In 2019, is it better to play Skyrim 2011 or the Special Edition?

[Turbo Nozomix]

In 2019, which is the preferred version of Skyrim to play?

Is one of them more stable and bug-free than the other?

Can one be modded to look better than the other?

The x64 exe aside, which one is better for modding due to having better mods?

Is there anything else that factors into a decision of which one to play in 2019, if a person has access to both SE and the Legendary Edition of 2011 Skyrim?

[Rez Elwin]

Skyrim SE

SE is more stable but Bethesda did no additional bug fixes so you still are gonna want the unofficial patch

SE looks better by default but they will both look good with and ENB. Since SE can handle more mods with extra stability you should be able to have several graphical mods at once with no performance loss.

Better mods is very subjective, and as of right now there is only 1 mod for 1 of my characters that i'm missing in SE, if you look at the "top files" section for Oldrim and SE most of them are exactly the same.

Really the 64bit engine is reason enough. Some people say oldrim is better because it has more mods and while true SE still has over 20k mods and most of the best ones were ported.

[SpeedFreak1972]

well SE is 64 bit so it's more stable , the bugs are the same.
As for modding well not all mods are ported, but too the 64 bit architecture SE can pushed farther and is more stable.
Which looks better well that's due to preference really although SE has some updated graphics, godrays, etc

[smr1957]

If your PC is capable of running SSE, then there is really no longer any legimate argument not to (that was not true a year and a half ago). The only legitimate reasons now to run Oldrim as opposed to SSE are either your PC specs are not good enough for SSE, or you already own Oldrim and are satisfied with an existing game or build and do not currently own SSE.

Or, of course, you may just simply prefer Oldrim over SSE - that is a completely legitimate reason as well.

[Demosthenes424]

I haven't actually tried it myself yet, but one more reason I can think of to run LE - no one has ported Enderal to SE yet, and from what I've heard they're unlikely to. As I said, I haven't tried it myself since they stole my copy of LE and replaced it with this one, but if I mysteriously got a copy of LE back or it were ported over to SE I'd definitely give it a shot. Good of Valve to outright force us to replace our copies of the game on their timetable, wasn't it? Especially since they continue to offer both versions for sale.

[BarbarianHeart]

Skyrim Special Edition does not replace anything. It is a completely separate game from Skyrim Legendary Edition. I have both games in my library.

[Demosthenes424]

When SE came out, people with LE had it upgraded automatically and the original version automatically removed from our libraries - i.e., replaced.

[smr1957]

Originally posted by Demosthenes424:

When SE came out, people with LE had it upgraded automatically and the original version automatically removed from our libraries - i.e., replaced.

NO. The original WAS NOT removed. If you had the original and all the DLCs, you received a free copy of SSE placed in your library. SSE and original Skyrim are two totally seperate games. Nothing else was touched.

THAT IS THE FACT OF THE MATTER.
No further comments need (nor should) be made.

[tulle040657]

Originally posted by Demosthenes424:

When SE came out, people with LE had it upgraded automatically and the original version automatically removed from our libraries - i.e., replaced.

Funny I have both LE ans SE in my library. I would send a complaint to Steam and ask for it to be put back

[SpeedFreak1972]

Yea tell me than why I've got both in my library and yes I got the deal for SE

[nimodae]

Originally posted by Demosthenes424:

When SE came out, people with LE had it upgraded automatically and the original version automatically removed from our libraries - i.e., replaced.

'Bethesda replaced my mom with another dad. Now I have 2 dads.'

[Piterko]

Hello. I have questions.. Do I need skyrim script extender to install mods for Skyrim SE? It is better to install mods manually or mod manager ??

[smr1957]

You only need SKSE64 if you have mods thar require it. Definitely use a mod manager.

See the following pinned topic: Skyrim SE guides and Resources, by Ilja.

And for links to guides, tutorials, vids, and other important information, see the pinned topic Helpful Links and References.

[tulle040657]

Originally posted by Piterko_lvg:

Hello. I have questions.. Do I need skyrim script extender to install mods for Skyrim SE? It is better to install mods manually or mod manager ??

Only only need the script extender for mods that require it. Most mods do not, but some very popular ones do (e.g. SkyUI)

It is much easier to use a mod manager, it is a little harder to install a mod manually but it is a lot harder to uninstall a mod manually.

[Piterko]

Thanks. What mod manager do you recommend ?? . I've heard that the old Nexus mod manager is better than the vortex..

[tulle040657]

Originally posted by Piterko_lvg:

Thanks. What mod manager do you recommend ?? . I've heard that the old Nexus mod manager is better than the vortex..

You heard wrong, but anyway you should use either MO2 or Vortex, whichever one fits you way of thinking best