User:DarkladyLexy/Lexys LOTD SE Finishing Line

Welcome to Lexy's: Legacy of The Dragonborn Special Edition

A STEP Hosted guide based of Neovalen's Skyrim Revisited: Legendary Edition

Created and maintained by Darth_mathias and DarkladyLexy With help from Nozzer66

Last Update: 6:49:52 27 November 2024 (GMT)

Help support STEP! ALL donations are applied to operating expenses.

NOTE

Please note this guide is currently considered a Beta version best suited for Testers and Experienced Modders

Quick Links

PAYPAL: If you wish to make a one-time donation to the madness that is me and this guide, you can do so here
PATREON: If you wish to donate to the continuing madness that is me and this guide you can do so here
FORUM: Lexy's: Legacy of The Dragonborn Special Edition forums This will connect you with support for the guide via the STEP Forums.
DISCORD: You can check out our dedicated Discord channel Here
Changelog: You can review the version changes to the guide by clicking Here 
Testing Trello: Suggested mods, current testing status, and other information on guide development can be found Here
Main Guide: Quick Link to the Main Guide Here
Prerequisites Page: Quick Link to the Prerequisites Page of the guide is Here
Merge Page: Quick Link to the Merges Page of the guide is Here
Finishing Line: Quick Link to the Finishing Line of the guide is Here
MCM Setup: Suggested MCM settings for the full guide install can be read Here
Troubleshooting: A few quick tips and suggestions for Troubleshooting can be found  Here
Revision History: You can check on text revisions to the guide by clicking Here

Finishing Line

The Big Push Towards The End

In this section, we will be running some required tools.

LOOT

Load Order Optimisation Tool, or LOOT, is designed to help users maintain a working load order for their mods with a minimal amount of effort. Perform the following (and again every time mods change with an esp):

Idiot check makes sure the following custom Loot User Metadata Rules are done:

LOOT GROUPS

[Arthmoor's Villages Group]

Arthmoor's Villages Group	Additional Rules
Darkwater Crossing.esp	None
Dawnstar.esp	None
Dragon Bridge.esp	None
FarmhouseChimneysExtrasMerged.esp	None
Helarchen Creek.esp	None
Ivarstead.esp	None
Karthwasten.esp	None
Keld-Nar.esp	Load After Landscape Fixes For Grass Patches Merged.esp
Kynesgrove.esp	None
Rorikstead.esp	None
Shor's Stone.esp	None
Soljund's Sinkhole.esp	None
Whistling Mine.esp	None
Landscape Fixes For Grass Patches Merged.esp	Load After Dragon Bridge.esp and Shor's Stone.esp
NSUTR - Merged.esp	None
Snazzy Overhaul Patches Merged.esp	None

[Landscape Group]

Landscape Group	Additional Rules
Landscape Fixes For Grass Mods.esp	Load After Trees and Flora Merged.esp
Trees and Flora Merged.esp	None

[Merge Patches Group]

Merge Patches Group	Additional Rules
Animals Merged.esp	None
Audio Patches Merged.esp	None
IcePenguinWorldMap.esp	Load After Weather Systems Merged.esp
KIC + RWT Patches Merged.esp	None
LOTD Patches Merged.esp	None
MLU Patches Merged.esp	Load After LOTD Patches Merged.esp
nwsFollowerFramework.esp	None
OMEGA CACO Patches Merged.esp	None
RealisticWaterTwo.esp	Load After Weather Systems Merged.esp
Weapons Armours Merged.esp	Load After MLU Patches Merged.esp
Weather Systems Merged.esp	Load After Audio Patches Merged.esp

[NPC Retexture Group]

NPC Retextures Group	Additional Rules
ELE Merged.esp	Load After NPC Retexture Merge SSE.esp
RS Children Patches Merged.esp	None
NPC Retexture Merge SSE.esp	Load After RS Children Patches Merged.esp

[Conflict Resolution Group]

Conflict Resolution Group	Additional Rules
Lexy's LOTD Consistency Patches Merged.esp	None
Lexy's LoTD SE OMEGA - Conflict Resolution.esp	None
OMEGA Followers and NPC - Conflict Resolution.esp	None
OMEGA NPC Retexture - Conflict Resolution.esp	None

