SKYRIMLE Spicy Skyforge (by AnTiWoMaAgNoT)

[DoubleYou]

Discussion thread:

Spicy Skyforge by AnTiWoMaAgNoT

Wiki Link

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This mod alters the textures of Skyforge in Whiterun.

 

Compares I just took since this is so easy to test... HRDLC > SRO > AMB Whiterun > Spicy Skyforge

 

 

 

 

 

Analysis:

HRDLC: Official texture. Looks okay.

 

SRO: Looks like the same as HRDLC to me.

 

AMB Whiterun: Slightly darker, which seems to more closely match surrounding stone texture. Breast has a less bumpy and thinner-veined normal, which is more realistic for an eagle's feathered breast. Feather neck is more rocklike, but retains the feather look. The head feather strands mirror the breast with less bumpy and thinner-veined realism. Tail feathers are just a little thinner. Design near eagle's feet is shifted slightly downward.

 

Spicy Skyforge: Much, much more stony. Darker than AMB. Much rougher stonework. Design near eagle's feet is not clear, but simply rough. Edge of skyforge (look at bottom center) is chiseled.

 

I'm preferring AMB Whiterun. Placing in testing, however, as it is better than HRDLC and SRO, and others might have a different opinion.

 

Please note surrounding rock texture on mod author's photos is not from his mod. Not sure which rock retexture it is, however, but I'm thinking SRTO Mountains.

[EssArrBee]

This author has been doing all the statues in Skyrim. The meshes and textures are included which is nice. Some of them are better than vanilla, and some just aren't that much of an improvement. Was going to mention a couple of them since they are probably worth testing. Vaermina is one that should get a look. GP did a vid of it too. He did a Mehrunes video too that convinced me to start using that. 

[Neovalen]

I much prefer the Spicy Skyforge over the others if you use Vivid Landscapes series of mods, it matches near perfectly in color and texture to the surrounding rock face. Looks like its carved out of the mountain, which is a look I much prefer to the "clean" eagle feather looks of the others.

 

That being said, in these compares supplied with the mountains / wings as they are I'd say SRO due to the closer color match.

[TechAngel85]

This is one of those that just isn't enough of an improvement/such a small change to even warrant using the mod, imo.

[Teabag86]

I haven't tested in game yet but his Magnetic Mara looks very impressive and gives it more of a polished sandstone statue appearance.

[rootsrat]

This is one of those that just isn't enough of an improvement/such a small change to even warrant using the mod, imo.

Strongly disagree. Look at these mods we have in STEP, that perfectly fit your statement above

 

Bowlegged Jump Fix - a single animation improvement

Better Freckles - single texture that you'll probably never going to see properly

418th Step - a single step improvement to fit the lore better

 

Any many more in the Misc section of our guide. 

 

It's these small mods that you don't really notice until you actually notice them, the mods that change insignificant details that make the complete Skyrim STEP experience what it ultimately is. We've had a bunny retexture for years in the guide, remember? :)

[Shadriss]

I have to admit my first reaction when I saw this topic was...Really?

 

As mentioned, this author has been hitting one statue after another. I'm not going to say that there isn't room for improvement on the vanilla versions. What I AM going to say is that, in the realm of things that need improving, this is WAY down at the bottom of my list, as I honestly don't really look that close at them. Many of them appear only once in the entire game, and I quite simply don't care enough about them to eat up (potentially) more memory on them when there are other items that are broader in scope and have a BIT more of an impact.

 

Granted, the same can be said of some of the other things STEP has hit... but I just can't see doing friggin' statues.

[Neovalen]

I think someone found piss in their cornflakes this morning... lol :) Seriously, whats with the hate right now? Honestly I use all of AnTiWoMaAgNoT's statues and his all-in-one compilation is coming soon.

[EssArrBee]

I don't think all of them are good, but some are definitely worth a look. I'd just say, why not do statues? There are 35K mods on the nexus, so someone has to eventually do the statues.

[DoubleYou]

I have all his mods in my tracking list. Want to test them all eventually. There were two, however, that simply his me as not for me. But he has several versions, so that may change, whatever. Just saw one in a loadscreen and see I'm going to have to test varying resolutions, as the 1k version was a little washed out on it. The pic here is the 1k version, and it looks okay.

 

This mod definitely does look like it would fit in with the Vivid Landscapes style. The textures I'm using besides in these shots are from STEP 2.2.9. I was saying I'm not sure what the author was using, as his rock face is totally different, and I doubt it's SRO.

 

Too little improvement? Meh. It's the little things we like. I just don't think it is an improvement for STEP. It's not a bad texture. It looks good. I just think AMB is better. If it were part of an all-in-one, and we added it, I wouldn't be mad if it were included, like I was for some of the AMB textures recently

[Nearox]

Agree with Neo. His statues are mostly great work especially because he redid the meshes. Can't find a single better one.

[TechAngel85]

Our rock texture should be Improved Vanilla Mountains, not SRO...whether or not that mod affects these rock texture or the smaller boulder textures in the tundra and the like...idk.

[GamerPoets]

Some of these statues, as I've had ample time to look at all of them while doing some videos on them, really are only slight differences, but, the ones that are slight in difference usually have a second version, such as the green stone for Mehrunes. Some people even got annoyed that I did so many statue showcases lol, truth is, these are some of the better mods being created recently. The Vaermina statue and the Mara statue are absolutely amazing. The skyforge one also changed more than just the pieces of the statue, it changes the texture on the forge (atleast the engravings below the statue) and enhances them greatly. The author is now working on a pack to put all of the statues in one. I'd recommend using the all in one when it is done and just picking and choosing at that point. 

[redirishlord]

... Honestly I use all of AnTiWoMaAgNoT's statues and his all-in-one compilation is coming soon.

Outstanding! I too enjoy AnTiWoMaAgNoT's work, and an all-in-one is great news. If the compilation has FOMOD functionality it might be just the thing for a future STEP release (with instructions).

 

>> ninja'd by GP, but I think we are on the same page, STEP approved instructions on the all-in-one once tested.

 

What I really like about this (these) is that they are simple mesh/texture replacers; so with the power of MO I can drop them in, check them out, keep or disable them without disrupting my game with a plugin. I've been doing the same Gamwich & Ramccoid's work, trying different texture replacers to tune things as I go.

Edited August 1, 2014 by redirishlord

[CovertSlinky]

I think they look really good, and I have to agree with rootsrat, that if you think this is too small of an upgrade to consider. Then what does that say about some of the other mods already inducted in STEP that achieve just as small of an addition, regardless of it's priority. And with it being stated that an all in one is on the way, which provides the user with choice, why not? I like them, even though some have a bit of a mismatch with it's surroundings, nothing is perfect. Just thought I would share my peon two cents, lol.