Masterlist: Dangerous, Outdated and Superseded Mods - v5 VITAL UPDATE PLEASE READ

[Nazenn]

Contents

• Introduction
  
• Using this resource accurately
  
• Categories and ratings
  
• Common risks and other terminology
  
• Outdated tools and other resources
  
• Dangerous - Game breaking and highly unstable mods
  
• Unstable - Other risky and unreliable mods
  
• Outdated - Superseded mods and their updates
  
• Warnings - Potentially problematic mods
  
• Stable - Previously unstable mods that are now safe
  
• Version History and Credits

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Introduction

The Skyrim modding scene is a very dynamic and constantly changing environment where mods are constantly being created, updated, superseded or even abandoned. At the same time, our knowledge of Skyrim and its engine is constantly growing and expanding, everything from bugs to more efficient methods are constantly being discovered or developed. As more and mods are being made, it's become harder to keep track of exactly what the issues in each mod are, which is why this list has been created.
All mods on this list have had their issues confirmed via hard data or reproducible tests done on a vanilla game. Hard data counts as either visible errors and flaws in the plugin, mesh or script files. Reproducible testing must be done on a save file that is unaffected by other mods leaving the game in a vanilla state, bar the unofficial patches where they fix bugs in the vanilla game that may negatively affect the results of the test (such as if testing for save bloat, the unofficial patches are used so that vanilla sources of save bloat don't affect percentage results).
The goal of this list is to document all mods that have been proven to have technical issues that can undermine your games stability. No too mods have the same problems so please read the information about each listing carefully to understand why it's there. Also included is a small section at the end of the list also detailing out mods that previously had issues, or have strong misconceptions about them, explaining the facts of the mod and what actually makes those mods technically stable.
This list is designed to be a resource and a place for information about affected files, not a blacklist. While there are mods on here not recommended for use, no mod is here permanently, and all mods can have their listing or rating updated if the issue is addressed and rectified so please make sure you also read future updates of this resource instead of relying on your memory.

Using this resource accurately

This is a community based list that attempts to identify issues and instabilities on mods available for Skyrim from any modding platform, including but not exclusive to the Nexus and the Workshop. This is also a continuous work in progress, as there are over 45 thousand mods on the Nexus alone, and as such it's not possible that every one of these has been tested and evaluated, not to mention the other platforms as well. This list is constantly being updated with mods being added as issues are found, mods removed as issues are fixed or proven incorrect, or entries updated as new information comes up about each mods listing.

Sharing information
This list is designed to be a resource used for both mod users and mod creators and a part of that is sharing the information with other users who may be having stability issues or setting up mods for their own games. While this sort of help is encouraged, it's important to note that referencing this information inaccurately is unfair to both the users who may be getting the inaccurate information and also mod authors as well. Try to keep in mind that people being introduced to this information for the first time can be quite frustrated if they suddenly realize a mod listed here is a cause of one of their major bugs or that their mod list they thought was stable really isn't.
Similarly, while all active mod authors have been contacted already about mod listings, mod authors who return from inactivity to their mods page or are informed about it indirectly and return to see comments on their files about a 'dangerous mods list' may understandably find it very confronting and frustrating. Keep in mind this is peoples work that they invest hundreds of hours into and they are very attached to. Please try and avoid such sweeping generalizations like only providing the name of the resource, or rough statements just about it 'needing to be removed' as such statements do more harm than good.
When you are quoting this list to others about specific entries please make sure you are quoting:

• The category - The category is the most important label that goes onto a listing as it describes the severity level of a listing, not every mod on here is totally gamebreaking.
  
• The version number - While you should not be posting information about the old versions of mods, posts from people will still show up with google searches etc so its important for people who may be reading about it down the line
  
• The reason - the description for each listing is there for a reason, it's important to note why mods are not stable, not just that they aren't which can be misleading for people.

While the rating system is also important, without context of definitions it can be misleading for others so when quoting from the list please also link them to a primary copy, either on reddit or steam so people can understand the context of them.

Making contributions or requests
Community based submissions are the core of this list and it has been built with the communities help and also its knowledge. If ever anyone discovers significant issues in a mods files that they feel would make it eligible for inclusion, such knowledge is gladly accepted into this as it then goes towards the benefit of everyone's games. While it's of course beneficial that you are able to provide exact technical details about exactly what the issues are, potential problems that need further investigation are also welcomed although it will be slower for them to be addressed due to the time that testing takes. This also goes for listings that you think need to be rewritten to be more accurate.
But just as importantly, if you have information showing an inaccuracy on this list or you feel as if any individual listing could use a review, please come forward. As modding knowledge and understanding grows and as our resources adapt to this, the information here will adapt to that. On a simpler nature, similarly all requests for more information or a better explanation of certain listings or information are welcomed as well. Apart of this is informing the editor whenever a mod listed here is updated so that its issues can be checked again to ensure the listing here is still valid.
Please feel free to contact the editor of the list, Nazenn, on Reddit, Steam or the Nexus[forums.nexusmods.com], whichever is preferred. If you would prefer a public discussion, the most recent public threads can be found here on Steam and Reddit.
While all submissions are welcome, it's also important to remember that just because you do not see bugs obviously in your game it doesn't mean they aren't there, or that they won't be there in future. Similarly, just because you see a bug immediately after installing a particular mod, it doesn't mean the bug is caused exclusively by that mod or that it is the sole cause of it. Many of these mods are here for underlying technical problems which cause bugs you may not immediately associate with the function of the mod itself or may take a while to appear in a game.

Ratings and Categories

There is a two part grouping system in this list, designed to aid in ease of understanding the exact risks each of these mods actually represents individually. Not of all of these mods are equal, many of them are significantly more or less stable compared to other listings, but so the combination of categories and ratings are there to provide a more readable list for the user.

Categories
There are five category levels that mods can be placed into that are listed from the category containing mods that are the most risky to mods that are the least. The category is the most important label on this list. While there is a rating system as well, the category is the primary listing method and a mod in a high risk category (eg, One) with a low risk rating (eg, Six) should still be considered more unstable then a mod in a lower risk category (eg, Four) with a high risk rating (eg, Three).

• Category One – Dangerous Mods - Highest risk category, detailing out files that present a high risk to your save file and the overall capability of the game to run in a normal state
  
• Category Two – Unstable Mods - Moderate risk category, for mods which cause damage to your game but may not necessarily bake their changes in or cause game breaking issues
  
• Category Three – Outdated Mods - Low risk category, where mods may only have minor bugs or issues but there are other more reliable alternatives that are more stable or reliable
  
• Category Four – Warnings - Minimal risk category, mods here do not need to be removed, but information is provided here that you should be aware of before installation
  
• Category Five – Stable Mods - No risk category, detailing out mods that have had previous instabilities removed via file updates, or mods that have a lot of rumours and misconceptions around their stability that will be debunked.

Ratings
The rating is a secondary method of risk evaluation that is listed alongside the name of each mod. This is meant to help in distinguishing the risk levels of each mod within the categories themselves. Below is a short description of exactly what the ratings are and what they stand for:

• One (1) - Completely unstable resulting in severe game instability on multiple levels
  
• Two (2) -Very unstable mostly due to lack of knowledge of good modding practices
  
• Three (3) - Mostly unstable because of its technical design and implementation
  
• Four (4) - Unstable and can present with persistently bugged behaviour
  
• Five (5) - General instability resulting in regular disruptive short term bugs
  
• Six (6) - Stable but still rarely presents with disruptive issues and bugs
  
• Seven (7) - Mostly Stable however minor bugs might still rarely appear
  
• Eight (8) - Very Stable although more reliable alternatives may be available

Mods that have been grouped together due to a common technical failing, such as deleted navmeshes, are given a rating based on the severity of the issue at hand, rather than individual ratings for each individual mod. An N/A rating is only given when there are a number of mods that are unrelated in features that have been replaced or listed together by an external party which are being linked here as a resource.

