As Mod Types In The Load Order, Exactly Where To Place "Animations Introducing Mods?"

[GeoLikesTheLadies]

Hello.

I'd been adding mods to my Skyrim for quite awhile now with more successes than failures especially after I had realized that the bigger or widespread the change to the game the mod brought; the safer the mod is, early on a loading list based on the idea that all mods following it on this (Overwrite or OW) Load Order List may overwrite all as the load proceeds to the last mod on the list. Even though I can logical forsee where to skip the "overwrite all" option for certain mods or to use logical coercion to create conditions where I wouldn't overwrite a particular mod with another particular mod while having the mod in question overwrite all the rest of the mods before it on this list as the necessary exception to this order by overwrite priority loading rule, in order to have a stable No-CTD playing with almost any questionable modding combo or formations loaded for the game.

 

Yet, even after all of this elaborated trial and error system has settled; I haven't found the perfect care-free and clear approach loading order where all overwriting of a previous load mod is safe to do without a problem and during these times I had always found myself returning to the internet searching and searching for a well supported generalized numbered Load Order Guideline list noted ad types that has a place for mods with animations on it and it starts with on the top is the .esm Files types and Unofficial patches as the highest listed and all that follows are mod types that will overwrite them along the way to the last mod type listed on the list, anywhere on the internet. Due to this; my logic I has been using have went unsupported and I have never felt comfortable with it especially with mods with animations files; no matter how many times I had used these type of mod files without a problem.

 

Below is the closest list I ever found on the internet to my logical deducted guideline for OW-Load Order yet this list lacks information about .esp support with .hkv files extensions. I had found this list at:(https://community.bethesda.net/thread/18512?tstart=0) and it was intentionally listed backwards in three different parts and each part was placed and listed backwards in their individually wrapped big picture too???

 

 

 

I had read the logic behind why they listed their guideline backwards and they reasoning did made sense to me but their sound reasonings only left me more confused than I was when I first found them especially since there was no mention of animations mod types in their article or among their "ideal" list.

 

 

I have paraphased their terminology here and inverted their list also for you here at this forum can see what I'm looking at and what I looking for clearer: Can you please help me here!!!

 

　

 

This found list after been reverted backwards is close match to what I'm using as my OW-Load Order meaning their's backward list is a good example for me to use here. So by following my logic on how I'm loading my mod list so I can overwrite with clarity; where on this list below would I put the "Animations Introducing Mods" (I like to called them AIM Files) that comes with .hkv files extensions; like FNIS, Sexlab and its modified branches, Campfire, Bathing in Skyrim, Convienent Horses and Sleep/Sit Anywhere in the OW-Load Order Type list below?

 

 

 

 

0. Skyrim/Update Files

 

1. .Unofficial Game Patches then .Esm Files

 

2. Aesthics Testures then Environment (grass, nature, lighting) Overhauls.

 

3. Global NPCs and Player's Character Overhaul Mods. (Player Character Editing Mods)

 

4. New Races Mods and Facial/Hairstyles Overhauls including for Player Character.

 

5. Stand-Alone Companions.

 

6. Companion's Management Mods

 

7. SFX Mods. (Music or sound effects.)

 

8. Re-texuring Overhaul mods (for un-Vanilla-ing of clothing, houses, towns, furniture ect.)

 

9. Player Character (Presets) Models Mods.

 

10. Any quest mods adding new quests.

 

11. Cheat items.

 

12. Ammo mods.

 

13. Armor mods .

 

14. Weapon mods.

 

15. Mods that alters NPC's behavior and stats (esp. enemies' combat preferences and behaviors)

 

16. Game clock's scale, combat altering and any global static conditions' rescaling.

 

17. Quest fixes.

 

18. Hunting and Natural Commerce Overhauls.

 

19. Realism Overhaul Mods.

 

20. Difficulties' Degree Overhauls and Cheat mods.

 

21. Bug Fixes.

 

22. Mod to mod compatiabilities Fixes and Patches.

 

23. (I Have Always lastly Place; ) Dual Sheath Redux then the patch it makes.

 

　

 

 

Please Help...

 

[Prometeus5879]

1) Get LOOT.

2) You'll still have to experiment, read the mod descriptions, get a good mod organizer (MO there is no other choise)

3) There is no such thing as a perfect or strictly predefined load order all depends on your mods

[GeoLikesTheLadies]

Has been using LOOT. Great for telling me potential conflicts and what needs cleaning but its far from infallible when updating load order after I had added or exchange mods. (Which only the aggravating procedure of rebuilding the entire modified game to add on one mod as the only way to get rid of unreasonable, illogical and unexpected CTDs and havng the new mod working with what was there before yet I have this feeling that if my load order was all true to start with I might don't need to do this every time.)

 

No such thing, huh? Are you referring to "by mod type" because I'm aware of the no single mod can be generalized as like all others yet if one mod does something in similar to others with the same purpose; I was thinking those can be "typed" into a category that does have a place in the overwriting hierarchy load order. Yet In this case of Sexlab and Bathing in Skyrim with both having animation files even though they are different by purpose; or maybe you right and there's no way the adding of animations introducing mods by a maximum or minimum listed by category number's order.

 

Thanks for the response even though you telling me I'm right to rebuilt the data folder from scratch when adding a new mod to a stable game and its ctd's it as the only way to be sure its me and isn't the mod! (I have FNIS too and used it before every game launch.)  The rebuilding approach always  works (meaning its me and my crazy Vulcan logic load order) but its a lot of work just to add one mod from time to time. 

 

There's must be something I can do to stop this consistent trigger for a rebuilt just to add a mod with animations files. 

 

Can you think of anything else this can be?

[Prometeus5879]

The problem with sort order starts when you have mods that aren't just of one category but are of several categories. Say you have a mod that adds quests, npc's, weapons, armor and so on. There is no exact place for a mod of that kind in your list. If you put it at place 10 with the quests then the mod's weapons can be overwritten by another one you've placed at 14. If you want the full options of a mixed categories mod like that it has to be placed beyond anything that can overwrite it... unless it's your purpose to overwrite it.

 

That's why I wrote that a load order depends on the mods you want to play and what parts of those mods are important to you. There are no exact rules.

 

If you don't mind rebuilding your mod list, I would strongly recommend taking a look at Mod Organizer. It's one, if not the best, of the mod organizers out there. Using profiles that are kind of copies of your game, you can try out a mod on a copy before you decide to add it to an existing game. If it crashes, then throw away that copy and nothing has happened to your original game.

[GeoLikesTheLadies]

Thank you. I always thought NMM and The Mod Organizer was two of the same; just different authors. I'm checking it out.

[Prometeus5879]

Gopher has a good tutorial on Mod Organizer. Have a look at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4ZQpzf_iAE&list=PLE7DlYarj-DcLS9LyjEqOJwFUQIIQewcK

 

[GeoLikesTheLadies]

ANSWERED!!

 

Thank You.