Closed 'mod recommendation' Skyrim question - Can this question be improved and then reopened?

Question

This question has been recently closed by a moderator for being a mod recommendation question (which I reckon, as an extension of the 'game recommendations questions are not allowed' policy):

How do I add character requirements for factions or guilds?

Title of the question when it was closed:
Is there a mod that adds character requirements for factions?

I would like to ask if this question can still be improved and then reopened if it is edited to not ask for mod recommendations only (possibly console commands, or an in-game feature or workaround too), as is common with skyrim questions?

I believe, if improved, that question should be reopened as per the current most upvoted answer in this Meta post: Are questions asking for non-game recommendations off topic?

For discussion and comparison, I listed some of the currently non-closed skyrim questions that attract 'mod recommendation' answers, but may have console command or in-game feature workarounds:

^{How do I stop smelling like a wet dog?
Is there a mod or console command which will allow me to push followers out of the way?
How do I hide a follower's helmet?
How to make Skyrim more challenging at higher character levels?
What can I do to minimize my save game size?
How can I find or recall my horse?
Skyrim: Place lights in a House
Any tips for preventing your horse from dying?
Is there a way to limit the amount your followers talk in skyrim?
How can I make stamina regen fast in battle?}

My proposed question rewording of How do I add character requirements for factions or guilds? (I already edited the question to be this):

Title: How do I add character requirements for factions or guilds?

Is it possible to add character requirements to joining a faction or path, and therefore cause a character to be unable to join, say, the Mages Guild, or the Thieves Guild?

For example, I don't like the idea that my Orc, who has 80 in archery, heavy armor, two-handed, and single handed fighting, but a <18 in all the magic schools, is easily welcomed into the Mage College. Or that he is asked to join the Thieves Guild. It really ruins immersion for me.

Also, is it ok if I reworded this question to be like that, in attempt to improve it and have it reopened? (I'm not the OP.)

If you agree that this question should be reopened, then please vote to reopen the question.

Answer 1

I'd like to push back on the current thinking that mod-rec is a bad thing. Right now the arguments I've heard against them are that they are bad by association with game-rec. The things that are bad about game-rec are described in this meta:

So, your typical game recommendation is a question that has two qualities.

1. A shopping recommendation - shopping recommendations are considered off-topic because of being too localized, often subjective, and tend to attract discussion. These kinds of questions solicit opinions of what is a good buy, or if they think one or more specific items are a good buy.
2. An itemized list of games satisfying one or more criteria. Real questions may attract multiple valid answers, but a key factor is that each individual answer attempts to provide a solid conclusion to the question. These kinds of questions attract items, not answers, and thus do not individually solve the question.

Game recommendations are either shopping recommendations or itemized lists. They comprise the entire Venn Diagram, not just the overlap.

Mod recommendations are neither of these things. These questions describe a problem and then request a specific solution to that problem.

I would like to do X in a game. I assume the only way to do this is with a mod. Can anyone suggest a mod that does X?

This is not a shopping recommendation (a request for subjective "should I buy this?" advice). The problem can be clearly stated and objectively evaluated in most cases.

It is also not requesting an itemized list to solve the problem. While there may be multiple valid mods that meet the criteria, each individual answer is an independent solution to the problem. The answer isn't the sum of all answers - each individual answer solves the problem, and may be better or worse than other solutions to the problem.

In fact, Grace's second answer on that linked meta goes into some detail on the acceptability of multiple answers, and even says that there are some list questions that can be salvaged. The entirety of both answers is solid reading on this subject.

At worst, these are XY problems - the person has posted their problem and jumped to the assumption that the solution is modding the game. I don't really even see the need to revise these type of questions generally, as answers that solve the problem while ignoring the asker's suggested solution are still answers.

Practically every question on the site can be reworded as "I have this problem, can anyone recommend a solution?" The word recommend, just like the word identify, does not imply that a particular question falls into a particular (bad) class of questions.

Answer 2

So, your typical game recommendation is a question that has two qualities.

1. A shopping recommendation - shopping recommendations are considered off-topic because of being too localized, often subjective, and tend to attract discussion. These kinds of questions solicit opinions of what is a good buy, or if they think one or more specific items are a good buy.
2. An itemized list of games satisfying one or more criteria. Real questions may attract multiple valid answers, but a key factor is that each individual answer attempts to provide a solid conclusion to the question. These kinds of questions attract items, not answers, and thus do not individually solve the question.

1. Yes, these questions fall under shopping recommendation. Like a shopping recommendation question isn't about how to buy but what to buy, they don't ask how to do something but what to install.
2. Yes, these questions are itemized lists of game mods satisfying one or more criteria. Just because a list has one item it doesn't mean it's not a list. These questions typically receive a simple "Install the X mod" answer (or "Install the Y mod", or "Install the Z mod") and voting happens on the merits of X vs the merits of Y vs the merits of Z, which is in no way different from "Yeah pick Portal 2 yaaaay!".

I'll also argue that these question cannot be simply fixed by changing:

I want a mod that does X. Give me one

...to:

How can I do X?

...if you then go and accept this answer because you really wanted a mod all along:

Install the Y mod.

...unless this is really all it takes for X to happen. Most of the time, however, it isn't just about installing a mod, it also is about configuring it if necessary and using it in some way. An answer that doesn't explain this isn't a complete answer; at best, it's a comment. If you go about and upvote or accept these questions, you're just admitting the nature of "itemized list" of these questions.

The very question you cite as a paragon of awesomeness is just a shopping list of mods. "Oh I don't know, use one of those six mods and figure it out on your own."

In the end, "What games let you play with hydraulics?" is no different from "What mods let you play with hydraulics... in Minecraft?" and they should treated equally. If we want to close all of the former we need to close all of the latter too.