BOSS? What can you tell me about it?

[Cozy]

I've heard about it, I am aware it optimizes load order, but is it really that reliable? I'm very OCD when it comes to my load order, and I'm just not sure if something automated can be totally trusted. Especially when it comes to mods that don't seem very important, but really need to be low in Load in order to function.

 

Still, it seems BOSS has gotten some high praise, so I am curious? Does it live up to it's hype?

[cornbreadtm]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5cPITY-qJE

 

Step one is to check and see if any of your mods are not registared in the BOSS masterlist by running it. Then if you find any that aren't you should go to the forum which is on the BOSS site and post them, so they can be added. Besides from that Boss is reliable unless you use a merged patch where in you have to use your own personal intelligence to decide how to properly organize some of your mods so your patch will overwrite properly.

 

[Cozy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5cPITY-qJE

 

Step one is to check and see if any of your mods are not registared in the BOSS masterlist by running it. Then if you find any that aren't you should go to the forum which is on the BOSS site and post them, so they can be added. Besides from that Boss is reliable unless you use a merged patch where in you have to use your own personal intelligence to decide how to properly organize some of your mods so your patch will overwrite properly.

 

I'm going to watch this later... I may give it a chance while keeping another Data folder free of it. See how well it performs. If it does well, then I may keep using it, still I do prefer to set the load order myself as daunting as that can be at times.

[formel]

The effectiveness of BOSS highly depends on whether the mods you use are in the boss database or not. If you use mostly the high rated mods from nexus then thei are most likly covered from boss but with mods form e.g. this side the chances a rather low and you have to arrange them manualy.

 

 

So my advice is you can use it to get a prototype load order (depending on the mods you use) and arrange the rest by hand

[Someone92]

Wrye Bash has a function to save your current load order, so you can just try out BOSS and if you notice crashes occur more frequently simply change back to your old load order.

[gregathit]

As Formel stated, BOSS is a good starting point.  It is at the end of the day, a good tool, but like all tools it has a certain function.  With the high rate of Skyrim plugins that continue to be pumped out BOSS is going to be way behind the curve for quite a while. 

 

That basically means you run BOSS and then work from there to optimize your load order.  Or to put it another way, it just servers to order the bulk of your plugins and you tweak the remainder. 

 

As Someone92 pointed out Wrye is another excellent tool and Tes5edit will be another: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/25859

NOTE:  Tes5edit is still very much a WIP.

[Cozy]

Appreciate the input, and I do use Wrye Bash actually. Have since Oblvion. Grant you I haven't used it thus far much for Skyrim, but I forsee myself creating a Bashed Patch for all my clothing mods soon, to free up space in my load order.

 

The more I hear about BOSS, the more it seems like I can do without it though. Just keep on top of my load order manually as I always do, and there shouldn't be any problems.

 

Thanks again.