Specifically for mods with a level Two rating, it's important to note that mod author are not being judged here. Each mod is evaluated on a case by case basis. The fact that a mod may be listed here due to instabilities resulting from poor practices does not mean that every mod by that author is a risk. Mod authors who start out knowing nothing can learn very quickly and produce some very good quality files intermingled with their lesser quality ones, and amazing mod authors can make mistakes and accidentally release a file with major bugs without knowing it at the time. A level Two rating only applies to that singularly mod, not to the mod author themselves.

Common risks and other terminology

There are a number of very common problems in mod development that can appear in a range of mods from all stability levels. There's also a number of issues that pop up less frequently and are rarely known about but can be major concerns. Here to can find listed the most common risks to mod files and also some lesser known terminology that can be helpful for understanding information in this resource on a while.

Mods that suffer from a high amount of Identical to Master Records (ITMs) or Undeleted and Disabled References (UDRs) and those issues alone are not considered suitable for inclusion. Despite the large amount of problems that UDRs especially can cause, these issues are very easily fixed on the user side and also very easily checked for in Tes5Edit. The large amounts of mods that suffer from a small number of these is also just too time consuming to keep track of and maintain an accurate listing. If you find a mod that suffers from a lot of these issues, please instead politely approach the mod author with a guide on how to clean them and post about them in the comments of the mod so that other users are aware of the issue as well. For more information about what these issues are please visit this community resource[wiki.step-project.com]. For extreme cases where a mod may suffer from over a hundred of these, it may also suffer from a number of other issues such as wild edits so it's often worth mentioning so a more in depth analysis of the plugin can be done to identify other risky edits.

Deleted Navmeshes is another common mistake mod authors can make, however mods with this issue cannot be fixed outside of the author or an advanced user creating a fix for it. These errors can similarly be detected in Tes5Edit via checking for deleted references, and due to time constraints and the difficulty of maintaining an accurate listing for the many mods included here, they are not listed individually but rather given a general listing that accounts for all mods with this issue, which you can find in the Unstable category.

Save Bloat is a rare issue within modding that has minor short term effects but is game breaking long term. Save Bloat is classified as a mod that causes persistent and uncontrolled growth in a save due to poor scripting or object adding which results in references being perpetually added to the save data but never removed. Over time this causes the size of the save file to grow, eventually making it hard to load for the engine to load and process properly, resulting in a slowdown of the scripting engine, poor performance and eventually crashing both in game and while trying to load or save files. It is a rare issue and not common, and while most of the mods that cause it are scripted files, it is also possible to cause bloat through poor object management as well.

Stack Dumps are probably the most serious issue that a single mod can cause, however it is an exceedingly rare issue. A stack dump occurs when the scripting engine of Skyrim, known as Papyrus, is being hit with so much information that it reaches an internal limit where it is too overloaded to process anything else. To try and keep itself stable, it dumps any information currently being processed through it. This does not have to be information related to the mod or issue that caused the problem, it can be ANY information currently being processed, including information relating to the core (aka, vanilla) game, quest data, or even vital information related to other mods mechanics or functions. Mods causing stack dumps are rare due to the sheer amount of data that has to be pushed through Papyrus to cause this issue however they are considered to be an extreme risk.

Release dates for mods and what they mean
There are also a number of dates that you should be aware of when checking your mods for stability or issues before playing with them. While not all mods that come before these dates will have issues mods in these areas are more at risk for being unstable:

• Last updated before the 19th of March, 2013 - Any mod made before this date may not account for the latest patches and changes and could undo Bethesda's official updates resulting in an unstable game or missing mechanics from your game. Any mod that conflicts with Update.esm should not be used unless you are confident in manually patching it. This can be easily checked in Tes5Edit if you are concerned about it due to the age of a plugin file.
  
• Mod made before 2nd of August, 2012 - These mods will not be compatible with the DLCs or changes they make. This is only an issue for mods that impact functions the DLC has changed, such as Dragons, Vampires, the Hearthfire House locations, records the DLCs also edit etc. Mods that affect things the DLCs have changed will cause conflicts and sometimes cause serious bugs in the DLCs themselves. For other mods that may affect things present in the DLCs, such as bookshelves or items, it's more likely the mod just won't apply to whatever copy of the object the DLC adds. Each mod matching this area of concern should be checked carefully for reports of issues.
  
• Mods that were created before February 7th, 2012 - These mods were made before the Creation Kit using a tool called TesVsnip which was known to often cause plugin corruption and mod instability. Unless the mod has been vetted by the community please exercise extreme caution in using it as these files can cause major instability in your game.

Outdated tools and other resources

Just as much as mods change and get updated, so do the tools and resources that we use to make mods and to recommend them to others. Using outdated tools to make files or to maintain your own modded game can result in instability or things other bugs related to your files or setup. Because of the different nature of tools and mod files, all tools that have been determined unstable or replaced by better alternatives are listed here instead for neatness.

BOSS - Outdated and Superseded
Replaced by: LOOT http://loot.github.io/
Better Oblivion Sorting Software (BOSS) use to be the primary tool for sorting the load order of a modded game. Load order is vitally important for making sure that mod conflicts go in the right order which makes sure that mods function properly and don't cause instability in your game. BOSS's only method of determining the load order of your game was via a manually updated masterlist that was hand created by the team who made the tool. This masterlist has not been updated for two years for Skyrim meaning that it will not properly detect any mod added in the last two years, or any mod that has been updated in that time, meaning these mods will either be positioned wrongly or just dumped at the bottom of your load order which could result in instabilities.
LOOT has a method of automatically handling many conflicts by detecting what records have been edited and assigning them a priority to get the least amount of data conflicts in your load order. This is a far more reliable method and means that every mod is automatically supported by LOOT from the moment that it comes out. LOOT does use a masterlist for some mods which require more intricate conflict resolution, but it does not depend solely on it.

Nifskope 1.2.0 - Superseded
Replaced by: Nifskope 2.0 alpha - https://github.com/jonwd7/nifskope/releases
The primary Nifskope website and Google tend to direct you towards downloading the older version of Nifskope. It has since been taken over and moved to github which has a more up to date release. Nifskope 2.0 has more advanced features, including proper rendering of meshes as they display in game, more options to display meshes, it performs better and also has more options for file management, such as an undo.
While some users with AMD or Intel graphics cards, or integrated graphics, may find that the advanced shaders don't work for them, this can be disabled via a disabling advanced shaders under the Render menu which makes it render like the previous version. This is because the developers only have nVidia cards and as such not all AMD drivers like the code. But the rest of the features should still prove helpful to people who have these cards.

TesVsnip / xSnip - Dangerous
Better option: Tes5Edit / xEdit - http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/25859/?
TesVsnip, also known as FalloutSnip and xSnip, was what was used to create mods prior to the Creation Kit being released. This tool is known to be unstable and often resulted in corrupted plugins and unsafe files. Mods created with this tool are at a high risk to cause problems in your game, and some mods created with this tool are still available on the Nexus unfortunately, although LOOT often marks these as corrupted when you run it.
As a mod maker, if you don't want to use the Creation Kit to make files for any Bethesda game, or it is not available yet, xEdit should be used instead as it is much more stable and has never had any corruption issues and also results in much more reliable plugin edits. If xEdit is not available for the Bethesda game you want to mod yet, xSnip should still not be considered an option due to the persistent instability issues that it causes users.

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[Nazenn]

Dangerous - Game breaking and highly unstable mods

This is the highest risk category that a mod can be placed into. For a mod to be classified as a dangerous mod it must cause repeated, irreparable damage to a save game. Mods that cause this much instability cannot be safely removed or the save file fixed by any method and as such troubleshooting cannot be provided for load orders that include these files. Mods placed here should not be relied upon for any sort of game stability either in the short or long term, although they may have varying effects noticeable in game.

