Unique situation - Vlad 254's Skyrim Load order guide

[Indio21]

Hello everyone, this is my first time posting on steam so please excuse if I missed doing an introduction. The load order guide directed me here for help and I'd have to find the intro thread.

The situation: After some years of being away from learning to mod I again have some free time to pursue it again. A few days ago I started following Vlad 254's skyrim 10th anniversary load order guide. I am working through it and suddenly it is gone/hidden. During the process of following it I somehow missed SkyUI is not working. I am trying to find the solution when the guide goes hidden, which led me to pursue that issue. After a post on nexus the guide is showing again. Now upon reviewing it, seems Vlad added more and updated it, which has changed the steps the guide said to specifically follow (happy to see more mods, but it tossed me into left field for troubleshooting what I had already done).

As the guide has one make changes to a few of skyrim's files (.ini, etc) I was doing it as I followed the guide. In one step I could not find one setting to change. At the time it didn't seem to mess with anything. Later I noticed SKyUI was not working and went to searching for that solution thinking all is fine.

When I run the game now I am getting frame lag, I believe it is called, and the screen is flickering to blurry. Upon starting the game I am now notified there is a new ENBSeries available. Following up on the guide the layout is all changed and the ENB section is much farhter down (I just made it that far when I noticed SKyUI) and I am not sure where I was at with the setting that I missed or is no longer there (I noticed a couple that were not in files to be changed so assumed the mods/game had been updated to not require those changes).

Now I am seeing new posts here that the game was once again updated. So as a newb trying to setup this load order, I am lost for solutions on what to do or how to troubleshoot it. With the order of the guide being changed I cannot remember what I did or didn't do and I don't know what is making the screen lag/blurring. It's like I move the controller and it takes seconds to do something and when it does, it doesn't stop when released. And SkyUI is not displaying. I didn't even get all the notices when I turned on the mods after leaving Helgen.

So would anyone know how I can fix these two issues with what I believe is called frame lag and SKyUI? Would it be because of the update? I ask about the update because I just purchased the anniversary edition a few days ago when I began the guide and I started the game from steam once on accident but figured there would be no way bethesda would still be updating it.....wrong :(. Or is my only choice dumping it all and starting over??? Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time!

[z__frog__z]

Originally posted by Indio21:

Originally posted by z__frog__z:

i'm using this one for spider web , it woks fine with or without enb
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/84053
and for eggs i'm using those listed on nolvus mods list the 2k retexture , they're good match together

Thank you, the pics of it look nice so I will download it and look. What is this you mentioned "those listed on nolvus mods list the 2k retexture". Is that on nexus? So far I've only used nexus and Arthmoor's site from before and I cannot access Arthmoor's site now.

Nolvus , its an amazing modpack ( auto installer ) for skyrim AE , thanks to the author their website they're sharing the full list of the mods used on the pack .
i don't have a good pc to run it , and don't get the upgrade annersary pack for skyrim , but we can check a list of amazing mods , may the best one for all texture/meshe mods :)

i running over 900 mods ( mostly all texture mods / parallax, enb ) with my rtx 2060 xD
just pick 2K for big probs and 1K texture for small probs . playing at 1080p it usuless to run those big 8K/4K patck texture mods xD

about the eggs , i check on list order but its seems it was part of one of those clutters mods

pro tips , when building our own modlist , don't follow 100% some guide list , you need to adapt what the best for your config

[Indio21]

So it, Nolvus, is another mod site like nexus? I will search for it and see if I can find it. I was completely out-of-the-loop on modding over these last years so IDK what is going on now. Not even exactly sure when the AE update came out, that I believe is the one people are talking/upset about.

Originally posted by z__frog__z:

pro tips , when building our own modlist , don't follow 100% some guide list , you need to adapt what the best for your config

Yes, I completely agree. My first go around I had TONS of research time in and was getting a good understanding of it all. After almost four years of not even having time play the game, let alone time to even think about it, I jumped right back in. From then though, I did get to meet some of the greats in modding like Arthmoor, Gopher, Gamerpoets, Pickysaurus, Vlad, and others whose names escape me at the moment.

Even then they didn't chime in much, but, as I figure, "was paying my dues" and really attempting to learn, one by one they show and help me out. After all the research I learned who's "opinions" were/are rock solid among the modding community.

