Need help understanding MO 1.2.9

[CovertSlinky]

Ok, started to begin my adventure with STEP 2.2.9. I saw that the warning shot for users of 1.2.1 (me) to not update MO, had been removed and are expected to utilize the most current MO. Well I did this, I used the update files to get from 1.2.1 to 1.2.9 (required two different archives). Got it to work, but MO 1.2.9 totally rearranged my load order, no problem just rearranged it. But I saw it now has 2 copies of all three of my DLC in the left pane. One set is being used and has the check mark next to it. The other set has no check mark, but has a line saying that it is a non-MO mod, the only thing I could think of is the fact that I have used DDSopt. I use NO bsa's, only loose files for everything. But I tried to just rearrange the order in the left pane their, re-do bashed patch, FNIS, and DSR patch. And skyrim CTD's at main menu immediately. So to make sure I wasn't having other issues, I went back to 1.2.1 and loaded skyrim and it worked like usual. So can anyone help me out here? I tried looking for some information on this and don't see any. I tried a search on the forums for anything relevant to this thread and didn't really see any. I really just need to understand what the 2 copies of the DLC are all about to begin with. This is my system https://wiki.step-project.com/User:CovertSlinky/SystemSpecs I also am using a partial STEP right now. BOSS load order of current modlist 

 

 

Skyrim.esm

Update.esm

Unofficial Skyrim Patch.esp

Dawnguard.esm

Unofficial Dawnguard Patch.esp

HearthFires.esm

Unofficial Hearthfire Patch.esp

Dragonborn.esm

Unofficial Dragonborn Patch.esp

ApachiiHair.esm

ApachiiHairFemales.esm

ApachiiHairMales.esm

RaceCompatibility.esm

Skyrim Project Optimization - Full Version.esm

hdtHighHeel.esm

Lanterns Of Skyrim - All In One - Main.esm

SexLab.esm

SharedSeranaDialogue.esm

Unofficial High Resolution Patch.esp

Weapons & Armor Fixes_Remade.esp

Clothing & Clutter Fixes.esp

DragonShoutVoice.esp

ApachiiHelmetWigs.esp

Ars Metallica.esp

Ars Metallica - Dawnguard.esp

Ars Metallica - Hearthfire.esp

Ars Metallica - Dragonborn.esp

BLESSINGS - Altar Descriptions.esp

Dead Body Collision.esp

Dual Sheath Redux.esp

DungeonQuestAwareness.esp

fFastTravelSpeedMult_4.esp

manny Lantern Caretakers.esp

More Salt Please.esp

More Salt Please - Dragonborn addon.esp

ORM-Arvak.esp

Point The Way.esp

ShootingStars.esp

NoxUE2.00.esp

SkyUI.esp

iHUD.esp

AlfheimKnights.esp

Dynasty Armor.esp

Elemental Staves.esp

Improved Closefaced Helmets_Legendary.esp

Frostmourne.esp

Gunblade.esp

imp_helm.esp

imp_helm_imp.esp

imp_helm_dawn.esp

imp_help_dbrn.esp

Jojjos Warglaives.esp

Lich King's Armor.esp

NewmillerCeremonialRobesCBBE.esp

NewVampChainsCuirass.esp

Ring of Change.esp

Silverlight Armor.esp

ViceroyInquisitor.esp

Witch Battle Armor.esp

Draconic Bloodline.esp

TearofAbyss.esp

Complete Crafting Overhaul_Remade.esp

Lock Overhaul.esp

Gildergreen Regrown.esp

Run For Your Lives.esp

When Vampires Attack.esp

The Paarthurnax Dilemma.esp

SkyrimCoinReplacerRedux.esp

Appropriately Attired Jarls Redux.esp

BetterQuestObjectives.esp

BetterQuestObjectives-Dawnguard.esp

BetterQuestObjectives-Hearthfire.esp

Default Teammate Weapon Draw Distance.esp

Distant DetailHF.esp

DiversePriests.esp

ImmersiveFP.esp

SexLab Romance.esp

Convenient Horses.esp

Convenient Horses - Unique Frost.esp

Soul Gems Differ - E.esp

TheChoiceIsYours.esp

TheChoiceIsYours_Dawnguard.esp

Thieves Guild Requirements.esp

BetterQuestObjectives-ThievesGuildRequirementsPatch.esp

aMidianborn_Skyforge_Weapons.esp

WeaponsArmorFixes_ambSkyforge_Patch.esp

BetterQuestObjectives-AMBSkyforgePatch.esp

SoS - The Dungeons.esp

FNISspells.esp

Dual Wield Parrying_SKSE.esp

dD-No Spinning Death Animation.esp

Beards.esp

Brows.esp

TheEyesOfBeauty.esp

Ashley.esp

BabetteReplacer.esp

Marriable Serana.esp

Marriable Serana HF.esp

SpousesEnhanced.esp

SpousesEnhanced_Serana.esp

MBWS Lovely Girl Followers.esp

NonEssentialChildren.esp

AmazingFollowerTweaks.esp

BetterQuestObjectives-AFTPatch.esp

CharacterMakingExtender.esp

dD - Realistic Ragdoll Force - Realistic.esp

EnhancedCharacterEdit.esp

Bashed Patch, 0.esp

Dual Sheath Redux Patch.esp

 

Regards,

Slinky

[EssArrBee]

 

Geez, I'm sorry I wanted to mark this as solved, but I still don't understand what MO is doing. I re-installed MO 1.2.9 fresh with the installer package. I have not installed or downloaded anything, the downloads and mods folder is empty. And MO keeps populating in the left pane three supposed mods, with the names of the three DLC's. The modlist file shows this:

# This file was automatically generated by Mod Organizer.

*Dawnguard

*Dragonborn

*HearthFires

I can not delete those three lines as MO just re-writes them. I have no idea where it's finding these. Right now the only thing MO should be looking at is what is in my Data folder, which the bsa's for the DLC's are not even present atm. It won't let me do anything with them in the left pane, no right-click context menu, no doubling clicking them, nothing. What are they, where are they? If I go ahead and add the DDSopt files I have created, it still shows those as well.

