PC ONLY.
I understand a lot of gamers like to play the vanilla(unmodded)version of the game-but why not use stuff like Depth of Field, Enhanced Sunglare, and ENB? I use them and now I can't play the regular version of the game because I feel it has bad graphics! Also "Natural Environments" is also great without changing the game much. What I want to know is the mindset of a vanilla gamer and why he doesn't want game enhancing and visual enhancing applications and/or mods.

And no this doesn't belong in the mods section of the forum, I'm talking to regular gamers.

How rude...

Not everyone has a PC that can handle those things.

:D My PC can't even handle the Morrowind Overhaul mod collection on lower settings. Well, technically it can, but the exterior areas keep my framerate fluctuating around the 10s and I can't play the game with MGE because it seems ruined by lagging and stuttering.

I prefer to run a pretty simple mod set up. As a result, even though I am not very proficient with mods, I have never had a problem/glitch or conflict using them. Frankly, I prefer playing to spending time managing a more complex mod set up. Therefore, there are a couple things I do to limit the number of mods I use (I am currently using about 30).

1. I use the command console to fix things that it can (like leveling problems for example).
2. I only seek mods for things that bother me. The environmental graphics don't bother me a bit in vanilla. I think they are quite nice. I have seen heavily modded vids and screens and am satisfied with what I have in that area.

The only graphics areas I use mods for are to enhance the appearance of my character and her horse. The world she lives in looks fine to me.

I am delighted that there are scenery enhancing mods that do a great job; I am simply not interested in them.

Any charater I play must have a backpack mod (for looking like they are ready for long adventures), and a bedroll to sleep outside. One other mod for the ability to create spells without being forced to join the mages guild. To me anything more than that is a waste of my time and a problem with glitches, crashes, or headaches. I one tried running a few more mods but either had missing images, crashes, or wierd things happening back in the Morrowind days mainly cause I didnt like a lot of areas in that game. That is when I learned fast that the method of K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Saves-time) was for me. Also the mods when I am forced to use them must be SMALL and Very Easy To Install or no download.

I use some OBGE v2 shaders, Qarl's/Bumret texture packs, and extensive use of other texture replacers, including new, hi-res tree shadows.

Though by-and-large content with vanilla Cyrodiil's overall look, I run quite a few visual enhancers. I suppose I'd deem my current installation moderately enhanced graphically. Some enhancements are simply more detailed standard resolution texture replacers that do not impact performance. My favorite textures are high-res, but I don't dare add too many of those. I use maybe five Unique Landscapes. Landscape LOD replacers. And so on.

One vanilla area I found extremely wanting from the get-go, and strove mightily to correct, was the night time game. Or rather its lack. Like with many another game, I thought vanilla Cyrodiil's night skies far too light. I fixed that, added lighting to structure windows, added a nebula for dramatic effect, and just recently added falling stars during crystal clear nights. I'm now quite happy with Cyrodiil evenings.

I suppose I should mention a dungeon darkener. I shunned those for quite some time, thinking them unneeded. But curiosity finally got the better of me. I installed Cava Obscura and was instantly hooked. I now consider it one of my "core" mods.

For good or ill, I don't care for "depth of field", preferring my game world to be in sharp focus. Nor does Godrays convince. Liquid Water, however, is quite intriguing. I might give it a try once the remaining kinks are ironed out.

I actually attempted to generate my own Landscape LODs, my sole foray into the realm of mod creation. The results were mostly pathetic. Oddly, I elected to keep a few of 'em. Not because they were all that good. Rather, is SOME ways the competition wasn't that much better. (In other ways it is far better.) For what its worth ... not much ... here's a capture of http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn303/Decrepit_Waste/ESIV%20errors/LandscapeLODImpIsle1.jpg, the one housing IC (but not Weye) and stretching east to just past Cheydinhal. For me, its two positive qualities are that 1) stuff like the roads added by "New Roads and Bridges" is now clearly visible, and 2) at near distance it blends in quite well with the foreground. The chief and deadliest negative is that at far distance it look bland. Very bland. Too bland. That blandness doesn't matter quite so much with the 64.00.00.32 quad, but it does for almost all the others.

-Decrepit-

I would like nicer graphics in the middle distance, but I′m too lazy to bother with them. I′m not that disturbed by it and I like the rest well enough.

Like Acadian I only have mods for what′s really bothering me and that′s only gameplay-wise