[Leveled List Modifiers Group]

Leveled List Modifiers Group	Additional Rules
Pre Bash Merged.esp	None

[Load After LOOT Rules] (These mods stay in their current group, just add Load After rule)

Individual Mods	LOOT Rules
CollegeOfWinterholdImmersive.esp	Load After MrissiTailOfTroubles.esp
CLARALUX SSE.esp	Load After RelightingSkyrim-FULL.esp, Blowing In The Wind Merged.esp
DiverseDragonsCollectionSE.esp	Load After DeadlyDragons.esp
ogSplendorDragons.esp	Load After DiverseDragonsCollectionSE.esp
Point The Way.esp	Load After UniqueBorderGates-All.esp
aMidianBorn_ContentAddon.esp	Load After Lore Weapon Expansion.esp

Start Mod Organizer 2.
Select LOOT in the executable selection box and click [Run].
Find the icon that looks like a horizontal bar graph (mouse over text should state "Sort Plugins") and click it.
After some processing, the calculated load order is displayed in the right pane of LOOT. Click the [Apply] button.
Click the [X] on the title bar to close LOOT.

All mods currently installed will now be ordered based upon the master list downloaded by the tool and the user metadata that was created while installing mods in this guide. However, they may not be in the order the plugins themselves are expecting. To fix this perform the following:

Open SSEEdit in Mod Organizer 2 and click [OK].
Select all ESMs/ESPs and select "Sort Masters".
Click the [X] in the upper right-hand corner, uncheck "Backup plugins", and click [OK].

Fores New Idles in Skyrim - FNIS

Fores New Idles in Skyrim, hereafter referenced as FNIS is designed to allow new skeleton and animation designs not possible with the default Skyrim engine such as new animations, gender-specific animations, poses, etc. This involves the use of an external patcher GenerateFNIS_for_Users.exe which will create specialized .hkx files to match the current skeleton and animation configuration. Perform the following (and again every time animation mods are changed):

1. Start Mod Organizer 2 and check that your overwrite folder is empty.
2. Select FNIS in the executable selection box and click [Run]. The FNIS main interface should appear, if it does not, review the installation section for FNIS.
3. In the Available Patches at the bottom of the window, check the box adjacent to GENDER Specific Animations, SKELETON Arm Fix, tktk1's TK Dodge/Ultimate Combat.
4. Click the [Update FNIS Behavior] button and wait for a message to appear in the window stating "X animations for Y mods successfully included.".
5. Click [Exit]
6. Mod Organizer 2 has automatically placed the generated files into the overwrite folder in Mod Organizer.
7. Now Create a mod called FNIS Output from these files.
8. Activate the mod.

For reference, the FNIS Output folder should contain the following:

meshes folder containing new hkx behaviour files.
scripts folder containing 3 compiled scripts for version tracking.
tools folder containing logs.

Time for a Quick Test

Now would be a good spot to test your installation by:

1. Starting the game.
2. when the main menu loads, click the 'Home' key to call the ReShade GUI menu
3. From the 'Home' tab, choose 'BTS ReShade.ini' in the drop-down menu at the top
4. Click the 'Home' key again to close the GUI - you're all set and good to go.
5. from the main menu open the console.
6. Type coc then the appropriate command.

Azura: ShrineOfAzuraExterior01
Malacath: FallowstoneCaveEnd
Mehrunes Dagon: Mehrunes01
Dibella: MarkarthTempleofDibella
Meridia: KilkreathRuinsExterior03
Talos: MarkarthShrineofTalos
College: WinterholdCollegeExterior

If you crash you did something wrong with Stunning Statues of Skyrim.

Wrye Bash

WARNING

DISABLE SSE-Terrain-Tamriel.esm until you see another warning telling you to re-activate it later in this page. Do not run LOOT past this point. The only exception is updating which requires disabling all mods in the Finishing Line using the Left Panel in MO2

Idiot check: Make sure the following Bash Tags have been set before creating the Bash Patch

Bash tags can be set by clicking on the mod in question, then right-clicking in the space on the right pane labelled bash tags.

