Monthly Modder: Mentha101

This month we sat down with Mentha101, an artist and world builder who has produced many great mods for Skyrim.

Mentha101 may be best known for her player homes, which cover a wide range of styles from lofty manors to deep caverns, and even a range of magical “snow globe” homes in pocket worlds. These frequently have new decorations of her own creation, and she’s used this talent to create a variety of art swaps and new spells as well.

How did you get into modding?

I got into modding when my children were younger. My daughter wanted to play Morrowind, but my husband wouldn't let her unless all of the NPC's had clothes, so I was tasked with putting clothes on them. After that, I started tearing apart house mods and making little houses for her so that she could store all of her gear. I didn't release my first mod until Skyrim came out.

You have made a wide variety of player homes, what are some of your sources of inspiration?

I love making homes that I think that Sheogorath would have made – unusual, colorful, sometimes dark, whimsical, and if applicable, dimensional. Shivering Isles was my favorite DLC of all time. Sometimes I will go onto YouTube and look at tiny houses for inspiration. Each house needs to have vistas and interesting things to look at.

Your homes are also known for their custom décor and vibrant colors. Do new projects tend to begin with decorations, or the houses themselves?

I usually start with the teleport bottle and then build the house to mirror that. After the hardscape is in, I’ll decorate it. I tend to make assets as I go if the ones I've already made don't fit into the theme. If they’re in the Skyrim worldspace, I want them to be in places that will cause the least amount of conflict; the side of a cliff or someplace on the border, or just a door to a new worldspace.

How do you find the locations for your homes? Do you keep a list of potential places you want to add to?

I love exploring Skyrim. When I am out and about, I will see a river or a mountain that has an interesting view and I will fire up the Creation Kit and mark it for the future if I'm not ready to build there yet so I won't forget the spot.

When it comes to function, what do you prioritize in your homes?

I want my houses to have as little conflict with the existing world as possible. I have learned how to use navcuts so that I don't have to edit navmesh except when I've changed the terraform of the area or put up a door, even then I will try to use scripts to teleport you. Houses that have exteriors need to have an interesting view, places to sit where you can look out over the world and just enjoy the scenery. Color is also a huge aspect. I will spend hours in Gimp putting layers upon layers of colors and filters on top of textures to get the color I want. Size also matters. I dislike houses that are so large that you get lost. I have a horrible sense of direction.

What inspired you to make packs of enchanted staves?

I got tired of having to search for assets and not finding exactly what I was looking for so I decided to learn some of the basics of 3ds max. Staves seemed like an easy enough project to begin with. The staves are actually a half of a larger conjuration mod I made. The other half has tiny bottles that summon the same creatures as the staves. The creatures in the bottles have basic follower functions.

What is your favorite part of modding?

Anything but scripting. My favorite part of modding is landscaping. I love gardening and one of these days, I want to have a cottage garden where plants just reseed and plant themselves where they want to be, not where I think they should be. I try to make all of my houses have a cottage garden feel.

Are you learning any new skills at the moment?

I am trying to become better at scripting so that I don't have to rely on other people to help me.

There are many players hesitant to try community mods, do you have any recommendations for how to start? What about getting involved with the greater modding communities?

Find a good community that can help you. Read posts and comments before you say anything to get a feel of the community. You can learn a lot by just lurking, but don't be afraid to jump in and say hi and ask questions if things are unclear.

For fans looking to get started with working on Mods, what would you recommend?

I would recommend finding a good community that you feel comfortable with. Learn how your mods work with each other and how they conflict. Don't be afraid to ask for help and use search engines a lot. YouTube is a great place to find out how to do things. The Creation Kit wiki is also a good place to look. Even if you are on console, the wiki can help you understand how mods work and how they might conflict with each other.

Do you have any new projects on the horizon?

Yes, I have a few that are in the works. One is an add-on to More Colorful Critters where you can summon the plants in it anywhere you want to. If you want to become a nirnroot or a deathbell farmer, you can now. There are also a couple of larger projects that I have joined, like Skywind.

Would you like to give a shout out to any modders for their assistance over the years?

There are too many to list, but a few would be Skinnytecboy (Bethesda.net, Nexus). We have worked on a couple of projects together and he is an amazing guy to work with. CDante (Bethesda.net, Nexus) has taken me under his wing and helped me numerous times with scripts. Arron Dominion (Bethesda.net, Nexus), he was a huge help with scripting some of my more complex mods. The xEdit team; I am eternally grateful for them to allow me to moderate for their discord channel. I have met a lot of wonderful people there and received quite a bit of help. I could go on but there are just too many to name.

Any mods you’d like to recommend?

Absolutely, I don't use too many game-altering mods that I haven't made myself, but I love followers. I have three that are my go-to's: Professor Benjamin Doon, he is the grandpa I wish I had. I don't go anywhere without him (Bethesda.net, Nexus). Wowbagger; I'm a bit biased because I helped a little bit to bring him to life (Bethesda.net, Nexus). And of course, Inigo (Bethesda.net, Nexus). SkyrimSE.EXE Auto-Backup, and not a mod but a modding tool, SSEEdit.