reversed by pressing a key while activating the book. Also configurable in the INI file (left Shift by default).

As it's an SKSE plugin, you can install/uninstall at any time.

Beware the following issues as of this writing (refer to the bugs and comments sections on Nexus for more details):

• There is a minor cosmetic glitch when used in conjunction with moreHUD, where the Read eye icon floats over the book in read mode. This only occurs when activating to read, it's fine if reading from the inventory. This mod's and moreHUD's MAs are currently arguing over which mod's fault it is. Hopefully they will come up with a solution at some point.
• Apparently the modifier key feature doesn't work with a gamepad. Has yet to be confirmed/acknowledged by the MA.
• The description of Default action values in the INI file is reversed. It should be: 0 - Automatic, 1 - Take, 2 - Read.

[z929669]

I honestly don't get it. I read all books I find and take those that are not owned. Does this mod simply automate this?

EDIT: Maybe I'm forgetting something about the reading mechanic, but it would be helpful if MAs would spell out the problem/solution for these kinds of mods.

[Mousetick]

1 hour ago, z929669 said:

I honestly don't get it. I read all books I find and take those that are not owned. Does this mod simply automate this?

EDIT: Maybe I'm forgetting something about the reading mechanic, but it would be helpful if MAs would spell out the problem/solution for these kinds of mods.

There is no problem in the vanilla interactions, AFAIK. This is not a fix. This is merely a QoL UI improvement. Its purpose is to give you a choice of interaction and streamline it.

To clarify, the vanilla behavior when you activate a book, if I'm remembering correctly, is:

• The reading UI comes up, with the book open for reading, and an option to take/steal the book. This always happens, whether you have already read the same book before or not.
• You can either exit the reading UI, putting the book back in place, or press a key or button to take/steal it, in which case it goes to your inventory.

This mod changes the interaction like so:

• The Read action opens the reading UI, same as vanilla.
• The Take action picks up the book and puts it directly in your inventory, skipping the reading UI entirely. Same as picking up a weapon or a food item off a shelf. It becomes a Steal action if the book is owned.
• You have a choice via configuration: automatic, that is Read if book is unread or Take if book is already read; always Read; or always Take. Or you can toggle the action, when you activate a particular book, with the shortcut key.

You prefer reading all books you find.

I prefer taking them and reading them later, at home or in an inn before bedtime (in the game). It doesn't make sense to me from an immersion and RP perspective to take a break in the middle of dungeon delving to read a book I just found. I also don't want them to be marked as read when I take them, otherwise the read marker becomes useless and I don't know which ones I've read or not when comes the time to read them later, I want them to go straight to my inventory.

Hope this helps.

[z929669]

Yes, this clears it up for me, thanks. I agree with you about reading when immersed in an adventure. I assume it plays fine with Convenient reading.

[Mousetick]

This can also be useful if you want to pick up skill books without reading them because you want to save them for later in your game. This becomes a non-issue with Reading is Good.

7 hours ago, z929669 said:

I assume it plays fine with Convenient reading.

Yep.

Here is a shot showing the Read action with Convenient Reading. It also shows the Read icon glitch which is not caused by Convenient Reading but by a bug in either this mod or moreHUD: