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, find each plugin and right-click on the plugin and select edit metadata. From here you can add the esp to the group specified, and add any Load After rules.
Village Mods Group
Creation Club Group
Early Loaders Group
Low Priority Overrides Group
Trivial Smelters of Skyrim Group
CCOR Patches Group
CACO Patches Group
OWL Group
Snazzy Patches Group
Merge Patches Group
Lighting Enhancers Group
LUX Group
LUX Orbis Group
LUX Via Group
NPC Retextures Group
Consistency Patches Group
Conflict Resolution Group
Leveled List Modifiers Group
Load After LOOT Rules
Running LOOT
You are now ready to actually sort your load order. In the top Left of the LOOT window, there should be an icon that should display "Sort Plugins" if you mouse over it. Click this icon to begin the sorting process.
After several minutes, it should update the window with the calculated load order and an Apply Sorted Load Order button should appear in the menu at the top of LOOT. Press Apply Sorted Load Order 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 and click OK.
- Select all Plugins.
- Right-click on any Plugin 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
Here is a link to .Net Framework v3.5
Nemesis was created to allow for new skeletons (not the creatures, the 'bones' of a in-game character) and animations that the default Skyrim engine could not support. This includes new animations, gender-specific animations, poses, and so forth. This involves the use of an external patcher, "Nemesis Unlimited Behavior Engine.exe", which will analyze your load order and selected options to create specialized .HKX files to match your current skeleton and animation configuration.
Setup Instructions
Before we start we need to setup MO2 so it will save the Nemesis Output to a mod and not in Overwrite we do this by:
- In your Mod Organizer 2 install folder, locate and open the Mods folder.
- Create a new folder called
Nemesis Output
- In Mod Organizer 2, press the Executables button and select Nemesis
- In the 'Create Files in Mod instead of Overwrite' drop down menu, select "Nemesis Output"
- Select "Apply"and Close the window.
- Make sure to activate "Nemesis Output" in the left pane otherwise MO2 wont run the executable.
Running Nemesis
Now we can Run Nemesis by:
- Select Nemesis in the executable selection box, and click [Run].
- The main Nemesis interface should appear. If it does not, review the installation section for Nemesis on the Mod Page.
- From the list of mods in the top panel, select the following: Archery Gameplay Overhaul, Magelock (Null), Precision, Precision Creatures, True Directional Moverment - 360 Horse Archery, True Directional Moverment - Procedural Leaning, True Directional Moverment - Headtracking, Ultimate Combat/ TK Dodge.
- Click the [Update Engine] button. Wait for the progress bar to complete.
- Click [Launch Nemesis Behavior Engine].
- Verify that Mod Organizer 2 has automatically placed the generated files into the Nemesis Output folder in Mod Organizer.
For reference, the Nemesis Output folder should contain the following:
- a meshes folder, containing new hkx behaviour files.
- a Nemesis Engine folder
- a scripts folder, containing 2 compiled scripts for version tracking.
- a FNIS.esp for XP32 Compatibility.
Time for a Quick Test!
This test is ONLY to ensure the game does not crash. Graphical issues are to be expected and will be resolved later on!
At this point, you should be able to start Skyrim and test a few things. Just as a sanity check, you will be testing Stunning Statues of Skyrim.
-
- Deactive the following plugins:
- A Clear Map of Skyrim.esp
- ACMOS - Falskaar.esp
- ACMOS - Wyrmstooth.esp
- Start Skyrim using the Skyrim Legacy Launcher option.
- From the main menu, open the console.
- Type coc and then the appropriate cell IDs from the list below to visit each of the shrines.
- Azura:
ShrineOfAzuraExterior01
- Mehrunes Dagon:
Mehrunes01
- Dibella:
MarkarthTempleofDibella
- Meridia:
KilkreathRuinsExterior03
- Talos:
MarkarthShrineofTalos
- College:
WinterholdCollegeExterior
- Azura:
- Deactive the following plugins:
If Skyrim crashes, you did something wrong.
- Reactive the following plugins:
- A Clear Map of Skyrim.esp
- ACMOS - Falskaar.esp
- ACMOS - Wyrmstooth.esp
Main Menu CTD
If you crashed at the main menu on load, Three main possibilities exist.
- You have a missing master Check your Load Order in MO2, looking for a red triangle next to any file in the list. If these appear, identify the missing master and activate it.
- You have not extracted a BSA archive associated with a Skyrim:LE file that you converted earlier. Go through the Mod Page to identify these mods, and verify that you have extracted the BSA files associated with them, if they exist.
- You have a mismatched version of SKSE and an SKSE required mod. Check all mods that have any SKSE plugins and make sure they are for the correct version of SKSE and Skyrim.
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.
