Skyrim SE/AE on SD OLED

[S.O.B]

Regardless of the additional costs, are there any reasons (performance, stability, visuals, modding…) why you‘d recommend the SE over AE on the Deck?
Haven’t played Skyrim for a decade now but would like to jump in again since the Steam Deck makes it possible for me.
I‘ve read the AE is basically the SE with additional creation club content as an official dlc, but I’m wondering whether the overall experience and modding differs somehow?

[Ilja]

Let's first clear the terminology between SE and AE.

Up to date version of the game is considered as "AE", without the Anniversary Edition. There was a choke point of mod updates after compiler update, which divided mods between "SE" and "AE", pointing if they were using old patch or up to date one.

That dividing line is dying away as pointless. Some players still stick with it, due to some extremely niche mod updates, or just being unwilling to jump over as sign of rebellion. But, pretty much every single relevant mod has gained either and update or replacement. And all the new content is released for up to date patch. I see no reason to go back in to old patch version of the game.

AE brought in few added creations, which are now considered as part of full game. Most of them go pretty much unnoticed and ad some extra ingredients and stuff in to game. The Saints and Seducers creation is more invasive, adding two new factions and hostiles around the map. I actually believe that they should have left it as just downloadable creation, instead of merging it in to game.

Anniversary Edition DLC includes all the creations that were previously released in Creation Club. Their quality vary and having so many of them does of course affect on your gaming experience. Will that be positive or negative change depends on you. I have decided to skip whole DLC, though there are few creations that I have considered as standalone ones, mostly due to grand mod called Legacy of the Dragonborn, which utilizes them as collectables.

[S.O.B]

Originally posted by Ilja:

Let's first clear the terminology between SE and AE.

Up to date version of the game is considered as "AE", without the Anniversary Edition. There was a choke point of mod updates after compiler update, which divided mods between "SE" and "AE", pointing if they were using old patch or up to date one.

That dividing line is dying away as pointless. Some players still stick with it, due to some extremely niche mod updates, or just being unwilling to jump over as sign of rebellion. But, pretty much every single relevant mod has gained either and update or replacement. And all the new content is released for up to date patch. I see no reason to go back in to old patch version of the game.

AE brought in few added creations, which are now considered as part of full game. Most of them go pretty much unnoticed and ad some extra ingredients and stuff in to game. The Saints and Seducers creation is more invasive, adding two new factions and hostiles around the map. I actually believe that they should have left it as just downloadable creation, instead of merging it in to game.

Anniversary Edition DLC includes all the creations that were previously released in Creation Club. Their quality vary and having so many of them does of course affect on your gaming experience. Will that be positive or negative change depends on you. I have decided to skip whole DLC, though there are few creations that I have considered as standalone ones, mostly due to grand mod called Legacy of the Dragonborn, which utilizes them as collectables.

Thanks for your detailed and helpful reply. So if I got it right and if it comes to the version of the game, the Special Edition as it is available in the shop is basically the mentioned and up to date „AE“ version and the „Anniversary Edition DLC“ will add some contents while leaving the version of the game untouched?

[alexander_dougherty]

I would just like to point out that the various threads about getting Skyrim to run on the Steam Deck suggest it's not a simple affair. Hope you can getting running, but despite it being tagged as Verified for the Steam Deck it most definitely isn't.

[Ilja]

Originally posted by S.O.B:

Thanks for your detailed and helpful reply. So if I got it right and if it comes to the version of the game, the Special Edition as it is available in the shop is basically the mentioned and up to date „AE“ version and the „Anniversary Edition DLC“ will add some contents while leaving the version of the game untouched?

Up to date version of SE is indeed "AE" and has few additional creations added to it's base content.

Otherwise adding content to game as Anniversary Edition requires especially purchasing and downloading separate Anniversary Edition DLC.

Any mod that requires creations for Anniversary Edition DLC usually understands specifically mention it under requirements section.

[Arbadacarba]

At this time running skyrim on the SD is as simple as clicking play, works flawlessly.

[vee-kay]

Just get AE.

AE : Latest version is 1.6.1170 (Steam) or 1.6.1179 (GoG). AE includes CC.
SE : Last version is 1.5,97.
LE : remains at 1.9.32.

Most of the important mods and utilties work with AE and SE.
Many mods that worked on LE, have been ported to SE/AE, but some old mods still haven't.

[smr1957]

As explained by Ilja (and in innumerable other places both on this forum and on other sites), there is no AE version of the game - AE refers to the DLC, or as a shorthand marketing term for the bundle of the AE DLC when sold with the base game (which is Steam version 1.6.1170) - despite what some people may keep insisting on stating.

[vee-kay]

Originally posted by smr1957:

As explained by Ilja (and in innumerable other places both on this forum and on other sites), there is no AE version of the game - AE refers to the DLC, or as a shorthand marketing term for the bundle of the AE DLC when sold with the base game (which is Steam version 1.6.1170) - despite what some people may keep insisting on stating.

You might be interested to know it is standard protocol for NexusMods site and modders to use the nicknames/abbreviations AE, SE and LE to differentiate the game versions.

