The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Monthly Modder: Slime_Sire
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
This month we’ve interviewed Slime_Sire, creator of numerous gorgeous player homes.
These have been themed around the Daedric Princes, and are just as diverse. Player homes are among our most popular mods, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Slime_Sire stands out for their lush, often organic details as well as the strong theme that ties them together. It’s hard to turn a fetid hole or demonic nightmare into a welcoming home, but Slime_Sire brings so much character and utility, you want to stay put!
How do you incorporate the various Daedric Princes into your mods?
I try to reflect each Prince's sphere of influence in their respective house. In 'Waking Nightmare,' for instance, the player home exists entirely within the nightmare of a disciple of Vaermina's. Or in 'Providence and Pestilence,' which is all to do with Peryite, the player is called on to contend with an outbreak of a more virulent strain of the same miasma that led to the creation of the Afflicted in Skyrim's 'The Only Cure' quest.
In all of these cases, the player's stewardship of these houses takes the form of an extended service to their patron Daedra. Maybe I've got a screw loose, but I've always longed for an opportunity to serve the Daedra more meaningfully in a TES game – something akin to a faction. These mods have served a modest attempt at providing that experience to likeminded players.
Any tips for balancing functional homes with interesting quests to acquire them?
Something tricky about devising quests is deciding how to curve the difficulty. Players of all levels, running every sort of spell and equipment overhaul, will be plundering my dungeons, so making a one-size-fits-all is out of the question. I try to compensate by making these experiences interesting above all. The environments are unusual and lavish, the obstacles range from riddles to item-hunts to scripted encounters with thoughtfully placed enemies. When I think about my favorite Skyrim dungeons, what stands out in my mind isn't the difficulty or the loot, but the overall atmosphere. I always find myself wishing for an excuse to return and linger in those locations. By making my homes extensions of the dungeons attached to them, I've hopefully provided players with the incentive to do exactly that.
What is your favorite part of modding?
My favorite and least favorite things about modding are actually one and the same – troubleshooting!
I consider myself very tech illiterate, and I took up modding back in March with a very limited understanding of the Creation Kit, so it's given me a lot of satisfaction to slowly stretch my creative muscles and dabble in things like papyrus scripting, porting custom assets, working with dialogue. All of these things initially presented insurmountable challenges - I had no idea where to begin! - but being able revisit my mods now and see those features working flawlessly is such a cool and empowering feeling.
Which Daedric Princes are you planning to feature next?
My current project, 'A Call to Order,’ will see Jyggalag beginning to consolidate his power after the events of the 'Shivering Isles.' I have to give a shout out to the amazing voice talents of Daniel Hodge (SoundCloud, Facebook), who it's been my good fortune to work with for the last two of my mods (‘Hermaeus Mora’ and ‘Sheogorath’). He's a real student of the craft and a huge fan of the inimitable Wes Johnson, so getting to voice those characters has been a lot of fun for him. In 'A Call to Order' he'll be voicing a variety of characters, two of which are reprising their roles from the 'Shivering Isles.’ Hmm...
'A Call to Order' also marks my most ambitious undertaking to date. I'm creating a separate worldspace for this particular mod, which is a first for me. The release date is a little far off yet (gunning for mid-to-late October), but players can expect a much more involved experience than my previous mods.
After that, I'll be inviting players to Hircine's Hunting Grounds for the nocturnal and fright-filled 'Night of the Hunt.' I get a lot of messages from lycanthrope enthusiasts hurting for more representation in Skyrim, so I've made it my mission to do them justice with this particular mod.
Looking even FURTHER into the future, 'Only the Loathsome' will see players venturing to a dingy borderland of Namira's Scuttling Void. (It's true that my flagship mod, 'Zulfardin,' features a temple to Namira. But being my absolute fave among the Princes, I couldn't leave her with just one measly mod!)
Any mods you'd like to recommend?
These need no introduction, but ToggleAI's 'Crypt of the Old Guard' and 'Adalvald's Retreat' player homes are what inspired me to take an interest in modding back in 2017. (It took me three more years to work up the nerve to start experimenting!) The clutter and design feel believable and lived-in. Additionally, they're so skillfully integrated into Skyrim that you might mistake them for features of the vanilla game. That's the sort of immersion I'd like to emulate in my own efforts.
Another mod series that I find hugely inspiring is JPSteel2's 'Cities of the North,' which aims to breathe new life into the quainter hold capitals of Skyrim (Morthal, Dawnstar and Winterhold). So far only Falkreath remains before the series is complete – a stunning achievement by any measure!
Each of these holds is home to some of my favorite quests in Skyrim, and feature my favorite environments to boot (the swamps of Hjaalmarch in particular), but I've always wished the capitals themselves were a little more visually distinct. Thanks to JPSteel's efforts, each of the epicenters of Skyrim now have their own identity!
