Duel – Combat Realism
Well known combat mod that enhance enemies A.I., implement a new stagger system based on fight context (armor types, weapon types, health, stamina, …), enhance stealth, enhance archery, enhance blocking with a shield or weapon, enhance group A.I. and a couple of other useful tweaks that will add to the fights.
Duel Combat Realism mod for Skyrim is a true warrior’s test
Plenty of gameplay-tweaking mods for Skyrim sparkle like Ayleid gems in our mod section, but LogRaam’s Duel Combat Realism overhaul somehow evaded our stealth detection. It’s one of the oldest mods around for Bethesda’s RPG, restructuring enemy and weapon behavior for a more realistic level of challenge above the game’s stock hack-and-slash design.
Duel Combat’s plethora of slight changes to stamina, block, and damage values add up to a rebalanced combat system. With the mod enabled, avoiding hits and waiting for a timely opportunity to strike becomes far more important than charging in screaming your lungs out. (Unless, of course, that’s your angle—Skyrim is a wacky role-player’s paradise, after all.) Shields reign supreme in saving your hide, but successfully blocking an attack drains stamina—in fact, nearly everything you do sucks up your green bar, so you’ll quickly run out of breath if you’re unaware.
Enemies won’t statically stand still during combat, either, preferring to circle around and hammer down with power attacks and bash combos. Don’t expect to shrug off an unblocked blow as easily, either, as your health will plummet dramatically if something sharp or blunt connects with you.
For the sneaky types, dropping a foe from long range or from behind still causes everyone nearby to start searching for you, but they’ll keep it up for a far longer period of time. Lightly armored enemies such as archers and mages will try and hide themselves behind objects or structures for an ambush if you get too near, and enhanced lines of sight means you’ll get spotted if you aren’t patient. That just means clearing an entire camp without a single detection becomes all the more sweet.
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I’m currently using the “hardcore” version (v7) and I find it a lot more enjoyable. Weapons actually do much closer to the damage they would in real life, including arrows. […] Initiate first and continue your attack and the enemy has a hard time retaliating. Makes for much quicker battles. The same will happen to you if you’re not careful. Makes you more vulnerable as well, but it’s more realistic, which is the point. Armor is still important, but don’t rely on it to absorb all attacks. Makes you think a lot more during combat. You have to block, evade and time your attacks to regain the upper hand rather than “let yourself get hit because you know you can take it”.
– MEC 77
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Version 7 is by far the most challenging addition to skyrim ever added. I love it!
I’ve unearthed 41 nordic ruins since installing it and I must say, Draugr hate me and it shows. I’ve slaughter 667 undead creatures in search of words of power, also several dragons, and Duel made that very difficult and enjoyable.
Dying is lovely at times; it reminds you to keep your head down!
Tactics. Anyone who is thinking of trying this mod with a hack and slash approach, USE tactics or die.
– An enjoying Hardcore player (related to DCR v7)
haha pure awesomeness new version!!
My 1hander boromir died xD
keep it up sir
– An enjoying player (related to DCR v6)
Duel – Combat Realism 8 Postremus Testimonii (v8)
Welcome to the new combat experience!
DCRH (Duel – Combat Realism Hardcore) is the achievement of what I consider one of the most realistic combat experience from all DCR versions.
What have been done to Duel? What is Postremus Testimonii?
This version is the refinement of the past five years. It offers new script bringing a new artificial intelligence that you should bring its challenges.
Featuring:
– More stagger but still well balanced;
– NPC feel pain when badly hit;
– NPC are more reactive during a fight;
– NPC may try new maneuvers to flank or evade the Player;
– NPC have better teamwork than previous versions;
– No more damage to stamina.. meaning that 0/NaN bug won’t show up anymore;
– A new script with faster algorithms for better integration with other mods.
DCR 8 have been created from DCR Hardcore 7, so it implement most of the features from it.
