Description:

Since receiving my crowd funded VR headset by the Skyrim community, I have been enjoying this amazing experience in VR. One thing I could not live with however was the method Skyrim VR uses for mining ore nodes. It basically activates the normal thirdperson mining animation but instantly completes it, thereby immediately depleting the node. This I feel is a missed opportunity for what is otherwise a truly immersive experience!

The alternative is you can manually equip a pickaxe and then strike the nodes, however... the default game script is relying on the 1h weapon animation to regulate strikes.. which of course in VR you don't have. So when you swing once in VR.. you will end up actually registering multiple hits rapidly. Which again depletes the node instantly (unless you can somehow judge the invisible collision box to precisely land a single hit). 

So.. 

This patch leaves all the default scripts alone. I simply extended the default scripts and altered the behaviour to the following:

Activating a node will attempt to equip automatically any mining tool you have in your inventory. You can then swing your pick at the node, it will take about 3 strikes to mine a single piece of ore.. so keep swinging until the ore is depleted. All the default messages still apply, such as if you don't have a suitable pickaxe. I also added a pickaxe strike sound to occur on every valid strike.

Also.. note.. I deliberately added a switch to prevent attacks from registering if they are too fast, this stops rapid love taps from registering. The down side to this, is if you strike too eagerly you will feel a bit disconnected from the sounds produced. (For those curious: It will only register a 'strike' every 0.7 seconds).

To get the best experience with this, imagine swinging a pickaxe in real life.. try and emulate that with your controller.

One final note:

This mod is designed to make your life harder whilst mining, and at the same time increase the immersion aspect. If you are impatient and someone who likes to use console cheat codes, it is unlikely that this mod will be for you. :-)

Installation:

On the Files page here you will find two versions. One for users of the Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch and one for non USSEP users. Pick the version that applies to you.  Only difference is ore nodes in Blackreach display a USSEP modified message on depletion.

Simply install via your mod manager and include in your load order. It is highly unlikely that any other mod is over-ridding these changes, but if they are simply move it lower in your load order.

Removal:

This should have no lasting impact on your game if removed. I recommend running Fallrim Tools - Resaver if in any doubt following removal from your load order.

Wood Chopping:

You will probably notice that the esp is called RealisticMiningAndChoppingVR.esp. I am planning on implementing a similar solution for wood chopping in a forth coming update. This is a little more complicated to do well because I want to animate the log itself.. allowing you to split it manually with a swing of the axe.

Optional Files:

Infinite Mining Nodes -  This is here via user request. It is a simple single line edit of the default MineOreScript containing the following edit:

;------------------------------------------------------------------------------
; EDIT: Realistic Mining & Chopping: Setting this value to 1Million
; this makes all undiscovered ore nodes pay out 1Million
;resources per user request.
;No other changes to this script.
;------------------------------------------------------------------------------
int property ResourceCountTotal = 1000000 auto
{how many resources this has before it is depleted}
;------------------------------------------------------------------------------
; END EDIT
;------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There is an old mod for Skyrim that did the same thing, however it uses a very old version of the default script which has since been dramatically improved in logic by Bethesda. This edit is on the default MineOreScript for SE and VR.