guide Skyrim AE for Beginners - V 3.1.0

[Ashra XIII]

The awful thing about mod list updates isn't really uninstalling the old mods, nor installing and then having to sort the new ones.

 

 

...it's when, after all that has been done, I check for updates and see so, so much red. ?

[markvarley]

Still working through it and almost out of weekend, I might get to play sometime soon! ?

If I can finish setup tonight I'll do bashed patch and DynDOLOD while I'm working at my PC early next week (I'll be editing and rendering video so I'm hoping that won't interfere with DynDOLOD running!), ready to play next weekend! once I've caught up on updates!

[Varithina]

1 hour ago, Ashra XIII said:

The awful thing about mod list updates isn't really uninstalling the old mods, nor installing and then having to sort the new ones.

 

 

...it's when, after all that has been done, I check for updates and see so, so much red. ?

 

Then see the fomod settings for the new version do not match the settings in the guide, or have new options not shown in the guide. ?

[Bigglsby]

30 minutes ago, markvarley said:

Still working through it and almost out of weekend, I might get to play sometime soon! ?

If I can finish setup tonight I'll do bashed patch and DynDOLOD while I'm working at my PC early next week (I'll be editing and rendering video so I'm hoping that won't interfere with DynDOLOD running!), ready to play next weekend! once I've caught up on updates!

 

DynDOLOD runs use quite a bit of CPU and memory, and likes to freeze/fail not infrequently.  For something as involved as editing or rendering, I'd recommend keeping the tasks separate.   Rerunning the LOD isn't a problem (other than the time and hanging), but wouldn't want you to have issues with rendering, which may or may not be readily apparent.  Just FYI to avoid any problems on your end.  :)

[jak3676]

Just starting out with Skyrim and modding.  I spent all last week downloading a bunch of stuff and using Vortex - I had so many conflicts I had to start over 2x.  Now I found this guide and it seems great.  I just blew everything away and I'm starting with a fresh install and MO2.  

 

But I feel like I'm still missing a bunch of requirements/dependencies.  Is it assumed that I should check for Nexus Requirements and download them all for every mod, or is this guide complete -such that all the dependencies are covered later in the guide?  (or perhaps they aren't really necessary at all?)

 

For example - if I'm going to install the PI-CHO ENB in the 'required mods and updates' section, should I follow the full set of instructions on NexusMods (install helper, particle patch, Lux, etc) as I'm installing PI-CHO, or should I just follow the steps in the guide at this point (only copy 'enbseries', enbseries.ini, enblocal.ini into the "SKYRIM SE FOLDER")?

Edited August 13, 2023 by jak3676

[wollboi]

15 minutes ago, jak3676 said:

Just starting out with Skyrim and modding.  I spent all last week downloading a bunch of stuff and using Vortex - I had so many conflicts I had to start over 2x.  Now I found this guide and it seems great.  I just blew everything away and I'm starting with a fresh install and MO2.  

 

But I feel like I'm still missing a bunch of requirements/dependencies.  Is it assumed that I should check for Nexus Requirements and download them all for every mod, or is this guide complete -such that all the dependencies are covered later in the guide?  (or perhaps they aren't really necessary at all?)

Welcome and hope you enjoy your modding experience.

 

This list will have everything, dependencies included. If you are installing something and have questions about what choices you may want to pick in the FOMOD (the installation menu that some mods have), I'd recommend you Ctrl+F just to make sure. Other than that, just start at the beginning and work your way down and the list will give you all the dependencies (or list in the notes next to each mod entry if you need one). Aylis does an incredible job keeping up with everything.

 

That being said, it's never a bad idea to glance at the requirements. Also if you deviate from the list at all by adding some new stuff you'll of course want to check them. And if you have any other questions, people here are generally very friendly.

[misterpipes]

1 hour ago, jak3676 said:

Is it assumed that I should check for Nexus Requirements and download them all for every mod, or is this guide complete

This guide is complete. You don't need anything outside this guide*. It is worth reading some of the nexus/loverslab pages, so you know what you are getting, and obviously this thread has many helpful posts and posters who are happy to answer questions.

 

(*for the versions of mods that was originally downloaded when they where added to the mod page. Sometimes updated mods might have additional requirements, or thier fomod options changed)

[Varithina]

8 hours ago, misterpipes said:

This guide is complete. You don't need anything outside this guide*. It is worth reading some of the nexus/loverslab pages, so you know what you are getting, and obviously this thread has many helpful posts and posters who are happy to answer questions.

