BOSS... Use it!! *Rant*

[Uno]

Yes, people should use It, at least, to learn how to organize the loadorder when they start to modding.

I only "use" BOSS to see if it tag any of my recently added mods as dirty or need a special tag for WB, but I always order my load-list handly. The tool is called BOSS not GOD so It's not omniscient...

 

[GrimReaper]

Only tool I use for resolving CTD's is TesEdit5, nothing more. I used BOSS for Oblivion but it did nothing for Lovers. (until someone started listing Lovers mods for it) But I was already using TesEdit4. I've only used WryeBash for adding masters and small things like that. 9 out of 10 times for me ctd's come from not inspecting a mod close enough and it replaces a skeleton. which afaik no tool will tell you that. but games are much like a computer, it crashes due to user error. and usually a tool won't tell you that either. 

 

That's why you should look inside the mod you downloaded. I always check what meshes/textures/scripts come with a mod before I copy and paste it into my Skyrim folder. Will save you a lot of time in the end, promised.

[dinomagick]

This made me laugh.  I don't use Boss, nor do I whine, nor do I have or ever have ctd. Rather than rely on some third party app to do things for you, how about learning your mods, what they do and how they interact. After doing this, you'll be able to write your own load order which is really simple and rather intuitive anyway. Have a nice day

 

I do make an effort to know my mods and once I have a set, I do normally make my changes manual...

 

However,As many mods (currently at 226) as I run and how frequent I change them, test out new ones and ENBs, it's better to run BOSS.    Again, instead of spending hours and hours trying to figure out load orders and manually changing it... A quick run of BOSS, and off I play.

[dinomagick]

I tried to install BOSS and found the interface clumsy, twitchy and confusing. I run about 30 mods and so far Wrye and manual ordering is working for me, despite being programmed in the crappy Python language. Fortunately there's a bundled installation or I wouldn't have used it. I loathe third party command interpreters.

 

Ps. Nobody codes in C++ anymore? Python, Java, Net Framework and the others are garbage.

 

In fact, I actually use the command line version of boss.  C:\BOSS\boss.exe -g Skyrim

 

I also modified and made my own rules and run it 'quiet' without the annoying web pop-up telling me what it did or did not do.  (I like reading the log file).

I didn't actually code in C++, but I did troubleshoot problems or make mods to it long ago.

 

Wow... there sure is a lot of dislike for stuff like Boss....

[GrimReaper]

You would be amazed by the amount of people that refuse to use something like SKSE or FNIS because reasons.

[dTd]

I hope no one is implying I don't like boss because nothing could be further from the truth. I just don't actually use it for no other reason than I've never needed it. I normaly run around 125 mods at any given time and have learned to order them through basic research like reading the comments, opening them up and inspecting them and following reccomendations included with them. Still I must say that in the beginning I did experience CTD but after a new video card, ram, and chip upgrade and using ULOPlus with ENBBoost and a more informed and exerienced load order that no I don't ever have a CTD anymore, not for 8 months or more now.

 

AMD Phenom x4

4g ram

nvidia geforce gtx 650 TI

Right now steam is saying 1719 hours played ....

[ToJKa]

Rather than rely on some third party app to do things for you, how about learning your mods, what they do and how they interact.

That reminds how recently a console user in Bethesda forums told me i'm lazy because i'm using unofficial patches and console to fix bugs in the game, instead of finding what triggers them trough trial and error

 

Not that it's any news, i know i'm lazy. Thus i use every possible tool to make the computer work instead of me.

[lidowxxx]

Like someone said above, BOSS is a tool, same as others like NMM, TES5edit, Wryebash, tools meant to be used to make you AWARE of possible conflicts/bugs of your mods and to help your troubleshoot them. Unless you are only running a very small number of mods, I see absolutely no reason not to use it. It can be served as a general guide line of what mods in your list can cause problems to each other, do they contain any dirty edits that need to be cleaned.. etc, it actually can save you A LOT OF time even if you are perfectly familiar with each every mod in your mod list.

 

Sure it is not perfect, some of your mods may require some manual adjustment after BOSS done sorting out the load order, and it won't stop your game from crashing if you got tons of 4k/8k texture replacers, it also won't tell you the causes of your CTDs if you keep uninstalling mods and eventually ruin your game save. If your expect it to be your one-stop solution to all your problems with mods, that's your problem.

[Hayleyrose2323]

 

Rather than rely on some third party app to do things for you, how about learning your mods, what they do and how they interact.

That reminds how recently a console user in Bethesda forums told me i'm lazy because i'm using unofficial patches and console to fix bugs in the game, instead of finding what triggers them trough trial and error

 

Not that it's any news, i know i'm lazy. Thus i use every possible tool to make the computer work instead of me.

 

 

Someone really said that to you? Jeez...my head...gaaah!!!

 

Anyways though I love BOSS and its a great tool when its needed and yea more people should definately give it a try hehe

[ToJKa]

Someone really said that to you? Jeez...my head...gaaah!!!

Yup, http://forums.bethsoft.com/topic/1476593-why-bethesda-owes-the-modding-community-a-salary/?p=23084225.

 

Though maybe that "pretty much impossible to play comfortably without them" was a bit provocative.

[D_ManXX2]

Boss is only valid if it was identifying every single mod.. But the way it is right now, it does not even know what to do 75% of my mod list. Witch makes this tool currently pretty much useless for me. i still need to reorder 75% of my mod list.

 

The few it identifies does not out-weight what i have to do to fully reorder everything.

 

Right now i am just better off reordering manually anyway.

[Hayleyrose2323]

Jeez...My brain hurts after reading all that stuff...

 

If modding skyrim means im being lazy, then hell yea im proud of being "Lazy"

[Guest corespore]

In the end the point trying to be made is that people who refuse to use the tools provided by others free of charge to make their gaming a little easier to mod should perhaps think as to exactly why they are refusing to except the help. Even worse berating someone for suggesting to them they might want to take the time to load and use said programs. The old saying applies that you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink applies here, but what do you do when the horse asks you to take them to water then boots you in the happy-sack for doing exactly what you were asked to do? No matter how many times new PC gamers ask me the same questions over and over i always try to take the time to explain stuff even though there should be an expectation of them to take the time to learn these things for themselves, I don't expect anyone to somehow magically know what it took me months to learn. I do not, however, bother to try to reason with people who refuse to even consider a suggestion i make. Better to walk away than limp away with smashed nads i always say.

[Guest]

Don't see why this is a binary choice for anyone really. BOSS is what it is, it's not going to prevent CTDs but it does help to reduce the likelihood, it's not at all infallible but it is useful just like any other database. It's quite easy to gain an intimate understanding of your mods and almost inevitably if you spend a lot of time modding, at some point BOSS becomes totally subordinate to your own judgement. 

 

These days I use it more as a sanity check, compare my Jenga-like install against the masterlist just to see how out of control it's got. 

[kuromahou]

Finally using boss and wrye bash, removed most of the dirty edit mods (didnt really need em, lanterns of skyrim ect), made a bashed patch for leveled lists, and have a good load order.

 

Have a fully stable skyrim, can play for hours with no ctd or issues, for the first time ever. With some 40+ mods installed too.

 

Dunno why I waited so long to try wrye bash and boss, they are completely invaluable. And such a huge variety of spawns and drops compared to before from the bashed patch!