As Vlad was one of them I was very happy to find his guide!!!!! No, in all honesty, I most likely will not use it exactly. The start of the guide, I believe, is a great base with all the fixes, UI, and basically base mods. I recognized most all of them from all the research the last time.

But, like last time and being an old D&D fan, I want LOTS of adventures to do!!!! The more the better and I'm willing to sacrifice other mods for them.

As SSE was not long released then, and usual updates from Beth, everything was a mess for me as a newb to learn to make a large LO like I wanted and do. Vlad's guide has allowed me to skip over a TON of reading on mods up-to-date with AE and good ones to use for that base.

Vlad has all the mesh fixes, etc mods right there for reference for AE and latest game version. Plus, as I mentioned, I know first hand his knowledge. I don't remember the exact situation but the two big adventure mods I was trying to get to work together, basically, weren't compatible. He went through them and made a patch for me. Then showed me how to make a patch, all of which I really wish I remembered now, but hoping will not be necessary with all the advancements in mods over 4 years.

That is why I am putting so much faith in "Vlad's" guide, but also will be adjusting along the way and when I deviate from it. Thank you for the reconfirmation of it still being necessary though! I'm always looking for tips to help!!

[Altbert]

Nolvus, like any other collection, is a pre-assembled package of mods, including all required patches, ini settings, and whatever else. It seems to contain some 2000+ mods. You may like some or many mods, but you also may not like some or many mods. Personally I prefer to create my own mod collection, but only with the mods I personally like in my game. Yes, it takes more time, but in the end you will have changed the game into the game you want.I prefer to keep my game as close to vanilla as possible.

[Indio21]

I c, thanks Altbert! That is exactly my plan to make it the way I want, with mods, by the end. The refresh learning will really begin the more I deviate from the guide. I just didn't want to start talking about it like that and steer others away from the guide. Once they do, its a whole new world. Probably more than 90% of Vlad's guide thus far are all mods I downloaded in 2019-2020, so I am really happy.

I LOVE the adventures mod creators have made!!! Helgen reborn is the only one I pulling from memory now without searching my downloads on nexus, but there was ones with whole other continents and such. Those are my top priority.

I'd love to see Vlad do a guide with as many of them as possible. He mentions wanting comments for other guides. I like all the different adventures I can do. I only had one I didn't care for too much my last go. It had something like radioactive gas, which just blew the immersion for me. I don't think I even completed it and it was removed. It was a small adventure mod though, not one of the big ones that really preserves the times for immersion.

So I want all those I can get, ones like JK Skyrim and the other big city mods to redo those looks. I liked them then and see they are still being maintained. They too are not in the guide, but I already see fomods that I can rerun and get the patches for from the guide.

Stuff to build the immersion, just like Vlad's guide is doing with RDO, textures, etc, add to the graphical portion to bring it alive visually, and then throw as many adventures at it as I can, lol. I'll be plenty happy then and can enjoy multiple play throughs with different characters for a very long time.......maybe even long enough to see Beth release version 6 :o I know, it could be a long shot, lol.

[z__frog__z]

Originally posted by Indio21:

I c, thanks Altbert! That is exactly my plan to make it the way I want, with mods, by the end. The refresh learning will really begin the more I deviate from the guide. I just didn't want to start talking about it like that and steer others away from the guide. Once they do, its a whole new world. Probably more than 90% of Vlad's guide thus far are all mods I downloaded in 2019-2020, so I am really happy.

I LOVE the adventures mod creators have made!!! Helgen reborn is the only one I pulling from memory now without searching my downloads on nexus, but there was ones with whole other continents and such. Those are my top priority.

I'd love to see Vlad do a guide with as many of them as possible. He mentions wanting comments for other guides. I like all the different adventures I can do. I only had one I didn't care for too much my last go. It had something like radioactive gas, which just blew the immersion for me. I don't think I even completed it and it was removed. It was a small adventure mod though, not one of the big ones that really preserves the times for immersion.

So I want all those I can get, ones like JK Skyrim and the other big city mods to redo those looks. I liked them then and see they are still being maintained. They too are not in the guide, but I already see fomods that I can rerun and get the patches for from the guide.