 

Those represent the official DLC. Anything install directly to the Data folder will show without a checkbox and have the Non-MO as a category. The DDSopt files are the ones that should have a different name than the DLC. The left pane should look like this:

• Skyrim opted textures
• Distant Decal Fix
• USKP
• Dawnguard
• Dawguard opted textures
• UDGP
• Hearthfire
• Hearthfire opted textures
• UHFP
• Dragonborn
• DB opted textures
• UDBP
• HRDLC either the actual mod or opted textures
• UHRP  tick the BSA in the Archives tab and don't tick the plugin to load it. Unless you unpacked it.

[EssArrBee]

You should rename the optimized textures of your DLC if they have the same name as the DLC. Just OPT to the or something that lets you know they are the opted textures. The new install order lets you order the unofficial patches correctly so that files overwrite properly. Make sure the left pane looks like the 2.D Fixes section exactly as we have laid out. Loose or BSA does not matter as long as it is in the order we have listed. Optimized textures go between the DLC and the Unofficial Patch for that DLC.

 

Okay, now your load order is pretty bad because you lots of redundancy. You can't use Complete Crafting Overhaul and Ars Metallica. All those imp_helm plugins need to go because you have the ICH Legendary plugin instead. Unofficial High Resolution Patch.esp CANNOT be ticked if you don't use the HRDLC plugins or you will crash. You are also missing quite a few patches. Go to the STEP Patches page and look at all the plugins listed that one of the STEP Patches replaces and maybe add those patches back in to your load order to get those mod to be compatible.

 

It kinda looks like you have a mix of STEP 2.2.8 and 2.2.9, so maybe consider going through the mods you have with an eye for detail.

[CovertSlinky]

Hey thanks for the info, appreciate it. I have been out of the loop here for a while, so I feel a little overwhelmed lol. I didn't even see that the unofficial hi-res was checked, I don't use it. Or didn't. But when I updated to 1.2.9 it changed so much of my order that I must have overlooked that. I realized after reviewing the new 2.2.9 STEP order, that I was probably going to have to re-do everything to be safe. But when I went up to 1.2.9 I first wanted to make sure everything was gonna work as before, just to see. And thanks for the advice about that load order, surprised I even got it to work after hearing what you have to say about it. I actually haven't even started installing anything from STEP 2.2.9 yet. But I do accept that I am having a bit of an id10t error :). One last thing on my mind, you say it doesn't matter about being loose or BSA, it was my understanding from the info I read about that on the STEP wiki (months ago),that loose and BSA should not mix together, and for best results you you should choose one or the other. I interpeted that loose was the preferred. So is this not the case anymore?

[EssArrBee]

Hey thanks for the info, appreciate it. I have been out of the loop here for a while, so I feel a little overwhelmed lol. I didn't even see that the unofficial hi-res was checked, I don't use it. Or didn't. But when I updated to 1.2.9 it changed so much of my order that I must have overlooked that. I realized after reviewing the new 2.2.9 STEP order, that I was probably going to have to re-do everything to be safe. But when I went up to 1.2.9 I first wanted to make sure everything was gonna work as before, just to see. And thanks for the advice about that load order, surprised I even got it to work after hearing what you have to say about it. I actually haven't even started installing anything from STEP 2.2.9 yet. But I do accept that I am having a bit of an id10t error :). One last thing on my mind, you say it doesn't matter about being loose or BSA, it was my understanding from the info I read about that on the STEP wiki (months ago),that loose and BSA should not mix together, and for best results you you should choose one or the other. I interpeted that loose was the preferred. So is this not the case anymore?

MO allows files in BSAs to overwrite loose files as long as the install order is correct. We switch to a recommendation of BSAs over loose files because of the new file priority system of MO 1.2.9. You can still use a mix of BSAs and loose files, but BSAs are smaller on disk and performance is probably bit better, especially with a HDD.

[CovertSlinky]

Good to know, thanks for all your help, really appreciate it!

 

Regards,

Slinky

[CovertSlinky]

Geez, I'm sorry I wanted to mark this as solved, but I still don't understand what MO is doing. I re-installed MO 1.2.9 fresh with the installer package. I have not installed or downloaded anything, the downloads and mods folder is empty. And MO keeps populating in the left pane three supposed mods, with the names of the three DLC's. The modlist file shows this:

# This file was automatically generated by Mod Organizer.

*Dawnguard

*Dragonborn

*HearthFires

I can not delete those three lines as MO just re-writes them. I have no idea where it's finding these. Right now the only thing MO should be looking at is what is in my Data folder, which the bsa's for the DLC's are not even present atm. It won't let me do anything with them in the left pane, no right-click context menu, no doubling clicking them, nothing. What are they, where are they? If I go ahead and add the DDSopt files I have created, it still shows those as well.

 

Let me reiterate, I see in the MO wiki where it says to move the non-MO mods DLC into a particular order(other than it doesn't state where in the order they should be or if it matters, i.e very top or very bottom etc). But why is this necessary for MO to produce?

Edited July 16, 2014 by CovertSlinky

[CovertSlinky]

Okay, now I see, it's just a reflection of the data folder relevant to the game, in this case the DLC is there. So from looking at your description of the left pane, I see how the load order needs to be. Thank you, I don't understand the purpose of it fully but I all I need to know as far I am concerned is how it needs to look so it works. But you have provided me with the information I required, thanks again, marking as solved.

 

Regards,

Slinky