Skyrim Anniversary Edition - experiences and discussion

[Septentrionalis]

Many people seem to be asking if the Anniversary Edition (AE) is worth it. For players of Special Edition (SE) or those who played older versions a long time ago, as the concept of worth may be different in those cases. Please share your experiences and thoughts of the newest installment of the game.

No major story spoilers without warnings and spoiler tags, please!

[Alwyn]

If you already have the extra things you want in Skyrim from mods, I can see why people wouldn't want the Anniversary Edition. If, like me, you just have a few basic mods, and simply enjoy exploring Skyrim, Anniversary Edition has enjoyable content to offer.

The new player houses are impressive and there are several new quests, plus more of various things, such as weapons, armour, magic and crafting materials. It isn't flawless - there's an Unofficial Creation Club Patch to fix bugs and to make the Creation Club content play nicely with the Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch. I recommend the SkyUI Flashing Savegames Fix for SkyUI users (this seems to fix a problem that the game has had since Special Edition, so it's not a specific Anniversary Edition issue).

[Septentrionalis]

Thanks for your description, Alwyn! Really great advice too, should I get the anniversary edition. I am actually not a big fan of too much stuff in games such as an endless inventory of different weapons that essentially all do the same thing. Press left mouse to hit something. However, building and decorating houses was a lot of fun and I wouldn't mind more of them.

I have used the Creation Club's Survival mode and I strongly recommend it to anyone who is an immersion gamer. I could not imagine enjoying the game without it anymore. It adds so much that the cold areas are actually dangerous and you have to prepare. Or going through a long dungeon adventure, getting desperate to find food and a place to sleep safely before you crash makes you so much more invested.

As for crafting, to me that ruined the game and almost my relationship with Morticia, being so overpowered. I threw my improved gear in a box and I am stay away from forges for now and make it do with what I find.

[Morticia Iunia Bruti]

...for crafting, to me that ruined the game and almost my relationship with Morticia, being so overpowered.

Ok... Well then, i would incredibly happy about this sweet little hoodie as surprise present, Honey ...

https://www.emp.de/p/sarcasm-inc./319795.html

Nah just fun.

What Sept had meant is: his blasphemic words about Skyrim ruined nearly our friendship.

[irontaino]

How many mods got broken by the anniversary edition update?

[Alwyn]

Most of them, I imagine! Even SKSE had errors for the day or two (there was a test version which was intended for modders, I think) and of course many mods rely on it. The current version of SKSE works with Anniversary Edition now. If you had the Special Edition set up just the way you wanted it, with a big collection of mods, I imagine it was very annoying to see the new version break your mods. According to PC Gamer, there's a mod to roll back from AE to SE. If you're happy with Legendary Edition and a mod collection, I can see why you'd want to hold on to that.

I'm just using quality of life mods such as the Quality World Map, SkyUI and Timing is Everything, they work okay with the Anniversary Edition (as far as I can see).

[irontaino]

I have a few intensive mods like True Directional Movement and Open Cities, so gotta check if those broke. Not too concerned about Khajiit Speak and other minor immersion/quality of life mods

[komisarek]

I haven't actually had a big problem with broken mods - most of mine worked, although there were a few small bugs here and there. I think many prominent modders managed to update their work soon after the patch.

[Flinn]

Very late on the party, but still..

If you have the game on a console (yes, barbaric I concur ) the Anniversary Edition is the only way to get some good extra mods from the Creation Kit, that is.

I convinced my daughter that I should gift myself Skyrim Anniversary Edition to be used with her Switch, I have to say that I'm not sure what she meant with that look she gave me, but I'm an optimistic dude and I bought it: could have been a bit cheaper, but actually there's so much content all included that 30 or 50 € won't change much..it's money well spent for a first timer, hands down.

[alhoon]

I have never finished Skyrim. In fact, I never managed to stay focused in it for more than ... ??? hours before I started something else.
Also, if I buy Anniversary upgrade, could I continue my save from Special Edition (if I manage to find it)? I am not grinding to master alchemist all the way again...


Also, honestly: If I download some mods for Oblivion to stop EVERYTHING leveling up with me, do you think Oblivion, which I have also never ended and in fact ignored most of the main quest, would be more rewarding? I like the greeny nature of Oblivion more and as a child of the 80s, the differences in graphics are not that visible to me. If I play Skyrim in my good card, Super-duper computer (the vactions computer) with the big monitor and then switch to Oblivion I would certainly see differences. But if I just play? Not sure.
Not to mention that in both Oblivion and Skyrim, I went for mage quest lines and I was finding myself fighting necromancers and I don't remember which of the two lines I have finished.
I remember I could buy horses in Oblivion, but I don't think we could find on horseback, we could certainly not fight dragons and ... even if there are no official "build your home!" things, I am 100% sure someone has modded something in there. Is the "Deluxe" Oblivion worth it compared to the regular "game of the year" edition?

[Septentrionalis]

Also, honestly: If I download some mods for Oblivion to stop EVERYTHING leveling up with me, do you think Oblivion, which I have also never ended and in fact ignored most of the main quest, would be more rewarding?

I never would have continued Oblivion for too long if it wasn't for a mod that makes those ugly and repetitive Oblivion gates stop spawning. You only got the story-related ones. Highly recommended.