guide Skyrim AE for Beginners - V 3.1.0

[belegost]

Welding Man's Smelter - EmbersXD Patch is redundant if overwritten by CS Particle Patch, since it overwrites smeltermarker.nif.

 

JS Barenziah SE has a conflict with Nature of the Wild Lands, The Citadel of Snow - Lively Windhelm Bridge and Wielding Man's Smelter.

fxglowENB.dds is the offending file. I am not certain how to best resolve this conflict. For now I have it placed after NotWL and Windhelm Bridge, but before Welding Man's Smelter. Any advice?

 

Both plugin files from Window Shadows Ultimate are reported as dirty plugins. However QuickAutoClean can only resolve records in Window Shadows Ultimate Supplement.esp. The main file, Window Shadows Ultimate.esp can not be auto-cleaned and is reported to have 3 deleted navmeshes (as reported by SSEEdit 4.1.5o).

There is no information on the mod page or in the comments whether it's safe to delete ITM's. I've done it anyway, we'll see how it goes.

 

SexLab Defeat by Bane Master has it's own page now. No need to shovel through the original thread anymore.

 

  

On 11/15/2022 at 2:11 PM, Aylis said:

SexLab - Fertility Mode

 

The link points to a "Kauffman und Maid" music video on youtube, instead of the mod. There are actually two links. Only the word "mode" has the correct one.

 

=========

Some personal choices:

=========

• Instead of Unique Thane Weapons, I'm using Zim's Immersive Artifacts which covers those and much more. Like the ability to obtain two-handed Dawnbreaker or a light armour version of Spellbreaker.
• Valravn with Valravn SPID Uncloak. Lightweight combat overhaul that works with any animation or perk overhaul mods. Do not use the other linked file Valravn Uncloaked, since it doesn't work.
• The Midden - Expanded a great addition to the College and one of the best purely environmental storytelling mods I have ever played. Needs a patch to get rid of black faces, remove the location marker before it's discovered and get rid of invisible exploding runes. However FaceGeom and FaceGenData folders need to be renamed from middenexpandedSSE.esm to middenexpandedSSE.esp in order to work.
• Invisible rune explosion fix to get rid of the invisible exploding runes. Optional, if you have never experienced this bug. I have and on many occasions. This is a staple in my load order now.

Edited November 6, 2025 by belegost

[belegost]

Okay, everything looks nice... except that everything is so dark if the area is not in direct sunlight. You can barely make out the details.

On the other hand, open areas in broad daylight when there is a a sunny weather, everything is so bright I have to change my monitor b to darker, because it just blinds me. 

 

How do I adjust it, because this is very bad right now. Reshade Klarity + iMMERSE actually makes things even worse.

 

Images on the left are with CS on, on the right are with CS off.

 

 

 

 

 

This is area right next to Winking Skeever, a side alley that is in shade. You can barely make out anything and I have to whip out a torch to make out the details,. Both images are with CS on.

 

 

 

 

I have seen your screenshots @Aylis, everything looks completely different there, images are clear and not too bright, not too dark, the distant details are clearly visible. How?

 

 

EDIT:

There is also the problem of oversaturation and desaturation.

During sunny weather everything is not only too bright but extremely oversaturated, to the point of being outright ridiculous. However as soon as there is any cloudy weather all exterior areas  become desaturated and frankly - dark. I started walking with torch out at 4 in the afternoon, becasue I already could not see anything. I am getting so annoyed with it to the point I am considering ripping out all the lightning and ENB features entirely.

Edited November 6, 2025 by belegost

[Novosin]

7 hours ago, belegost said:

Okay, everything looks nice... except that everything is so dark if the area is not in direct sunlight. You can barely make out the details.

On the other hand, open areas in broad daylight when there is a a sunny weather, everything is so bright I have to change my monitor b to darker, because it just blinds me. 

 

How do I adjust it, because this is very bad right now. Reshade Klarity + iMMERSE actually makes things even worse.

I have the same or very similar issue + some light sources indoors behaving like tiny supernovas. See below. 
 

