Hello!

 

I think wise i sahare how i do testing, what tools i using. Maybe this help or encorage others to do the same.

 

Why i do testing:

I wish give something the others that create fantastic free mods for skyrim!

I not own the skill and knowlage to make mods, i can install them and play them. Figured out if i test mods it is great help mod creators. this way mods i like can be made better, less buggy.

 

What need to do testing:

First i suggest use mod manager i personaly use Mod organizer 2. Reason simple: this one allow me to switch quick on or off many mods thx to profile system.

 

Secund SEEdit latest version, sadly its not easy to get as it not uplodaed to nexus. one need to go xedit discord server and download from here the latest version. then rename the xedit file to sseedit.

not complicated.

to get discord easy way download nexus version open up and inside you find the link to discord.

 

Third CAO or Chatedral Asset Optimizer . i use this becuse i play Skyrim SE version, Many great mod made for skyrim and ported SE. Some times thing go shout so i run all tested mods first trought this one to see evrything okay or not.

 

Fourth and finaly: notepad. not kidding. i using this to make quick notes during the testing. what i done what order. if i find a bug or error more easy to reproduce if i know what exactly i done before bug tiggered.

 

and the point i nearly forget: need to know how the tested mod exactly work! What expected to happen if i do this or do that.

 

Preparation for testing:

First need to ask what i need to do testing? in my expereince lot of time i need replicate steps to see what happen. This only work good if no test everiment changed. i need mods that not changed, manpiulated. need realy clean installation evrithing. 

 

To make sure all things okay i use a separate mo2 instance for pahe testing. i install here mods that required for the tests. This allow me easy to repet tests, or set up new test runs.

No un needed mods around, only mods that revelant for testing.

 

Before i start testing new pahe or dom or any PAHE based mod version first i make a copy of existing template test profile i made.

  This template profiles has pre selected mods in it that requiered for testing and the ini files to pre sett up.

 

I put here my papyrus ini settings i use for testing most cases:

[Papyrus]

bEnableLogging=1

bEnableProfiling=0

bEnableTrace=0

bLoadDebugInformation=0

fPostLoadUpdateTimeMS=2000

 

if i need lot of data what happening during testing i use this:

[Papyrus]

bEnableLogging=1

bEnableProfiling=1

bEnableTrace=1

bLoadDebugInformation=1

fPostLoadUpdateTimeMS=2000

 

Honestly i like more use first version, that one only log very important error events. latter if used with SL framework produce very big log files not as easy to look for, If i need find specific error.

 

ini settings can be changed in mo2 ini editor or can be found documents/my games/Skyrim SE/

 

the profile settings in mo2 allow as use separate ini files all our profiles i use this as separate save files to to aviod mixing things.

 

i suggest use Skyrim SE in windowed mode for testing. during testing CTD or freeze can happen if things go bead.

in that case if things go realy bead can freze windozs so hard that computer reset needed. in my experience if i run windowed mode i have a chanse to alt+tab out and initiate close of skyrim from outside. if not run windowed mode many times i needed restart pc manulay that was not good.

 

other reason to use windowed mode if you need to fallow specific steps! set windo size smoler than you monitor so skyrim not take full monitor space, notepad can be open same time as sykrim and can be seen this way.

more easy this way fallow specific steps as trying reproduce some error. and more easy tab out and make note about tings happened.

 

i use this method to record things done during the testing. this way risk forgeting important littile details minimal.

 

Before do any testing make sure understand what requierment mod has and make sure run FNIS before run the test.

 

okay this it for today, next part i write down how i selected mods for test and made my templates, i sahare some of them.

 

If any one has any advice what can be done better/what i do wrong please share me in the comments!