Advice on S.T.E.P 2.2.9 Mod Ordering & Bashed Patches

[Malachor]

Hello All,

 

First off a big "Hi there and Hello" to you all.  This is my first post on the S.T.E.P Forums, so I'll try and keep it short, and to the point.

 

I'm looking for some simple advice on Mod installation order and placement when following a partial S.T.E.P 2.2.9 install.  I have tried both Core and Extended in the past (in versions 2.2.5-2.2.6 respectively) however at the time of playing, ENBoost and Shesons Memory Patch were not implemented so I suffered from endless CTD's, Purple Textures and Mammoths that turned up-side down and floating to Neptune while doing Mambo No.5.  This was last year in December and I gave up for a while because I spent months reading, modding and tinkering and my ratio of learning/tinkering: playing was about 99:1; so I called it quits until such a time as things have moved on.

 

Now, things have moved on nicely, and there are better tools at my disposal to hopefully allow me to play Skyrim, once more, from scratch without being plagued by the constant (and seemingly random) issues I had in the past.

 

What I'm looking to do is start afresh and implement all available tools/fixes/guides present today so that I can finally enjoy the game I've been dying to play for years - as it was meant to be played.  First, my system specs:

 

Windows 7 x64 Professional SP2 Fully Patched

Rampage IV Extreme Mobo - BIOS 4004

Sandy Bridge-E 3930k @ 4.6Ghz (stable 24 hours with Prime 95, Linx and Intel Burn Test Extreme Profile and gaming on Diablo 3 for 10+ hours and no BSOD in over 12 months)

32GB GSkill RipJawZ RAM (2133Mhz X.M.P)

Samsung 840 Pro SSD (Boot) - Latest Firmware

OCZ Vertex 3 MaxIOPS (Games) - Latest Firmware (secure erased before installing Skyrim)

Sound Blaster Titanium HD Sound Card

2 x MSI 7970 Lightning's 3GB in Crossfire running 14.4 Catalyst Drivers

+ more (mainly periphery and not relevant) but all is cooled with custom water loop (temps are way below TJmax and voltages are all within safety limits as advertised by Intel Specification Sheets)

 

Here's the tools I'm using for a new round of Skyrim:

 

Mod Organizer, Wyre Bash, LOOT, TES5Edit, Boss Userlist Manager, SKSE 1.7.1, ENBoost etc.  Everything the absolute latest version as of today.

 

What I've done so far:

 

• Installed Skyrim to its own SSD - pristine vanilla and verified integrity of game cache (1 file failed to validate but it has always done this every time I've done it)
• Installed all of the above tools to the same SSD in their own folders i.e. G:Loot, G:Mod Organizer etc.
• Added Executables to each of the above tools within Mod Organizer
• Employed the AMD CCC Guide on S.T.E.P 2.2.9 to ensure TESV.exe has the correct settings
• Emplyed the ENBosst guide and added the necessary lines to enblocal.ini as shown in S.T.E.P 2.2.9
• Cleaned the official ESM's using TES5Edit and giving them their own naming convention within MO i.e. "Cleaned Update.esm" & "Cleaned Dawnguard.esm" respectively (Dawnguard.esm was cleaned twice)
• Backed up cleaned ESM's to a "TES5Edit Backups" folder (originally in MO Overwrite Folder) and dragged this into the MO Left pane
• Installed SKSE 1.7.1 by dragging the *.exe and *.dll files (3 of them) into skyrim and then using MO to install the "scripts" archive to skyrimdata
• Created an SKSE folder/SKSE.ini file and added in the relevant lines for invalid registrations and Shesons Memory Patch
• Downloaded and installed the unofficial patches ONLY (in the order specified in the "Fixes" table)
• Run LOOT to sort (no errors no warnings)
• Added the official *.ini tweaks as advertised by S.T.E.P 2.2.9 that apply to "all users" (this was done both for the *.ini files in My Documents AND the INI Editor in MO)

That's what I've done so far but I'm a little afraid of a few things that have happened as a result:

 

• The mods in the left hand pane of MO are all over the place and in no discernable order.  Does this matter as I thought it was only the "plugins" tab that had to be in perfect order? If it does matter, what order should these be in:
  • Cleaned Update.esm
  • Cleaned Dawnguard.esm
  • Cleaned Dragonborne.esm
  • High Resolution Files 1-3
  • Unofficial Patches
  • SKSE Scripts Archive
  • TES5Edit Backups (copied from Overwrite, then Overwrite deleted)
• Bashed Patch.  I've read up on the creation of this from multiple sources including Nexus and S.T.E.P however there are conflicting reviews on how to create a bashed patch. 

