guide Skyrim SE for Beginners - V 3.2.6 (3BBB / HDT-SMP / HPH)

[axz2]

On the Obsidian Weathers page I see people complaining about it raining all the time.  Has anyone using this guide/setup experienced that?

[Aylis]

38 minutes ago, axz2 said:

On the Obsidian Weathers page I see people complaining about it raining all the time.  Has anyone using this guide/setup experienced that?

There are two factors for the weather:

1. Area

2. Season

 

In some seasons it rains more, in other seasons less... Same goes for the area.

[wollboi]

@macocieto Maybe also check Improved Camera? Try switching to this ini file (make a backup of your old one first). I've had it create some weird clipping issues.

ImprovedCamera.ini

[Grey Cloud]

On 12/2/2020 at 11:01 AM, jaeos said:

@RAIC might i suggest you stop with vortex unless you are a serious modder and want to spend days modifying Vortex with rules and groups and instead use Mod Organizer 2? There is nothing wrong with Vortex, it's just more labor intensive than MO2 to get it to play with this mod list correctly. Vortex uses LOOT to sort your mods as you add them. MO2 does not, this list is in a very specific order to get the results wanted. (if aylis will ever stop tweaking on it) that is in theory easy for both beginners and experienced modders to use as a very stable list for adding in other mods while still giving you a basic list to use as you remove and add your own choices in mods. 

I use Vortex and while I am not a big fan, most of what you wrote there is rubbish.

The only rules needed are for conflicting files.

Groups are a matter of choice and AFAIK purely cosmetic/for convenience.

Vortex uses either its own autosort feature or LOOT - user's choice as to which one.

With either autosort or LOOT it is a simple enough matter to set a rule to make a plug-in load where the user wants it to.

Why is this mod list any different than any other mod list?

[Just Don't]

1 hour ago, Grey Cloud said:

Why is this mod list any different than any other mod list?

If a Vortex user installs the mods listed in the recommended order: does Vortex uses this order to automatically solve file conflicts? Can the user completely disable the sorting loadorder and set it manually? I have no idea, but this guide relies a lot in the premise that the user has full control of both things. Otherwise the end result will be very different than the modlist Aylis has made.

[snakesnakesnake]

Aylis, thanks again for this awesome guide. This is the first time I ever got DynDoLod to do the lods. Couple screenshots here.

I'm having one unusual issue - greatswords and battleaxes are invisible when used by NPCs. They show up fine on my character. I recall one of the mods in the list had an optional function to randomize NPC handedness, which I thought I disabled, so I'm wondering if that could be the culprit? I realized I missed the FNIS patch for tk dodge so I'm rerunning the animation generation, I'll see if that has any effect.

PS - can you add a note to the guide to include the FNIS patch for TK Dodge? Unless I just missed it by accident.

 

Update: After rerunning FNIS and Nemesis with the TK dodge patch my dodges work! But unfortunately the orc thug I just killed was swinging empty arms at me. I'm guessing I missed something simple and just need to reinstall or reorder a mod, but hoping you can point me in the right direction.

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

[jap2015]

4 hours ago, Grey Cloud said:

Why is this mod list any different than any other mod list?

Errr....well it's exactly like any other mod list. You can choose to follow it, or not.

As far as MO2, just read the OP, you don't have to read far, it's pretty much at the very top.

[Jessica_Degurechaff]

Hey my man, i just found this list JUST after i did another run of installation for my (week from buying SSE), it is defenitly superior to almost all lists i have found after a full week of testing. Nice, superb job. 

I tried to blend it in as much as i could with my current mod list, but i have a question (more than one), since i plan to do a clear installation then use this guide to mod my game, so here it goes:
The big, categorizated list at the top, the one catehories like "PC, animations, creatures, ect"  im supposed to choose the mods im going to use from each category? Or im supposed to just download everything? What about conflicts? are they curated in a way that, unless you say "choose this OR that" there will be no conflicts? Are other massive mods possible to mix in? (like Skyfem, a must have for degenerated lesbians like me)  The installation tutorial at the end, apply for the whole list? 
and the most important question:  What about the "spicy" armors? i find none of them in your armor list.   Are other Sexlab behavioral mods compatible? (like those brothel ones, slavery and the like?