Locational Damage - Rating: One (1)
Last version checked: 2.2
While an interesting concept the implementation of this mod is quite problematic and uses a great deal of resources. The scripts that detect the location of each attack and then apply the effects are insanely long and intensive for the game to process and because of the way it applies this script will be trying to process very often in combat. This results in a high script latency building up in your game which can have negative effects on stability all around, and because of the high impact of the scripts in combat could be a primary contributor to any stack dumps occurring in players game while in combat even in a vanilla game, not to mention a primary slow down of the scripting engine.
There is no direct replacement for this file. While some combat overhauls do come with their own locational damage systems, many of these also come with stability issues and are not recommended for use, although not as intensive as this mod. Most notably the locational damage function in Deadly Combat is a potential cause of save bloat and should be disabled via its MCM (please see the relevant listing in the Warnings category).

Stable uGridsToLoad - Rating: Two (2)
Last version checked: 1.0
After this mod was released, the author was informed that a memory allocation issue inside the mods code was causing problems with memory allocation, and issue that was rediscovered recently. This was revealed to be an issue where the mod is calling the wrong memory functions which eventually results in memory corruption. Memory corruption is an issue that is considered very high risk however the effects are not well known for Skyrim due to the fact that this is an issue that originates from proper software code and is not Skyrim specific. Potential effects based on the way that this issue can affect other programs are poor performance, various glitches to systems within Skyrim's engine and even crash to desktops. Overall this should be considered a high risk to the games overall stability.
There is no direct replacement for this mod. People looking for better long distance appearance in their game should not touch uGrids settings in their ini files due to overall stability concerns anyway. The recommended solution for this is to use DynDOLOD instead.
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/59721/?

Crimson Tide - Blood - Rating: Two (2)
Last version checked: 2.2
This is a highly unstable file that presents with numerous errors in its implementation that can cause a lot of problems in your game. There are a large numbers of errors in its scripting including scripts with major errors, bad properties being assigned and scripts that leave traces in your save game. On top of this, it has a number of errors in the esp file itself which mean the scripts don't actually get applied properly and wild edits. These are quite major stability issues which result in the mods processes quickly breaking inside the save file. It also conflicts with the DLCs in a number of areas and has a bunch of data that it failed to carry over properly from Update.esm, as well as a number of wild edits including deletions of vanilla content that don't actually appear to be needed to implement the mod's mechanics.
Recommended alternative: Enhanced Blood Textures
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/60/?

SMPC - Skyrim Misc patches Collection - Rating: One (1)
Last version checked: No longer available for download
While SMPC was advertised as being a collection of additional fixes that could work alongside the fixes provided by other mods and the Unofficial Patches, the implementation of these fixes resulted in many of the fixes from the unofficial patches being overwritten and many of the edits are not actually recorded buts but subjective edits implemented by the author without documentation. While most of the subjective edits are minor details, many of the broken fixes relate to quests which can prevent you from completing them. These problems have been well documented and are visible with Tes5Edit when comparing the two files. There are also a number of wild edits present in the files and errors in the data due to removing sections of records or editing them wrongly.
You can read Arthmoor's detailed technical explanation on the matter here: http://afkmods.iguanadons.net/index.php?/topic/3719-the-skyrim-misc-patches-collection-aka-uskp-addon/

SEM - Skyrim Encumbrance Mod - Rating: Three (3)
Last version checked: No longer available for download
SEM suffers from a major issue with the way that its scripts execute. For every item that you add to your inventory, the script runs once for each individual item. The issue is that when adding in masses of items at once, such as dumping a full inventory into a container or picking up a large inventory from a container, it overloads the scripting system resulting in stack dumps. Stack dumps are a major issue that can potentially result in multiple game breaking effects because of the way the engine dumps script information to stay functional. More information on stack dumps can be read above.
Recommended replacement - Cobb Encumbrance
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/63330/?
Cobb Encumbrance was built from the ground up to deal with this problem and as such doesn't contain any risk of stack dumps and generally runs much more efficiently. This is also now the recommended option from the SEM author.

Everyone Killable - Skyrim Ultimate Killer - Rating: Two (2)
Last version checked: 2.01
It's this mods implementation that has it listed as high risk due to the way that it applies to your game. It uses an exe file to completely replace your skyrim.ini file which contains a lot of configuration settings. It does this without warning and without giving you a chance to back it up and it does not inform you of what it is going to do. The ini tweak this mod applies can be easily added manually and there are also several other plugin based options available on the Nexus that can be used instead to achieve the same result without affecting the rest of your ini file.

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[Nazenn]

Unstable - Other risky and unreliable mods

While the previous category primarily deals with mods that are known to cause game breaking issues or major and persistent bugs, this category is about other mods which may undermine the stability of your game in less severe ways but still impact the ability to complete the save file or properly use official features and core parts of the game.

Mods with deleted Navmesh warnings - Rating: Two (2)
In Skyrim, the Navmesh is the part of the game that tells NPCs where they can walk and allow them to navigate an area to get past obstacles and item's that may be In their way. While there are hidden meshes that allow mod makers to dynamically hide parts of the Navmesh from NPCs, there is no way to add new areas for navigation without directly editing the Navmesh entry for the cell.
Some mod authors may delete the Navmesh in order to implement their own in a modified area however this is bad practice and if anything else tries to access that Navmesh, including DLCs or other mod files, the game will crash the moment that the information is loaded. Any mod with a deleted Navmesh should be considered a high crash risk because of this, akin to mods with a lot of UDRs.
Deleted Navmeshes cannot easily be fixed by users and should be fixed by the mod author or an experienced Navmesh author instead. Please report any discovered Navmesh deletions to the author of the file and if they do not or will not fix it please consider filing a report to the LOOT team to notify others of the dirty file.

Mods replaced by Sharlikrans Compatibility Patches - Ratings: N/A
Patches found here - http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/26230/?
This pages hosts a number of patches and esp replacements for a number of older mods who's official versions are no longer considered safe to use due to outdated modding practices or corrupt plugins. The files hosted here have been updated to remove major errors and fix data issues so that the mods can remain usable. LOOT has most of these files in its database and will inform you if you have a mod that requires one of these patches, but its generally good practice to check this page anyway if you are using older mods to ensure you have the most stable game. Most files patched by this collection are pre-Creation Kit, see the introduction for dates that that applies to.
Using corrupted plugins can be very unstable for your game so please do not neglect to install one of these patches if it is recommended by LOOT.

Mods made redundant by the Unofficial Patches - Rating: N/A
Click Here for the full listing[afkmods.iguanadons.net]
As the Unofficial Patches have developed and incorporated fixes for more bugs in the official files, these fixes have made a number of other independent fixes redundant. Using separate versions of these fixes can end up accidentally overwriting the implementation chose by the Unofficial Patches team which may end up being better quality and also more stable for your game on a whole. This is particularly important for fixes that were made before or in the early days of the Creation Kit which may still be around on the Nexus in a low quality state. When installing independent patches please double check this list to ensure that the big is not already covered by the Unofficial Patches.
Please note, the Green Water Fix, listed under being made redundant by the official patches, may still be required by some people depending on their hardware and drivers. If using Horns are Forever, you should still install the standalone of the Argonian Decapitation Fix as its facegen data holds the info for the horns to show up on NPCs as well which the author forgot in the download for the main file.

Immersive Detection of NPCs - Rating: Three (3)
Last version checked: 2.5
The author of this mod chose to go for gameplay function over technical performance, and while this approach can have benefits, this mod suffers from poor scripting techniques that can bog down your game. The scripts run on an infinite looping cycle that does not come with a delay, meaning that takes up a lot of resources in the scripting engine. Due to the intensity of this mod it may be a notable contributor towards any stack dumps that may occur if it is running in other script heavy areas.
Dynamic Stealth is an unreleased beta of a mod by fadingsignal who has given me permission to have the download link here. It does the same thing as Immersive Detection of NPCs but it updates as you cross cells instead of constantly having a script running which makes it much more reliable and compatible and doesn't risk stalling your papyrus engine.
Download: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1785058/SkyrimMods/DynamicStealth-v1a.rar
Info: https://www.reddit.com/r/skyrimmods/comments/3e59x1/mod_need_beta_testers_for_new_mod_dynamic_stealth/

Birds and Flocks - Both versions - Rating: Two (2)
Last version checked: 2.4 (Vanilla version) / 1.0 (Hearthfires version)
This warning applies to both Birds and Flocks vanilla and Birds and Flocks Hearthfires Version
The files for this mod have a number of technical errors and problems. Multiple records in the files have issues with wild edits that aren't required for the mod to function, such as edits to water levels, location data of cells and objects inside the cells it edits. There are also a number of dirty edits in these files that need to be cleaned out with Tes5Edit before they can be used although this doesn't fix the wild edits. For the Hearthfires version specifically the mod is missing a number of worldspace data for the cells it effects which means it's still interfering with Hearthfires functionality despite claiming to be Hearthfires compatible.
An unofficial fix has been created for the Hearthfires version of this file by phinix which you can find hosted here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ex9oakmi5cuxosk/Birds-USLEEPHearthfireClean.zip . This file should be used as a replacement for the official files as it has cleaned up the file significantly. There is no patch for the non-Hearthfires version of this mod and it should still be considered unstable.

