How to test a modded game?

[Indio21]

Hello, I am seeking input as to the best, or most thorough way, to test a modded game as one builds the LO. I have been following a guide on steam for a LO and although in between the sections of downloads the author has noted areas to go in game and test, I missed a bad mod WAY early in the LO. Like in one of the beginning sections of Fixes for the game.

I read that Riften is a problem area and good for testing so I been basically just doing it around there. Running around, trying load doors, engaging in dialogue, going outside the walls, etc, all the time watching readings for gpu, vram, cpu, ram, and fps thinking that was enough. When I downloaded CRF I ran to Helgarden to make sure it was there and working, and doing the above there, and along the way.

I thought that was adequate "testing", but missing that "fix" did anything but fix things for me by missing it. I only noticed it because I downloaded some of the carriage transport mods and wanted to verify they worked, so I traveled to Markarth and then Solitude. Markarth was fine, but I got a CTD in Solitude.

Over 9 hours later and working mod by mod reverse through the LO I finally found the culprit, around a 140 mods later :(. So my thought is I need to learn some better "testing" methods to try and avoid that HUGE waste of time again, if possible.

So I am seeking recommendations on how to test the game as I progress. I am thinking there must be a better, or more thorough way. Thanks for reading :)

[UsernameTaken666]

yes.

[Grathagis]

Personally I don't think it is possible to experience all possible conflicts just by testing a game play. It is entirely possible to get a crash or issue, and have it resolve itself by loading an older save.
I rely on programs to find possible conflicts for me, like LOOT and SSEedit.

[Indio21]

Diposting pertama kali oleh UsernameTaken666:

yes.

I am seeking RECOMMENDATIONS, not a confirmation only, but there ALWAYS has to be one in every crowd......moving on

Diposting pertama kali oleh Grathagis:

Personally I don't think it is possible to experience all possible conflicts just by testing a game play. It is entirely possible to get a crash or issue, and have it resolve itself by loading an older save.
I rely on programs to find possible conflicts for me, like LOOT and SSEedit.

Thank you, I will make note of it. The guide said in the beginning it would give instructions on when to use loot and sseedit, but only called for me to clean two mods thus far into it. So far, vortex has only been wrong in the areas the author mentions. I will stay mindful of it though and look into referencing loot more, thanks

[Quevik]

Since you're still actively posting right now, i'm gonna give you a quick piece of info while i post a more complex one. The guide you linked on the other thread is for game version 1.6.640. The current up-to-date game is version 1.6.1170. The file that was causing the issues you had in the other thread was not updated, which is why it caused a CTD. Assuming your game is up-to-date.

I did a quick scan of the start of the guide, and the only other item i could see that jumps out as a potential issue is jcontainers. Which version of that mod did you get? If your game is fully up to date, you need the second file for jcontainers which has the description of "SKSE 2.2.6 / SSE (SAE) 1.6.1170"

I'm gonna keep scanning the guide to see if any other potential problems jump out but, honestly, most of the rest of it SHOULD be fine regardless of game version, but i'm gonna keep checking.

[Mugiwara]

XEdit is a must.

https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/164

It colour codes conflicts and will help identify troublesome areas. As some conflicts maybe to obscure to notice in the first instance. In addition some mod authors will on occasion, mistakingly create erroneus entries unrelated to the content of their mod. You will have to take some time getting used to reading it however and knowing what the exact entries are referring to before making edits. And as a rule when editing its good practice to create a new plugin rather than edit original files, especially masters.

If you wish to test in game for example, use COC Whiterun on the main menu to quick start the game (skipping the intro). Just horse and cart to Solitude from Whiterun then.

[Indio21]

Diposting pertama kali oleh Quevik:

The guide you linked on the other thread is for game version 1.6.640. The current up-to-date game is version 1.6.1170. The file that was causing the issues you had in the other thread was not updated, which is why it caused a CTD. Assuming your game is up-to-date.

Yes, my game is up to date. I been away from the game for a few years, and like a week and half ago or so updated it and purchased AE. I don't understand the difference in the numbers with the game being 1.6.1170 and the AE edition being 1.6.640, but over this time I have verified both.

