SKYRIMLE Unique Uniques

[rootsrat]

https://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/33292

 

Very nice work by InsanitySorrow. Made to a hot file, so most of us probably already seen it

 

One of the biggest complaints and requests I see on the TES forums is the lack of a unique appearance for the many unique weapons in the game. This isn't much of a problem for the smaller less important weapons, but it is for the more important ones we recieve as quest rewards or those that are tied to lore.

 

Unique Uniques is an on going project that aims to fix this and give the unique weapons a unique appearance. The new designs for the weapons are based on established lore for either the weapon itself or the character wielding it, my own ideas have been mixed in too.

 

Currrently treated to some uniqueness:

 

Pale Blade

Dragonbane

Red Eagle's Bane/Fury

Kahvozein's Fang

Oathblade

[Farlo]

Yes yes yes yes! His work is fantastic :D

[CiXwOw]

Oh hell yes! I already use the included mods (as any smart person would :P) but now I can use them with only one ESP!

[Farlo]

Oh hell yes! I already use the included mods (as any smart person would :P) but now I can use them with only one ESP!

Speaking of which, why is there an ESP, I thought it was just texture/mesh replacements.

[CiXwOw]

Oh hell yes! I already use the included mods (as any smart person would :P) but now I can use them with only one ESP!

Speaking of which, why is there an ESP, I thought it was just texture/mesh replacements.

It's because the original weapons use existing meshes, so simply replacing them would replace their originals. The Draugr weapons, for instance, would look like the new Red Eagle's Bane. The ESP is required to redirect the model path on the unique weapons.

[mothergoose729]

I might be the only one, but I don't like it. The meshes are beautiful, the textures very good, but it just doesn't fit the game. Bethesda implemented exceptionally few unique weapons in the game and I think that speaks to something. I am not opposed to a mod that changes these weapons appearance, I just don't agree with the way this mod did it. If you look at the one unique weapon (that I can think of anyway) that wasn't a daedric artifact, wuuthrad, its characteristics a very similar to the ancient nordic counterpart. Wuuthrad has an obsidian color, a somewhat gothic appearance, very similar shape and very similar stats to the generic nordic counterparts within the game. It has some ornamentation on the hilt and the face of each side of the axe, but its pretty subdued overall. For your viewing consideration, wuuthrad vs nordic battle axe

 

 

 

Notice the shape is different, but the color, the stats, and the overall theme of the weapon is very, very similar. They seem like two different weapons forged from the same material and from the same historical period.

 

Now consider Red eagles bane/fury to ancient nordic long swords

 

 

 

Amazing work in terms of quality of mesh and texture, but some glaring questions:

 

Why are their runes and what do they mean? I see no resemblance to any in game iconography.

 

Why is the obsidian color gone? Why has the angularity been replaced with other ornamentation? Further more, why has the style changed from a broadsword to a saber?

 

What is is about the peoples whose weapons these are attributed too that warranted such a radically different appearance and style? Why does this weapon not seem typical of the period that it came from?

 

The ancient nordic ruins have an established symbol for bird. Why does the eagles on the hilt look so different?

 

The lore of the red eagle suggest the blade should be forsworn in origin. If there should be any change to the appearance of the weapon, shouldn't it be in the style of the modern forsworn? In what way do the swords seem appropriate for a first era leader of the reach?

 

And other lore nazisms.

 

I haven't gone through each weapon and compared it point by point to vanilla, but just casually looking at the screen shots they each seem to have elements very foreign to the world of skyrim. Being the lore purist that I am, I feel like even if I had never played skyrim before and had come across these weapons in game, they would scream out to me "MOD, bethesda didn't make this!" which, in my opinion, is not he way a replace mod should operate.

 

Anyway, just my 2 cents on it.

[rootsrat]

You raise some very good points, mothergoose, that I have not noticed/considered before. I am a lore purist (to a degree), and your arguments make sense.

[PopReference]

I might be the only one, but I don't like it. The meshes are beautiful, the textures very good, but it just doesn't fit the game. Bethesda implemented exceptionally few unique weapons in the game and I think that speaks to something. I am not opposed to a mod that changes these weapons appearance, I just don't agree with the way this mod did it. . . .

 

Honestly, in my opinion, your completely wrong.

 

First thing I want to say is that just because it doesn't look like a banged up piece of volcanic rock[=looklikeshit] doesn't mean it's not "Lore Friendly." What lore, as in previous records or imagery of, do we even have to work with?

 

The only other thing I'll say is that the only reason for so few unique Items in Skyrim is not because of Beths imaginative lore or grand purpose. If you ask me, and I do have evidence for my belief, it's because they cut a lot out of the game and either just glossed over the other unique items or simple dropped them to save space.

 

Besides; when you here of Red Eagle's Bane all through out Skyrim, then go to all the trouble to get it, who wants just another Druag sword with maybe better stats?

[MontyMM]

I think you make some interesting points, mothergoose. I'll take a close look at these before I use them.

[ssconvert]

Is this mod compatible with the STEP program in terms of not clashing/conflicting with other mods. I see book of Silence does not yet cover these items and could be a long way off so I thought these could be at least a good alternative until then.

Any comments????

[grhuff]

I'm using it in my STEP/SR build. No issues to report as of yet.

 

EDIT: I want to add that Neo has a Dual Sheath Redux patch for this mod as well.

[ssconvert]

I'm using it in my STEP/SR build. No issues to report as of yet.

 

EDIT: I want to add that Neo has a Dual Sheath Redux patch for this mod as well.

Thanks huff......installing both now...................

[mortimermcmire]

As for the weapons mothergoose pointed out, if you read the Legend of Red Eagle, the entire story takes place in the Reach, the area in western Skyrim directly adjacent to Hammerfell. You might also notice the blades' resemblance to existing Alik'r weaponry. With such close borders to Hammerfell, the blades design may have come from there. The runes add more mystery. You don't have to know everything about the backstory of weapons and artifacts you know; assume its in a language long lost to time, or alternatively an incantation from a hagraven (a likely case actually).

 

Minor disagreements with the backstory of weapons is no reason to include these insanely detailed weapons that turn upsettingly generic weapons into masterpieces (really, with books about the sword why does it look like something every draugr has?). It screaming "mod!" may have more to do with the former argument or the pictures being artist shots rather than in-game weapons.

 

tl;dr I really like his stuff and would hate for STEP to not include it. Unique Uniques is unique.

[jakeslim]

What was the official STEP verdict on this??

I'm bouncing this back up only because it really looks like something worth considering for STEP and fixes a big issue I had with the game. Disclaimer: haven't tested yet, so basing all opinion on available screenshots and descriptions, but hope to test this evening.

[rootsrat]

STEP verdict is that we won't use it for core, that's for sure, as it deviates greatly from Vanilla. I don't think that the discussion for STEP:Extended inclusion ever happened, but Admins would need to confirm.

 

::EDIT::

 

Personally - I use it and I love it. It needs a few patches though.