I repeat:
AE : Latest version is 1.6.1170 (Steam) or 1.6.1179 (GoG). AE includes CC.
SE : Last version is 1.5,97. This is the last version before the Anniversary Edition updates.
LE (Oldrim) : remains at 1.9.32. This is the version prior to launch of Special Edition. This edition is delisted on the digital game stores.

Don't believe me? Go take a look at SKSE site itself, and see how it categorizes the game versions. SKSE is needed for a lot of mods, so seeing how it categorizes the game editions, the modders also followed suit.

Please do not mislead the newbies! They need to download the specific mods for the game version they are using. Clubbing SE & AE together as SE only serves to confuse them when mod downloads are clearly labeled as meant for AE (1.6.x), SE (1.5.97), Skyrim/legacy/oldrim (1.9.32).

I will not argue on this further. You do you.
My duty to OP is done here.

[smr1957]

Originally posted by vee-kay:

- snip -
Please do not mislead the newbies! - snip -
I will not argue on this further. You do you.
My duty to OP is done here.

The only one doing the misleading is you. You have little or no experience, and insist that you are better informed than those who have been active for years. It is great that you have a desire to help, but before one helps, one should first know the subject, and not print misinformation based upon one's presumptions and/or misunderstandings.

[alexander_dougherty]

Originally posted by vee-kay:

Originally posted by smr1957:

As explained by Ilja (and in innumerable other places both on this forum and on other sites), there is no AE version of the game - AE refers to the DLC, or as a shorthand marketing term for the bundle of the AE DLC when sold with the base game (which is Steam version 1.6.1170) - despite what some people may keep insisting on stating.

You might be interested to know it is standard protocol for NexusMods site and modders to use the nicknames/abbreviations AE, SE and LE to differentiate the game versions.

I repeat:
AE : Latest version is 1.6.1170 (Steam) or 1.6.1179 (GoG). AE includes CC.
SE : Last version is 1.5,97. This is the last version before the Anniversary Edition updates.

While that is what mod authors use, it isn't technically true.
Technically AE is just SE with some CC mods.
Again what you are describing is used by various modding sites, but that is a huge arguement I am trying to skirt around..... circumlocution by other means.....

[vee-kay]

Originally posted by alexander_dougherty:

Originally posted by vee-kay:

You might be interested to know it is standard protocol for NexusMods site and modders to use the nicknames/abbreviations AE, SE and LE to differentiate the game versions.

I repeat:
AE : Latest version is 1.6.1170 (Steam) or 1.6.1179 (GoG). AE includes CC.
SE : Last version is 1.5,97. This is the last version before the Anniversary Edition updates.

While that is what mod authors use,....

I rest my case..

[vee-kay]

Originally posted by smr1957:

Originally posted by vee-kay:

- snip -
Please do not mislead the newbies! - snip -
I will not argue on this further. You do you.
My duty to OP is done here.

The only one doing the misleading is you. You have little or no experience, and insist that you are better informed than those who have been active for years. It is great that you have a desire to help, but before one helps, one should first know the subject, and not print misinformation based upon one's presumptions and/or misunderstandings.

You are forcing me to argue...

It seems you are the one who's misinformed.. or dare I say: misinforming here...
Because tens of thousands of mods at NexusMods and elsewhere clearly label mod download versions as "working for" or "compatible with" AE 1.6.x, SE 1.5.97, Skyrim/LE 1.9.32.

Of course, if you want to be technically (aka, misleading to newbies) about it, and claim otherwise, then you do you.

I repeat: When Skyrim got the Anniversary update, it (v1.6 and subsequent versions) became called as AE (in fact, Bethesda even sells the combined SE+AnniversaryUpgrade as Anniversary Edition). If you insist on calling it as SE, then you ignore the fact that modders insist on calling all v1.6.x versions of the game as AE and they consider SE as v1.5.97. And you are then misleading the newbies, because you refuse to acknowledge what the modding community has already decided as a norm long ago.

I've done my duty here of giving the right info to the newbies so they can make the right decisions when choosing the right mods versions for their specific game version.

I rest my case..

[vee-kay]

OP, I hope you've read through the comments and not getting mislead.
NexusMods will corroborate with what I've mentioned in my comments here.

[Nabinkemper]

The mod authors that refer to an Anniversary Edition (AE) are actually incorrect and are providing a disservice to the community. All they needed to do was indicate which game version of Special Edition (SE) the mod applies to.

If their mod relied on assets that are included in the AE DLC, this is indicated on the mod description page under Requirements. There was no need to confuse the community further.

The issue was originally created by Bethesda Marketing, which many bought into like a bunch of suckers. The only thing that changes in the game when installing the AE DLC is the logo and the title. Regardless of the 70 creation club mods within the bundle, the game is still Special Edition.

Originally posted by vee-kay:

AE : Latest version is 1.6.1170 (Steam) or 1.6.1179 (GoG). AE includes CC.
SE : Last version is 1.5,97.
LE : remains at 1.9.32.

Based on your list, Vee-Kay, where would my game version land (1.6.640)? Because even though the four base CC mods were added, I still have Special Edition. That's what it says in the Steam library and on the game title page. When I update to the current version, guess what, I will STILL have Special Edition.

[vee-kay]

Originally posted by Nabinkemper:

The mod authors that refer to an Anniversary Edition (AE) are actually incorrect...
-snip-

Are you trolling here?