Modders have put an awful lot of effort into making sure Skyrim has continually evolved and expanded in the years since it was first released into the world.
Many have focused on changing the game by adding everything from fresh voice acting to unique player homes and terrifying zombies to it, with a few even going as far as re-creating the entirety of previous Elder Scrolls games or freezing characters until The Elder Scrolls 6 arrives.
If you’re a player who loves exploring the province and helping out its massive array of interesting characters, but often find that combat rudely interrupts your relaxing life of leisure, a new mod might be worth adding to your load order.
Feel like life in Skyrim’s just a little bit too violent and dangerous for your tastes?
The mod in question is called ‘Peaceful Living’, and is the work of modder Ondrea. Some of their previous projects have improved on the Dragonborn’s options when it comes to getting hitched and added a bunch of new followers to inns and taverns across the land.
This time, they’ve attempted to create a version of Skyrim that’ll cater to those who crave a cosy, life simulation-style experience similar to games like Stardew Valley, in which the main focuses are activities like crafting and peril-free exploration.
The mod accomplishes this by making most of the NPCs and creatures you’ll run into as you traverse the tundra and roam the roads of Tamriel non-aggressive, removing the need to slaughter enemies in order to reach goals or simply prevent your own grisly demise.
Most notable among these foes who’ve suddenly lost their desire to do you harm are the game’s legion of bandits, which the mod recasts as ‘The Downtrodden’, a faction of poor folks dressed in typical farming clothes who are just trying to make a living while sheltering in the structures and ruins they usually inhabit.
You can even donate money to these rural peasants in the same way that you can to vanilla Skyrim’s city-dwelling beggars, though you might receive a line of typical bandit trash talk in addition to the ‘gift of charity’ active effect.
Though, before you sell all of your weapons and armour to Belethor, you should also be aware that some hostile foes might occasionally crop up via random events that include the likes of scavengers and Dark Brotherhood assassins.
Regardless of whether your Dragonborn is now cheerfully whistling as they go about a tranquil day’s farming, make sure to follow us for more updates on The Elder Scrolls 6 and the interesting world of Skyrim modding.
You can also check out our mods of the month for February 2023 or our new series where we delve into the rich history of The Elder Scrolls 5’s setting: