Optional Quick Start - SE

Optionally start a new game at the cave end of Helgen Keep (skipping it), done in such a way that Helgen and the main quest proceeds as if the entirety of the game's introduction is played as intended. The vanilla introduction is still available on a new game.

Gear is provided at the cave's exit, as replacement for not being able to loot in the vanilla introduction.

APPENDIX

Editor ID Prefix

is QS_.

Modified Vanilla Script

The fragment script (Script file's name: QF_MQ101_0003372B) of the quest "Unbound" (Editor ID: MQ101) is modified. This makes the mod incompatible with ones such as Alternate Start - Live Another Life - SSE without a patch.

Identical to Master records

are cleaned with TES5Edit, and the mod is then ported to Special Edition with the Creation Kit.

How the Mod Came To Be

The "Quick Start" functionality has already been implemented in the game by the developers, for playtesting purposes. They're just not Optional, and does not ensure continuity with the proper introduction (since this Quick Start is made only for playtesting). Most of the work involved in making this mod is exposing this Quick Start to an interface and making sure world continuity is maintained. Even the story blurb in selecting either Ralof or Hadvar is not mine! I would've struggled to write something as succinct.

For Users of Version 1. 2. 1

Users of version 1. 2. 1 may want to rearrange their load order such that this mod loads first, allowing changes to the player from other mods (stat changes, spell aditions, or faction changes to the player, etc.) to properly take effect.

On Turning the Plugin into an ESL

Is it possible to turn this into and esl without problems?

I'd guess so. The mod has a new cell (QS_Cell) but I've read that new cells in ESLs become a problem if they are referenced by, say, another plugin.

There's also this comment by Tetrol88:

This mod can be flagged esl - but not simply. It contains a new cell - but as that cell is not a cell that any other mod will ever access (that is the issue with changing a cell's ID) it is not an issue to allocate it an ID within esl space. I have tried it and no issues. You will get a warning about it if using SSEEdit an "compact IDs for flagging as esl" - ignore the warning an keep going. Make sure to try a new game just to see it works (fine in my setup) - you can always just reinstall the mod.

By those, if you can ensure that the cell is not referenced by another mod then it'll be fine. (For example, I'd start