Mod Name	Plugin	Bash Tag Update Required:
Amulets of Skyrim SSE	SL01AmuletsSkyrim.esp	DELEV, STATS
Animals Merged	Animals Merged.esp	DELEV, STATS
Landscape Environment and Clutter Merged	Landscape Environment and Clutter Merged.esp	GRAPHICS
LOTD Patches Merged	LOTD Patches Merged.esp	DELEV, GRAPHICS, INVENT, NAMES, RELEV, STATS
MLU Patches Merged	MLU Patches Merged.esp	DELEV, INVENT, GRAPHICS, NAMES, RELEV, STATS
OMEGA CACO Patches Merged	OMEGA CACO Patches Merged.esp	DELEV, RELEV
Typo Patches Merged	Typo Patches Merged.esp	NAMES
Weapons & Armours Merged	Weapons Armours Merged.esp	INVENT, NAMES, STATS
YOT - Your Own Thoughts Merged	YOT - Your Own Thoughts Merged.esp	NAMES
Pre Bash Merge	Pre Bash Merged.esp	INVENT, NAMES, RELEV, STATS
Zim's Immersive Artifacts	ZIA_Complete Pack.esp	NAMES, STATS

Wrye Bash is a tool that can be used to install/manage mods but more importantly it has tools to merge leveled lists and can even merge entire mods together into a "Bashed Patch". Perform the following (and again every time mods change with an esp):

Start Mod Organizer 2 and check that your overwrite folder is empty.
Select Wrye Bash in the executable selection box and click [Run]. The Wrye Bash main interface should appear.
Scroll down the mod list and right-click Bashed Patch, 0.esp and select "Rebuild Patch".
Check only "Import Graphics", "Import Inventory", "Import Names", "Import Stats" "Tweak Settings", and "Leveled Lists" in the left pane.
Click on "Tweak Settings" in the left pane.
Right-click "AI: Max Actors" and select "50".
Right-click "Arrow: Speed" and select "1.4".
Right-click "Combat: Max Actors" and select "30".
Right-click "Crime: Alarm Distance" and select "1200".
Right-click "Timescale" and select "15".
Check the box next to "AI: Max Actors", "Arrow: Speed", "Combat: Max Actors", "Crime: Alarm Distance" and "Timescale" to apply them.
Click [Build Patch] at the bottom of the window. A dialogue asking to activate it may appear, click [Yes].
Exit Wrye Bash by clicking the [X] in the top right corner.

The Bashed Patch, 0.esp is automatically moved to the Mod Organizer/Overwrite directory. You can make it into it's own mod like shown for the smashed patch or you can leave it in your overwrite.

Mators SMASH

Idiot check makes sure SSE-Terrain-Tamriel.esm is deactivated before running SMASH

1. Run Smash inside Mod Organizer 2, Select 'Skyrim SE' and click ok.
2. In the popup window select ok.
3. Highlight everything from Update.esm down to Bashed Patch, 0.esp.
4. Right click and select Add to patch.
5. In the popup window call both fields Smash Patch.
6. Highlight everything from Update.esm down to Bashed Patch, 0.esp.
7. Right click, select Smash Settings, navigate to Smash and click Smash.all

Then go back and set these to Smash.ForceAll following the same method:

(Located at the bottom of the list)

RealisticWaterTwo.esp
LOTD Patches Merged.esp
MLU Patches Merged.esp
Animals Merged.esp
OMEGA CACO Patches Merged.esp
NPC Retexture Merge SSE.esp
ELE Merged.esp
Lexy's LOTD Consistency Patches Merged.esp
Lexy's LoTD SE OMEGA - Conflict Resolution.esp
OMEGA Followers and NPC - Conflict Resolution.esp
OMEGA NPC Retexture - Conflict Resolution.esp
Bashed Patch, 0.esp

(Located about half-way to 3/4 down in the list, usually near or after each other)

MLU.esp
PrvtI_HeavyArmory.esp
Ordinator - Perks of Skyrim.esp
CLARALUX SSE.esp
CLARALUX Patches Merged.esp

1. Click the Hammer to build the Smash Patch.
2. Once built exit Smash and activate it in Mod Organizer 2.
3. The file will be in your Mod Organizer 2 Overwrite folder.
4. Make a mod called Smash Patch and activate it.

