How to Mod Skyrim in 2023: First Mods to Install (Beginner's Guide) 

At 9:20 you didnt say where to find or link where to find this - Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch-266-4-2-5b-1623727189.7z

Im using vortex but should i still install the other mod manger?

@@boocrusher no

@@kaimasters I'm having the same problem, the link in the description is only for the non-downgraded version, AKA Anniversary edition.

@@NeuralFizz1 I downloaded the one that has this written next to it (you can use this version if you downgraded as well) because I did downgrade but on MO2 and LOOT it says I'm using the AE version. Very confused.

Well yes this is normally the case, in terms of Skyrim though unless you play AE, these are the same starter mods everyone has used for years.

we need updated modded guides and tierlist to optimize the gamer modding experience

This is already out of date lol

@@genegene7028 what's wrong with it? just about to start modding for the first time, it seems so complicated for me.

I hope so. I'm about to watch the video. I've been trying for 10 hours just to get some mods for Skyrim, and no matter what I do, it just won't work. I know it's the script thing. I've downloaded the game from steam but cannot find my steam library in my folders. Even when I search for it.

@@Singularity-vp9xo thank you so much! I really do appreciate this. The power of the internet should never be underestimated

Im using vortex but should i still install the other mod manger?

@@boocrusher I finally got some stuff working. I would go with vortex. Once you start getting it, to me it's the easiest. It was also the only one I've been able to get work. Now I'll just have to try to figure out the problems with the body slider so I can get some sexy female mods

@@boocrusher You can use Vortex, but most people don't because it is a nightmare to add priority to mods when you have 50 mods all overwriting each other. I also have not found a feature where you can keep your Skyrim folder as clean as mod organizer. If you have small mod lists, you should be fine, the issue is that in Vortex if you go into overwrite, vortex displays these as lines with nodes, from a 3D modeling perspective that's not too bad, you can trace back what makes things in that case, in this case however, it's thirty or so names, with lines overlapping each other, each with a letter on top saying which is being loaded first. In mod organizer it's just easier, you can change the load order by changing the load number. Both Vortex and Mod organizer however, are fantastic mod programs, so anyone of the two will be fine to use. My advice? test out both, see which works best for you.

No problem!

did it work?

@@millua4448im guessing not

@@JustJordanLiveit probably did I’m horrible with technology and found it fine

@KomradeCPU do you know if it matters where you buy Skyrim to mod it? I'm debating on buying it from the Xbox Store not Steam as there is a sale right now

However it is possible to port some LE mods (and I do mean SOME) into Skyrim SE. But that requires some knowledge of the Creation Kit, which I do not have at all.

My version is 1.1.47 Special edition. Will it be a problem?

did it work???

me too I'm coming from console Skyrim.

Also include the fact that LE exists! Lmao I was so confused when my version was totally different

AE is more like SE with some minor performance fixes and creation kit mods

AE is just a comercial product that adds a few mods. AE and SE are the same version: 1.6.640. I can say this as I bought Skyrim SE on Steam and the version of the game is still 1.6.640. The only difference are the mods added with AE.

@@rodrigoarevalo6566 That is the confusion thought because yes they are one game both currently at version 1.6.64 where AE is basically buying all creation kit stuff as a bundle, but the community uses SE to refer to version 1.5.97 from before AE was a thing

So I dont have to buy the Steam AE version and SE would be good enough or am I gating myself by buying one of them?

same here 🤚

Good tip!

Im using vortex but should i still install the other mod manger?

@@boocrusher It's either one or the other. In my experience, mo2 is easier to use.

"Blatantly OP" is where I started tracking stuff on Nexus... lol. As for downgrading, I wish I could "downgrade" from the Unofficial Patch...

what do you mean?

I’ve been considering using the downgrade patcher, and it’s good to know that USSEP should be the 1.6.640 version, but what about all the other mods? Should basically everything else be for 1.5.97? This would make modding soo much easier but I can’t find a clear answer to this anywhere.

@@madumascarenhas4436he’s talking about a mod that downgrades the version of the game back to the latest special edition version(1.5.97). Skyrim recently was “upgraded” to the anniversary version(1.6.640), which added some features into Skyrim but broke a bunch of mods. So instead of waiting for mod creators to update thier mods, we can just use the downgrade patcher and go back to the mods we had already.

