TLDR: Which NPCs do I take as my follower, which follower mods do play

 

1. vanilla followers
2. modded followers
3. merging follower mods
4. my load order
5. (I am) on the look out for ... and NOT looking for
6. Gallery
7. References

 

 

Vanilla followers

The  Huscarls:

Mainly, I use them for what they are - huscarls. I talk to them, I hire them and I place them in the associated house of the hold to take care of it. If I don't own a house there, I leave them where they are.
Some mods (like SLAA) make use of them and that's when I take them with me.

Others:

Except for quests in mods like SLAA, I don't use them at all.

 

 

Modded Followers
In almost all my games I use modded followers. My main concern is that they are stable, match my story, or at least don't interfere with it and preferably that they are voiced and tell their own story.
Furthermore I try to use them in their own role as what they are. So I won't ask a Geralt of Rivia to sing a song for me.

As the NPC name already hints, I am a huge fan of Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher novells and it shouldn't surprise that I enjoy to have them as NPCs around in my game.

 

In alphabeitical order, my favorite follower mods  are:

• Cirilla (Ciri) Fiona Elen Riannon
• Geralt Of Rivia
• INIGO
• Triss Merigold
• Vilja
• Yennefer of Vengerberg

Aside from my preferred followers I have a few more active, but just for minor functionality or for the sake of an immersive tale.

• Jeneva Minor
• Signar

Right now inactive are those that don't match my ongoing story (yet) and would just clutter up my game.

• Cerys an Craite
• Keira Metz
• Wolf Follower

Mergeing follower mods
I like to merge my mods in Skyrim and managed to achieve a reduction of down to 1/3rd of the actual number in my load order.
But basically, all my attempts to merge sophisticated follower mods like those above failed and suffered from bugs. Said that, I don't try it anymore and only merge simple followers. I keep the bigger ones stand alone.
 

 

Load Order
Mod Priority order (Mod Organizer, left pane)

• - Wolf Follower (inactive)
• - Cerys an Craite(inactive)
• - Keira Metz(inactive)
• Geralt Of Rivia
• Ciri Followe
• Triss Merigold
• Yennefer
• Inigo
• Vilja in Skyrim

Mod Index Order (Mod Organizer, right pane)

• Geralt.esp
• LV_Cirilla.esp
• TrissMerigoldW3.esp
• LV_Yennefer.esp
• Inigo.esp
• EMCompViljaSkyrim.esp

 

On the lookout for ... and NOT looking for
I am still looking for new followers, especially those, that match my PC's tales how I want to develop their stories.
And my quality expectations have risen over the time, so I simply do not care about simple "good-looking" NPC's if they don't tell a story.

Opposed to that I am not (anymore) on the lookout for ... and dumped them

• technically instable, too buggy
• too intrusive
• ridiculous, meaningless, lame
• overpowered

 

And since I still haven't found certain charatcer types that I am looking for I will sooner or later create them on my own.

Probably I would have done so years ago, if I would just have a bit more time at hand and be a bit more capable in the CK

• a sword master from Hammerfell,  expatriate,  with a shady Alik'r past. Something like a retired James Bond.
• a druid type alchemist
• a thief/rogue/poacher type vagabond

Truth been told, these are derivates of some former Oblivion and Skyrim characters of mine. Yes, yes, I know it is stupid to meet and talk to yourself

 

 

Gallery

 

Introductions

 

Cozy at home or simply relaxing

 

 

Adventuring

 

 

Proper education

 

References
Cerys an Craite https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/70858
Cirilla (Ciri) Fiona Elen Riannon https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/68567
Geralt Of Rivia https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/71730
INIGO http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/40960
Jeneva Minor http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/49730
Keira Metz https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/73583
Signar https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/65099
Triss Merigold by ImAarwyn -  https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/69893

+ my own patch for her Triss  https://www.loverslab.com/files/file/7960-triss-merigold-voiced-follower-patch/

Triss Merigold by ZZJay https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/108930

Vilja https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/26393
Wolf Follower http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/39625
Yennefer of Vengerberg https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/69939