Safe to "update"? (more info inside)

[xFeywolf]

Hello!

I have a question regarding the Skyrim SE v2.1.0 STEP Guide.. When I am able to purchase the Anniversary Upgrade from Steam, is it safe to simply download/install/update any mods I previously had to skip/ignore (mostly thinking of the Nexus STEP Patches), thus deviating from the guide, whilst possibly having to do a Clean Install and re-running/generating xLODGen/TexGen/DynDOLOD? I have not deviated excessively (I don't think) from the original STEP Guide save these three changes:

1. Installing CBBE instead of the UNP files,
2. Installing kryptopyr's Patch Hub FOMOD instead of merging the individual patches as suggested in the STEP Guide (I do, however have said mod installed/created in MO2 so all I have to do is tick it so that it is active and deactivating kryptopyr's FOMOD),
3. Not having installed the Unofficial Skyrim Creation Club Content Patches as, with my current Skyrim SE/AE installation, none of the patches were "needed" when looking to install them individually instead of the merged patch.

The only other minor change I've made is installing Unlimited Sprinting so I do not have to worry about Stamina at all. Everything else (IIRC - this whole project took me from around noon on Sunday (Nov. 6th, 2022) until around 8:00pm today (Nov. 9th, 2022) to complete (with a few breaks for sustenance/personal care) and I really don't want to have to avoid doing the ENTIRE process over again (deleting everything I just installed as well as doing a 100% clean install of Skyrim SE/AE - deleting all files I can find) if it can be avoided.

The first line in the STEP Guide is

• A new game is required if updating from any previous Step SSE guide, due to certain mod changes included in this release.

If taken at face value the "A new game is required" simply means not continuing/loading any save(s) created with what I was created during the ~3 hours of "test play" (to make sure nothing was super broken, which I couldn't find) as (at the time of posting this) Skyrim SE/AE and SKSE haven't been updated again (yet).

Edit: Yet once again I must thank anyone who responds to this thread for the help beforehand!

Edited November 10, 2022 by xFeywolf
Edited my previous edit to offer thanks.

[xFeywolf]

Is anyone able to respond? Would prefer knowing this before moving forward/deciding anything. Again:

Quote

The first line in the STEP Guide is

• A new game is required if updating from any previous Step SSE guide, due to certain mod changes included in this release.

If taken at face value the "A new game is required" simply means not continuing/loading any save(s) created with what I was created during the ~3 hours of "test play" (to make sure nothing was super broken, which I couldn't find) as (at the time of posting this) Skyrim SE/AE and SKSE haven't been updated again (yet).

 

[xFeywolf]

8 hours ago, xFeywolf said:

Everything else (IIRC - this whole project took me from around noon on Sunday (Nov. 6th, 2022) until around 8:00pm today (Nov. 9th, 2022) to complete (with a few breaks for sustenance/personal care) and I really don't want to have do the ENTIRE process over again (deleting everything I just installed as well as doing a 100% clean install of Skyrim SE/AE - deleting all files I can find) if it can be avoided.

Replying...again...as I just realized the text in red (as well as enlarged) was worded extremely weirdly and confusing..

[z929669]

11 hours ago, xFeywolf said:

Hello!

I have a question regarding the Skyrim SE v2.1.0 STEP Guide.. When I am able to purchase the Anniversary Upgrade from Steam, is it safe to simply download/install/update any mods I previously had to skip/ignore (mostly thinking of the Nexus STEP Patches), thus deviating from the guide, whilst possibly having to do a Clean Install and re-running/generating xLODGen/TexGen/DynDOLOD? I have not deviated excessively (I don't think) from the original STEP Guide save these three changes:

1. Installing CBBE instead of the UNP files,
2. Installing kryptopyr's Patch Hub FOMOD instead of merging the individual patches as suggested in the STEP Guide (I do, however have said mod installed/created in MO2 so all I have to do is tick it so that it is active and deactivating kryptopyr's FOMOD),
3. Not having installed the Unofficial Skyrim Creation Club Content Patches as, with my current Skyrim SE/AE installation, none of the patches were "needed" when looking to install them individually instead of the merged patch.

