Modder's Interview: Pluto

How long have you been modding?  

I think I first opened the Construction Set in 2006. I had only played on Xbox before that. I made a few house mods, of course, and edited other mods to my liking. I still use my first house mod to this day. It's very simple and would conflict with many Balmora mods, but it has served me well for a long time.  

How do you approach modding?  

I plan pretty extensively on paper. I like to get ideas and blueprints laid out first, so this involves dialog and interior layouts. I'm constantly coming up with new ideas as I work, but my written plans make for great reference material. I'm often inspired by seeing what other modders have done, or just things I experience in other video games.  

What’s your favourite thing about modding?  

Seeing my plan come to life, and then refining my ideas through testing until I get everything as I had envisioned it. Writing dialog is also a lot of fun.  

Is there a mod you are especially proud of?  

The Sable Dragon, of course. It really makes me glad to see that so many people have enjoyed it. There's a LOT I would do differently if I made it today (more lore-friendly, and to fit alongside the vanilla resources better), but it's the mod I wanted to make at that time in my life.
I remember feeling like I had played every quest mod that had been released, so I wanted to create something new and a bit weird that did NOT feel exactly like the vanilla game. Not that other modders hadn't already done this, but I wanted to try to do my own thing and make a unique experience. I never wanted The Sable Dragon to fit seamlessly into the background of the game, but instead have enough quirkiness that it would be memorable.
I still get the occasional message from people saying how much they've enjoyed it, and that inspires me to keep modding because I know I can make something even better.  

Are you working on a mod these days?  

Nothing full-time, but I do still have two WIPs that I would like to get released eventually. I tinker with them a bit, but it's hard to find the free time. I have a binder full of notes to reference, so I don't forget what I was doing.
I also want to update my Poe Lighthouse mod and put it on the Nexus, because I'm sure that it's outdated to the current Tamriel Rebuilt maps.  

How much do you play Morrowind, not counting playtesting?

Until recently, I hadn't played for a few years, but now I've been playing a few hours a week. Mainly because I wanted to experience OpenMW, and so far it's been great. I spent a week just installing and tweaking the mods I want to use, which to me is always an enjoyable part of why I always come back to Morrowind. I really love the process of installing and building my load list... And I still do it all manually! No problems so far, so I use the method I know best.  

How did you discover Morrowind?  

I bought it on Xbox just because I heard good things about it. I had no idea what type of game it truly was, so I was a bit lost at first, but it quickly became one of my all-time favourite games.  

What makes Morrowind special for you?  

The peculiarity and strangeness of the world still intrigue me, and that's something that Oblivion and Skyrim don't do as well. I love that so many creative modders apparently feel the same way and have been expanding on what Bethesda gave us in a multitude of ways.
Nostalgia is also a factor, but I see that as a good thing. The comfort of playing or modding Morrowind will always be special for me. Every time I hear Socucius Ergalla say "Ahh yes, we've been expecting you." I know I'm going to enjoy spending another 40 hours on Vvardenfell.  

What are the mods you simply cannot play without?  

The first one that comes to mind is Dimitri Mazieres' Dark Brotherhood armor replacer. I just use the stand-alone armor replacer, because I've always loved how it looks.
Speed and Stamina by rinoaff33. It just makes exploration and combats less of a struggle without any big changes to the mechanics. Essentially, you always have some stamina so you fail at actions less. I don't dislike the vanilla mechanics, but I've earned a more casual experience after all these years. Haha.
And always PluginlessNoGlow.  

Are there any underrated mods that you really enjoy?  

Argonian Armor Sets by Quorn. It's nothing too fancy, just some nice lore-friendly gear that most of my characters use at some point. (The https://mw.modhistor...download-4-6413)  

Do you play other games?  

Yes, gaming is still a hobby of mine. I mostly play on PS4 and Switch. Currently, I'm playing Metroid Dread and Tales of Arise. I also play Elder Scrolls Online. Despite having no interest in what MMOs offer, I enjoy adventuring solo in ESO since about 90% of the content is designed so that it can be done without friends or groups. I fell in love with the game much more than I was expecting.  

Do you mod other games?  

I dabbled in Oblivion and Skyrim a bit, but otherwise no.  

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

I'm glad to see that the MW modding community is still going strong!