You’re almost there!
If you've made it this far, you survived the worst of it. The remainder of the actual guide exists on this page and is pretty much as simple as following instructions. You'll be done in no time!
LOOT Rules
LOOT, or Load Order Optimization Tool, is a utility designed to help users maintain a working load order for their mod list. For the plugins listed in this section, add the .esp
to the group specified, and add any Load After rules indicated.
Arthmoor’s Villages Group
Plugin | Load After |
---|---|
Darkwater Crossing.esp | None |
Dawnstar.esp | None |
Dragon Bridge.esp | None |
Helarchen Creek.esp | None |
Ivarstead.esp | None |
Karthwasten.esp | None |
Keld-Nar.esp | Landscape Fixes For Grass Patches Merged.esp |
Kynesgrove.esp | None |
Oakwood.esp | None |
Rorikstead.esp | None |
Shor's Stone.esp | None |
Soljund's Sinkhole.esp | None |
Fall of Granite Hill.esp | None |
Farmhouse Chimneys Patches Merged.esp | None |
Whistling Mine.esp | None |
Landscape Fixes For Grass Patches Merged.esp | Dragon Bridge.esp Shor's Stone.esp |
NSUTR - Merged.esp | None |
Snazzy Overhaul Patches Merged.esp | None |
Landscape Group
Plugin | Load After |
---|---|
Trees and Flora Merged.esp | None |
Merge Patches Group
Plugin | Load After |
---|---|
Animals Merged.esp | None |
Audio Patches Merged.esp | None |
CCOR Patches Merged.esp | None |
IcePenguinWorldMap.esp | Weather Systems Merged.esp |
KIC + RWT Patches Merged.esp | None |
LOTD Patches Merged.esp | CCOR Patches Merged.esp |
MLOS Patches Merged.esp | None |
MLU Patches Merged.esp | LOTD Patches Merged.esp |
nwsFollowerFramework.esp | None |
OMEGA CACO Patches Merged.esp | None |
RealisticWaterTwo.esp | Trivial Smelters of Skyrim Merged.esp Weather Systems Merged.esp |
Trivial Smelters of Skyrim Merged.esp | None |
Weapons Armours Merged.esp | MLU Patches Merged.esp |
Weather Systems Merged.esp | Audio Patches Merged.esp |
NPC Retextures Group
Plugin | Load After |
---|---|
RS Children Patches Merged.esp | None |
NPC Retexture Merge SSE.esp | RS Children Patches Merged.esp |
Conflict Resolution Group
Plugin | Load After |
---|---|
ELE Merged.esp | Legacy SSE Consistency Patches Merged.esp |
Legacy SSE Consistency Patches Merged.esp | None |
Legacy SSE Conflict Resolution.esp | None |
OMEGA Legacy SSE NPC Retexture - Conflict Resolution.esp | None |
Leveled List Modifiers Group
Plugin | Load After |
---|---|
Pre Bash Merged.esp | None |
Immersion Merged.esp | None |
Other Adjustments
Plugin | Load After |
---|---|
aMidianBorn_ContentAddon.esp | Lore Weapon Expansion.esp |
DiverseDragonsCollectionSE.esp | DeadlyDragons.esp |
Heads Up Display Merged.esp | Ordinator - Perks of Skyrim.esp |
Landscape Fixes For Grass Mods.esp | Trees and Flora Merged.esp |
Medieval Lanterns of Skyrim.esp | Blowing In The Wind Merged.esp |
ogSplendorDragons.esp | DiverseDragonsCollectionSE.esp |
Point The Way.esp | UniqueBorderGates-All.esp |
SkyRem - Inez.esp | MLU.esp |
Skyrim Revamped - Complete Enemy Overhaul.esp | OBIS SE.esp |
Running LOOT
You are now ready to actually sort your load order. In the top right of the LOOT window, there should be an icon that looks like a horizontal bar graph which should display "Sort Plugins" if you mouse over it. Click this icon to begin the sorting process.
