The MOD functionality related to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was officially launched, but John and Gemtech did not promote it with much fanfare. Mainly because there was little need, Moondustries was already heavily marketing its title Fantasy Dream, and the addition to Skyrim wasn't a major content expansion or official DLC.
It was simply a toolkit to support user-created MODs. Gemtechs was indifferent, and John, who understood how valuable MODs are to Skyrim's longevity, had no intention of pushing it either. After all, MODs aren't something that goes viral overnight just because of an ad campaign.
Although John had created two MODs himself, they were basic starter packs. One introduced a new elf follower named Tania, designed to act as a companion or "in-game spouse" for players. The other option allows players to bypass the game's default intro scene as a prisoner and instead start freely in the province of Skyrim.
However, these two didn't substantially alter gameplay or offer much content; they mainly served to inspire other MOD developers by providing a basic direction.
Later that day, Starry Sky game editor eagerly rushed to clock out at work. After grabbing his e-bike and heading home, he ordered fried chicken and beer, sat down at his computer, drew the curtains, and logged into the Starry Sky forum. There, he saved two MOD files from a user thread to his cloud drive, then updated The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim through the official platform.
"Wow, that was fast! The MOD toolkit from PixelPioneers Studio has just launched, and someone has already created content with it. Impressive!" He recalled a post he had seen earlier at the office.
"Two MODs already?" He muttered, surprised. After downloading, he opened the official MOD manager and noticed two grayed-out, uninstalled entries.
He clicked on them but was quickly disappointed. Had he not seen the earlier post, he might have been excited about the Tania follower MOD. But now? He was indifferent. He decided to download the saved files instead, skimmed the attached installation notes, and installed them directly.
"Warning: You are installing unofficial MODs. This may cause instability. Proceed?"
The red warning message made him hesitate briefly, but within seconds, he clicked "Confirm." Risk or not, he was ready to dive in and explore.
In an online MOD development group, creators buzzed with excitement over the new Skyrim toolkit. Many had already begun experimenting.
"PixelPioneers Studio railed it," One said. "The tools are super user-friendly, lots of plug-and-play features. You barely have to write any code."
"Swapping out models is simple," Said another. "Only the head rigging is a bit tricky, but everything else is streamlined."
"And it includes terrain editing and mission scripting tools. That's wild!"
"Even better, it lets you tweak in-game physics. That's next level."
"They must've spent a ton developing this toolkit," Someone added.
"Still, there were issues. You have to match certain formats to avoid crashes or memory leaks," One warned.
Top MOD creators were diving in enthusiastically. Less-experienced users mostly stayed silent, trying to keep up with the technical conversation. For regular players, the system looked complex, but to these developers, it was a powerful creative sandbox.
"I'm starting with a companion mod. You?" Asked one.
"I'm redesigning weapons; some of the originals are just plain ugly."
"Face models first. Seems easy."
One user joked: "I'm working on a Holy Light patch, removes underwear. I unpacked the models, and they're super detailed, way better than stuff like Shadow Legend or King's Sword."
Another replied, "No need to make that again. Someone already uploaded it to Starry Sky, though it got deleted. Good thing I saved it!"
He shared the file in the group chat.
In a high-end apartment, a bespectacled man named Battista Dwain in the modding scene was browsing these updates. He was a lead designer at a small studio and a well-known MOD maker, especially for adult-themed patches.
"Damn, that was fast. The Holy Light patch is already out?" He said, unpacking the files. Then he opened a second MOD and saw a GIF preview.
"Whoa! That waistline! Those legs! And that animation! Who made this?!" He was stunned.
Looking at the screenshots and seeing the community chatter, a bold idea struck him. With this toolkit, featuring physics editors, animation libraries, and scripting tools, he could turn Skyrim into a base for an erotic simulation game.
"I'll call it Laboratory of Love," He said with a grin. The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became: this was absolutely doable.