Setup Instructions
Before we start we need to setup MO2 so it will save the Bash Patch to a mod and not in Overwrite we do this by:
In Mod Organizer 2, press the Exectuables button to edit your executables. In the Wrye Bash executable, add the following to the Argument line:
- -o "Drive Letter:\steam\steamapps\common\Skyrim Special Edition"
- In your Mod Organizer 2 install folder, locate and open the Mods folder.
- Create a new folder called
"Bash Patch"
- In Mod Organizer 2, press the Executables button and select Wrye Bash
- In the 'Create Files in Mod instead of Overwrite' drop-down menu, select "Bash Patch"
- Select "Apply"and Close the window.
- Make sure to activate "Bash Patch" in the left pane otherwise MO2 won't run the executable.
Building The Bash Patch
Now we can run Wrye Bash by:
- Select Wrye Bash in the Executables drop-down menu, then select [Run]
- Locate Bashed Patch, 0.esp
- Right-click on this mod and select "Rebuild Patch". NOTE: This will always appear in this way, even if it is the first time you are building the patch.
- In the options list that appears, ensure that ONLY the following have checkmarks:
- Import Actors
- Import Actors: AI Packages
- Import Actors: Death Items
- Import Actors: Factions
- Import Actors: Perks
- Import Actors: Spells
- Import Cells
- Import Graphics
- Import Inventory
- Import Keywords
- Import Names
- Import Object Bounds
- Import Races
- Import Races: Spells
- Import Sounds
- Import Stats
- Import Text
- Tweak Settings
- Leveled Lists - Make sure Remove Empty Sublists is Unchecked.
- Click on "Tweak Settings" in the left pane. The following settings are recommended but can be set otherwise if you so choose. Right-Click on each setting listed to set the value indicated - if the value does not appear, enter it manually via the "Custom" setting:
- AI: Max Active Actors => 40
- Actor: Training Limit => 15
- Arrow: Speed => 1.4
- Combat: Max Actors => 30
- Crime: Alarm Distance => 1200
- World: Timescale => 15
- Ensure that there are checkmarks next to the following settings:
- AI: Max Active Actors.
- Actor: Training Limit.
- Arrow: Speed.
- Combat: Disable Projectile Dodging.
- Combat: Max Actors.
- Crime: Alarm Distance.
- Msg: Cannot equip item fix.
- World: Timescale.
- At the bottom of the interface, click [Build Patch]. This process generally takes about 10 minutes to run.
- Exit Wrye Bash by clicking the X in the upper right of the screen.
Bashed Patch, 0.ESP should have been automatically added to the Bash Patch Mod. If it does not appear there, Refresh MO2 and/or check-in your MO2 Overwrite folder.
Bash Override
Lexy's LOTD SE - Bash Override
This Mod fixes some mistakes when generating the Bash Patch.
Lexy's LOTD SE - Leveled List Override
This mod fixes some mistakes when generating the Bash Patch Leveled Lists.
Synthesis
Setup Instructions
Before we start we need to setup MO2 so it will save the Synthesis to output a mod and not to the Overwrite folder we do this by:
- In your Mod Organizer 2 install folder, locate and open the Mods folder.
- Create a new folder called
"Synthesis Output"
- In Mod Organizer 2, press the Executables button and select Synthesis, In the 'Create Files in Mod instead of Overwrite' drop down menu, select "Synthesis Output"
- Select "Apply"and Close the window.
- Make sure to activate "Synthesis Output" in the left pane otherwise MO2 wont run the executable.
Generating Synthesis Output
Now is the time to generate the Synthesis Patches.
- Make sure you have set up Synthesis as detailed on the Prerequisites page.
- Select Synthesis from the executable dropdown and hit Run.
- Once Synthesis has finished loading the preloaded patchers under the Synthesis group section, click the Run Group Pipeline Button.
- Once Synthesis has finished running, exit the program.
- Active Synthesis.esp in the Right Pane of MO2.
- We now need to Run Synthesis again.
- Once Synthesis has finished loading the preloaded patchers under the Owl Synthesis Output group section, click the Run Group Pipeline Button.
- Once Synthesis has finished running, exit the program.
- Active OWL Synthesis Output.esp in the Right Pane of MO2.
Dark Face Issue Reporter
Instructions to Run Dark Face Issue Reporter
Time to Run Dark Face Issue Reporter one last time.
- Open SSEEdit and load all plugins.
- In the left pane, highlight only the base ESMs, Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch.esp and 3DNPC.esp
- Right-click any of those plugins, and choose "Apply script."
- From the dropdown menu, select DarkFaceIssueReporter and choose OK
- Select option 2, Run only for selected files or records
- Once the script has finished running, expand the Non-Player Character (NPC) row if there is one. Any NPC listed has Dark Face, and you will need to troubleshoot what went wrong. Then, delete DarkFaceCollector.esp if you saved it, before running Dark Face Issue Reporter again.
