Removing script-heavy mod (Shout Like a Virgin)

[m0rdr3d0]

I know that removing script-heavy mods is often discouraged, but I also read that in general it's possible and usually highly likely to succeed if the save is cleaned up properly. I would like to do this with "Shout like a virgin" mod, which, as I realized, is not my cup of tea.

 

In general, the process for such mods removal would be like this:

1. Save in a small cell, like your own house

2. Disable mod

3. Load save

4. Save once again (ideally in a separate slot)

5. Run Fallrim Tools to clean up the save (removing unattached instances)

 

However, I encounter problems at step #3 - I can't load my game after disabling the mod in question. I am just stuck at loading screen. I tried waiting for 30 minutes, nothing happens - I hear background music and that's it. Maybe I should wait more, but maybe something else can be done. So I am asking experts here, what could be possibly done to remove such mod more or less safely?

[BreadDain]

You are getting ILSes, try to do 1-5-2 instead, cleaning all plugin related forms and scripts, and load cleaned save after. Saying it's 50/50 it would work is a generous estimation.

[anjenthedog]

52 minutes ago, m0rdr3d0 said:

I know that removing script-heavy mods is often discouraged, but I also read that in general it's possible and usually highly likely to succeed if the save is cleaned up properly. I would like to do this with "Shout like a virgin" mod, which, as I realized, is not my cup of tea.

 

In general, the process for such mods removal would be like this:

1. Save in a small cell, like your own house

2. Disable mod

3. Load save

4. Save once again (ideally in a separate slot)

5. Run Fallrim Tools to clean up the save (removing unattached instances)

 

However, I encounter problems at step #3 - I can't load my game after disabling the mod in question. I am just stuck at loading screen. I tried waiting for 30 minutes, nothing happens - I hear background music and that's it. Maybe I should wait more, but maybe something else can be done. So I am asking experts here, what could be possibly done to remove such mod more or less safely?

Afaik, simply disabling a mod leaves all of its resources in place and simply disabled the mod management file (ie the mod's esm, esl).  I'm not sure disabling a script heavy mod is sufficient for all of its elements not to screw with the game even when the mod is disabled. 

 

step 5. In my opinion... Don't just remove unattached instances. Scripts left over from a scripted mod will also often be present in the save file and can cause issues if left to flounder in the background. You can either hunt down those associated with the removed mod and removed them one by one, or do what some of us do and also "remove undefined elements"

 

Having said that... You may not be able to remove some mods once installed and played on for a while. So I'd recommend re-enabling the mod and consider that you *might have to back peddle multiple levels to find a save that'll successfully open

 

And having said that, before anything else, try loading other, older saves in your present setup. You may find that this particular save is an issue, but one only a few steps back works fine. 

[fishburger67]

3 hours ago, m0rdr3d0 said:

I know that removing script-heavy mods is often discouraged, but I also read that in general it's possible and usually highly likely to succeed if the save is cleaned up properly. I would like to do this with "Shout like a virgin" mod, which, as I realized, is not my cup of tea.

 

In general, the process for such mods removal would be like this:

1. Save in a small cell, like your own house

2. Disable mod

3. Load save

4. Save once again (ideally in a separate slot)

5. Run Fallrim Tools to clean up the save (removing unattached instances)

 

However, I encounter problems at step #3 - I can't load my game after disabling the mod in question. I am just stuck at loading screen. I tried waiting for 30 minutes, nothing happens - I hear background music and that's it. Maybe I should wait more, but maybe something else can be done. So I am asking experts here, what could be possibly done to remove such mod more or less safely?

The bad thing about script heavy mods is that they frequently leave pieces of code running in your save file.  So, just disabling it will not relieve the script load. 

 

Remove the mod and use a save cleaner.  If that doesn't work, nothing will.

[monsta88]

Basically I'd say that you should just start a new game. What I usually do is try a few new mods and then when I know what I want, I modify the modlist accordingly and start a new game. If I'm ingame and I don't like a mod, I just try to disable it from MCM and ignore it for the rest of the game. But big mods like the one you mentioned should not be removed just like that.

 

Of course sometimes you want to upgrade some mod, which says that you need to start a new game, but you don't want to do that. In cases like these I do a safety save, and then clean the scrip instances and other stuff from the savegame and enable the new version. This may work, or may not. For example if the mod has some kind of progress, you can lose that. I broke some savegames with some risky updates (but as I had a safety save, I didn't break the whole game).

 

So generally it is better to not to do it.  

[m0rdr3d0]

Thanks for all the replies. It seems that there is no easy solution and I need to live with this mod (or start a new game).