The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition – Modding practices for a stable skyrim experience (2024)

Introduction

First off all before you start modding your game, it is essential to ALWAYS Read the description of the mod you want to install, also try to read the post section of said mod sometimes the mod author gives some tips or further information on compatability, updates etc.

Since we are aiming to get a stable and (mostly crash free) skyrim build togheter, it is important to get some basics out of the way.

1) First off you will need to install SKSE64, which is a solid base foundation for pretty much all mods. As the name suggests, it enhances and extends the functionality of the game by adding many new features. This mod is very important, since alot of other mods depend on SKSE for Script functionality.

You can find the latest build here : https://skse.silverlock.org/

2. Next up we need to install a modding tool which will help install our mods and keep the load order intact. For this you can use Mod Organizer or Vortex which can be found on the Nexus:

Mod Organizer: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/6194
Vortex: https://www.nexusmods.com/site/mods/1

You will also need a tool to sort your load order to improve stability. This is important due to the fact that a wrong load order can crash your game on startup, or somewhere mid-game.

Here is an example:

For further information on this topic, you can visit this site: https://wiki.nexusmods.com/index.php/About_Load_Orders

To fix this you can install a load order sorting tool to help you fix this issue. you can find a tool listed down below.:

LOOT: https://loot.github.io/

Essential Mods

Here you want to install some of the following mods listed down below, you can do so manually or through one of the mod managers listed above. Furthermore you will need these SKSE plugins to ensure further compatability, and it will also help make your game run smoother, and make your user experience a little better.

1. Address Library for SKSE Plugins: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/32444

2. Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/266?tab=files

3. .NET Script Framework’s Common Crashes and Fixes: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/49130

4. SSE Engine Fixes (skse64 plugin): https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/17230
This mod is pretty much essential even if youre not planing on modding skyrim since it fixes alot of issues which are present in the base game.

5. SSE Fixes: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/10547
Also essential since it fixes low fps when running a game with lots of esp or esm files.

6. Skyrim Priority SE – skse plugin: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/50129
Does what the name suggests, ensuring Skyrim.exe runs at a higher priority and thus reducing stutters. This makes the game run alot smoother, some people on the nexus suggested that this was not working, however if have tested the mod for a few days now and I can confirm that there is a big difference in how the game feels, especially when looking around in open areas, where the game is prone to stuttering. Personally I feel it is very essential, however I think you should try it for yourself.

7. FileAccess Interface for Skyrim SE Scripts – FISSES: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/13956
Important for The Mod Manager Menu or SkyUI.

8. SkyUI: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/12604

9. SKSE64 Havok fix: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/18160
fixes the game glitching out if it is run over 60 fps.

10. SSE Display Tweaks: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/34705?tab=files&file_id=202278

All-in-one solution for smooth FPS-unlocked gameplay. Includes a physics fix, borderless fullscreen performance boost, refresh rate control, highly configurable frame rate limiting, various bugfixes and more.

11)Skyrim Project Optimization SE: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/14084?tab=files&file_id=122505

12. Landscape and Water fixes: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/26138

INI. Files

Ini. files are Skyrims configuration files for ingame settings such as graphical options.
Since its quite a bit of work to navigate these files and tweak settings you will want to use a tool called BETHINI.

Bethini: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/4875

Its very simple to install and use.
Why You Need This:

There are many advantages to using BethINI:

1. It automatically reorders your INI files into a sensible order, making them much easier to navigate for manual tweaking.
2. It automatically fixes common errors, including some that can cause CTDs.
3. It automatically detects mods you have installed and makes changes recommended by the mod authors where deemed appropriate. If your mod or a mod you know of requires such support, please contact me, as this is the easiest thing in the world to implement.
4. It’s presets are superior in graphical fidelity and performance (95% of the time) to the official presets one can create via the game launcher.
5. It allows for the modification of more settings than is accessible via native game settings, and provides explanation for each setting and what it does.
6. It automatically backs up your INI files.
7. For Skyrim, it automatically configures the Creation Kit to support multiple masters and any installed DLC, if enabled.

You can run it anywhere, simply extract it into a folder on your Desktop and you are good to go!

Here are some of my settings if you want to adopt them, however depending on your number of mods/system specs, you can adjust them to your needs.:

Error Collection and how to fix/avoid them

In this section I want to list some of the regular errors which can happen during modding since alot of variables factor in here I’m aiming to make it as comprehensible as possible.

1. Skyrim crashes on startup:
If this happens either verify your game files or un-install one of the recent mods you installed.

2. Missing Textures/black-screen:
If this happens un-install your ENB and it should fix it.

3. Game-Corruption or Missing meshes/textures:
To fix this either re-install your last installed mod or verify your game files thorugh steam.

4. Corrupt Save files:

Corrupt Save files can mostly be avoided by having SSE Engine Fixes installed. This can also happen if you accidentaly uninstalled some sort of SKSE Plugin, it can be fixed by re-installing the missing file and your game should work as normal again.

5. Mod Conflicts:
This happens either through malpractice or missing files.

Fixing Mod Conflicts:

The main way to solve this issue is to read the descriptions of mods and make sure the author doesn’t mention any incompatibilities. If multiple mods edit the same leveled lists for distributing loot or are patches, you can create a bashed patch to merge them into one mod while saving on plugin space.

For troubleshooting which mod or mods are causing this issue, use the following technique:

Open your load order.
Disable half of your currently active mods, ensuring that no dependencies break upon doing so.
Start Skyrim to see if the issue persists.

If so, disable half of your currently active mods again and test once again.
Repeat until the problem goes away.

Once the problem goes away, if the mod sample size is still too large, you can disable half of those mods and start Skyrim to narrow it down further. This technique allows you to rapidly pinpoint which mod or mods are causing issues.

Conclusion

In Conclusion if you put these tips into practice, your game should run very smooth and (mostly) crash free, keep in mind that no matter how good your load order is or how well it is modded, it will possibly still be able to crash and the amount of mods you install will also factor into it. However by keeping good modding etiquette the chances of the game crashing will be slimmed down drastically.

Hope you enjoy the Guide about The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition – Modding practices for a stable skyrim experience, if you think we should add extra information or forget something, please let us know via comment below, and we will do our best to fix or update as soon as possible!