Old Time Player Back After Five Years & Feeling Lost

[KanesGhost]

So, I''ve been out of the game for roughly five years (due to relationship break up, no Computer anymore, etc...) and so much has changed, this new SkyrimSE, this Vortex thing, etc... and I'm completely lost. Firstly it seems kinda expensive to get the old Skyrim with all it's DLC's now (had to get a new Steam Account, so lost everything), there are Mods, well one in particular, I really want, but it hasn't been updated to the new Skyrim and I don't know how... And how about this Vortex? It's doing my head in trying to delete old Mods from my old NMM, that I have somehow managed to port across in my playing around with it... And more importantly the tutorial said something about it being more challenging to install Mods not from the Nexus Site into it, that being said, would I be better off returning to the NMM or keep trying to figure this Vortex out? Plus, where the hell are my Game Files? I have a Gaming Laptop now, but its all that Apps Windows 10 set up, I can't find a damn thing on it, frustrating. All I can find is "My Games'', can't find my Steam File or Mod Files, nothing. Any other advice anyone would give me would be awesome please?

[MadMansGun]

avoid Vortex, if you want to use a mod manager then you should use Mod Organizer 2.

 

Skyrim LE can be found on the humble bundle site: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-legendary-edition

 

for SSE mod support go here first https://www.loverslab.com/topic/94228-sse-conversion-tracking-mar-10-4805/#comments

they are keeping track on what mods have been ported and what can be ported.

also you may want this https://www.loverslab.com/files/file/3524-sexlab-more-nasty-critters-install-guide/

 

the file paths are

C:\Games\Steam\SteamApps\Common\Skyrim

and

C:\Users\(yourusernamehere)\Documents\My Games\Skyrim

 

[KoolHndLuke]

5 years? Damn you got a LOT of catching up to do! FYI, Beth has the CC now and basically fucked the modding community. I install mods manually most of the time since I'm anal retentive and use the old NMM sparingly. Won't use Vortex and don't want to learn to use MO even if it is supposed to be superior. Plenty of guides for where everything goes, what edits to make in your ini, and other stuff. You will find wildly differing opinions on SLE and SSE as to which is better to mod/play. I've played just SLE and have had very few problems after I learned more about how to do things. Make no mistake that it will involve quite a bit of reading/trial and error to get back into things. Good luck!

[KanesGhost]

1 hour ago, MadMansGun said:

avoid Vortex, if you want to use a mod manager then you should use Mod Organizer 2.

 

Skyrim LE can be found on the humble bundle site: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-legendary-edition

 

for SSE mod support go here first https://www.loverslab.com/topic/94228-sse-conversion-tracking-mar-10-4805/#comments

they are keeping track on what mods have been ported and what can be ported.

also you may want this https://www.loverslab.com/files/file/3524-sexlab-more-nasty-critters-install-guide/

 

the file paths are

C:\Games\Steam\SteamApps\Common\Skyrim

and

C:\Users\(yourusernamehere)\Documents\My Games\Skyrim

 

Is that Skyrim LE linked to Steam? Im eyeing it off with hope  ...Thank you for the links  ...am checking them out as I type... The file paths, yes I do know what they are supposed to look like, as you have shown, but I am having trouble finding them  ...the PC set up is not like it used to be, am still limping my way through this new app format, I have found a couple of things, but not those File Paths

[KanesGhost]

31 minutes ago, KoolHndLuke said:

5 years? Damn you got a LOT of catching up to do! FYI, Beth has the CC now and basically fucked the modding community. I install mods manually most of the time since I'm anal retentive and use the old NMM sparingly. Won't use Vortex and don't want to learn to use MO even if it is supposed to be superior. Plenty of guides for where everything goes, what edits to make in your ini, and other stuff. You will find wildly differing opinions on SLE and SSE as to which is better to mod/play. I've played just SLE and have had very few problems after I learned more about how to do things. Make no mistake that it will involve quite a bit of reading/trial and error to get back into things. Good luck!