Im sorry if this was asked before, but i legit went until the 123th page and saw none of this questions.

Thanks for your time, really, i was almost going to give up and going to play the same skyrim i have played for almost a decade but now running at 64 instead of 32.
thank you, may the God-Emperor bless you.

pd: sorry for typos, im dumb and im sleepy.

[Grey Cloud]

4 hours ago, jap2015 said:

As far as MO2, just read the OP, you don't have to read far, it's pretty much at the very top.

Why would I have to read about MO when my post was about the nonsense written about Vortex?

 

8 hours ago, Just Don't said:

If a Vortex user installs the mods listed in the recommended order: does Vortex uses this order to automatically solve file conflicts?

As far as I know Vortex doesn't do it automatically, it always leaves the choice to the user.

 

8 hours ago, Just Don't said:

Can the user completely disable the sorting loadorder and set it manually?

Yes. It can be done with the autosort feature and has always been doable with LOOT.

[Aylis]

12 hours ago, snakesnakesnake said:

Aylis, thanks again for this awesome guide. This is the first time I ever got DynDoLod to do the lods. Couple screenshots here.

I'm having one unusual issue - greatswords and battleaxes are invisible when used by NPCs. They show up fine on my character. I recall one of the mods in the list had an optional function to randomize NPC handedness, which I thought I disabled, so I'm wondering if that could be the culprit? I realized I missed the FNIS patch for tk dodge so I'm rerunning the animation generation, I'll see if that has any effect.

PS - can you add a note to the guide to include the FNIS patch for TK Dodge? Unless I just missed it by accident.

1. You're welcome.

2. O.o... That could be load order or more likely equipment distribution (loot table)

   A. Recheck 'Weapons' and 'Override'. I doubt it is 'NPC' but i'd check that group too just to make sure.

   B. Start a new game, wait in the cell 'til all MCM are done, and use 'Ship' and 'Windhelm' at the start. Now the last MCM should pop up.

       Go to the stable and then follow the road westward. At the second bridge there should be a path leading to a cave with bandits (SW).

       One of the guards outside usually got a twohanded weapon.

           If he got other weapons then he spawned with the wrong set and you have to reload the last autosave.

           If he got no weapons then open the console, target him and use 'disable' and then 'enable'. That should reset his inventory (i'm not 100% sure and there might be               another way).

          If he does have and uses a twohanded weapon. Well, then it gets interesting if the bug is still there in other spots.

    C. Once you've done all that we should at least have an idea where to dig deeper. The problem is that i didn't encounter that issue...

3. Done

8 hours ago, Blazeofdragon said:

The big, categorizated list at the top, the one catehories like "PC, animations, creatures, ect"  im supposed to choose the mods im going to use from each category? Or im supposed to just download everything? What about conflicts? are they curated in a way that, unless you say "choose this OR that" there will be no conflicts? Are other massive mods possible to mix in? (like Skyfem, a must have for degenerated lesbians like me)  The installation tutorial at the end, apply for the whole list? 
and the most important question:  What about the "spicy" armors? i find none of them in your armor list.   Are other Sexlab behavioral mods compatible? (like those brothel ones, slavery and the like?

Im sorry if this was asked before, but i legit went until the 123th page and saw none of this questions.

Thanks for your time, really, i was almost going to give up and going to play the same skyrim i have played for almost a decade but now running at 64 instead of 32.
thank you, may the God-Emperor bless you.

pd: sorry for typos, im dumb and im sleepy.

1+2 No (optionals) and Yes (rest) at the same time.

3+4 There will always be conflicts but the list already takes that into consideration

5     That depends on the mod. Obviously i couldn't check every mod out there...  

6     That part is mostly a recommendation for the mods with lots of options.

7     See post #1. Those 'armors', with one sort of plausible exception, will never be a part of the list. ?

8     Thats something you have to find out for yourself. There are already too many mods in there i wouldn't use myself.

 

 

[wollboi]

I've never been able to get TK's to work. Not sure why. It's there in the MCM, and I'm using the FNIS option. I dunno.

