Any way to work around the mod limit?

[Paradox_of_Theseus]

So after going down the rabbit hole that is "Skyrim Modding" for over a year, my mod list is completely filled up with everything from Graphic Overhauls to Raunchy SexLab mods. I would still like to continue adding new mods, specifically some of the interesting Quest mods, but am really feeling the restraint of that mod limit. Is there any way to circumvent this?

[Guest]

You can merge mods together by creating a bashed patch.

 

If mods are just adding items then it is super-safe.

 

This can free some space in your mods.

 

Be aware that usually you have to re-create the bashed patch every time you add/remove a mod.

 

A guide is here: Skyrim Bashed Patches

[RitualClarity]

Use MO if you can. Create Profiles and activate some mods for needs for example you are a theif.. You don't need wizard or spell mods you need thief mods.. This can help as well. You can also later as you get use to the idea. merge all the texture mods and meshes mods (non esp/esm) into one customized pack. Less stresses on the system. Small improvement but..still great.

 

I mention MO because MO presents the mods (*BSA) in loose format. No need to extract. Loose files are said to be more friendly to the load limit over BSA as some claim that BSAs (*excessive amounts) might actually lower your plugin limit. Loose files overwrite those installed below them as well. Nice easy and neat to be sure that it all works when you address conflicts.

 

Start simple .. perhaps only merge some of those files that are texture and meshes together to create a custom textures file.

 

Then move to merging some simple esps with armors and weapons into this custom textures mod. That alone should be able to allow you some freedom.

 

Then when confident with merging.. merge those multiple optional mods together. Perhaps if you use COT merge those DLCs together. At least I heard that would be the next thing to merge. That is once you learn more bout meging mods with scripts. These were designed to gether and are intended to be patches for convenience of the author. Since they are designed together and other mods likely will only want to reference the main mod not the patches then you might be safe trying to merge those down. This will cleanup your Skyrim plugins quite well. However.. keep in mind as soon as you do this.. the author has no responsibility at all to support the mod for you any more. You are on your own. Many here will also likely point that the merges are likely the problem when you do merge major mods together. Don't do so until you are extremely skilled at this and / or are willing to do some of the work inside the mod to see personally where conflicts are occurring and fix the mods on the actual mod level inside the esp/esm.

[Anatriax]

You can also use TES5Edit, and the xEdit Merge Plugins script to merge some plugins even further. 

Armors and weapons are the easiest. The more complex the mod, the more complex the merging process. 

Tutorials on merging with xEdit can be found on STEP forums. (Note that this script is also heavily used in FNV to reduce the load order, as well. The limit in FNV is ~140, and there are SO MANY options for mods for FNV that are amazing, so merging with Bashed Patch and xEdit become a requirement)

[Paradox_of_Theseus]

You can merge mods together by creating a bashed patch.

 

If mods are just adding items then it is super-safe.

 

This can free some space in your mods.

 

Be aware that usually you have to re-create the bashed patch every time you add/remove a mod.

 

A guide is here: Skyrim Bashed Patches

 

Bashing armor would free up a lot of space. I have a lot of armor mods and I don't recall those needing updates.

 

Thanks, I'll look into that. =)

[RedMonika]

I'm in the process of the doing the same thing. I'm pretty greedy with mods and have about 500 that I'd like to use. Using the Tes5Edit method is pretty simple too.

[Anatriax]

 

You can merge mods together by creating a bashed patch.

 

If mods are just adding items then it is super-safe.

 

This can free some space in your mods.

 

Be aware that usually you have to re-create the bashed patch every time you add/remove a mod.

 

A guide is here: Skyrim Bashed Patches

 

Bashing armor would free up a lot of space. I have a lot of armor mods and I don't recall those needing updates.

 

Thanks, I'll look into that. =)

 

You're better off merging armors and weapons with xEdit Merge Script. It's super fast, super easy, and it will tell you if there were any errors while merging, and what mod the errors were with. That way you can remove that mod from the merge, and attempt to re-merge it with others later. SOME plugins don't merge properly, for whatever reason. (Like TBBP Ribon Armor or TBBP Zipsuit. I've tried 100 times to merge them, and they just won't merge unless you do it manually in TES5Edit.)

[RedMonika]

I get errors in Immersive Weapons too like duplicate records that can't be resolved.

[Anatriax]

Then you'd have to manually merge with TES5Edit. STEP has tutorials on that, too, I believe. 

Sometimes it's as simple as moving records from one esp to another, then manually changing the records that need changed. 

Not 100% sure. I've never tried to merge Immersive Weapons or Armors. 

[RedMonika]

Sorry, blonde moment. It's not the Immersive Weapons but the CCO addon that I get duplicates. Too many things require Immersive Weapons/Armors that it would be a nightmare to merge them.