I'm noticing  ...it seems to me EVERYTHING has changed, from Windows lay out through to the Game itself, nothing is the same  ...I feel like I'm starting a square one. I have about an hour ago installed NMM, its a system I know, so at least one thing I am comfortable with as I work my way through this nightmare... Yes, I'm installing manually also, though I put the files in the wrong place at first LOL... but went back, double checked and corrected it  ... I am currently watching Gopher Video's, going for both refresh and new learnings  ...Its all a lot of head aches just to play a modded game LOL...but so worth it

[KoolHndLuke]

27 minutes ago, KanesGhost said:

I'm noticing  ...it seems to me EVERYTHING has changed, from Windows lay out through to the Game itself, nothing is the same  ...I feel like I'm starting a square one. I have about an hour ago installed NMM, its a system I know, so at least one thing I am comfortable with as I work my way through this nightmare... Yes, I'm installing manually also, though I put the files in the wrong place at first LOL... but went back, double checked and corrected it  ... I am currently watching Gopher Video's, going for both refresh and new learnings  ...Its all a lot of head aches just to play a modded game LOL...but so worth it

It's gets a little easier as you figure some basic stuff out. Just remember to take baby steps- I still have to stop myself from installing a bunch of mods at a time because I feel so sure of what I'm doing. Main thing is to look at all a mods requirements- this can lead you down a rabbit hole sometimes, lol. Simple, stand alone is good when you're starting out.

[KanesGhost]

10 minutes ago, KoolHndLuke said:

It's gets a little easier as you figure some basic stuff out. Just remember to take baby steps- I still have to stop myself from installing a bunch of mods at a time because I feel so sure of what I'm doing. Main thing is to look at all a mods requirements- this can lead you down a rabbit hole sometimes, lol. Simple, stand alone is good when you're starting out.

I'm limping through slowly  ...I don't think I have a choice, I am currently installing SKSE, gone are the days for now when I just slapped it in and away I went, baffled at people who had so much trouble lol... now I'm one of those people  ...Yes, absolutely baby steps, I always fed Mods in nice a slow, but now its true snail pace lol ... I will leave FNIS and its more complicated Mods alone for the time being, until I get a basic game going with, as you say, more stand alone mods being fed slowly in first

[FrizFroz]

I came back to Skyrim modding a few months back (stopped in 2015). Personally I started with watching some showcase videos on Youtube (stuff like "Skyrim in 2019, 2020") etc; some of them come with modlists that you can then look at and decide whether it suits you. Start with the essentials like SKSE, SMIM, SkyUI, Crash Fixes (LE) / SSE engine fixes (SE). Textures, weathers, ELFX and ENBs are safe too. Then you can branch out from there. There's a wealth of guides and info online you can read up on. I can give you some suggestions if you have SE.

Also, can't stress how important it is to read the mod pages on instructions, compatibility and conflicts, skip this and you'll break your game because of a small error like a bad install or missing out on a single compatibility patch within your hundreds of mods. 

[Psalam]

I'm having severe cognitive dissonance. I just answered this question on Nexus and now I see it here. Not surprisingly, there are a lot more answers here!

[MadMansGun]

other possibly useful links (that i keep forgetting about):

https://www.loverslab.com/blogs/entry/10715-2020-skyrim-le-stability-guide/

 

https://www.loverslab.com/blogs/entry/7521-conglomerate-01-basic-setup-for-modifing-skyrim-le-well-my-skyrim-got-messy-now-i-have-to-clean-it-up-so-i-thought-to-myself-why-not-start-a-blog-about-that/

 

https://www.loverslab.com/blogs/entry/6768-patchwork-how-do-i-fix-this-and-that-a-link-collection/

 

[KanesGhost]

On 3/11/2020 at 4:05 PM, KoolHndLuke said:

It's gets a little easier as you figure some basic stuff out. Just remember to take baby steps- I still have to stop myself from installing a bunch of mods at a time because I feel so sure of what I'm doing. Main thing is to look at all a mods requirements- this can lead you down a rabbit hole sometimes, lol. Simple, stand alone is good when you're starting out.

I'm slowly getting the hang of it again  ...I have been busy, busy, busy with it lol... I am finding my memory is returning on such things as what mods would most likely conflict, what order mods need to be in, etc... and have kept it simple (mostly lol) in regards to chosen Mods, though today I tackle CBBE, that the tough one for me to contend with, have gone through and installed the requirements, FNIS and XP32, though I'm a little nervous about the FNIS, either its not installing correctly for me or Fores has changed a few things, I will find out today.

[KanesGhost]

On 3/11/2020 at 7:33 PM, FrizFroz said:

I came back to Skyrim modding a few months back (stopped in 2015). Personally I started with watching some showcase videos on Youtube (stuff like "Skyrim in 2019, 2020") etc; some of them come with modlists that you can then look at and decide whether it suits you. Start with the essentials like SKSE, SMIM, SkyUI, Crash Fixes (LE) / SSE engine fixes (SE). Textures, weathers, ELFX and ENBs are safe too. Then you can branch out from there. There's a wealth of guides and info online you can read up on. I can give you some suggestions if you have SE.