After several seconds, it should update the window with the calculated load order and an Apply button should appear in the menu at the top of LOOT. Press Apply, and then close out of LOOT to continue.
This process has sorted our mods to be loaded in the order recommended by the LOOT master list, along with our necessary adjustments, but this doesn't handle the order that the plugins themselves require. To fix this, we need to do a small adjustment in SSEEdit.
- Open SSEEdit through Mod Organizer 2.
- In the dialog pops up, click OK to load all mods.
- If you receive the prompt
Which modgroups do you want to activate?
, leave the default options and click OK. - Select all ESMs/ESPs.
- Right click on any selected ESM/ESP and select Sort Masters from the menu.
- Once processing has finished, click the X in the upper right-hand corner, uncheck Backup plugins, and click OK to exit SSEEdit.
Nemesis
Nemesis allows the implementation of new skeleton and animation designs not possible through the default engine. This involves the use of a patcher called Nemesis Unlimited Behavior Engine.exe
which creates the .hkx
files which match the Skyrim skeleton and animation configuration. Perform the following steps to generate these files.
Nemesis Setup
- In your Mod Organizer 2 directory, locate and open Mods.
- Create a new folder called
Nemesis Output
. - Refresh MO2 and activate the
Nemesis Output
mod. - Click the Executables button at the top of the main Mod Organizer window. The icon looks like a pair of cogs.
- Select Nemesis from the list.
- Check the box next to Create files in mod instead of overwrite.
- Select Nemesis Output from the dropdown.
- Click OK to close the dialog.
Running Nemesis
- Select the Nemesis executable from the selection box and click Run.
- In the Mod section at the top of the window, check the boxes for the following patches:
- Archery Gameplay Overhaul
- Combat Gameplay Overhaul SE
- 360 Movement Behavior SE
- Gender Specific Animations
- Click the Update Engine button and wait for the message "Engine update complete" to appear in the status window.
- Click the Launch Nemesis Behavior Engine button and wait for the message "Behavior generation complete" to appear in the status window.
- Click the X button to exit.
For reference, the Nemesis Output folder should contain the following:
meshes
folder containing new hkx behaviour files.scripts
folder containing 3 compiled scripts for version tracking.Nemesis_Engine
folder containing logs.FNIS.esp
Wrye Bash
Wrye Bash is a tool that can be used to install and manage mods, but for our purposes, it can be used to merge leveled lists and entire mods together. The resulting patch is called a "Bashed Patch" and is created by following the instructions below.
Bashed Patch Setup
- In your Mod Organizer 2 directory, locate and open Mods.
- Create a new folder called
Bashed Patch
. - Refresh MO2 and activate the
Bashed Patch
mod. - Click the Executables button at the top of the main Mod Organizer window. The icon looks like a pair of cogs.
- Select Wrye Bash from the list.
- Check the box next to Create files in mod instead of overwrite.
- Select Bashed Patch from the dropdown.
- Click OK to close the dialog.
The enclosed Bash tags have been added automatically.
