Does changing the order of your mods mid-playthrough cause issues?

[258789553873]

I've been avoiding doing that for the longest time after I heard that creates issues. However, I never really noticed any issues in the past when I did that. I also have a really old save file that's been through multiple re-orderings (along with multiple un-installs), and that save file hasn't become corrupted or anything.

I've been wondering if its really necessary to avoid doing that. It makes modding mid-playthrough even harder because it means I often have to update my bashed patch. And I'm tired of abandoning playthroughs just because I had to re-make my bashed patch for a mod that otherwise wouldn't require a new game anyway.

[Vlad 254]

Short answer, sure you can as long as your not talking about a major re-order. I do it when needed with no problems. Checking for conflicts after you do is of course a must. I remember reading a long while back where someone I respected (I'm pretty sure it was Arthmoor but I'm not swearing by it) said it was ok as well.

[alexander_dougherty]

It can cause issues, it's not a definite thing, but the more mods that are moved (even by one place) the more likely you are going to get issues.

[Zsrai]

Originally posted by IXBlackWolfXI:

And I'm tired of abandoning playthroughs just because I had to re-make my bashed patch for a mod that otherwise wouldn't require a new game anyway.

So... why don't you mod your game, get it working... and then play it? Stop modding it, and play it? Then once you're done with your current play through (either through "beating" Skyrim or getting bored, or whatever else) you go back and see what mods you want to change, add, or remove?

Why would you bother modding a current game when it's a known problem to do so?

[marstinson]

As a general rule, you can swap texture/mesh mods in/out/around with few issues aside from changing the winner of mod conflicts. Even if it's a pain, make a point of rebuilding your bashed/merged patch each time you change your load order. Most people do it when they add something, but if the winner of a conflict changed, then leveled lists and whatnot need to reflect that change. Merged patches aren't really supported these days, but I still have one because old habits are hard to break.

Adding mods mid-playthrough is also usually not a major problem. Mods which require starting a new game are usually pretty clear about it on the mod's description page (it's generally just a good idea because unanticipated headaches). But the major issues tend to crop up when you remove a mod mid-playthrough. If it's possible, the author will usually give instructions. If they don't give instructions, then I assume that it can't be (re)moved and either chug along or start a new game.

[Tiberius]

It may cause or resolve some issues

[ColorsFade]

It can cause issues, or it can fix them. That is why load order is important, and why you should let something like LOOT do it, unless you are certain about a specific mod in a specific place.

[smr1957]

The game will adjust to load order changes, though, of course some items may be overwritten by any new mods - the more changes in the load order, the greater the chance of this occuring, and so you would need to check in xEdit for that. But, no, mods will nor break as a result (though as Zsrai said, you should really just make a build and not change it once you begin a playthrough) And if you don't want to take my word for it, there is this from Arthmoor:

"I have yet to see a verifiable case of a mod being broken by simple load order changes. The game is specifically designed to allow this to happen or it would have broken the DLC functions of the engine completely."
https://steamcommunity.com/app/72850/discussions/0/613956964579064476/?tscn=1572541616#c1640926712936186937