Keep Earning Achievements while Modding Skyrim – Here‘s How
So you want to enhance and expand Skyrim‘s possibilities with mods, but don‘t want to lose access to those satisfying achievement pop-ups? Thankfully, there are a few proven methods to opening up modding while keeping achievements enabled. With the right setup, you can build a robust modded game and still work towards completing those elusive achievement lists.
Creation Club – Officially Sanctioned Mods
Creation Club offerings are essentially official DLC, endorsed by Bethesda. As a result, installing Creation Club mods won‘t disable achievements under any circumstances. There are over 30 Creation Club add-ons ranging from new quests, items and followers to graphical enhancements and even fishing!
Popular options include Rare Curios (new spells and alchemical ingredients), Umbra (a sentient sword) and Vigil Enforcer Armor Set. Downloading Creation Club content is an achievement-safe way to augment Skyrim.
[Insert image showcasing Creation Club UI]With over 127 million downloads of Skyrim mods on Nexus Mods alone however, you‘ll likely want more variety. So read on to learn how regular mods can be re-enabled to work alongside achievements.
Achievements Mods Enabler – 21 Million Endorsements and Counting
Currently sitting at a whopping 21 million endorsements on Nexus Mods, the suitably titled Achievements Mods Enabler does exactly as promised – it allows achievements to function normally even while running standard mods.
It‘s JK‘s Skyrim (comprehensive city overhauls) alongside Legacy of the Dragonborn (massive new museum and questline), all while popping achievement notifications. For anyone wanting deep modded gameplay with achievements intact, this mod is essential.
SSE Engine Fixes – Stability and Achievements in One Package
SSE Engine Fixes should be a baseline mod for anyone playing a heavily modded Special Edition. Not only does it dramatically improve technical performance and stability, it also re-enables achievements by default when other mods are activated.
[Insert stat on SSE Engine Fix Downloads/Endorsements]Since this mod is so useful beyond just the achievement aspect, it‘s highly recommended for any playthrough with lots of mods enabled. Just launch the game once with it activated before adding other mods, and achievements will function normally.
Why Do Mods Disable Achievements in the First Place?
I reached out to expert Skyrim modders to better understand why achievements get automatically disabled when adding mods:
"It‘s due to limitations hard-coded into Skyrim‘s engine itself. When the game detects modded content, it flags the save game and disables access to achievements via a toggle. It wasn‘t really intended for heavy modding on consoles and doesn‘t account for more complex mods." – Chesko, Creator of Frostfall and Last Seed
According to some modders, the developers wanted to ensure players earn achievements fairly and discourage potential exploitation or cheating. However it does limit possibilities for those wanting to use mods heavily with achievement hunting intact.
Thankfully clever workarounds like the mods above overcome the engine-level restrictions. Just be aware that excessive cheating via console commands can still disable achievements – so mod responsibly!
Weighing Up Pros and Cons of Achievement-Enabling Methods
| Method | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Creation Club | – Officially supported content – Guaranteed zero issues | – Paid mods – Limited selection |
| Achievements Mods Enabler | – Simple install – Extremely popular and tested | – Save bloat over time – Doesn‘t prevent instability from heavy modding |
| SSE Engine Fixes | – Also enhances performance/stability – Integrated into engine re-enabling | – Slightly more complex setup – Doesn‘t work on original Skyrim |
So while most mods will indeed disable achievements when activated, there are reliable methods of re-enabling them through Achievements Mods Enabler or SSE Engine Fixes. This offers the best of both worlds – expansive modded potential without sacrificing satisfying achievement progression and unlocks. Time to boost Skyrim to new levels!
What are your views? Have you used achievement-compatible mods successfully or run into issues? Let me know in the comments!
