Skyrim mods are their own universe at this point. There's modding, and then there's Creation Engine modding. Even in the wake of full multiplayer mods and ChatGPT-powered companions, we at PC Gamer can't help but love the smaller, hyper specific changes some modders make, like Kabu's Really Gourd Plant Replacer.
"Assortment of high poly mesh and texture replacers for gourds using 3d-scanned real gourds," the author writes. "Finally a sorely-needed full overhaul of the gourd plant!" The attention to detail here really is staggering. There's a single harvestable "gourd" item in the base game, but Kabu has taken the liberty of diversifying the gourd population, with instances of delicata squash, butternut squash, elongated pumpkin, and zucchini all behaving mechanically identical to the generic gourd of yore.
Kabu sourced high quality free models made from 3D scans of the respective gourds, and has included an installer for getting the project working with various mod configurations. I really can't get enough of this sort of mod and its heroic dedication to perfecting the minutiae of Bethesda's janky worlds. See also johnskyrim's rugs that can get messy and trip you, or the man they call Dave's rum-induced ridiculously high-resolution rock textures.
Kabu's previous work includes tweaks to atronach salts and an overhaul of pumpkins—the gourd's flashier, more mainstream cousin. Really, I consider pumpkins to be the Mario to the humble gourd's Luigi. If Kabu's quest to repopulate Skyrim with super high quality alchemical ingredient models speaks to you on a deep level, you can also support the author on Ko-fi or Patreon.
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