Stuff to build the immersion, just like Vlad's guide is doing with RDO, textures, etc, add to the graphical portion to bring it alive visually, and then throw as many adventures at it as I can, lol. I'll be plenty happy then and can enjoy multiple play throughs with different characters for a very long time.......maybe even long enough to see Beth release version 6 :o I know, it could be a long shot, lol.

other pro tips ^^
take me 2 weeks to fix that damn bug at new save on the start : prisonner carriage flying , moving , horse stuck on the rock ..
to avoid this
1 ) DL all SMIM mods ( and their addons )
2) DL both https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/60968 and this one https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/60403

getting and heavy load on my list mod ( specially , isn't optimized .. very newbie to mod skyrim ) , over 30 MCM menu ( with those heavy setting , ostim , immersive armor , spid .. ) , no more bug when i start a new game ..

alternatte start , or unborn mod reborn mod 're a good way to skip the intro game , but even it can boring , i like on each on my playtrough start with the intro for the story and the correct timeline quest :)

if you're using Vortex , before adding any mods ( with penty comments positive/negative ) , make a backup of your profile .

if you're using Finis or Nemesis and bodyslide , even it can boring , after adding , remove mods , dploy mods , changing setting on ini , always at least launch Nemesis / finis and Bodyslide in case mods affect npc/character/armor/set gear .
( moslty 30/40% crash on new save , or loading save it was because we forget doing those update nemesis/finis/bodyslide )

[Altbert]

I just updated to the 1.6.1170 patch (after creating a backup for the 1.6.1130 patch). Apart from the usual updates (SKSE, Address Library and RaceMenu) the game runs as smooth as in 1.6.1130, or any version before. You may also like the 3D Cathedral mods, AI Overhaul and maybe also my mod Floating Island of Legends[www.afkmods.com]. It has quests, but is not using the Skyrim quest system.

[Indio21]

Thanks z__frog__z, I will reference this if needed. I only say that because I remember from my first go at learning I jumped into all that with fnis, dyndolod, enb, etc, etc, etc. It was a very looooong learning curve.

Last go I spent MONTHS learning all this from nothing more than decent pc skills. I had a smaller LO I'd play but, the large lo one needed a lot of work to make all the mods go. Everything went upside down with covid and after for me and I never did get to finish it to play it.

I started this time with the same intent, but when these last problems arose I remembered all I was going through then and how much I was not playing. So when the problems came this time and I started over skipping the enb, for starters, I decided to follow my own kiss theory (Keep It Simple Stupid) lol, and forget the fancy bells and whistles for now.

I just want to play a modded game that looks great, has all the added pluses of various weapons, armor, enemies, and the great imaginative adventure mods created. Maybe once I get to enjoy that again for a bit I'll dive back into those features. For now, I am avoiding them. I even skipped nemesis in the guide.

I remember finis made the NPCs have more immersion with the movements, but, then, it was a learning curve. I hadn't researched it yet, but I think nemesis is just the latest greatest over finis, but not for sure.

Now I am just hoping to find the inbetween point and enjoy playing. Oh, and to clarify, I mean getting everything to work together using mods like finis, etc. I ran into problems with stuff being compatible everywhere then. I was updating oldrin mods, etc to use to correct form, having to make patches, talking to mod authors, blah, blah, blah.

Now I still have that LO on my desk top, but when I found Vlad's guide it is helping me to return to that point of adding the adventure mods, FAST! I don't have to do a ton of research on each mod, test, and possibly follow up on them. Then patches were still being created to make stuff like JK Skyrim and other city mods JK's doesn't touch work together.

Hopefully most all those situations modders resolved. I only noticed ones like Jk Skyrim and the other city mod, its name keeps escaping me and its bugging me lol, having patches available in fomods I seen thus far, but I am hopeful it will be much less work this go.

[Indio21]

Originally posted by Altbert:

I just updated to the 1.6.1170 patch (after creating a backup for the 1.6.1130 patch). Apart from the usual updates (SKSE, Address Library and RaceMenu) the game runs as smooth as in 1.6.1130, or any version before. You may also like the 3D Cathedral mods, AI Overhaul and maybe also my mod Floating Island of Legends[www.afkmods.com]. It has quests, but is not using the Skyrim quest system.

Great, thank you Altbert!!! I will check into it all. Yes, driven quest or just random stuff to explore, I love it all. That's what made me love mods when I discovered them. In D&D I could write an adventure about anything I wanted. A castle, dungeon, ruins, caves, etc. I love just running around completing them.