Also, can't stress how important it is to read the mod pages on instructions, compatibility and conflicts, skip this and you'll break your game because of a small error like a bad install or missing out on a single compatibility patch within your hundreds of mods. 

It didn't even occur to me to watch Youtubes (aside from Gophers installs when I need them), I should have, you're a great deal smarter than me about this  ...I have SKSE installed, was one of my first actions, followed closely by the Unofficial Patch and SkyUI... I don't know SMIM, Crash Fixes and SSE engine fixes, I will look them up, thank you  ...Yes, I have SE and suggestions very welcome, thanks  ...Yes, I always used to read the Mod Pages, comments, etc... and it's a habit that has stuck with me  

[KanesGhost]

On 3/11/2020 at 8:20 PM, Psalam said:

I'm having severe cognitive dissonance. I just answered this question on Nexus and now I see it here. Not surprisingly, there are a lot more answers here!

Yes, Nexus is often a dead end when it comes to help, unless you know someone in the know there, you're more than often ignored... I posted on Nexus because, well, you just never know, but I didn't expect responses there (thank you for responding  ) ...but yes, Loverslab is most the place to go to for advice, sharing and interaction  

[KanesGhost]

On 3/12/2020 at 12:52 AM, MadMansGun said:

other possibly useful links (that i keep forgetting about):

https://www.loverslab.com/blogs/entry/10715-2020-skyrim-le-stability-guide/

 

https://www.loverslab.com/blogs/entry/7521-conglomerate-01-basic-setup-for-modifing-skyrim-le-well-my-skyrim-got-messy-now-i-have-to-clean-it-up-so-i-thought-to-myself-why-not-start-a-blog-about-that/

 

https://www.loverslab.com/blogs/entry/6768-patchwork-how-do-i-fix-this-and-that-a-link-collection/

 

Thank you  ...I will be going through these links today, very much appreciated  

[FrizFroz]

11 hours ago, KanesGhost said:

It didn't even occur to me to watch Youtubes (aside from Gophers installs when I need them), I should have, you're a great deal smarter than me about this  ...I have SKSE installed, was one of my first actions, followed closely by the Unofficial Patch and SkyUI... I don't know SMIM, Crash Fixes and SSE engine fixes, I will look them up, thank you  ...Yes, I have SE and suggestions very welcome, thanks  ...Yes, I always used to read the Mod Pages, comments, etc... and it's a habit that has stuck with me  

Well do check them out for sure, those are an integral part to almost every modder's checklist. Personally, I started out on SE looking at Toxic Gaming's modlist, and then doing some research on my own. As for suggestions, I'm sure you've watched vids from some of the more popular modding youtubers like Gopher and Gamerpoets, who are excellent, but check out Wazalang's vids on YT for SE. I think his channel is an underrated gem. His vids can be over an hour, but he goes through everything very methodically in a way that's easy to understand and follow. Here's an example, for starters. You don't have to follow the list to a tee, but there are many "essential" mods you should have for which he covers the steps to install them with.
 

 

[Grey Cloud]

18 hours ago, KanesGhost said:

FNIS and XP32

Lots of good tutorials about FNIS but make sure you are using XPMSE skeleton and not the actual XP32 skeleton.

The one you want (for LE?) is

https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/68000

 

18 hours ago, KanesGhost said:

SSE engine fixes

You wont need this if you are running LE. It is for SE.

[nemocdt]

 

On 3/11/2020 at 4:31 PM, KanesGhost said:

So, I''ve been out of the game for roughly five years (due to relationship break up, no Computer anymore, etc...) and so much has changed, this new SkyrimSE, this Vortex thing, etc... and I'm completely lost. Firstly it seems kinda expensive to get the old Skyrim with all it's DLC's now (had to get a new Steam Account, so lost everything), there are Mods, well one in particular, I really want, but it hasn't been updated to the new Skyrim and I don't know how... And how about this Vortex? It's doing my head in trying to delete old Mods from my old NMM, that I have somehow managed to port across in my playing around with it... And more importantly the tutorial said something about it being more challenging to install Mods not from the Nexus Site into it, that being said, would I be better off returning to the NMM or keep trying to figure this Vortex out? Plus, where the hell are my Game Files? I have a Gaming Laptop now, but its all that Apps Windows 10 set up, I can't find a damn thing on it, frustrating. All I can find is "My Games'', can't find my Steam File or Mod Files, nothing. Any other advice anyone would give me would be awesome please?