Armed to the Teeth (AttT) - Rating: Four (4)
Last version checked: 1.35
Armed to the Teeth works primarily based around an ini tweak that comes with skyrim that is quite bugged and as such as similar, and additional, bugs when using it. When swapping between favourite and equipped weapons its common for the weapon to become permanently invisible, as well as to have weapons stuck in the hand after sheathing them, or stuck in the sheaths. There's also a small risk of the mod breaking all together and refusing to display items. It also doesn't work well with other mods and is prone to crashing if used with something it doesn't explicitly support rather than ignoring it and simply not applying to it.
Recommended replacement: Equipping Overhaul
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/49784/?
Equipping Overhaul is a much more stable alternative that avoids most of these bugs and has no crashing issues. Only the stable version should be used, the alpha is very buggy in quite a different way. All Geared Up is a second alternative that comes with additional features to also display quest items and inventory items such as potions and books and two different modes of use, hotkey and scripted, which may suit come setups better however it does not support bows:
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/40953/?

DSpSoB - Dual Sheath plus Shields on Back - Rating: Four (4)
Last version checked: 1.0
DSpSoB has a number of bugs that you can encounter while using it and is also incompatible with all weapons introduced by the DLCs. The mod doesn't support multiple copies of the same weapon being equipped along with shields not functioning properly. Confusion about using this mod instead of Dual Sheath Redux may occur when encountering older skeleton replaces that are still marked for this mod instead.
Recommended Replacement: Dual Sheath Redux
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/34155/?
Dual Sheath Redux is now the recommended mod for use with this feature as recommended also by the DSpSoB author to be used instead. All Geared Up also has a dual sheath function however it is less stable and occasionally suffers from a weapon getting stuck.
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/40953/?
The alpha version of Equipping Overhaul which includes dual sheaths should be avoided as it has a number of its own bugs that can ruin the functionality of your game.

Immersive Beds - Rating: Three (3)
Last version checked: 1.01
This mod uses a form of script poling to detect where mods are and then attaches data to the main beds which allows it to access them to play the animation needed. This is very inefficient and uses a lot of resources given that most of the time the mod is not needed and it can have a negative effect on your performance when you are in resource heavy situations inadvertently. This also introduces compatibility issues with mods that move vanilla beds as it may overwrite them.
Recommended alternative: Go To Bed
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/67763/?
Go To Bed has a number of other activation methods all of which are less intensive and more compatible then Immersive Beds, including an on activation method where the mod only activates when you try and sleep and turns off again immediately afterwards.

Spouses Can Live Everywhere - Rating: Four (4)
Last version checked: 0.9.1
The listing for this mod is due to a critical incompatibility with the Hearthfires DLC. This mod overwrites several of the Hearthfires scripts that deal with the core Hearthfire functions of marriage, spouses and children adoption. Using this mod alongside Hearthfires will break the areas where the DLC deals with these functions. This is not just an issue with the children adoptions, it is that entire system. If you do not own Hearthfires then this mod should be fine to install.
Recommended alternative: Hearthfires Multiple Adoptions
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/29249/?

XCE - Scarface - Rating: One (1)
Last version checked: 1.1
The Scarface esp file is the only one affected by this issue.
Scarface edits the racial records of the playable races in order to add in its new scars for character creation, however this file was updated before the official Skyrim updates stopped, one of which also edited these records. Because of this conflict, this mod blocks use of any mounted combat and related mechanics from working in your game.
A community made patch to fix this issue can be found here - http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/70804/?

Spell Sneak Attacks 2 - Rating: Two(2)
Last version checked: 2.33
There are several major issues with this mods implementation that make it unsuitable for use, present in both in the implementation of its scripts and the edits included in its esp. Plugin wise, the mod suffers from multiple wild edits to various locations that overwrite fixes from the unofficial patches, as well as visually and mechanically affecting the way those areas work, as well as bad edits in some of its other records. Script wise, the mod makes use of several very inefficient methods of running its effects which may build up to become script latency and cause overall poor performance in the scripting system, particularly when using multiple spells at once.
There is no direct replacement for this mod.

Reneers Crime Overhaul - Rating: Five (5)
Last version checked: 0.992
This mod was my being developed when Skyrim modding was still being documented and figured out from the early days of the Creation Kit. While its possible some of these bugs originate from the vanilla game, the features of the mod cause them to appear with its usage, including guards teleporting to you when you sneak even if you are out of visible range of any, additional detection bugs when being a vampire, and the scripts using inefficient techniques to execute their goal. The author has spoken about these issues on the workshop page for the mod and advised that if people are struggling with stability it would be better not to use this until they are fixed, however the mod has been abandoned for some time now.
The feature of the mod stopping animals from reporting crime can be replaced by NARC - No Animals Report Crime (Although most animals reporting crime has been fixed already by the USKP/USLEEP):
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/68125/?
The feature of guards noticing suspicious behaviour and keeping track of you can be replaced by Suspicious City Guards:
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/65681/?
There is currently no replacement for dogs barking and alerting guards when they see you sneaking.

Athletics Training - with MCM - Rating: Three (3)
Last version checked: 1.41
This mod is considered open source by the author as per comments on the mod page and as such anyone should feel free to take it over and update it with fixes to these issues.
This mod has a unique concept but unfortunately very poor implementation which causes a lot of stress on the system. The mod implements its changes by using scripting to constantly place an item in the inventory of the player and then remove it again at a very fast pace. It is a very intensive way to do this function and takes up a lot of resources as well as opening up the risk that if the player manages to open their inventory at the exact right time and remove the item the mod may break in function. As a result, the mod is at risk of causing a significant increase in script latency by itself, and this effect is compounded when combined with other mods or when in script heavy situations in the vanilla game.
There is no direct replacement for this mod.

Scenic Carriages / Real Carriages - Rating: Four (4)
Last version checked: 1.2b / No longer available for download
These two files have been joined in this listing because they have the same design goal and they also suffer from very similar bugs. Both of the files are heavily affected by the poor physics in Skyrim and are often prone to flipping over, the mesh stretching extremely, and have inefficient scripting. While the recommended replacement offered here, Touring Carriages, does also have some physics related bugs, it's much more stable and the scripts run much more lightly in your save game.
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/38529/?

PerkUP - Ultimate Perk Mod - Rating: Three (3)
Last version checked: 17
One of the files made before the Creation Kit, this file has been corrupted by Tes5Snip which was used to create it, causing out of order subrecords and other errors inside its record structure. This has corrupted the plugin which can cause a number of issues in your game and cause various bugs due to the bad edits. Two community patches have been released for this mod, however neither of them fix the majority of the bugs and the only one still visible on the Nexus also introduces a few significant bugs of its own as well, and updates are no longer in development.
Recommended alternative: S P E R G - Skyrim Perk Enhancements and Rebalanced Gameplay
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/24445/?

Forgotten Settlements - Rating: Two (2)
Last version checked: 10.0
None of the areas that this mod affects has been properly navmeshed to account for NPC movement in the area, nor are the interiors navmeshed properly either. The lack of navmeshing means NPCs will be unable to properly move around the town and the buildings to access actions that are put in their AI which at the least will result in teleporting and NPCs are blocked by objects or at worst the affected NPCs teleporting inside of buildings or other objects in order to reach their goal and being unable to get out again. The inside of the buildings have been done by duplicating existing cells but they were not cleaned out before being incorporated into this mod which means NPC markers are not linked up properly. A more detailed report on this mod can be seen on the mods comments by Taiine.
Recommended alternative: Legendary Cities - TES Arena
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/47989/?