 

I just realized that Zaz's gags and the clamps from HN66's Earrings use the same body slot (45). That's annoying.

[jaeos]

2 hours ago, Grey Cloud said:

Why would I have to read about MO when my post was about the nonsense written about Vortex?

 

As far as I know Vortex doesn't do it automatically, it always leaves the choice to the user.

 

Yes. It can be done with the autosort feature and has always been doable with LOOT.

There is nothing wrong with Vortex, it's just more labor intensive than MO2 to get it to play with this mod list correctly. Vortex uses LOOT to sort your mods as you add them

 

Not me as OP. Aylis. so let me put it out there in big BOLD AND CAPS LOCK. This thread is called SKYRIM SE FOR BEGINNERS. Vortex's own pages states it uses LOOT even to autosort. It's INTERGRATED. I would hope you understand what that means.. if not.. From Mirriam Webster.. characterized by integration.. Well ok, not a very good definition.. wait.. intergration is a hyperlink, lets see where it goes. Oh. here we go.. lots of definitions for integration. To keep it simple I'll use the kids definition. 

 

Kids Definition of integration

1: the act or process of uniting different things.

 

HERE is the page i reference.

The Vortex approach: automatic load order sorting combined with custom rules

With Vortex, on the other hand, you are delegating load order management to a powerful tool: LOOT - the Load Order Optimisation Tool - designed to automatically sort your plugins in a sensible way. Not only that, but LOOT will also alert you to issues in your load order such as missing patches (patch plugins) that you need in order to make two or more mods compatible with each other. 

Without LOOT, you are relying on your own knowledge of mods and plugins in order to determine, which mods need patches in order to be made compatible, which mods need to load before one other, but after yet another mod etc.

In essence, LOOT is a curated masterlist that is constantly being updated by mod authors and knowledgeable users alike. You can think of it as a load order management tool powered by the combined load order related knowledge of thousands of users. 

In the vast majority of cases, you will be perfectly fine with relying on LOOT to sort your plugin load order automatically. 

In very rare cases where it might be necessary, however, you are still able to override LOOT by applying a custom rule for a plugin to e.g. load before another plugin even though LOOT decided on the reverse order. Please note, that by doing so you are essentially saying “in this case, I know better than LOOT and this plugin definitely needs to be loaded before/after that other plugin”. In those cases, you can create a custom rule to accomplish the same thing as with manual dragging and dropping of plugins. The difference, however, is that custom rules are more flexible.

 

I stated that with this mod list LOOT would mess it up, Aylis stated that. I repeated it. Note the line in green. Nothing is stated you can manually order them. It states AUTOMATIC. You can manually sort, by doing EXTRA STUFF IN VORTEX TO CREATE LOAD RULES USING GROUPS AND RULES. MO2 click a fucking checkbox and done. Vortex even states Groups is a looser way to sort mods on this page, i.e. all mods in group z are loaded after all mods in group a.

All of this is readily available for your own perusal. 

So please, take your vortex, install this entire list. Then see how bad vortex and LOOT caused you to add extra time to adding rules and groups (if you wish), that's the only thing you stated that was factually correct. You don't need to use groups, but it helps. After you spend another couple of hours setting each plugin rule that it must load after the mod above it I will have watched a movie, watched porn, played skyrim and taken a nap. Simply because someone else manually sorted this list originally with NMM.. you know.. the nexus mod that was previous to Vortex. And shared their own experience with LOOT and stated DO NOT USE LOOT. Vortex USES LOOT to sort the load order, you don't have a choice unless you create rules.

And Its different because someone, not you, took the TIME, Using NMM in the past, to create what they consider their perfect mod list then added to it, spent HOURS OF TIME putting everything just so, simply so others could have a really great looking skyrim in as short a time as possible. With as little extra steps as possible. And using vortex (again) messes THIS list up and ADDS extra time. Once some people get their teeth into modding they will go to extra lengths, And if they want to spend hours adding rules to mods, they are more than welcome to do so. But for beginners with THIS list, MO2 is the easier choice.