Spoiler

 

[PubliusNV]

Before getting down to actually playing the game, I thought I should check out some locations. I'm having problems in Falkreath. With Redbag's Falkreath, there's a wall separating the town and the graveyard. stepping through the gate in that wall I see this. The partial building is the House of the Dead:    

Spoiler

 

Taking just a few steps forward, the scene changes to this. The building is missing. And then a few steps further on (3rd spoiler) it reappears.

 

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

This is with all PBRs and LODs built and active. Any help is appreciated.

[belegost]

2 hours ago, PubliusNV said:

This is with all PBRs and LODs built and active. Any help is appreciated.

Probably LOD issues. I had the same. Try this. It helped me.

[PubliusNV]

1 hour ago, belegost said:

Probably LOD issues

 

Thanks for the suggestion. The conditions for the bug that fixes don't quite match, since I was using the Alternate start as a patron of Dead Man's Drink to get to Falkkreath, not fast travel. I installed it, started a new game, and the problem is still there. I think I'll keep it in my load order anyway, though.

[PubliusNV]

While reading the comments on Nexus about Redbag's Falkreath, I came across a recommendation from Redbag for this mod, Unofficial eFPS patches. Installing it and  placing it at the bottom of the Patches section did indeed get rid of the problem of the Falkreath House of the Dead flickering in and out (See my post with photos a few posts above). 

 

So while that's fixed, Falkreath still has some problems in my game. The wall between the graveyard and the town does not meet the ground. There's a gap, and an arch in the wall that you can walk through and clip through underground and buildings.

[belegost]

Northern Roads puts a guard tower in the middle of the stream, just over the satchel with Reyda's Necklace. You can't get to it anymore. I haven't seen any patch for that. If it exists within one of the installers I have missed it.

 

I just spent 4 hours moving plugins around trying to fix incompatibilities between Northern Roads and The Great Town of Ivarstead. Yes, I followed the NR plugin order recommendation for the spoiler tag. That was not enough. Turns out you have to move Northern Roads under EVERY.SINGLE.PATCH that's not NR related. City Trees and 3D Landscape Fixes caused gaps in and around the new guard tower on the stream. That's just for one town. I'll probably have to do it again for every other town I come across once I start playing for real.

 

eFPS patch for TGT of Ivarstead is outdated and leads to horrible pop-ins when approaching Vilemyr Inn's entrance.

Use this one instead: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/136804

There are still pop-ins on the bridge to High Hrothgar though.

Edited November 8, 2025 by belegost

[belegost]

DynDOLOD Output is over 10GB. Wow, that's 8 times the size of what I was used to.

[PubliusNV]

6 hours ago, belegost said:

Northern Roads puts a guard tower in the middle of the stream, just over the satchel with Reyda's Necklace. You can't get to it anymore.

 

I just visited that area and found Reyda's body and necklace behind the guard tower, between the tower and a mod-added ship, close to the tower.

[PubliusNV]

The road from Falkreath past the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary to Half-Moon Mill looks like this, which is different from every other road I've tested out. I assume there's a Northern Roads patch missing or out of place.

Spoiler

 

I've tried to sort my plugins as recommended by the guide. Here's what I've got starting with Northern Roads:

 

Spoiler

   

 

[PubliusNV]

I hope Aylis' new apartment situation is all sorted out satisfactorily. 🙂

[belegost]

There is a new patch for eFPS - The Great Town of Ivarstead - Northern Roads. It's in the misc files. Do not use the main file, just the misc one.

 

Have it overwrite the official, outdated patch from eFPS Official/Unofficial Patch Hubs, whichever is relevant for this specific file.

 

I had a part in it's creation... mostly by complaining.

Edited November 9, 2025 by belegost

[Novosin]

Yay! So much fun with a neighborhood-wide power outage ten minutes into grass cache creation. Where's my SMR?! Where's my future?!

[Aylis]

Still too much wobbling here and I have trouble hitting icons with the cursor. Testing/gaming is almost impossible atm and its driving me insane... 

[cloudmc]

Few notes;
---

Hearthfire - Extended

There is a patch for Creation Club Fishing  https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/61548
 

I was able to install it mid play through with the notes in the posts

 

---

 

Gods And Worship - Daedric Shrines 
This patch is no longer available without installing  https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/78772
The old change the looks file is now under archived so it can't be downloaded anymore.

