Experience with "Could be light" (Was: Advise re: "Could be Light")

[anjenthedog]

Active plugin counts are getting high (I'm actually "at limit") and I'd like to resolve that if possible, both to "make room" and have a little headroom in case riding the edge increaes instability.

 

I use Vortex as my mod manager. I know that Vortex has the ability to defacto "ESLify" quite a few plugins, and push them into the upper load register, freeing low register plugin counts, and I have many I've done that to along the way. 

 

However, there are some, especially Racemenu and LL associated mods, that I've avoided converting, for fear of destabilizing things, since many (or some) of those can already be a bit destabilizing all on their own, and I didn't want to further compound things by blindly acting.

 

So with that said, can you confirm (or refute/deny) any of the plugins listed below, that you have set to "light" (ESL) in your own game (or conversely don't work even if they "can" be "lightened")?

• animal_sos.esp
• cbbe.esp
• racemenu.esp
• racemenumorphsbhunp.esp
• racemenumorphscbbe.esp
• sexlab inflation framework.esp
• sexlab utilityplus.esp
• sosracemenu.esp

thanks

 

PS> 1.5.97 under SKSE 2.0.20

 

 

- changed title. I'm fully aware of the philosophy of not ESL-ifying and so forth. This is a targeted query regarding *player experience* with changing the load register (lower, or higher) for one or more of the plugins in the list provided.

 

Edited September 17, 2023 by anjenthedog
title change to clarify desired responses

[Gukahn]

Not an expert but I would advice against making your Body replacer and racemenu light, way too much going on with those

 

Mods you can almost always make light are normal followers, patches and standalone outfits without npc distribution (Not sure if distributing them makes a difference tho. Just what I do most of the time.)

 

[anjenthedog]

My immediate thoughts (and practice) as well. However, while many mods can't be made light, these "can" (technically anyway, some plugins simply cannot be, at least using Vortex's tool) . which still begs the question (at least a little)... *someone thinks they can. 

 

To be clear, all the plugins I listed are enabled to use the vortex "lighten" (ELSify) tool

 

And to be clear, even one of those listed if, found to be okay with it (via "player testimony") would be a benefit for me. I'm running on the ragged edge of stability as is and need to get things cleaned up, so even one smudge removed is better than none.

Edited September 16, 2023 by anjenthedog
clarity

[Gukahn]

7 minutes ago, anjenthedog said:

My immediate thoughts (and practice) as well. However, while many mods can't be made light, these "can" (technically anyway, some plugins simply cannot be, at least using Vortex's tool) . which still begs the question (at least a little)... *someone thinks they can. 

 

 

I wouldn't trust vortex suggestion feature too much, like I wouldn't trust loot with everything regarding my LO. Every Mod can be made light with xEdit, doesn't mean they are save to do so.
I've flagged many mods with vortex feature in the past and never had any problems, but there are just these mods where you start to think.. Maybe I should let them be hard and don't touch them in any way..

What you can do however is disable sos' racemenu plugin. You don't really need it unless you want very distinguishable cock shapes ?

What makes me wonder is why you have BHUNP and Cbbe body morphs enabled?

Edited September 16, 2023 by Gukahn

[anjenthedog]

Well, Again player testimonial and all that. I agree not to trust vortex 100%. Hence I haven't lightened these. That doesn't mean I'm right (in this or one or more of the cases)

 

I've been running off supposition for a while. Hoping for actual experience. I'm out of headroom for experimenting. Ragged edge means just that. 

 

To be clear, and much as I agree with most of your suppositions already, that isn't data.

Edited September 16, 2023 by anjenthedog

[traison]

Fairly certain you can't trust any tool or any user's opinions on this matter because the first thing that comes to my mind that will break if a plugin is made light, is dependency injection or so called soft requirements implemented in scripts. I don't know how common these are out in the wild as most of my mods are self-made, however I pretty much use them wherever and whenever I can. Meaning, my code is full of Init event handlers that fetch forms from various plugins (by their formid and filename) and deal with the situation should those plugins not be available. Obviously, a well made soft dependency is just that, a soft (as in not essential) dependency so the plugin will not fail to load or function because of it - however you'd lose out on features. A hypotetical example could be that SLAC may lose its attachment to SLA - the mod is running, the MCM works, but no action happens in game because it can't read the values it needs from SLA; or it starts to make assumptions like using a RNG instead of actual values.

 

My point is this is going to be very mod version and mod list dependent, as well as something that may very easily bite you in the ass later down the line. You'd have to be on the ball with xEdit in the future when installing or otherwise changing mods. Not saying this is in any way difficult or a bad idea. I can't download any scripted mods from LL and have them run without issues either, again because my core mods are custom. It's the price I pay for full control and freedom, and I have no regrets.

 

And in case a merged patch was your plan B, that would have the same outcome for soft dependencies as the formid is likely to change as well as the esp name obviously.

 

What I'd do if I were in your shoes (assuming you haven't done this already), is find a competent plugin merger and slap together all simple plugins like those adding armors and items. Perhaps even those altering worldspaces and the environment could be merged - don't need a plugin that adds more trees, and another that adds more bushes - merge them. These are by no means safe from, say, soft depdencies obviously but I'd say you're less likely to have issues with a core SL mod like SLA if you merge your sword-n-hat mods than if you try to light-ify Fill Her Up.

Edited September 16, 2023 by traison