That is also what I am liking about the alternative start mod. Just that I can hold off the main adventure until I want. Like zfrogz mentioned above, I too like the immersion starting learning the story line (which if your reading this zfrogz I hadn't started from the vanilla start in game or alternate start mod since I downloaded it, so not sure about that problem) but if one doesn't complete the main quest dragons bombard us basically forcing the quest to be dealt with.

The mods allow one to play a character much farther through than vanilla does by increasing, well, basically everything from merchant gold to perks. The mods allow me to make all the enemies even stronger to pace with play. That with all the adventure mods makes a lot of play time for me.

In D&D I play all kinds of characters. I loved the challenges each brought and the elderscrolls series is the only game I've found that really recreates that, for me. I've heard of others like witcher 3, but none have first person view. That to me makes me feel like I am really in the game. I don't want to see I am controlling some character, so I only turn on 3rd person if I need to see the area around me.

I will definately look into your mod Altbert when I get to that section of the guide. I figure I am safer adding them then not remembering what messes with what or if it even matters anymore.

[Altbert]

For an alternative start I prefer using Skyrim Unbound Reborn. It's highly configurable to your personal preferences.

[Indio21]

Originally posted by Altbert:

For an alternative start I prefer using Skyrim Unbound Reborn. It's highly configurable to your personal preferences.

Thanks, I will look into that one too. Upon researching alternative start to see if I wanted it, I found a video showing 3 different ones and Skyrim Unbound Reborn was one of them. I don't remember all the diffs, but decided to go with alternate as the guide recommended it. I was concerned if I was making problems to start to use another than recommended. I figured I'd only deviate when I had to as to avoid the intense research and info overload, lol.

[Indio21]

After skipping the Nethers Followers section of the guide (if I have a follower I only like one so not to be tripping over them, plus I like the challenge) I have ran into a situation I am not sure about and I do not find any notes about it in the guide.

Starting the Immersion - Dialogue section of the guide I have decided to skip the The Choice Is Yours mod. I read everything about it and only see it adding the control over the quests. Personally, I like having the quests in my list for a choice on something to do, provided I don't just want to wander around and find something to explore. If I got time and want to, I will do a long type quest and other times I only got limited time to play so I'll go find someoone's sweet roll, etc lol.

Therefore, I decided not to add that mod. The situation comes in with the [2] kryptopyr's Patch Hub[www.nexusmods.com] instructed to download next. First, the fomod doesn't look like OR offer the same choices as shown in the guide pic OR OR I am not using it correctly.

Second, the guide talks about using it with: FOMOD: Page 1 Leave all on NONE. Page 2 Only select All of the CC items, Book Covers Skyrim, and Cutting Room Floor. Nothing Else.

I got none of those choices. Third, the next step says the following: [3] *Misc Patches by skeevatons[www.nexusmods.com] Only install this patch if you installed all three of the mods it patches. If so then install the: "Guard Dialogue Overhaul - RDO - TCIY Patch"

Do I even need either of those two mods if I am not using TCIY? And do I need a patch for GDO and RDO to work together? This is provided I did use the Kryptopyr's patch hub correctly. Thanks

[Indio21]

I went back through Kryptopyr's patch hub and it appears I am using correct, to me. It looks like the first page I select the mods I have, which not using TCIY none others do I have. I see mods I liked my first go like Ars Metalica, etc, but I haven't researched them to add them.

What is confusing is I see no option for CC items, Book Covers Skyrim, and Cutting Room Floor like the guide tells me to select. Any ideas? Thanks

[Indio21]

After I got that section downloaded and done I went into game. I ran to Heljarden from CRF mod and seen signs up for the town. I also talked to NPC's, a vigilant of stendar, and guards. So it seems all the immersion mods like GDO and RDO are working along with CRF. Didn't find a vampire to verify theirs, but everything appears good. So I have moved on figuring the patches are not needed without TCIY.

[Indio21]

I discovered I am getting a CTD in Solitude. I enter the gate, walk past the execution about the guard helping Ulfric, past the market, and when I walk under the big archway towards the bards college, next to the market, it CTDs. My GPU and Vram are fine. The game runs smooth and very responsive.

I had only been testing around riften besides running to Heljarden to check CRF. I am not sure what the problem is. I am wondering if I did miss a patch from kryptopr's patch hub, but I seen no choices.