SOS causing "missing ni-node" crash with rieklings

[Reuke]

Hi,

 

I searched everywhere for a solution to this, but I'm at my wits end.

 

The "crash fixes" mod gives me the famous "missing ni-node" quote everytime one or more rieklings are loaded in cell (open world spawn points mostly).

First, I thought this was a werewolf skeleton issue, since I early on found out, this crash only occurs with SOS enabled (and SOS has a werewolf skeleton installed, even when using the "no skeletons" fomod option).

Papyros and MO2 crash logs dont even recognize any issue.

 

After hours of trial and error, I boiled it down to the rieklings. I suppose, SOS tries to schlongify the rieklings, but has issues with the XPM32 skeleton.

What does not go through my head is, why SOS actually does this. There is no option that includes creatures or actors based on other than the player character races in the MCM SOS menu.

XPM32 seems to categorize the rieklings as their own creature, but since they wear fur clothes and are affected by skin texture options for male standart bodys, I assume SOS tosses rieklings into the normal male body category.

 

Playing around with install-order and toggling esp load boxes, I found out its enough to disable the SOS esp load, but having its resources "installed" by MO2 virtual space when loading Skyrim. Then I can at least fight rieklings. When stripping the armor loot, however, the ni-node crash appears anyway. Having "SOS revealing armors" installed makes it a gambit when meeting reeklings according to the fur armor they get loaded in.

 

So, I'm pretty sure, it is SOS trying to produce schlongs for the riekling creatures that causes the missing ni-node. But what skeleton is SOS expecting here since I cant find one in the SOS raw mod files, even when opening it single handed?

 

Any ideas how to fix that? Trying to switch the XPM32 riekling skeleton with another one? I could live without naked rieklings though. Would be enough if SOS did not touch them, but I dunno how to tell SOS that or what INI files I would need to alter. SOS has the "default race" option where the schlong probabilities can be adjusted, but turning it off for all schlong types for that mystical "default race" has not solved the issue.

 

I wonder why I am the only one with that problem. I searched here, on Nexus, on Steam and a couple other places and found no other riekling issues about this. Am I overseeing something?

 

Technicalities:

Skyrim LE

MO2 with LOOT properly used and up to date

 

Affecting mods, all newest versions, already tried it in several load orders:

XP32 Maximum Skeleton Extended (only overwrite is the werewolf skeleton.nif from SOS which I manually replaced with the XP32 Version, so theoretically not even an overwrite)

Skyrim Immersive Creatures SIC - only affects riekling spawn points I think (looking up MO2 virtual install data says it uses XPM32 Skeletons regardles of load order or install order)

SOS (without skeletons) and its dependent sub-mods like "revealing armor" (trying to load SOS without the submods still causes the crash, so it must be the core mod causing the issue)

Tempered Skins for Males SOS full Version (enabling this without SOS active causes no crash - the rieklings just get the same hairy skin texture as the standart male body)

 

Install order:

 

 

Load order:

 

[Kastagir]

On 3/7/2025 at 2:20 AM, Reuke said:

 I suppose, SOS tries to schlongify the rieklings
...

So, I'm pretty sure, it is SOS trying to produce schlongs for the riekling creatures

...

XP32 Maximum Skeleton Extended (only overwrite is the werewolf skeleton.nif from SOS which I manually replaced with the XP32 Version, so theoretically not even an overwrite)

 

Okay...  You are mistaken about some things.

 

1.  SOS does not apply schlongs to creatures other than werewolves and you should disable that feature in the SOS MCM.

2.  You should not be using "XP32" skeleton with SOS.  You should be using XPMSE (which is shown in your screenshot) and you should make sure it is not overwritten by SOS, SIC or any other mod except ABC and/or MNC.  You didn't provide a full load order so I can't tell if you have ABC or MNC installed.  My guess is you allowed XPMSE's skeleton files to be overwritten by another mod.

3.  If you have "realistic ragdolls and force" installed you should uninstall it, uninstall XPMSE and reinstall XPMSE. 

4.  If Crash Fixes is causing your crashes, disable Crash Fixes until you read the documentation for it to determine which switches to disable in CrashFixPlugin.ini.

 

Quote

Tempered Skins for Males SOS full Version (enabling this without SOS active causes no crash - the rieklings just get the same hairy skin texture as the standart male body)

 

I don't know what to make of this comment as it makes no sense.  Tempered Skin is a texture replacer for humans/orcs/elves (i.e. non-beast humanoid races), not rieklings.  They are not compatible with one another.  Perhaps you're confusing rieklings with some creatures added by the "Immersive Creatures" mod.  You need to do a better job of learning what the mods you've installed actually do if you hope to troubleshoot your game with mods.