Minor Architectural Mesh Expansion Modders Resource - Rating: Two (2)
Last version checked: 1.0
This is a modders resource rather then something to be used directly in game and as such users should be looking to make sure this mod is not listed in the description of other mods they want to use. The mod has created its new meshes by splitting apart existing vanilla ones however it has not properly accounted for the collision meshes and as such there will be lots of issues navigating mods made with this resource as invisible walls will be quite common.

PISE - Improved Skyrim Experience - Rating: Three (3)
Last version checked: 1.84
PISE was the predecessor to ASIS and was abandoned in favour of ASIS when it was reworked to be more stable. ASIS supports a lot more mods, is a lot more stable, and is still in development. While it does have some slightly different features in regards to what it offers, what ASIS doesn't include (different levelling in the world) can be found via other mods on the Nexus. PISE should not be used at all and anyone still using it should replace it with ASIS before their next game.
Replaced by: ASIS
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/18436/?

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[Nazenn]

Outdated - Superseded mods and their updates

This category deals exclusively with mods that only have quite minor or short term bugs, however have more stable alternatives available for use that will impact the players system far less and provide a more stable experience. While listings here can be viewed as more of a recommendation please be aware that this may be at a detriment to your game to not pick the highest quality option for a particular mechanic.

Brawl Bugs Patch
Last version checked: 1.0
Replaced by: Modern Brawl Bugs Patch
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/77465
The brawl bug is a common issue in modded Skyrim where brawls always turn into actual fights and are unable to be properly completed. The original fix for this covered most of the situations which would stop a fight from happening, however it wasn't particularly efficiently scripted and left a few gaps in its implementation that meant some magic effects could still trigger the bug, notably that effects on spectators could still trigger the bug and that the check that the fix was doing to protect against spell interference was very slow. The new version uses more optimized scripting and also covers up all these loop holes which ensures it works with a broader range of other mods to allow brawls to work properly. Ensure you load it AFTER any other mod that may include the original fix in its files, such as Enhanced Blood Textures.

SSME - Skyrim Startup Memory Editor - Rating: Eight (8)
Last version checked: 1.8.0.0
Replaced by: SKSE.ini file
http://steamcommunity.com/app/72850/discussions/0/540740500921363665/
This fix was merged into the SKSE.ini file as of SKSE 1.7.2 and that option provides more customization and is given more support due to the ongoing development of SKSE so should be used instead. The fix itself allocates more memory to the first 'memory block' of the game in order to stop crashing when it fills and swaps to the second block as this seems to stabilize the entire system.
For Mac users, you will have to remain with SSME.

Dance of Death - Rating: Eight (8)
Last version checked: 4.0
Replaced by: Violens - A Killmove Mod
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/56980/?
Dance of Death is a high quality mod with only a few minor bugs present however development has ceased on it due to lack of time from the author. Violens provides all the same functions as Dance of Death and some more and is also more stable, although it does have extra scripting. The MCM allows more customization and the author is still developing this mod and able to provide support for any issues.

Acquisitive Soul Gems (ASG) - Rating: Six (6)
Last version checked: 3.1
Replaced by: Acquisitive Soul Gems Multithreaded (ASGM)
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/65975/?
ASGM was created to fix a rare but frustrating bug that can appear with the original mod, where if you use the Soul Trap effect on multiple enemies, if more than one dies at the exact same time the script from the original mod will break and cause you to lose all of the souls and for no Soul Gems to be filled at all. ASGM addresses this by introducing a multi-threading technique that allows the script to be processed multiple times at once which would allow the souls to be captured in this situation. Due to the way that it works it also avoids needing patches for or breaking the Soul Trap functions of other mods or overhauls, it's also customization via an MCM menu.
Another alternative is Smart Souls which is a SKSE plugin and has a lot of similar features but isn't customisable in game and requires SKSE.
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/14559/

The Cartographers Map Markers - Rating: Two (2)
Last version checked: 1.0
Replaced by: Atlas Map Markers (and it's patch)
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/14976/? and http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/74045/?
Made before a lot of the safe modding practices were developed, this mod has an extreme number of ITMs that must be cleaned out with Tes5Edit, 281 as of the last version, and it also has no customization and some of the markers it adds are placed a little oddly and may require some fiddling to activate.
Atlas Map Markers has much better positioning of the markers, including more marker options and markers for more worldspaces, as well as being better put together and including a lot of customization for the player. Make sure you also grab the updated patch which introduces an MCM as well as some bug fixes.

Immersive Roads - Rating: Eight (8)
Last version checked: 1.1
Replaced by: Real Roads for Skyrim
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/55518
Immersive road's main issue is issues in the mesh settings causing very poor visual consistency with the surrounding landscape. Primarily, the shininess setting on the meshes causes them to be very bright compared to the surrounding area and quite reflective in appearance. The meshes also don't line up as well with the blending from the original settings which means there is an increase in texture seems particularly in the Rift area where there is a hard edge between the landscape texture and the roads texture which can look very out of place. Real Roads uses the vanilla meshes as a base and then simply gives the more depth and shape without changing any settings, avoiding all these problems.

Splash of Rain / Shooting Stars / Rainbows - Rating: Eight (8)
Last version checked: 1.051 / 1.041 / 1.05
Splash of Rain, Rainbows and Shooting Stars have been merged into new mod file hosted on another page that also comes with better script efficiency and optimization as well as additional customization and more options for some of the features. The updated version called Wonders of Weather be can found here:
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/64941/?

Wet and Cold Holidays - Rating: Eight (8)
Last version checked: 2.0
Replaced by: Holidays
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/64820/?
Wet and Cold Holidays has been rewritten and released as a standalone file now which means it can be run without Wet and Cold and comes with a number of other benefits. This version is significantly more efficient with a much lighter footprint on the game, as it only runs a check for a holiday date once a day instead of once and hour now and the overall scripting is much better implemented for the actual effects and mechanics as well.

Differently Ebony / Glass Variants / SkyForge Weapons - Rating Eight (8)
Replaced by: aMidianBorn Content Addon
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/24909/?
Found on the Book of Silence page under optional downloads, the Content Addon is a merged version of the three individual files that also comes with more variants on top of that for other Armor sets, better integration into the main game, more compatibility with other mods and is generally more patched for by other mod authors. If you do not want to have all three options in your game the individual files are still fine to use, it's just not as supported and doesn't have as good integration with the vanilla game.

Better Fast Travel - Rating: Eight (8)
Last version checked: 3.76
Replaced by: Complete Fast Travel Overhaul
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/68221/?
Please note: The mod has now been taken over by PlaugeHush who will be now offering support and releasing bug fixes and content updates. For now this will remain on the list until the updates actually start coming out though.
While overall the mod is quite stable, it has a number of small bugs that remain as well as incompatibility with the unofficial patches which means some of its functions do not work properly when using them together as well as incompatibility with a number of other mods, especially those that include aesthetic overhauls of the towns and cities. Complete Fast Travel Overhaul is more compatible and stable with less minor bugs as well as being still supported by the author

Ultimate Follower Overhaul (UFO) - Rating: Six (6)
Last version checked: 1.2j.b15
Replaced by: Extensible Follower Framework (EFF)
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/12933/?
UFO's main issue is the underlying matter of some old and messy coding that was done in its early development which is broken to bugging out or breaking if it encounters unforeseen situations. The author was originally working on updating this code and returning the mod to a stable state but the project has since been abandoned.
EFF is more stable and capable to adapting to follower and situations it isn't explicitly compatible with by just ignoring them resulting in an overall more stable set up with it all. Another alternative, an update of another follower mod (AFT), is Immersive Amazing Follower Tweaks (IAFT) which is also more stable then UFO, and also far more compatible then both UFO and the original AFT:
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/71689/?