Mod Name | Plugin | Bash Tags |
---|---|---|
aMidianBorn_ContentAddon | aMidianBorn_ContentAddon.esp | NAMES |
Andromeda - Unique Standing Stones of Skyrim | Andromeda - Unique Standing Stones of Skyrim.esp | TEXT |
Amulets of Skyrim SSE | SL01AmuletsSkyrim.esp | DELEV, STATS |
Animals Merged | Animals Merged.esp | DELEV, KEYWORDS, RELEV, STATS |
Complete Crafting Overhaul Remastered | Complete Crafting Overhaul_Remastered.esp | GRAPHICS, KEYWORDS |
Complete Alchemy and Cooking Overhaul | Complete Alchemy & Cooking Overhaul.esp | KEYWORDS, TEXT |
CCOR Patches Merge | CCOR Patches Merged.esp | DELEV, GRAPHICS, INVENT.Add, INVENT.Remove, KEYWORDS, NAMES, RELEV, STATS |
Deadly Dragons | DeadlyDragons.esp | KEYWORDS |
Deadly Dragons SE Patches | Deadly Dragons - DDC and Splendor.esp | DELEV |
Hunterborn SE MCM | Hunterborn.esp | KEYWORDS, STATS, TEXT |
Immersion Merged | Immersion Merged.esp | NAMES, TEXT |
Landscape Environment and Clutter Merged | Landscape Environment and Clutter Merged.esp | GRAPHICS |
Legacy of the Dragonborn SSE | LegacyoftheDragonborn.esm | KEYWORDS |
LOTD Patches Merged | LOTD Patches Merged.esp | DELEV, GRAPHICS, INVENT.Add, INVENT.Remove, KEYWORDS, NAMES, RELEV, STATS |
MLU Patches Merged | MLU Patches Merged.esp | DELEV, GRAPHICS, INVENT.Add, INVENT.Remove, KEYWORDS, NAMES, RELEV, STATS, TEXT |
OMEGA CACO Patches Merged | OMEGA CACO Patches Merged.esp | DELEV, KEYWORDS, NAMES, RELEV, STATS |
Ordinator - Perks of Skyrim | Ordinator - Perks of Skyrim.esp | KEYWORDS, TEXT |
Pre Bash Merge | Pre Bash Merged.esp | INVENT.Add, INVENT.Remove, KEYWORDS, NAMES, RELEV, STATS |
Serenity - A Silent Moons Camp Overhaul | SailorMoonClub.esp | DELEV, NAMES |
Skyrim Revamped - Complete Enemy Overhaul | Skyrim Revamped - Complete Enemy Overhaul.esp | KEYWORDS |
SkyTEST Integration Project SE - No Extra Spawns | SkyTEST-RealisticAnimals&Predators.esp | KEYWORDS |
Tactical Valtheim SSE | TacticalValtheim.esp | KEYWORDS |
Thunderchild - Epic Shouts and Immersion | Thunderchild - Epic Shout Package.esp | KEYWORDS |
Typo Patches Merged | Typo Patches Merged.esp | NAMES |
Weapons & Armours Merged | Weapons Armours Merged.esp | GRAPHICS, INVENT.Add, INVENT.Remove, KEYWORDS, NAMES, STATS |
Weapons Armor Clothing and Clutter Fixes | Weapons Armor Clothing & Clutter Fixes.esp | KEYWORDS |
Zim's Immersive Artifacts | ZIA_Complete Pack.esp | GRAPHICS, KEYWORDS, NAMES, STATS |
Building the Bashed Patch
- Scroll the the bottom of the mod list, and right-click on
Bashed Patch, 0.esp
. - Select Rebuild Patch.
- From the patch dialog, ensure only the following options are selected:
- Import Actors: Death Items
- Import Cells
- Import Graphics
- Import Inventory
- Import Keywords
- Import Names
- Import Object Bounds
- Import Sounds
- Import Stats
- Import Text
- Tweak Settings
- Leveled Lists
- Select Tweak Settings from the left pane and enable and adjust the following options:
- Right-click AI: Max Active Actors and select
50
. - Right-click Arrow: Speed and select
1.4
. - Check Combat: AI Projectile Dodge Fix.
- Right-click Combat: Max Actors and select
30
. - Right-click Crime: Alarm Distance and select
1000
. - Right-click World: Timescale and select
12
.
- Right-click AI: Max Active Actors and select
- Ensure that the settings listed above are checked, and click Build Patch.
- When a dialog appears prompting you to activate the patch, click Yes.
- Click the X at the top-right of the window to exit Wrye Bash.
Mator SMASH
Smashed Patch Setup
- In your Mod Organizer 2 directory, locate and open Mods.