- If the Dark Face Issue Report returns clean (only the File Header is listed), you can delete darkfacecollector.esp
Fixing NPCs with Dark Face Bug
- Is NPC Appearance Output active in your left pane? If not, activate it.
- Are all NPCs shown from Interesting NPCs? If so, you forgot to merge the hotfix with the main file and so the main file is not active on your merge profile. Manually activate the main Interesting NPCs file.
- Did you get an NPC Appearance.esp file during the NPC Plugin Chooser step? If not, there was a problem with NPC Plugin Chooser. Come to the Installation Help channel on the discord for support.
- Check that the mods from page 4 of the guide are all in the correct order in your left pane on both your main and merge profiles.
- If you still have NPCs in your darkfacecollector.esp, take a screenshot (just the top of the list is fine if it's very long) and post it in the Installation Help channel of the discord for support.
OWL - Randomized Special Loot
OWL Randomized Special Loot
Randomized Special Loot Addon is a new mechanic now divides the loot into three tiers: Low, Mid and High.
Open World Loot (OWL) - aMidianBorn Content Addon (AMB CA) Patch
This patch includes items from aMidianBook Content Addon in Open World Loot and Open World Loot Randmoized Special Loot leveled lists.
Ruddy88 ESLify
Using Ruddy88 ESLify
- Download the archive and extract the contents to SSEEdit Folder.
- In MO2, click the Gears button to edit your executable paths.
- Create a new executable and call it Ruddy88 ESLify
- Under the executable path, direct it to SSEEdit/R88_eslify.bat
- Close the window, ensure all plugins are active in the right pane and choose Ruddy88 Eslify in the executable bar. Click Run.
- At the command window type sse
- When prompted to Choose Modules, ensure everything is checked and click Okay.
- The script will then run. A window will appear with a list of plugins the script will flag as ESL.
- Click Okay.
- Close xEdit.
Bodyslide Output
Setup Instructions
Before we start, we need to setup MO2, so it will save the Bodyslide Ouput to a mod and not to the Overwrite folder; we do this by:
- In your Mod Organizer 2 install folder, locate and open the Mods folder.
- Create a new folder called
"Bodyslide Output"
- In Mod Organizer 2, press the Executables button and select "Bodyslide", In the 'Create Files in Mod instead of Overwrite' drop-down menu, select "Bodyslide Output"
- Select "Apply" and Close the window.
- Make sure to activate "Bodyslide Output" in the left pane; otherwise, MO2 won't run the executable.
Generating Bodyslide Output
- Select Bodyslide from the executable dropdown and hit Run.
- from the Outfit/body drop-down menu, Select CBBE 3BBB Amazing Underwear.
- from the Preset drop-down menu, select Lexy's LOTD SE - CBBE Preset.
- Click Batch Build.
- on the pop window, Right Click and Select ALL, then hit the Build Button.
- On the next window, make sure CBBE 3BBB Amazing Underwear is selected.
- Click the OK Button.
- Once Bodyslide has finished processing, you can Exit the application.
xLODGEN Resources
Running xLODGen
- In the Plugins tab, manually place SSE-Terrain-Tamriel-Extend.esm so it is the last Master file to be loaded.
- Select xLODGenx64 from the executable dropdown and hit Run.
- In the Select Worldspace(s) box, check everything.
- Make sure only Terrain LOD is checked.
- Format should be applied to both Diffuse and Normal
- Select LOD4 and set the following options:
- Quality: 2
- Build Diffuse Size: 256
- Build Normal Size: 256
- Format: BC7 Max
- Optimize Unseen: 500
- Protect Borders: Checked
- MipMap: checked Both.
- Gamma: 1.25
- Raise steepness: Checked
- Bake Normal-Map: Checked
- Default Size Diffuse: 4
- Default Size Normal: 4
- Select LOD8 and set the following options:
- Quality: 4
- Build Diffuse Size: 256
- Build Normal Size: 256
- Format: BC7 Max
- Optimize Unseen: 525
- MipMap: Uncheck Both.
- Gamma: 1.25
- Default Size Diffuse: 4
- Default Size Normal: 4
- Select LOD16 and set the following options:
- Quality: 6
- Build Diffuse Size: 256
- Build Normal Size: 256
- Format: BC7 Quick
- Optimize Unseen: 625
- MipMap: Uncheck Both.
- Gamma: 1.25
- Default Size Diffuse: 4
- Default Size Normal: 4
- Select LOD32 and set the following options:
- Quality: 0
- Build Diffuse Size: 2048
- Build Normal Size: 2048
- Format: BC7 Max
- Optimize Unseen: 550
- MipMap: Uncheck Both.
- Gamma: 1.25
- Raise steepness: Unchecked
- Default Size Diffuse: 4
- Default Size Normal: 4
- Ensure that Bake normal-maps is checked on all LOD Options.