---

New Winking Skeever
There is a patch for 3DNPC - https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/29803
But there isn't a patch for Amorous Adventures

---
Dawnfang and Duskfang - No Forced Quest
This is listed under both Patches CCC and Weapons - Melee

---

 

3DNPC is missing a patch for Alternative Start 
Interesting NPCs SE - Alternative Locations - Flagged ESL https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/29194?tab=files&file_id=116426&nmm=1

---

You list Trees PBR 
Which file do we need? https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/136086?tab=files  I don't see anything we have installed.

---


Is crash logger still disabled when creating grass since it's a requirement for Community Shaders?  I f'ed up my install and am having to go back through it since I can't launch skyrim without it crashing at start menu

Edited November 12, 2025 by cloudmc

[belegost]

1 hour ago, cloudmc said:

Is crash logger still disabled when creating grass since it's a requirement for Community Shaders?

No. I created my grass cache with it on. It just produced two crash logs two times the game crashed during generation, but was otherwise uneventful.

In fact it is beneficial to have it, since if there is any mod that's incompatible with grass caching process still active, the log will tell you which one is it. 

 

You do need to disable TrueHUD though and everything associated with it, including widgets and inventory injector, otherwise the process won't even start.

Edited November 11, 2025 by belegost

[cloudmc]

hmm that might of been why it keep generating nothing.  I was having random crashes and it appeared to be connected to needing mod updates so I updated community shaders and then started crashing at 7% shaders built.  I started back tracking trying to rebuild caches and I couldn't get the grass to build.  So I keep removing mods but then it started crashing on start up, I figured that was what the grass was doing so I figured I broke it badly.

So now I am re-enabling section by section and updating extensions.  After I enable a section I am starting the game to see if crashes at the menu.

[KCOLL]

crash logger doesn't really start until you get to the load menu. If your crashing before then it has to be something very basic. check loot it might show a conflict. also watch incase you have to many esp, 254 max. A bad mod might crash a game early had that a few times.

[KCOLL]

if shaders is crashing then something is incomplete with the setup  shaders is very reliable for me  you have to read carefully. community shaders they add remove incorporate the segments as it matures

[KCOLL]

1 minute ago, KCOLL said:

if shaders is crashing then something is incomplete with the setup  shaders is very reliable for me  you have to read carefully. community shaders they add remove incorporate the segments as it matures  in other words you have to check the component mods to see what has been incorporated into community shaders and then remove that component as a mod . and check for any new components introduced a a new mod

 

[guangxitufei]

Where is the water mod? I can't find it.     Do not install Water For ENB or Simplicity of Seas？

[PubliusNV]

eFPS and Grand Solitude Don't play well together, at least in my load order. Lots of flickering and disappearing walls, buildings, etc. The official and unofficial eFPS patches don't address Grand Solitude, but I did find this mod Grand Solitude - eFPS patch that seems to fix most of the problems, at least for me. 

Edited November 11, 2025 by PubliusNV
Fix typo

[PubliusNV]

This is my first time playing with Gods and Worship. Is it supposed to have an MCM? I couldn't find anything about an MCM on the mod description page, but a comment in the comments section implied there was one. Also, I used the Tome of Devotion to choose a god at the start, but now can't find a way to switch. Clicking on a shrine grants me the blessing of the shrine, but doesn't give me the choice to worship, change gods, or leave an offering, which the mod description says should be available.  

 

Update: I found a mod on Nexus called Gods and Worship - MCM Fix that gets me the MCM when I start a new game. But shrines still don't give a choice of changing gods or giving an offering. 

Edited November 12, 2025 by PubliusNV
fix book name

[_Warhawk_]

1 hour ago, guangxitufei said:

Where is the water mod? I can't find it.     Do not install Water For ENB or Simplicity of Seas？

The water mod is apart of Natural Waterfalls. Aylis went with the water addon from that mod. It is also very far down in the list. Its in the Patches section.

Edited November 11, 2025 by _Warhawk_
Added where its located in the list/load order.