Ever felt awkward whirlwinding a pickaxe / woodcutter's axe with but a single hand ? Welp, this mod aims to correct this non sens.
Permissions and credits
Author's instructions
If you intend to use any of the things here : I'll be pleased to know. But don't trouble yourself if you re-do something similar from scratch, this idea isn't revolutionnary and you are obviously free to do something near to this if you feel my mod doesn't suit your expectations.
File credits
You can find the fonts used for the logo here : https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/482/? Thanks to WolfGrimDark from whom I used the ENB preset for the screenshot : https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/50501/? Thanks to the Creation Kit and the Nexus communities for their help and dedication.
Donation Points system
This mod is not opted-in to receive Donation Points
Have you ever tried to swing a pickaxe or a lumbering axe with a single hand ?
If you haven't, here is free knowledge for you : there's no way a common human could swing those bulky things as swiftly as it is shown within the base game. Yes you are the Dragonborn, and yes magic is at work, but if the mighty dragon slayer uses a longsword two-handed, seems pretty strange that he has no trouble carrying heavy tools in each hands.
The Tweaks : There is two options that come with this mod, for now :
1. Base mod : Woodcutter's Axe and the Pickaxe will turn 2-handed, their swing speed, weight and base damage will be in-between calssical 2-handed and 1-handed weapons. Also, their price value is raised by 5, giving them a little bit more importance within Skyrim society. 2. Vanilla Stats : Woodcutter's Axe and the Pickaxe will turn 2-handed, they will keep there basic stats ; this option is WIP for now and I will gladly tend a ear to any of your advice, idea, to make it not as awkward as it looks for now ; two-handed animations are made for slower weapons, it turns you into a living flail of doom if your weapon have the base speed of a 1-handed one - nearly twice as fast.
COMPATIBILITY : The only things that could cause troubleshooting from other mods are model replacement and stats tweaking. Since the only way to turn a 1-handed weapon 2-handed - with proper animations, is to tweak the model and to edit a string within the .nif, any mod that change the model of both those weapons :
Pickaxe
Woodcutter's Axe
Will bug the 2-handed draw animation. You'll be then stuck with your weapon on your hips and will swing an invisible weapon. WARNING : Texture replacement modify the .nif, which will replace the model ; texture replacement for those weapons will bug them the same way.
Obviously, any mod that tweaks any of the Pickaxe or the Woodcutter's Axe statistics, will conflict with the mod.
To be a little bit safer : get this mod the lowerest possible within your mod-list.
INSTALLATION :
For both those installation types, you need to choose only one main file !
NexusModManager :
Just click the NMM button within Files tab. Then double click on the mod name within the software. Wait for installation and verify if the mod is checked within your mod list.
Manual :
Click on the manual installation option within Files tab. Then open the archive with your favorit unzipper and drag and drop / copy-paste the files within your Skyrim root folder. Check active the mod .esp within the launcher.
What will come next ? Optional plugin for vanilla weight and price value on the Base version. Compatibility for Requiem, Enderal, and Enderal - Gameplay Overhaul. New meshe and texture for the pickaxe handle (it is too short for now and makes your second hand a bit off while swinging)
What will MAYBE come next ? A new animation for both the weapons : from hips to 2-handed, for better sheathed placement and immersion. Further compatibility with other mods.
Personnal note : This is my first mod release, and I will be very glad to ear any one of you about the possible mistakes I could have made, or bloopers I could have left within the thing. But please : if you have something interesting to say, try to be as clear and precise as possible. Thank you.