Special Edition vs Anniversary Edition

[Hyori Ittai]

Is there any point in buying the Anniversary Edition or can I just simply download some existing modpack that will get me everything there is? Never played Skyrim before and wanna experience it in it's best shape. Don't mind spending the additional $5 if it's for good. So what do I do?

[Lady Aeleanor]

Anniversary Edition is simply a bundle of Creation Club DLC. The game is still Special Edition.

[Rez Elwin]

The AE is an official DLC, no mod pack will have any of them included. I think as somebody who has not played Skyrim before the AE is a good value, it adds quite a bit to the game.
This is a list of all the Creation Club content so you can make an informed decision.
https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Creation_Club

[Vlad 254]

Keep in mind that included with the base game you receive 4 Creation Club mods as part of the base game. Those 4 are:
Fishing
Saints & Seducers
Rare Curios
Survival Mode

For the best shape add these 4 mods. You can also add some or all of the optional mods. There are 7 or 8 optionals. But add the 4 main mods for sure.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2738338974

And if you buy the Anniversary DLC there's a patch for it that you should use regardless of adding mods or not.

[private1028]

Originally posted by Vlad 254:

Keep in mind that included with the base game you receive 4 Creation Club mods as part of the base game. Those 4 are:
Fishing
Saints & Seducers
Rare Curios
Survival Mode

For the best shape add these 4 mods. You can also add some or all of the optional mods. There are 7 or 8 optionals. But add the 4 main mods for sure.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2738338974

And if you buy the Anniversary DLC there's a patch for it that you should use regardless of adding mods or not.

Actually Skyrim SE and AE are different versions and not compatible. Most notable is the SKSE64 version differences and Papyrus libraries. They don't mix and trying to run AE on an SE SKSE64 will CTD very quickly. The Skyrim version numbers are also different, (LE - 32 bit, SE & AE 64 bit) I down loaded everything on my SE that AE offers from NEXUS for free and avoided the excessive fees. Basically AE is pay as you go while SE is free at NEXUS after you purchase the vanilla SE. You get way more content - and I think much higher quality mods. However you have to be careful about which version (SE or AE) you use or you will break your game.

[Vlad 254]

Originally posted by private1028:

Originally posted by Vlad 254:

Keep in mind that included with the base game you receive 4 Creation Club mods as part of the base game. Those 4 are:
Fishing
Saints & Seducers
Rare Curios
Survival Mode

For the best shape add these 4 mods. You can also add some or all of the optional mods. There are 7 or 8 optionals. But add the 4 main mods for sure.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2738338974

And if you buy the Anniversary DLC there's a patch for it that you should use regardless of adding mods or not.

Actually Skyrim SE and AE are different versions and not compatible. Most notable is the SKSE64 version differences and Papyrus libraries. They don't mix and trying to run AE on an SE SKSE64 will CTD very quickly. The Skyrim version numbers are also different, (LE - 32 bit, SE & AE 64 bit) I down loaded everything on my SE that AE offers from NEXUS for free and avoided the excessive fees. Basically AE is pay as you go while SE is free at NEXUS after you purchase the vanilla SE. You get way more content - and I think much higher quality mods. However you have to be careful about which version (SE or AE) you use or you will break your game.

They are both Skyrim Special Edition. There is no Steam game called "Anniversary Edition". Check your Steam Library. There is an Anniversary DLC however.

What you are referring to are different versions of Skyrim Special Edition but it's still the same game.

So versions become very important when you are modding. Each update the game gets a new version, that's it. And most mods are compatible with all versions with the exception being SKSE64 and not all SKSE64 dependent mods are incompatible, only those that have a .dll plugin.

My load order guides are all labeled as per the version number they are in relation to. We all know about the fact that some mod authors label their mods as AE vs SE but this is something they did on their own. Some mod authors strictly use version numbers. But there is no game call AE.

[SpeedFreak1972]

Indeed AE Is on the EXACT same version number as SE if you don't believe it go check your game.

[private1028]

Originally posted by Vlad 254:

Originally posted by private1028:

Actually Skyrim SE and AE are different versions and not compatible. Most notable is the SKSE64 version differences and Papyrus libraries. They don't mix and trying to run AE on an SE SKSE64 will CTD very quickly. The Skyrim version numbers are also different, (LE - 32 bit, SE & AE 64 bit) I down loaded everything on my SE that AE offers from NEXUS for free and avoided the excessive fees. Basically AE is pay as you go while SE is free at NEXUS after you purchase the vanilla SE. You get way more content - and I think much higher quality mods. However you have to be careful about which version (SE or AE) you use or you will break your game.

They are both Skyrim Special Edition. There is no Steam game called "Anniversary Edition". Check your Steam Library. There is an Anniversary DLC however.

What you are referring to are different versions of Skyrim Special Edition but it's still the same game.

So versions become very important when you are modding. Each update the game gets a new version, that's it. And most mods are compatible with all versions with the exception being SKSE64 and not all SKSE64 dependent mods are incompatible, only those that have a .dll plugin.

My load order guides are all labeled as per the version number they are in relation to. We all know about the fact that some mod authors label their mods as AE vs SE but this is something they did on their own. Some mod authors strictly use version numbers. But there is no game call AE.

Funny but I own SE. If I want AE I have to pay for it. AE is advertised on sale on the main Skyrim menu when I load the game. I'm not interested in pay-as-I-go so I ignore it. I have found conflicts with Papyrus dlls not matching versions in my mod library. Some say toe-may-toe others say toe-mat-toe. They are different versions of Skyrim whether they are the same game. What matters is that one has the right library or Vortex will scream bloody murder and your game will probably CTD.

[SpeedFreak1972]

No they are not EVERYONE got v1.6 it's a NORMAL update of the game ... I mean I'm on 1.6.640 and I don't have all CC so what do I have? not AE (that's including all CC) so by logic I have SSE. Everyone got the 1.6 update and 4 CC what makes it AE is all the (paid) rest of the CC

And ofcourse Vortex will scream bloody murder if you have a newer version of the game than your mods are build for that doesn't make it suddenly AE

[alexander_dougherty]

Originally posted by private1028:

Originally posted by Vlad 254:

They are both Skyrim Special Edition. There is no Steam game called "Anniversary Edition". Check your Steam Library. There is an Anniversary DLC however.

What you are referring to are different versions of Skyrim Special Edition but it's still the same game.

So versions become very important when you are modding. Each update the game gets a new version, that's it. And most mods are compatible with all versions with the exception being SKSE64 and not all SKSE64 dependent mods are incompatible, only those that have a .dll plugin.

My load order guides are all labeled as per the version number they are in relation to. We all know about the fact that some mod authors label their mods as AE vs SE but this is something they did on their own. Some mod authors strictly use version numbers. But there is no game call AE.

Funny but I own SE. If I want AE I have to pay for it. AE is advertised on sale on the main Skyrim menu when I load the game. I'm not interested in pay-as-I-go so I ignore it. I have found conflicts with Papyrus dlls not matching versions in my mod library. Some say toe-may-toe others say toe-mat-toe. They are different versions of Skyrim whether they are the same game. What matters is that one has the right library or Vortex will scream bloody murder and your game will probably CTD.

It's a bundle that gives you all the Creation Club Mods, if you get it you never have to pay again..... just like any other DLC......