Must-Have Skyrim Mod Finally Fixes Your Most-Hated NPC Problem

may soldier on as one of the most beloved role-playing games of all time, but that doesn't mean that it's perfect. Aside from the various bugs and glitches that have plagued the game since its release, one of the longest-standing complaints is that the artificial intelligence governing the game's NPCs isn't all that compelling, resulting in enemies that don't require strategy or skill to defeat. Fortunately, a new mod has taken aim at the problem.

Created by Nexus Mods user JaySerpa, the «NPCs Take Cover — Smarter Anti-Cheese AI» mod overhauls how enemies behave, allowing them to pose more of a threat to players. Once installed, the mod will allow enemies to take more advanced actions when faced with a bow-wielding player. This includes taking cover from incoming fire, repositioning to more advantageous locations, and moving around once they've reached a more secure place, making them harder to hit.

The mod was created in response to the common practice of «cheesing» encounters in, wherein players chip away at enemies' health from a position that can't be reached by NPCs. Foes would simply charge forward with little to no self-preservation. While the mechanical tweaks included in the «NPCs Take Cover» mod are appealing, JaySerpa went one step further by including 200 custom voice lines that call out players for incorporating «cheesing» methods. Firing projectiles from a hard-to-reach location will prompt NPCs to sprout lines such as, "," "," and ""

«NPCs Take Cover» isn't the only mod designed to fundamentally overhaul 's combat. Since its release in 2011, a plethora of mods have been created to enhance battles. These include everything from converting the combat system to resemble that seen in to physics-based melee hits that allow for «accurate» skirmishes. The modding community around is so committed to the game that certain modsinclude new areas, quests, and NPCs.

Despite being over a decade old, the fervor around continues unchallenged. Developer Bethesda Game