- Create a new folder called
Smashed Patch
. - Refresh MO2 and activate the
Smashed Patch
mod. - Click the Executables button at the top of the main Mod Organizer window. The icon looks like a pair of cogs.
- Select Mator Smash from the list.
- Check the box next to Create files in mod instead of overwrite.
- Select Smashed Patch from the dropdown.
- Click OK to close the dialog.
Building the Smashed Patch
- Run Mator SMASH from the executable dropdown.
- Select Skyrim SE and click OK.
- In the popup window, select OK.
- Select everything from
Update.esm
all the way throughBashed Patch, 0.esp
. - Right-click and select Add to patch.
- In the dialog, enter
Smashed Patch
in both fields. - Ensure that everything from
Update.esm
throughBashed Patch, 0.esp
is still selected. - Right-click, select Smash Settings → Smash → Smash.all.
- Individually select the following ESPs, and set them to Smash.ForceAll using the method above:
- Medieval Lanterns of Skyrim.esp
- NPC Retexture Merge SSE.esp
- SkyRem - Inez.esp
- MLU.esp
- PrvtI_HeavyArmory.esp
- Complete Crafting Overhaul_Remastered.esp
- MLU Patches Merged.esp
- Hunterborn.esp
- Hunterborn - Campfire Patch.esp
- Hunterborn - iNeed Patch.esp
- Hunterborn - Leather Tanning.esp
- Hunterborn - Soups and Stews.esp
- SIC HB patch.esp
- Ordinator - Perks of Skyrim.esp
- CCOR Patches Merged.esp
- LOTD Patches Merged.esp
- OMEGA CACO Patches Merged.esp
- MLOS Patches Merged.esp
- Animals Merged.esp
- OMEGA Legacy SSE NPC Retexture - Conflict Resolution.esp
- RealisticWaterTwo.esp
- Legacy SSE Consistency Patches Merged.esp
- ELE Merged.esp
- Legacy SSE Conflict Resolution.esp
- Bashed Patch, 0.esp
- Click the hammer icon in the toolbar to build the patch.
- Once the build process completes, exit Smash.
- Problem: SMASH merges quest records that it doesn't need to.
- Solution: Delete
Quest
fromSMASHED Patch.esp
.
zEdit
zEdit Output Setup
- In your Mod Organizer 2 directory, locate and open Mods.
- Create a new folder called
zEdit Output
. - Refresh MO2 and activate the
zEdit Output
mod. - Click the Executables button at the top of the main Mod Organizer window. The icon looks like a pair of cogs.
- Select zEdit from the list.
- Check the box next to Create files in mod instead of overwrite.
- Select zEdit Output from the dropdown.
- Click OK to close the dialog.
Getting Started
- Select zEdit from the executable dropdown and hit Run.
- Select Skyrim SE from the dropdown and click Start Session.
- Press the OK button at the bottom of the load order list.
- Right-click in the left panel and select Manage Patchers from the popup menu.
NPC Visual Transfer
- Select NPC Visual Transfer from the left-hand menu.
- Add
NPC Retexture Merge SSE.esp
,RSChildren.esp
,RS Children Patches Merged.esp
andOMEGA Legacy SSE NPC Retexture - Conflict Resolution.esp
to the textbox in the right-hand pane.
ENB Light Patcher
- Select ENB Light Patcher from the left-hand menu.
- Make sure the Candlelight Divisor and Torchlight Divisor boxes are both set to
3
.
Hunterborn Creature Patcher
- Select Hunterborn Creature Patcher from the left-hand menu.
- Press the Reset Creatures button.