S.T.E.P States that, in order to create a bashed patch, you must:

1. Launch Wrye Bash via Mod Organizer.
2. Within the Mods Tab, right click on "bashed patch, 0.esp", and select "Rebuild Patch".
3. Tick the boxes next to "Merge Patches", "Import Names", "Import Stats", "Tweak Settings", and "Leveled Lists".
4. Highlight "Tweak Settings", and tick the box next to "Crime: Alarm Distance". Optional: tick the box next to "Timescale".
5. Right-click on "Crime: Alarm Distance" and select '1000' and optionally set "Timescale" to a value less than '20' but no less than '10'.
6. Next click [build Patch] at the bottom of the window to construct the patch based on the current plugin list/order.

 

However, the "Speed & Stability Guide for ENB" (source: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/50214/?tab=1&navtag=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nexusmods.com%2Fskyrim%2Fajax%2Fmoddescription%2F%3Fid%3D50214%26preview%3D&pUp=1) states you must:

13. Run Wrye Bash and find "Bashed Patch, 0.esp."
14. Right click on it and select "Rebuild Patch..."
15. Skip the step about disabling mods first.
16. Uncheck "Merge Patches."
17. Click "Build Patch" and close Wrye Bash.

 

I have asked around on various forums and the answer differs, however all I need is one simple answer with a set of instructions to follow because I don't want to break my game from the get-go. 

 

So, the reason I'm here is for clarity on the following (if someone would be so kind):

 

• When installing mods from S.T.E.P (partial - not all) do I install them in the order they appear in the tables from the top of the page to the bottom of the page, or, does it apply on a table-by-table basis only? What I mean by this is, do I start at the top with "Script Extenders", install all applicable, then move on the "Fixes" install from top to bottom, then the next, install from top to bottom and so on...
• The left hand pane in MO where the mods are listed, is the order here important and how to I go about ensuring I do this perfectly to ensure my game doesn't break
• Please could someone confirm the "absolute" way to create a bashed patch to alleviate my worries about which one works and which one doesn't.

My apologies for the wall of text and I (so much for 'short and to the point' lol) and I appreciate any and all feedback I may receive.  Best wishes to you all :)

 

Regards

 

Malachor.

 

 

 

[BUBISHI]

1.

I'm relatively new to STEP but I can tell you that the mods should be installed and in this order. If you skip some mods or mods are unavailable at the time (due to updates or NEXUS down) so continue with the list and add them with their advised priority later (put them where they belong in the list). The left panel should look exactly like the mod list in the STEP guide. Be sure You have ordered your mods in MOs left panel by priority (not by groups or alphabetycally).

For the SKSE scripts you load in to MO when installing SKSE: as far as I know priority does not matter here.

 

2.

The left panel is not your load order. Your load order will by defined by running LOOT and is displayed in the right plugins panel of MO.

 

Sorry this is not very helpfull now, but I can give you some help later when I'm back home...

[Malachor]

Thank you for the response - I appreciate it :)

 

I installed the unofficial patches last night, went through the Intro sequence, got to Riverwood and saved inside an empty building called "Clean Save".  I then started adding my mods one at a time.  I've installed about 10 so far and everything is looking ok.  Prior to this, I created a bashed patch in Wyre Bash just for the unofficial patches.  I ONLY selected "levelled lists" then "build patch".  This then appeared in MO's 'Overwrite' folder.  I right-clicked on this and did 'create mod' then the bashed patch appeared as a mod in the left hand pane.  I put this at the bottom.

 

When I started modding after the clean save, I added things like AmidianBorn Book of Silence, Skyrim Flora Overhaul, A Quality World Map with Roads etc (in the order specified in S.T.E.P 2.2.9).  I know that I now have to run LOOT and rebuild the bashed patch.  Is it just a case of doing what I did before? What do I do with the old bashed patch that was installed as a mod, do I get rid of it, create another mod from the overwrite folder and install that? I don't want to do anything that will break my game so I want to do this perfectly.  If someone could be so kind as to explain the 'rebuilding a bashed patch through Mod Organizer' issue I have, it would be appreciated.

 

Many thanks

 

Mal.

[EssArrBee]

The old bashed patch becomes the new one when you run the patcher. No need to delete it. Always put the Bashed Patch mod you created where we have listed in the STEP guide (at the bottom). In the right pane, the only thing that should load after the Bashed Patch, 0.esp is the Dual Sheath Redux plugin you generate with the patcher, if you aren't using that mod then disregard.

[Malachor]

Thanks do much for the prompt and concise response :)

 

So I can leave the bashed patch mod I created from the Overwrite folder where it is in the left hand pane of MO, re-run Wyre Bash through MO, click "rebuild patch + levelled lists" and that's it? Nothing will appear in the overwrite folder this time? (sorry just for clarity).

 

Thanks again

 

Mal.

[EssArrBee]

It shouldn't go back to the overwrite folder over and over again, just the first time you run it. MO should just keep it right where it is everytime you rerun from now on.

 

If you make a new profile then you'd have to move it from the Overwrite again since you'd want a new bashed patch for each profile, but once that is done it should stay in the mod folder you created.

[Malachor]

Thank you so much I appreciate your time/feedback.  Sorry to ask multiple questions.