Its giving me an error in loot

im also getting a error in loot with the latest ussep and 1.5.97

Yes sorry if you have downgraded using the best of both worlds patch you can just use the normal version

@@SoftGamingOfficial np i followed the description instead but it might be best to leave a note in that video section for others

@@SoftGamingOfficial Someone needs to tell LOOT this--it thinks the mod is incompatible. :-D

were you able to fix this?

Yeah I think we're at a point now where most people will be satisfied with the mods available on AE and have little to no reason to downgrade to SE

And if that fails, you follow the second most rational thing; percussive maintenance Hit something hard enough and it will eventually work

isn't it the opposite? vortex looks so much better than mo2 and very easy to use as long you read mods requirements carefully on nexus.

@@Snappukingu Vortex is nice for beginners. But if you want the most polished modding experience, use MO2. It takes a while to learn but once you get used to it, it’s pretty easy to use. Plus unlike Vortex, you can move plugins around.

Same, I use Vortex as well. I tried other mod managers as a beginner but nothing was as helpful as Vortex. Every other mod manage was confusing for a beginner, but Vortex helped me with understanding the basics and getting my mods running. Reminds me of an old favorite mod manager but easier to handle and that's why I still use Vortex.

As someone who has used both Vortex and Mod Organizer, Vortex is definitely more user friendly but a bit lackluster when it comes to managing larger load orders and lacks many useful plugins and features. In my opinion, if you are meticulous about your modding and have a load order of 200+ mods, MO is a lot better. Edit: MO also comes with built in LOOT functionality and conflict resolution tools.

Personnal experience : For a long time, I've been using Vortex... It is a very accessible tool, quite user friendly, and allows you to keep easy check with your first source of mods : Nexus. But, I am also someone who Traveled a lot during my studies, and I do it even more now, for my work. To keep up with intense setups and to keep it all organised, I use a dedicated SSD for my modded games... And, I unfortunately discovered after some time, trial n' error, how tidious and stressful it could get to reset all my mod order, over n' over, because Vortex was not prepared for this kind of use... Meaning, I would have to remove all my mods from its folder, reorganize Vortex, and re-install it all... Everytime I come back on a PC. "Mod Organiser" got pretty much all the same functions as Vortex, but also this technical advantage that changed my life... as you can choose between two setup : Global instance, usually located on your C:/ drive, for all valid games in one instance... Or portable instance, allowing you choose a custom location, and to dedicate it for one game only, as there can be only one portable instance by "installation"... Meaning, if you wanted 2 portable ( for Skyrim n' Fallout ), you would need to install and setup 2 MO files. This may seem complicated, but quite the opposite if you are crawling under plenty of mods, and like to keep it in shape. With this setting, I am now fully able to go anywhere I must be, and once I have the time for : plug n' play, with no more problèmes of Moving any mods or re-installation ! On a side note : your ability to name the mods you installed in a custom fashion ( like adding in the title "must have", "plugin", ect ), as well as adding separators, give you an even better control over which mods you want. If you never did modding, pick up Vortex. Along the line, if you get curious enough, you will learn by yourself how the balance between mods is working. Once you reach a certain level, or crawl under to many mods to track, I suggest you to finally put off the little wheels, and go for the extended version that is MO. ^^/b

I have over 200+ mods and still use Vortex fine, although I never go over the max mods it says not to go over. Maybe Mod Organizer is fine for that kind of thing but I couldn't use it for long. All the options it had were very confusing, it is faster and looks like a good manager but harder to understand for beginners like me. Maybe one day I'll give it another chance, since it has been years since I tried it.

I also recommend Vortex.

so true

Learning how to read and understand English properly is the first thing you want to do

I’m dyslexic 🧍‍♂️

It's not necessarily the reading of the subject.. it's finding one that one is able to understand approximately. Everyone learns differently and therefore understands things like this at diff speeds/paces. While I understand your comment, someone new to modding may find the amount of info, and some info, a bit overwhelming in the beginning. If your best friend asked for help in understanding the modding system, how it works, what's needed, etc, I'm sure your response wouldn't be "read". Im sure some direction of which sites to read up on it would be good for beginners, and possibly even some videos.

*appropriately (autocorrect 🤦‍♀️🙄😂)

Enjoy!

Glad I could help

Glad I could help

Glad it helped!