Dungeon Treasure - Dwemer and Ancient Nord Coins - Rating Eight (8)
Last version checked: 2
Replaced by: Skyrim Coin Replacer Redux (SCRR)
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/48195/?
While the aesthetic component and differences between the two mods may make people lean in favour of either option, Dungeon Treasure does not properly support the Unofficial Patch fixes for the records that it edits and is a bit more blunt in the way it deals with the levelled lists resulting in a less compatible implementation. There are also a couple of patches, including community ones, between SCRR and some of the other mods available.

Smart Training - Rating: Four (4)
Last version checked: 0.11
Replaced by: Smart Training Tweaked
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/70970/?
While this mod is stable overall, it does have a lack of script optimization that causes it to have more performance impact then what is actually needed to implement its functions. It works by implementing a two second that runs in the background all the time which is quite inefficient. The updated version of this mod takes out this loop and replaces it with a more efficient option in the form of only activating the update script when you actually level up or have activated training.

Eternal Darkness - Rating: Eight (8)
Last version checked: 2.5
Replaced by: Eternal Darkness Redone
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/72594/?
When the original file was overhauled into a new version it was rereleased by one of the other authors onto a new page. This new file offers a lot more compatibility and customization including more settings for different types of dungeons and better options to designate when exactly lights should be removed or remain according to NPCs being in the area.

Tamriel Compendium / Books Books Books - Rating Eight (8)
Last version checked: 1.1 / 1.4
Replaced by: Book Covers Skyrim - Lost Library
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/57120/?
The core benefit of the use of Lost Library is that it is better integrated into the game as far as how its records are added to levelled and merchant lists, and it also maintains better compatibility as well as more up to date support for other mods as well as including more books total.

Immersive Armors for NPCs - Rating: Eight (8)
Last version checked: 2
While this file has it listed on its description that it is for Immersive Armors version 4 and beyond, the functionality of this file was fully included in Immersive Armors version 7 and beyond making this file redundant and also unable to be used with the newest versions of it. Please note that Immersive Armors for NPCs REVISITED is still fine to use as it expands on the system by making more NPCs wear the edited armor.

BYOG - Balance Your Own Game - Rating: Seven (7)
Last version checked: 12
Replaced by: SkyTweak
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/33395/?
While BYOG is still mostly solid on a technical level, it has a lot of limitations due to its older method uses dialogue boxes and not as many settings to adjust compared to newer alternatives. The dialogue boxes used to navigate it are also quite tedious and it can be hard to find certain settings. SkyTweak replaces this method by using a MCM system instead and also allows you to save and load settings rather than having to redo it all each time a new character is started.

Patches for Hypothermia - Rating: Eight (8)
Last version checked: 1.5
Hypothermia has been left open to further modification by the original author and as such two additional patches have been made to enhance the functionality of the original mod and also provide a few fixes for minor bugs that had been left in the original files.
Hypothermia 1.5 is the primary bug fixer that also cleans up the papyrus log and restores some lost functionality to Hypothermia's systems that previously was broken.
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/61997/?
Hypothermia Plus - Unofficial Upgrade is mostly aimed at adding new functionality as well as a few minor bug fixes, and tops it off with additional customization features.
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/67467/?

Bat Travel Vampire Power - Rating: Eight (8)
Last version checked: 2.2
Patched by: Bat Travel Unofficial Script Fix
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/60682/?
The original file had a small error in its scripting where unassigned properties were causing the script to fail and be unable to properly set up the custom location function of the mod. This patch fixes the file and therefore that functionality.

Dynamic Things - Rating: Eight (8)
Last version checked: 1.40
Patched by: Dynamic Things Enhanced
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/54116/?
Dynamic Things Enhanced is a patch that needs to be installed over the top of the original mod. The Enhanced patch allows for more direct editing of several features, provides additional functionality on top of what is already there, and fixes some bugs of features in the original mod that didn't apply properly. It also comes with greatly enhanced compatibility and functionality with other mods which should help to make this mod more stable in a larger load order.

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[Nazenn]

Warnings - Potentially problematic mods

While previous categories were about mods that should be removed or replaced in order to create a stable save file, this category deals with mods that have unusual circumstances that the user should be aware of being installing due to hidden technical issues that may complicate their usage. Mods on this list do not need to be removed to create a stable game, but this information may be useful to know before their installation in order to ensure that it works with each users set up and for these mods to work better in each individuals combined mod list.

Papyrus Logging - Rating: Seven (7)
Papyrus is the name of the scripting engine that Skyrim uses. As a part of Papyrus there is an optional log that can be run alongside your game. The purpose of this logging system is an event log that outputs a variety of different information relating to the engine, including minor and major errors in scripts, issues in esps and also data that is set to output to the log by the mod author. Some of the outputs that look like errors are not actually logging harmful data, and mod authors can set their mods to output stuff to the log directly as well. This is not a crash log and it will almost never log script based crashes because the engine will crash before the log can output.
Arthmoor has written out a description of many of the Papyrus warnings you might come across in your own game that you can view here:
http://afkmods.iguanadons.net/index.php?/topic/4129-skyrim-interpreting-papyrus-log-errors/
If you notice any of the legitimate warnings as per the above information appearing in your log then please report these instances to the mod author after making sure its reproducible. Do not remove scripted mods from your save file, you are likely to cause even more issues and destabilize your game. It is not advised to always run your game with logging turned on as it can have a small performance hit due to the additional resource hit of having to constantly access and output to an external file, especially if that file is getting large after running for a while.

Skyrim Radioactive - Rating: Two (2)
Last date checked: 10 July, 2016 (version approx 3.0)
(Dates are used instead of version numbers for this file because the author consistently restarts version numbers from 1 every time there's a major edit making it confusing to use just them as a reference.)
Despite the excellent aesthetic design that comes with these files, there have been consistent underlying technical issues and problems in the various iterations of this mod that continue through to this day. Navmeshing issues are very common, including issues with deleted navmeshes, and issues with the navmeshing not accounting for certain objects resulting in NPCs being stuck or unable to navigate to certain areas. Other issues that crop up are problems are to do with badly placed door portals, issues with placed objects blocking access to NPC dialogue for vendors, and problems with lighting and visual glitching by not properly accounting and editing vanilla room bounds and other markers.
As of the new versions being uploaded in December 2015 and onwards, some of these issues appear to be getting fixed slowly, and as such older versions of the mods should not be used. However please do take caution still, as several issues with extreme performance impact remain, as well as object placement blocking other NPCs and general movement. The files are also not Tes5Edit cleaned and will need to be cleaned before use as all up they contain hundreds of UDRs which can be a source of reliable crashing. The author has been informed of how to fix these issues multiple times however new files with the same bugs continue to appear each version making this file a very high risk to install without checking it thoroughly before hand.

Immersive Mashups 2.0 - Rating: Two (2)
Last version checked: 2.2
This mod has a lot of excellent design when it comes to the armours that it actually implements, however due to the way the files were actually created, the mod requires a lot of extra steps to get functional due to errors in the mesh and missing files. This mod is not just an install and go like normal, you have to fix these issues and errors before you can actually run it in game so please be aware of that before starting your game with this file enabled.
The user YourMemorial has provided an in depth set of instructions that explain how to fix this file, including downloads of the fixed meshes you will need to use, in the comments section of the mod. If you don't fix the file via these steps you will end up with invisible meshes and also non textured meshes due to mistakes in the download.

Raven's Warpaints - Rating: Two (2)
Last version checked: 3.0
While this mod by itself is functionally stable, one of the files that are available to download from the Nexus also contains a custom set SKSE.ini file, and this detail is not listed in the description for the download or the mod in general. The SKSE.ini that comes with the mod does not have the memory tweak properly set in it so make sure that you ensure this file is not negatively affecting your save game by accidentally overwriting your own copy of this setting. The affected file is called uploaded on 11 August 2014, but please double check other files as well to ensure your game is secure after downloading this mod.