 

(*for the versions of mods that was originally downloaded when they where added to the mod page. Sometimes updated mods might have additional requirements, or thier fomod options changed)

 

Animated actions https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/47670?tab=description

 

From the physics and animations section, just under the oar install requires Dynamic Activation Key https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/96273

 

Which is not in this mod list anywhere. there are a few omods that have completely changed their options as well, some of them include patches that are listed as separate installs/downloads, some other items are no longer required as they are included in other mods already in this list as well.  I just installed this entire list over the past couple of weeks and found that out.  Not too sure if it is the omod options I choose when installing some of these files but the final step of building the dyndlod output is putting out hundreds of texture mismatches as well.

 

Some of the mods installed are completely overwritten by other mods lower down the guides install list rendering them totally worthless as installs, see the mods with the gray arrow, everything in those mods is being overwritten with mods lower down the list, and that is just a screen shot of one part of the load order.

 

Spoiler

 

 

Edited August 14, 2023 by Varithina
Numerous spelling and grammer changes:(

[markvarley]

Somehow somewhere I completely missed the addition of Redbag's Falkreath! ?

I'm going to have to go through the whole list and check I've not missed anything else! ?

[Aylis]

8 hours ago, Varithina said:

Which is not in this mod list anywhere. there are a few omods that have completely changed their options as well, some of them include patches that are listed as separate installs/downloads,

It is now... ?

 

Regarding the patches and updates:

Of course i check 24/7 every mod in the list for updates. Unnecessary things like food or sleep are completely overrated... ?

 

Quote

some other items are no longer required as they are included in other mods already in this list as well.

Which ones?

 

Besides the one in there (Rorikstead) so you can endorse the original author.

 

Quote

Some of the mods installed are completely overwritten by other mods lower down the guides install list rendering them totally worthless as installs

Going over your picture. Which part of 'Keep it in - There might be mesh issues otherwise.' is unclear? I tried to remove them before and had a lot of blue polygons. 

 

 

@wollboi

Sheson seems to have fixed the issue with waterwheels and windmills. So we don't need to change the settings anymore.

__________________________________________________

 

Added (Parallax) to some mods.

Reworked some instructions.

Having trouble uploading the optional 'Farmhouse - Stonewalls'. Will have to retry later...

 

Edited August 14, 2023 by Aylis

[Varithina]

4 hours ago, Aylis said:

Which ones?

 

Going over your picture. Which part of 'Keep it in - There might be mesh issues otherwise.' is unclear? I tried to remove them before and had a lot of blue polygons. 

 

 

 

Which ones off hand no clue, I had finished installing everything and was about to start the dyndlod and such part, and decided to see what loot said for load order for all the various lux and other light esls that are added in the dozen or so numbers, and decided to have a scroll through the list without changing anything just to see, all I remember was they were something to do with the great cities and are now included in the misc file, there were hmm, two or three esp it listed that way.

 

As for the keep it there may be problems, if the files both meshes and textures are being overwritten completely then they do nothing in game so chances are the problem was from something else, though this is skyrim after all so who really knows how it works.

 

When I have a week or so chances are I will go back through and see what has changed in the various sections, but considering I spent almost all my spare time over the past couple of weeks since getting my new pc setting this all up, I am pretty much had enough go do something else just now, currently that boils down to do I do seperate install for mods on fallout 3/nv or do I go for a tale of two wastelands install.

[Aylis]

The server here seems to have an issue. Have bee trying for hours to upload a small texture pack...

 

Edited August 14, 2023 by Aylis

[YuFeng]

The new update does look nice :3 I did find something you probably missed though: Parallax Occlusion Mapping is in the guide twice. One time in Foundation and one time in patches.

[Aylis]

Doublette removed.

[jak3676]

11 hours ago, Aylis said:

Of course i check 24/7 every mod in the list for updates. Unnecessary things like food or sleep are completely overrated... ?

Sorry, I don't intend my question to be a challenge or to imply that anything is wrong.  I'm new to all this and simply didn't understand which way I should do this.  

 

I don't know that I can even really appreciate how much work it is to publish and then maintain a guide like this over the course of several years.  I had stumbled upon one of your old lists (few years old) that was linked from some other site.  I thought that even would be awesome.  I figured a solution that was still 90% accurate would still be far better than anything I was doing, and I could hopefully update a few things and get to 95% - that's a solid "A" in my world.  The fact that you still update this and it's probably 99.9% up to date is amazing.  

[Aylis]

Finally managed to upload the file (added it to the guide and the last update post).

 

I was never too happy with how those walls looked like. The stones, the old walls were made of, couldn't be found anywhere else in Skyrim. Now they are closer to the mountain textures and look like they could have been gotten locally.