[Lexy's LOTD SE OMEGA - SMASH Override]

CORE

Lexy's LOTD SE OMEGA - SMASH Override - v1.08 - by Darkladylexy

Files to download :

• MAIN FILES - Lexy's LOTD SE OMEGA - SMASH Override

Mod Notes: The mod Fixes some issue created by SMASH.

zEdit

Idiot check makes sure SSE-Terrain-Tamriel.esm is deactivated before running zEdit

1. Run zEdit inside Mod Organizer 2, Select 'Skyrim SE' from the dropdown and click 'Start Session'
2. Select the 'OK' button at the bottom of the load order list (You might have to mouse wheel down to see it)
3. After zEdit loads the mods in the load order, right-click in the left panel and select 'Manage Patchers' from the popup menu.
4. On the left side of the window that opens, click on "Know Your Enemy's Armor Patcher".
5. Make sure the "Patch armor descriptions?" box is set to false. (You will only need to change this once.)
6. In the left panel, click on Build Patches.
7. Uncheck everything except "Know your armor patcher"
8. know_your_armor_patch.esp should be in the list, click the 'Build' button by it's name.
9. Wait until know_your_armor_patch.esp appears at the bottom of the load order, or a message that reads "1 patch plugins built successfully" is displayed.
10. Click the X.
11. Now select 'Manage Patchers' for a second time from the popup menu.
12. Uncheck everything except "Know Your Enemy Patcher".
13. know_your_enemy_patch.esp should be listed, click the 'Build' button by its name.
14. Wait until know_your_enemy_patch.esp appears at the bottom of the load order, or a message that reads "1 patch plugins built successfully" is displayed.
15. Click the X.
16. Now select 'Manage Patchers' for a third and final time from the popup menu.
17. Uncheck everything except the options listed under zPatch.
18. In the Left pane click Under the NPC Visual Transfer now you see a new box on the Right Pane add the following: NPC Retexture Merge SSE.esp RSChildren.esp and OMEGA NPC Retexture - Conflict Resolution.esp
19. In the left pane click Build Patches.
20. zPatch.esp should be listed, Click the 'Build' button by its name.
21. Wait until zPatch.esp appears at the bottom of the load order, or a message that reads "1 patch plugins built successfully" is displayed.
22. Click the X.
23. Now click the X to close zEdit. It will prompt you to save or discard the file. Click 'Save' and make sure that "know_your_armor_patch.esp", "know_your_enemy_patch.esp", "zPatch.esp" are saved
24. The file will be in your Mod Organizer 2 overwrite folder.
25. Make a mod called zEdit Output and activate it.

Relinker

Idiot check makes sure SSE-Terrain-Tamriel.esm is deactivated before running Relinker

Idiot check make sure you setup MO2 in Portable Mode

Idiot check make sure you don't move your mods folder out of Mod Organizer 2 base folder

1. Open zEdit and select zMerge from the drop-down menu along with the profile you wish to use.
2. Press Start Session.
3. Hit the Button that says Relink Scripts.
4. Once zMerge has finished you can exit.
5. A Mod called Relinker Output should have been automatically created. You can now activate it in Mod Organizer 2.

xLODGEN

WARNING

ENABLE SSE-Terrain-Tamriel.esm for this part only.

NOTE:

This may take some time to run. On my system, it takes Approx 2 hours

Make sure xLODGenx64.exe has been added as an executable in Mod Organizer 2.
Make sure you have added the correct Arguments.
Make sure you have activated SSE-Terrain-Tamriel.esm as the warning above says to.
Run xLODGenx64.exe using Mod Organizer 2.

