STEP:ModGroup Flowchart

Terms & Definitions

The following terms are defined here to provide context needed for consistency in classifying mods into ModGroups. Whenever one of these terms is used in this document, recall these definitions.

Assets

Files, folders, or other digital media for use by or in support of a Game or a Mod

Mod

New or altered Assets that: 1) affect a change to OR 2) extend the functionality of ...a Game or another Mod

Content

Rendered Game elements, entities, or constructs observable to the player while playing the Game.

Mod Groups

Mod Group	Current Description	Proposed Description	Current flowchart question
01-Tools	Standalone applications that aid in the management of the modding process	Standalone applications that aid in the management of the modding process	Is the 'mod' really a standalone application that aids in the management of the modding process?
02-Extenders	Mods that expand on the inherent functionality of a game or another mod without themselves affecting content	Mods that expand on the inherent functionality of a Game or another Mod without themselves affecting Content	Does the mod expand on the inherent functionality of the game or another mod without itself affecting content?
03-Resources	Mods solely providing assets intended specifically for use by other mods without themselves affecting content	Mods solely providing Assets intended specifically for use by other Mods without themselves affecting Content	Does the mod solely provide assets intended specifically for use by another mod(s) without itself affecting content?
04-Foundation	Baseline mods having many conflicting assets that should be overridden by other mods OR mods having programmatic changes that are widely accepted and adopted/expected by other mods	Baseline mods that may be overwritten and/or required by other mods	N/A
05-Animation & Physics	Mods that affect animations or physics	Mods that affect animations or physics	Does the mod add or alter animations (character movement) or physics (graphic effects)?
06-Models & Textures	Mods that replace existing models or textures	Mods that affect materials, models, textures, or shaders	Does the mod solely add new or alter existing models or textures?
07-Sounds & Music	Mods that affect sounds or music	Mods that affect sounds or music	Does the mod only affect game audio (music, sounds, voices, etc.)?
08-Character Appearance	Mods that affect the appearance of the player character or NPCs	Mods that affect the appearance of the player or NPCs.	Does the mod affect any aspect of the player character and/or NPCs?
09-Fixes	Mods have a programmatic component that fixes various bugs and/or inconsistencies	Mods have a programmatic component that fixes various bugs and/or inconsistencies	Does the mod fix or correct anything without solely using models and/or textures?
10-Gameplay-General	Mods that affect general or multiple gameplay mechanics	Mods that affect gameplay mechanics	N/A
11-Gameplay-AI & Combat	Mods that affect AI, stats, or combat mechanics of NPCs	Mods that affect AI, combat mechanics, or NPC stats	Does the mod alter AI, combat, or NPC behavior?, or Does the mod add new armor or weapons?
12-Gameplay-Economy	Mods that affect currency, rewards, values, rates, or any other economy-related mechanics	Mods that affect currency, rewards, values, rates or any other economy-related mechanics	Does the mod alter game currency, rewards, values, rates, or other economy-related mechanics?
13-Gameplay-Immersion	Mods that help to improve game immersion and role-playing scenarios	No changes proposed	Is the mod meant specifically and exclusively to improve immersion or role-playing scenarios?, or Does the mod add new accessories or clothing?
14-Gameplay-Quests	Mods that alter aspects of quests and/or related lore	No changes proposed	Does the mod alter aspects of quests and/or quest-related dialog or lore?
15-Gameplay-Skills & Perks	Mods that affect the player character's or NPC skills and perks or related leveling	Mods that affect the player or NPC skills and perks, or related leveling	Does the mod alter player or NPC skills and perks or related leveling?
16-Interface	Mods that affect any aspect of the user interface	Mods that affect any aspect of the user interface	Does the mod affect the user interface content in any way?
17-Locations	Mods that programmatically add new or alter vanilla locations	Mods that add new locations and/or alter vanilla locations programmatically	Does the mod add new locations and/or alter vanilla locations without solely using models and/or textures?
18-Lighting & Weather	Mods that affect lighting and/or weather systems **installation is optional**	Optional ModGroup containing Mods that affect lighting and/or weather systems	N/A
19-Utilities	Mods that generate derived mod output from load-order-specific assets	Mods that generate derived Mod output from load-order-specific Assets	Does the mod generate load-order-specific output that will itself be used as a mod or a game/mod resource?
20-Patches	Mods that programmatically resolve load-order conflicts	Mods that resolve conflicts programmatically (and potentially Asset conflicts)	Does the mod only resolve incompatibilities between other mods?
21-Post-processing	Mods that affect post-processing graphics **installation is optional**	Mods that affect post-processing graphics	N/A

Mod Group Sorting Flowchart

Following this flowchart will result in mods being filtered into the correct ModGroups, irrespective of the guide Curator.

Special-Consideration ModGroups

04-Foundation

This ModGroup is reserved for mods that should be installed early and overridden by downstream mods or for mods that need to be installed early because of downstream mod requirements. These are mods that typically include large-scale model/texture overhauls OR mods that make broad, sweeping changes that tend to be effectively 'forwarded', adopted, or included in many other more specialized mods; hence, these mods are considered the "foundation" or "baseline" of the mod list. For these reasons this ModGroup is not included in the flowchart. Placement into this ModGroup is often determined by conflicts discovered during guide development that cannot be easily resolved by without patching or significant asset conflict resolution.

18-Lighting & Weather

Because lighting (and often weather by proxy) is highly subjective, it is optional for installation by the user. The primary purpose of this ModGroup is to alter aspects of the game's lighting and/or weather systems. Regardless of what other ModGroup(s) may apply, a mod belongs here if it edits these specific systems. This allows lighting of any Step build to remain compatible with user preference.

