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Ditto. As I understand it, connecting MO to Nexus API and querying info invokes the same exchange ... perhaps hijacking is the issue from the Nexus page itself. I rely on the law of large numbers with respect to this sort of exposure. Overly-zealous security consciousness (my subjective POV) is a real hindrance for me getting things done.

Nechigawara has given me permission to edit/host his movedaquarium plugin, so we will eventually bundle this into our patch or share the the HFE MA if possible. In the meantime, the original Mediafire link is re-enabled.

You may want to revisit Steam setup in Step 1 - System Setup Guide to be certain that Steam is in the correct path. Steam game path should be under Steam, not the reverse. You also may have had an unwanted DLL in the game directory or a corrupt file. I assume when you say "start over" you also mean installing/validating the game files? ... if you mean the "Games" folder as instructed in the guide, then disregard. It's also possible that you had a corrupt or otherwise incorrect copy of one of the Extenders, but if you placed a 1 or a 3 in the frameLimit, this could have cause the issue. I will clarify the SSE Display tweaks instruction to make it more obvious it's a minus and not a dash.

No worries. If you use the method @Mousetick describes, you get the best of both worlds: metadata and manual/secure. Then the 'merge' action makes sense and allows you to be more efficient. I think I will be adding a note about this to our System Setup Guide MO section ... a few people may read it, and it gives us something to link to. Just remember that whenever you install a mod into an existing mod, you get the prompt to 'replace' or 'merge'. Replace does just that: all the mod's content is replaced by whatever it is you are installing. Merge replaces only like-named files in the archive (which are ultimately unpacked and placed into the MO ../mods/ folder) and leaves all other files intact (perfect for adding options under a single mod). It is perfectly valid to install into separate mods as you have done, but with this one, they are only plugins and having them under one mod makes sense (MO provides the "Optional ESPs" and "Hide/Unhide" features to enable/disable single plugins/files inside a mod in the left pane.)

So two of you at least it seems. Well, we never would know it, because nobody has ever had this much trouble with 'merge' or other standard MO behavor as a result ... I assume you must've experienced it or used the "download with mod manager" button at least ONCE before? Thanks for confirming that you do so because of an 'assumption' I'm a tinkerer, so it's hard for me to relate to people that perform a hobby that is all about tinkering and yet don't tinker with the tools they use

Yes, "download with mod manager" is a choice ... and you have never tried it in two years? Not once? That's incredible ... truly. Also, I have seen you post on Nexus, so you DO log into Nexus (just not to download mods evidently). Why not take advantage of what was built to make things simpler for the user? Again, unlearn what you have learned. Create a new MO instance. Start from scratch from the top of the SSE guide. Follow all instructions carefully, read the system setup guide. Expand the instructions in the mod tables. Read, read, read. Ask questions about what you have read if you have read it and all before it. I promise you that you will come away knowing much more and will find installing mods much simpler. Logging into Nexus when downloading is important for telling Nexus what mods you have used and when you have downloaded them (in addition to all of the valid points DoubleYou makes). I would also recommend subscribing, as your download rates will increase remarkably (but that's $ and I understand if you don't do it). I too am a Llinux user, but Skyrim can only run on Linux via a VM or emulator (if there is one). No hard feelings, but you really do need to more carefully read posts before responding ... and also read the guide as mentioned here many times..

My frustration is my own fault. I could have just not posted. One last time, I will try: You ARE making assumptions ... for example, by assuming that nobody else would use the "download with mod manager" button. You are assuming that this is somehow not as simple. It seems you have never tried it or you would see just how simple it is. Of course this is what everyone using a mod manager does (except you and maybe someone else?). Writing the guide in excruciating detail for all potential user interpretations is an exercise in futility. We write the guide according to expected and intuitive behavior, because it decreases our chances of typos and reduces maintenance (outdated instructions cause confusion for many users). It is intuitive (if you follow the guide explicitly) to use "Download with mod manager" ... because MO IS a mod manager, and 99.9+% of people will do this. From the system setup guide (part of the SSE guide you said you were explicitly following), there are instructions for setting up you modding environment, including MO. We also link to our MO manual. We simply cannot rewrite the guide for 0.01% of users.

WHY would you do a manual download?? Use the "Download With Mod Manager" option. As I said, for two years, you have been doing things in your own personal way and have not tried what is considered 'standard' methods (e.g., download with mod manager). THIS is why you are confused and do not see 'merge' and do not have mod names in your left pane same as everyone else those of us trying to help (nexus mod name). I don't understand why you would make it harder on yourself and everyone else those of us trying to help by doing things in a non-intuitive way. MO is data driven. Nexus has a API that MO talks to. You are not using it for some reason. AGAIN: Read the system setup Guide ... unlearn what you have learned.I apologize, but I must step away for another day lest I get more frustrated

Default behavior of MO is to install using the Nexus mod name, so if you install multiple files from a single nexus page, they default to the same mod name, and you get 'merge'. Every time. So you are evidently renaming files from MO default. MO remembers the names you choose, so you cannot test this without completely uninstalling the mod or starting a new instance. Seriously, you are the only person that has ever had this issue that I can recall. It just works. Why would we have you download archives, unpack them, re-archive them, and reinstall? Besides, MO doesn't require archives in mods in left pane. They can all be loose files. AGAIN: If you were to create a new MO instance and pretend you have never done this before, all instructions would "just work". The problem is you have adopted a personal behavior and never experienced (or do not recall) the default MO behavior.

