This 'Skyrim' Mod Adds An Intricate Reputation Mechanic

Reputation mechanics in games are awesome - if not a bit frustrating at times. Being able to be the villain or the hero in an RPG setting does wonders for immersion, and that's exactly what this Skyrim mod aims to do. Much more than just accidentally taking out a chicken - this new mod will make each choice matter and will affect how others in Tamriel see you.

According to the mod's website, "The reputation mechanic introduced with this mod creates a reputation/morality score for your character based on the quests you complete, the choices you make, and your actions throughout your play-through.

"Based on your reputation score, many of the game's NPCs will change how they respond to you. Your choices will matter for how people perceive you - and not just whether or not you've delivered/fetched something for that particular NPC. The majority of these changes are purely atmospheric and will not interrupt game-play."

It won't interfere with the actual gameplay that Skyrim is known for and it can be toggled off with ease if you keep making mistakes you didn't quite mean to make.

Here's a breakdown on how it runs:

Greeting dialogue overhaul:

• Nearly 4000 lines of vanilla asset dialogue have been arranged on a spectrum from welcoming comments to angry comments, and mapped onto the reputation mechanic.
• A relatively unknown character will now be greeted with dismissals; a good-willed hero will be greeted with compliments; and an evil outlaw will be greeted with scorn.
• Guards will now also act as if they're a little wiser to your criminal activities and comment with greater suspicion. At least until your influence in the Hold increases.

Minor faction edits:

• Key members of join-able factions may now send you courier notes, to comment on you joining another faction or on your reputation/morality.
• The Companions now recognize fame/infamy. They might let you join without the usual delivery quests if your reputation is right, and might kick you out again if you turn evil.

Reputation based influences:

• Perks, from the Speech skill tree, and some passive influences now come with certain reputations (see change log for details).
• Vendor prices will now be affected positively or negatively by your reputation score. A noble hero receives better prices than an evil-doer.
• If you gain enough infamy, townsfolk and enemies alike have a chance to start fleeing at the very sight of you.

Sounds neat, right? I've got it all downloaded and ready to roll tonight, so I'll follow up with impressions on how it works. Until then, you can check it out for yourself right here!

You can follow the author of this story over on Twitter @DirtyEffinHippy.