 

Preview:

Spoiler

 

Edited August 15, 2023 by Aylis

[jak3676]

Spiky Grass (in Foundation) isn't recognized by MO2 https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/36332. The mod author addresses this in their top comment, but may be worth pointing users to that resolution.

 

You also mark it as "Keep it in - There might be mesh issues otherwise."  so maybe resolution isn't really needed?

Edited August 15, 2023 by jak3676

[Aylis]

1 hour ago, jak3676 said:

Spiky Grass (in Foundation) isn't recognized by MO2 https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/36332. The mod author addresses this in their top comment, but may be worth pointing users to that resolution.

 

You also mark it as "Keep it in - There might be mesh issues otherwise."  so maybe resolution isn't really needed?

The solution in there is bollox...

 

Start the installation, click on the resolution you want, set it as 'Data', and install.

 

In other words: Standard solution for non-standard packed mods. No deletion of files, repacking, or something else.

Edited August 15, 2023 by Aylis

[jak3676]

7 minutes ago, Aylis said:

set it as 'Data', and install.

 I guess I didn't know how to do that.  I just edited the .7z and took out the 1k and 4k - then MO2 seemed to recognize it.  (fully admit, I don't really understand this - that was just the way I interpreted the instructions.)  Seems to work? *fingers crossed*.  

[Aylis]

1 hour ago, jak3676 said:

 I guess I didn't know how to do that. 

Rightclick solves a lot of things...

[markvarley]

@Aylis Complementary Grass Fixes is listed twice in Patches

 

also, to clarify, does:
Ancient Dwemer Metal - Enhanced Ingots (CCC)
mean:
Ancient Dwemer Metal - My patches - CC's Enhanced Ore Veins

I couldn't see an Ingots file

 

I'm still working through the changes and decided to drop WACCF now, and I have a heck of a lot of things patching that so it's turned into an epic.... ?

I'm working too, honest. ?

 

edit: bugger, WACCF is needed for Complete Crafting Overhaul and I like that, c'est la modding... ? time to put it all back....

Edited August 15, 2023 by markvarley
edit: update

[Aylis]

Good finds. Both are fixed now.

 

WACCF caused quite a few issues for some users, so i removed it.

[markvarley]

32 minutes ago, Aylis said:

WACCF caused quite a few issues for some users, so i removed it.

 

I like Complete Crafting Overhaul & Complete Alchemy & Cooking Overhaul, and a few other of his mods, I was using them before WACCF popped up in your mod list for a while so I'm kinda committed, I've not had many problems but there's an awful lot of patches for them!

 

I'm almost done putting WACCF back into my profile, I missed when you added Redbags Falkreath so I need to have a check through everything to make sure I didn't miss anything else, then it'll be time for a test then DynDOLOD, I might actually get it done in time to play this weekend! ?(I'll let you know about Eli's Halla with the Whiterun changes)

 

[Aylis]

@markvarley

Well, the next step for me is rechecking 'Gameplay', 'Housing' and 'World and Quests'. So checking on 'Halla' is good for me (that spot is a bit empty). 

__________________________________________________

 

My plans for now are:

Reevaluating 'Maximum Carnage'. Some of the textures are off and look like bad movie make-up/prostetics. Texture patch?

The mod 'Ars Metallica - Smithing Enhancement' sounds interesting. Maybe i can add it.

Checking out 'Severin Manor' and 'Vlindrel Hall'. Downloaded them months ago but never got the time to check them... ? 

More quests/hidden locations. Vanilla Skyrim is getting stale after all these years. So something new is welcome, right?

[markvarley]

1 hour ago, Aylis said:

@markvarley

Well, the next step for me is rechecking 'Gameplay', 'Housing' and 'World and Quests'. So checking on 'Halla' is good for me (that spot is a bit empty). 

__________________________________________________

 

My plans for now are:

Reevaluating 'Maximum Carnage'. Some of the textures are off and look like bad movie make-up/prostetics. Texture patch?

The mod 'Ars Metallica - Smithing Enhancement' sounds interesting. Maybe i can add it.

Checking out 'Severin Manor' and 'Vlindrel Hall'. Downloaded them months ago but never got the time to check them... ? 

More quests/hidden locations. Vanilla Skyrim is getting stale after all these years. So something new is welcome, right?

I had a quick fly around before doing the bashed patch and DynDOLOD, nothing around Halla so that looks clear.

 

I used Cynn's Vlindrel Hall on a previous playthrough so I have that this time too (I also have their Proudspire & Hjerim)

 

Skyrim is almost 12 years old and still so much new content, it amazes me frankly!