It is also easier to help diagnose mod issues if everyone is using the same program. Anyone who had an inkling of IT knows this, You can't really help someone with "this program doesn't work right", if you yourself do not use that program. 

 

 

[Grey Cloud]

I don't want to derail this thread so here is my last word on Vortex.

 

43 minutes ago, jaeos said:

Vortex uses LOOT to sort your mods as you add them

Yes with autosort on. Try using your dictionary to look up 'autosort'. Oh, and it's 'integrated' not 'intergrated'.

What you call 'less labour intensive' I call 'hand holding'.

 

What the OP has done (and I applaud it) and what MO2 does are irrelevant. My criticism was directed at your (yes you) comments about Vortex.

 

 

45 minutes ago, jaeos said:

Anyone who had an inkling of IT knows this, You can't really help someone with "this program doesn't work right", if you yourself do not use that program.

I'm a retired IT tech and yes you can.

[Just Don't]

5 hours ago, Grey Cloud said:

As far as I know Vortex doesn't do it automatically, it always leaves the choice to the user.

I've seen two Vortex users trying to follow this guide without using MO in the past weeks. One couldn't make it work after X days of trying. Another just said using MO was less of a hassle to get it working. That tells me there must be some additional steps in Vortex to do over using MO as recommended.

 

If not for other reason and to answer your initial question "Why is this mod list any different than any other mod list?" it's not really, but because the author made a recommendation and then wrote the guide assuming users will follow said recommendation. That's why the intended procedure involves using MO and not Vortex. And that's what you see in every major guide, the author has their own preferences and methods and then they pass these preferences and methods in the written instructions.

[Jessica_Degurechaff]

4 hours ago, Aylis said:

1+2 No (optionals) and Yes (rest) at the same time.

3+4 There will always be conflicts but the list already takes that into consideration

5     That depends on the mod. Obviously i couldn't check every mod out there...  

6     That part is mostly a recommendation for the mods with lots of options.

7     See post #1. Those 'armors', with one sort of plausible exception, will never be a part of the list. ?

8     Thats something you have to find out for yourself. There are already too many mods in there i wouldn't use myself.

Im sorry for bothering you again, abut i legit got confused once again (in part because im not an english speaker, in part because im dumb)

1- So im supposed to download everything that isnt marked as optional?
2- As long as i follow the installation rules of each mod (in the each nexus description), there shouldnt be any game breaking conflicts?
3-  So, the installation guide at the end, is for the RECCOMENDATED mods only? Im specially confused with this one. Specially because the 1 question. 

Im sorry, for bothering you, really. 

[Aylis]

1 hour ago, Blazeofdragon said:

im not an english speaker

1- So im supposed to download everything that isnt marked as optional?
2- As long as i follow the installation rules of each mod (in the each nexus description), there shouldnt be any game breaking conflicts?
3-  So, the installation guide at the end, is for the RECCOMENDATED mods only? Im specially confused with this one.

Im sorry, for bothering you, really. 

Same here

 

1. Exactly. With the optionals you have to take a look if they are something you're interested in and they can be skipped if you don't like them.

2. Conflicts are when one mod 'overwrites' another one. Thats why the load order (right side of MO2) is so important. And i worked months on getting it right.

3. No. Those are simply the settings i use here. They are the ones where i know that they do work. And look best...

[Grey Cloud]

1 hour ago, Just Don't said:

That tells me there must be some additional steps in Vortex to do over using MO as recommended.

That tells me user error. With Vortex the user has to read and think so it helps if one understands the concept of conflicts, overwrites etc.

 

Simple conflict

LH dropdown gives you before, after or never. Click on 2 conflicting files shows the names of the actual files involved.

 

More complex deal

 

[Aylis]

Oh, the fun...

 

 

Please guys, stop it (or discuss it in a separate thread).

 

This is NOT helping the people this thread is made for.