The only other minor change I've made is installing Unlimited Sprinting so I do not have to worry about Stamina at all. Everything else (IIRC - this whole project took me from around noon on Sunday (Nov. 6th, 2022) until around 8:00pm today (Nov. 9th, 2022) to complete (with a few breaks for sustenance/personal care) and I really don't want to have to avoid doing the ENTIRE process over again (deleting everything I just installed as well as doing a 100% clean install of Skyrim SE/AE - deleting all files I can find) if it can be avoided.

The first line in the STEP Guide is

• A new game is required if updating from any previous Step SSE guide, due to certain mod changes included in this release.

If taken at face value the "A new game is required" simply means not continuing/loading any save(s) created with what I was created during the ~3 hours of "test play" (to make sure nothing was super broken, which I couldn't find) as (at the time of posting this) Skyrim SE/AE and SKSE haven't been updated again (yet).

Edit: Yet once again I must thank anyone who responds to this thread for the help beforehand!

I can't make any suggestions outside of what I have mentioned previously about added mods.

With respect to the Step guide, if you will be eventually obtaining AU, then you should consider installing the entire Step mod list 'as-is' and for any mods you won't be using (since they depend on AU or UNP, etc.), you can simply rename these mods as (STEP DEFAULT) {modName} or something and leave them disabled. Then install the alternative form of the mod at adjacent priority in MO using the default mod name --or prefix with (Custom) {modName}-- and leave the step default ones un-prefixed. This way you can easily disable/enable the other versions if/when you get AU. Using a different profile won't help, because profiles under same MO instance get same mod list but different priorities. To have separate mod lists, you would need separate MO instances. Either way works, but using a single profile and renaming mods is probably least work.

The game will most likely not be updated again any time soon.

[Greg]

I think what z929669 suggests is very sensible. If you were to skip mods currently in the guide and install alternatives without really good notes, you'd probably be lost when you are ready to switch back to the full guide with all of the CC content. If you follow his advice, you'll at least have the full mods installed with a good indication of which mods should be switched. One point to watch for is any mods that have an FOMOD that detects which plugins you have installed. There may not be any, but make notes if you do run across a mod that you won't let you check an option suggested in the guide that you'll need to reinstall this one after you install and activate the Anniversary Edition content.

Mod Organizer provides a handy Notes tab (double click a mod and click the Notes tab) that you might use to record why you installed a custom mod, whether it should be disabled when you are ready to switch to the full guide, and whether a mod should be reinstalled with the correct options. The Flag column includes a notepad/pencil icon for any mods containing text in the Notes tab.

When you are ready to purchase/install the Anniversary Edition CC content, I suggest being prepared to regenerate LOD and start a new game at that point. I seem to recall some of the CC content has landscape changes that may require running texgen and DynDOLOD fresh to take this into account.

[xFeywolf]

On 11/11/2022 at 2:13 AM, Greg said:

When you are ready to purchase/install the Anniversary Edition CC content, I suggest being prepared to regenerate LOD and start a new game at that point. I seem to recall some of the CC content has landscape changes that may require running texgen and DynDOLOD fresh to take this into account.

I was able to purchase the AU and did exactly as you suggested with regenerating the LOD/TexGen/DynDOLOD and have only noticed any major issues surrounding the Tundra Homestead where some of the landscaping has some major issues where you can see directly through the textures/meshes (unsure of which is which, tbh). I'll be making a seperate thread regarding this specific piece of CC content in a second, though - please look there for further information.

[Greg]

On 11/13/2022 at 10:14 AM, xFeywolf said:

I was able to purchase the AU and did exactly as you suggested with regenerating the LOD/TexGen/DynDOLOD and have only noticed any major issues surrounding the Tundra Homestead where some of the landscaping has some major issues where you can see directly through the textures/meshes (unsure of which is which, tbh). I'll be making a seperate thread regarding this specific piece of CC content in a second, though - please look there for further information.

If I'm not mistaken, the landscape fix for Tundra Homestead is in the Unofficial Skyrim Creation Club Content Patches.