Been off game for a couple months., SE vs AE?

[anjenthedog]

Due to a Steam crash back in late October or early November, plus an obtuse lack of support at steam and then at Nexus (for vortex) my game has effectively been annulled, and I've been idling by watching junk on youtube instead (I'm gimped and have little else to do frankly, so no I'm not going for walk thanks ).

 

(I still have the game folder in its entirely stuffed onto an archive drive for pulling settings, mod list, custom presets, etc, even mod sources *if/where it still applies going forward, to save me time ..presumably)

 

So...it's time to reinstall from scratch, something I haven't done since early 2019.

 

Here's the question for today.

 

Is AE up to snuff now, or is it still "downgrade" situation?

 

Note: am aware that some older resources may not mesh up and need to be replaced with AE compatible versions or alternate mods in some cases...

 

I'd think it'd be easiest just to go with the flow (AE) but not sure what the current "cost" of doing so  is.

 

thanks

Edited January 16, 2025 by anjenthedog

[Just Don't]

The answer hasn't change in all this time. Depends entirely on the mods you use. Unless you hate a version number and love another, but then you wouldn't be asking this question.

If the stuff you want to use works on current version, stay on current version.

If the stuff you want to use works only on an old version, you'll have to downgrade or find alternatives to those mods.

 

You should know where the compatibility tracking and SL Index are so you can check the common stuff, for more specific mods a quick search on the nexus or google should do.

Edited January 16, 2025 by Just Don't

[anjenthedog]

thanks for your input. Didn't know if maybe things had changed over the past I guess ~3 months, since I haven't been paying close attention to any of the forums lately (between avoiding the issue, holidays, etc)

 

A few more "doctors" opinions/advise/quips/etc would help, if anyone else is interested in contributing with their own wisdom (no offense to you of course, just more's better if you know what I mean)

 

Edited January 16, 2025 by anjenthedog

[Psalam]

1 hour ago, anjenthedog said:

thanks for your input. Didn't know if maybe things had changed over the past I guess ~3 months, since I haven't been paying close attention to any of the forums lately (between avoiding the issue, holidays, etc)

 

A few more "doctors" opinions/advise/quips/etc would help, if anyone else is interested in contributing with their own wisdom (no offense to you of course, just more's better if you know what I mean)

 

Don't look at me for wisdom. I'm still using LE! 😁

[MysticDaedra]

Nothing's changed in the last 3 months. SE/AE are roughly comparable, but SE requires use of a mod to work with newer mods on the Nexus (BEES). AE also contains the CC content (assuming you actually have AE and aren't just updating SE). I would say that unless there is a specific mod you want to use that explicitly does not work with AE, that you could/should update. No other reason not to.

 

Remember to use Papyrus Tweaks NG for zero script lag.

[FauxFurry]

Most of the mods for Special Edition have been updated, some for a few years now (as they make use of the Address Library). The handful not been updated largely were replaced by this point.

I switched back to the Steam version due to the insistence of my anti-virus software on attacking my BGS games and their mods when there is no client like Steam to verify that they are games rather than viruses annoying me enough to stop using the GOG version and have had no problems with outdated mods since. 

[Tlam99]

52 minutes ago, MysticDaedra said:

SE requires use of a mod to work with newer mods on the Nexus (BEES)

i use newer mods without this.

Xedit is enough to change the header from 1.71 to 1.70.

 

4k esl instead 2k, not important for me.

The new (3) papyrus functions wiĺ not be implemented by this either. Anyway useless functions. Introduced for one reason only.

If really want a mod (did not find a single one), it wouldn'd be a problem to circumvent this very special onsneak events.

[anjenthedog]

thanks Mystic, Furry, Tlam (and thanks for the laugh Psalm).

 

So let me ask you this, are you running SE (stock or downgraded) or AE? (and anyone else around here who cares to chime in)

 

I realize "it's a matter of personal choice" and all that, but just so I can get a lay of the land. My gut says do the extra work and go back, but then something says "well, it's not *all* that different, and gosh golly darn willikers, it shore has a lot of new datgum features!" (or allows).

 

The lack of a working game, plus the foreknowledge that it's going to be something of a long process to rebuild a semblance of what I had prior, has me floundering.

 

sorry for the whinging... 

[Just Don't]

I was using 1.5.97, 1.6.640 and current version for a while, jumping between versions for testing stuff and trying to keep up separate instances. I ended up updating all my stuff to current version a few months ago and I'm not looking back really. Grew really tired of looking through old files to get all the 1.5 things and everything I use is current version ready.

 

I'm not sure if "AE" has more features, it doesn't unless you buy the absolutely optional and not really good AE DLC (it takes a lot of work to balance and overhaul each CC to make it really worth your money and time). As for the 4 free CC you get since 1.6 was released... it's not that much content other than additional weapons, ingredients, the fishing/survival things and the Saints and Seducer items and encounters (which IMO are terribly implemented as well as the fishing quests). I personally use mods to remove all the Saints and Seducer encounters and quests, as well as the fishing quests. That way I get to use some mods that require fishing or SS for its assets, but I can totally ignore the fishing or the new quests which like I said are terrible.

 

If you're trying to recreate something you had before my first recommendation would be to check the mods with a DLL that you want to use, if any of them is only available on 1.5 then that's your answer. If not you could skip the extra downgrade step and stay in current version, or not.

Edited January 17, 2025 by Just Don't

[anjenthedog]

Thank you VERY much @Just Don't 

 

Yeah...I wasn't very clear... by "features", I primarily meant the engine-related underpinnings (and the expanded mod opportunities) more than anything else. Maybe some expanded targets for wandering Cyrodil would be nice, due the S&S content, but I don't really care about the new questline. I wander and I do side quests. I only do the main ones any more (for new character instances) because it declutters my wanderworld

 

*fishing be dammed, from every description of fishing in Skyrim I've read so far, FFXI had Skyrim fishing beat, hands down 20 years ago. FFXI's fishing required "dextral finesse", and even knowledge of the FFXI astrological laws to excel at

 

By "recreate what I had", I just meant as rich a world ~visually as I assembled over time in 1.5.97, (within the limitations of my hardware) and most or all of the functionality I had. I don't need to use every single exact mod I used under 1.5.97, and I suppose push-come-shove I can do without those that don't work in AE and don't have AE replacements.

 

Anyway, the fact that you are using it (along with or without 1.5.97 downgrade as a 'side package') is endorsement enough for me to dispel most of my doubt. Had you or any other of the regulars (ie authority)  said "feck no don't do it stupid" that'd be different, or the ambiguous advise that is often  offered  of "well it's all up ta ya buddy choose one or the other and good luck might work might break the universe haha.."which is even worse, since it just leaves it in limbo

 

So ok. I'm convinced and my self doubt is dispelled. AE it is for now.

 

thanks once more for good measure.

 

 

Edited January 19, 2025 by anjenthedog
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