[mknn]

2 hours ago, Aylis said:

Same here

 

1. Exactly. With the optionals you have to take a look if they are something you're interested in and they can be skipped if you don't like them.

2. Conflicts are when one mod 'overwrites' another one. Thats why the load order (right side of MO2) is so important. And i worked months on getting it right.

3. No. Those are simply the settings i use here. They are the ones where i know that they do work. And look best...

@Blazeofdragon, I would advise doing it according to Aylis, then troubleshooting and running around a bit, and then very slowly adding/changing things. One mistake I made over and over again was getting click happy in adding lots of other mods at once, and then having to unwind it to figure out what was causing what behavior. That still happens, but if you look at strict adherence to this build as the "learning curve" to allow you to divert afterwards, it gets easier.

 

I'll respect Aylis' desire to calm down the holy war between Vortex and MO2 and only say that I am someone who gave up on Vortex. And that I prolly have more IT experience and edumication than the folks arguing. MO2 is just easier, and there is no shame in selecting software tools because of ease of use. People should do whatever they want, and if you can get this list working in Vortex, YIPPEEE and I'd love to see it. But for a beginner ... it;s a rough climb.

[Aylis]

@Blazeofdragon

I forgot that: ask away!

 

That is exactly why this thread exists. Also there are no stupid questions - only stupid answers! Or grumpy ones if someone took my last cup of coffee or dared to look at my almond-honey cookies! 

 

Some know my guide from the start (right @jaeos?) and it has been a sometimes very bumpy ride (i made my share of mistakes too ?). But this guide has grown because of all the questions and recommendations of its users. And i don't want to have it any other way!

[-Ayleth-]

I´ve decided that it´s time to finally mod SE now but I´m honestly really nervous. This is such a huge guide which I barely understand that has this immense flood of new things crashing down upon me. I don´t even know where to start ? I have no idea how to use Mo2 properly (Vortex even less), I don´t know how to make a Bashed Batch, I can´t manage a load order at all because I trusted LOOT the entire time, I don´t know how overwrites work in Mo2, DynDOLOD extremely confuses me, I have no idea what to choose and there is so many options here ? I´ve previously avoided this guide and just modded SE on my own (which ended in CTDs and extreme Oddities) and I want to finally get something going but I´m just so confused. This is such a great and well done guide but to me personally it seems like the largest Instruction Manual for odd alien technology from another planet. Any advice ? I want to do this (and right for once) but I can´t even get my bearings. 

 

 

[mknn]

1 hour ago, AkiKay said:

I´ve decided that it´s time to finally mod SE now but I´m honestly really nervous. This is such a huge guide which I barely understand that has this immense flood of new things crashing down upon me. I don´t even know where to start ? I have no idea how to use Mo2 properly (Vortex even less), I don´t know how to make a Bashed Batch, I can´t manage a load order at all because I trusted LOOT the entire time, I don´t know how overwrites work in Mo2, DynDOLOD extremely confuses me, I have no idea what to choose and there is so many options here ? I´ve previously avoided this guide and just modded SE on my own (which ended in CTDs and extreme Oddities) and I want to finally get something going but I´m just so confused. This is such a great and well done guide but to me personally it seems like the largest Instruction Manual for odd alien technology from another planet. Any advice ? I want to do this (and right for once) but I can´t even get my bearings. 

 

 

Take it slow and ask questions. Start with the Foundation group--install MO2, download those, and see how MO2 operates. You'll download, and it will show on the right under DOWNLOADS, then you can right click it and choose INSTALL. That will make the mod show up on the lift. Click it, and you can see on the right, under PLUGINS, if it adds an actual plugin. If the plugin is italicized, it doesn't count against your load limit (yay); if not, it does. No worries. You control the order by dragging the mod (on the left) and/or the plugin (on the right) up or down.

 

Important Tip. Use these buttons in MO2 to backup and restore your load order. That way, if you want to abandon the modding and go back to an old game, just restore that "version" and play for a few hours; when you want to get back to the mod list, restore that version and keep going.