21-Post-Processing

Similar to lighting, post-processing is also designed to be an optional ModGroup. Unlike Lighting & Weather, mods that relate to post processing should not necessarily be placed into this ModGroup. Only mods that require post-processing to work properly should be grouped here. Mods that work without post-processing but have post-processing options, like Realistic Water Two, should be sorted using the flowchart below.

Gameplay ModGroups

'Gameplay' alterations can take a great many forms and mods that impact gameplay and can make content changes that overlap significantly with content changes made by other ModGroups. These mods often include scripts or other programmatic game assets (e.g., plugins) and often rely on mods installed/loaded upstream. For our purposes, "Gameplay" mods are mods that programmatically alter content in terms of affecting specific vanilla gameplay 'mechanics' (e.g., a quest line) or gameplay mechanics of a specific gameplay regime (e.g., crafting, economy, etc.). Another use case are mods that solely add new content. For these reasons, mods that affect gameplay should be sorted independently using the Gameplay Flowchart.

Sorting Rules

• Alphabetization Rule: Unless another rule applies, mods within a given ModGroup are sorted alphabetically (0-9, A-Z).
• New Items Rule: Mods that solely add new items not present in the vanilla game, should be placed within the applicable Gameplay ModGroup.
• "Yes" Rule: Using the flowchart, sort the mod into the first ModGroup where "yes" is the answer.

Sorting-Rule Deviation

Sorting deviations are desirable ONLY to maximize efficiency for Curators or users without compromising efficiency for either. The following deviations are acceptable:

• Deviate from the Alphabetization Rule to minimize conflict resolution and support a desired outcome.
• Deviate from the "Yes" Rule to support downstream mod requirements when default sorting 'breaks' one or more requirements:
  1. Sort the mod into the second ModGroup where "Yes" is the answer. Never go beyond this to a third "Yes".
  2. As a last resort add the mod to 04-Foundation.

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Non-Gameplay Mod Flowchart

Only mods that don't impact gameplay should be considered in this sorting process. For gameplay mod sorting, see the next flowchart. Starting from the top of the flowchart, read each question and think carefully about the mod being sorted.

Tools
Is the 'mod' really a standalone application that aids in the management of the modding process?
(e.g., Mod Organizer, LOOT, BethINI, etc.)
Yes add to 01-Tools
No

Utilities
Does the mod generate load-order-specific output that will itself be used as a mod or a game/mod resource?
(e.g., FNIS, Nemesis, No Grass In Objects, etc.)
Yes add to 19-Utilities
No

Extenders
Does the mod expand on the inherent functionality of the game or another mod without itself affecting content?
(e.g., SKSE, .NET Framework, Papyrus, etc.)
Yes add to 02-Extenders
No

Resources
Does the mod solely provide assets intended specifically for use by another mod(s) without itself affecting content?
Yes add to 03-Resources
No

Animations & Physics
Does the mod add or alter animations (character movement) or physics (graphic effects)?
Models, textures, and shaders do not apply to this ModGroup UNLESS animations are also present.
Yes add to 05-Animations & Physics
No

Locations
Does the mod add new locations and/or alter vanilla locations without solely using models and/or textures?
Yes add to 17-Locations
No

Sounds & Music
Does the mod only affect game audio (music, sounds, voices, etc.)?
Yes add to 07-Sounds & Music
No

Character Appearance
Does the mod affect any aspect of the player character and/or NPCs?
Retexures and remodels for animals, armor, clothing, creatures, etc. are not applicable to this ModGroup.
Yes add to 08-Character Appearance
No

Fixes
Does the mod fix or correct anything without solely using models and/or textures?
Yes add to 09-Fixes
No

Interface
Does the mod affect the user interface content in any way?
(HUD mods, minigames, maps, etc.)?
Yes add to 16-Interface
No

Patches
Does the mod only resolve incompatibilities between other mods?
Yes add to 20-Patches
No

Models & Textures
Does the mod solely add new or alter existing models or textures?
Yes add to 06-Models & Textures
No

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Gameplay Mod Flowchart

Only gameplay mods should be entered into the following sorting process. Starting from the top of the flowchart, read each question and think carefully about the mod being sorted.

Rules

• Mod that add new items should always follow the "Yes" Rule
• If a mod is known to associate with > 1 of the gameplay ModGroups and does NOT add new items, place it into 10-Gamplay-General.

Gameplay-Skills & Perks
Does the mod alter player or NPC skills and perks or related leveling?
Yes add to 15-Gameplay-Skills & Perks
No

Gameplay-AI & Combat
Does the mod alter AI, combat, or NPC behavior?, or
Does the mod add new armor or weapons?
Yes add to 11-Gameplay-AI & Combat
No

Gameplay-Economy
Does the mod alter game currency, rewards, values, rates, or other economy-related mechanics?
Yes add to 12-Gameplay-Economy
No

Gameplay-Quests
Does the mod alter aspects of quests and/or quest-related dialog or lore?
Yes add to 14-Gameplay-Quests
No

Gameplay-Immersion
Is the mod meant specifically and exclusively to improve immersion or role-playing scenarios?, or
Does the mod add new accessories or clothing?
Yes add to 13-Gameplay-Immersion
No

Gameplay-General
Reserved for game-play mods that don't fit well into any (or too many) of the preceding Gameplay ModGroups. Verify that is the case for the mod(s) in question before adding to this ModGroup!

Resources

• Step's Mod Groups
• Previous Mod Group discussion
• Mod Picker Descriptions
• Nexus to Mod Picker Category Conversion