Installation note:
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If you already have a prior version of Duel, please make a new save game before proceeding. Save games may become corrupted when updating scripted mods (papyrus log file sizes grow quickly up to gigabytes). If it happen, you will need to start over with a new game or using a cleaned saved game. This issue isn’t related specifically to Duel, but to all scripted mods.
Suggested combination with this mod:
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– If you want dual wield parrying, this mod support Borgut’s Dual Parrying mod.
– I recommend using Locational Damage. Shut down all options BUT let headshot with archery.
– ASIS always have been a must with DCR.
– ACE – Combat Skills will complement well DCR.
COMMUNITY RELEASE
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For the first time I release part of the source code from Duel. Duel is a mixed mod using a combination of esp contents (such as spells and variables) and scripted algorithms.
Take a look at my other mods:
– The Eyes Of Beauty
– The Eyes OF Beauty Viking Conquest edition (Warband)
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Praises (some of them)
Wow I have only used this as a combat mod overhaul since near the start of you making it and I had no idea you were making an update… I’m constantly killing my save games after about 40-50 hrs of playtime because I keep trying mods out and for you I am going to do it again… thank you very much for your dedication to your mod, I know it is as good as you can possibly make it… I hope to see you when Fallout4 comes out and needs some help
Wowwy-wow-wow-WOW!!!! THIS MOD IS EPIC BEYOND BELIEF!!!
With ASIS, Skyre, and Duel Combat Realism on Master difficulty I’ve had my butt handed to me wicked more than with any other combat mod!
At times I forget I’m playing a single-player game and worry that the Draugers are secretly children in ***** paid to make me go insane by using intelligent tactics to nuke me!
Eighteen and 1/2 stars, twenty-eight thumbs up, and so much critical acclaim! I found my new Skyrim setup!
– An enjoying player
i just want to throw in that duel is the most amazing combat mod there is. If you’re a dancer; use ultimate combat so your character can make pretty flourishes and needless pseudo-combat moves. Warriors of Scandinavia (Vikings) who provide the base template for the nords, fought from a straight forward crush ’em or cut ’em to pieces standpoint. Warriors use duel because it stays true to that.
As a person who has replayed with fresh reinstalls of Skyrim over FOUR TIMES, I know the AI of the game intimately. In fact I have multiple monitors, and I have a new mod list on a fresh reinstalled Skyrim open in my other monitor right now. And the thing that’s IMMEDIATELY noticeable is that vanilla Skyrim mobs are dumb. Dumb as a ton of bricks. They will not engage, they will stand and just WAIT for no reason while I wail on them. Their reactions are sporadic, sometimes insane, and mostly just poor. It’s a marked difference with Duel installed. They are SMART when it is installed. They will actually use their numbers against me, they will react and move faster and better. They become actual threats to me. So anyone who claims this mod does nothing, I invite him/her to replay at vanilla level and then install Duel. And I want to know if they can tell me with a straight face that the enemies aren’t markedly improved.
As it stands LogRaam, we don’t know one another…but I have seen/use and love your work…it’s effectiveness, size and design…I am more than assured of your expertise…as is clearly evident… and see no reason or cause to distrust your skills or say so….you are in my opinion one of the best Modders on Nexus and I will continue to follow your work and fully support whatever you choose to produce. Please don’t let people such as *hidden identity* rattle your cage again…there will always be people with a bone to pick and they will always continue to attempt to unseat their betters in their chosen fields of interest and so you will unfortunately be a target to such people. Please don’t let them get to you, you know your work is solid and that’s what really matters….And us greedy, demanding little users continue to get to enjoy your fine work
I must say, as a martial arts practitioner, the fights with this mod are definitely refreshing and demanding of attention and initiative. I have never fought large groups of heavily armored foes in real life before, and this mod makes me thankful of that fact. Also, with my characters, i have learned NOT to recklessly attack foes without a backup plan, because large groups just KEEP COMING. Enemies are fierce and ruthless and keep trying to flank me. Thank you immensely for making combat in this game invigorating and demanding of focus and awareness of surroundings, weaknesses, etc. You have my gratitude.