 

[mknn]

I got sick of troubleshooting FPS rates of 8 to 20. So about a week from now I'll have a new laptop (OK, Skyrim wasn't the only reason). Advice? I would assume it's a re-download from scratch type of exercise? Clearly, I can move the saved games from machine to machine.

[Just Don't]

20 minutes ago, mknn said:

Clearly, I can move the saved games from machine to machine.

You can also save MO folders to easily transfer downloads and even installed mods. You need to keep the following folders (if you're using a portable instance of MO all these folders are inside "MO2"):

• MO2\downloads - all the zipped files for the mods you've downloaded using MO are here.
• MO2\mods - all your installed mods in MO are here.
• MO2\profiles\<profile name> - inside the folder for your profile you'll find txt files like loadorder.txt, modlist.txt. If you preserve them (or your entire profile folder) you can restore the order of your left and right panel (so if you kept MO2\mods + MO2\profiles you should restore pretty much everything).
• MO2\Overwrite - in case you keep any files in there.

You could even transfer your whole MO2 folder (if it's a portable instance) and update the file path for your new Steam/SE install and other relevant files (like the exes registered in MO). This is can be done in MO Settings -> "Paths" for the game path and the folders mentioned above. For your MO executables you can edit them in the Modify Executables window (updating the Binary field to the new location).

[jaeos]

1 hour ago, AkiKay said:

I´ve decided that it´s time to finally mod SE now but I´m honestly really nervous. This is such a huge guide which I barely understand that has this immense flood of new things crashing down upon me. I don´t even know where to start ? I have no idea how to use Mo2 properly (Vortex even less), I don´t know how to make a Bashed Batch, I can´t manage a load order at all because I trusted LOOT the entire time, I don´t know how overwrites work in Mo2, DynDOLOD extremely confuses me, I have no idea what to choose and there is so many options here ? I´ve previously avoided this guide and just modded SE on my own (which ended in CTDs and extreme Oddities) and I want to finally get something going but I´m just so confused. This is such a great and well done guide but to me personally it seems like the largest Instruction Manual for odd alien technology from another planet. Any advice ? I want to do this (and right for once) but I can´t even get my bearings. 

 

 

You start with the first step in any journey. The load order is already done on this list, you just install the mods in order. DyndoLOD messed with me at first as well, 

The bashed patches and such were added recently. My suggestion. Don't do it or add the mods you must bash. skip them. Add only what you want or you feel you need. The basics for MO2 and (i'm assuming) vortex can be found on youtube. Gamerpoets videos will help you get MO2 setup to start. iIf you ojly go as far as getting Skyrim and Fallout 4 modded and playing without all the extra stuff like bashed patches without learning a whole lot, that's fine. 

Overwrite in MO2 is a catchall for files that were added while it was running. If you create bodyslide files it puts them into overwrite. When you first start the game Fuz-ro-Duh tries to add a script. it end up in overwrite. When you run FNIS. it will end up in overwrite. Run Bodyslide. Open the overwrite, it should have files for all the outfits you made in bodyslide. Right click overwrite and make a mod of the contents, bodyslide outfits, for example, you can name it anything you want, you just need to remember what mod that is. You have a new mod at the bottom labeled whatever you named the overwrite. Then Run FNIS. do the same thing. make a mod from the overwrite. 

This is how you clear the overwrite.

Spoiler

You see here we have the warning up in the top (I ran FNIS just to show you this) 

if you double click overwrite you see we have a file named TOOLS. 

Spoiler

 

 

As you can see, it shows a folder named generate FNIS for users. So it's the FNIS we ran. 

Spoiler

 

If you click on another mod you see OVERWRITE is now in red.

Spoiler

So now you right click overwrite and choose create mod.

Spoiler

Name it FNIS-Output or something you will remember what it is.

The NEXT time you run FNIS, You drag and drop the folder inside into the mod you named. 

Spoiler

Once you do that, your warning should go away.

Spoiler

Do that for every mod that requires an output into the overwrite. Some things like extra scripts fuzroduh puts out can be made into their own mods, or you can drag it to the skse scripts folder at the top.