Proper technique to add mods to a stable STEP install?

[Spaekus]

Hello all,

 

I have a complete STEP install using MO with mostly Extreme content.  It runs well and now I want to add in the extra mods I would like to play with before I start my first play through.

 

I initially just started adding in the ones I wanted, following any author instructions for load orders against what I already had, but that has induced some CTDs so that technique isn't the greatest.

 

I don't want to bother you with individual MOD questions I just want to know the proper process to follow to get the best outcome.

 

Assuming that I follow any Author instructions on conflicts/load orders, should I start by category, following the same install order as STEP?  Or do I need to start with the major sources of possible conflicts such as weather/lighting/additional ESM mods?

 

And as I go along, I still haven't completely understood the difference between MO's load order display and the BOSS html output?  Is one simply displaying what the other has set and approving/suggesting the order, or does one override the other during Skyrim running?  I notice that even though I used MO to follow author load instructions, BOSS output would show totally different order even though there were no flags.

 

Thanks

[torminater]

I use Wrye myself, but it shouldn't differ too much from MO in this matter: I install additional mods to STEP at the very last. That way I can ensure, that I get all of the files from the mod, and it doesn't get overwritten. Also, I add a prefix to every mod in my package, so I would suggest you add a prefix like this: "addon_"ModsName"_"ModsIdentificationNumber".7z"

Use whatever prefix you think. As long as it makes a difference between STEP and non-STEP it'll work.

Same can be done with optional files not suggested by STEP from mods suggested by STEP.

 

After this is done, install one mod after another, check your load order and do your trial run and see whether and which issues appear. Also be sure, that any mod you install doesn't elementarily conflict with the ones from STEPs gameplay/sound/animations and effects category. Disable the conflicting mods from STEP before trying out the mod. If you want to keep both mods, please refer to Neovalen's Skyrim Revisited Guide for a quite detailed information how to create merged patches for mods. You can find the link to his WIP guide on this forum.

[freche]

And as I go along, I still haven't completely understood the difference between MO's load order display and the BOSS html output?  Is one simply displaying what the other has set and approving/suggesting the order, or does one override the other during Skyrim running?  I notice that even though I used MO to follow author load instructions, BOSS output would show totally different order even though there were no flags.

 

I could be wrong here, haven't used MO much at all (prefer Wrye).

But the order in MO is the order you will install the mods, this is important in case mods overwrite files.

BOSS will only sort your esm, esp files so they are loaded by the game in an order that most likely will work best.

 

However while BOSS sorts most mods in a good order it can't handle them all so using BOSS Userlist Manager is a good compliment for mods that are not yet recognized by BOSS.

BOSS can also give some small notes about conflicts and other things, but again it's not always perfect and it's also up to the user to know what he/she installs and if it works with other mods.

[Spaekus]

Thanks,

 

Okay before I swap everything out and try WyreBash, if need be, I'm still confused I guess on which program actually controls load order at run.

After this is done, install one mod after another, check your load order

BOSS will only sort your esm, esp files so they are loaded by the game in an order that most likely will work best. 

 If I have used MO on both MOD/ESP panes to clean the load order, then run BOSS one time, then execute SKSE within MO to start the game, which program's load order has been set and is going to be seen by the game when it loads?

 

Is BOSS just "showing" me what the load order should be, or is it actually "setting" a load order within Skyrim or MO that the game is going to follow at startup?

 

Sorry if I'm just confusing myself, but since I'm using MO to initiate Skyrim start, I thought it was taking precedence on load order.

 

If using WyreBash removes this distinction, because BOSS and BUM is integrated versus standalone, I'll definitely switch over.

 

And I haven't even started a character yet, so I don't mind starting over to get it right before I commit myself to Skyrim.

[torminater]

You are confusing two entirely different things here:

 

In one tab you have your mod packages you installed in your "mod order", in the other tab you have the esp and esm files from your installed mods, that you need to activate and sort with BOSS to get your "Load order".

Your mod order tells MO which files overwrite whose files, your load order tells the Skyrim engine which esm/esp makes changes after which other esms/esps.

 

BOSS will only sort your load order. Your mod order is the order of the mods in the STEP guide you followed.

[Spaekus]

Okay thanks,

 

I think I've understood now thanks to your explanation.

 

I also didn't think I was actually seeing BOSS change the ESP tab in MO so I just did a simple test and moved a couple ESP and saved with MO, then ran BOSS and saw that they were physically changed to match BOSS.  I missed that earlier.