Modder's Interview: MassiveJuice

How long have you been modding and what was your first complete mod?

I first started modding Morrowind in 2021 when I installed Tamriel Rebuilt for the first time. It wasn't until early 2023 that I actually started making my own mods though. As the number of mods I was adding to my game grew, I started to run into mod conflicts, so I began to learn how to make rudimentary patches. I didn't start working on something original until GrumblingVomit invited me to join him in making 'Secret of Vilmuhn' for the 2023 Summer Modjam. Although it's still incomplete, that's my first 'real' mod in my opinion.

How do you approach modding?

In terms of how I work, I tend to meander around a lot, jumping from one thing to the next within a project as new ideas come to me. It means leaving lots of loose ends as I work, but the variety keeps my ADHD brain interested. I also find it difficult to hold images in my mind, to visualize something before making it, so I tend to work directly in the Construction Set and just move stuff around until it looks 'right' to me. I'm also a perfectionist to a fault, so I go back and rework things a lot as I work. It's not a fast or efficient approach, but the important thing to me is that I enjoy it and it gives me fulfillment. It's like tending a garden.

For inspiration, I rely a lot on ambient music and evocative soundscapes to help me paint a scene or a concept in my head – I've found that that's the best way for me to get creative, or just to help me focus. A few standout musicians I love for that are Colin Stetson, Tim Hecker and Jan Jelinek. More recently I've delved into finding interesting concept art, from original sketches by Michael Kirkbride to AI-generated art. Music is often the starting point for me, however.

Over time I have wholeheartedly adopted the use of version control software as a workflow, via the use of git. As part of this, I have adopted a merge-to-master approach, as this allows version control to be used for the mods thanks to Greatness7's tes3conv and Merge to Master tools. My working plugin will be an ESM which I merge new changes into via ESPs. For release, the ESM then gets converted into an ESP (unless keeping it as an ESM is more appropriate).

What's your favourite thing about modding?

Seeing a mod evolve over time. Occasionally I will open up a previous version of one of my mods from months back and just explore around in the CS to see how far it has changed since then. I also love the community - it's very welcoming and helpful, and I've made a lot of good friends from all around the world.

My favourite things to create are landscapes and caves. The environments of Morrowind are one of the things that captivate me the most, so being able to create a landscape or a dungeon which I would like to explore is very gratifying.

What's your favourite mod that you've made so far?

'Secret of Vilmuhn' still tops the list for me. It's a labor of love, and my ability and taste have developed so much through the many months of working on it (over a year).

Is there a mod you are especially proud of?

Vilmuhn, as above, although I'm also very proud of the contributions I was able to make to MelchiorDahrk's 'OAAB Saplings', where I was able to figure out that groundcover mods can be ESMs and work with MD and Sophie to implement that. Also my work on the Morrowind Modding Wiki.

Are you working on a mod these days?

I have many unfinished mods. I'm not great at completing stuff. But 'Secret of Vilmuhn', 'Far From the Marsh' and the Morrowind Modding Wiki are all on the back-burner. At present I am on hiatus, currently enjoying playing 'Baldur's Gate 3' and having recently begun DM'ing for Dungeons and Dragons with my friends.

How much do you play Morrowind, not counting play testing?

I haven't played since 2023! Making mods was fun enough and I ended up just hyper-fixating on that. The latest Tamriel Rebuilt and Province Cyrodiil releases have got me tempted though... One day I'll do a proper playthrough again, but what I found is when I am working on mods, that's all I'm interested in, and any time spent trying to just play the game has me going "but I could be working on my mod right now."

How did you discover Morrowind?

Birthday present gifted to me for my 10th birthday. My older sister and I played it on and off for years. Truthfully I sucked at the game and couldn't figure out the systems, but I was captivated by the atmosphere. Most of my experience of Morrowind was lived vicariously through watching my sister play.

What makes Morrowind special for you?

The atmosphere is a big one. Something about the soundtrack just takes me there. Hearing the cry of a Silt Strider or a Nix-Hound in the distance. The visual design is a beautiful contrast of the familiar and the alien. Nostalgia is a big factor too, but the quality and mystique of the game is what keeps bringing me back.

What are the mods you simply cannot play without?

• Tamriel Rebuilt /Project Tamriel
• Repopulated Morrowind by GrumblingVomit
• Beautiful Cities of Morrowind and most other RandomPal mods
• Any MelchiorDahrk mods
• Wares
• and many, many more. Too many to list.

Are there any underrated mods that you really enjoy?

Just Twerk by Billyfighter. Don't let the silly concept fool you - the animations are unironically really well done, better than vanilla dancing, and somehow don't look out of place. I'll die on this hill.

Do you play other games?

I love the Dragon Age series, and I've recently gotten into playing Baldur's Gate and tabletop D&D.

Do you mod other games?

Morrowind is my one and only that I make mods for, though I've installed mods for other games.

And by the way, what's the story behind your user name?

A silly in-joke with my friends – the name has stuck and it would feel criminal to change it now.

Anything else you'd like to share that we haven't talked about?

My cat Rupert is the sole creator of all my Morrowind mods. I merely provide the opposable thumbs and nimble fingers.