Modding Skyrim, What Programs to Use?

[phantomfox]

So I'm taking the plunge into modding again, but I needed to get some facts down. I know NMM used to utterly wreck saves and load orders, and I've never been sure as to what to use to install my mods. I appreciate any help!

[Sarge Misfit]

I seem to do things a little different from what most do.

 

- I manually install my mods. I'll use 7zip to unpack them, which has the added benefit of naming the unpacked folder with the full file name including version number. I'm afraid that I'm something of a digital hoarder.

 

- When the archive has a FOMOD file structure, I use MMO to unpack it, delete the contents of the unzipped folder and replace them with the contents of the MMO mod folder. I then remove the mod from MMO.

 

- I then activate the newly installed mods through the usual method of launching the vanilla launcher.

 

- I then return to MMO to sort the mods by flags, which quickly and clearly identifies any missing maters.

 

- Run BodySlide and FNIS

 

- Next, I run LOOT, which also verifies that there aren't any dirty plugins. If there are, then its of to TE5Edit to clean them without sorting as that makes it easier to find the dirty plugins since they will still be at the bottom of the list.

 

- Back to LOOT to sort the load order

 

 and away I go.

 

[phantomfox]

I seem to do things a little different from what most do.

 

- I manually install my mods. I'll use 7zip to unpack them, which has the added benefit of naming the unpacked folder with the full file name including version number. I'm afraid that I'm something of a digital hoarder.

 

- When the archive has a FOMOD file structure, I use MMO to unpack it, delete the contents of the unzipped folder and replace them with the contents of the MMO mod folder. I then remove the mod from MMO.

 

- I then activate the newly installed mods through the usual method of launching the vanilla launcher.

 

- I then return to MMO to sort the mods by flags, which quickly and clearly identifies any missing maters.

 

- Run BodySlide and FNIS

 

- Next, I run LOOT, which also verifies that there aren't any dirty plugins. If there are, then its of to TE5Edit to clean them without sorting as that makes it easier to find the dirty plugins since they will still be at the bottom of the list.

 

- Back to LOOT to sort the load order

 

 and away I go.

I'll try that out, along with any other methods people mention!

[Sarge Misfit]

Good luck, be patient and have fun

 

 

[Wretched Scum]

Mod Organizer, SKSE and LOOT are essential in my opinion. TES5edit and Wyre bash are highly recommended. There is really no reason to install mods manually. I recommend the STEP project to get back into modding.

[Sarge Misfit]

Mod Organizer, SKSE and LOOT are essential in my opinion. TES5edit and Wyre bash are highly recommended. There is really no reason to install mods manually. I recommend the STEP project to get back into modding.

 

Agreed on both accounts. I did say I do things different than most others. Must be the misfit side of me

 

And then there's the basic mods that almost all of the others rely on in one way or another.

 

(not in any particular order)

XP32MPSE

FNIS

FNIS Creature Pack

Fuz Ro Da

BodySlide

A body like CBBE or UUNP

SLAnimLoader

SexLab

SexLab Aroused

Devious Devices Assets, Integrated, and Expansion

Zaz Animations

 

[ANGRYWOLVERINE]

I would also watch Gamerpoets videos on how to install these accessories liker MO and TES5EDIT.

Gopher has videos but his are somewhat dated although they were good for their time.

[phantomfox]

Thanks guys! I knew reddit was being a bit... out of their minds when they said NMM was safe to use.

[idle]

Thanks guys! I knew reddit was being a bit... out of their minds when they said NMM was safe to use.

I'm using NMM in combination of manual installing, why exactly would it wreck saves and load orders?

There is really no reason to install mods manually. I recommend the STEP project to get back into modding.

There is, and that'd be learning a bit about the structure of mods and how they work, for purposes like modifying mods.

[Sarge Misfit]

 

Thanks guys! I knew reddit was being a bit... out of their minds when they said NMM was safe to use.

I'm using NMM in combination of manual installing, why exactly would it wreck saves and load orders?

There is really no reason to install mods manually. I recommend the STEP project to get back into modding.

There is, and that'd be learning a bit about the structure of mods and how they work, for purposes like modifying mods.

 

 

That's true.

For me, its just simply gives me a greater sense of control over what is being installed.

 

I do use NMM to install and activate mods in FO4 & SSE, but I use the F4SKE Launcher for FO4 and the vanilla for SSE. Never had any problems doing it that way. Still, I'm about to redo FO4 and will be doing manual installations, NMM to activate and F4SKE to launch. Once SKSE64 is released, I will likely do the same with SSE.

 

I don't particularly like how NMM handles things, nothing definitive, just don't like it. Doing things this way just feels more comfortable, that's all

 

[phantomfox]

 

Thanks guys! I knew reddit was being a bit... out of their minds when they said NMM was safe to use.

I'm using NMM in combination of manual installing, why exactly would it wreck saves and load orders?

There is really no reason to install mods manually. I recommend the STEP project to get back into modding.

There is, and that'd be learning a bit about the structure of mods and how they work, for purposes like modifying mods.

 

Back when I was modding, NMM had trouble installing larger objects, or put things in the wrong load order.

[phantomfox]

 

Mod Organizer, SKSE and LOOT are essential in my opinion. TES5edit and Wyre bash are highly recommended. There is really no reason to install mods manually. I recommend the STEP project to get back into modding.

 

Agreed on both accounts. I did say I do things different than most others. Must be the misfit side of me

 

And then there's the basic mods that almost all of the others rely on in one way or another.

 

(not in any particular order)

XP32MPSE

FNIS

FNIS Creature Pack

Fuz Ro Da

BodySlide

A body like CBBE or UUNP

SLAnimLoader

SexLab

SexLab Aroused

Devious Devices Assets, Integrated, and Expansion

Zaz Animations

 

 

Late on this question, but how does one use UUNP/install it. I've only ever used CBBE before. Does it require one of the original UNP mods? Are there a good amount of armor mods for it?

 

Mod Organizer, SKSE and LOOT are essential in my opinion. TES5edit and Wyre bash are highly recommended. There is really no reason to install mods manually. I recommend the STEP project to get back into modding.

 

Agreed on both accounts. I did say I do things different than most others. Must be the misfit side of me

 

And then there's the basic mods that almost all of the others rely on in one way or another.

 

(not in any particular order)

XP32MPSE

FNIS

FNIS Creature Pack

Fuz Ro Da

BodySlide

A body like CBBE or UUNP

SLAnimLoader

SexLab

SexLab Aroused

Devious Devices Assets, Integrated, and Expansion

Zaz Animations

 

 

Late on this question, but how does one use UUNP/install it. I've only ever used CBBE before. Does it require one of the original UNP mods? Are there a good amount of armor mods for it?

[Sarge Misfit]

To be honest, I don't know. I use CBBE as well. I included UUNP in that list because a lot of people use it, even though I don't.