Skyrim Mod
These are the instructions for setting up my Skyrim "If I say Dragons" challenge. This mod works for the Steam version of Skyrim, it will not work on console.
The setup is broken into 2 parts: my Skyrim mod, then VoiceAttack.
Note that this process will be slightly different if you are playing Skyrim "Classic" versus the newer Skyrim "Special Edition". Both versions work, but I have found Skyrim Classic to be a little bit more reliable with mods.
Only "Special Edition" shows up in the Steam store's search results, but you can still purchase and download Skyrim Classic using this link: https://store.steampowered.com/app/72850/The_Elder_Scrolls_V_Skyrim/
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Once you've got Skyrim installed, we'll start by installing the Skyrim mod:
Skyrim Mod
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Download the 2 mod files here::
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Put the DougSpawnerQuest.esp file in the Data folder in your Skyrim game directory
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The path should look something like: C:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Skyrim\Data\DougSpawnerQuest.esp​
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Put the dougspawnerscript01.pex file in the Data\scripts folder in your Skyrim game directory ​
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If there is not already a "scripts" folder, you can just make one.
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The path should look something like this: C:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Skyrim\Data\scripts\dougspawnerscript01.pex
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Skyrim Script Extender (SKSE)
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In addition to my 2 mod files, you will need to install Skyrim Script Extender (called SKSE). SKSE is a tool that gives Skyrim mods additional functionality which are necessary for my mod to work.
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Install the SKSE files here:
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Download the files, then follow the instructions in the skse_readme.txt file to see where to put them. In short, you put the downloaded files into the root Skyrim folder.
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Note that there are different versions of SKSE depending on which version of Skyrim you are playing:
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If you are playing Skyrim Classic, then download the "Current classic build 1.7.3" files
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If you are playing Skyrim Special Edition or Anniversary Edition, then download the "Current Anniversary Edition build 2.1.5" files
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Launching the Game + Mod
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Note: for the mod to work you must launch Skyrim using the SKSE launcher, rather than just booting it up in Steam.
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Skyrim Classic:
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First launch the game in Steam, which opens up a boot menu.
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Click "Data Files", and make sure that "DougSpawnerQuest.esp" is checked.
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Once you've confirmed the mod is enabled, close this boot menu.
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Now start the game by running the "skse_loader.exe" file that you put into the Skyrim root folder.
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Once the game is open, you can start a new Skyrim file and begin playing with the mod!
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Skyrim Special Edition or Anniversary Edition:
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Launch game by running the "skse64_loader.exe" file that you put into the Skyrim root folder
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Once you've launched the game, click "Mods", click "Load Order", and make sure that DougSpawnerQuest.esp is shown and has a checkmark next to the file name.
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Now you can start a new Skyrim file and begin playing with the mod!
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Possible Issues:​
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You may need to start a brand new file (after launching the game with SKSE) in order for the mod to work. If you try loading ​an older save file from before you installed SKSE, it seems that the mod doesn't load properly. To put it differently, the mod might only work on save files that were originally created with SKSE installed, so if you're running into issues then try creating a brand new file and use that file instead. There may be some way around this problem but I haven't found it yet. And the good news is that you get to watch the Skyrim intro again which is the best part of the game.
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Now that all the setup stuff is done, the mod itself is pretty simple: if you press certain keys on the keyboard, certain effects will trigger in the game. Specifically, the following keys trigger the following effects:
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Numpad +
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Spawn 10 Mammoths
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Numpad 1
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Spawn 10 Cheese
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Numpad 2
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Spawn 10 Dragons
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Numpad 3
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Spawn 10 Bears
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Numpad 4
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Spawn 10 Giants
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Numpad 5
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Spawn 10 Mudcrabs
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Numpad 6
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Spawn 10 Wolves
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Numpad 7
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Spawn 10 Nazeems
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Numpad 8
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Spawn 10 Bandits
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Numpad 9
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Spawn 10 Trolls
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Numpad 0
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Spawn 10 Skeevers
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Numpad .
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Spawn 10 Falmers
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If the keys are not spawning anything, try pressing Numlock on your keyboard.
Now that the Skyrim mod is set up, we'll set up the VoiceAttack program.
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VoiceAttack
Next up we need to install VoiceAttack. This is the program that listens to your voice and presses keyboard inputs if it hears a certain word.
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Download VoiceAttack here: https://voiceattack.com/Default.aspx
This challenge works fine with the free version of VoiceAttack, however it's only $10 to get the full version with unlimited profiles and commands if you'd like to add more effects.
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Now open up VoiceAttack. Click the "Edit Profile" button at the top right (it looks like a pencil over a square). From here, you can add new commands that VoiceAttack will listen for. Basically you are going to create a voice command for each one of the Skyrim mod effects.
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For example, lets make the command for saying "dragon". Click the "New Command" button at the top right. At the top, make sure the "When I say" checkbox is checked.
Next, put the word *dragon* into the text field. The asterisks on either side of the word mean that VoiceAttack will listen for the word inside of other words or phrases. For example, saying "this is starting to drag on" will trigger this command because it has the word "dragon" inside of it. If you don't include the asterisks, the command will only trigger if you say "dragon" by itself with no other words or phrases.
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Next, click the "Key Press" button on the left side. When the window opens, press the Numpad 2 key on your keyboard. Then change the text field to hold down the button for 0.1 seconds. Then click OK. You've now set it up so that VoiceAttack will press the Numpad 2 key for 0.1 seconds anytime it hears the word "dragon". Feel free to add other effects that will happen, like saying something with text-to-speech or pausing for dramatic effect.
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It should look something like this:
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Press OK at the bottom to save this command. Congrats, now saying "dragon" will spawn 10 dragons in Skyrim!
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Now you just need to create a new voice command for the other spawning effects, using the key bindings from the Skyrim mod section above. So you would make a command that listens for "mammoth" and presses the Numpad +, a command that listens for "cheese" and presses the Numpad 1 button, a command that listens for "bear" and presses the Numpad 3, etc. Feel free to use whatever words you want as voice commands, just as long as it presses the right key to trigger the right effect.
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Once you've set up the voice commands, you're all good to go! Now open up Skyrim with VoiceAttack running in the background. If VoiceAttack hears one of the trigger word, it will press that key on the keyboard, and my mod will spawn shit in game.
Have fun!
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If you would like to learn about creating your own Skyrim mods, check out the resources below.
If you would like to create your own Skyrim mods, I learned using the excellent tutorials found on the Creation Kit wiki:
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I recommend looking through the Tutorials section which has a variety of guides.
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If you're specifically interested in the programming part of Skyrim mods, check out the intro about Papyrus which is the scripting language used in my mod:
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If you would like a very shitty example of what a Papyrus script might look like, you can download my source code for the above mod here:
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https://www.dropbox.com/s/scozswr96egorl1/dougspawnerscript01.psc?dl=0
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If you're making your own mod, you would attach this Script to a Quest within Creation Kit
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There is a lot of commented code in this file. I left it in so you can see some other examples of how to trigger actions in the game.
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Good luck!
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