New life – pseudo alternate start
“New life” is a simple alternative to the vanilla new-game and works by turning pre-made save games into pretend alternate starts.
While I wholeheartedly endorse valve I do not endorse the upload of my mods to SteamWorkshop, please respect this decision.
Role playing: The ballads of Shor’s Hall echo through your dreams, sending you from Sovngarde as you drift through the Aetherius. Arkay has chosen to return your soul to the mortal realm, but he could not return your body from the after world. Instead he has gifted you with new life, and placed your soul in the life of another. Waking from an eternal sleep your memories are vague, your body weak, and many of your skills forgotten. But you have not been forgotten by the people of Skyrim, they seem to know who you were despite your new embodiment. The work of Akatosh no doubt.
Description
“New life” is a simple alternative to the vanilla new-game and works by turning pre-made save games into pretend alternate starts.
Required: There are 9 save files you can pick from to ‘start’ a new game. In these save files you are the Dragonborn but after the main quest has been finished. The mod file just plays a nice intro, tidies some details, and loads up the racemenu.
Update: new after Helgen/Unbound save for skipping the vanilla-intro
Note: “New Life” is intended only for the supplied save games.
Note: this scripted sequence runs an Autosave when complete .
Installation:
Hint:Add mod, load save file
1) Download the main mod file
.esp file goes in your data folder: C: > Program Files > Steam > steamapps > common > skyrim > Data
2) Download one of the save files
Save files go here: C: > Users name > Documents > My Games > Skyrim
2) Optional – Download the starter kit batch files
files go in the game folder: C: > Program Files > Steam > steamapps > common > skyrim
3) Load that save file with this mod enabled
You will experience a pretty introduction and opening titles.
4) Optional – Run a Starter Kit batch file in Skyrim via the Console [~]
type bat eg. bat startmage
Recommend installing: ShowRaceMenu Precache Killer to stop race menu lag
Lives
Dawnstar – paying your way as a deckhand you’ve arrived in Skyrim with very little to your name.
Falkreath – having hunted the trail from Elinhir in Hammerfell you’ve arrived in Skyrim.
Markarth – you’ve travailed The Reach as a farmhand and arrived Markarth looking for new work.
Morthal – having escaped the dungeons of Solitude you’ve trekked through the marshes of Hjaalmarch and found yourself at Morthal.
Riften – an immigrant from Cyrodiil you hope for a fresh new start in Skyrim.
Solitude – a smuggler from High Rock you’ve anchored at the Solitude docks looking for the next sweet deal.
Whiterun – you’ve worked at Pelagia Farm under the shadow of Whiterun your whole life. Maybe it’s time for change.
Windhelm – having hunted the trail from Blacklight in Morrowind you’ve arrived in Skyrim.
Winterhold – your pilgrimage in search of the arcane arts has brought you to the town of Winterhold.
New After helgen – A save made immediately after Helgen/Unbound with no stat increases like the other saves.
Starter Kits
The starter kit files are batch files which are written to give you a whole series of items that might help in roll playing a particular character. They can be opened and edited in notepad if you wish to change them or see what is in them.
startmage – mage robes, a few spell books, Scroll of Fire Rune, some potions
startranger – Hunting Bow, Poacher’s Axe, Iron Arrows, Fur Armor
startbruteaxe – Headsman’s Axe, Nord War Axe, Iron Armor, Nord Helmet,
more coming soon, give me ideas in the comments!
How it works:
Upon loading a save game with this mod enabled a script will run a short (40sec) fade-in intro sequence in the vein of the vanilla title sequence.
You will be presented with the character creation / race menu, and scripts will make sure that you receive the right stats and spells for your race.
Rather then mod the game to avoid the Helgen-intro/main-quest this mod makes no changes* to the game. But is instead built off the back of a collection of pre-made level 1 save games — all made after the main quest and carefully crafted to make as minimum impact on the world as possible. This means less bugs then other alternate start mods.
I’ve played through the entire main quest with god-mode enabled and only killed enemies with console commands in order to avoid skill/stat increases. I avoided touching anything, leaving doors open, or even listening to NPCs where I could help it. It’s practically as clean a save as I could make a level 1 character after the main quest.
Save game / mod details.
* two journal entries have been edited for immersion. (MG01, DA04)
– Returned the golden claw (to remove the Quest from the Journal)
– Avoided Joining the theives guild (by running away from Brynjolf straight into the Ratway)
– Console Command used to skip the required selecting of a side in the civil war. (whole war quests still available.)
– Did not kill Paarthurnax
– Axe of Whiterun left in the Jarl’s quarters.
– Unique quests items have been left in two safe chests. Delphine’s and High Hrothgar
– Sold to the Elder Scroll to Urag gro-Shub
– Some trivial skill progression did occur.
How to make your own new life.
– Very important that you un-enable the mod.
– Load the “setup” save game
– add/remove items you want with console
– travel to your starting point
– remove map markers with console “tmm 0”
– save / share / upload etc.
– Load the save with this mod enabled.
Work in progress:
Let me know if you have any tips:
– I want to lock (not remove) all shouts, but Skyrim doesn’t seem to support a way to do it at all.
– I desperately want to remove NPC dialogue options about the main quest. “I heard you caught a dragon in Whiterun. ect”