I have to thank you for the amazing work you did. You are one of the best modders on the Nexus, no doubt.
Just leaving my praise for this great mod. Really enhances the combat and makes it much more challenging and varied. It does so much without changing things like perks or values, so it’s also pretty compatible with most of the mods out there. My main guy is a battlemage, meaning I’m not really taking advantage of the new blocking mechanics, but even without them, I feel as though this is a must have for Skyrim if you think the vanilla combat is lacking. Very much worth my endorsement. Also, I’m an EBT user, and staggering seems to work fine as of 1.8+. I’m staggered by opponents at times, and I’m able to stagger opponents as well.
Been using duel for some time now, I’m not sure if I’ve posted before to both credit and compliment you on your exemplary work!! I thoroughly enjoy the much needed and appropriate enhancement Duel delivers to Skyrim combat!! Compared with most other combat mods, and I’ve yet to find one that surpasses your work, many gratitudes for sharing!
I just wanted to come back and comment I love this mod to death, I’ve been using it since v4 and been totally impressed and V5 improves it even further, don’t know how I have stood using the vanilla battle mechanics (but then again I’ve mostly been modtesting anyway)
Brilliant mod! Version 5 is superbly implemented! I haven’t have a chance to try it in-game yet but having a look at it in the CK it seems like it should work wonderfully with any other mod out there! Well done LogRaam! 🙂 Each version you make is much better than the previous, that’s a standard other mod authors should strive for! And congratulations on joining the WIS team, can’t wait to see what it has to offer!
incredible mod definitely one that i will never play with out thank you for making combat fun again,good to see that it makes the enemys smarter and not down the route of just pumping insane hp into enemys as i had a few of them for oblivion and it wasnt fun just fustrating.
Superb. Subtle, elegantly designed, and FUN.
Oh .. My .. God ! I installed this mod because it sounded cool. But I didn’t know it would add this much feel to the combat. I am in bleak falls barrow fighting draugrs. The every beginning of the game. And these are the funnest fights I have ever had in skyrim with this mod. Thank you so much. Endorsed.
This changed my skyrim combat experience forever, for the better!
Just came here to say thanks for the great mod.
I was reinstalling mods today, and was surprised to come across this one! I’d completely forgotten I even had it installed. After coming back to Skyrim after a month and a half or so, I didn’t even realize it wasn’t standard combat. That says something for how perfectly seamlessly this mod integrates with vanilla Skyrim.
It’s rare to find a mod like that, and you’ve done an awesome job. Keep up the good work!
“Top 5 essential mod for me. The feel of combat now is completely unique and non-repetitive. Excellent work!”
“Very nice mod, Gabriel! The changes are there yet subtle enough that one could almost forget that the game did not ship this way. Opponents are definitely much more intelligent about blocking! I’m quite pleased to endorse.”
“I made a mod and tested it 1000 times, today i checked it with the new duel and i have to say that the enemies are a lot smarter, the possibility to hack and smash the way to victory reduced significantly. I’m using your mod from version 2 and ver 4.1 is defiantly one of the best mods iv’e seen. For me dual for skyrim == deadly reflex for oblivion. Thank you again for making it.”
“This mod has entirely changed melee combat for the better, in my opinion, and in a believable way! It’s frikkin’ sweeeeet!”
HATERS (Some of them)
“IS IT STILL A PILE OF SHIT?”
The only three AI related edits made by DUEL are the two GMST edits shown on the right.
The author had the balls to go into the creation kit, edit two numbers, and call it a huge overhaul.
Upon further investigation I found that the author would often claim to have a simulator which he used to test various AI changes, and he found that changing fCombatDistance from 141 to 120 had some profound effect on Combat AI that made them so much smarter that he thought he could package this small number tweak as a “Huge Overhaul”
Please stop modding, you have to find another hobby!
[…] “I thought that DUEL was shit and the author was a crybaby”. Well the author is still sort of a weenie […]
Duel is BULLSHIT! This modder should quit modding for our sake.