No. AE = SSE = latest game version = 1.6.xxx 1.5.97 is an old version of SSE and is only being used because people won't update their mods and others refuse to run the updated game. The Anniversary Upgrade ('AU' if we must have an abbreviation) is the non-free, pay-for CC DLC. EDIT: for may complex reasons, SKSE and mods dependent upon it MUST match the game runtime version (1.5.97 or 1.6.xxx). It's much simpler to use 1.6.xxx and all compatible mods.

But it IS 'evident' if you were to start the guide from scratch. Evident, because 'merge' is explained previously in the guide or at least one of the mod pages during the install. By the time you get to Smooth Shores, it really is 'evident' if you hagve been folowing the guide. 'Merge' replaces with overwrite ONLY the conflicting files, so if one file is updated and another is not from same Nexus page, the 'Merge' works perfectly. 'Replace' does just that. The only case where merge is 'wrong' when one of the files is updated is the rare instance when one of the files is updated and one of it's assets becomes redundant or not wanted ... very rare. you are correct though: you can install all separately (but we don't want to maintain 6 file names on one mod page, and instructing to 'merge' is much simpler for us and user). that said, I will make this instruction more clear for posterity.

Please see my previous post. There is much in the guide and on this topic that you have not read. It really is explained. unfortunately, reading is a requirement ... we created the guide to avert having to explain it over and over again. There is no bug in the guide that I am aware of, but if there is, we have a topic on which you should post. This is obvious if you actually go to the guide and start at the beginning.

But you aren't reading what has been posted already. This is what I am trying to say. We created the guide to explain all this stuff ... but if you think you know better, you sort of need to figure it out. Otherwise, follow these instructions (posting again, as I did previously):

you are getting way ahead of yourself. To follow the guide exactly means that you don't have your own grass cache. Just create a new MO instance and start from scratch. Read the system setup guide. Or simply disable all of you existing mods. Follow the guide exactly, and you really cannot go wrong. If you are trying to follow the guide with your existing build in place, you are not really following the guide exactly. unlearn what you have learned, padawan

yes

It's probably a good application, but I never had need for it, favoring the control afforded by SSE NIF Optimizer, which has more options for NIF and is simpler to use, IMO. For versatility, I'm sure CAO is better ... but what Mouse linked may be good alternatives, IDK.

If you follow the guide exactly, you will not go wrong. Simply disable your grass cache. In our next update (2.1.0), we will not be using the CGID /grass files, since DynDOLOD has the new option to use only the GID. Either way it works, but we only support what's in the current guide.

I mean to install ALL of those mods listed into a single mod called "Smooth Shores Patches", reusing the name. This is how we advise installing all mods with multiple files from the same nexus page. You can certainly do it using unique names as long as you understand overrides and you don't care if you have > about 500 mods in the left pane of MO. As mentioned, this is evident if you follow the guide, because many mods have multiple files, and installing/merging is explained at least once previous to this mod.

Just disable any grass cache you have in your mod list and use what we provide instead. It was created specifically for use with the landscape-altering mods we are using in Step. Otherwise, let if override yours and keep both active.

As of 2.1.0, I vote we move to NOT using this mod's plugin and dropping ... XP32 Maximum Skeleton Special Extended - Fixed Scripts XPMSSE - Nemesis - Papyrus Stack Fix We can probably add Nemesis to the list. This will simplify everything, and users can choose to use the plugin and FISS/Nemesis as they desire.

Then when you are installing mods from same Nexus page, you are actively choosing what mod name to use. We recommend installing ALL to "Smooth Shores Patches", in which case, you will see merge option after first. This is how we write the guide, because it's simpler to maintain that way. Do it any way you choose if you know how. If you are using custom names for each one, then you won't, but you will need to be certain that they are in proper order. For this mod, it's fine. As long as you know what you are doing, 'merge' applies only where applicable.

These are the masters for the latest file (movedaquarium_new.esp): ... so no issues. NEVERMIND, I am mistaken. I had checked the original rather than the new one. I removed this suggestion from the guide until we can get it sorted.

Then I misspoke (didn't recall from memory how the Nexus page was set up). The point is, if you are using MO and you install the first file from the Nexus page, any subsequent files from same page will default to use same mod name. This invokes MO to prompt you to replace or merge the second, third, ... N files. 'Merge' means: don't replace all previously installed files, just add the new ones (with overwrite where exists). Again, if you fololw our guide(s), then this is explaned and becomes obvious like so many other tasks when completing a mod build.

We still recommend avoiding it, because it is highly unlikely that thing will be kept in proper working order ... and I would not want to validate it is working correctly with every update to patches

Just install the main file using MO and then install one of the other optional files using the same mod name (besides WTT), and you will see a dialog asking to replace or merge ... use 'merge'. If you follow the guide carefully from start to finish (I mean every detail), not only will you have a stable and nice-looking build, but you will also learn a lot along the way. This is precisely why Step exists: to teach anyone good modding practice while accomplishing a worthy task (making the game look and play optimally).