I did a quick scan of the start of the guide, and the only other item i could see that jumps out as a potential issue is jcontainers. Which version of that mod did you get? If your game is fully up to date, you need the second file for jcontainers which has the description of "SKSE 2.2.6 / SSE (SAE) 1.6.1170"

Yes, correct. Jcontainers did give me problems. I downloaded it like minutes before the update. By the time I returned to the mod page to read, guide has me download X amount of mods then test, it was updated. I removed the old and installed the new and have not had any problems. That too was a while ago. And yes, I verified I have the second file of it per the guide. It's very detailed, I love that.

I'm gonna keep scanning the guide to see if any other potential problems jump out but, honestly, most of the rest of it SHOULD be fine regardless of game version, but i'm gonna keep checking.

Thank you very much! I know others are following the guide currently too as when the site quit displaying it we posted about it.

I'll just make a note of it as this was not the reason for this post. Also because I have not confirmed it yet also, but when outdoors in cloudy to rainy type weather the npcs, guards, and even the carriage horse have like an aura. It also looks like water running down a lens. I think its a setting but off to research it now. I didn't see any options in the MCM. I just returned from in game after getting all the mods enabled and doing saves along the way. It started to rain and everyone is like faintly glowing, lol.

[Quevik]

Alright. Scanned through most of the rest of the guide. There are 3 other items i recommend skipping during your install.

do not install:
the remove quicksave button optional mod (8 under user interface)
additemmenu (17 and 18 under user interface)

These mods are pretty much optional anyways and won't be needed for your game. They have some issues with the latest version. Outside of that, everything SHOULD work fine if you follow the rest of the guide. I use most of the guide's mods myself, but not all of them.

----

As for testing. What I typically do is install mods 10-20 at a time, and then test those specific mods. For the guide, you can test after each section. Once you install the UI mods, for example, open you inventory, try to sell something to a merchant, and check that you can change settings such as volume, difficulty...etc. Specifically test the UI.

When you do the weather mods, teleport between whiterun and winterhold to see if you can test snowy, rainy, and clear weather.

Once you install dialogue mods, try talking to people, guards...etc.

Focusing your testing on what you most recently installed works best.

Now, to be honest, this would not have helped you with the previous problem you just solved. That issue was beyond "newer modders". But I don't think you'll have a similiar issue with anything else, based on my scan of the guide. I use about 70% of those mods myself. But there are some that i do not use, and I can't make any promises.

If you're truly worried, you can make the occasional run through each city. Take a carriage and just run from the entrance to the palace of each city. Or maybe run along the road from whiterun to rorikstead. Such tests would take some time, but they would be more apt to indicate if anything is wrong.

[Indio21]

Diposting pertama kali oleh Mugiwara:

If you wish to test in game for example, use COC Whiterun on the main menu to quick start the game (skipping the intro). Just horse and cart to Solitude from Whiterun then.

I will follow up on the link, thank you. As for the whiterun start, I just use the alternative start live another life. I just started a test character, for checking LO as I went along installing mods, and started at the inn in riften.

Does doing it that way test something else, or just by passes the start and saves some running? Thanks

[Insomniac Jack]

My recommendation is: don't get greedy. In other words, avoid installing hundreds of mods from some random list, especially at once. Because the more you add, the more testing you will have to do to make sure that it all works together, is compatible with your game version and other mods you might add, etc.

Sometimes you have to weigh in the pros and cons, some mods will come with inherent bugs, so you might want to search for better alternatives or ask yourself how badly you want it, and whether it's worth it.

If you're adding mods one by one, I suggest making your own list with the ones you really want and building it around them and the playthrough you have in mind. Some mods require a new game, but once you got those out of the way, you can gradually add most of them as you go.

If you have the disc space, you can always download modpacks (eg: Nolvus, wabbajack) which come with someone elses preassembled list. I cant vouch for them personally, as I never used them, but it might save you some time and the headache.

Lastly, remember that the time you spend modding could be spent playing, so ask yourself whether it's worth it to you.