- Categorize the found creatures according to the following table:
Creature ID | Animal Type |
---|---|
DLC1DeathItemGargoyle | Skip |
DLC2ExpSpiderAlbinoDeathItem | SpiderAlbino |
DLC2DeathItemAshHopper | AshHopper |
DLC2DeathItemNetch | Netch |
DLC2DeathItemNetchCalf | NetchCalf |
manny_GF_LI_DesertWolf | Wolf |
manny_GF_LI_Duneripper | Duneripper |
manny_GF_LI_AncestralCheetah | Cheetah |
WTDeathItemDragonVulthurkrah | Dragon |
_00DeathItemSpiderGiant | SpiderGiant |
_00DeathItemDramanFelalnir | DramanFelalnir |
_00DeathItemChaurusSwampWarrior | ChaurusSwampWarrior |
_00DeathItemChaurusWarrior | ChaurusWarrior |
_00DeathItemHuskey | Huskey |
_00DeathItemTundraSpider | TundraSpider |
_00DeathItemSwampSpider | SwampSpider |
_00DeathItemIcebiteSpider | IcebiteSpider |
_00DeathItemTundraSpiderGiant | TundraSpiderGiant |
_00DeathItemDramanBrute | DramanBrute |
_00DeathItemDaedroth | Daedroth |
_00DeathItemDreugh | Dreugh |
_00DeathItemSwampSpiderGiant | SwampSpiderGiant |
_00DeathItemSnowbiteSpider | SnowbiteSpider |
_00DeathItemSpider | Spider |
_00DeathItemIcebiteSpiderGiant | IcebiteSpiderGiant |
_00DeathItemSnowbiteSpiderGiant | SnowbiteSpiderGiant |
_00DeathItemRhino | Rhino |
_00DeathItemWereskeever | Wereskeever |
DeathItemAnvilRivercrab | Rivercrab |
DeathItemAnvilSiligonder | Siligonder |
DeathItemAnvilGuar | Guar |
DeathItemAnvilJungleQueen | JungleQueen |
DeathItemAnvilHyena | Hyena |
DeathItemGooseSkyTEST | Goose |
DeathItemPigSkyTEST | Pig |
DeathItemSheepSkyTEST | Sheep |
DeathItemWolfBlackSkyTEST | Wolf |
DeathItemWolfGreySkyTEST | Wolf |
DeathItemWolfRedSkyTEST | Wolf |
DeathItemWolfWhiteSkyTEST | Wolf |
ogdd_DeathItemDragonLava | Dragon |
CACO_DeathItemPig | Pig |
CACO_DeathItemPiglet | Piglet |
CACO_DeathItemCalf | Calf |
CACO_DeathItemSheepRam | Ram |
CACO_DeathItemSheepLamb | Lamb |
CACO_DeathItemSheep | Sheep |
Know Your Enemy’s Armor Patcher
- Select Know Your Enemy's Armor Patcher from the left-hand menu.
- Make sure the Patch armor descriptions? option is set to
false
. - Make sure the Effect intensity option is set to
0.5
.
Minimizing ESPs
- Close zEdit.
- Edit
zEdit\profiles\Skyrim SE\patcherSettings.json
and make the following changes:
"enbLightPatcher": { "patchFileName": "zPatch.esp", }, "KnowYourArmorPatcher": { "patchFileName": "zPatch.esp", }, "KnowYourEnemyPatcher": { "patchFileName": "zPatch.esp", }, "mlqMoonPatcher": { "patchFileName": "zPatch.esp", }
Building the zEdit Patches
- Select zEdit from the executable dropdown and hit Run.
- Select Skyrim SE from the dropdown and click Start Session.
- Press the OK button at the bottom of the load order list.
- Right-click in the left panel and select Manage Patchers from the popup menu.
- Select Build Patches from the left-hand menu.
- Click the Build button next to
zPatch.esp
. - Wait until a message appears that reads 1 patch plugins built successfully, then click the X.
- Close zEdit, and click Save when prompted to save or discard the built patches.
zMerge Relinker
- Select zEdit from the executable dropdown and hit Run.
- Select zMerge from the dropdown and click Start Session.
- Press the button labeled Relink Scripts.