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[Nazenn]

Stable - Previously unstable mods that are now safe

It's just as important to recognize when a mod gets updated and becomes stable again. This category deals with mods that were previously known to have stability issues however have since been updated to a stable state and are now usable again. This category also deals with any mods that have had assumptions or misconceptions about their stability stated broadly even though they are stable files. When reading about a mod's instability or unreliability on older forum posts, please check here first to make sure the information is not about an old version of that file.

SkyBirds - Airborne Perching Birds- Rating: Seven (7)
Ignore reports from before 13th July, 2016
This mod was previously have believed to be a contributor towards save bloat however the issue has since been discovered to have been the result of inaccurate testing techniques that were not looking at the entire picture of how the bloat develops, rather only the end result.
SkyBirds attaches a number of scripts to birds that control their AI and also to flora as you explore the world that spawns these birds which is why the growth in your save as you explore. These scripts recycle themselves and as such do not actually have uncontrolled growth and instead do not remove themselves because they reset and get reused. This is more efficient both in processing and also allows for the birds to be more controlled when it comes to how and when they respawn rather than leaving it up to Skyrim's rather buggy options.
However, this does have a number of minor flaws, mainly that the script needs to run through its process fully including doing the respawn before that copy of the bird and its script can be removed. The mod is incredibly sensitive to things interfering in this process, either by affecting the spawner object, or duplicating the NPC directly or similar functions. If something interferes with this recycling process then it will cause the bird not to be removed and replaced but simply another one to take its place without a proper cleanup. This is considered a mod conflict, rather than a flaw directly with this file as when run as a standalone mod it does not have any issue, and as such is on the user to try and ensure they avoid these risks by not installing mods known to duplicate or cause persistence in NPCs.
If you wish to see the testing data done by the new testing method used to double check this information, you can download the relevant files here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/xv54ua46hpsd9bd/SkyBirdsTests.rar?dl=0
Thanks a lot to the author, steve40, for helping understand this unique scripting method easier.
Download SkyBirds here:
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/23771/?

Civil War Overhaul (CWO) - Rating: Six (6)
Ignore bug reports from before - 30th January, 2015
Civil War Overhaul (CWO) has previously had a reputation for being very broken due to its very unstable earlier versions. Huge leaps were made in stability with each version, including version 4 introducing an automatic bug detection system that can detect issues with script latency and other things that may prevent the CWO quests working properly and prevent them from activating until the game is stable enough to support them. Also included is an MCM system that can be used to more safely bypass various quests and their stages, as well as troubleshoot specific events in the civil war, much more reliably then the use of console commands can.

While the majority of the major issues that have previously plagued CWO have been fixed or accounted for like any mod of its size there are a few remaining bugs left over with various stages of severity, and because of that you should install this mod only after careful consideration.
In December 2015 CWO's author confirmed a number of existing bugs that were discovered and described in detail by /u/inmundano. Many of these bugs originated in the vanilla game but only appear due to CWOs unique representation, others original solely from CWO. Similarly, very few of them have the potential to be game breaking, and not all will be guaranteed to appear, but some do undermine the stability of some of the main CWO features. To maximize your stability when using this mod, particular care should be paid to the instructions on the mod page and general modding stability, including that the mod cannot be installed or uninstalled without starting a new game due to the way the civil war script runs in the background from the start, and making sure that you are not running too many resource heavy files.

Download Civil War Overhaul here:
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/37216/?
Bug report can be viewed here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/skyrimmods/comments/3sh2ah/how_do_you_install_civil_war_overhaul_nowadays/cwy543r

Warzones 2015 - Rating: Eight (8)
Ignore bug reports from before - 27th November 2014
Previous versions of Warzones had substantial issues behind them on a technical side of things. Issues with script execution and implemented systems resulted in the mod causing save bloat and scripting problems when run in a save file. There was also major performance concerns about the mod given the huge number of spawns that it used and the build up that would then have with NPCs, decals, scripts and dead bodies all building up exponentially around battle sites.
The mod has since had a major overhaul, the author rewriting it from scratch and fixing all of the script issues and also expanding the mod and its functions even more. It now includes an MCM menu which allows you to configure it and adapt all of its battles and activate and tweak many performance issues, and the most heavy features have been toned down so that they don't impact performance quite so much without losing any quality. Warzones 2015 has a webpage you can visit here for more info[skyrimwarzonescivilunrest.modunion.com].
Download Warzones 2015 here:
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/9494/?

SkyTEST - Realistic Animals and Predators - Rating: Eight (8)
Ignore bug reports from before – 6th June, 2016
SkyTESTs earlier versions had suffered minor issues to do with the edits to certain records which resulted in errors in some of those records as well as wild edits to the file. None of these issues in the previous versions would have impacted the game negatively, the worst that would happen was some planned behaviours or some edits would not have been implemented at all and therefore wouldn't be noticed.
Since the 1.40 versions of this file it has been completely remade without any wild edits or major errors and most of the missing data has been patched and fixed up so that the file will be functioning normally and all behaviours will be properly displaying. The file should still be cleaned with Tes5Edit as the mod author doesn't support unofficial modding tools such as Tes5Edit and as such there may be ITMs present even in the newer versions.
Download SkyTEST here:
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/10175/?

Sounds of Skyrim - Rating: Eight (8)
Ignore bug reports from before - 6th May, 2013
The Civilization module of Sounds of Skyrim use to be a very well known cause of save bloat. However after the issue was discovered and reported. Arthmoor stepped in and helped to fix the issue for the original author, meaning the core problem has been removed and bloating is no longer an issue for any of the Sounds of Skyrim modules. You can find the original announcement of the problem being fixed here.
Download Sounds of Skyrim here:
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/users/13821/?tb=mods&pUp=1

Beyond Reach - Rating: Eight (8)
Ignore reports from before - 10th August, 2015
Previous versions of this mod before 3.3 included numerous wild edits that overwrote fixes from the USKP and DLC changes as well as would have been causing hidden conflicts between this mod and numerous others, such as animals, NPC mods, water mods and the main quest itself. These wild edits were technically not ITMs, but actual overwrites made on accident which is why they went undetected previously.
As of 3.3 all of these edits have been confirmed to be removed by the author and should no longer cause a problem in any games. The only vanilla records touched by the mod now are music tracks which are needed for the mod to have the proper style and implementation. For people updating just overwriting the esp will fix these conflicts in your game with no additional work needed.
The controversial quest has also been removed.
Download Beyond Reach here:
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/48467/?

Claralux - More and Brighter Lights - Rating: Eight (8)
Ignore reports from before - 8th November, 2015
Claralux, from the same author as Warzones, similarly had a save bloat issue in previous versions. This had been temporarily fixed by the author only making a stable version available, however that one had some potential compatibility problems and a lack of full customization. As of the latest version, all save bloat is removed and full MCM customization and compatibility has returned, allowing for in game tweaking and editing of the mods light sources as per previous versions before they were removed.
Download Claralux here:
www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/17605?

Imaginator - Rating: Eight (8)[/u]
Ignore reports from before - 6th December, 2014
Similar to the above Claralux, Imaginator use to have a helper NPC that could be used to change settings and adjust the details of the mod. A scripting error in this NPC was a potential risk of save bloat. This has since been updated to an MCM menu which removes the buggy script and replaces it with a more reliable alternative and therefore is safe to use.
Download Imaginator here:
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/13049/

Unlimited Bookshelves - Rating: Seven (7)
Ignore reports from before - 11th October, 2015
This mod was originally abandoned by its author after he moved on from modding with a few remaining issues. It was made before proper modding practices had been established and as such had a lot of errors like ITMs and UDRs. After being in contact with the author, Nazenn has since taken over the mod, removed all wild edits, UDRs and also resolved a lot of conflicts with the USKP and other patches. All other bug reports, such as causing CTDs and ingots not stacking have never been confirmed due to a lack of actual info presented about them and as such are not currently being considered as reliably being traced strictly back to this mod.
The new file host, Nazenn, is currently looking for someone with script experience to help develop the scripted side of the mod further and investigate any potential problem causing errors. The mod has also had its script sources released on the mod page as the original creator has made the mod open source.
Download Unlimited Bookshelves here:
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/10891/?