Edited March 9, 2025 by Kastagir

[Reuke]

First, thanks for bothering to help me out, Kastagir.

 

Here's what I tried according to your input:

 

1. In this case, SOS does indeed try to add a schlong to the rieklings. I dug a bit more into it. It is a random encounter put ingame by the "Skyrim emersive creatures.esp". Here's a screenshot of it, hopefully bringing sense to what I wrote in the OP about the armor loot of this enemy type. (Screenshot taken with SOS disabled to avoid crashing)

Spoiler

Looking in console, the SIC mod classifies these rieklings as NPC type race of "NPC(NPC_)". Maybe this explains why they are affected by body texture mods for player races. Thats at least what gave me the idea to disable the SOS MCM option to schlongify "default race". So my former statement of SIC only affecting spawn points was provably wrong. Also, classifying the actor as its own creature was another wrong guess (at least skeleton wise?). The crash causing conflict stays between SOS and SIC I think. But when SIC uses the default humanoid skeleton, I dunno why there's a problem at all. Maybe SOS is confused with that somehow not / complete or wrong established NPC race?

 

2. - I am only using XPM32 skeletons. To clarify that, I deleted the SOS werewolf skeleton so that you can see there is no overwrite for XPM32 in the install order.
 

Spoiler

 

- I am neither using ABC and/or MNC

- That is my full load order. If this is not enough, please tell me how else to prove that to you other than by adding empty space under the screenshot:

 

3. I never had the ragdoll mod installed, but anyway, I uninstalled XPMSE, started Skyrim to go sure no temp files remain, reinstalled XPMSE and the crash still happens. (of course using LOOT and updating FNIS for Users after that)

 

4. I disabled crashfixes - literally the only thing that changed is, the crash happens without the ni-node message.

 

I see regularly the advice of "put XPMSE at the bottom of load order" in the forums when it comes to skeleton issues - I already tried that too with no success.

Edited March 13, 2025 by Reuke

[Reuke]

Update: According to the rieklings being considered an NPC race, I searched around with that insight and found this threat:

Spoiler

 

 

With creation kit, I found that CIS contains 12 custom riekling actor entries and 2 riekling races called "_00RieklingRaceSmall" and "_00RieklingRaceBig" (probably as seen on the screenshot from last post).

Looking further, those custom races consist under the preset of "playerbodyparts" but come with their own skeleton.nif.

That skeleton.nif is included in the CIS mods own bsa file - which is why I havent found it until now. I still think no skeleton is overwritten here. I'll try to unpack that bsa (not sure how).

 

My guess is now, that skeleton is just a downsized normal skeleton for those small actors, but not a XPM32 version - which could explain that SOS trying to schlongify a skeleton that misses the nodes for a schlong gives the ni-node crash in result.

 

As I read the PDF file from the SOS additional files page, you have to do a lot of work for SOS to actually work with added races. Since I have the kinda opposite problem, I'm still at a loss why both mods cross each other so badly. I still have no clue why SOS tries this - just because of the "PlayerBodyParts" entry in the race tab for that custom race?

Edited March 13, 2025 by Reuke

[Kastagir]

Those are not "rieklings," meaning they are not the riekling race added by the Dragonborn DLC.  More plainly, they do not use the riekling skeleton, riekling meshes or riekling textures.  They are actors using the human skeleton and passed off as different types of rieklings by the SIC mod.  The problem lies with the implementation of that mod so you'll likely need to ask in that mod's support thread for help.

 

TL;DR you are using a broken mod.  Ask for help in the mod's support forum or stop using the mod.

[Reuke]

SOLVED

 

Opening the bsa file brought light into this. My first guess was right after all. SOS tries indeed to shlongify the two SIC riekling custom race skeleton - which has no nodes for schlongs. My best guess is that the SIC custom race is using "playerbodyparts" in its setup which leads SOS to trying to do that.

 

The solution was simple in the end. I replaced the SIC riekling skeletons (which were just a normal player skeleton and a bodybuilder like skeleton with broader chest) with the SOS mods outdated, yet schlongified male body and bodybuilder body.

In conclusion, the custom riekling races now run around with underwear, but the game doesnt crash and no more missing ni-nodes.