- Ensure that Occlusion is unchecked.
- Click Generate.
xLODGen Road Generation
- Select ACMOS Road Generator from the executable dropdown and hit RUN
- For "Path to LOD," browse to the SSELODGen_Output folder.
- Click Generate.
- At the prompt to "Overwrite LOD Textures," choose Yes.
- At the prompt "Would you like to zip the output," choose No.
- Wait until it says "All Done!" and then close.
- Profit.
- Once the generation finishes, exit ACMOS Road Generator tool, navigate to where you created the
SSELODGen_Output directory
and copy it to your MO2mods
directory. - Refresh your mod list in MO2, and activate the newly created SSELODGen_Output mod.
- Deactivate SSE-Terrain-Tamriel-Extend.esm at this point. It is only needed for xLODGen operation.
DynDOLOD Error Fixes
DynDOLOD TexGen Fixes
I noticed that when I created my specific LODs, one of my problems was having to go through each and every individual mod. However, I would be happy to provide patches for the general public to utilise and use.
FOMOD Instructions - DynDOLOD TexGen Fixes





LOD Model Library for DynDOLOD
Matching LOD models for SMIM, Happy Little Trees, FYX Shacks, Praedy's Soul Cairn, Skyrim Remastered and more.
FOMOD Instructions - LOD Model Library for DynDOLOD


DynDolod - Darken texture for generation
DynDOLOD - Dynamic Distant LOD Generation
TexGen64
- Select TexGenx64 from the MO2 executable dropdown and hit Run.
- Change Stitched Object LOD Textures "Base size" to
256 (1440p)
. - Change Rendered Object Textures "Base size" to:
256 (1440p)
. - Change Tree/Grass LOD Billboards to the following:
- Units per pixel:11.0 (1080p)
.
- Grass: Unchecked.
- Tree: Checked, Direct -135
, Ambient -55
.
- HD Tree: Checked, Direct -135
, Ambient -55
, Smoothness -0
.
- Rendered: Checked, Direct -50
, Ambient -150
, Smoothness -0
. - Diffuse alpha:
Default (BC7 Quick)
. - Diffuse:
Default (BC7 Quick)
. - Normal specular:
Default (BC7 Quick)
. - Normal:
Default (BC7 Quick)
. - Click Start and allow TexGen to run.
- Once it has finished, click Exit to exit TexGen.
- Copy and paste the
TexGen_Output
to your MO2 mods folder (i.e.MO2\Mods
) . - Activate the newly created
TexGen_Output
mod in MO2.
DynDOLOD64
- Select DynDOLODx64 from the MO2 executable dropdown and hit Run.
- In the top left section of the popup window, scroll through and check all Worldspaces.
- In the Options category in the bottom section, check
Object LOD
,Dynamic LOD
,Glow windows
, andHigh
. - For Ultra trees (guide default) check
Ultra
and uncheckTree LOD
. For traditional tree LOD checkTree LOD
and uncheckUltra
.
- Set "Max tile size LOD" to
1024
. - Set "Max tile size full" to
256
. - Set "Billboard brightness" to
-5
. - Set "Max tile size billboard" to
1024
. - Check
Fake lights child world
. - Check
Upgrade NearGrid large references to FarGrid.
- Check
Occlusion data
. - Below "Occlusion data" set "Quality" to
3
. - Check
Plugin
. - Check
Terrain underside
. - Uncheck
Seasons
. - In the top right section, check
Candles
andFXGlow
. - Click the
High
button to load mesh rules for your load order based on settings for the High preset and earlier selected options. - locate Tree mesh rules then change LOD 8 to
Billboard4
and LOD 32 toBillboard6
. - Next, we need to add a new rule for the Azura Statue: locate \ mesh rules then right-click and select insert rule.
- Under Mesh Mask \ Reference FormID box insert man_azura\shrineofazura01.nif
- Make sure VWD Checkbox is checked
- LOD 4: From the Drop down Menu Select Full
- LOD 8: From the Drop down Menu Select Full
- LOD 16: From the Drop down Menu Select Full
- LOD 32: From the Drop down Menu Select Level 0
- Grid: FarFull
- Click OK
- locate \ mesh rules then change LOD 32 to
Level0
- In the bottom right section, click the
OK
button to begin LOD generation. This will take a while. - Once generation has completed, select
Save and; Exit
to close the window to exit DynDOLOD. - Copy and paste the
DynDOLOD_Output
to your MO2 mods folder (i.e.MO2\Mods
). - Activate the newly created
DynDOLOD_Output
mod in MO2. - In the Plugins tab, manually place
DynDOLOD.esm
so it is the lastMaster file
to be loaded.
Congratulations, you are almost done and now you can actually boot up and play the game. Only some settings and MCM changes are left to go.