The Explosive Removal of Arthmoor‘s Legendary Skyrim Mods
Popular modder Arthmoor recently sent shockwaves through the Skyrim modding community by announcing the removal of all their mods from Nexus Mods. This included the incredibly popular Alternate Start – Live Another Life mod, which had amassed over 3 million downloads since its 2012 release. So what happened, and why has this caused such upheaval?
Why Arthmoor Felt Betrayed by Nexus
To understand this situation, you first need to realize just how influential Arthmoor‘s mods have been over the years. responsible for some of the most downloaded Skyrim mods of all time, including:
- Alternate Start
- Open Cities
- Cutting Room Floor
- Rigmor of Bruma
According to NordicSkyrim:
"Arthmoor‘s impact on Skyrim modding cannot be overstated. Their mods represent some of the major innovation and quality bar-setting accomplishments in this community."
So when Nexus Mods introduced a new policy allowing mod packs to include mods without getting explicit permission first, Arthmoor felt betrayed. This undermined their ability to control distribution of their work.
In their words:
"I do not support content theft and will not provide my mods to any site that enables a framework designed to profit from that activity."
They encouraged other authors to follow them in removing their mods from Nexus as well. This remains an evolving situation as more authors weigh in.
The Scramble to Find Replacement Alternate Start Mods
For gamers, the most immediate impact is the loss of access to Alternate Start – Live Another Life. This immensely popular mod allowed for customized game starts beyond the default Helgen intro.
Here are some of the top alternate start replacements to check out:
| Mod | Description | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Realm of Lorkhan | Highly customizable with fun premise of escaping a prison. |   |
| Skyrim Unbound | Lots of options with control over being Dragonborn. |  |
| Alternate Perspective | Choose backgrounds like a necromancer or Vigilant. Immersive roleplay. | |
These all offer creative ways to start your adventure in Skyrim beyond the vanilla options. But for many gamers, they still can‘t quite replace everything Alternate Start brought to the table.
Mod Authors and Users Face Off in Heated Debate
This situation has kicked off a fiery debate within the Skyrim modding community:
Some gamers argue mod authors should be happy their work is included in mod packs, as it provides exposure.
But most authors counter that they should have full control over distribution. As creators who spend enormous personal time developing mods, they feel entitled to manage where and how mods are shared.
According to Kinggath, creator of the popular Settlement Building mods:
"We MAKE this stuff, it‘s ours to say what happens with it… This sense of entitlement that people have to other peoples work blows my mind."
The debate rages on, with vocal viewpoints on both sides. But the creators do hold all the cards here – if more follow Arthmoor‘s lead, the availability of mods could drastically shrink.
What Does This Mean for Skyrim Gamers?
For casual Skyrim players, this controversy may simply mean it‘s now a bit tougher to get access to certain quality mods that enhance the game.
The removal of Alternate Start in particular is a major blow. This allowed gamers to bypass the opening cart ride sequence and break out into the open world faster.
While replacement mods exist, the variety of options offered by Alternate Start likely won‘t be matched. And if other prominent authors like Arthmoor decide to withdraw their work, the effects could be even more noticeable.
Now is probably a good time to grab backup copies of any favorite mods in case more authors jump on the removal bandwagon!
Final Thoughts: A Transition Period for Mod Culture
This situation with Arthmoor may represent a transitional period for the modding culture around games like Skyrim. As mods grow in scope and ambition, creators are increasingly wanting more ownership over the integrity of their work.
The era of simply throwing mods up on sites like Nexus Mods to do with as people please may be ending. But this could result in less freedom and customization options for players.
Hopefully some middle ground is reached, but for now, tensions are running high and the results are already reshaping the Skyrim mod landscape. Gamers should brace for more potential fallout but also know amazing mods will continue to get made either way.
Just don‘t be shocked if the next modder controversy is right around the corner!
