LanChelms Valheim Mods

A pack of mods for the LanChelms Deep North Valheim server.

We are starting a server that will run ~1 month per boss after Eikthyr. To keep a server running for 7+ months, we've created this mod pack for all players and the server to keep in sync.

The core philosophy here is to enhance the game in a way that increases everyone's fun without altering the game too radically. We want to maximize our enjoyment of the game without modifying it too far from its intended design.

Core/Server

BepInEx is required for modding so that's a given. Server_devcommands is required for admins to have dev commands, but note that we are not using dev commands regularly: it's only added for any rare occasions we might need it. ServerCharacters stores your character file on the server and enforces that each Steam user can only have a single character. Where_You_At forces players to be visible on the map since people often forget to turn it on and we're not doing PvP here. MaxPlayerCount is required to increase the max player count above 10, and DiscordConnector posts information to our Discord about the server. BetterNetworking_Valheim improves networking performance with a large player count and prevents network data loss. BetterSleepBruh improves the sleep behavior for a multiplayer server where it's often impossible to coordinate everyone to sleep. TimeoutLimit increases the connection timeout from 30 seconds to 90 seconds, which helps with Steam Deck slow connection times. VentureMultiplayerTweaks is brought in so we can have PVP battles without skill loss or teleportation back to your bed.

Enforcements

We don't want to burden players with lengthy rules that admins have to enforce. Instead, our approach is to let mods enforce the rules. First, AzuAntiCheat requires that everyone has the same mods. BiomeLock and World_Advancement_Progression work together. First, BiomeLock makes it so a debuff indicator appears when you enter a biome we haven't unlocked yet. It also makes it so you can't pick up loot, mine ore, use the hammer, or interact with pickables. This keeps players from progressing into locked biomes. If somehow you do manage to acquire items from a later biome, World Advancement Progression prevents crafting of items you shouldn't be making yet.

Resources

We configure the resource rate to 3x. This lets us spend less time farming and more time having fun. Some resource locations can end up being diminished on a large multiplayer server. To address that, we add StumpsRegrow to allow trees to regrow instead of winding up with a barren wasteland of a starting island. Venture_Location_Reset is configured to respawn many of the points of interest like Fuling camps, Burial Chambers, Sunken Crypts, etc. This ensures everyone has a chance to acquire materials from these areas. Mining_Caves adds a couple additional caves that will reset to acquire materials like Copper, Tin, and Silver, which normally have no way of resetting. We add TradersExtended and configure it to have some additional items like the early axes, which normally can't be acquired by everyone. We make these rare items purchasable with gold so everyone has a chance to use them. Finally, we add MarketStall so players can post items for sale that other players may want or need.

Inventory

The Valheim developers have made it very clear that they consider inventory management to be a core part of the game, even if players hate the toil associated with it. We address this with mods.

AzuCraftyBoxes allows you to craft using items from nearby containers because pulling items manually is incredibly tedious. AzuExtendedPlayerInventory adds dedicated equipment slots instead of having to use inventory slots for equipment, which is one of the most requested features that devs refuse to add. We also configure an extra row of inventory to start and will add more as we progress later in the game. Otherwise, you end up with only a few slots of space in the Ashlands which is miserable. ItemStacksItemWeights lets us configure the stack size of items to be 3x their base. This pairs nicely with 3x resource rate so items don't pile up in chests.

Since we have 3x resource and stack size, carry weight needs to be increased as well. Rather than a fixed multiplier, we add SkilledCarryWeight, which is a fun way to increase the weight you can carry based on your skills. This makes it increase over time and gives players a reason to level skills. Finally, AzuAnti-ArthriticCrafting is added to make crafting less time consuming: adding a search bar to find items, allows you to specify the number of items to craft, and lets you track recipes.

Cosmetic

We've added a collection of mods that are mostly cosmetic to enhance the world. ShipwrightsTouch and LongShip Upgrades add fun new sail colors and textures players can configure to make their boats unique. It also allows upgrading the longship for some extra storage and health. Seasonality is configured to change the world's textures for each season, which makes the world feel more dynamic. The seasons are cosmetic only, with all of the world property changes turned off.

We've also added a few mods to address some of the largest complaints about the Mistlands biome. Better_Wisps allows upgrading the wisp for a larger radius, and Mistward adds a new building that wards off mist in a large radius. Foglands changes the mist to be more subtle instead of the default mist that completely blocks out the world, causes motion sickness for some people, and is generally oppressive. Combined, these make the Mistlands a much more enjoyable experience.

Quality of Life

Broadly categorized as quality of life mods, these things make the game more fun and easier to play. ServerSideMap instantly shares everyone's map discoveries and pins with everyone else. The map table is buggy, and requires that people remember to use it. Being able to see what other people are discovering in real time is much more fun.

ValheimInfiniteFire keeps fires and light sources lit without having to fuel them. Spending time building light sources into your large build just for it to go dark and require running around fueling it for several minutes is not our idea of fun. It's especially annoying on multiplayer servers when other people might be close enough to drain your fuel when you're not even online.

TargetPortal is an absolute game changer. Large multiplayer servers end up littered with portals all over the place without clear ownership, and it's chaos knowing how to get places. Instead of having to pair portals, TargetPortal shows all portals on the map and lets you click on your destination.

SpeedyPaths increases your movement speed on dirt paths, wooden floors, and stone paths. This incentives people to build roads, which is great for multiplayer villages and networks. AzuWearNTearPatches is brought in to remove water damage on boats, to avoid the game's poor multiplayer ship physics.

PlantEasily allows for planting and harvesting crops in batches. Without it, farming quickly becomes a monotonous chore that nobody enjoys.

Creativity

We want people to build magnificent things. We bring in Gizmo to allow for multiple axes of rotation when building items. This makes for some really amazing ways to build. PlantEverything allows planting all kinds of things, which makes for some outstanding landscaping possibilities. We prefer people don't abuse it for farming. AllTameableTamingOverhaul is configured to bring in some additional tameable creatures. This makes taming more fun, especially for biomes that don't have native tameables.