====================================================================

[Nazenn]

Version History and Credits
1.0 - 6/7/15 - Initial post created.
1.1 - 7/7/15 - Revised date for Warzones. Revised information on Claralux. Revised introduction to dangerous mods. Added Armed to the Teeth and Dual Sheaths plus Shields on Back to the outdated section along with their respective replacements, Equipping Overhaul and Dual Sheath Redux. Updated information on SkyBirds.
1.2 - Added replacement for My Home is Your Home. Added additional info about avoiding mods with deleted Navmesh's. Cleaned up some of the formatting and word errors. Cleared up some of the ambiguous information in certain mods descriptions.
1.3 - Added Smart Souls as a secondary optional to replace Acquisitive Soul Gems. Added Immersive Beds as a superseded mod. Added Beyond Reach for offensive content as per a peer review which was unanimous in accepting its inclusion. Added All Geared Up as a secondary replacement for Armed to the Teeth/Equipping Overhaul. Added Hypothermia Plus as a recommended upgrade to Hypothermia. Added Everyone Killable for using a dangerous installer. Added DUEL to the warnings section because of logging issues.
2.0 - 25/7/15 - Review of all current information including a rewrite of any existing ambiguities. Addition of new ratings system for the sake of clarity. Renamed and reorganized headings. New category to cover mods that technically don't belong in the Unstable category but are unstable or have replacements important enough to not warrant just being placed in the warnings category. Addition of SMPC. Reviewed all mods and reorganized any mods that needed to move categories.
2.1 - Removal of the DUEL listing in favour for a more general warning about Papyrus logging being enabled for general gameplay and the potential instabilities caused by that. Rewording of ambiguities and subjective statements in favour for more objective information in the Beyond Reach section. Revision of ratings for the stable section. Birds and Flocks section rewritten. Another Sleep Mod added as second alternative to Immersive Beds.
2.2 - Reworded introduction to clarify certain points. SMPC moved to Do Not Use after the author deemed it dangerous and no longer has a chance to update. Rewrote Beyond Reach section. Added in notes about other mod authors who had replied to being contacted. Rewrote the Papyrus logging section with more accurate information. Updated credits.
2.3 - 31/7/15 - Added several new mods to the outdated section: Better Fast Travel, UFO, Dungeon Treasure, Dynamic Things.
2.4 - 3/8/15 - Added the updated versions of some of isoku's mods that people don't know about to the Outdated section. Added replacements for Reneers Crime Overhaul to its listing. Added XMPSE.
2.5 - 10/8/15 - Moved Beyond Reach to the safe section. Added Ravens Warpaints.
2.6 - 18/8/2015 - Added Cartographers Map Markers to the Outdated Section. Fixed missing link and info for Beyond Reach.
3.0- 21/8/15 - Creation of new /r/Skyrimmods wiki version. Revision of all current information. Updated introduction with headings and clearer descriptions. Fixed typos and poor editing. Updated information on Ravens Warpaint.
3.1 - 29/9/15 - Added Read and Learn Speechcraft Speech. Fixed some formatting errors.
3.2 - 8/11/15 - Claralux moved to stable list.
4.0 - 24/11/15 - Information overhaul, more technical specifics added on all mods where possible. SEM moved to Dangerous due to the inherent risk of stack overflows. Removed Midas Magic, received confirmation the wild script edits were resolved. BYOG moved to Outdated from Unstable. MHIYH entry removed until the patch version becomes visible again. Removed CCOR merges due to the fact that it does more than just replace the mods. Moved Unlimited Bookshelves to safe as I have taken it over and fixed the core issues. Added Immersive Detection of NPCs to the Unstable category. Added Bat Travel Vampire Power to the Outdated section with its patch. Added Athletics Training to the Unstable section with a note about permissions. Added Spell Sneak Attacks 2 to Unstable due to poor scripting and wild edits in esp. Skyrim Radioactive rating downgraded to 3 due to author abandonment and continuous refusal to fix major issues.
4.1 - 17/12/15 -Added Stable uGridsToLoad due to memory corruption issue.
4.2 - 31/12/15 - DUEL, Deadly Combat and Action Combat added as dangerous mods due to save bloat. Skyrim Radioactive moved back to warnings due to resuming active development and issues. More information added to the introduction about save bloat and stack dumping risks.
4.3 - 20/2/16 - Updated the Civil War Overhaul listing to make note of recently discovered issues. Revised technical information for a few mods listings. Added additional info to the DUEL/Deadly Combat/Action Combat listing. Changed the AFT replacement for UFO to the updated Immersive Amazing Follower Tweaks (IAFT). Added Forgotten Settlements to Unstable. Added Minor Architectural Mesh Expansion Modders Resource to unstable.
5.0 - 4/7/16 - Total rewrite and information overhaul: All information rewritten. Version numbers added for each entry. Completely overhauled the introduction. Better category explanations. Re-evaluated all ratings. New 'Outdated tools and other resources' section. New 'Common risks and terminology' section. New 'Using this resource accurately' section. Very rough organization of the mods in their categories according to severity or lack of community awareness about a particular listing. Moves some mods between categories 1, 2 and 3 as required via a re-evaluation of their stability. SkyTEST moved to stable. SkyBirds moved to stable. Rewrite of combat mods and the persistence issue listing. Added Immersive Roads to Outdated. Added Smart Training to Outdated. Imaginator added to Stable. Removal of XMPS due to the file in question from that page no longer being available at all. Removed entry of mods updated by kryptopyr as it was creating confusion, may add it back if needed. Actually ran a spell checker for once.

Credits: Thallassa from the Skyrimmods subreddit for providing feedback on other outdated mods. Uncle64 for suggesting replacements. Ilja for his constant community support which contributed to this list. Gentester for further contributions. Arthmoor and Apollodown for help with papyrus logging information. Pevey for mod contributions. MyGoodEye for feedback and support on the relevant mods. Gentlemen21 from reddit for helping with the CWO update. Taiine for providing detailed reports on some unstable mods. Steve40 for his help with SkyBirds testing. Ruhadre for motivation, support and also help with testing.

[Uncle64]

Thank you I did use the old Acquisitive Soul Gems.
and now we have the new one :)

[SpeedFreak1972]

So you have enough work to do for now?

[Nazenn]

Did I mention I also have to find time to someday stablise and test a mod list so I can actually play this damn game? XD

Originally posted by Uncle64SwE:

Thank you I did use the old Acquisitive Soul Gems.
and now we have the new one :)

I was quite happy to find out about that update myself.

[Clever Monkey]

WOW!

Nice job again

[Initiation]

sadly i have a couple of these mods but they so happen to be my favorite :(

[Nazenn]

Originally posted by plastic:

sadly i have a couple of these mods but they so happen to be my favorite :(

If its something from the Warnings catagory dont worry about it. That catagory is more there for public knowledge, not me saying you have to remove them.
If its something in the Outdated catagory I suggest looking into replacing them before your next playthrough, but stuff in the latest part of the list is normally okay for the remainer of a playthrough, just be aware of potential bugs
Something in the dangerous catagory, unfortunetly I would suggest scrapping the character.

[Initiation]

Originally posted by Nazenn:

Originally posted by plastic:

sadly i have a couple of these mods but they so happen to be my favorite :(

If its something from the Warnings catagory dont worry about it. That catagory is more there for public knowledge, not me saying you have to remove them.
If its something in the Outdated catagory I suggest looking into replacing them before your next playthrough, but stuff in the latest part of the list is normally okay for the remainer of a playthrough, just be aware of potential bugs
Something in the dangerous catagory, unfortunetly I would suggest scrapping the character.

OK but I have 3 dangerous and stable mods and 2 potentially problematic

[Nazenn]

What mods exactly do you have from the list?

[Uncle64]

About the Spouse mod you tells about.
I do use that one to, but what I have seen so do it also share some whit this one.

http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/29249/?
Hearthfire multiple adoptions - Now with custom home support for kids and spouse by TMPhoenix

Did se that Emma that have done Spouses mod was thinking about updating their mod but it have not happends since the Multible children mod by TMPhoenix did came.