Scrub that stone age legendary mumbo jumbo go for a fresh shiny copy of Special Edition, thank me later. ?

[KanesGhost]

On 3/13/2020 at 11:00 PM, FrizFroz said:

Well do check them out for sure, those are an integral part to almost every modder's checklist. Personally, I started out on SE looking at Toxic Gaming's modlist, and then doing some research on my own. As for suggestions, I'm sure you've watched vids from some of the more popular modding youtubers like Gopher and Gamerpoets, who are excellent, but check out Wazalang's vids on YT for SE. I think his channel is an underrated gem. His vids can be over an hour, but he goes through everything very methodically in a way that's easy to understand and follow. Here's an example, for starters. You don't have to follow the list to a tee, but there are many "essential" mods you should have for which he covers the steps to install them with.
 

 

Thank you   ...I am sorry for my slow response, I work FIFO (fly in, fly out...two weeks on, one week off), I can only access Forums on my week off... I will be taking a look in the next day or two, thanks  

[KanesGhost]

On 3/14/2020 at 5:27 AM, Grey Cloud said:

Lots of good tutorials about FNIS but make sure you are using XPMSE skeleton and not the actual XP32 skeleton.

The one you want (for LE?) is

https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/68000

 

You wont need this if you are running LE. It is for SE.

Thank you  ...I have the Skeleton installed and working nicely now  

[KanesGhost]

On 3/18/2020 at 5:41 PM, nemocdt said:

 

Scrub that stone age legendary mumbo jumbo go for a fresh shiny copy of Special Edition, thank me later. ?

I'm still not too sure about that  ...I am currently waiting to see if someone would convert a small, forgotten Oldrim Mod for me that had been essential to my gameplay, if I can get it done, then will be happy to charge on ahead with SkyrimSE  ...if not, I may still return to Oldrim, just being patient and waiting for a hoped for miracle for now  

[nemocdt]

what is the mod?

22 hours ago, KanesGhost said:

I'm still not too sure about that  ...I am currently waiting to see if someone would convert a small, forgotten Oldrim Mod for me that had been essential to my gameplay, if I can get it done, then will be happy to charge on ahead with SkyrimSE  ...if not, I may still return to Oldrim, just being patient and waiting for a hoped for miracle for now  

conversions are easy if they don't have a dll

[KanesGhost]

1 hour ago, nemocdt said:

what is the mod?

conversions are easy if they don't have a dll

Someone has been kind enough to convert it for me   ...and as I suspected, I think it only took him a few moments to do so  ....The Mod is simply a Front Flip... its a module part of a larger Mod called Martial Arts (found on Nexus, came out in 2012) ...You would be surprised at what a game changer this little Front Flip can be if you run a squishy character and they manage to get cornered (can Front Flip over an assailants head) or going for a normally just out of reach ledge as an Archer... it's great and a must have if you like a difficult challenging game without too many bells and whistles for your character  

[SmedleyDButler]

You have my sympathy OP.

 

Not quite starting from zero, but stopped playing a few months before all the major mod organizers updated and also in the middle of a big personal mod project which I DO want to finish, and it's all daunting to get back in... check all my mods for new compatibility updates, to see if they've been replaced by newer, better versions, etc. etc.

 

Of course I could just load up a vanilla game and go... but that wouldn't even be Skyrim! ?

[zaira]

On 3/11/2020 at 7:00 AM, MadMansGun said:

avoid Vortex

Why?

[KanesGhost]

On 4/12/2020 at 7:12 AM, SmedleyDButler said:

You have my sympathy OP.

 

Not quite starting from zero, but stopped playing a few months before all the major mod organizers updated and also in the middle of a big personal mod project which I DO want to finish, and it's all daunting to get back in... check all my mods for new compatibility updates, to see if they've been replaced by newer, better versions, etc. etc.

 

Of course I could just load up a vanilla game and go... but that wouldn't even be Skyrim! ?

Hello  ...I'm sorry for my late reply, I work 2 weeks on/ 1 week off in the Desert at a Mining Camp...it's an unreliable connection out there (I fly out there again tomorrow morning) ...Dead right about the Vanilla lol...I consider Bethesda Games great Canvas for the palette of the Mod art to go on top