Ratings

Pretty straightforward mod, but it definitely helps with the grind as a pirate. I get why it wasn't added in the vanilla game. The fleet already dislikes a TA vendor being on The Key, so someone would have probably destroyed a kiosk in a drunken rage. For the player, however, it certainly makes selling off things a bit more convenient.

Really love the intelligence this gives the AI. You hear the enemy yelling to flank you when you're in cover while others start tossing grenades to try and flush you out. They use boost packs more and different factions have different personalities to their combat behavior. It's a great addition for any player wanting smarter enemies.

Helps you perfectly start as a pirate in the Crimson Fleet right out of the gate at level 1. To achieve that, your character has already completed the starting quests for the Crimson Fleet quest line, so I wouldn't recommend this to beginner's who haven't done the quests before (and would be unfamiliar with the loyalty question the mod prompts you with right at the start).

Really enjoyed this mod. Lots of great settings to configure how much chaos you want to endure. The creature spawns become a bit too redundant, but Starborn spawns are fun with their powers sailing through the air. I'd recommend either being higher level and/or having a lot of followers. I like to use Dangerzone NPC spawner grenades to summon UC Marines for backup sometimes.

Staircases. That is all. I can't imagine building multi-deck ships without them now.

The only (minor) ding I have against some of the modules is that the fixed position clutter doesn't totally jive with the way Bethesda typically designs interior spaces.

That said, they have a really good vibe overall. One which fits well with the NASApunk aesthetic. Less "mod" than "BGS+".

Over the years I've found myself less-and-less interested in modding Bethesda games. Alternate start mods are one of the very few exceptions to this. On subsequent playthroughs, I find them essential to diving into various roleplaying concepts and characters.

RYOS is an excellent example of AltStart done right. Tons of options, including MQ skipping/delaying, and overall a great canvas for creating YOUR adventure.

This mod has a little bit of everything: a player home with a beautiful view, a well-crafted POI, a brief quest, 6 new ships all with custom habs, and custom storage options that link containers between your ship and home and the benches that can use that gear. The author even lended his voice to the main character at the POI.

The quest is rather short, but it has some stunning sights. It also felt strange hearing an NPC say "POIs" instead of something more immersive like "nearby outposts." I also had a minor bug where the ship kiosk said "no ships available" when I first arrived at the location. After completing the quest, they showed up. This happened on multiple play-throughs, so it may be by design.

These are all very minor gripes, however. The author's love of the game clearly shows, and I greatly appreciate their effort and willingness to offer it for free. They've even been adding multiple patches to play nicely with other mods. It's a great add!

I really love the effort put into helping star systems feel more unique. It helps each one feel more real with different brightness, size, and colors for each star. Even just looking at the systems as a whole on the star map now offers distinctive looks to some. Then when you jump into it, your ship and the planetary bodies can be bathed in a totally new light. It's a pretty cool effect that I really enjoy.