New mods mid play

[xbk123]

How safe is it to install new mods mid play and then run LOOT to rearange LO? Some say changing LO mid play can lead to more CTDs. Im talking about ESP/ESL mods, like recently released - talkative flame atronachs, whitsling in Skyrim or adding new NPC replacers. Only mods where authors say its safe to install mid play. But even with safe mods your LO will be adjusted by LOOT anyway and hence my question. Im talking about only installing mid play, not removing. Thanks.

[ButchDiavolo]

2 hours ago, xbk123 said:

How safe is it to install new mods mid play and then run LOOT to rearange LO? Some say changing LO mid play can lead to more CTDs. Im talking about ESP/ESL mods, like recently released - talkative flame atronachs, whitsling in Skyrim or adding new NPC replacers. Only mods where authors say its safe to install mid play. But even with safe mods your LO will be adjusted by LOOT anyway and hence my question. Im talking about only installing mid play, not removing. Thanks.

You can install any mod midgame without problems. Unless the mod author specifically say the mod need a new game, of course.

I personally have never had issues with re-running LOOT after installing a mod midgame. I guess it could be possible if the new mod conflicts with another. But that doesn't have anything to do with LOOT.

[Greg]

Any time you add new mod(s), I recommend running your entire load order through xEdit (SSEEdit) to check for errors and to assess and resolve any conflicts before playing the game. This can save you some heartburn by resolving any potential issues now instead of waiting to find something is not quite right in the game.

[xbk123]

41 minutes ago, Greg said:

Any time you add new mod(s), I recommend running your entire load order through xEdit (SSEEdit) to check for errors and to assess and resolve any conflicts before playing the game. This can save you some heartburn by resolving any potential issues now instead of waiting to find something is not quite right in the game.

Ok, thanks. But to clear things up. Im not talking about mods stopped working after adding new ones and adjusting LO. Im asking if LO adjustment mid game alone (even if all mods are working fine as earlier) can lead to CTDs? Because I read somewhere full list with position of each plugin is written in save file and changing it may have negative impact. Is this a bullsh.. or there is some truth to it?

[Greg]

My understanding is that the save has a complete list of plugins and it uses this list to warn if any plugins are missing and to adjust the FormIDs in the current save to the new load order. I add new mods on top of test saves all the time and have never run into any issues.

[z929669]

The only plugins that I know can cause CTDs are those baked into the save that are later updated to ESPFE with renumerated FormIDs. This is very rare, but Cathedral Landscapes is a case-in-point: If you have a save using the CL ESP and update to the CL ESPFE and try to use that save, then you will CTD.

It's fine to update plugins mid game, but, strictly speaking, it's best to avoid it. Just because a mod updates doesn't mean the plugin is changed substantively. Obviously, mods without plugins are perfectly 'safe' to update mid-playthrough.