[Mugiwara]

Diposting pertama kali oleh Indio21:

Diposting pertama kali oleh Mugiwara:

If you wish to test in game for example, use COC Whiterun on the main menu to quick start the game (skipping the intro). Just horse and cart to Solitude from Whiterun then.

I will follow up on the link, thank you. As for the whiterun start, I just use the alternative start live another life. I just started a test character, for checking LO as I went along installing mods, and started at the inn in riften.

Does doing it that way test something else, or just by passes the start and saves some running? Thanks

It just ignores the intro and starts you outside Whiterun. Might just be a tiny bit quicker thats all. But yeah ASLAL also has the same effect in a way.

[Quevik]

Diposting pertama kali oleh Indio21:

I'll just make a note of it as this was not the reason for this post. Also because I have not confirmed it yet also, but when outdoors in cloudy to rainy type weather the npcs, guards, and even the carriage horse have like an aura. It also looks like water running down a lens. I think its a setting but off to research it now. I didn't see any options in the MCM. I just returned from in game after getting all the mods enabled and doing saves along the way. It started to rain and everyone is like faintly glowing, lol.

This is a setting for R.A.S.S.

You should be able to turn it off via the MCM for that mod under the "wet" settings. I think the guide mentioned only leaving on the snowy choices but you'd have to check that.

[Indio21]

Diposting pertama kali oleh Quevik:

Alright. Scanned through most of the rest of the guide. There are 3 other items i recommend skipping during your install.

do not install:
the remove quicksave button optional mod (8 under user interface)
additemmenu (17 and 18 under user interface)These mods are pretty much optional anyways and won't be needed for your game.

With the change made to the quick save link I didn't see a reason to install the quick save removal mod, so good there. I am not understanding what you wrote here "additemmenu (17 and 18 under user interface)"......there is no 17 & 18 in UI. It only goes to 13.

[Insomniac Jack]

Diposting pertama kali oleh Indio21:

Diposting pertama kali oleh Quevik:

The guide you linked on the other thread is for game version 1.6.640. The current up-to-date game is version 1.6.1170. The file that was causing the issues you had in the other thread was not updated, which is why it caused a CTD. Assuming your game is up-to-date.

Yes, my game is up to date. I been away from the game for a few years, and like a week and half ago or so updated it and purchased AE. I don't understand the difference in the numbers with the game being 1.6.1170 and the AE edition being 1.6.640, but over this time I have verified both.

That's probably the first and most fundamental part you had to figure out before you started modding: which version of the game you're using.

As far as mods go, (SE)=v1.5.97, (AE)=1.6.640. Most mods are incompatible with the latest version (1.6.1120+).

[Indio21]

Diposting pertama kali oleh Quevik:

As for testing. What I typically do............

Great, that is pretty much what I been trying to do as I download each section. I knew it wrote into saves and that is why I did them after each section so in case I needed to back up. like I did.

I will make it a point to be more thorough now though, thank you!

[Quevik]

Diposting pertama kali oleh Indio21:

Diposting pertama kali oleh Quevik:

Alright. Scanned through most of the rest of the guide. There are 3 other items i recommend skipping during your install.

do not install:
the remove quicksave button optional mod (8 under user interface)
additemmenu (17 and 18 under user interface)These mods are pretty much optional anyways and won't be needed for your game.

With the change made to the quick save link I didn't see a reason to install the quick save removal mod, so good there. I am not understanding what you wrote here "additemmenu (17 and 18 under user interface)"......there is no 17 & 18 in UI. It only goes to 13.

Under "UI" After 13 it tells you to test the game, then resumes at 14 and goes up to 24 before beginning the next section titled "Settings loaders"

Diposting pertama kali oleh Insomniac Jack:

As far as mods go, (SE)=v1.5.97, (AE)=1.6.640. Most mods are incompatible with the latest version (1.6.1120+).

There are only a small handful of mods that are not compatible with 1.6.1170. No matter the update, 99% of mods are working again within a week.

Anyway. I wish you the best OP. But I have to head to bed. Good luck!