- Wait for it to finish, then exit zMerge.
- You should now have a mod called
Relinker Output
. If the mod doesn't appear, refresh your modlist. - Activate the newly created mod.
xLODGEN
- Download this archive and manually install it in MO2.
- Enable
SSE-Terrain-Tamriel
in MO2. - Select xLODGEN from the executable dropdown and hit Run.
- In the Select Worldspace(s) box, check everything.
- Make sure only Terrain LOD is checked.
- Select LOD4 and set the following options:
- Quality:
0
- Build Diffuse Size:
1024
- Build Normal Size:
512
- Format:
BC7 Quick
- Protect Borders: Checked
- Quality:
- Select LOD8 and set the following options:
- Quality:
5
- Build Diffuse Size:
512
- Build Normal Size:
256
- Format:
BC7 Quick
- Optimize Unseen:
on
- Quality:
- Select LOD16 and set the following options:
- Quality:
5
- Build Diffuse Size:
512
- Build Normal Size:
256
- Format:
BC7 Quick
- Optimize Unseen:
on
- Quality:
- Select LOD32 and set the following options:
- Quality:
10
- Build Diffuse Size:
512
- Build Normal Size:
256
- Format:
BC7 Quick
- Optimize Unseen:
550
- Quality:
- Set Default Size: Diffuse and Normal to
128
. - Ensure that Bake normal-maps is checked.
- Ensure that Occlusion is unchecked.
- Click Generate.
- Once the generation finishes, exit xLODGEN, navigate to where you created the
SSELODGen_Output
directory, and copy it to your MO2mods
directory. - Refresh your modlist in MO2, and activate the newly created SSELODGen_Output mod.
- Deactivate SSE-Terrain-Tamriel at this point. It is only needed for xLODGEN operation.
DynDOLOD - Dynamic Distant LOD Generation
Setting Up DynDOLOD for Ultra Trees
- Navigate to wherever you installed DynDOLOD, and go to
Edit Scripts\DynDOLOD\cache
. - Delete all files except
becauseofreasons.txt
. - Go up one level to the
Edit Scripts\DynDOLOD
directory and open theDynDOLOD_SSE.ini
file. - Change the line
TreeLOD=1
toTreeLOD=0
.
TexGen64
- Navigate to your MO2 mods directory and create a new directory called
TexGen Output
. - Select TexGen64 from the MO2 executable dropdown and hit Run.
- In the popup window, navigate to your MO2 mods directory and select the
TexGen Output
directory you created in step 1. - Change LOD Texture Size to
1024
. - Click Start and allow TextGen to run.
- Once it has finished, click Exit to exit TexGen.
- Activate the newly created TexGen Output mod.
DynDOLOD64
- Navigate to your MO2 mods directory and create a new directory called
DynDOLOD Output
. - Select DynDOLOD from the MO2 executable dropdown and hit Run.
- In the popup window, navigate to your MO2 mods directory and select the
DynDOLOD Output
directory you created in step 1. - Right-click in the top-left selection box and click Select All.
- Below the preset buttons, check the boxes marked Candles and FXGlow.
- In the options panel, check the boxes marked Generate static LOD, Generate DynDOLOD, Windows, High, Fake lights child worlds, and Create texture atlas.
- Change Max tile size to
1024
. - Click the High preset button.
- Click OK to begin LOD generation.
- Once generation has completed, select Save & Exit to close the window, then click OK to exit DynDOLOD.
- Activate the newly created DynDOLOD Output mod.
- In the Plugins tab, manually place
DynDOLOD.esm
afterWyrmstooth.esp
.
xLODGEN - Occlusion Generation
- Check everything in the Select Worldspace(s) to generate LOD.
- Make sure only Occlusion is checked.
- Click Generate.
- Once xLODGEN has finished, create and activate a mod from the Overwrite folder contents called
xLODGEN - Occlusion Output
.