Gameplay Journal Entry #3: Mitchell Dreifuert

In order to show a proper demonstration of popular modding, I revisited Skyrim for this journal, as it is the only game that I currently use mods for. Skyrim, in of itself, is a sandbox game, where the game revolves around the player’s choice, you always start in the game’s vanilla beginning in Helgen. Beyond the creations of player characters and their own personal headcanons, there is not much uniqueness to how the main character is introduced, not to mention the duration of the introduction is very lengthy. There is no doubt that players would desire a change on how their characters would begin their origin story, which numerous possibilities. After all, Anne-Marie Schleiner herself once asked “How can sandbox game developers constrain the potential chaos that ensues when players can do anything or add anything to the game’s world?”¹.

The mod I showcase here is called “Alternate Start — Live Another Life”, which is showcased in the walkthrough below. This mod adjusts the games engine to immediately allow the player character customization, and once completed, spawns the player in a lone room with a statue of Mara. The statue acts as an interface that allows the player to choose sixteen different starting points, including the vanilla introduction, choosing a side on the war to fight, owning a property in a hold city, and much more. Some starting points are even unique depending on the race you choose in character creation. This mod not only provides more unique character building, but also greatly increases that chances of Replayability, as players may wish to try a new character build and choose a new starting point each time will help suit their desired pace rather than having to go through the same beginning over and over again.

¹Sources: Schleiner, Anne-Marie, Citing Sources: The Player’s Power to Change the Game; Ludic Mutilation, 2017, Pg. 41

Walkthrough footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il9qi2et0Z4