1. Check everything in the Select Worldspace(s) to generate LOD.
2. Make sure Only Terrain LOD is Checked
3. LOD4 quality 5; Build Diffuse Size 512, Build Normal Size 256, Protect Borders, Format BC7 Quick - Screenshot 1
4. LOD8 quality 10; Build Diffuse Size 256, Build Normal Size 128, Optimize Unseen On, Format BC7 Quick - Screenshot 2
5. LOD16 quality 10; Build Diffuse Size 256, Build Normal Size 128, Optimize Unseen On, Format BC7 Quick - Screenshot 3
6. LOD32 quality 15; Build Diffuse Size 256, Build Normal Size 128, Optimize Unseen 550, Format BC7 Quick - Screenshot 4
7. Default Size Diffuse 128, Normal 128
8. Bake normal-maps (checked)
9. Click Generate.

Once xLODGEN has finished, navigate to where you created the SSELODGen_Output then install into mod Organizer 2 and activate.
Once xLODGEN has run you can deactivate SSE-Terrain-Tamriel.esm it is only required for xLODGEN generation.

NOTE:

Once xLODGEN has been created and activated in Mod Organizer 2 move A Quality World Map and Better Falskaar and Wyrmstooth Map With Roads underneath SSELODGen_Output in the Left Pane of Mod Organizer 2 - This will allow the roads to show on the Map menu

DynDOLOD - Dynamic Distant LOD Generation - Gamerpoets DynDoLOD Tutorial Video

Setting Up DynDOLOD for Ultra Trees

WARNING

DISABLE SSE-Terrain-Tamriel.esm for the last time. It is not required by the game from this point onwards, unless re-generating xLODGen

NOTE:

Ultra Trees will significantly increase your VRAM usage. If you have a 4GB or less graphics card consider generating traditional LOD. To set traditional lod, first leave TreeLOD as "1" in DynDOLOD_SEE.ini. Second make sure "Generate Tree Lods" is checked within DynDOLOD.

Idiot check makes sure SSE-Terrain-Tamriel.esm is deactivated before running TexGEN or DynDOLOD

For the purpose of this guide will be generating Ultra Trees using DynDOLOD.

1. Make sure DynDOLOD Standalone is installed.
2. Navigate to <DynDOLOD 2.67 Path>\Edit Scripts\DynDOLOD\cache
3. Delete all files except becauseofreasons.txt.
4. Navigate to <DynDOLOD 2.67 Path>\Edit Scripts\DynDOLOD\
5. Open up the DynDOLOD_SSE.ini
6. Change the line TreeLOD= to "0"

Now We can Begin the process of generating DynDOLOD.

TexGen64

Make sure TexGen64.exe has been added as an executable in Mod Organizer 2.
Run TexGen64 using Mod Organizer 2.
In the popup window Select where you want the TexGen Output to go (For the purpose of the guide I recommend selecting the Mod Organizer 2 Mods Folder).
In the popup window change LOD Texture Size to [512].
 Click Start and allow TexGen to Run.
Once the execution has completed, select [Exit] to close the window.
Navigate to the TexGen Output directory <Mod Organizer 2 path\mods\TexGen Output> and activate it.

DynDOLOD64

Make sure DynDOLOD64.exe has been added as an executable in Mod Organizer 2.
Run DynDOLOD using Mod Organizer.
In the popup window Select where you want the DynDOLOD Output to go (For the purpose of the guide I recommend selecting the Mod Organizer 2 Mods Folder).
click [Advanced >>>].
In the top left selection box, check all of the boxes by right-clicking and then clicking "Select All".
Below the preset buttons, check the boxes marked "Candles" and "FXGlow".
In the options panel, tick the "Generate static LOD", "Generate DynDOLOD" "Windows", "High", "Fake lights in child worlds" "Create texture atlas" checkboxes.
In the options panel change Max tile size to "512".
Click the [High] preset button (If you have a 4GB card and are not use Ultra trees you can select the Medium preset).
Click [OK], this will begin the LOD generation process (can take up to 30 minutes).
Once the execution has completed, select [Save & Exit] to close the window then click [OK] on the following window to close the program.
Navigate to the DynDOLOD output directory <Mod Organizer 2 path\mods\DynDOLOD output> place it below TexGen Output in the Left Pane of Mod Organizer 2 and activate it.
Manually place DynDOLOD.esm after Gray Fox Cowl.esm.

Previous Page: Merge Page

Main Guide: Lexys LOTD SE